13 Qualities of Top Leaders
What makes an effective leader? These are the qualities frequently cited throughout discussions in group discussions at our Leadership Essentials...
Why Great Leaders Work on Themselves First
To be a great leader, you must first establish and follow your own life plan. That’s the premise of the book Living Forward: A Proven Plan to Stop...
The State of Washington Passes Paid Family Leave Law
Washington state recently passed a paid family leave law which takes effect in January 2020. The law provides employees up to 12 weeks of paid...
HR Links & Resources – On Our Radar in July
Events How to Get Promoted (and Succeed Once you Do) | Thursday July 20, 2017 Gain practical advice on how to take charge of your own career...
How to Guarantee a Great Hire
The recruiting and onboarding process allow an employer to set the tone and expectations for a new employee's experience with a company. So how do...
Why Growing Beyond 10 Employees is so Painful
Getting your company off the ground to a sustainable place should be the hardest part of starting a company, right? That's what many think, and how...
How a Fear-Based Work Environment Could be Holding your Organization Back
Fear can often be a helpful emotion - it keeps us from ending up in risky, potentially harmful situations. But when does fear hold us back from...
Don't Let Employee Problems Go Unaddressed: Support Your Staff with Performance Management
You have an inefficient employee in your department. Simple projects take hours longer than other similar tasks, reports come days late, and other...
OregonSaves goes into effect November 15, 2017 – Are you ready?
What is It? OregonSaves is a new state-administered retirement program that starts on November 15, 2017. Put into law in 2015, the program is the...
Establishing Boundaries at Work
Setting expectations with managers As a new employee at a company, maybe you’re feeling in over your head. You’re overwhelmed by the workload, which...
Time Management Hacks
Time is precious. So why is it so challenging for us to prioritize and effectively manage where our time goes? Are there proven methods that could...
Why Active Listening Stinks
“What I hear you saying is ... stop parroting what I'm saying!” Anyone motivated to read this article already knows active listening skills through...
How to Conduct Successful Informational Interviews eBook – Free Download
Learning from others who have accomplished what we want to accomplish is one of the best ways to develop. Informational interviews are an...
Graceful Transitions: How to Part Ways with an Employee the Right Way
In this unusual podcast episode, Senior HR Business Partner Molly Kelley opens up about her decision to transition out of her role at Xenium. She...
Large Companies Make HR Mistakes, Too
Several large companies are making headlines over recent HR issues. See the stories below. Apple’s newly designed campus has seemingly...
Legal Update: Oregon Equal Pay Act of 2017
The Oregon Legislature recently passed the Oregon Equal Pay Act of 2017, formally known as House Bill 2005. It was signed into law by the Governor...
Oregon Minimum Wage to Rise Statewide July 1, 2017
Last year, Senate Bill 1532 was signed into law, beginning a process that will progressively increase Oregon's minimum wage over the next 5 years....
100th Episode Celebration – Mailbag Q&A with Lacey Halpern
Episode number one started with Lacey Halpern, a Senior Human Resources Business Partner at Xenium HR, so we brought her back to celebrate episode...
How to Prevent Workplace Bullying
What's the difference between bullying and harassment, and when do they become the same thing? What are the stages of bullying and how can you catch...
Recent HR Content – On Our Radar in May
7 Things The Happiest Workplaces Have in Common | Tiny Pulse A number of characteristics found by a recent study to be pervasive among happy...
8 Inspirational Business TED Talks You Should Watch Today
We've found 8 great recent TED Talks on leadership, entrepreneurship, employee relations, screening applicants, career reentry, creativity, and...
How Authentic Mission, Vision, and Values Can Transform your Culture
There's a lot of buzz around establishing a compelling mission, vision, and values for your company. But what are the real world impacts of having...
12 Things to Keep in Mind Early in Your Career
We asked 12 Xenium employees about mistakes made early in their career and the top piece of career advice. Here's what they had to say: What was a...
How to Resolve Conflict in the Workplace: Interview with Chris Sheesley
Conflict and disagreement are inherent parts of human existence. The simple fact is that no matter how congenial and friendly and inclusive your...
Pay Equity for All: Recent Legislative Momentum & What to Consider
There’s been a lot of buzz in the past month regarding equal pay and how an individual’s former wages should or should not inform their future...
Off-Duty Marijuana Use Can Still Get You Fired
In a recent blog on current legal requirements related to marijuana and the workplace, we referenced a recent bill that was introduced in Oregon....
