ARAG Appoints Daniel Montgomery VP of Claims

DES MOINES, Iowa – April 28, 2006 – ARAG, a leading provider of legal insurance and related services, is proud to announce that Daniel L. Montgomery has joined the company as Vice President of Claims.

With more than 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, Montgomery’s emphasis has been in claims analysis, management, and the development of departmental efficiencies for a variety of organizations. His responsibilities at ARAG will include overseeing the overall direction, operation and process development for the claims department.

“Dan has exceptional experience and a track record of success in claims management and innovation,” said Robert Fishman, President and CEO of ARAG. “Plus he’s an executive leader who possesses strong analytical skills and has the ability to organize work processes and motivate team members, so we are enthused about adding Dan to our growing team.”

Montgomery previously worked for American Republic Insurance in Des Moines, Iowa, where he has spent the last six years serving as vice president of provider network management and vice president of claims.

While overseeing the claims department at American Republic, Montgomery led initiatives to automate the company’s claims process, achieving significant savings in both administrative costs and benefit dollars. In addition, the procedural and financial accuracy of claims processing increased to nearly 100 percent for the organization on a consistent basis under his leadership.

“I’m honored to join ARAG at a time when it is fortifying its position of leadership in the legal insurance industry,” Montgomery said. “I look forward to the challenge of putting my years of experience in claims management into process here, and I’m excited about being part of the team to lead the organization into the future.”

Prior to American Republic, Montgomery worked for Coventry Healthcare, Wellmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation.

Montgomery earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in political science from Iowa State University. He also earned a Juris Doctorate from Drake University Law School. Montgomery has earned the following industry designations: FLMI (Fellow, Life Management Institute), ACS (Associate, Customer Service) and MHP (Managed Healthcare Professional). He also served as the chair of the claims and administrative operations committee for America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).


About ARAG North America Inc.
ARAG (www.ARAGgroup.com) is a leading provider of legal insurance and related services, and maintains its domestic headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa. Currently more than 6 million individuals throughout the United States and Canada have access to ARAG’s legal products and services, and the company offers its legal plans as a benefit to more than 500 organizations. The A.M. Best Company has assigned ARAG Insurance Company a Best’s Rating of A (Excellent).

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Ann Arbors Leade Health Honored as One of Michigan 50 Companies to Watch

Ann Arbor, MI - April 28, 2006 – Leade Health, a health coaching pioneer in the areas of weight management, stress management, tobacco cessation, and cardiovascular health, announced today it has been recognized as one of the “Michigan 50 Companies to Watch,” an awards program sponsored by the Edward Lowe Foundation.

Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Leade Health received the honor at awards ceremonies during the second annual “Michigan Celebrates Small Business” event, April 19 in East Lansing.

“‘Michigan 50 Companies to Watch’ is a unique awards program designed to shine the spotlight on second-stage companies,” says Edward Lowe Foundation Executive Director Mark Lange. The Edward Lowe Foundation is a not-for-profit operating foundation based in Michigan. Its mission is to “champion the entrepreneurial spirit” by helping second-stage entrepreneurs learn from each other.

“Leade Health is honored by this prestigious recognition,” said Michael Mulvihill, president of Leade Health. “We attribute the award to our innovative and best in class health coaching programs.”

Leade Health was incorporated in 1990 and has a 15-year track record helping organizations improve the health of their populations and reduce employer costs. A pioneer in Health Coaching services, Leade Health currently serves over 40 client companies across health plan, corporate and government markets; the firm is a leader in the wellness community, focusing on weight management, stress management, tobacco cessation and cardiovascular health.

This month Leade Health announced the release of a new white paper, “The Business Case for Weight/Obesity Management Using Health Coaching Interventions.” The paper not only addresses the impact of obesity on workplace productivity and medical costs, but focuses on health coaching as a way for employers to combat employees’ weight issues through lifestyle intervention programs. The complimentary research paper can be downloaded via the following link:
http://www.leadehealth.com/index_wp2.html

Winners were selected by representatives of the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center, the Small Business Association of Michigan, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the U.S. Small Business Administration-Michigan, the Michigan Certified Development Corporation and the Edward Lowe Foundation, based in part on the winners’ demonstrated intent and capacity to grow based on one or more of the following:

- Employee or sales growth.
- Exceptional entrepreneurial leadership.
- Sustainable competitive advantage.
- Other notable factors that showcase the company's success.

Information about the 2007 “Michigan 50 Companies to Watch” program can be found at http://edwardlowe.org/Michigan50.

About Leade Health
Founded in 1990, based in Ann Arbor Michigan, Leade Health specializes in Health Coaching in the areas of Weight Management, Stress Management Tobacco Cessation, and Cardiovascular Health. Leade Health has earned a reputation for partnership integrity, product innovation and program impact. Leade Health‘s success rates from its signature Health Coaching model achieve outcome results that exceed national norms.

For more information on Leade Health visit www.leadehealth.com.


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Cook Ross, Inc. Hosts Web Seminars on Cultural Competency and Healthcare in May

SILVER SPRING, MD (April 27, 2006) – Is your healthcare organization culturally competent? Are you best serving your patients’ cultural needs?

Cook Ross, one of the country’s leading http:\\www.cookross.com [diversity training and consulting] companies, will answer those questions in its upcoming web seminars on cultural competency in healthcare. A free seminar, “Making the Case for Cultural Competency,” will be Wed., May 3. A paid seminar, “The Clinical Case for Cultural Competency,” with 0.1 CEUs, certified by the International Accreditation for Continuing Education Training, will be offered Wed., May 24. The seminars will be held from 2 p.m.-3 p.m.

Culturally appropriate health services are essential ingredients in overcoming health disparities due to cultural, racial or ethnic differences. The seminars provide a framework to help healthcare practitioners deliver http:\\www.cookross.com [culturally sensitive care] to patients of different cultures. Topics include the introduction to cultural, historical, and demographic factors that impact health status and response to illness and treatment.

The audience is intended for healthcare professionals, including physicians, advanced practice nurses, nurses, administrators and staff who provide care to culturally diverse patients.

Faculty members include Howard Ross, president, and Tara Nelson, RN, vice president, Research & Development, both of Cook Ross, Inc.

The cost of the paid seminar is $35. For more information or to register, please visit http://www.cookross.com/events.asp.



About Cook Ross

Cook Ross is one of the country’s leading organizational change and diversity consultancies, based in Silver Spring, Md. Cook Ross has developed two online tools for diversity: The Diversity ToolKit http:\www.thediversitytoolkit.com for diversity and cultural competency training in all business settings and CultureVision http:\www.crculturevision.com for healthcare organizations.





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PreVisor Solidifies Position as Thought Leader at SIOP Annual Conference PreVisor has fifty-five research projects accepted for presentation

Atlanta, GA (April 27, 2006) – PreVisor, a leader in workforce selection and performance, today announces an extensive lineup of presentations at the upcoming Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) Annual Conference. PreVisor’s Industrial-Organizational Psychology Staff (I-O) members and Technical Advisory Board will participate in 55 presentations, including panel discussions and symposia, poster sessions and comprehensive workshops.

Held at the Adam's Mark Hotel in Dallas, May 5-7, 2006, the SIOP Annual Conference aims to enhance human well-being and performance in organizational and work settings by promoting the science of industrial-organizational psychology. Employing more than 60 I-O psychology experts with decades of experience scientifically designing employee selection systems, PreVisor’s staff members were a natural choice for contribution to the conference program.

"We are looking forward to a record-setting presence at this year's conference,” states Mike Fetzer, Ph.D., and Vice President of Product Strategy & Development for PreVisor. “Our staff and technical advisory board representation in the conference presentations is a true testament to our dedication to the advancement of the science and practice of I-O psychology"

PreVisor’s internationally recognized experts will lead several professional development opportunities sharing the latest thinking and practice in the field, covering topics as diverse as interdisciplinary research, internet-based data collection, teams research and counterproductive work behavior.

About PreVisor, Inc.

PreVisor, a leading supplier of pre-employment assessments helps employers identify top performers. The company leverages decades of applied industrial-organizational psychology research to develop content that accurately predicts on-the-job performance. Furthermore, its solutions help streamline and standardize hiring processes and reduce recruiting and training costs to better meet strategic HR objectives. PreVisor's award-winning assessments, solutions and consulting support hiring decisions and maximize performance for over 25,000 clients worldwide. www.PreVisor.com




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SCI COMPANIES RENEWS WORKERS COMPENSATION POLICY WITH PROVIDENCE PROPERTY & CASUALTY

TAMPA, Fla., Apr. 27, 2006 - SCI, a national leading Professional Employer Organization (PEO), announced today that it has renewed its secondary workers’ compensation program effective April 30, 2006, through April 30, 2007 with insurance carrier Providence Property & Casualty Insurance Company (PPC).

Most employers are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. Worker's compensation insurance is a no-fault insurance that provides wage loss and medical benefits to workers who sustain a job-related injury or illness. As a PEO, SCI arranges workers’ compensation coverage, provide risk management and manage claims for its clients and their employees as part of its scope of services.

“We are pleased to continue our relationship with Providence,” said Henry Hardin, president & CEO, SCI. “Different companies have different underwriting guidelines. This strategic partnership with Providence allows us to offer more choices to clients for their specific workers’ compensation needs.”

“We work only with well managed, risk conscious PEOs,” said Derek Lancaster, president, PPC. “SCI is a fine example of a PEO that does not just stop at getting competitive rates for its clients; SCI’s dedicated team of risk management experts continue to work with clients to manage workers’ compensation costs and improve workplace safety awareness.”

Workers’ compensation certificates are currently being issued to all certificate holders on record with this secondary SCI program.

What is a PEO?
Professional employer organizations (PEOs) enable clients to cost-effectively outsource the management of human resources, employee benefits, payroll and workers' compensation. PEO clients focus on their core competencies to maintain and grow their bottom line. For free quotes on HR outsourcing, email SCI at e-mail protected from spam bots.

About SCI Companies
SCI Companies is a “Best in Class” provider of HR outsourcing, specializing in payroll, human resources, benefits and workers compensation administration. Founded in 1985, SCI is one of the largest privately held Professional Employment Organizations (PEOs) serving more than 1000 clients nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.scicompanies.com.

About Providence Property & Casualty Insurance Company (PPC)
PPC specializes in offering workers' compensation insurance to Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs). For more information, visit http://www.ppcinsurance.com.



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Drug Benefit Experts Invest in Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz, April 26, 2006 – Dave Borden and Tim Watson, PharmD, MBA, principals of Dallas-based Pharmaceutical Strategies Group (PSG), have purchased the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute (PBMI) based in Scottsdale, Arizona. PBMI provides research-based educational resources that help employers, health plans, and union groups design and manage drug benefit programs.

“The purchase of PBMI is an investment in the employee benefit management industry to ensure that these research-based resources remain available to the purchasers of drug benefit services,” said Watson. “The prescription drug benefit is a complex and costly element of the health care benefit package. Managing a high-value, cost-effective prescription drug plan is a daunting task for health care purchasers. PBMI has an 11-year track record of providing research, education and publications that help purchasers tackle drug benefit management challenges. We will build on this legacy and expand PBMI’s services in each of these areas.”

“PBMI was founded on the premise of helping health care purchasers curb the rate of drug benefit cost increases. We designed our signature research and developed our annual conference to support the delivery of quality drug benefits,” said Michael H. Deskin, founder of PBMI. “Dave Borden and Tim Watson’s leadership and infusion of capital will provide continued support to the drug benefit industry.”

