Roundup: This Week's Top HR Stories From Around The Web

HR News Roundup: This week fantasy football is back with the opening of the NFL season, will it cost you productivity? Also, which HR function has the biggest impact, how corporate philanthropy can drive employee engagement, the status of the I-9 form and more.... this week's top human resources news stories from around the web.

August jobs report disappoints
(MoneyWatch) The U.S. economy added only 96,000 in jobs in August and the unemployment rate edged lower to 8.1 percent from 8.3 percent. The report was disappointing for two reasons: Job creation was lower than expected and the unemployment rate dropped only because eligible workers left the labor force.

Will Fantasy Football sack workplace productivity?
Are you ready for Fantasy Football? Collectively speaking, Fantasy Football could be a logistical blip for your employer. Nationally, the employment research firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas (of Chicago Bears territory), estimates that Americans will cost their employers $6.5 billion in lost workplace productivity through the 15-week Fantasy Football season.

Texas hospital's hiring rule on obesity prompts legal questions (Video)
KUSA - A Texas company recently made headlines when it announced it would not hire overweight workers. Do employees have protections from weight discrimination? We looked at this issue with Denver labor law attorney Kim Ryan on 9NEWS 6AM.

News Flash: Recruiting Has the Highest Business Impact of any HR Function
Within most corporate HR functions, the atmosphere is simply too politically charged to even consider raising this powerful question:“Which HR function ranks No. 1 with the highest impact on two critical business success measures — revenue growth and profit margins?” Well, the data is in, and we now definitively know that the answer is … recruiting is the most impactful HR function!

Employee Engagement: How to Keep Employee CAVE Dwellers Away
Amidst continued economic uncertainty, it’s ever more important to recruit and retain employees who will show long-term loyalty to your company. Staff turnover is a costly exercise, and it’s particularly damaging when you lose top talent.  That’s why human resources professionals are always searching for the right ingredients for employee engagement programs.  But shhh….here’s a tip on the secret sauce: corporate philanthropy.

Employers save big on wellness programs
Employers betting on wellness programs seem to be making the right call. They’re seeing $1 to $3 decreases in their overall health care costs for every dollar spent, finds a report from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.

My Year Without a Computer
Could you succeed in every aspect of your job using just a smartphone or tablet? No laptop. No desktop. No landline. Sometimes, not even a desk. Could you succeed at every aspect of your job using just a smartphone or a tablet? That’s what Benjamin Robbins set out to do this year when he decided to use just one device--in his case, a Samsung Galaxy Note "phablet"--for an entire year.

I-9 Form Expired as of August 31st, 2012
Just a quick heads up for readers, the I-9 form that you have been using for your new employees expired on August 31, 2012. To my knowledge, no new form has been finalized, so according to SHRM, employers should continue to use the current Form I-9, available from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

HR Department Survey Results—How Does Your Department Compare?
HR responsibilities, HR staffing ratios, HR’s strategic role, HR outsourcing, HR reporting relationships and more, it’s all here in the results of our “Your HR Department” survey. How do you match up? See detailed findings below.

8 Rules for Internal Hiring
Want to know the truth about the hiring process? Most companies hire from within. While not at all surprising, this tidbit of information is not only valuable to the millions of job seekers, but to recruiters and hiring managers as well. According to Career XRoads' annual Sources of Hire survey, out of the 200 companies and firms polled in 2011, internal movement and promotion accounted for 41 percent of their hiring. Again, ...


Looking for more? Check out last week's Roundup: This Week's Top HR Stories From Around The Web, or follow @cmsbrian on Twitter for regular  updates.

Roundup: This Week's Top HR Stories From Around The Web

What we've  been reading this week, Recruiting Lessons From the Olympics and why men get bigger pay hikes than women:

Survey: Employees don't support linking wellness, benefits

Employment Costs in the U.S. Increased 0.5% in Second Quarter

Like Smart Casual Attire for Work?

U.S. Government Offering Grants for Disability Programs

Can you take back relocation money if the employee doesn’t spend it all?

12 Steps to Crack Down on FMLA Abuse

Perk that’ll make your company more attractive to 72% of workers

9 HR mistakes likely to get you sued

The Catch-22 of Criminal-Background-Check Guidance

Working from Home or Hardly Working?

Employment Gains for August 2012 Won't Affect Current U.S. Jobless Rate 

Recruiting for Sage HRMS

iRecruit for Sage HRMS is a hosted SaaS (Software as a Service),  cloud-based recruiting software designed to provide any size of business a cost effective, affordable and simple way to manage the recruiting process online.

