ReviewSNAP provides innovative solutions with Web-based employee review system

DES MOINES, Iowa — May 7, 2008 — It's no surprise to business professionals that United States businesses are doing more with less in today's economy. Productivity is expected to increase or remain steady while the unemployment rate remains at 5 percent according to the Bureau of Labor. Human resource professionals and managers share the challenge of doing more with less along with the rest of their organization.

Fortunately, technology can provide solutions for companies by enabling them to complete one of their responsibilities more efficiently and effectively — employee performance reviews — while laddering up to the overall organizations' strategic business plan.

Applied Training Systems has created ReviewSNAP™, an innovative Web-based performance management system that offers the following solutions:

Real time updates to goals, feedback and reviews
• If feedback is given on an employee or the employee's goals are changed any time throughout the review period, the employee's file is updated in real time and can be viewed right away by the rater/reviewer. Also, this allows reviewers to keep track of an employee's progress towards their goals by keeping an ongoing record and adding feedback at anytime during the review period.
Better and accurate reviews can be given
• Rather than taking the chance of basing an employee's review for an entire period on recent events only, reviewers have the ongoing ability to keep better track of their progress, performance issues, areas for improvement, etc. throughout the review period.
Automating reviews for more review cycles
• By automating the reviews, it makes it easier to have more review cycles. Rather, than having to wait for an annual review, reviewers have the option to create as many review periods as needed to provide an effective and accurate overall review.
Access to review system from anywhere with Internet access
• By having a Web-based system, reviewers can add thoughts and notes to employee records from any location with Internet access. This encourages managers and raters to log information about the employee easily and quickly and allows them to access employee reviews and records so they can complete the review process at any time regardless of where they may be at the time.

"ReviewSNAP can help save time and simplify the employee review process for HR professionals and managers, while being a medium that sends a strong message to employees that their organization is genuinely interested in their performance and professional growth,"

said David Arringdale, President of Applied Training Systems. "By having a system that allows for better and more accurate reviews, employees can gain a better understanding of their role in the company, how they are performing and they will feel more confident about their professional goals they need to focus on in the upcoming year."

According to Rasmussen Reports LLC, 92 percent of managers believe they are doing an "excellent" or "good" job managing employees while only 67 percent of employees agree. A Web-based review system enables managers to better identify, evaluate and develop an individual's performance. ReviewSNAP makes this managerial task more streamlined and effective. "Conducting quality employee reviews has a positive influence on employees' individual sense of worth, commitment and belonging to the
organization, ultimately driving better performance that ladders up to the organization's overall goals," said Arringdale.

Automating the review process can significantly reduce HR and managerial staff time by making these processes automated and, therefore, more efficient. Ultimately a company's goal is to generate profit. Streamlining this process can cut an organization's expenses, ensure more timely reviews, and improve morale and productivity which should help enhance the bottom line.




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listed above.

PDS Users Group Association Announces its 28th Annual Conference

Blue Bell, Pa., May 8, 2008 – PDS, a leading developer of web-based human resource, benefits and payroll systems, today announced that the PDS Users' Group Association (UGA) will be holding its 28th Annual Users' Group Conference on September 21-24, 2008 in Jupiter, Fla. The theme for the 2008 event will be "Oceans of Opportunity" and will focus on educating clients on PDS' Vista product capabilities as well as an introduction to the new features of Vista HRMS 4.0 to be launched at the SHRM Annual Conference in June.

"We are confident that this year's conference will offer many exciting new opportunities for those attending," said PDS UGA conference chairperson and HR systems analyst for The IMA Financial Group, Inc., TeddiAnne Krehbiel. "The UGA Steering Committee has been focusing on new ways to best advance and assist Vista users. The conference has served as an excellent opportunity for PDS clients to ask questions and suggest new and innovative ways to update the system for more than a quarter of a century."

Based off the success of the "Brainstorming" event at the 2007 conference, the PDS team was given many insightful tips on how to make the PDS Vista HRMS 4.0 program an even more user-friendly environment. This year's conference will include a multitude of events and workshops including another "Brainstorming" event which users will be able to share their suggestions. Besides the ability to address any questions or concerns of Vista users, the conference is also a great place for networking with PDS staff, HR professionals and other users.

About PDS UGA
Since 1974, the PDS Users Group Association (PDS UGA) has helped to educate PDS' hundreds of users on making the most of their software investment. Today, the PDS UGA consists of more than 1,000 members, led by a committee composed of PDS staff and end users.

About PDS
In the HRMS software development business for more than 30 years, PDS is a provider of a web-based, feature-rich, completely integrated human resource, benefits administration and payroll software application that enables organizations to focus on more strategic issues and less on administrative HR, benefits and payroll activities. PDS offers a full range of professional services to a wide variety of industries in the U.S. and in Canada. Founded in 1974, PDS is a privately-held company headquartered in Blue Bell, Pa. For more information on PDS or PDS' Vista HRMS solution and services, visit www.pdssoftware.com.

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PDS and the PDS logo are registered trademarks and Vista is a trademark of Personnel Data Systems Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are properties of their respective owners.




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A PERFORMANCE COACH ON YOUR iPHONE AthenaOnlines SmartBytes.mobi Site Becomes an Apple Computer Staff Pick

Emeryville, CA May 7, 2008 – Ever thought it would be helpful to get management advice while you were stuck at the airport, or wanted to know how to deal with a difficult person while you were in the back of a cab on your way to meet with them? Now iPhone™ and iPod touch owners can do just that.

AthenaOnline announced that they have released their entire library of short leadership advice videos (SmartBytes™) for use on Apple iPhone and iPod touch devices. Previously only available on computers and 3GP phones, the new iPhone service adds a more robust interface and features that help users find the lessons that are best suited for them.

The mobile SmartBytes are currently available free of charge through a special iPhone website at SmartBytes.mobi. With almost 1,000 videos it is the largest body of management training content currently available for mobile learning.

"The iPhone is a breakthrough device" said Jon Peters, Athena's CEO, "and we wanted to deliver an application that leveraged it as much as possible to make searching and viewing videos a compelling experience for users." It must be working, as the site has already become a staff pick on Apple's website and has had over 3,500 unique visitors within the first few days of its launch.

Athena has worked with over 70 leading business consultants and experts like Marshall Goldsmith, Beverly Kaye, Russell Ackoff, Vijay Govindarajan, and many others to create a library of over 1,000 SmartByte videos on management and leadership. The videos are typically delivered through customized web-based learning portals for large multinational organizations.

According to Jupiter Media, 41% of mobile phone users have an interest in receiving videos on their mobile phone and Athena is optimistic about the opportunity. "The new service is a part of AthenaOnline's anytime and anywhere learning strategy" says Peters. "This type of learning delivery will play an increased role in the newest version of our award-winning MyQuickCoach learning platform, which includes Web 2.0 functionality."

The Athena Mobile SmartByte™ Library (AMSB) service is currently available for the iPhone, iPod touch, and cell phones that support 3GP video streaming.

The iPhone version of the system uses menus and text search capability, while the 3GP application uses a point-and-click system of text based menus to find videos by subject or thought leader. Users may access the Athena videos by using their iPhone's Safari browser to go to www.SmartBytes.mobi.

For more information on Athena's applications call 800-500-4294.

About AthenaOnline.com
AthenaOnline.com (www.athenaonline.com) is a premier publisher of multimedia training, education and career development products. Athena was founded as a sister company to the Institute for Management Studies (IMS), with a mission to leverage technology to deliver business knowledge when and where individuals need it. Athena has consistently delivered award-winning programs over the Internet, internal networks and on CD-Rom. Athena is headquartered in Reno, NV. For more information call 800-500-4294.

# # #

SmartByte is a registered trademark of AthenaOnline.com, Inc. Apple, iPhone, and iPod touch are registered trademarks of Apple Inc.