PBMI is renewing its mission to serve as the industry's premier forum for health care purchasers to exchange ideas, advance best practices, and drive appropriate changes in the pharmacy benefit management marketplace.

“All of us at PBMI view industry participants and vendors as essential partners in developing and promoting innovation in the marketplace,” said Borden. “By working together, plan sponsors, PBMs, and industry partners can improve the quality of health care and control drug benefit costs without more government regulation. As industry stakeholders, we can drive market-based reform.”
PBMI will have its own Advisory Board to help shape future research, education, publications, and services. Members of the board represent the interests and needs of the drug benefit purchasing community. PBMI will continue to tap the expertise of executives from employers, health plans, pharmacy benefit managers, benefits consultants, and industry partners from throughout the industry to serve as faculty members for its conferences, Webcasts, and continuing education services.

Deskin will continue as a senior advisor to the PBMI team. Dana H. Felthouse, MBA, has been named the new president. The PBMI team includes Maggie Bruce, director of marketing; Ken Carpenter, director of sales; William F. Kane, MS, director of research; and Jenny Powers, membership coordinator. Visit PBMI and its new service offerings at www.pbmi.com.

2006 Advisory Board
Advisory Board members are Jasmine Aral, director of pharmacy finance for HIP Health Plan of New York; Donald Benson, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Health Administration Services; Keith Bruhnsen, pharmacy manager for University of Michigan; Patricia Fish, senior vice president of human resources for Steris Corporation; Estay Greene, PharmD, pharmacy care manager for The Cleveland Clinic; Lisa Gish, executive director of Tri-State Business Group on Health; Chris Goff, president/CEO of Employers Health Purchasing Corp. of Ohio; Keith Holtz, vice president of human resource services for Blockbuster, Inc.; Frank Kopenski, ASA, MAAA, associate actuary for Milliman & Robertson; Danny Moriarty, director of cost containment for Peabody Energy; Jerrell Riley, CEBS, manager of health and welfare benefits design for Cingular Wireless; and Jack Simmons, assistant to the executive secretary/treasurer for Empire
State Regional Council of Carpenters.

PBMI Leadership
Borden has more than 20 years of experience in providing healthcare consulting services to Fortune 500 employers, payers, and large public sector purchasers. He has served as an executive in the private insurance sector. Borden has held leadership positions in several leading global consulting firms, including serving as the National Practice Leader for Arthur Andersen's Health & Welfare Practice, and as a regional managing partner for Deloitte Consulting, based in Dallas, Texas.

Watson has extensive experience in the pharmacy benefits arena, including management experience with several leading PBMs and consulting experience with Deloitte & Touche. He is a frequent contributor to leading trade journals, and is the author of AIS' best selling book titled, PBM Formulary Strategies and Their Impact on Payers. He has provided pharmacy consulting services to some of the largest employers and plan sponsors in the country.

Felthouse managed marketing and product development for PBMI for five years and served as vice president before being named president. She has a depth of experience in management, marketing and business development for health care and service companies. Her work history includes positions of increasing responsibility at Bayer College of Medicine, PCS Health Systems, and The HSM Group, Ltd.



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Rideau Acquires Recognition Management Institute

Montreal, Quebec and New York, New York, April 27th, 2006 -- Rideau Recognition Solutions, Inc., North America's leading provider of Web-based incentive management programs, today announced that it has acquired the Recognition Management Institute, a consulting organization specializing in training managers how to recognize and retain top employees. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The Recognition Management Institute (RMI), which is based in London, Ontario, has worked with dozens of firms, employing innovative employee recognition techniques to improve business results. Its clients have included Bell Canada, 3M, and the Canadian government, among others. Founder Roy Saunderson is also an accomplished speaker and author of the book How to Focus on Success! He will remain president of RMI and act as a consultant for Rideau clients.

"Roy is a visionary when it comes to recognition," said Rideau CEO Peter Hart. "His time-tested methods for engaging managers have helped some of the world's finest global firms drastically improve their recognition and retention practices. We're thrilled to have him on our team."

"Rideau was preaching employee recognition decades before it became popular. The philosophies of our two organizations appear perfectly aligned. That's why this deal is a natural fit," said Saunderson. "But, more importantly, we're coming together at a critical time -- when organizations are starved for talent. The opportunity exists to show these firms a better path -- a path that's best paved through service to employees, not the other way around. I believe we'll be able to help many organizations give “real recognition” to their employees."

About Rideau
Rideau enhances all of the relationships that impact business performance through a comprehensive suite of rewards and recognition products. Rideau's offerings include performance awards that reinforce excellent work habits and celebrate achievement and service awards that commemorate loyalty. It's a unique, bundled approach that has caught on among many of the Fortune 500 and leading HRO providers. For example, Ceridian last year became the first to include employee recognition with traditional HR services by partnering with Rideau. From RBC Financial Group to FedEx and from Lucent Technologies to Bell Canada, global businesses of all sizes use Rideau's rewards and recognition solutions to reduce turnover and engender loyalty. For more information, please go to http://www.Rideau.com or call 1.877.789.0449, extension 242.



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Integrated Screening Offers Tips to Ensure Employee Screening Security Recent University of Texas breach illustrates threat of incomplete security up

Integrated Screening Offers Tips to Ensure Employee Screening Security

Recent University of Texas breach illustrates threat of incomplete security updates to individuals, HR professionals

AUSTIN, Texas—April 26, 2006—As many as 106,000 individuals associated with the University of Texas are at risk because their personal information, including social security numbers, may have been accessed despite the school’s commitment to remove this information from student records. In response to this recent incident, Integrated Screening Partners (ISP) is releasing a white paper entitled, “ Is Your Information Safe with Your Screening Provider” to educate HR professionals about current employee screening security risks.

In the paper, ISP offers tips for evaluating screening providers’ security and ensuring the safety of applicants’ records. While all industries are at risk, as evidenced by the recent breaches, screening providers risk more than just their own employees’ records — they risk those of their clients as well. HR professionals can no longer afford to be complacent about due diligence when it comes to personnel records, and this often means more closely investigating HR vendors as well as internal systems.

ISP recognizes the potential dangers of retroactive system updates and maintains their commitment to information protection best practices in an increasingly dangerous environment.

“The current incident is unfortunate and a major problem for many universities, corporations and background screening companies,” said ISP CEO and Founder Jeff Collins. “At ISP, we recognized that security was paramount from the beginning, and we have allocated resources ensuring the security of the database and our physical location.”

In the white paper, ISP offers five signs to watch for when engaging a background screening provider:
1. Disparate systems
2. The sale of any data to outside buyers
3. Automated data collection systems
4. Lack of a physical security system
5. Lack of a data security system

If any of these signs are present, the organization could be at high risk for a security breach. While many screening providers, and HR professionals in general, are learning the dangers of insufficient security systems and beginning to upgrade, a holistic approach to security and an early adopter strategy create less opportunities for loss. For example, universities have known the dangers of affiliating social security numbers with student profiles for years, and yet incomplete updates provided the opportunity for access to this information.

For more information about the dangers of insufficient security and the signs of a safe provider, read “Is Your Information Safe with Your Screening Provider” from ISP. For more about ISP, access their website at www.integratedscreening.com.

About Integrated Screening Partners
Integrated Screening Partners (ISP) understands the importance of investing in human capital, and our goal is to provide the essential information required to make the right hiring decisions in the shortest amount of time possible. Our global client list includes Fortune 100, small and midsize companies as well as education institutions and trade associations.

ISP provides a service level that clients were not aware that they were missing. To learn more, contact us for your customized report to help you recruit, hire and retain quality employees.

Media contact
Charles Bedard
Director of Marketing
e-mail protected from spam bots
512-797-6786



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New Blog by RealLife HR to Address Specific Challenges and Solutions Affecting the HR Marketplace

HUNT VALLEY, Md. (April 25, 2006) Launched today, the blog is targeted to HR professionals, including benefits administrators, vice presidents, CFOs and other corporate executives seeking ways to streamline the HR process and stay abreast of the latest issues and trends in human resources outsourcing. The RealLife HR blog can be accessed directly at www.reallifehr.com/rlsblog, or through a link on the company’s Web site, www.reallifehr.com.

“Based on feedback from our RealLife HR clients, there are additional needs that are not being fulfilled in the HR space, and they are turning to us for assistance,” says Keith Goode, Director of RealLife Services for RealLife HR. “With the cost of healthcare continuing to rise, HR is forced to find new and innovative ways to simplify and automate their benefit processes.” The RealLife Services blog will provide insights and ideas to those seeking additional services to assist with their day-to-day benefits management.

The blog will present a mix of product updates and conversations with RealLife Services executives about the issues they see on a daily basis when meeting with clients and the variety of outsourcing solutions available in the market today. Contributors to the blog will include:

• Samuel Mayfield, III – An expert in packaging and customizing solutions that solve HR business challenges, including benefits management outsourcing and new hire onboarding issues.
• Keith Goode – A professional with 15 years of experience developing and implementing business solutions.


About RealLife HR

A nationwide leader in benefits management automation and outsourcing services, RealLife HR simplifies and automates benefits communications, enrollment and administration in addition to offering call center services and a dedicated support team. RealLife HR clients include a wide array of brokers and consultants as well as nationally recognized entities including Magellan Health Systems, Bombardier, Unilever, AT&T, Comcast and the North Carolina Office of State Personnel. For more information visit www.reallifehr.com.

Contacts:

Kim Bachmann, RealLife HR
410.403.5522
e-mail protected from spam bots

or

Susan Anthony, Sawmill Marketing Public Relations
410.592.3003
e-mail protected from spam bots


RealLife HR and the RealLife HR logo are service marks of RewardsPlus of America Corporation.
RealLife Benefits is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a service mark of RewardsPlus of America Corporation.
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eePulse, Michigan Ross School of Business Study Reveals Leader Energy Increasing

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – April 25, 2006 – Dr. Theresa M. Welbourne of eePulse, Inc. and the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, today announced the results of the March 2006 Leadership Pulse™ Study. The data indicates that overall, leadership energy levels increased since December of 2005 by .31 points with many industries reporting numbers in their own “productivity zones” (or at levels where leaders say they are most productive, an indicator of future performance).

Also, most of the 13 industries previously indicating low energy in June 2005 are now reporting higher energy levels. Energy levels in the construction and transportation and public-utilities industries soared while they significantly declined in retail trade and consulting.

“Our research indicates that employee energy predicts turnover, absenteeism, customer satisfaction, and other performance metrics in an organization,” states Dr. Welbourne. “These industry trends indicate an increase in leader energy, which in turn helps to increase employee energy, engagement, firm performance, and employer excellence.”

The Study
Conducted every two months, the Leadership Pulse Study trends organizational change, leadership energy and confidence data from a sample of over 4,500 worldwide, senior-executives in various industries. Respondents answer short questions online and provide individual comments via a Pulse Dialogue™ process. Energy levels are rated low (0 to 3.74), medium (3.75 to 6.25) and high (6.26 to 10.0). Respondents are asked to rate current energy levels and rates where they are most productive; the relationship between these two numbers is key for predicting future outcomes.

The Results
The current Leadership Pulse results indicate that since December 2005:

- The biotechnology (energy level 6.97) and construction (energy level 7.57) industries moved from low energy zones into their highest productivity levels.

- Web-based technology, not-for-profit agencies, and service industries (other than consulting) all rated levels within the highest energy zones.