    

Benefits of iRecruit - Recruiting and Applicant Tracking Software

• Integrates with your website for a seamless look and feel
• Flexible and customizable job applications
• Automatic feed to Indeed.com and SimplyHired.com to attract candidates
• Quickly find the most qualified candidates for the job
• Comprehensive pre-formatted reports
• Social Media Integration (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn)
• Compliance
• Save money on new hires with iRecruit's Work Opportunity Tax Credit Program integration.
• iRecruit provides the best integration to Sage HRMS available for onboarding new hires (100+ fields can transfer)
• Easy to learn, easy to use, and get started quickly

To learn more about iRecruit for Sage HRMS please join us for a web-demo on Tuesdays or Thursdays at 2pm, call us at 1-800-517-9099 or visit our website www.irecruitforsagehrms.com.

What's New with iRecruit?

iRecruit is a cloud-based recruiting and applicant tracking software application, developed by CMS, that allows you to track and report on all of your job applicants and positions.

In May we announced to both our customers and partners that iRecruit has expanded to include 20 new HR fields as part of the onboarding to Sage HRMS hiring process. The new fields include your custom user defined fields for HR and Payroll.

The new super-charged integration is synchronized both-ways, so iRecruit will take information directly from Sage HRMS for the new employee, and integrates 100+ fields for new hires into Sage for a paperless onboarding process.

iRecruit continues to provide the BEST integration to Sage HRMS, (formerly Sage Abra HRMS), available on the market today.

iRecruit also announced this week that we have partnered with both SimplyHired.com and Indeed.com, two of the largest, and most popular job search engines in the United States. This partnership allows iRecruit  customers to automatically share their job listings on these websites and increase visibility to potential candidates with the click of a button.


Find out more about iRecruit and take a quick screenshot tour on our website at http://www.irecruit-software.com/ or join a demo on Tuesdays or Thursdays at 2pm. Call iRecruit at 1-800-517-9099 if you have any questions.

Lunch & Learn Sage HRMS & iRecruit

We invite you to our “Lunch & Learn Webinar” on CMS iRecruit and Sage HRMS

Date and Time:  12:30 pm, Tuesday, May 1, 2012

You will learn how you can meet the growing challenges of HR/Payroll/Recruiting management and spend more time and efforts on more important strategic issues of HR/Payroll/Recruiting Department.

Please register at http://www.cmshris.com/lunch_and_learn.html as your earliest convenience since seats are limited. We will send you the instructions how to join the “Lunch and Learn Webinar” upon receiving your completed Registration Form.

If you prefer to have on-site seminar or one-on-one webinar on Sage HRMS and/or CMS iRecruit at no cost to you, please let us know your convenient date and time for the webinar using the form, or by calling us at 1-800-517-9099.

CMS Announces new iRecruit to support Enterprise Marketplace

Farmington, CT—July 14, 2011- Cost Management Services (www.cmshris.com), provider of employer based solutions, announced today that it has expanded the iRecruit product to support the Enterprise market space.

iRecruit is a cloud-based applicant tracking and recruiting software that boasts extremely robust integration with Sage Abra HRMS. As a cloud-based solution, iRecruit requires minimal IT support, does not require any server installation, which lets our customers get up and running very quickly.

“Expanding iRecruit to support the enterprise space,” said Brian Kelly, President of CMS, “Will enable us to work with larger companies who have more requirements when it comes to applicant tracking and recruiting.”

Some of the features of the new release, due on August 1, 2011 includes: Custom Career Center providing applicants with login credentials and two way communications with Recruiters and Hiring Managers, Pre-Screening Questions (OFCCP), Job Postings in XML format to feed Job Boards and iRecruit’s customized workflow making iRecruit powerful and easy to use.

For details about iRecruit, or to schedule a webinar presentation, please call Brian directly at 860-678-4401 or visit: www.irecruit-software.com



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About Cost Management Services
Cost Management Services (CMS – www.cmshris.com) has been providing employer based solutions, including web‐based recruiting solution – iRecruit (www.irecruit-software.com), Employment Tax Credit Services (www.cmswotc.com); and the Sage Abra HRMS human resource and payroll solutions. With over 25 years of experience our focus on quality professional services allows us to achieve our goal of complete client satisfaction. CMS utilizes proven technology, implementation methodologies, expertise, and one‐on‐one training to automate, streamline and integrate the complete workforce management process.

