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Employee retention has to be top of mind for every business. One of the best ways to improve in this critical area begins with a focused approach to the new-hire experience. Remember, the possibility that this ideal candidate may defect and work for a competitor not only should be a genuine concern but also an incentive to make onboarding a priority. Your onboarding process must welcome, educate, connect, and assimilate new employees. It should position newbies on the team and situate them within the organizational structure and the company culture. It must provide each hire with the necessary tools and…

According to Paul Pastelok, the Northern Plains are in for a real treat this winter. “Arctic cold blasts are expected to plunge Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa and most of Missouri into the deep freeze on a regular basis, but the drier, colder air will carry less moisture, so huge, frequent snowfalls shouldn’t be a problem.” Less snow maybe, but all that cold will keep folks inside which is a significant factor in the spread of germs. You see it isn’t the cold weather that causes the common cold, but rather what we do when it gets cold out. “When…

The textbook definition: The technique by which new hires are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and behaviors to perform effectively within the organizational structure. MPS Technical definition: The process that gives newbies all they need to know to both hit the ground running and achieve long-term success. Those first weeks and months at a new job are critical. That’s why a plan for onboarding is so crucial. It just makes sense. The sooner a new hire knows his/her way around and feels comfortable in the workplace surroundings and establishes a solid grasp of the job responsibilities, the better he/she will…

If determining where to start when creating a knock-out incident response plan (IR) has you scratching your head, consider a generic incident handling procedure template from the Computer Security Incident Response Team. This baseline document will need to be tailored, of course, to meet your organization’s specific needs, but it can indeed serve as a springboard to get the IR team’s creative juices flowing. Consider these components of an effective plan: 1. Start with something easy—an emergency contact/communications list. Note the info for those who “need to know” ASAP in the case of a possible security loss or breach.• Incident…

There’s no question whether or not your company needs an effective cybersecurity incident response(IR) plan. You need one. Every business needs one. Not convinced? Check out this sobering statistic from the Ponemon Institute: “90% of organizations that go offline due to a cyber-attack shutter their windows in the following two years.” Need more evidence? Remember the recent WannaCry ransomware attack and the Google Docs phishing scam? Exactly. Christie Terrill reminds us, “Having a tested incident response plan in your back pocket can make the difference between a swift recovery or a high-stress situation where every minute the incident remains unresolved results in more…

Name a business who doesn’t give a flying leap about ethical practices and a crystal ball will not be necessary to predict if that particular company will be around in a couple of years. There’s no disputing that ethics matter to the consumer. A reputation as an ethical business, in this age of the internet -savvy, reviews-driven, take-my-complaints-to-social-media consumer, has to be a priority. It’s an absolute must for newbie as well as veteran businesses. No one gets a pass. The importance a company places on ethics will be apparent to all by the set of standards a company practices…