- Moving closer to their optimal energy zones, energy levels in the finance insurance and real estate (up .17 points), manufacturing (up .28), information technology (up .5) and health care (up .59) industries increased.

- Energy levels rated below the optimal zones for wholesale trade (down .87 points), engineering (down .69), retail trade (down .58), consulting (down .11), and communications (down .02).

“Our next Leadership Pulse Dialogue will drill down into the reasons for these increases,” states Welbourne. “But based on research within client firms, our data indicates that positive results are coming from proactive responses from leaders who aggressively try to improve their energy scores and to more positive economic conditions for many organizations.”

For an assessment of your own firm’s risk of turnover and performance potential or to learn how your leadership team compares to the industry trends, contact Dr. Welbourne at 1-877-377-8573 or write to e-mail protected from spam bots. To learn more about the Leadership Pulse research study, see http://www.eepulse.com/leadership_reports.html.

About eePulse, Inc.
eePulse, Inc. delivers technology and research-consulting services that support Data and Dialogue Driven Leadership™ processes. Using eePulse’s proprietary, web-based enterprise-wide software suite called Measurecom™ (measurement and communication); organizations and leaders immediately improve their performance. Productivity enhancement comes from action taken in response to real-time stakeholder information. For additional information, please call 877-377-8573 or visit www.eepulse.com.

About Executive Education at the Ross School of Business
Executive Education at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan is made up of world-class educators and researchers renowned for their skill in creating and integrating knowledge with practical application. They offer a wide array of choices for executive and organizational development. For additional information, please contact Executive Education at the Ross School of Business at e-mail protected from spam bots, 734-763-1000.

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Media Contact: Melanie Rembrandt, e-mail protected from spam bots, 734-996-2321



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Looking for Qualified Leads in the Human Resource and Employee Benefit Marketplace?

Capitola, CA--April 25, 2006— Human resource (HR) and employee benefits marketers are under increasing pressure from executives to generate more revenue and demonstrate measurable results. This has led to quantifiable results such as qualified leads to become top priorities for HR/Benefits marketers, superseding traditional marketing objectives. In the article "Eleven Steps for Successful Demand Generation", suppliers targeting human resource and employee benefit decision makers are shown a step-by-step guide for driving leads using a combination of press releases, direct marketing and white papers.

One of the strategies detailed in this white paper is Marketing PR. Marketing PR is the combination of two traditionally separate departments (PR and marketing) into one united front (Marketing PR) in which all marketing and PR tactics support marketing objectives (lead generation) instead of media placements (traditional PR metric).

“Marketing PR is the most cost-effective method for generating qualified leads,” said Mark Willaman, president and founder of HRmarketer.com, an industry leader in marketing for the HR/benefits industry and pioneers in Marketing PR. “For HR and Benefits marketers, marketing press releases outperform traditional press releases, pay-per-click advertising, or print direct marketing on a cost-per-qualified-lead basis.”

It's not uncommon for a "marketing" press release to generate significantly more qualified leads compared to a traditional press release. Highlights of the new article from HRmarketer.com include:

• Who uses marketing press releases and why
• How to create effective marketing press releases
• How to maximize the exposure of your release
• How to create compelling offers

Available now, "Eleven Steps for Successful Demand Generation" includes a detailed analysis from HRmarketer.com’s leading strategists on generating leads. It can be downloaded free of charge by visiting HRmarketer.com.

About HRmarketer.com

HRmarketer is a service of Fisher Vista LLC, a marketing and information services firm focusing exclusively on the human capital industry. The company services over 300 HR service providers, employee benefit brokers and consultants, helping them increase their visibility and generate sales leads.

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New England Organ Bank Taps Knowledge Factor To Train Tissue Bank Personnel on Policies and Procedures

Knowledge Factor, the leader in Confidence-Based Learning, today announced that it is has been tapped by the New England Organ Bank (NEOB) to conduct training for all NEOB tissue personnel on the recovery and screening requirements for tissue donated for transplantation. Knowledge Factor will apply its patented learning methodology to repurpose NEOB’s training content and activities to track, document and shorten the time to mastery for new and existing staff.

“The extensive regulatory issues surrounding the screening process for tissue donors makes it important for our employees to be knowledgeable and confident in their implementation,” said Diana Buck, Director of Tissue Operations of New England Organ Bank. “Knowledge Factor’s CBL System™ is the first training product we have found that accurately validates both knowledge and confidence. The ability to document when people are trained, and giving them a faster path to mastery, may be the biggest paybacks for this program.”

Knowledge Factor’s learning program is based on an innovative learning methodology called Confidence-Based Learning (CBL). CBL measures and nurtures both knowledge and confidence. The CBL System is unique in its ability to differentiate between:

* Mastery - correct and confident knowledge
* Doubt – correct knowledge that is believed without full confidence
* Guesswork – lucky guessing that is not accompanied by any competence
* Ignorance – no knowledge.

CBL can capture and validate knowledge confidence because of the unique structure of the assessments it uses as the basis for its learning process.

This patented assessment simultaneously measures the relationship between confidence and correctness. Mastery is accurately and consistently identified, knowledge gaps are clearly revealed, and guessing is eliminated because it is not rewarded as it is in conventional assessments and certifications.

“NEOB’s decision to use CBL validates what more and more organizations are wanting to do – certify that their training is effective by validating that learning actually takes place,” said Mark Dreher, Knowledge Factor’s Chief Executive Officer. “The CBL System is quickly gaining converts in healthcare because of its unique ability to develop and validate competency in arenas where the consequences of mistakes are significant.”

Knowledge Factor, Inc.
Founded in 2000, the Company has gained national acclaim for its unique ability to ensure that learning occurs as an outcome of training. Knowledge Factor is the leader in Confidence-Based Learning and owner of a patented and effective methodology it calls Confidence-Based Assessment™, or CBA™, which is the first product to accurately measure both knowledge and confidence and removes guesswork from training. The Company's CBL System measures competency, validates learning and provides rapid and targeted learning solutions to organizations and individuals. For more information, go to www.knowledgefactor.com.

The New England Organ Bank
The New England Organ Bank is the oldest independent organ procurement organization (OPO) in the country. It is the federally-designated OPO for all or part of the six New England states. In addition to this regional coverage, NEOB provides services to Bermuda. Through its nine regional offices, NEOB serves twelve transplant centers with the combined capacity to perform all types of organ transplantation. NEOB shares organs regionally and nationally through the United Network for Organ Sharing's (UNOS) national network. For more information, go to http://www.neob.org/.



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New HRResource.com Website launch!

The HRResource team is pleased to announce the arrival of the new HRResource Website. This convenient website is designed specifically to be your one-stop human resource guide, helping you reach all the relevant information on Human Resources with superior ease and functionality.

HRResource.com is dedicated to providing your organization with the most current HR information and continues to develop new and innovative ways to deliver vital content to you. Timely HR articles, searchable vendor directory, and informative whitepapers will help you stay on top of industry news and information.

HRResource.com provides a comprehensive list of HR reference topics, teleconferences, and reference books that allow you to fulfill your continuing education needs, while meeting your training needs. As a leading provider of human resource information, HRResource.com seeks to advance the careers of HR professionals by providing the most essential and comprehensive content available.

Visit www.HRResource.com for the more information on how to become a member. Membership is free and gets you access to the entire site!



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President and CEO of IncentOne Addresses Midwest Business Group on Health

CHICAGO, IL (April 20, 2006) Michael Dermer, President and CEO of IncentOne, a leading provider of award-winning incentive solutions, spoke to the Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH) on April 12th at the Swissotel in Chicago. The program was part of the MBGH’s 2006 Learning Network Series: “Translating Solutions into Actions.” The event, Health Benefit Contribution Strategies & Incentives, also featured speakers Steve Kraus, Partner at Deloitte & Touche and Eileen O’Shea, Director of Employee Benefits at McCain Foods USA.

Mr. Dermer’s presentation focused on using incentives to motivate employees to engage in healthy behaviors. He discussed the need for an integrated solution as the best way to align incentives with a company’s health promotion initiatives. Mr. Dermer also presented an overview of tax compliance issues and ROI and the importance of driving program goals – participation, engagement and behavior change. Using incentives in driving the reduction of healthcare costs is currently an extremely important topic for many executives and this program was the MBGH’s best attended event of the year. According to Larry Boress, President and CEO of MBGH, “Employers throughout the nation are addressing the need to get their workers engaged in the financial and clinical management of their health and benefits. Incentive programs that match the culture and strategies of the employer and its benefit programs are essential to the
process.”

Mr. Dermer is a frequent speaker at national and regional healthcare conferences and events on topics including what employers and healthcare providers should be looking for in an effective incentive solution. He is also a member of various national and regional health associations including the New York Business Group on Health as well as numerous benefits, compensation and human resource societies.

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Since 1997, IncentOne has provided integrated incentive solutions to clients ranging from small businesses to the FORTUNE® 1000, including half of the FORTUNE® 50. IncentOne’s solutions combine its proven incentive platform with the industry’s most comprehensive reward portfolio and Best Practices to provide companies with a tool to drive business objectives. IncentOne’s clients include Washington Mutual, WebMD, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Deloitte, MGM, ADP, NBC and the United States Postal Service. For more information, please visit IncentOne at www.incentone.com or contact Rick Gordimer at (201) 372-9250 ext. 302 or via email at e-mail protected from spam bots.



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New Research Report: Executive-level industry insight yields best practices in HR TriNet to release first report in HR Trends Snapshot Series

New Research Report: Executive-level industry insight yields best practices in HR
TriNet to release first report in HR Trends “Snapshot” Series

SAN LEANDRO, Calif.-- April 18, 2006 -- TriNet, the no. 1 payroll, benefits and HR services provider for technology, financial and professional services, has announced plans to release the first in a series of research reports entitled “HR Trends 2006 Executive Snapshot” in May.

The report focuses on C-level issues in HR, such as:
• Building competitive advantages through outsourcing;
• Improving core HR processes; and
• Trends in payroll, benefits and HR services.

These issues and more will be addressed in “HR Trends 2006 Executive Snapshot,” a series of reports which will debut next quarter with the release of “Outsourcing for Competitive Advantage.” Each installment will include valuable results from surveys sent to over 10,000 executives as well as analysis from TriNet’s leading experts on payroll, benefits and HR services.

“Nobody has greater knowledge of the growth process for technology, financial and professional services firms than TriNet,” said Martin Babinec, CEO and founder. “This series describes how executives at small and medium sized companies can achieve two of their most critical objectives: hiring top-quality talent and focusing on revenue-generating activities.”

The HR Trends 2006 series will be released quarterly and include such topics as:
• Q2 HR Trends Executive Snapshot: Outsourcing for Competitive Advantage
• Q3 HR Trends Executive Snapshot: Compensation and Talent Retention
• Q4 HR Trends Executive Snapshot: Technology

Pre-register to receive the first “HR Trends 2006 Executive Snapshot: Outsourcing for Competitive Advantage” report in May by visiting here.

The report will also segment findings by industry and company revenue, allowing executives to benchmark relative to their competition and similarly sized firms. In addition, TriNet will identify best practice trends by evaluating the operational practices of highly successful firms in each segment.

About TriNet
TriNet's HR outsourcing for technology, financial services, and professional services firms provides access to Fortune 500-caliber benefits, online self-service, and strategic HR management. Since 1988, TriNet has helped thousands of customers cut costs and boost productivity by deploying premium payroll, benefits, and HR services.