"Safe Harbor" Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. The statements in this press release that relate to future plans, events or performance are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including risks associated with uncertainties related to contract cancellations, competitive factors, uncertainties pertaining to customer orders, demand for products and services, development of markets for the Company's products and services and other risks identified in the Company's filings. Actual results, events and performance may differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect
the occurrence of unanticipated events.

# # #



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Morehead Webinar Presents Companys Approach to Driving Physician Retention

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – May 8, 2008 – The human capital research firm Morehead will host a webinar on Thursday, May 22, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. eastern time titled "Driving Physician Retention through Engagement."

Retaining skilled, engaged physicians is critical to the success of health systems across the country. Patient, employee and physician satisfaction, as well as quality of patient care, are significantly impacted when physicians leave an organization or when they are not aligned with the organization's mission, vision and values. Physician shortages and increased competition in the marketplace compound the problem. These factors and others are driving organizations to make physician retention a strategic priority.

Brad Morton, vice president of Business Development, and Trevor Byrd, senior associate of Research and Development, will present the hour-ling webinar. Morton and Byrd will share Morehead's research that reveals the importance of physician engagement in driving physician retention. They will also share a proven model for measuring what matters to physicians, as well as best practices for communicating, partnering and building trust with physicians.

To sign up for the free hour-long webinar, visit http://moreheadassociates.com/events/contents_event53.html.

About Morehead
Morehead delivers human capital Surveys, Metrics and Solutions that enable leaders to (1) target and focus human capital initiatives, (2) prioritize systemic change, (3) inform work unit interventions, and (4) align employees with business strategies. Morehead's clients include healthcare providers, financial institutions, government agencies, universities, service providers, and manufacturers. For more information, visit www.moreheadassociates.com.

Media Contact:
Wanda Craig
800.849.2292 x 5515
wcraig(at)moreheadassociates.com


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Morehead Hosts Webinar Titled The Art and Science of Successful Goal Setting Using Opinion Surveys

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – May 8, 2008 – Following an employee survey, organizations often struggle with establishing effective improvement goals and incentives for leaders. The human capital research firm Morehead will host a webinar on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. eastern time titled "The Art and Science of Successful Goal Setting Using Opinion Surveys."

Leo F. Brajkovich, Ph.D and SPHR, president of Morehead's West Region and Rod Wilkes, M.S., president of Morehead's East Region will present the hour-long webinar. Brajkovich and Wilkes will share Morehead's extensive research and case studies that shed light on how to create a strategic and successful survey and goal-setting process.

Specifically, Brajkovich and Wilkes will share industry trends on how healthcare compares to Fortune 500 companies in the use of surveys for diagnosis and change. They will present different approaches for establishing survey metrics and goals, especially in large organizations across business units.

Attendees will walk away with an understanding of:
• how to drive improvement efforts using survey feedback and create accountability with "wise" goal-setting practices;
• how to apply engagement indexes, norms, trending, and forecasting models to drive management behavior and positive change;
• how to communicate the goal-setting approach and its benefits;
• the challenges and pitfalls of developing the right goals and incentivizing leadership behavior.

To sign up for the free hour-long webinar, visit http://moreheadassociates.com/events/contents_event54.html.

About Morehead
Morehead delivers human capital Surveys, Metrics and Solutions that enable leaders to (1) target and focus human capital initiatives, (2) prioritize systemic change, (3) inform work unit interventions, and (4) align employees with business strategies. Morehead's clients include healthcare providers, financial institutions, government agencies, universities, service providers, and manufacturers. For more information, visit www.moreheadassociates.com.

Media Contact:
Wanda Craig
800.849.2292 x 5515
wcraig(at)moreheadassociates.com



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Engagement Key to Health Coaching Success, but Elusive Definitions Prevail, says Hummingbird Coaching Services

CINCINNATI – May 8, 2008 – Companies struggling to harness rising health insurance costs and promote healthy lifestyles among employees are increasingly turning to corporate wellness programs. Health coaching, in particular, is becoming "de rigueur."

Yet there is little agreement on the definition of its key ingredient for success – engagement. If employees aren't engaged, their lifestyle choices don't change, and the organization has wasted its investment of time and money.

"Engagement in Wellness Programs: Definitions, Evolution and Key Factors," is a new white paper available for download at http://www.myhealthcoach.com/default.aspx?tabid=8038, by Sean Slovenski, chief executive officer of Hummingbird Coaching Services. Slovenski explores the history of health coaching, its escalating popularity, and varying ways engagement is now defined, approached and measured.

In an accompanying podcast, he explains several key milestones in the history and definition of engagement.

"Understanding effective engagement is more than a question of semantics," said Slovenski, a pioneer in the coaching industry. "It's an important question that determines whether a wellness program is an actual success, a perceived success or a failure."

Enrollment is not the same as engagement, Slovenski explained. Companies trying to measure program success by how many employees show up will not likely see the outcomes they're looking for: healthier employees and decreasing health insurance costs. Engagement is actively working with a coach over a period of time – frequent contact that creates a sustained relationship, motivation and accountability.

Companies must also be aware of how different vendors and organizations define "engagement." Health coaching companies provide statistics on engagement, employee satisfaction and success, yet these figures are based on self-reported projections, not scientific measures.

Further information on engagement, including its four key factors, is available in Hummingbird's white paper for download at http://www.myhealthcoach.com/default.aspx?tabid=8038 and visitors can listen to the accompanying podcast as well.

About Hummingbird Coaching Services
Cincinnati-based Hummingbird Coaching Services is a pioneer in online health coaching, providing health coaching services since 1997. Using its proprietary coaching model and online delivery platform, Hummingbird provides coaching services to businesses and celebrities such as Google, Motorola, United Behavioral Healthcare, Leeza Gibbons, and the Muhammad Ali Center. Through its innovative technology platform and coaching programs, Hummingbird provides health, parenting and life coaching to drive real behavior change in individuals. More information is at www.hummingbirdcoaching.com.

# # #

Contact:

Colleen Harris
Hummingbird Coaching
harrischh(at)roadrunner.com
877-240-4588

Sean Slovenski
Hummingbird Coaching
Sean.Slovenski(at)hummingbirdcoaching.com
877-240-4588



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Effective Resources Opens New Headquarters in Knoxville, Celebrates 15th Anniversary

Knoxville, Tenn. / May 23, 2008 Effective Resources Inc., is announcing two significant milestones in May: the company's 15th anniversary and the opening of its new corporate headquarters in Knoxville, Tennessee.

"We started this consulting business part-time in the late 1980s in the Tampa Bay, Florida area," said Barry L. Brown, president of Effective Resources Incorporated. "I knew we could fill a special need for compensation and other specialty consulting services if we opened our own business that showcased our creative, efficient and, 'effective' client solutions. An operating philosophy of hands-on involvement with clients to help them reach their goals has endured for 15 years and should continue to serve us well into the future."

Underscoring the company's success, Effective Resources has opened its new corporate headquarters in Knoxville. "We'll certainly continue to service our Florida clients, but we believe there is a tremendous opportunity in the Knoxville area and along the I-75 corridor," Brown added.

As part of the celebration, the company is holding a 15th anniversary giveaway through the month of May. The prize is one full conference registration to the HR Florida 2008 30th Anniversary Conference & Expo, to be held in Orlando in August 2008. Take 10 seconds to answer five simple questions and enter to win at: http://www.SalarySurveyOnline.com/SignUp.asp

"On this special day for our company, we want to express our sincere appreciation to our clients and associates for their continuing support as partners in our growth," said Brown. "We are convinced the next 15 years will be the best for Effective Resources."

About Effective Resources
Effective Resources, Inc. is a leading human resources consulting firm specializing in providing companies assistance with compensation issues, affirmative action plan preparation, salary surveys, employee opinions surveys and other areas of human resources. Visit our website at: http://www.EffectiveResources.com


Contact Information:
Barry Brown, SPHR CCP
President, Effective Resources, Inc.
Voice: 800-288-6044
118 N. Peters Road, Suite 171
Knoxville, TN 37923
E-Mail: e-mail protected from spam bots

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Shawn McKinstrie is appointed as Managing Partner for Lucas Groups Tampa, FL location

Lucas Group, an executive search firm, appointed Shawn McKinstrie as Managing Partner for its Accounting & Finance division located in Tampa. FL.