CMS Announces New iRecruit for Canadian Marketplace

Farmington, CT—July 12, 2011- Cost Management Services (www.cmshris.com), provider of employer based solutions, announced today that it has expanded the iRecruit product to support the Canadian marketplace.

iRecruit is a cloud-based applicant tracking and recruiting software that boasts extremely robust integration with both Sage Abra HRMS & Accpac HRMS. As a cloud-based solution, iRecruit requires minimal IT support, and does not involve any server installation, which lets our customers get up and running very quickly.

“Expanding iRecruit to support Canadian customers,” said Brian Kelly, President of CMS, “Will enable us to work with Sage Accpac and Accpac HRMS business partners to sell iRecruit in that marketplace.”

“It’s perfect, iRecruit web based solution leverages the Sage on-premise solutions”

Canadian iRecruit for Sage Accpac HRMS customers will enjoy the same robust integration that U.S. clients enjoy, allowing them to onboard new hires directly from iRecruit into their HR system, potentially saving time and money.

For details about iRecruit, please call Brian directly at 860-678-4401 or visit: www.irecruit-software.com


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iRecruit Navigation Preview Session

Earlier today we had our iRecruit Navigation Preview. We gave Sage Abra business partners and iRecruit customers an indepth overview of the new options for iRecruit navigation. The preview included an overview of the Sage Abra ESS look and the new iRecruit look.

Click here to see the above presentation in WebEx (larger format).

For more information about iRecruit please call us at 1-800-517-9099 or visit our website at www.irecruit-software.com.

Stop using PDFs, Improve Online Recruiting with iRecruit

Are you still using cumbersome PDFs to list your job descriptions and requirements or job applications? Do you ask your applicants to print these out, complete them then fax or mail them to your office? Do you still receive applications in several different ways - mail, fax, email, walk ins?

Learn how to improve your applicant's experience and streamline your recruiting and applicant tracking processes with iRecruit.

iRecruit makes it easy as 1-2-3 for interested applicants to apply for a position with your company. They can simply peruse your open positions, choose one and apply through your customized online application.

Benefits of iRecruit - Applicant Tracking Software

• Hosted Solution - no local desktop or server installation
• Search and Query - keyword search, weighted searches by skill, experience, etc.
• Easy Implementation - no time wasted or lost, up and running quickly
• Paperless - get rid of the piles and piles of resumes
• Flexible and Customizable - you design your custom forms
• Reporting - EEO administration, cost per requisition analysis and more...
• Applicant Communication - easily manage communication, don't leave applicants hanging, let them know when the position has been filled
  

Find out more...

We have weekly webinars scheduled on Wednesdays at 1pm.

Click here to register or contact us at 1-800-517-9099 to schedule a webinar at your convenience.

Introduction to iRecruit - New Dates Announced

Discover iRecruit's online applicant tracking and management capabilities. Attending an iRecruit Showcase is an excellent opportunity to see how iRecruit can benefit your organization, have your questions answered, and discuss how iRecruit can work for you.

New dates for the iRecruit Webinars:
Wednesday February 18 2009 at 11am (register)
Wednesday February 25 2009 at 11am (register)
Wednesday March 4 2009 at 11am (register)
Wednesday March 11 2009 at 11am (register)
Wednesday March 18 2009 at 11am (register)
Wednesday March 25 2009 at 11am (register)

Some of the highlights of iRecruit V8.2 include:

• Choice: Integration to Abra HR or Abra Recruiting, or Stand Alone.
• Enhanced Dashboard Views.
• Make any question required.
• The applicant can tell you how many years experience they have, and add a note about their skills.
• The applicant can attach a resume and cover letter.
• Now, Custom Application forms by Job Posting (i.e. Requisition).
• The updated Requisitions and new Forms sections helps you manage the set up and approval of open positions. Set up and Assign Custom Application Forms. And also track cost per requisition.
• Create Requisition and Applicant Reports.
• Search for applicants online. Change the applicant status online. Make notes about your applicants.
• New sophisticated keyword search allows you to query & find applicants fast and easy.
• Forward applicants to hiring managers.
• Set up accounts for different iRecruit users.
  

This is a must see Webcast for anyone interested in applicant tracking online.

To register for a webinar please click here or call Linzi at 1-800-517-9099.

CMS Attends Bullhorn Live 2009

CMS will be attending Bullhorn Live 2009. The annual Bullhorn User Conference takes place from February 1-5, 2009 at The Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Bullhorn Live 2009 will feature six tracks and over thirty sessions designed to increase the productivity and bottom line of staffing and recruiting professionals at every level within any size organization. With many sessions in the All About Bullhorn and Customer Best Practices Tracks, and brand new tracks such as the Executive, Trainer and Sourcing Tracks, attendees at Bullhorn Live will gain valuable knowledge that will result in increased productivity and increased revenue for their firms.