Please direct all media inquiries to:
Greg Howard
Director of Corporate Communications,
e-mail protected from spam bots
(510-875-7236).




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viaPeople, Inc. Identifies the True ROI of the Human Asset through their Top Performer Profile

Princeton, NJ – April 20, 2006 - viaPeople, Inc., a leading human asset management software and consulting services company, announced today the introduction of a new methodology for understanding the bottom-line impact of employee performance. viaPeople has proven that "behavior matters" by linking employee behavior to financial contribution.

Organizational leaders and human resource experts have long known that investing in people pays off. Although the figures vary by job type and industry, the research suggests that top performers outperform average performers by 50%-100%. There is clear evidence that top performers behave differently than average performers. They are able to produce greater results through excelling in certain behaviors or competencies that differentiate them from the rest. Given this significant impact on bottom-line company performance, organizational leaders are seeking answers to the following questions:
• Who are the top performers in the organization?
• How much more of a business impact are my top performers having on the organization as compared to average performers?
• Why are top performers more successful?
• What can be done to increase the percentage of top performers across the company?

As a seasoned executive, Jim Perry, CEO of viaPeople, knows first-hand how leveraging the human asset can have a great impact on company performance. "Understanding what makes top-performing employees so successful is the key to transforming a business," says Perry.

viaPeople’s 5-step Performance Driver Analysis allows organizational leaders to uncover the specific behavioral profile of the top-performing employees in their organization. This methodology can be applied to any job function, in any industry, as long as employee productivity metrics exist. Once this profile is identified, leaders can:

• Identify the incremental revenue/productivity of the workforce once they are trained on the skills that matter most to the business
• Immediately develop a retention and succession planning strategy to ensure the top performers' future with the company.
• Revise and enhance the assessment and selection procedures that are focused on the capabilities outlined in the Top Performer Profile.
• Invest in training and development initiatives that increase the percentage of top performers.
• Achieve clear competitive advantage through engaging only the best players in the industry.

The insight gained through viaPeople’s Top Performer Profile allows HR leaders to align critical HR processes around the capabilities that matter most to their business.

About viaPeople, Inc.:
viaPeople, Inc. is a human asset management software and consulting services company. They enable companies to identify their top performing employees, profile the behaviors that make those people successful and the reshape their existing workforce to significantly improve overall performance. Using the science of Industrial Organizational Psychology and advanced performance analysis software, viaPeople is able to correlate individual performance to a company’s financial performance and calculate return on human capital investment. viaPeople, Inc. offers the time savings and cost efficiency of online implementation, the flexibility to customize to a client’s specific needs, and the domain knowledge to help clients measure and improve the return on their investment in human capital. viaPeople, Inc.’s proprietary software is web-based, scalable, flexible and secure. Visit viaPeople, Inc. at http://www.viapeople.com.



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Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Participates in Landmark Webinar Debate on Recruitment Discrimination

Recruiting is all about discrimination -- discriminating based on a candidate’s qualifications for the job. Discriminating appropriately and legally is becoming a bigger issue across the United States as the stakes increase for employers. Recruiting practices are more transparent and reporting requirements are more stringent. Combined with the increase in candidate sensitivity to this issue, litigation is skyrocketing.

Greg Hammond, EVP of Strategic Development and General Counsel for TriNet, a comprehensive HR services company serving over 1200 employers notes: “The number of charges being brought against recruiting professionals and recruiting agencies is on the rise, and there is no question that the lynchpin role in the employment screening and decisional processes played by the recruiting sector is no longer lost on government regulators and job applicants. I applaud the EEOC’s efforts to increase awareness and actively participate in debates about the issues. This kind of participation can only lead to more robust solutions to protect applicant rights, while bringing greater efficiencies to the recruiting and selection processes critical to successful applicants and business.”

“There is a tremendous amount of confusion about the relationship between the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program (OFCCP) and the EEOC, their views on discrimination and respective definitions of an applicant,” emphasizes Bruce Osborn, President of Stirling Energy Systems and former Senior Vice President of Programs & Engineering for L-3 Communications. “The EEOC’s participation in events like these demonstrates their commitment to education and keeping the competition for jobs open and fair. A diverse and inclusive workforce provides the strategic advantage to successfully conduct business in a global and multi-cultural marketplace.”

Kevin Wheeler, President of Global Learning Resources, will moderate a distinguished panel including EEOC District Director Joan Ehrlich, EEOC Director Bill Tamayo and EEOC Deputy Director Michael Baldonado. Other panelists include John Younger, President of Accolo; Daniel Parrillo, President of Strategi LLC; and Karen Mattonen C.A.C., President of Advanced Career Solutions.

Company executives, hiring managers, recruiters and human resource professionals from across the United States are invited to participate in this free Webinar of the live panel debate. Participation is limited to first 5000 registrants for the Webinar and 2000 people for the in-person live panel. Early registration is recommended.

This event is free thanks to the sponsorships from HR.com, Electronic Recruiting Exchange, OmniVision Live, RoundPeg, Virtual Edge, The Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association, Advanced Career Solutions, Strategi and Accolo.


About Strategi, LLC
Strategi is a recruitment firm specializing in technology and technical positions. Daniel Parillo, President, is an extreme advocate of self regulation for the recruiting industry. He is a regular contributor to the Electronic Recruiters Exchange – ERE, Networking Pro and Group Moderator of the Bay Area Technology Recruiters Group (BATRG) and the author of The Honest Recruiter Blog.

About Advanced Career Solutions (ACS)
ACS is a contingency/retained HVAC and Mechanical Construction Recruiting firm. They have been recruiting for the HVAC industry for over 10 years, with expertise in hydraulics, pneumatics, heating, ventilation and air conditioning. ACS’s CEO, Karen Mattonen C.A.C., is an enthusiastic advocate with a “pit-bull” reputation in her dedication of the promotion of ethics, education and knowledge of the employment laws which govern the staffing and recruiting industry. With a focus on education, ACS’ goal is to help improve the reputation and standards of the staffing/recruiting industry. For more information on ACS, please visit www.acssearch.com.

About Accolo
Accolo is an innovator in the Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) Industry. The Company uses a patented combination of professional expertise, technology, and social networking to delivery high-quality candidates that are pre-screened and pre-interviewed based on the hiring manager’s specific needs. Accolo is associated with the Vedior Group of Companies (VDOR.AS). For more information on Accolo, please visit www.accolo.com.

Contact
Diane Hassett, Marketing and Public Relations
e-mail protected from spam bots
415-785-7833 x220



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Computerwork.com Named a Winner of the WEDDLEs 2006 Users Choice Award

Jacksonville, FL – April 20, 2006 – Computerwork.com, a national job board that focuses solely on the IT industry, has been named a winner of the WEDDLE’s 2006 User’s Choice Awards. One of 30 winners announced by WEDDLE’s, the leading authority of the online employment industry, the technology job board was chosen from tens of thousands of employment sites by recruiters, HR professionals and job seekers.

Each year, WEDDLE’s User’s Choice Awards recognize the “elite” of the online employment industry. Competing websites are judged by the level of service and value they provide to visitors, and by the ease-of-use and quality of support for their online employment resources.

“There’s no higher honor than to be recognized by the WEDDLE’s User’s Choice Awards,” explains Jim Ingham, president and founder of Computerwork.com, “because we know that the winners are chosen by the recruiters and job seekers that actually use the sites. Personalized service is what we strive to achieve every day, and it’s especially rewarding to be named among such an elite group.”

Since its founding 11 years ago, Computerwork.com has established a targeted resume bank of 350,000 screened and qualified candidates; the site eschews typical advertising and registration in favor of personalized service.

The niche job board is currently receiving more than 100,000 monthly visits from IT candidates. Those that post their resume or set up a job agent don’t need to register, freeing them from the e-mail bombardments of major job boards, and they can explore technology positions in an advertisement-free environment.

Other personal touches include a resource center with resume writing tips and help with researching employers. The site also monitors resume bank use to prevent e-mails from client companies to candidates unrelated to job opportunities.

For a complete list of the 2006 WEDDLE’s winners, visit www.weddles.com.

About Computerwork.com
Now in its 11th year of service, Computerwork.com blends resume matching and filtering technology, personalized service and a clear focus on the IT industry to connect candidates with employers. Based in Jacksonville, Florida, the company runs a primary national site as well as more than 70 city, regional, and skill-set specific sites such as denver.computerwork.com and ohio.computerwork.com. It has established a targeted resume bank of 350,000 screened, qualified candidates with no third party recruiters, and receives more than 100,000 monthly visits from IT candidates. For more information on Computerwork.com, visit www.computerwork.com or email e-mail protected from spam bots.

About WEDDLE's
WEDDLE's is a specialty publisher serving the Human Resource and Recruiting professions as well as job seekers and career activists. Its annual Guides and Directory are used worldwide to make smart consumer decisions among the 40,000+ job boards and career portals operating on the Internet today. In addition, it publishes two biweekly e-newsletters -- one for recruiters and HR practitioners and one for those seeking a new or better job -- that are read worldwide.



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NEW HREVOLUTION AWARDS LAUNCHED TO RECOGNIZE INNOVATIVE MEAT AND POULTRY HR DEPARTMENTS

LINCOLN, NE, APRIL 19, 2006 -- Meat and poultry processors face many tough human capital issues today, and business leaders expect Human Resource departments to provide strategic directions and solutions to address these concerns.

The National Provisioner, a publication of Stagnito Communications (an Ascend Media company) that serves meat and poultry processors, is launching in conjunction with Ameritas Group Dental and Eye Care a new “HREVOLUTION AWARDS” program to recognize and celebrate HR departments that demonstrate originality and creativity in responding to today’s human capital challenges.

Candidates for the 2006 HREVOLUTION AWARDS may be HR departments for meat and poultry processors that have spearheaded innovative solutions, introduced new cost-effective benefits programs that delivered greater value, fostered greater communication with employees, or developed quality employee recruitment, retention or rewards program that netted significant results.

“HR departments help processors tackle human capital problems effectively every day, and we want to recognize and reward their successes,” says Barbara Young, editor-in-chief of The National Provisioner.

“We are looking for HR departments that are employing best practices, effectively solving human capital issues, and improving the work environment for employees at all levels for their organizations,” says Kenneth VanCleave, senior vice president of Ameritas Group.

Awards will be given to HR departments at small, medium, large and mega meat and poultry processors in the U.S., for programs in place since January 2005.

The American Meat Institute (AMI) and U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) support the HREVOLUTION AWARDS. Entrants do not need to be subscribers to The National Provisioner, insured by Ameritas Group, or members of AMI or USPOULTRY.

The deadline for all entries is June 2, 2006. Winners will be announced in October.

Ameritas Group Dental and Eye Care and First Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. of New York (Ameritas’ New York subsidiary) underwrite, reinsure and provide customer relations to more than 34,000 employer groups covering 3 million insured members, www.ameritasgroup.com.

Stagnito Communications, an Ascend Media company based in Deerfield, Illinois, is the global leader in food, beverage, and packaging communications, producing 15 publications and reaching more than 12,000 businesses and 25,000 subscribers, www.stagnito.com.
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Valtera Announces Expansion into Asia Pacific, Opens Regional Office in South Korea

Rolling Meadows, IL. (April 19, 2006) -- Valtera, a leading human resources selection and assessment provider, announced today its expansion into the Asia Pacific market with the creation of Valtera Asia Pacific, and the opening of an office in Seoul, South Korea.