As Managing Partner, Shawn McKinstrie will oversee the Accounting & Finance Tampa, FL branch as well as local and national client management. He has built an eleven year track record in the recruitment industry and brings his experience building profitable consulting organizations and search practices. Shawn has been instrumental in his career in starting up divisions and contributing to sales, recruitment and management responsibilities.

"The addition of Shawn McKinstrie broadens Lucas Group's geographic reach into the state of Florida, which we fell is critical to the long term growth of our Accounting and Finance practice," stated Andi Jennings, Vice President/General Manager, Lucas Group.

Prior to joining the Lucas Group Mr. McKinstrie started his career as a Recruiting Manager at Robert Half International and was quickly promoted 5 times. His most recent position prior to leaving was Regional Vice President of their Consulting Services in New York. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and Sociology from the State University of New York at Potsdam.

About Lucas Group
Lucas Group is one of the nation's largest executive recruitment firms that built a reputation for successfully providing human capital placements in multiple markets and industries. The search firm has increased its reach, while maintaining a commitment to high performance and unsurpassed industry knowledge. Lucas Group focuses on recruiting top executives in management, advertising/marketing, sales, accounting, manufacturing, legal, military personnel transitioning and technical positions across all major industries. With 17 offices in the United States and 2 in Europe, Lucas Group performs search assignments for Fortune 100+ companies, as well as regional businesses and entrepreneurial firms.



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STAFF MANAGEMENT PARTNERS WITH A FORTUNE 500 COMPANY TO PROVIDE VENDOR MANAGED SERVICES ACROSS ITS U.S. LOCATIONS

CHICAGO, May 7, 2008 – Staff Management, a pioneer in high-volume, vendor-on-premise (VOP) and Managed Service Provider (MSP) staffing solutions, has entered into an agreement with a Fortune 500 company to provide a comprehensive suite of vendor and program management services.

Staff Management's client was seeking a proactive, flexible and knowledgeable partner that would provide them with expertise in multiple areas of supply management and procurement. One of the client's primary drivers was to gain visibility across their large organization—roughly 200 locations throughout the United States—to ensure consistency, process optimization, and leverage industry best practices.

"Our client identified a crucial need to maximize their supplier management strategy to extract the most value from those relationships and processes, while ensuring that costs were tightly controlled," said Caroline Storey, Senior Director of Sales for Staff Management. "Given Staff Management's deep experience in optimizing a vendor managed services (VMS) tool within the manufacturing sector, we were engaged to help our client improve the levels of satisfaction with their programs across their user population."

According to the company's Vice President of Procurement, "Staff Management's consultative approach and flexibility in developing out-of-the box solutions positively impacted other areas of our business. For instance, Staff Management's comprehensive data analysis, reporting and tracking capabilities helped us with risk mitigation by ensuring compliance with corporate policy across the board. We also formalized the process by which we evaluate supplier service level agreements (SLAs)."

Staff Management was considered as a potential vendor given its deep, domain expertise in the light industrial staffing sector, intimate knowledge of contract labor arrangements, and proven success in managing complex staffing programs across all skill categories. The 20-year old firm's clients include some of the more recognizable names in the Fortune 500 list of corporations.

About Staff Management
Chicago-based Staff Management is the pioneer of high volume, vendor-on-premise and end-to-end supplier management solutions for strategic users of a contingent workforce. Major organizations across America rely on Staff Management for their expertise and leadership in the staffing industry. These Fortune 500 companies consistently experience reduced labor costs, turnover, overtime and administrative burden as a result of Staff Management's unique ability to customize the optimal staffing solution for them. For more information, please visit www.staffmanagement.com or call (800) 746 9462. Staff Management is a charter member of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement IMAGE Program.

###

For More Information:

Rich Cilia
Marketing Director
312-397-3459
e-mail protected from spam bots


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SkillSurvey Begins 2008 with Record Growth, Profitability

BERWYN, Penn. — May 7, 2008 — SkillSurvey, Inc. the leading provider of web-based reference checking solutions, today announced sustained growth throughout 2007 and first quarter 2008, with a marked increase in corporate Fortune 1000 clients.

SkillSurvey increased their number of new corporate clients 67 percent between 2006 through the end of 2007, with 25 percent of its client base ranked among the Fortune 1000 to Fortune 50. The company increased bookings by over 300 percent over this time last year. Notable new clients include GlaxoSmithKline, Reebok, Time Warner Cable, Rite Aid, Boston Scientific, Kohl's, Nutrisystem, Scottrade and Proctor & Gamble.

The company has also seen a 54 percent growth among customers in the staffing and recruiting market, including Manpower and Kelly Services, helping them more efficiently screen their prospective contract workers.

The SkillSurvey Pre-Hire 360 solution, named a Top 10 HR Product of 2007 by HR Executive Magazine, enables companies to complete fast and accurate reference checks without the time-intensive phone calls.

"We've gained traction among major companies as they strive to cut recruiting costs and increase hiring accuracy," said Ray Bixler, chief executive officer. "The reference check has traditionally been handled by phone as a means for gaining valuable third-party insight into candidates, but the phone-based process has been hampered by inefficiencies and liability concern. SkillSurvey has revolutionized reference checking and the robust growth in our customer base demonstrates the value it offers."

A key 2007 addition to SkillSurvey management is Cynthia Hedricks, chief analytics officer, whose deep experience in predictive data analytics enables the company to help customers improve their quality of hire. The company wanted to ensure that its technology wasn't merely offering an efficient approach but that science and validity studies improved quality and value of the SkillSurvey reports.

Hedricks co-chairs SkillSurvey's professional advisory board along with GlaxoSmithKline's Lou Manzi. The board, which boasts such seasoned human resource industry visionaries as Peter Capelli of The Wharton School, Ed Newman of the Newman Group and Chris Forman of AIRS, provides the SkillSurvey executive team with deep industry, technology and business guidance.

SkillSurvey has also attracted a number of new partnerships such as Safe Hiring, Position Manager, Premier Employment and USIS, joining existing partners such as Taleo, Hewitt, Pinstripe, Verifications and Veritude.

For many SkillSurvey customers, their high volume of hiring, the time-intensive task of telephoning references, and the reluctance of employers to provide information results in an operational bottleneck to filling jobs. Yet foregoing reference checks may mean hiring unqualified employees.

With SkillSurvey's patent-pending technology, SkillSurvey customers ranging from elementary schools to Fortune-ranked organizations can increase their hiring accuracy while simultaneously increasing efficiency.

About SkillSurvey
SkillSurvey is the leading provider and pioneer of online reference assessment solutions that increase quality of hire and eliminate time wasted in the recruiting process. Using SkillSurvey, organizations improve the quantity and quality of information they collect regarding a candidate's past performance, resulting in a significant reduction in time and money spent on reference checking. This breakthrough approach to reference assessments is patent pending, and based on a proprietary online process and over 25 years of research in job competency modeling. To learn more, visit www.skillsurvey.com or contact us at information(at)skillsurvey.com.

Media Contacts:

Erika von Hoyer
VP, Marketing
SkillSurvey, Inc.
610-727-4161
evonhoyer(at)skillsurvey.com



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All dressed up (in cap and gown!) with no place to go? Online recruiter, WallStJobs.com offers some tips to new graduates-and students on summer bre

May 6, 2008 – New York, NY If you are one of the increasingly large number of students graduating without a job, take heart. There are things you can do to join the ranks of the working class. "The downturn in the economy will make it essential for all job-seekers to work harder to find a position," said Robert Graber, the founder of WallStJobs.com. "Don't think that you can take some time off and wait for the market to improve. It is essential that you hire yourself to find a job now."

