People often hear the words training and development together, without distinguishing the difference between the two processes. Training is involved in giving an employee the immediate skills required for a current job. This can be done in classrooms, seminars, and group events. Development, however, is the process of preparing someone for a future job in an individualized manner. This may come in the form of job rotation, coaching or mentoring. The main difference comes in t

With the public gender transitions of celebrities like Caitlin Jenner, greater visibility of transgender characters on television (e.g., Transparent), and controversial laws enacted in some U.S. states and cities banning transgender employees from accessing bathrooms that align with their gender identities, issues of gender expression have been thrust into the national spotlight. Importantly, the term “transgender” does not refer to sexual preference, but rather to those who

Last week I had the pleasure of attending the Philadelphia Society of People and Strategy (PSPS) quarterly program at the Union League in Philadelphia. Me and 350 of my closest friends packed into a room at 7:30 am for the honor of hearing Josh Bersin, Co-Founder of Bersin by Deloitte, speak about predictions for the “New World of Work." Josh’s talk dove into some fascinating trends that we can expect to see shape organizations in 2018. These research-based trends have alre

Employee engagement is an ongoing challenge for managers, one that is further compounded when members of teams work remotely. Engaging remote workers and keeping them motivated without in-person oversight takes extra dedication and effort from managers. Indeed, even the most empathetic and emotionally intelligent managers find connecting with remote employees more difficult than employees just down the hall. So how should a manager go about engaging remote workers? First, it

Have you ever considered applying for an HR specific scholarship to help fund your graduate education? In this segment of #VUHRDConversations, we feature Emma Edoga, VUHRD Graduate Assistant and recent GVFHRA, Michael R. Losey Scholarship Winner. This award is available to students who are committed to pursuing a career in human resources and show strong academic ability with early engagement and accomplishments in human resource related areas. Emma Edoga rose above the rest

After the hustle and bustle of the holidays and the new year, I wanted to kick 2018 off with a reminder that we should all do our best not just to do well, but to do good. One of the things that I’m really excited about for this year is the Villanova HRD Annual Networking Reception (VUHRDANR), given the focus is on allowing companies to “do good” and to leave the world a better place than we found it. I think that this message is increasingly important, especially as we see l

I have been thinking a lot about change for a few reasons. First, I teach a class on organization change. We talk about the constancy of change and how organizations must perpetually adjust as critical aspects of their environment shift. Second, Villanova’s Graduate Programs in Human Resource Development is implementing numerous changes after completing an intensive strategic review. We examined where the HR profession is headed and how we can align our course offerings and