The new venture will tailor and distribute Valtera’s science-based instruments, organizational research solutions and consulting services for Asia-based companies and divisions. Valtera Asia Pacific will also provide customized employee surveys that reflect cultural sensitivities and are localized to address company and industry-specific strategic imperatives.

Valtera Asia Pacific will provide Asia-based, culturally-relevant solutions with a team led by Dr. Myungjoon (Marco) Kim, who will serve as regional director of Valtera Asia Pacific. Dr. Kim will concentrate on serving clients in the Korean and Chinese markets.

“Rather than send a team of Americans into the market, Valtera Asia Pacific has developed a locally-based team who understand the HR needs of the Asian market and can develop culturally-accurate products and services to meet their needs,” explained Dr. Daniel G. Barney, Valtera’s Chief Strategy Officer. “While some companies have expanded into the Asia Pacific market, they primarily rely on translation of products developed for other cultures. In contrast, Valtera’s international strategy is to offer products and services developed to address the unique human capital needs of each region into which we expand.”

Headquarters for Valtera Asia Pacific are located at: 1001, Sambo Hojung Building, 14-24, Yoido-dong, Yeungdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 150-871, Korea. Telephone is: 011-82-2-784-9004.

For more information on Valtera Asia Pacific, visit www.valteraasiapacific.com or email e-mail protected from spam bots.

For more information on Valtera Corporation, visit www.valtera.com.

About Valtera
Based in Chicago, IL (Rolling Meadows), Valtera (www.valtera.com) is a professional services firm that provides science-based solutions that align people with strategy to organizations worldwide. Valtera solution areas include Assessment and Selection (including Litigation Support), Organizational Surveys and Diagnostics, Performance Management, and Service Quality.

SelectionSage™ is a secure web-based test administration platform used to test job candidates, assess employees for promotion, and certify employee skills. SelectionSage is the newest addition to Valtera’s Sage Technology Suite. The suite’s flagship software product, SurveySage®, is an end-to-end solution that offers online survey authoring, deployment, reporting, and has out-of-the-box language capabilities to support major world languages. Valtera’s technology suite also includes 3SixtySage™ for online multi-rater feedback surveys. Valtera offers portals, custom software development, and hosting services. The company was founded in 1977.

Media Contacts:

Michael Butler
847-640-8820
e-mail protected from spam bots

Justine Shin
Asia Pacific Channel Manager
847-640-8820
e-mail protected from spam bots



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Staff Management Teams Up with LEGO Systems, Inc.

Chicago, IL, April 19, 2006 – Staff Management, a leading provider of vendor-on-premise staffing and management solutions, announced that it has been selected by LEGO Systems, Inc., a world leader in manufacturing creative play materials for children, to support all contingent labor requirements at its Enfield, Connecticut operation.

As a leader in the toy manufacturing industry, the LEGO Group provides play materials to more than 130 countries. The company holds high standards for its products, making it the shared responsibility of all employees to meet or exceed all international quality and safety requirements for children’s toys.

LEGO Systems wanted to re-engineer the way it managed contingent labor to create a highly operationally-integrated labor program. In response, Staff Management designed a program that would support the company’s strategic goals while maintaining its operation and culture. LEGO Systems chose Staff Management because of its expertise in managing vendor-on-premises programs for clients in the manufacturing and distribution industry, its precision recruitment and selection process and proprietary management software designed for high-volume staffing applications.

After conducting a Needs Assessment in late 2005, Staff Management’s New Business Development (NBD) team arrived at LEGO Systems in early 2006. To initiate service delivery, Staff Management’s NBD team completed a six-week customized implementation plan that included the creation of standard operating procedures, the development of a targeted recruitment and selection process and the design of comprehensive orientation programs. Staff Management began delivering service on February 13, 2006 and despite a 25-inch snow fall the previous day, fulfilled 100 percent of LEGO Systems’ contingent labor requirements.

“Our Global Procurement and Manufacturing groups partnered to select a provider of contingent labor that would create the most value,” said John Kelley, Global Category Manager-Operation Services, LEGO Systems. “Maneuvering the challenges of demand and supply levers relating to contingent labor is not easy, and we selected Staff Management because of their ability to deliver a greater total value and lower total cost of ownership – two key factors in our decision.”

“Staff Management is extremely appreciative of the support LEGO Systems has provided to our team through this process and for the spirit of partnership and collaboration that they have brought to our relationship,” said Caroline Storey, Director of Business Solutions, Staff Management.

About Staff Management
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.

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Contacts:

Nancy Harbutte
Staff Management
nharbutte(at)staffmanagement.com
800-746-9462

Elrond Lawrence
Fisher Vista
elawrence(at)fishervista.com
831-460-9700



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Pilat HR Solutions Releases White Paper on ROI for Human Resource Systems & Processes

LEBANON, N.J. (April 19, 2006) - - Human Resource professionals can now build better business cases for new HR initiatives with the recent release of Pilat HR Solutions’ white paper, "ROI for HR Systems & Processes: How Do We Justify The Cost?," written by CEO of Pilat’s North American operations, Clinton Wingrove. In this white paper, Wingrove addresses the age-old issue faced by Human Resources – how to produce a quantifiable justification for the cost of a new HR system or process. He details the steps for building a solid business case, as well as, disclosing the success measures to produce a return on investment (ROI) for Talent Management and Performance Management systems and processes.

In a study by Mercer on CFOs’ perspective on human capital management, only 16% of CFOs surveyed had nothing more than a “moderate understanding” of the return on investment of expenditures on human capital management initiatives. “Today’s change influencers in HR understand that ‘trust me’ usually is not enough to get an initiative off the floor," said Clinton Wingrove, Chief Executive Officer of Pilat (North America), Inc. "If you want to champion an HR initiative, approach your proposal pragmatically by not only articulating its strategic purpose but also supporting it with a thorough assessment of the associated costs, benefits, and risk/certainty factors."

As disclosed in this white paper, the business case must be strong enough to ensure that the system or process will not only be implemented but will be sustained. HR’s transformation from an administrative role to a more strategic role involves HR providing thoughtful and objective assessments of new initiatives. The business case must reflect this attention to detail in order for HR to make a sustainable and positive impact in their organization’s bottom-line. For more information and a copy of the white paper, please visit www.pilat-nai.com.

About Pilat HR Solutions
Pilat HR Solutions is part of the Pilat Technologies International Limited ("the Pilat Group"), an HR consulting and software company, co-listed on the London AIM and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchanges. Pilat’s advanced web technology, business process consulting, and metrics & data services are designed to Power Performance and Potential(sm). Pilat’s human capital management solutions encompass Succession Planning / Talent Management, Performance Management, Development Management, Reward and Compensation, Organizational Development, and Business and HR Metrics (including custom surveys). For more
information, please visit www.pilat-nai.com or call (800) 338-9701.




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Time America and Unitime Systems Enter Into Transaction

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ., April 13, 2006 – Time America, Inc. and Unitime Systems, Inc., both major providers of automated workforce management solutions, today announced they have completed a transaction whereby Time America has divested certain direct sales assets to Unitime Systems. Under the terms of the agreement, Unitime Systems acquired a portion of the Time America direct sales maintenance and hosted client base along with specific direct channel sales opportunities and associated intellectual property rights. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The transaction affords both organizations the opportunity to focus on those things they do best. Time America will continue to build its extensive reseller network and business development channels and will also focus on key enterprise account opportunities and its data collection subsidiary, NetEdge Devices, LLC. Unitime Systems will increase its customer support base and add a proven hosted software solution to its product line. Unitime Systems’ business and alliance partner channels are unaffected by the transactions.

“Unitime Systems is a respected competitor in our market. I believe this transaction is advantageous to both parties, and I see opportunity beyond the immediate benefit as the relationship matures,” stated Thomas Bednarik, President and CEO of Time America.

Bill Korstad, CEO of Unitime Systems, states, “Tom and I have been friends as well as friendly competitors for years. We admire what Time America has been able to accomplish in the marketplace. This is one of those win-win deals that benefit both companies.”


About Time America, Inc.
Time America, Inc. (OTCBB: TMAM) has been a leading provider of web-based, client-server and desktop time and labor management solutions since 1988. Time America’s family web-based, client-server and desktop solutions deliver a cost-effective, automated means for employee time and attendance tracking, management of labor resources and payroll processing. The Deloitte Technology Fast 500 has honored Time America as one of the 500 fastest growing technology companies in North America in 2003 and 2004. For more information, please visit the Time America web site at www.timeamerica.com.


About Unitime Systems, Inc.
Unitime Systems provides time and attendance software solutions for small to enterprise organizations in nearly every industry. A leading time and attendance software provider for over 12 years, Unitime Systems has helped more than 2,000 organizations in over 7,500 locations enhance the performance of employees, managers, and overall operations. Unitime time and attendance software reduces the amount of time needed to prepare time sheets for payroll, improves workforce management, minimizes errors, and helps track and manage labor expenses. For more information, please visit the Unitime Systems web site at www.unitime.com.



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DDC Features in Philippines Outsourcing Growth

With offshore BPO - what may have appeared alien to many some years ago is now increasingly a commonplace business method - a means to meet real business needs through the skills, energies and dedication of a global workforce.

In a recent article on Business Process Outsourcing ("BPO") published in FSO magazine, the success of DDC and BPO capabilities in the Philippines were featured.

The article may be accessed at www.ddchro.com


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Still waiting for business process outsourcing to deliver on innovation and promised cost savings?

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - April 13, 2006 - While many organizations outsource complex business processes to multiple providers both U.S. and foreign, they rarely receive the competitive advantage, cost savings and other benefits they anticipated. In the white paper "Services Outsourcing Trends and Technology: Leveraging the Global Talent Boom for Competitive Advantage," Axiome Sourcing shares techniques for managing outsourced providers successfully in order to receive the maximum value from each supplier.

The goal of this white paper is to inform forward-thinking executives in search of viable ways to solidify their own innovative and competitive position in a flat marketplace.

"Until recently, outsourcing was primarily a means of finding low-cost labor; it has evolved into a means of survival in a commoditizing, competitive landscape," said Nancy Morales, President and Founder of Axiome Sourcing. "Those companies who integrate on-demand Business Process Management suites can capture all the benefits from their outsourcing process they initially hoped for without suffering from the increased hassle outsourcing often entails."

Axiome Sourcing's new white paper will address relevant questions for those involved in the strategic implementation and management of outsourced providers, such as:

- What is being outsourced, and where in the world will you find it?
- Is outsourcing really about low-cost labor?
- Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) vs. Business Process Management (BPM) suites - what's the difference?

The white paper delineates the trends in outsourcing, outsourced services management solutions and software, and the development of BPM suites to manage the global services supply chain. This paper focuses on the shortcomings of ERP and the rise of on-demand software applications emerging to fill the gap. It also includes valuable industry analysis, commentary on macroeconomic trends and their impact on the business community from industry experts and executable solutions for corporations who outsource multiple business functions or use contingent labor.