Graber offered some suggestions:

-Go back to the well – Contact firms where you had some interest. Even if you did not get the job, send a follow up note expressing your continued interest. The person they hired may not work out.

-Leverage your alma mater – Hopefully you have already been to your school's career office. Couple that with using social networking and professional linking sites to search for alums who might be in a position to help a fellow graduate. "I heard of one person who read wedding announcements to find college alumni," said Graber.

-Expand your horizons – Look at firms outside the state. If necessary, subscribe to out of state papers for leads. Contact local trade groups in your specialty and ask for assistance.

-Take the temp - Be flexible. Register with temporary services that have expertise in your field of interest. Even if you are light on experience, offer to work for a lower wage to gain some real world experience and get inside a company where you can demonstrate your ability.

-Cast a wide 'net' – Update any internet job boards you may have already registered with. Be sure your posting is current and your resume is letter-perfect. "Use specialty sites that focus on your industry preferences even if they seem small. They are more often read by firms who are seriously looking to hire."

Graber cautioned that frustration and a "doom and gloom" mentality will tempt some people to put off looking for a job. "Don't fool yourself into thinking that by waiting, your odds of getting something will improve. The only thing you are doing is ceding current opportunities to more motivated people. Gird yourself to what will certainly be a challenge, but in many ways it is your chance to prove to yourself and to potential employers that you are highly motivated."

Graber concluded by saying that there is really only one valid excuse not to be devoting all your waking time to job hunting, and that is when you are on a temp assignment. "Think of every temporary work assignment as an extended job interview," he advised.

About the company: WallStJobs.com, the premier recruiting source exclusively for financial service professionals, is a member of the Jobosaurus family of uniquely specialized recruiting sites.









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HireAbility.com Celebrates Cinco de Mayo by Helping Small Recruitment Technology Companies During Tough Economic Times

Londonderry, NH - HireAbility.com, a leader in recruiting software and services, is looking to the Cinco De Mayo holiday as a way to help companies during these tough economic times with tremendous service and product savings.

"Companies usually advertise and invest less in their products and services during a down economy," said Amy Renz, Executive Vice President of Technology and Operations at HireAbility.com. "The truth is, this is a great time to make tremendous gains over the competition. We want to help them make that happen."

During the entire month of May, HireAbility.com is offering some very exciting incentives to small/start-up job board and application tracking system (ATS) companies:

* HireAbility resume parsing customers receive complementary email marketing campaigns dedicated to boosting their sales and sent to a highly-targeted list of over 110,000 HR and staffing professionals. This is available to the first five small or start-up ATS or job board companies that sign up with HireAbility in May and to all of HireAbility's existing customers.

* The first five to sign up with HireAbility in May and all existing customers also receive complementary automated posting of their jobs to HireAbility's Web site and its network of cross posting job sites.

* The first five small, start-up customers in May also are eligible for limited-time special pricing. And new customers who were not one of the first five to purchase an ALEX license also are eligible for an additional five months of life to their license. This means a 12-month license is extended to 17-months.


"We're excited about our ability to grow our customers' businesses in new and powerful ways," said Renz. "This is something our competition cannot do. By leveraging our media business, we can drive sales for our clients. And by using our resume parsing services and job board cross posting capabilities our clients can deliver even more value to their customers. We urge all job sites and ATS/HRMS vendors to call us, but now is an especially opportunistic time for the small, start-up
players."

For more information, please contact Ken Smith at 603.432.6653, ext. 118.

About HireAbility

HireAbility.com, LLC is the global leader in intelligently capturing data from unstructured documents. Privately held, founded in 1999, and based in Londonderry, NH, HireAbility processes the world's resumes/CVs by integrating its ALEX AI-based parsing software into solutions from leading providers of job sites, applicant tracking systems (ATS), and HR information systems (HRIS). ALEX (Automatic Linguistic EXpert) is known for dramatically improving data capture efficacy, while substantially reducing costs. It performs full document parsing in English (US/UK), Dutch, French, German, and French Canadian, while supporting nearly all US, Canadian, UK, Australian, New Zealand, South Africa, and AsiaPac address formats.

More information is available at www.hireability.com, or by calling 1.603.432.6653 extension 118. To learn more about ALEX, please visit the ALEX section on the HireAbility Web site.




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White Paper: Executive Search Client Side Best Practices Adopt a Hiring Methodology

In today's increasingly competitive world, leaving mission-critical positions open for longer than absolutely necessary is unacceptable. The lost productivity and opportunity costs are staggering. Following are two practices you can implement to limit these costs by getting better talent into your organization more quickly.

1. Make sure you and your search firm adopt a hiring methodology and hiring focus as opposed to having a perpetual search focus. It's important to understand how your executive search process is impacted by you, your hiring methodology and your search firm. Unfortunately, having great candidates does not always result in making a great hire. The ability to take those candidates and move them through the hiring process quickly from initial client interview, to follow up interviews, to offer in a short window is very important not just to getting someone hired, but getting the right person hired. At Pax Gabriel we are known for getting a short list of candidates to our clients faster than anyone else in the industry. How do we do this? We benchmark every position at the start of the search process. This goes far beyond a typical search intake process conducted by most firms. In
addition to the typical site visit/assignment study and a position and candidate brief, we benchmark the positions' key deliverables necessary to move the company forward. Try this in your own company - develop functional, leadership, commitment and cultural benchmarks to maximize your success. Then, as we do, benchmark your candidates against these criteria and create a success profile. Only candidates for whom you can make a business case for clearing the mark move forward in the process. This is continually reevaluated as the process goes along and additional data is gathered.

2. Send a clear message to your top-level candidates that your organization is one that values talent. More and more in today's marketplace, a passive candidate puts himself or herself out into the search process and begins to do some comparison shopping. With unemployment at an all time low, and with top quality talent getting harder to find, I would be disappointed if the top candidates were not smart enough to do this. If you conduct a slow interview process or are viewed as having a weak employment brand, you will continually find yourself losing top candidates to your competitors. If you want to successfully onboard your next top performer, send a powerful message during the interview process about how your company values talent. The good news is that it's a very easy and powerful step to incorporate.


To illustrate my point, let's look at two client examples from our experience at Pax Gabriel. Client number one is a financial services firm with over $35B in revenue that is performing well for its shareholders in a very difficult time in their industry. They have a strong hiring mentality, as opposed to a search mentality, and we recently placed two executives with them in 38 and 57 days respectively. (Measurements are taken from the date we accepted the assignment to the date of a signed offer letter.) Let's look at the critical things our client did right. First, when we presented our short list of candidates, our client conducted three rounds of interviews, for a total of nine face-to-face meetings in two weeks, with seven different executives in two weeks on the search that took 38 days, and three and a half weeks on the search that lasted 53 days. Second, when we had multiple candidates who cleared the
'benchmark,' our client was not afraid to make a hiring decision. Rather than holding out for the mythical 'perfect candidate,' they hired their top choice for both positions.

As is typical these days, both of their top choice candidates had other options that, on paper, looked like bigger opportunities. However, our client effectively demonstrated during the interview process how they value their people. They accomplished this by articulating why their company is a great place work, both in opportunity and culture, plus we had offers on the table before their other opportunities had made it to second round of interviews. As a result they won the candidates of their choice.

As I share this story with people, I hear familiar objections. Primary among them are, "It's impossible for my company to have a two- or three-week interview cycle" and "Why should we change our interview process which has been successful to accommodate the candidates?" My response? Be careful. The company that prides itself on taking lots of time to make important decisions needs to realize that talented people perceive your organization as, at best, bureaucratic.

Too many companies waste countless days on interview debriefings and schedule distractions, such as board meetings, earnings calls, leadership off-site summits, and on and on. But interestingly, in the end, board members and shareholders find hiring the best people important and any excuse for not doing so as unacceptable. The competitive marketplace dictates that the victor in the talent war is the company that can be smart and swift.