More information and details on registering for the conference are available online at www.bullhornlive.com

Introducing the All-New iRecruit

CMS' iRecruit developers, Will and Dave, have been very busy working on some great new upgrades to the iRecruit online application and administration area that make the application more flexible and user-friendly. We will be rolling out these beneficial changes over the next few weeks.

Some of the changes include:

• Required Questions
• Update to the Skills Questions
• Third level of education added
• Online Applicant Search and Forwarding
• Application Form Questions Update
• Ability to add different levels of Admin Users
  

I'd like to invite you to preview these updates with a Webcast on Tuesday, January 15th or Thursday, January 17th at 1:30 pm Eastern Time/10:30 am Pacific Time. To receive an invite, please click here to email or call Linzi at 860-678-4401. Please feel free to share this email with anyone who should be attending.

If neither of these times work well for you, please let me know and I will be happy to review the changes with you at a more convenient time.

Upcoming Sage Abra eRecruiter Webcasts

Sage Abra eRecruiter is the only solution designed specifically to meet the needs of busy HR departments and recruiting specialists. It's easy to use, has low technical requirements, and has the flexibility to meet the needs of each company.

Attend one of our upcoming webinars to see how Abra eRecruiter can increase the efficiency and productivity of your HR department. In this webcast, you'll see how Abra eRecruiter:

• Automates and simplifies the workflows required to create and approve job requisitions and to screen, interview and hire new employees.
• Allows you to optimize your recruiting strategy by identifying the most cost-effective sources of hiring.
• Broadens your potential applicant pool with an online company career center and posting to Internet job boards.
• Reduces recruiting expenses by allowing applicants to complete online applications, thus creating a searchable database of applicants that can easily be matched to new job openings.
  

Click here for more information on Abra eRecruiter (PDF)

Upcoming Webinar Dates:
August 14, 2007, 2 pm - 3 pm ET
September 19, 2007, 2 pm - 3 pm ET
Click here to register.

If you have any questions or trouble registering for the webcast, please call us at 860-678-4401.

Sage Abra eRecruiter Webcast

Join us to learn how Abra eRecruiter can increase the efficiency and productivity of your HR department. In this webcast, you'll see how Abra eRecruiter:

• automates and simplifies the work flows required to create and approve job requisitions and to screen, interview and hire new employees.
• allows you to optimize your recruiting strategy by identifying the most cost-effective sources of hiring.
• broadens your potential applicant pool with an online company career center and posting to Internet job boards.
• reduces recruiting expenses by allowing applicants to complete online applications, thus creating a searchable database of applicants that can easily be matched to new job openings.
  

Upcoming webcast dates (all times eastern):
July 18, 2007, 2 pm - 3 pm
August 14, 2007, 2 pm - 3 pm
September 19, 2007, 2 pm - 3 pm
Click here to register.

For more CMS Abra webinars please click here:
http://www.cmshris.com/abrawebinars.html

CMS is a Sage Software Select certified Business Partner, providing Sage Abra HRMS software solutions to the North East. CMS has been providing Sage Abra HRMS (Human Resource Management Systems), Recruiting, Payroll, Benefits Enrollment, Training, Time and Attendance, Employee Self Service, solutions since 1997. Call CMS Today For a Free Assessment of Your HR & Payroll Software Needs at 1-800-517-9099.

Rev Up Recruiting with iRecruit

iRecruit is designed to give small to medium sized businesses a cost-effective, affordable, simple way to handle the recruiting process online. Potential employees can apply online.

The Simple Solution
iRecruit gives your company an easy-to-manage career center and administrative control. Simply link iRecruit to your website, with one URL connection, and you're ready to start!

The iRecruit Career Center
iRecruit provides your company with it's own hosted solution. The career center allows applicants to select the position they are interested in, and apply online. Simply link iRecruit to your website, with one URL connection, and you're ready to start!

The iRecruit Application Form
iRecruit provides your company with it's own completely customizable application form. Easily set up requisitions. Add up to 40 custom questions. Make any question required. Allow applicant to attach a resume.

The iRecruit Site Administration Center
Easily set up and administer your site. Set up new requisitions, customize your application form, track your applicants, and reporting options here.

iRecruit Demonstrations
Demonstrations are by request. To schedule an iRecruit demonstration please call us at 860-678-4401, by email at info@irecruit-us.com or use our contact form.