To receive this white paper, please sign up for a free live Webinar on Thursday, May 4, 2006. Go to www.axiomesourcing.com/webinar.asp to register or send an e-mail to info(at)axiomesourcing.com

About Axiome Sourcing

Founded in 2004, Axiome Sourcing assists companies in reducing costs, enforcing policies and minimizing risks associated with sourcing and managing global contingent labor and third-party services. Axiome’s Resource Management System - A R M S(sm) - a best-in-class business process management (BPM) Suite, enables governance through technology to improve business agility and operational performance. For more information on Axiome Sourcing visit www.axiomesourcing.com



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Successful RPO Partnering at Covance is topic of HRO World Conference presentation

Steven J. Lindner, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of The WorkPlace Group®, Inc. (WPG)™, the foremost company in Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), and Raul Valentin, Sr. V.P. of Human Resources at Covance, one of the world's largest and most comprehensive drug development services companies, will be co-presenters from 11:05 a.m. – 11:45 a.m., Thursday, April 27 at the HRO World Conference at the New York Hilton. They will speak on the successful recruitment outsourcing relationship between their companies.

Covance’s remarkable business success created the need for novel and “best-in-industry” practices for managing fluctuating hiring needs, responding to fierce competition to hire the best talent, while minimizing costs, maximizing results and satisfying hiring mangers at all organizational levels. According to Covance’s 2004 Annual Report, with WPG’s assistance they were able to, "...double the volume of new hires, bringing approximately 1,600 employees on board in 2004...At the same time, we decreased our overall cost per hire by approximately 15% and improved the 'time-to-fill' a position by 10%."

Key success factors that will be highlighted include the implementation of the WPG team into Covance’s culture, lessons learned, 12-month results and expansion of the RPO model into Covance’s international locations.

For more information about attending the HRO NY Conference, visit www.hroworld.com.

About WPG:
The WorkPlace Group, Inc. (WPG) delivers industry-leading recruitment results for organizations of all sizes including the “Fortune 50,” in U.S., Canada, South America and Europe. Services range from talent acquisition and assessment through full Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO). WPG provides an efficient and effective way to recruit, assess and hire the most qualified, retainable employees quickly and economically. Our scalability provides on-demand utilization of resources in-line with a client’s hiring needs, allowing them to handle the continual ups and downs of hiring at a cost far less than they could achieve on their own. For more information, please visit us at www.workplacegroup.com

About Covance:
Covance (NYSE: CVD), with headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey, is one of the world's largest and most comprehensive drug development services companies with annual revenues greater than $1 billion, global operations in 18 countries, and more than 7,300 employees worldwide. Covance continues to broaden its capabilities by strategic acquisition and in-house development. The Company's primary focus is serving the pharmaceutical and biotech industries offering a broad range of services — from nonclinical research to clinical development to commercialization services.








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DR. BETH BROOKS TO SPEAK AT AMERICAN ORGANIZATION OF NURSE EXECUTIVES ANNUAL MEETING

New York, NY – April 11, 2006 – Beth A. Brooks, PhD, RN, CHE, and Senior Partner at JWT Employment Communications, will present 'What Every CNO Needs to Know About Branding' at the American Organization of Nurse Executives’ (AONE) Annual Meeting, held April 20th – 21st, in Orlando, Florida, at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel. AONE is a national organization of over 5,000 nurse leaders and executives who design, facilitate, and manage care. Dr. Brooks is an AONE member and holds management responsibilities for the integrated offerings to health care employers at JWT Employment Communications, one of the world’s largest recruitment marketing and employment communications companies.

“Managing your employer brand means having a clear understanding of what you have to offer your target audience – the nurses who will succeed in your organization, and who, in turn, will make your organization successful,” according to Dr. Brooks.

Dr. Brooks has more than 20 years experience in health care, including positions in nurse recruitment and nurse management. She also has previous experience in employment communications, working with health care clients across the country on award-winning advertising, branding and marketing programs. Her consulting work involves projects related to improving the quality of nursing work life and manager skill development.






About JWT Employment Communications

JWT Employment Communications helps employers attract, recruit and retain staff through comprehensive advertising, marketing and employee communications services, measurement tools, consulting resources and strategic approaches to talent acquisition and management.
The agency has 32 offices across North America and internationally. It is a subsidiary of JWT, an agency of WPP (NASDAQ: WPPGY) that ranks among the oldest and largest full-service global advertising agencies.



About AONE

Founded in 1967, the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), a subsidiary of the American Hospital Association, is a national organization of over 5,000 nurses. The organization provides leadership, professional development, advocacy, and research in order to advance nursing practice and patient care, promote nursing leadership excellence, and shape healthcare public policy.


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New Online Program for Harassment Training Offers Alternative for Employers

HR Classroom, a provider of online training services, has added "Sexual Harassment Prevention for Connecticut Supervisors' to its extensive compliance training offering. This training meets the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, Section 46a-54-204.

"Our new Connecticut supervisor training will make it easier for employers to comply with existing law," notes Paul Curtis, president of Curtis Communications. "Connecticut's Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities recently issued an opinion allowing online delivery of sexual harassment training, and we are happy to provide our online program as an alternative for affected employers. As with other HR Classroom trainings, employers can fully document trainee activity.”

The HR Classroom compliance training system delivers content via a Web browser to almost any Internet-connected computer. HR Classroom allows companies with multiple locations to provide compliance training easily and regularly, in a cost-effective manner. Trainings can also be tailored to include the organization's policy. Over 75,000 employees throughout North America are trained annually using HR Classroom.

In addition to the trainings mentioned above, HR Classroom provides a full line of employee legal compliance training, including Sexual Harassment Prevention , Workplace Violence Prevention, FMLA, and many others.

HR Classroom is a service of Curtis Communications. To view HR Classroom, go to: http://www.hrclassroom.com/.



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DR. BETH BROOKS EXAMINES THE QUALITY OF NURSING WORK LIFE

New York, NY – April 11, 2006 – Beth A. Brooks, PhD, RN, CHE, and Senior Partner at JWT Employment Communications, has published an article focusing on the construct of Quality of Nursing Work Life (QNWL), entitled Defining Quality of Nursing Work Life, in the December 2005 issue of Nursing Economics.

The health care industry requires an increasingly sophisticated approach to drive organizational performance, while recruiting and retaining a nursing workforce in short supply. The concept of QNWL examines and understands workers and the work environment better than information about job satisfaction. About 30% of what is learned in job satisfaction surveys concerns employees’ personalities, something an employer has little ability to change. QNWL offers direct and useful feedback to leaders aspiring to manage employee and organizational outcomes.

The conceptual components outlined in Dr. Brook’s article are intended to provide nurse leaders with ideas on how to enhance the work life of nurses, as well as provide information to improve the work environment. In order to access QNWL, there are a number of strategies that may be employed. An assessment of the current organization can help build a quality work environment and retain employees.

Dr. Brooks holds management responsibilities for the integrated offerings to health care employers at JWT Employment Communications, one of the world’s largest recruitment marketing and internal communications companies.



About JWT Employment Communications

JWT Employment Communications helps employers attract, recruit and retain staff through comprehensive advertising, marketing and employee communications services, measurement tools, consulting resources and strategic approaches to talent acquisition and management.
The agency has 32 offices across North America and internationally. It is a subsidiary of JWT, an agency of WPP (NASDAQ: WPPGY) that ranks among the oldest and largest full-service global advertising agencies.


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Deploy Solutions on Track to Finish Hunger with Marathon Food Drive

NEWTON, Mass. / April 10, 2006 -- How do you squeeze 26.2 miles of marathon course into a single office building? Deploy Solutions, a Boston-based provider of recruiting and hiring solutions, has found a way. The Boston Marathon won’t occur for another week, but Deploy employees are navigating their own indoor course, and it’s all for a good cause.

On March 16, the starting pistol officially launched Deploy’s “Race to Finish Hunger,” a food drive that continues through April 17, the day of the 110th Boston Marathon. The course of the actual event has been mirrored through the HR company’s office complex, with donation checkpoints located along the marathon route. Each checkpoint sports a collection box for different food items. All donations will benefit Pine Street Inn, a regional non-profit organization working to provide homeless people with homeless shelter, affordable housing, and training & job programs.

The idea for Deploy’s marathon food drive began when Paul Joseph, a Deploy employee, decided to run the Boston Marathon to support Pine Street. Organizers aim to beat the company record set during Deploy’s last drive, which netted just under one ton of food.

"On behalf of the homeless men and women who eat their meals daily at Pine Street, many thanks to Deploy Solutions for holding this creative food drive,” said Randy Boudreau, Pine Street’s food services in-kind coordinator. “It’s through contributions like this from the community and corporate world that we can serve 1,600 meals to our guests each day.”

“The benefits of our marathon are two-fold,” explained Rosanna Young, Human Resource Manager for Deploy. “Our employees have repeatedly expressed a desire to give back to their community, so this is an opportunity to enhance their work-life balance – and of course, we’re helping people who are less fortunate in a creative and fun manner.”

The fundraiser is one of several quarterly volunteer initiatives initiated by Deploy’s Community Outreach Committee, employees who represent various departments within the organization. Currently 65 percent of all Deploy employees have participated in an outreach or volunteer initiative, demonstrating the company’s commitment to giving back to its community.

Previous organizations supported by Deploy Solutions include the American Red Cross, The Greater Boston Food Bank, Coats for Kids, Rosie’s Place, The Jimmy Fund, Project Bread, and the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans.

To learn more about donating to the Pine Street Inn, contact Shauna Helton at 617-892-9170. For more information about Deploy Solutions and its community outreach efforts, contact Rosanna Young at 617-641-2100.

About Pine Street Inn
Pine Street Inn is New England’s leading resource for homeless adults, providing refuge, respect, and resources to 1,000 men and women every day. The inn also provides permanent housing with on-site support staff, in locations throughout Brookline and Boston, for more than 350 very low-income individuals. More information about the Boston Marathon Team Pine Street Inn is available at http://www.pinestreetinn.org/marathon/2006.

About Deploy Solutions
Deploy Solutions, Inc. provides companies with a competitive advantage in the marketplace by optimizing performance in recruiting, hiring, and retaining top employees. The Deploy Enterprise Talent Suite™ is a proven solution that improves the quality and performance of the workforce, reduces the cost of talent acquisition, and supports regulatory compliance. The company draws upon flexible technology, deep domain experience, and a comprehensive approach to HR metrics and analytics to drive measurable results for its customers. Deploy provides talent management solutions to a diverse and prestigious list of customers, including: Sheetz, Six Flags, Wakefern (ShopRite Stores), Century Theaters, Hess, FedEx, Tire Kingdom, Advocate Healthcare, Prudential, Bristol-Myers Squibb, American Electric Power, and many more. For additional information, call 877-GO-DEPLOY (877-463-3756) or visit www.deploy.com.

Visit our Knowledge Center to download white papers and other research on Talent Management and Talent Optimization from leading authors such as Dr. John Sullivan, Nick Burkholder, Mel Kleiman, John Sumser, and others.



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MAJOR REGIONAL BANK EXTENDS AGREEMENT WITH ERC AND CHOOSES SELECTECH� ASSESSMENTS TO ENHANCE ITS JOB SEEKER PRE-QUALIFICATION AND SELECTION SERVICES

Norwalk, CT. --- (April 6, 2006) --- ERC Dataplus, Inc., a leading Human Resource technology company, announced that a major regional bank has extended ERC's workforce management services for an additional two years. In addition, the bank, an ERC client for more than four years also incorporated ERC's validated, pre-hire assessments to the selection process. The integrated system will be used across all of financial institution's locations.

"As a bank committed to outstanding customer service, setting the standard of performance in the financial services industry, and being an employer of choice, we recognize the importance of selecting and retaining the best qualified professionals who will contribute to our success," a spokesperson for the bank said. "Integral to this process, is our using ERC's pre-qualification and selection system, Selectech® Candidate Management System. We decided last year to incorporate ERC's pre-hire assessment and replace another's because we weren't achieving the results we wanted and because ERC's services were significantly less costly."

