Steve Cody, the co-founder of Peppercom, a public relations firm in New York, began doing stand up comedy five years ago after hearing about it at a business dinner.After noticing how his newfound hobby improved his communication skills and his relationships with his colleagues, Cody decided to bring a little humor to his company's training…

In 2012, employment in the restaurant industry grew 3.4 percent, the largest increase in 17 years, according to the National Restaurant Association (NRA).These figures represent the 13th consecutive year in which the industry has outpaced the overall economy, with restaurant jobs growing at twice the rate of the economy in 2012.Eating and drinking establishments are…

As businesses prepare their tax documents to send off to the IRS, the last thing they want in return is an audit notice. No matter how confident business leaders are in their documentation accuracy, nobody wants to spend the time or resources having to pull up substantial tax proof for the federal agency.1. Keep records…

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, a recent report likened the job application process to the courtship period between two romantic partners. One-third of Americans experienced instant attraction in their most recent job interview, calling it "love at first sight," according to HireView, a recruiting software provider.The survey, which polled more than 1,000 U.S. adults during…

In January, the Conference Board's Employment Trends Index (ETI) decreased to 109.38 from 109.47 in December. Last month's figure however is still 2.7 percent higher than it was in January 2012, according to the research association."Despite the dip in January, the Employment Trends Index continues to signal a moderate improvement in the labor market," said Gad…

A new book by the Apollo Research Institute suggests women are playing a major role in the evolution of high growth industries. Company leaders and HR administration professionals should take note.According to The Apollo Group, an educational program provider, women represent half of U.S. business owners and 57 percent of household breadwinners.Women tend to outperform…

Temporary employees occupy a vital role the economy by helping businesses achieve specific goals and grow in a sustainable way. In a recent statement, ManpowerGroup announced contract worker employment boosts both short- and long-term employment."Hiring talent on a temporary basis enables companies to assess and align the increasingly broad range of modern skills - and even…

While millions of Americans tuned in for the Super Bowl on Sunday, The Miles Group, a talent management consulting group, suggested the televised event had some insightful takeaways for business leaders and HR administration professionals. In a recent statement, the firm pointed out a handful of leadership lessons demonstrated during the game.1. When searching for…

In January, the U.S. economy added 157,000 jobs, according to data released on Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate remained essentially unchanged at 7.9 percent.Last month's numbers fell below December's revised 196,000 added positions and 2012's average of 181,000 per month. Even though job growth at the end of last year…

Many industries are facing a skills gap crisis. Businesses are having difficulty finding the right talent despite the large pool of job candidates. Faced with this debacle, many employers are looking internally to find the future leaders of their organizations.In 2012, nearly half of companies surveyed by the Aberdeen Group said they had a formalized assessment…