• U.S. is running out of money to train jobless workers
  Job centers across the U.S. are running out of money to provide training to unemployed workers. With 12.7 million Americans unable to find work, training programs are receiving 18% less federal money than in times of prosperity. Money to teach basic job-searching skills, such as preparing for interviews and writing résumés, has fallen 13%. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (4/8), MSNBC/Reuters/Economy Watch blog (4/8)      

• Social media is critical for building a talent community, CEO says
  Most talented professionals don't actively promote themselves on networks such as LinkedIn, so recruiters have to do more to find great candidates than just browse through user profiles, says Alex Churchill, CEO of VonChurch. Recruiters also need to build a social presence, Churchill says. "Once you are recognized as a good source of information, you gain respect and followers. You are then building the Holy Grail community," he says. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership (4/6)      

• Suggestions for spicing up your hiring process
  Recruiters should consider alternatives to the traditional methods for résumé screening, interviewing and reference checks, John Sullivan writes. For example, some companies use peer interviewing to assess job candidates instead of just relying on one hiring manager, he writes. ERE.net (4/9)      

• Credit Suisse: U.S. unions' pension shortfall totals $369 billion
  Labor unions' pension funds are underfunded by $369 billion, according to Credit Suisse. Employers may need to make higher pension contributions to make up the shortfall, Dan McCrum and Ajay Makan write. Financial Times (tiered subscription model) (4/8)      

• Looking at both sides of the argument on H-1B visas
  Proponents of hiring foreign workers to fill jobs say the government should increase or eliminate the annual cap on H-1B visas. Opponents argue that H-1B visas take jobs away from American workers. Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Texas) (4/7)      

• Lawyer outlines how to prevent FMLA abuse
  Companies should adopt an intermittent-leave policy that includes at least 13 measures to prevent employees from abusing time off allowed by the Family and Medical Leave Act, employment lawyer George Yund says. The measures include providing proper notice and verification of eligibility. HRMorning.com (4/6)      

Featured Content

• Evernote CEO talks about office culture version 2.0
  Evernote CEO Phil Libin talks about his company's progressive office culture. Employees have no walls or telephones, but they get unlimited vacation time. There's a video wall and a roving robotic manager. Evernote's culture is about encouraging good communication and eliminating barriers to achievement, Libin says: "Frankly, we want to treat employees like adults, and we don't want being in the office to seem like a punishment." The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (4/7)      

• Haute cuisine has gone to pot
  Los Angeles chef Nguyen Tran recently cooked up a clandestine meal in which all the dishes featured marijuana-derived ingredients. Diners furtively sipped at bong-water cocktails before working their way through a cannabis butter and bacon tart; a galantine of black-skinned chicken with fresh cannabis leaf; and a panna cotta frosted with cannabis-coconut oil flakes. The meal's subtle herbal flavors left diners "unbuzzed but smiling," reports restaurant critic Jonathan Gold. Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model) (4/7)      

Top five news stories selected by SmartBrief on Workforce readers in the past week.

• Study touts best company culture for employee engagement (Human Resource Executive)

• Study: External hires are paid more but don't perform as well (Knowledge@Wharton)

• What to look for when evaluating candidates' leadership skills (MonsterThinking.com)

• Help workers tap into their strengths (Gallup Management Journal (free content))

• How to make $15 million by playing blackjack (The Atlantic)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." --Virginia Woolf, British writer

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