"We are extremely gratified that this long-term client has continued to expand its use of ERC's services, with the latest addition of Selectech® Assessments being particularly gratifying," Paul Rathblott, ERC's CEO, commented. "We expect to help the bank process more than 100,000 job seekers in this year alone and to add new high-volume positions later on this year."

In the new process, job seekers will respond to a set of basic qualification and evaluative questions, and those that pass, will take a series of job-related assessment tests and complete an online employment application. Collected data from those job seekers hired is uploaded in an automated process to the client's PeopleSoft HRIS e-application. A key element of the ongoing service that ERC provides is to utilize the performance and tenure data that the client will provide to monitor the process for validity, reliability and disparate impact and use the data to improve the selection process.

Come visit us in Booth 422 at the IHRIM HRMStrategies Conference and Expo in DC, April 10-11, 2006 at the Washington Hilton & Towers.

About ERC Dataplus

ERC delivers client-centric, state-of-the-art Internet and Interactive Voice (IVR) solutions for recruiting and employee surveys, and through ARGOS Assessment Company, multirater assessments. Its applications are modular in design to allow companies to select what they need; when they need it.

Clients benefit from dedicated and experienced project and account management teams to help clients translate their expectations into realities, and have a more efficient and effective process.

Leading financial service companies, call centers, retail, hospitality companies, and Fortune 1000 companies look to ERC for quality, innovation, service, and high Return on Investment.

To learn more about ERC and its portfolio of cost effective staffing solutions visit www.ercdataplus.com or call 1-888-ERC-CORP (372-2677).




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DoubleStar Named Cool Vendor by Leading Analyst Firm

West Chester, PA – April 5, 2006 – DoubleStar, Inc., a leading provider of workforce analytic solutions, today announced its inclusion as a “Cool Vendor” in the Gartner, Inc. “Cool Vendors in Human Capital Management Software, 2006” report published March 16th, 2006. According to the report by James Holincheck, Research Vice President at Gartner, DoubleStar was one of five vendors recognized by the analyst firm as “representing emerging trends in the HCM technology industry.”

Gartner defines “cool vendors” in the HCM space as companies that have taken “familiar HR and workforce problems (such as timekeeping, recruitment, analytics, employee engagement surveys and benefits) and are utilizing new technologies to achieve improved results.”

In the report, Gartner states that “most HR organizations don’t have the quantitative skills to analyze the data or the business skills to help managers and executives use the insight provided by this new type of workforce analytics solutions.”

“Being named a ‘cool vendor’ in the HCM space by Gartner, the leading analyst firm, is a prestigious honor for DoubleStar. We are thrilled that the topic of workforce analytics has been brought to the forefront in this report – an area that many organizations today are looking to focus on but have many questions about how and where to begin,” said Larry Hutchison, CEO of DoubleStar. “Our hope is that this piece of research will be leveraged by HR executives and CXOs to help validate the need for measuring human capital to obtain true workforce intelligence in order to impact overall business performance.”

The industry’s most complete HR business intelligence solution, the DoubleStar Workforce Insight suite enables organizations to consolidate, organize and deliver information about key areas of HR including workforce, staffing, compensation, talent and development and enterprise performance.

About Gartner's Cool Vendors Selection Process
Gartner's listing does not constitute an exhaustive list of vendors in any given technology area, but rather is designed to highlight interesting, new and innovative vendors, products and services. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness of a particular purpose.

Gartner defines a cool vendor as a company that offers technologies or solutions that are: Innovative, enable users to do things they couldn't do before; Impactful, have, or will have, business impact (not just technology for the sake of technology); Intriguing, have caught Gartner's interest or curiosity in approximately the past six months.

About DoubleStar, Inc.
Based in West Chester, Pennsylvania, DoubleStar, Inc. is a leading provider of workforce analytics solutions. A two-time Inc. 500 consulting services firm, DoubleStar specializes in delivering solutions that synthesize information from disparate enterprise information repositories to provide organizations with analytical insight into their company’s business performance. Building on more than a decade of data warehousing and business intelligence consulting success, DoubleStar offers a full range of strategic, implementation, and support services to clients in a variety of industries. The company’s commitment to client satisfaction has been demonstrated in more than 500 consulting engagements resulting in a 94 percent repeat business rate.

For more information visit http://insight.doublestarinc.com

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DoubleStar, Inc. and Workforce Insight are registered trademarks of DoubleStar. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Media Contact:
Megan Gates
Knowledge Infusion, Strategic Vendor Services
925.577.8685


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PEGGY BROGAN WOODS JOINS JWT EMPLOYMENT COMMUNICATIONS

New York, NY – April 5, 2005 – JWT Employment Communications, one of the world’s largest recruitment marketing and employee communications companies, has appointed Peggy Brogan Woods Director of Business Development, with sales and marketing responsibilities in Philadelphia and the surrounding area.

Ms. Woods has over twenty years of experience in advertising, communications and employer branding, with extensive expertise in building client relationships and project management. Much of her experience involves coordinating the efforts of large national accounts in the pharmaceutical, health care, education, government contract and high-tech industries. Most recently Ms. Woods headed her own consultancy, PBW Communications, where she provided marketing communications services.

She has a long-term involvement with the national Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) as well as with the Philadelphia SHRM chapter, the Philadelphia Area Association of Healthcare Recruiters (PAAHCR), New Jersey Healthcare Recruiters (NJHR) and the Employment Management Association (EMA). She has served on the board of the “HR Person of the Year” Award Program for the Delaware Valley. Ms. Woods is also a member of the National Association of Female Executives (NAFE) and has been listed in “Who’s Who Among Executive and Professional Women.”

“Peggy is a valuable addition to our Philadelphia team,” said Tim Gibbon, President and CEO of JWT Employment Communications. “Her client-focused strategic consulting experience has given her an in-depth understanding of recruitment marketing communications issues.”

A graduate of Fairfield University in Connecticut, Ms. Woods holds a degree in English/ Communications as well as a certificate in Secondary Education. She is AIRS-certified in Internet Recruiting, and has received Dale Carnegie training including “Leadership Training for Managers,” “The Leader in You” and “Achieving Customer Delight” programs. She and her family reside in Wallingford, PA.



JWT Employment Communications helps employers attract, recruit and retain staff through comprehensive advertising, marketing and employee communications services, measurement tools, consulting resources and strategic approaches to talent acquisition and management.
The agency has 32 offices across North America and internationally. It is a subsidiary of JWT, an agency of WPP (NASDAQ: WPPGY) that ranks among the oldest and largest full-service global advertising agencies.

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HR.com Announces Call for Articles of Interest

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HR.com Announces Call for Articles of Interest

Key HR areas of interest to follow monthly focus to provide ongoing education and information for HR professionals


April 4, 2006 Aurora, ON. HR.com, the largest research and Web destination for Senior HR Executives, today opened up a call for articles, case studies, and research to be published on the site and featured for a month, in the relevant areas of interest. This material will be highlighted in our weekly newsletters and available to 135,000 registered members of HR.com. Some of this content will also be used in educational webcasts presented during the specific month.

Material for the April topics can be submitted up to and including April 14. Content for the following months should be submitted by the last Wednesday of each preceding month.

Upcoming topics for the next three months are as follows:

1. Performance Management (PM) and Competencies
Analyst – Aileen MacMillan, e-mail protected from spam bots

April – Assessing Your Current PM Processes – Moving Toward Implementing Recommended Best Practices
May – Filling in the Gaps – The How To’s of Using an Online PM System
June – Using Your PM Processes to Support Pay for Performance

2. Measurements and Metrics
Analyst – Claude Balthazard, Ph.D. e-mail protected from spam bots

April – Metrics Literacy: If There was a Curriculum for HR Metrics and Measurement, What Would Be In It?
May – Measuring the Quality of Employment Relationships
June – Measuring Quality of Hire

3. Leadership Development
Analyst – Karen Elmhirst, e-mail protected from spam bots

April – Leaders and e-Learning
May – Strategic Decision Making for Leaders
June – Action Learning

4. Benefits
Analyst – Jeff Chad, e-mail protected from spam bots

April – Developing a Consumer-Driven Healthcare Strategy and Other Cost Containment Methodologies
May – The Future of Defined Benefit Pension Plans
June – Outsourcing Benefits and Pension Administration

5. Staffing
Analyst – Michael Moretti, e-mail protected from spam bots

April – Recruitment Metrics: How to Supply a Dashboard to Your Line Managers and Recruitment Managers that is Meaningful. What Business Metrics Should You Deliver?
May – How to Maximize the Effectiveness of Your Talent Acquisition Process Utilizing Technology
June – Trends in Recruitment Technology

6. Workforce Acquisition
Analyst – Mark McAuliffe, e-mail protected from spam bots

April – Employee Referral Program Design, Development and Implementation
May – Top 10 Tips for Effective Recruitment Advertising
June – Vendor Management Systems – The Latest Features, Advantages and Benefits

7. Compensation

April – Market Pay vs. Fair Pay
May – Compensation and the Many Wars for Talent
June – Fractures in Pay Grade Structures

8. eLearning

April – Developing Career Plans and Competency-based Learning Within LMS Systems
May – Using Online Webcasting For Your Learning and Development
June – How Do You Manage, Govern, and Operate Your Training Function for Success?

"We are inviting subject matter experts and authors to share their best practices with our audience," says Debbie McGrath, HR.com's CEO. "By providing our audience with more in-depth information in featured areas, we can reach out to various members within HR departments and provide them with more comprehensive data on particular subjects of relevance to them."

To submit content for consideration that falls outside of these categories, you can email it directly to e-mail protected from spam bots or to the attention of the individual analyst. Please indicate in the subject line the month and topic you are addressing.



About HR.com Limited

HR.com is in business to help build great companies by connecting them with the knowledge and resources they need to effectively manage the people side of business. As a global authority, we deliver HR Best Practices to help organizations build great companies through community, collaboration, research, shared best practices, and measurements.


Contact:
Lynn Lievonen, Editor, HR.com
e-mail protected from spam bots
1-877-472-6648, ext. 126













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Getting Ready To Do an Employee Survey? Expert Offers Tips

OLD SAYBROOK, CT, APRIL 5, 2006 – Employee surveys continue to grow in popularity as a way of diagnosing organizational ills and opportunities. Employers can increase their chances for a productive survey by following four guidelines, according to Dr. Paul M. Connolly, an industrial psychologist with more than 20 years of organizational assessments experience.

Connolly recommends the following tips:

1. Be realistic about what an employee survey can and can’t do for you. “Many employers start a survey process hoping to increase employee morale or commitment,” says Connolly. “But employee surveys can’t really do that. They excel at identifying barriers to high level performance in a systematic way. They’re great for illustrating the relative depth and consequences of these barriers. But by themselves, they only raise employees’ expectations.” If you can’t share the outcome or take action on the results, says Connolly, don’t do a survey.

2. Create an atmosphere in which people feel safe giving honest answers. Connolly says this is accomplished in several ways. “Let them know whether their answers will be anonymous or confidential. There is a difference,” says Connolly. “Respondent anonymity means that no one in your organization will be identified with his or her responses. Confidentiality means that their identity may be known, for instance, to the survey analysts, but that identities will be revealed only to that small group and no one else.” Respondents must feel confident that no one will be punished for bad survey results when they are first revealed. “Remember that one purpose of the survey is to clarify the gap between management’s perceptions and employees’ perceptions,” he notes. “Save the sanctions for later, if the suggested and expected improvements are not made within a reasonable time.”

