• Companies help reduce veteran joblessness
  The unemployment rate among post-Sept. 11, 2011, military veterans is higher than that of the overall population, but not by nearly as much as it was a year ago, John Zappe writes. Government efforts to incentivize the hiring of veterans are partially responsible for the improvement, but companies also deserve credit for hiring initiatives such as the 100,000 Jobs Mission, which involves pledges by a number of companies to hire 100,000 veterans by 2020. More work is needed, especially to help female vets, who have a harder time finding jobs than male vets do, Zappe writes. SourceCon (11/9)      

• 5 ways to stock your talent pipeline with veterans
  The Huffington Post (11/11)      

• Long, drawn-out hiring processes can drive away talent
  Taking too long in the hiring process can drive away a top candidate, so make sure the team interviews and evaluates the talent within about three weeks, Keith Cline writes. "I'm not suggesting a knee-jerk reaction because you still need to be thorough and do a proper evaluation. But you should give a candidate a sense of 'Wow, we like you!' and reassurance that he or she is your No. 1 priority," he writes. Inc. online (free registration) (11/9)      

• Happy workers are an HR pro's best friend
  When it's time to fill a vacancy, worker referrals are a great resource -- but only if your employees are willing to recommend your company to their friends. That means companies with happy workers will tend to have more luck when it comes to hiring, says John Touey. "Engaged employees don’t need much prompting to be evangelists for their companies," he says. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership (11/9)      

• Wal-Mart health premiums to increase next year
  Wal-Mart employees will pay between 8% and 36% more for health care premiums next year, according to company filings. The retailer says the increase is necessary because of rising health care costs. Reuters (11/12)      

• Pingpong challenges help build culture of fitness
  An office pingpong table, hockey and baseball teams, and 15-minute daily stretch breaks are some of the ways Search Engine People builds camaraderie while helping workers stay healthy, CEO Jeff Quipp says. "Our philosophy is win-win-win. We need our people to be healthy, be happy -- if you’re not happy you won’t take care of customers – and enjoy the company,” he says. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (tiered subscription model) (11/8)      

• LGBT groups to press Obama on executive order
  Gay-rights groups say they plan to push President Barack Obama to sign an executive order that bans discrimination against gay and transgendered Americans by federal contractors. The groups say the executive order would be a step toward making LGBT bias illegal in the workplace. The Hill (11/11)      

Featured Content

• How to win over a skeptical audience
  Persuasion is a key skill for any leader, writes former Ogilvy & Mather CEO Charlotte Beers. It takes an ability to speak with passion, humility, humor and flashes of unexpected wit to win over a tough audience or persuade skeptical employees to follow your lead. "Speaking with passion born of your own authentic experience and belief is always persuasive," Beers writes. Fast Company online (11/8)      

• How James Bond picks his rides
  The latest James Bond film, "Skyfall," includes the iconic Aston Martin. Bond has driven a range of vehicles in the 50-year franchise, including a Lincoln Continental and BMW Z3 roadster. Automakers vie for the privilege of having their automobiles in the films. The Detroit Bureau (11/9)      

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

• 4 ways to improve employee engagement (PassionOnPurposeBlog.com)

• 20 recruiting trends to watch next year (ERE.net)

• High-deductible health plans gain popularity with employers (The Baltimore Sun)

• 401(k) account balances reach milestone, Fidelity says (Bloomberg Businessweek)

• 5 ways you're driving your employees crazy (SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Leadership)

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

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I observe the physician with the same diligence as the disease." --John Donne, British poet, satirist, lawyer and cleric