GreatWork Blog

Building better workplaces through compliance, culture, connection

Self-auditing I-9s has become a high priority for 2025, as the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is increasing the number of I-9 audits conducted. A self-audit of Form I-9s is an internal review of I-9s to identify and correct errors or compliance issues. If you have not yet conducted a self-audit, or if it has been several years since you have done so, it’s highly recommended that you do that now. Identifying and correcting mistakes prior to an ICE audit can help you avoid penalties, which can be based on the number of violations found during the audit.

Here is something to consider: Would you commit to purchasing an apple at the grocery store that didn't have a price tag? Maybe, depending on how much you needed the apple, or how much money you have to safely gamble on the unknown priced apple. Asking job seekers to search for a role without a salary listed on the job posting is not exactly the same situation, but a similar conundrum presents.

I really wish we could give you a solution to the employment and retention challenge so many of our workplaces are facing. Typical punditry would mean that the next few paragraphs offer some focused wisdom that solves all our current attract-and-retain problems. Prepare to be disappointed. On the other hand, we might be onto something. I am sharing here some well-tested ideas that require some serious self-reflection and a bit of leadership development. Many employers are shifting the “entry way” conversation and might be offering something that helps us all in the long run.

Are you feeling overwhelmed with recruiting right now? You are not alone. Everywhere you turn, there are employers offering hiring bonuses and other incentives to try and attract candidates. Anyone who is serious about finding great people has started exploring different recruiting avenues from networking to job boards to hiring dedicated (and expensive) recruiters. 

We’ve all been there: new job, new co-workers, new expectations. We walked in on our first day, sat down, and were bombarded with a stack of paperwork and policies we were expected to read and familiarize ourselves with. As the hours ticked by, we couldn’t wait until the dreaded “first day” was over and we could move forward and do the job we were hired to do.

Every business has, at some point, struggled with recruitment. The inability to find applicants means that sometimes you hire someone just to get a “warm body” in the seat, and hope they can complete the duties well enough to get by. In cases like these, staffing agencies may be utilized to help fill those roles that are harder to fill, or keep filled.

According to the research explored by the Harvard Business Review, men tend to apply for a job when they meet only 60 percent of a job’s qualifications, but women tend to apply only if they meet 100 percent of them. Further research shows that traditional “in groups” are judged based on their potential while traditional “out groups” are judged by their proven accomplishments.

A prominent fear many organizations are facing is the lack of suitable talent out there. Recruitment of top talent is definitely at a peak, often times having to utilize recruiters or outsourcing to find that talent where current internal methods of finding the right people just isn’t cutting it.

If you live in Oregon, you know it’s great. I’ll admit it, I often tell people it’s so rainy and mossy and gray that they probably wouldn’t want to live here. “But I hear there is amazing food,” they say. “Oh, yeah, it’s fine,” I lie. It’s fantastic. “And the ocean and mountains; it’s all right there,” they say daydreaming. “Well it takes forever to get to the beach because everyone goes there,” I lament.

61% of employees admitted that new job responsibilities differ from the expectations presented to them during the interview process. How can you, an HR Ninja, prevent this from happening with your own new hires?

This will come as no shock, but interviewing is no easy task. This is especially true in an employee’s market when attracting great candidates is particularly challenging. Because we are currently in an employee’s market, now is a great time to evaluate your approach to the interviewing process, starting with the questions you’re asking. 

We support Cascade Employers’ members with outplacement services and I want to give you a short update on the Oregon job market.  In spite of the apparent improvement in our economy, job search for our clients remains far more complex, emotionally exhausting, and time consuming than at any time in the 25 years since I began practicing outplacement in Oregon and SW Washington.  

Talent shortages drive nearly half of hiring managers and recruiters to seek professionals outside their local markets, study finds. America’s hiring managers and recruiters are forecasting healthy job growth for the remainder of this year, according to a new survey by Dice Holdings, Inc.