Startup of the Month: Humaxa
A new model for employee-satisfaction surveys
Humaxa uses artificial intelligence and natural language processing to help employers boost productivity and satisfaction among their workforce.
Dilemma of the Month: Why Is a New Employee Looking to Transfer?
An employee quit because they were bored and couldn’t transfer to another role based on a company’s policy. Is this a good policy to keep?
Buzzwords: Best Practice
A method that establishes a standard way of doing things as a means of driving higher performance, success, ideal behavior or ethics.
Professionals use the term as a guiding principle or methodology for consistency and to drive the greatest results.
Why Bad Customer Service Is Probably Here to Stay
Bad customer service is increasingly good for companies who use it
Recent data showed Americans spend an average of 13 hours disputing a purchase or resolving a problem with customer service. Some of the companies with the most-hated customer service are also the most profitable.
Success by Design
Design thinking is one of the hottest workplace trends, but not everyone is a fan
Design thinking is embraced by leaders as a way to deal with the complex and competitive 21st-century workplace. But there are critics who say the process can be misunderstood or misused by those who don’t complete the required deep dives to arrive at new and profound solutions.
Buzzwords: Angel Investor
An affluent individual who invests their own money, independently of a firm, in an entrepreneurial company.
Investors — aside from having a propensity for ostentatious cars — can play a key role in a startup’s success. Beyond a financial contribution, they can have an affect on other facets of the business too.
How Facebook Posts Help Nonprofits of All Sizes Raise Money
Giving days are catching on throughout social media, and many communities and specific causes, have created their own smaller-scale giving days to raise much-needed money.
Out in the Open
The good, bad and ugly of open-space offices
The idea of open-space offices has been with us since the start of the tech revolution. It seems we are under the mistaken belief that the early technology companies — such as Google, Wikipedia, eBay — were onto something when they tore down office walls, removed cubicles and allowed workers to float in a sea of open access. Teamwork became the goal.
For Food Trucks, a Road to Success
Sacramento food truck owners graduate from nomadic life to traditional brick-and-mortar dwellings
Across the Sacramento region, food truck owners are riding their mobile success into more stationary ventures, from sit-down restaurants like Culinerdy Kitchen to food-court outposts and drive-through kiosks.
Buzzwords: Activation
The art of driving consumer action through brand interaction and experiences
For advertising to be effective and resonate with its intended audience, it must strike an emotional chord. Activations take this one step further by immersing the consumer in an experience that’s often sensorial or physical.