Now let's look at client number two, a software company that's battling with declining revenue and market share. With $450M in revenue you'd think, by comparison, they'd be able to move more quickly than client number one. However, they often miss out on hiring their top choice. Then, as pressure mounts, they are forced to hire someone less qualified than the candidate they could have had months earlier - if only they had been able to move more quickly and make a decision. Unfortunately, they have two fundamental flaws in their hiring process.

First, they believe in the perfect candidate, as opposed to being open to what the candidate market will realistically offer and require. And second, just about everything their executives do is more important than interviewing. However, their view of what is important changes as the pain of the open position becomes acute. Ultimately, the company has a fantastic product but needs to upgrade its talent to compete with the industry behemoths.

We recently completed three searches for this client and are working on a fourth. Unnecessarily, the completed searches have taken anywhere from four to six months, with the fourth position pushing seven months as we speak. The time it took for us to present our short lists varied by search, but on average was no longer than our financial services client. And the quality of those candidates - by our client's own admission - more than cleared our mutually agreed upon benchmarks.

Candidates were initially interested in our client because of their truly superior product and they knew our client could be a real growth company. But once the interview process began, a new perception developed, one of a company that did not value talent because they could not make important decisions. Since their hiring process dragged on, the top-level candidates they wanted ended up deciding the grass was not greener and stayed with their current employer or were lured to other opportunities that showed the candidate they were valued.

Competition for top employees is fierce, and it's going to get more difficult as boomers start to retire en masse. The companies who can hire executives quickly and effectively define the difference between hiring the talent they choose versus hiring the talent no one else is willing to employ.


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Bob Van Rossum is the CEO of Pax Gabriel, LLC, a 21st Century Executive Search Firm. The only retained executive search firm who guarantees we will fill positions in 100 days or less. He regularly speaks to the media and organizations on topics related to talent acquisition, retention, succession planning and the effects of retiring boomers on the workforce.



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For Companies That Outsource HR, 8 of 10 Dont Look Back

SEATTLE, WA (May 6, 2008) – The outsourcing of HR continues, but it is not the runaway train many predicted when the practice emerged about a decade ago, suggests a recent study by the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp).

Most respondents (72%) say their organizations have elected to keep compensation functions in-house, and 58% say their firms do not plan to outsource their payroll function. Likewise, 57% report that their companies do not plan to outsource employee contact centers, and 54% say their organizations do not outsource for recruiting. In addition, 46% of participants say training and development is kept within their organizations.

Why hasn't outsourcing become even more common? "Outsourcing transactional processes frees up internal staff, but many firms feel that outsourcing relinquishes too much control," notes David Wentworth, manager of i4cp's HR Outsourcing Knowledge Center.

Seventy percent of the 231 respondents report that their organizations either fully or partially outsource the administration of 401(k) plans, followed by flexible spending account administration (69%), COBRA administration (59%), and the administration of defined benefit plans (58%).

The chief reason given for outsourcing decisions was financial, with 60% of respondents reporting their companies outsourced to reduce costs. Another widely cited reason was the desire to "focus on HR strategy" (53%) and the desire to improve service quality (46%). The least-cited reason for outsourcing was to achieve a better ROI, with a quarter of respondents reporting that as a motive.

"It's a win-win where it makes sense," notes Wentworth. "Costs are reduced, service is improved and HR gets more opportunities to strategize rather than just serve as an administrator."
Regarding their satisfaction with outsourcing, 85% of respondents said they are either somewhat or very satisfied with outsourcing of retiree administration. The area where respondents say they are least satisfied is the outsourcing of employee contact centers, with 25% reporting being either very or somewhat dissatisfied.

The study also showed that, as a whole, once a function has been outsourced, it is likely to remain outsourced. According to the study, less than 2 in 10 companies have brought an outsourced function back into the organization. Of those companies that did bring an outsourced function or functions back in-house, the biggest reason was poor quality, cited by 69% of respondents whose firms had brought a previously outsourced function back in-house.

The HR Outsourcing "Taking the Pulse" Survey was conducted by i4cp, in conjunction with HR.com, in March 2008.

About i4cp, inc.

i4cp is the world's largest private network of corporations focused on improving workforce productivity. Our vendor-free community facilitates innovation by giving our members – among the largest and most respected organizations in the world – access to:

1. Peers to spark new ideas and prevent "reinventing the wheel"
2. Research to enable members to understand current practices and next practices
3. Tools to put ideas and research into action
4. Technology to enable members to easily access tailored information and execute workforce strategies.

With more than 40 years of experience and the industry's largest team of human capital analysts, i4cp is the definitive destination for organizations seeking innovative ways to improve workforce productivity. For more information, please visit http://www.i4cp.com/

# # #
Contact:

Greg Pernula
Director of Research Services, i4cp, inc.
e-mail protected from spam bots
(727) 345-2226

Bill Perry
i4cp, inc.
e-mail protected from spam bots
(614) 975-7538



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Ensuring Success through Executive Onboarding

Wayne, PA-May 5—the Global Consulting Partnership, experts in making business strategies work through people and culture, announce the release of their latest white paper: Ensuring Success through Executive Onboarding.

White paper author and tGCP director, Bob Drovdlic describes how many companies continue to incur substantial costs due to their reluctance to proactively support newly-hired or newly-promoted executives. "What struck me in doing the research," says Drovdlic, "was that companies often expect people at the executive level to have the skills necessary to acclimate to a new role quickly and easily. It is as if, because the executive has made it this far in his or her career, he or she can adapt smoothly, no matter the situational challenges."

Significant failure rates of newly-placed executives expose how professional experience does not necessarily guarantee success. Best practices from companies that have robust executive onboarding processes in place provide solid evidence of how effective the proactive approach can be. "Taking steps to help a new executive get up to speed is much more cost effective than trying to correct a problem once it occurs," says Drovdlic.

About tGCP:
tGCP shows companies how to leverage their people, culture, and strategy in order to drive performance to the next level. Experts in talent management, executive development and organizational performance, tGCP's consultants optimize corporate potential for leading names in health care, transportation, financial services and manufacturing.



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Lessons Learned at the 2008 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Meeting - AKA Woodstock for Capitalists

This past weekend I had the privilege of once again attending the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meeting in the wonderful city of Omaha, Nebraska. As I've blogged about before, this is not your typical shareholders meeting where CEOs get in and out as quickly as possible with limited shareholder interaction. Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholders meeting is more like a conference and exhibition (the exhibit hall showcases products from companies that Berkshire owns).

In my opinion this is one of the best business conferences you can attend. You will learn more about management, finance, marketing and growing a business in five hours than you are likely to learn at most any other conference - and some business schools. You will also learn more about investing than you can possibly learn anywhere else. Don't believe me? Consider this: over 30,000 people from all over the world attended this year's Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meeting in Omaha.



During the meeting, Warren Buffet, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway (and the wealthiest person in America) and his partner Charlie Munger answer shareholder questions from about 9am to 3pm. Anyone can ask a question about pretty much any topic. It's truly remarkable. Buffet and Munger are two of the smartest people living on this planet so when they share their wisdom, you listen - and you walk away a smarter and quite possibly a better person.

Questions were asked on every topic you can imagine including the presidential election, religion, the US energy policy and the Olympics. The Omaha World-Herald provides a great overview of the meeting in these two articles:

- Berkshire Hathaway: 31,000 show up at Qwest Center for annual meeting
- Notes and highlights from meeting

You can also read the detailed Q&A here.

But what I'd like to do is highlight some of the Q&A that related to business and human resources. Enjoy.

- Hiring and Assessing Candidates for Senior Executive Positions: Buffet said he would have no idea how to rank a group of MBAs. But when selecting executives he looks for a great track record and great human qualities (ability and integrity). But he also wants people with the ability to contemplate problems that have not cropped up before. I thought this was very interesting and I would love to know how he assesses this. Maybe an assessment firm can offer an opinion.

By the way, in a previous meeting, Buffet has said in evaluating people, you look for three qualities: (1) Integrity, (2) Intelligence (3) Energy. He then says that if you don’t have the first, the other two will kill you.

