Few Companies Teach Employees Effective E-Mail Tips A recent survey reveals that although e-mail can potentially be hazardous to our work-related health and has the potential to bury essential material, few companies dedicate resources to teach employees how to use it to communicate effectively and avoid information overload. Read this article 10 Things You Absolutely Should Not Place in an E-mail

Technology News & Features SHRM IN THE NEWS Meisinger Urges Congress to Replace E-Verify System Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) President and CEO Susan R. Meisinger, SPHR, urged Congress to replace the current federal system for verifying employment eligibility with a system already in place in the states that tracks parents who are delinquent in child support payments. RECRUITMENT AND STAFFING SYSTEMS Protecting Employee Data Globally Knowing the rules can help employers safeguard employee privacy and still keep data flowing. As U.S. companies set up subsidiaries abroad and hire local talent, they want to transfer common employee data to a central database so they can recruit and manage talent globally. These organizations also might adopt efficiency measures such as single worldwide HR software platforms or shared services centers. Managing Corporate Policies Online As employers—from academic institutions to global conglomerates—seek to disseminate policy information effectively to a spectrum of employees, many have sought automated solutions to push policies online. The practice of managing policies on the Internet and intranets is gaining favor, experts said. Web Use, Economy Fuel Rise in EEOC Bias Complaints The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) attributes the rise in bias complaints to new outreach efforts, including and a new online charge assessment form. ‘Electronic Visa Application’ Gets Signature Feature A U.S. State Department rule refining its electronic visa application program to include an electronic signature feature became effective April 29, 2008, the day it was posted on the Federal Register. Web Site Analytics Help Consultants Gauge Performance Most HR consultants have web sites, but few take advantage of readily available—and often free—web analytic tools that can track how well a web site is working for the consultancy. MORE ARTICLES Gender ID Questions Answered in Updated Resource The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, a civil rights organization representing gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) individuals, has a new online resource designed to help employers plan for and address the specific issues likely to arise when employing individuals at any stage of the gender transition process. Pope’s Visit Gives U.S. Transportation Agency Unique Opportunity To Test Telecommuting The U.S. Transportation Agency, headquartered just a block from where the pope celebrated Mass April 17, didn’t give its approximately 5,000 or so D.C.-based workers the day off. But it did encourage them to telecommute. Audit for Hiring Biases Before Feds Do Several factors serve to make applicant tracking a more convoluted process for employers than it was in the past, including increases in use of online, automated applicant tracking systems and applicant flow logs, and other issues.

Hot Topics Here are just a few of the topics we've covered recently. Content is added and updated frequently, so click on the categories that interest you often to see what's new. Analytics Assistive technology Blind/visually impaired employees Dashboards Data privacy/security Document retention E-mail storage Employment verification Exit interviews HRIS (HR information systems) I-9s Internet applicant Intranets Metrics Monitoring/surveillance Privacy officers Recruitment Self service Simulations/games Social networking Software selection Succession planning Surveys online Total rewards Web sites Training Vendor selection Video (conferencing, interviews, etc.) Wireless communications policies More Hot Topics...

In Case You Missed It Check out these articles from the archives of the SHRM Online Technology Focus Area: Blogging for Talent Blogs may help applicants really get to know your company. Job Boards Recruit Each Other To Fight Cybertheft Monster.com might have been the most visible online recruitment site to be attacked by cybercrooks. But it's not the only one, according to Peter Weddle, head of the International Association of Employment Web Sites, a job board trade group. DMVs in the Driver’s Seat of New Verification Program The Bush administration is staking the success of employment verification efforts in part on the development of a national photo database that employers would use to check the identity of workers. However, the system White House officials envision requires using electronic images of driver’s license photos. And that puts them on a collision course with state motor vehicle agency chiefs.