1. Outsourcing and contract work will gain momentum.  Before companies make commitments to hiring more staff, they’ll use external resources for projects. This means management teams need to understand the principles of vendor and project management.  And, they need to be prepared to hold an external consultant accountable for results.
2. Professional development is going to look different.  We need conferences to stimulate business travel as part of our economic recovery.  But what events will people attend?  I believe it will be the ones that figure out how to balance the traditional conference structure with the topic timeliness of unconferences.
3. Corporate training will change in the upcoming year as well.  Participants will want to talk about their issues on their time.  This means training agendas will need to include some free flowing discussion time.  And, trainers will need to not only have good platform skills but be savvy in the art of facilitation as well. (more…)

For employers hit hard by the recession, year-end bonuses, incentive pay and expensive holiday parties are probably out of the question. But more and more companies are finding creative, fun and cost-effective ways to reward employees and keep morale high.

Flexible scheduling, in-house pizza and ice cream parties and community volunteerism are just a few of the ways employers are recognizing contributions and maintaining positive, engaged employees.

Read the full article here.

Source: Jacksonville Business Journal

No, according to a survey conducted by Randstad, an employment services company.  Fifty one percent indicated they weren’t interested in becoming managers, with potential stress being the primary reason.

Older workers (64 and over) were the least interested while younger ones (18-29) were the most, with 58% percent wanting to take it on.

Those wanting to be managers cited the ability to share knowledge, to influence decisions, and being responsible for organizational success as the reasons to pursue a managerial career.

Employers that reimburse employees for business use of a personal automobile should be aware that the IRS mileage rate will drop from 55 cents/mile to 50 cents/mile on January 1, 2010.  The mileage rate for 2010 reflects lower transportation costs compared to a year ago.  The standard mileage rate for business is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile.

It’s important to note that if employers continue reimbursing employees at 2009’s 55 cents/mile, they will have to warn employees that they’re receiving five cents/mile in taxable income – this could mean they could end up owing more in taxes on April 15th the following year.

Whatever your company decides, it’s important to inform employees about the new rate and the company policy for mileage reimbursement.

Source: www.IRS.gov