- Employment Contracts to Retain Key Talent: Buffet says they don't work. The best way to retain people is to create an environment that allows managers to enjoy their work and succeed.

- Succession Planning: At age 77, Buffet is dealing with his own succession planning at the moment (he said the plan for his succession is in place). He requires the 40+ CEOs of his operating companies to submit the name of their successor once every two years.

- Making Quarterly Numbers: Buffet said "we never want to trade reputation for money. We have no incentives to cause people to do anything or push people to play games". If you only focus on the numbers, he said you invite poor decision making and risk having management making decisions that trade a company's reputation for an extra buck. At Berkshire, managers are under no such pressure. They are encouraged to manage for the long term. After a bond-trading scandal in the early 90's, Warren Buffett, a major shareholder, was summoned to save the firm. He promptly gave Salomon traders some advice about integrity: "If I hear of an employee losing the company money, I'll be understanding. However, if I hear of any employee losing Salomon one shred of reputation, I'll be ruthless!"

- Due Diligence When Acquiring Companies: Munger said that Berkshire has lower due diligence expenses than anyone in America. He said he knows of a place that pays over 200mil to its accountants every year for due diligence research. Buffet said if you think auditors know more about an acquisition then they should run the business and you should take up auditing. With regard to due diligence on his recent investment of 6 billion in Mars-Wrigley Buffet said:

"I’m not going to look at labor or leases. Value of Wrigley does not depend on value of lease or environmental problem. There is a whole lot of trivia that doesn’t mean anything. I never made an acquisition that would have been avoided due to conventional due diligence."

With regard to Wrigley deal Buffet said there were no lawyers involved and no directors involved: "I got a call, it made sense, and I said yes. No material adverse change clause. Our $6.5bil will be available regardless, even if Ben Bernanke runs off to South America with Paris Hilton."

- Executive Compensation: Buffet said the average person cannot do much about it. He said small shareholder can write persuasive notes but they won’t respond to you. It would take large institutional shareholders to withhold votes and pressure a CEO about it. Responding to the idea about raising taxes to deter this behavior, Munger said "In England, they got taxes up to 90%, so no possibility of earning large income. That was counterproductive. You can get politics of envy that ruins economics. I think people taking compensation have a moral duty not to take it. Moral duty to be underpaid. If generals and archibishops can do it, why can’t leaders of large enterprise take less than the last dollar?"

You can read more on Buffet's views on executive compensation by reading a post I wrote last year titled Compensation Consultants Need Not Apply at Berkshire Hathaway.


Posted by Mark Willaman

WorldatWork Forms Strategic Alliance with BNA to Offer HR Essential Tools

Washington, D.C. -- May 5, 2008 -- WorldatWork, a global human resources association, today announced it has formed a strategic alliance with specialized news and information publisher BNA to provide WorldatWork members with HR Essential Tools, a customized solution enabling quick answers and up-to-date information on HR compliance and policy issues.

HR Essential Tools includes:
--Fast Answers: Expert explanations of compliance and policy topics in plain business English.
--State Law Summaries: In-depth state law summaries and reference charts.
--State Compliance Alerts: Weekly updates on laws and regulations that have been passed (not proposed or undecided).
--Local Wage and Tax: Collection of minimum wage and payroll tax information for specific cities, counties and municipalities.

WorldatWork members now have exclusive access to the most frequently used tools in four libraries filled with thousands of resources on U.S. tax laws, personnel management, fair employment practices, wages and hours, and more. Access to these libraries is valued at more than $2,000 each and is available to WorldatWork members for $295.

Subscribers will be able to find answers to questions such as:
--Do we have to pay vacation time upon termination?
--What are the paid time off regulations in San Francisco?
--Where can I find worker status and pay requirements in Connecticut and Maryland?

WorldatWork members and non-members are invited to take advantage of a 30-day complimentary trial by accessing www.worldatwork.org/BNA.

About WorldatWork®
The Total Rewards Association

WorldatWork (www.worldatwork.org) is a global human resources association focused on compensation, benefits, work-life and integrated total rewards to attract, motivate and retain a talented workforce. Founded in 1955, WorldatWork provides a network of more than 30,000 members and professionals in 75 countries with training, certification, research, conferences and community. It has offices in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Washington, D.C.


# # #



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White Paper by Perth Leadership Institute Assesses Presidential Front-Runners Financial Psychology and Global Competitive Impact

A White Paper recently released by the Perth Leadership Institute (www.perthleadership.org) and written by leadership educator and author Dr. E. Ted Prince concludes that all three Presidential frontrunners focus on economic resource redistribution rather than economic value creation. The paper documents how the candidates 'business acumen' will all create adverse long-term impacts on .U.S' global competitive position, but to varying degrees, with Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton likely having least adverse impact.

This economic white paper analyzes the three front runner U. S. presidential candidates from a novel and intriguing perspective; their impact on the economy and U.S. global leadership and competitiveness. This research answers questions as to whether the candidates will keep the U.S. in the forefront of the world's leading countries and societies based on their behavioral financial traits. It concludes that none of the three will have such an impact and the choice is between who will have the least adverse impact on the U.S.' world leadership and competitive position.

The paper examines in detail the business acumen characteristics of the three front-runners and shows who is likely to have the most and the least adverse impacts on the U.S. global position. The White Paper does not attempt to judge the front-runners on other aspects of their policies and impacts, focusing only on this particular issue.

See Perth Leadership's Presidential Candidate blog to comment on the White Paper.

This economic assessment is based on a new set of behavioral finance tools designed to measure business acumen developed by the Perth Leadership Institute whose approach is set out in the book, The Three Financial Styles of Very Successful Leaders, published by McGraw-Hill in 2005, written by Dr. E. Ted Prince, Founder and CEO of the Institute.

These economic personality tools measure the propensity of a leader to create societal and business value. Where a leader creates more value than resources utilized, capital is created stimulating U.S. competitiveness and bolstering its global leadership position.

According to Dr. E. Ted Prince: "Value creation by leaders, whether they be political or business, is more than a matter of wise stewardship of resources. It is, or should be, also about value creation. Analysis of all these three leaders reveals that they are far more about resource redistribution than about value creation. This has huge, and adverse, ramifications for the U.S. global competitive and leadership position now and in the future. This aspect has been lost in the general political debate. It is for this reason that we have conducted this analysis."
The Perth Leadership Institute of Gainesville, Florida was founded by veteran CEO and leadership educator, Dr. E. Ted Prince. The Institute has developed proprietary leadership assessment tools and a unique leadership performance improvement approach, the Perth Leadership Outcome Model™ (PLOM). PLOM™ identifies the Financial Signature® and the financial mission of senior leaders to improve their valuation impact and the competitive outcome of the enterprises or the organizations they lead. This approach goes beyond conventional competency-based and psychological approaches. Instead it introduces a new outcome-based approach that is based on extensive research carried out with CEOs and senior executives.



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PDS Vista HRMS Goes Live at the City of Surprise, Arizona

Blue Bell, Pa., May 5, 2008 – PDS, a leading developer of web-based human resource, benefits and payroll systems, today announced that the City of Surprise, Ariz. has implemented PDS' Vista HRMS (human resource management system) to manage its HR, payroll, and benefits operations for its 775 full-time and 100 seasonal employees. PDS implemented the Vista solution and is providing Hosted/Managed Services at its data center in Valley Forge, Pa.

"As the fastest growing city in Arizona, we needed a web-based HRMS that was more user-friendly and intuitive and could expand as we continue to grow," said Margaret Ewing, HR division manager at the City of Surprise. "We were looking for an integrated HR and payroll system that the vendor could host and manage rather than a software-as-a-service model where we effectively continue to pay monthly fees. Vista was configured for our actual use and we don't have to share the system with other organizations. Vista met our requirements, providing an easy-to-use solution that offers us valuable drill-down capabilities to produce meaningful reports based on statistical data. PDS has been wonderful so far and extremely attentive to our needs throughout the process."

