Free Yourself From The Jobless Recovery

How well do I remember the recession of the early '90s? Well enough to caution my colleagues to stop saying "let them complain, where else are they going to find a job?"

It took a few years but we lost some of our best young attorneys to the smug self-assurance that recession-era workers were slaves to a bad economy. Funny that. Treat knowledge workers badly and the first chance they have to bolt, leave they will. Even if they're critical members of the team taking a $250 million case to trial the following month.

It's time for employers to get smart and employees to ask for long overdue raises. But don't take my word for it.  Attend to Monster.com's recent post on 2014 Salary Trends that Will Impact Staffing.

Workers begin to feel empowered as job-loss fears abate. Smart employers are moving beyond the assumption that job security will trump all else in 2014 salary negotiations. "I think that’s coming to an end now,” says David Lewis, CEO of OperationsInc, a 40-person HR outsourcing and consulting firm in Norwalk, Conn.. "Employees are more confident, and they'll be asking for higher increases."

Read the details at the link while remembering 2014's corporate "bottom line." 

Reward essential workers. If your company can accomplish only one goal with its 2014 pay increases, here's what it should be: “We advise companies to keep happy the people who -- if they left -- the bus would lose it wheels.”