And Now, a Word From our Host: Interview with Brandon Laws
In honor of our upcoming 100th episode, we’re turning the mic on our regular host, Brandon Laws. Listen in as Angela Perkins, VP of Sales &...
What a Results-Only Work Environment Could Do for Your Organization
So often, we measure and talk about our work day in terms of time - the 40 hour week, the 9-to-5 job, the flex-time perk, and more. Jody Thompson,...
How to Start a Company Book Club & Why it Will Boost Employee Morale
In 2012, Xenium’s VP of Human Resources Tana Thomson wanted a program or tool that could elevate employees in their roles and encourage them to...
Content & Events in HR – On Our Radar in April
Event Caring Confrontations in the Workplace May 16 | Sasha Davies, PUGS Course hosted at Xenium HR In this workshop we will explore what it might...
Invisible Influence: The Hidden Forces that Shape Behavior – Book Discussion & Review
How much of our decision making is truly born out of our own deeply held beliefs and values rather than a product of messaging from brands and media...
Marijuana and the Workplace: Current Legal Requirements & Trends for Employers
Current Legality Status As of the publish date of this blog post, recreational marijuana use has been legalized in California, Oregon, Washington,...
Getting to the Heart of it: The Questions that Make for a Meaningful Interview
Wendy Gilbert, HR Account Representative at Xenium, contributed to this post. The goal of every interview is to walk away with a clear understanding...
2017 Legal Update for Oregon Employers
Several employment law updates and changes are set to take effect in the coming months. Catch up on the measures that have already taken effect and...
'Picking the Low Hanging Fruit' and Other Stupid Stuff We Say in the Corporate World – with Author James Sudakow
We've all been the new person at a company, trying to get our footing in a new role and within a new industry. It can be a lot to take in,...
A Legal and Respectful Approach to Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity in the Workplace
Current Legality Status A new California law, which took effect March 1, 2017, requires all single-stall restrooms in businesses, government...
7 Lessons Best Learned at the Beginning of Your Career
We asked several Xenium employees about a lesson they learned early on in their career that could benefit those who are just starting out. Here's...
The 3 Pillars of Trust and How to Utilize Them to Strengthen Workplace Culture
As human beings, we are attuned to detect trustworthiness. It's often a gut feeling we get about a person, an organization, a brand, a place -...
When "I Saw Your Post" Becomes a Problem
When it comes to social media, the lines between public and private are blurred—especially in the workplace. There’s certainly nothing wrong with...
The Problems with the Open-Office Trend
The open office is definitely having a moment. One of many workplace trends that’s made its way from Silicon Valley to offices everywhere, it’s...
March Madness: Keeping Employees Engaged or Distracted?
I love March. Not only because we Oregonians see a glimpse of hope that we’ll have sunshine after a treacherous winter, but because it’s one of the...
Layoffs & New Hires, Layoffs & New Hires – How Work Share Can Break this Cycle
Your company has fallen on hard times, and you have no choice but to let go of highly skilled, talented employees - who you may have a hard time...
Content & Events in HR – On Our Radar in March
Events Webinar: The New Way to Get Paid - How Total Rewards is Taking Over April 11 | Xenium HR The idea that compensation is a comprehensive...
Leveraging Informational Interviews for Your Employees' Development
Informational interviewing can give you or your employees the opportunity to gain perspective and hear tips and advice when at a career crossroads....
How to Get the Most Out of Your Mentor Program
Gaining direct access to the knowledge and skills of others can be a challenge for those who have the desire to grow professionally. But what if...
Maintaining Your Company’s Largest Expenditure
Tyler Meuwissen, Xenium's Compensation and HR Analyst, contributed to this post. Say your company purchased a huge piece of complicated machinery...
Millennials and Management with Author Lee Caraher
Millennials are continuing to pour into the workplace, and by 2020 they are expected to represent nearly half of the workforce. As managers and...
HR Links & Resources – On Our Radar in February
The New World of Flipped and Blended Learning at Valin | Udemy Business Article A look at a Silicon Valley company's internal business school...
Remote Working Offers Employers the Best of Both Worlds
Remote work - to encourage it, or not to encourage it? Plenty of large and small businesses have found that remote working, particularly when part...
How to Refocus HR to Work for You
At Xenium, it’s our job to stay on top of the various workplace and HR trends that come our way. And in this podcast, we’ll talk about the belief...
Everything You Need to Know About Hiring Millennials
When it comes to hiring fresh talent, there’s a new demographic in town. With boomers retiring and Gen Xers aging, millennials are taking over the...