"The City of Surprise needed a new solution that offers enough flexibility to incorporate public sector best practices facilitates the sharing of data and provides greater ease of use and improved reporting capabilities," said George Brady, vice president at PDS. "Vista will provide them with a more efficient workflow process and enable them to provide better customer service to their supervisory staff and their growing base of employees."

About PDS
In the HRMS software development business for more than 30 years, PDS is a provider of a web-based, feature-rich, completely integrated human resource, benefits administration and payroll software application that enables organizations to focus on more strategic issues and less on administrative HR, benefits and payroll activities. In addition to core HRMS functionality, Vista HRMS also offers applicant tracking, recruiting and self-service modules. PDS also provides a full range of professional services to a wide variety of industries in the U.S. and in Canada. Founded in 1974, PDS is a privately-held company headquartered in Blue Bell, Pa. For more information on PDS or PDS' Vista HRMS solution and services visit www.pdssoftware.com.

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PDS and the PDS logo are registered trademarks and Vista is a trademark of Personnel Data Systems Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are properties of their respective owners.



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BenefitsCheckUp.Org Makes Older Americans Month Last All Year Long

WASHINGTON, DC - May 6, 2008 – While Older Americans Month may conjure up images of healthy older adults playing tennis, gazing at the horizon from a cruise ship or sitting happily with their grandchildren, many older Americans in this country do not fit that stereotype.

Millions of older people – especially those with limited incomes and resources -- are living in poverty. For example, some 5 million seniors experience some form of food insecurity. They and many others struggle everyday with meeting their basic needs.

"During Older Americans Month, as well as the other eleven months of the year, we work to reach older people throughout the country to help them find the benefits they need," said NCOA senior vice president Stuart Spector. "Many seniors of limited means and the people who care about them simply don't know about the benefits available to them. The programs they can find through BenefitsCheckUp can improve not only their health but many other aspects of their lives."

The National Council on Aging's (NCOA) BenefitsCheckUp® strives to change that. Through its free, confidential online service, Americans 55 years and older can determine if they qualify for help with the costs of groceries, prescription drugs, Medicare premiums, health care, utility bills and in-home services.

Users of the service – often family caregivers, senior center or nursing home providers, as well as the individuals themselves – answer a series of questions to determine eligibility for more than 1,500 federal, state and local benefits programs nationwide. The resulting report tells what programs to apply for and gives instructions on next steps.

Since its creation in 2001, NCOA's BenefitsCheckUp has screened more than two million seniors for benefits programs valued at more than $2 billion.

Older Americans Month was established in 1963 by Pres. John F. Kennedy as a way to honor older people in America.

For more information on BenefitsCheckUp, visit http://www.BenefitsCheckUp.org.

About the National Council on Aging
Founded in 1950, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) has a mission to improve the lives of older Americans. A non-profit organization with 3,700 members, we also have a national network of some 14,000 organizations and leaders that help us in our work. NCOA members include senior centers, area agencies on aging, adult day service centers, faith-based service organizations, senior housing facilities, employment services, consumer groups and leaders from academia, business and labor. Our programs help older people remain healthy and independent, find jobs, increase access to benefits programs, and discover meaningful ways to continue contributing to society.

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Updated Competency Management and Talent Management Case Studies Available from TEDS

Atkins, VA – May 5, 2008. TEDS®, Inc., originator of the fully integrated enterprise-wide talent management solution, announced today that two landmark case studies on competency management were recently updated and are now available for download at teds.com. These case studies were originally published as a part of a larger study conducted by the research and advisory firm, Bersin & Associates. Competencies: Gateway to Integrated Talent Management explored the foundational and critical role that competencies play in optimal talent management. This study included supportive case studies on competency management implementations by TEDS' customers Steelcase and Eastman Chemical.

Today, at Talent Management Magazine's Strategies 2008 conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, these case studies will serve as key examples of outstanding competency implementations in a presentation by Bersin Principal Analyst, Kim Lamoureux. Ms. Lamoureux directs Bersin's research in leadership development, succession planning and competency management. She authored the original study and the supporting case studies as well.

In the case studies, Steelcase and Eastman Chemical share their strategies for developing, prioritizing and managing leadership and functional competencies that are critical to honing a competitive edge. The updated studies now include additional data and graphics, including screen shots from TEDS' integrated talent management suite.

The Steelcase study, A Talent Management Foundation, shows how Steelcase used competencies as a foundation for managing talent and employed a creative breakthrough strategy for simplifying the competency development and management process. Steelcase has successfully tackled the challenge of job-specific competencies. The case study shows how Steelcase accomplished this with the help of TEDS' single-vendor, integrated talent management solution.

The Eastman Chemical study, Linking Competencies to an LMS, demonstrates how Eastman tracks training requirements to maintain compliance with rigid standards in the highly regulated chemical industry. The study examines the company's best practices in successfully implementing an enterprise competency management program that assesses and tracks employees' performance against functional and technical requirements. Eastman has been a TEDS customer since 1994 and the TEDS LMS became Eastman's enterprise solution in 1997.

"These two studies can serve as roadmaps for other companies that are just beginning to explore competency management as well as those that are looking to expand their full talent management capabilities," said Joe Ellis, TEDS' founder and CEO. "Competency management can easily become a solid foundation for all other aspects of talent management, from learning to succession planning."

About TEDS
TEDS®, Inc. offers the only comprehensive, fully integrated, enterprise-wide talent management solution. Employing a single platform, TEDS strategically aligns business objectives with all facets of the talent lifecycle including management of learning, performance, compliance, competencies, recruiting, and succession. TEDS' products and services are deployed at some of the world's largest organizations and are available individually, in any combination, or as a comprehensive solution. For more information, visit www.teds.com or call TEDS Sales at 276.782.7206.

About Bersin & Associates
Bersin and Associates is the leading provider of best-practices, trends, vendor, and benchmarking research in enterprise learning and talent management. Research members have access to a wide range of industry-leading research, benchmarking, and services. For more information visit www.bersin.com.



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Hundreds of HR Professionals Gather for Nations Most Dynamic and Valuable Employment Law Conference

BRENTWOOD, TN, May 2, 2008 - M. Lee Smith Publishers LLC has announced the agenda for the 2008 Advanced Employment Issues Symposium, America's leading employment law conference. This two-day event will be held September 25-26 in Las Vegas and October 16-17 in Nashville.

Now in its 13th year, the 2008 Symposium will bring together 35 of the nation's most experienced and knowledgeable employment law attorneys and hundreds of HR professionals to discuss the legislative, regulatory and judicial developments that are shifting the compliance landscape for employers. HR professionals learn about how these developments are forcing them to make changes in workplace policies on sexual, religious, an racial harassment, discrimination, employee leave and FMLA, retaliation, union organizing campaigns, religious observances, wellness programs, overtime, and others.

Sessions sure to interest HR professionals explore the rise of sex talk and racial intolerance in the workplace, the best response to rogue EEOC investigators, and ways to build a better work/life balance for employees. Others will reveal new ways of getting managers to document employee behavior, helping them execute appraisals, become better leaders, and clamp down on the IM, e-mail, and Web 2.0 problems arising from an increasingly electronic workplace.

"Advanced Employment Issues Symposium is so popular with HR professionals because they know that in 2 days they will learn everything they need to know to adjust to the ebbs and flows of the law. And they know that they will learn best-practices from some of the leading thinkers in employee onboarding, retention, and engagement, three areas that are key to profitability," says program moderator John B Phillips, Jr. Phillips is a partner with the law firm of Miller & Martin and formerly Assistant General Counsel with Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc.

Joining the faculty are leading workplace consultants and authors, such as Hal Adler from the Great Place to Work Institute and Dr. Samantha Holmes of R&D Strategic Solutions. Mr. Adler will discuss employee engagement tactics used at highly-rated workplaces like Wegmans, Container Store, and Medtronic. Dr. Holmes, an expert on employment litigation, will discuss ways that HR professionals can succeed in depositions.

