The U.S. labor market in October reached its longest stretch of job creation since at least World War II. U.S. employers, which added 214,000 jobs to payrolls last month, are on track to post the best yearly gain in employment since 1999. The steady job growth has pushed the nation's unemployment rate down to 5.8%, which is great news for job seekers and not so great news for anyone in search of talent. READ MORE

After spending 13 years with the Ritz-Carlton Learning Institute and the last 15 years working with the best hotel companies in the industry, I have learned the best lesson in business today. Inspect what you expect and don't hire the first warm body that comes through the door, even if they 'look' the part and talk a good game. Recruiting great talent takes a lot of time, will try your patience and bust your HR budget on professional recruiters, if you don't have a plan. The best hiring practice is to 'select' NOT 'hire.' READ MORE

The workforce is aging, and many organizations remain unprepared for the changes necessitated by increasing numbers of retirements. What are the old assumptions about retirement, about productivity of older adults, and about what employers can and should do to effectively manage through these changes? This article outlines how the workplace will likely change, and suggest new assumptions and new strategies for maximizing the benefits of an aging workforce. READ MORE

I suppose I can blame it on my dad. You see, whereas some people have been given the musical gift of perfect pitch (as was my husband), Dad was given the gift of perfect color tonality. While most people will look at two swatches of the same color and see them as identical, he would look at them and see any infinitesimal difference in their shades or tones as easily as you see the difference between a mountain and a molehill. Fortunately or unfortunately, I have been given the same gift. READ MORE

All employers face challenges when it comes to recruiting and retaining qualified talent, but hospitality workers often enter the field with particularly diverse backgrounds and experience, which can make talent management even more demanding. Ultimately this diversity stands to benefit hospitality employers because it can spur innovation and help companies be more relevant to a diverse customer base. There is no doubt however that procuring and growing talent is often difficult in an industry with so many career paths. In fact, as University of Phoenix was developing its new Hospitality Fundamentals associate degree and certificate curriculum, we spoke with hotel leaders around the country who often expressed the hiring process can feel more like a “casting call.” READ MORE