3. Be aware of broader patterns that affect all workplaces. Employers can over- or underestimate the importance of a survey result unless they have comparative norms. Connolly offers the example of communications. “Over twenty years we’ve found that it is normal for all employers to score low on questions about communications,” he says. “Likewise, training, compensation and benefits rarely get the highest marks on employee surveys.” Take low communications scores seriously, he says, but be aware that your organization is struggling with an ever-present challenge. Connolly recommends the development of internal norms over a period of years through repetition of the same questionnaire. Alternatively, organizations can seek outside norms from survey vendors.

4. Be realistic about the difficulty of creating your own questionnaire. “Be prepared to put in the time with pretesting,” says Connolly, “or look for a predesigned set of questions.” Though employee survey questions may look simple, survey construction is complex. “The average employee has to be able to understand the intent of the question – and find it credible,” says Connolly. “Above all, the overall tone of the questionnaire must communicate insight, respect, and understanding.”

Paul Connolly is coauthor of a two-volume how-to survey guide, recently released in its updated 2006 edition. The “Employee Survey Question Guidebook” and its companion volume, “Employee Surveys: Practical and Proven Methods, Samples, Examples” have been published by Connolly’s firm, Performance Programs, Inc. Used together, these books provide everything an organization needs to create, administer, and interpret an employee survey. For the first time, both volumes are now available as e-books as well as hard copy format.

“These books are a unique resource in the human resources field, as far as we know,” says Connolly, who is president of Performance Programs, Inc. in Old Saybrook, CT. “We know of no other resource where employers can obtain such a robust set of field-tested employee questionnaire items, along with complete instructions for their selection and use.” The Guidebook offers 700 field-tested questionnaire items. He adds that norms are available for 85 of the items, including industry norms for 11 industries.

Paul Connolly is also coauthor of “Employee Opinion Questionnaires: 20 Ready-to-Use Surveys that Work.”

The “Employee Survey Question Guidebook” is organized into eighteen dimensions that reflect key aspects of organizational effectiveness. Dimensions include organization culture and climate, organization structure, co-workers and teams, commitment, performance management, and more. The eighteen dimensions have 82 themes. For instance, themes such as ethical conduct, workplace diversity, fairness, innovation and creativity, and many more, are located within organization culture and climate. The Guidebook also features an easy-to-use index to symptoms of organizational dysfunction and references appropriate diagnostic questions.

“Employee Surveys: Practical and Proven Methods, Samples, Examples,” the companion volume, is a how-to resource that aims to increase the survey project manager’s effectiveness and sense of confidence. From initial concept to final reports, the book includes myriad real-world situations that employers may not expect or know how to handle. Topics include planning, forming a survey project team, identifying respondents, designing reports, use of norms, questionnaire creation, data gathering and processing, awareness campaigns, administration, feedback, and action plans. At each step, the human side of survey work is addressed.

Book Descriptions

Prices and availability for both the books and e-books can be found online at the following links:
Employee Surveys: Practical and Proven Methods, Samples, Examples, and Employee Survey Question Guidebook.

Reviews of the first employee survey books are available online.

For predesigned questionnaires, visit Employee Opinion Questionnaires: 20 Ready-to-Use Surveys that Work.


About the Authors:
Paul M. Connolly, Ph.D., has provided organizational measurement services since 1981, including employee surveys, 360 feedback, personality assessment, expatriate assessment, customer surveys, and work-life balance assessments. Connolly is the founder of Performance Programs, an organizational measurement firm in Old Saybrook, CT. He has worked with organizations of all types, sizes, and locations, using multiple survey delivery and reporting methods. He has a B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Fordham University. This is his seventh book in the human resources field.

Coauthor Kathleen Groll Connolly is a writer who has authored many articles for print and the Web, and has coauthored four books on human resources topics. She has held various marketing, management and research positions in both small and large businesses. She has a B.A. in writing from Pennsylvania State University and an MBA from New York University.

Performance Programs, Inc.is an organizational assessment firm in Old Saybrook, CT. The firm specializes in employee surveys for morale, satisfaction, engagement, and commitment, 360 feedback surveys, job personality testing with Hogan Personality Inventory, expatriate assessment, and work-life balance evaluations. Founded in 1986, Performance Programs has served thousands of organizations of all types, sizes, and locations worldwide. They can be reached at 1! -800-565-4223.

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Zywave� Reaches Milestone - Over 500 Agency Partners Using Innovative Insurance Technology

Milwaukee, WI, April 4, 2006. It began with a technology solution developed within a Midwestern insurance agency to compete in an aggressive market back in the early 1990’s. Today, Zywave is a nationally recognized insurance technology company that recently surpassed over 500 partners, marking a milestone in the company’s 10th year.

Zywave’s success has never been gauged by the number of partners achieved within a certain time frame, company officials point out, but through steady and consistent growth that is measured by partners who are successfully utilizing their product to gain and retain business.

“There are many technology companies popping-up in the insurance space that promise quick solutions and turn-key systems,” explained Bill Haack, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Zywave. “Zywave is an industry leader because we tailor our product to fit the specific needs of the broker and continue to support this through training and implementation. With Zywave, you get the complete package.”

“A Zywave partner will never a get a system they are ‘boxed-into’ because of how the technology was developed or because of restrictions on implementation time,” said Dave O’Brien, Executive Vice President of Zywave. “We work with our partners to understand their agency needs and priorities, and to develop a customized plan for implementation. This approach has resulted in our growing base of 500-plus satisfied partners.”

Zywave continues to build technology that meets the needs of the broker based on trends and feedback received from its partners. Extending beyond the broker partnership base to clients and employees, Zywave offers solutions that help brokers educate and communicate to employers and employees through technology applications like MyWave® Portal and HRconnection®.

“The future holds many more milestones for us, but we’re happy to count each success story one partner at a time,” said Haack.

For more information on insurance technology by Zywave contact Dave O’Brien at 414-259-8818 or visit www.zywave.com.

About Zywave
Zywave is the leading provider of a line of Web-based employee benefits and property and casualty communication, administration, and claims data analysis systems designed to help insurance brokers gain profitable market share. Servicing over 500 partners and over half of the Top 100 Insurance agencies, Zywave applications help brokers secure and retain business by differentiating them from their competitors, and allow them to compete on a high-capabilities basis. Additional information about Zywave may be found at www.zywave.com.












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HCM Thought Leader and Strategist DJ Chhabra Joins Executive Management Team of Enwisen

NOVATO, CA (April 3, 2006) — Enwisen announced today that DJ Chhabra has joined the executive management team as Senior Vice President of Product Strategy and Business Development. Prior to joining Enwisen, Chhabra was Vice President of the Global HCM Strategy function for the combined organizations of Oracle and PeopleSoft and was responsible for the product roadmap and strategies for the family of HCM applications. Chhabra has been active in the HCM industry for more than 20 years and has held a number of positions related to HCM for both client organizations and software vendors.

In this position, Chhabra will focus on driving the product roadmap for the Enwisen applications to ensure the product line continues to meet the demands of the current customer base while setting the stage for future innovations in the workforce communications arena. Additionally, Chhabra will also focus on continuing the growth and development of the strategic channel relationships for the Enwisen product line.

“Enwisen has successfully positioned itself as the leader in the workforce communications / decision support business. With the robust features of the currently available product line, the next generation of communication and consumerism capabilities and the company’s dedication to customer service, Enwisen has built the foundational blocks to truly separate itself from the pack” said Chhabra. “I’m very excited to join Enwisen and to contribute to meeting the demands of the customer base, the marketplace and the overall objectives of the company.”

Wally Smith, Enwisen’s President and CEO, commented, “The addition to our executive management team of DJ Chhabra – one of the HCM industry’s most recognized thought leaders and strategists – is further validation of Enwisen’s growing leadership in the HR / workforce communications market. As more and more companies choose Enwisen’s feature-rich, yet cost-effective solutions, the more demand we have to forge partnerships with complementary leading vendors. DJ will be invaluable in cementing these relationships and in maintaining our product line’s ever-widening competitive edge.”

Prior to Enwisen, Chhabra held the Vice President of Global HCM Strategy for Oracle/Peoplesoft and VP of HCM development for Oracle prior to the acquisition. Prior to Oracle, Chhabra held management positions in HCM systems for Cisco, Synoptics and Seagate technology. In these roles, Chhabra was responsible for driving the systems roadmap, core and strategic applications, for the internal clients in each of these organizations.

About Enwisen

Enwisen is the leading provider of on-demand workforce communications – with content and decision support solutions for the entire “hire-to-retire” workforce life cycle. Enwisen was the first vendor to deliver HR communications tools in a “Software-as-a-Service” model – making these strategic solutions affordable for companies of all sizes and across all industries, with customers that include Yahoo!, Jergens/KAO Brands, W.L. Gore, MemorialCare Medical Centers, HarperCollins, White & Case, Altera and Hitachi Data Systems. For more information, visit Enwisen on the web at www.enwisen.com.



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

Fieldglass Taps Rick Onyshko to Lead Professional Services

Chicago (April 3, 2006) – Fieldglass, Inc., a leading provider of contingent workforce management software, announced today the hire of Rick Onyshko as Executive Vice President of Professional Services. Mr. Onyshko is a seasoned software services executive with more than a decade of industry experience including stints at Ariba and PeopleSoft. His appointment is aimed at assisting Fieldglass customers and staffing partners drive even greater benefits from their use of InSite, the company’s flagship solution.

Prior to joining Fieldglass, Mr. Onyshko served in senior positions at iManage, Ariba, PeopleSoft and St. Gobain. As a leader for Global Solutions Delivery at Ariba, Mr. Onyshko built and led professional services at both an Americas and regional level. During his tenure there, his team completed the largest-ever deployment of the Ariba Buyer solution. At PeopleSoft, Mr. Onyshko built the professional services team for the Manufacturing Business Unit in the Midwest. That team completed the first deployment of the PeopleSoft manufacturing suite.

Mr. Onyshko plans to leverage InSite’s Software as a Service (SaaS) architecture to maximize the value of customer and partner deployments. “Fieldglass has provided a pure SaaS product since 1999,” says Mr. Onyshko. “Not only does this position us in front of the competition in terms of the efficacy of our technology, it means that the Fieldglass development team invests a significant amount of time building more compelling features and functionality rather than mired in implementation and customization challenges.”

Mr. Onyshko credits a strong professional services team with his decision to join Fieldglass. “This is a proven professional services group that is passionate about how companies get work done,” says Mr. Onyshko. “Their collective intellectual capital around contingent workforce management, combined with the proprietary tools and services they have developed over the years, is impressive. I look forward to extending the full value of this team to our customers and partners.”

Company executives expect Mr. Onyshko to have an immediate and significant impact on customer success. “We interviewed numerous candidates for this position,” says Jai Shekhawat, CEO and Co-Founder of Fieldglass. “We were not willing to settle for anything less than a big-leaguer with a proven track record for generating customer value. I am confident that Rick will help our customers and staffing partners leverage InSite to its full potential.”

About Fieldglass
For companies with large contingent workforces and the staffing firms that support them, Fieldglass provides an on-demand Contingent Workforce Management solution that improves the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire contingent labor supply chain. Unlike other solutions, Fieldglass enables profitable collaboration between companies and staffing firms to drive mutual value. Fieldglass is on the web at www.fieldglass.com.



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