For more information, visit www.HRhero.com/aeis or call 800-274-6774

About M. Lee Smith Publishers LLC

Brentwood, Tennessee-based M. Lee Smith Publishers LLC is a 33-year-old provider of print, electronic, and live-event information resources to the corporate Human Resources and legal markets. Their list of largest clients closely matches the FORTUNE 500 while their overall customer base includes managers in every industry sector.

Contact: Pete McPherson, 615-661-0249, ext. 8057 or e-mail protected from spam bots



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Over 40 Staffing Companies Launched on TempWorks Enterprise

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Over 40 Staffing Companies Launched on TempWorks Enterprise

On-Demand Service Features Microsoft® Certified Solutions


ST. PAUL, MN, May 2, 2008 - TempWorks Software, a provider of staffing software and business service solutions for the staffing and human resource industries, today announced the migration of more than 40 staffing companies to its on-demand Select Edition staffing software which features Enterprise, a Microsoft® certified software solution.

Featuring state-of-the-art resume handling and task management, Enterprise opens the door to high-profit talent management and direct hire services to the staffing end-clients while integrating 100 percent with the back-office, time-clock and web services.

Productivity is heightened with Microsoft® Outlook integration, as users can view their email from within the application and create contact records, log messages, save/store documents and schedule new tasks or appointments from received messages.

"I love the ease of the Enterprise program. We work faster and more efficiently now – dropping the time from when a job order is placed to when the job is filled down from five days to two days. With Enterprise, we've enhanced our customer service and are able to communicate better with both clients and employees – which helped us win a large account with a local manufacturing company," says Kellie Wilson, Owner of Kellie Works Personnel Solutions. "Plus, Enterprise facilitates a paperless work environment which supports my goal of 'going green'."

"Our mission from day one has been to make staffing companies profitable by eliminating all non-revenue generating staff and allowing them to focus entirely on serving their customers and employees. With this massive launch of Enterprise, our clients have never been situated better to continue leveraging the best of technological innovation without disruption," says TempWorks Select Edition Vice President, Jathan Moline.

"TempWorks Enterprise is the millennial form of the old fashioned ATS and CRM. It engages even the most basic user with interactive icons and dragging techniques. Enterprise is both functional, effective and most of all, fun," stated Dawne Goodrich, EVP of ClasStaff, Inc.

With an objective to help all varieties and sizes of staffing firms to get their businesses up and running, TempWorks recently announced a new offer that allows staffing and recruiting firms and HR professionals to get a free trial of one of the TempWorks Enterprise solutions. The trials come in five editions: Evaluation Edition, Free Edition, CRM Edition, Front and Back-office Staffing Edition and HR Edition. Parties can register for the free trial on the TempWorks Software website.


About TempWorks Software
Innovating in staffing since 1959, TempWorks Software provides business solutions for staffing, recruiting and human resources. Designed to automate and streamline all facets of a staffing firm's daily operation, TempWorks offers fully-integrated front and back-office staffing software, web portals for customers, employees, applicants and vendor management, and 100 percent payroll funding. From recruiting to payroll and everything in between, TempWorks Software puts technology to work for staffing firms and their clients. For more information about TempWorks, please visit www.tempworks.com.


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This press release was distributed through eMediawire by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www.HRmarketer.com) on behalf of the company
listed above.

Latest HRmarketer.com Research to Reveal Purchasing Behavior of Human Resource Professionals

CAPITOLA, CA – May 1, 2008 -- Who and what do HR buyers rely on to make purchasing decisions? How does today's uncertain economy affect their purchasing decisions? How do blogs, podcasts and other Web 2.0 tools influence their vendor selections? How important is a vendor's online visibility? These questions and more will be answered in HRmarketer.com's upcoming research report, "Trends in HR Marketing: HR Buyers' Behavior 2008."

The newest installment of a continuing series, "HR Buyers' Behavior 2008" will analyze the perceptions and trends of the HR buyer through the marketing, sales and purchasing cycle; as well as the tools and influencers they use to progress through each stage.

HR professionals interested in participating in the survey may visit: http://www.hrmarketer.com/HRBuyerSurvey2008.

Key topics include the relative value of printed materials, online visibility, the word-of-mouth of trusted sources and informal networks, and professional peers' opinions. This analysis, combined with an understanding of how the Internet is changing the way HR professionals interact with vendors, provides HR suppliers with a better understanding of their target market and the best tools with which to reach them.

"For those HR vendors attempting to reach buyers and inform them about products and services that can benefit their bottom line, new approaches are needed as the Internet dramatically alters how HR professionals make purchasing decisions," explains Kevin Grossman, chief operating officer of HRmarketer.com. "This report will provide valuable insights into the needs and priorities of HR professionals, and help HR suppliers better allocate their marketing and PR dollars."

Last year's HR buyer behavior research report – along with all of HRmarketer's white papers and research – is available to download for free by visiting http://www.hrmarketer.com/home/whitepaper_main2.htm. This year's HR buyer report will be available late in the second quarter.

About Fisher Vista, LLC

Fisher Vista, LLC is a marketing and information services firm focusing on the human capital and senior care industries. The company's flagship product, HRmarketer.com, is the No. 1 online marketing and PR service in the human resources industry, helping HR suppliers generate publicity, website traffic, sales leads and improved SEO. SeniorCareMarketer.com is scheduled for launch in mid 2008 and will achieve similar results for companies selling products and services relating to the aging of America.

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This press release was distributed through eMediawire by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www.HRmarketer.com) on behalf of the company
listed above.

nowHIRE Implements Applicant Tracking System for Global Medical Manufacturer

DETROIT — May 1, 2008 — nowHIRE.com announced the successful applicant tracking system (ATS) implementation of nowHIRE's Government Contractor Edition for Terumo Medical Corporation, a global medical manufacturer of more than 1,500 products.

Since implementing nowHIRE's ATS, Terumo has fully automated the tracking of applicants and has experienced over $60,000 in annual savings in recruitment and onboarding costs. The nowHIRE ATS has created a streamlined and efficient process for Terumo, enabling the company to ensure OFCCP compliance, reduce time-to-fill and measure the recruiting team's performance by generating custom reports.

Prior to the nowHIRE ATS implementation, Terumo's human resource staff was manually tracking applications for open positions. The manual process was labor-intensive and compromised data integrity, and the staff was spending approximately 16 hours per week tracking applicants. Terumo made the decision to invest in an ATS to bring value to the company by filling positions quickly and effectively.

In looking for an ATS, Terumo found that most vendors required them to purchase a complete system, including many features and components that Terumo didn't need.

"nowHIRE allowed us to configure a system to perfectly match our needs," said Marsha Greene-Jones, Terumo vice president of human resources. "This enabled us to purchase the most cost-effective product for our needs, not to mention the most user- friendly system."

Due to the success of this implementation, Terumo plans to expand the nowHIRE ATS functionality. Future expansion includes fully automating the recruitment process through online requisition approval, automatic job posting to required sites for Affirmative Action Plan compliance and a link from the nowHIRE ATS to Terumo's payroll system for automatic data transfer from the ATS system to payroll.

"This is yet another successful ATS implementation, which we attribute to nowHIRE's recognized ability to configure perfect systems for our customer's needs," said Joseph Impastato, nowHIRE president. "Not only that, but we go beyond treating our customers like just another sale —we look forward to building partnerships with them."

For more information on Terumo's implementation of the nowHIRE ATS, download the case study at http://www.nowhire.com/register_casestudy.htm.

About nowHIRE

Since 1998, nowHIRE has been a premier provider of applicant tracking systems for companies of every size within diverse vertical markets. Their industry-defining solutions feature fully integrated, Web-based recruiting and applicant tracking software modules. Companies are able to configure the software to their specific recruiting needs—whether it be for hourly, salaried, internal or contingent employees, or any combination thereof. nowHIRE's solutions give clients what they call "Zoom"—the competitive edge.

Media Contact:
Joseph N Impas