My Portfolio

A Look at Some of My Recently Published Work

Here's a more detailed list of my writing credits. 

And a look at some examples of blog writing I've done for various clients.

2021 Work for HR Daily Advisor

2021

Lin Grensing-Pophal is a contributing editor for HR Daily Advisor writing regularly on learning and development, HR/employee relations and employee communication issues.

What's a "Mouse Wiggler?" Or, How to Manage People in a Hybrid Work Environment

October 2020

Suspicious employers and their managers who still ascribe to the “out of sight and out of mind” concerns about managing a remote workforce and seek to use Machiavellian measures to monitor remote work performance may be turning off employees and sending them looking for job opportunities elsewhere in an already tight labor market.
So how can companies effectively manage productivity in a hybrid workforce?

Wellness Portals Help Fill Employee Need

October 2021

Employers have long recognized the role they can play in providing resources and support for employee wellness—initially to manage rising health care costs, but there are other impacts as well. Successfully managing employee wellness can positively impact absenteeism, productivity and turnover.

Taking Another Look at Cafeteria Plans

October 2021

Cafeteria plans are getting new attention during the pandemic as a way to let employees select—and fund with pretax dollars—optional insurance benefits and spending accounts that meet their health and caregiving needs.

Compensation Rises Despite Uncertainty

October 2021

It's fair to say that 2020 was a year like no other. Not a single individual in the U.S.–or, in truth, much of the world–was not impacted in some way by COVID-19. It's against that backdrop that the 2021 CUES Executive Compensation Survey was conducted. Like the previous year's report, the 2021 report shows steadily increasing salaries for credit union leaders.

Which Market Research Platform is Right For You?

September 2021

The digital environment is rich with real-time communication and consumer sentiment across a wide array of topics, industries, and geographies. But what if companies could cultivate, synthesize, analyze, and draw conclusions from these sentiments to improve their marketing communication and CRM efforts?

Five Key Questions About Video Marketing Answered

September 2021

There’s an old saying: A picture is worth a thousand words. It’s so trite, but it’s true, especially for moving pictures (i.e., videos). However, not all content marketers are equally adept at communicating via video. And their
experience level varies widely. In this column, I take a look at some commonly asked questions and provide insights from experienced video marketers.   

HR Leaders Agree—People Matters Are at the Heart of Business Success

September 2021

In most organizations, the human resources (HR) department tends to be thought of as “owning” the employee experience and everything related to employee engagement, satisfaction, productivity, etc. In truth, though, people issues are everyone’s responsibility, from senior leaders through front line supervisors.

Mobile Apps for HR Communication

September 2021

In the current digital environment, there are many options for mobile apps that can help streamline communications and ensure that employees and managers stay connected with their teams, colleagues and others. From enterprise tools like Slack, to free apps and plug-ins, HR professionals are making use of a wide range of apps as they continue to navigate a new work reality.

Quick Fixes for Common UX Mistakes

September 2021

If the user experience (UX) on your website isn’t optimal, you could be missing out on visitors and engagement—and revenue. What are the top pain points when it comes to engaging users who come to your site? What are the biggest barriers or turnoffs? How can you discover what may not be working well on your site? What should you do to improve your site’s performance? Can you take a DIY approach, or should you hire a UX firm? When searching for external assistance, what should you look for and look out for? In this column, experts weigh in on best practices for ensuring the best UX for your website visitors.

Return-to-Work for New Hires

September 2021

As the COVID-19 delta variant raises new virus concerns, some employers are moving forward with plans to bring employees back to the worksite, while others are putting those decisions on hold. Many organizations are using some form of hybrid design for the foreseeable future—if not forever.

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There's one group of workers that deserves special consideration: those who were hired during the pandemic and have never been physically present at the worksite, nor engaged face-to-face with their colleagues or managers.

Adopting New Tech for Sourcing and Engaging Employees

September 2021

In days gone by, recruiting at schools, advertising in trade publications, and mining personal networks were often the only avenues recruiters had to find those who might be right for their open jobs. The Internet and rapidly advancing technologies, of course, have changed all of this.

Top 6 Reasons People re Quitting Their Jobs (and How to Keep Them)

August 2021

SHRM and others have predicted a “turnover tsunami” that is expected to unfold over the next several months as employers begin to call workers back into their physical settings. Visier’s research also supports the likelihood of this exodus which has already begun to be felt at many organizations. Over the past several months employees have gotten a taste of the freedom and flexibility that working from home can provide. During this time they’ve also had ample time for reflection. Many have decided that what they’ve been doing just isn’t what they want to continue doing in the future—or they’ve decided they’d prefer to do it for a different company.

Managing Paid Leave During the Pandemic and Beyond

August 2021

As working from home continues during the pandemic, employers and employees are identifying the need to adopt new practices, such as rethinking paid time off (PTO).
Even prior to the pandemic, many organizations told employees to stay home if they were ill, to avoid infecting others. Now, the need to do so is imperative.

Many Roles Lead to Multiple Impacts

August 2021

Tauhidah Shakir is Vice President of HR and CDO at Paylocity, but people development and DEI weren’t always her primary passions.

The Big Quit—Who’s Leaving and Where Are They Going?

July 2021

By now we’ve heard of the mass exodus of employees in all industries and the resignation numbers are alarming—95% of employees say they’re ready to leave their organizations; four million Americans have quit since April; 68% say they’ll leave if they have to return to the office; and three million women have already left because they simply can’t “do it all.” So who’s leaving? Where are they going? Which organizations are likely to be the hardest hit? Here we take a look at the issue and implications for employers of all types and sizes.

Letting Go of Legacy Systems

July 2021

Sometimes the largest companies are the most hampered by legacy systems because they've made the largest investments in technology. HR professionals hoping to make the case for replacing legacy systems that have outlived their usefulness can take some steps to convince their companies to let go.

Scenario Planning Produces Better Benefit Strategies

July 2021

Making the strategic use of employee benefits part of scenario planning can be pivotal to an organization's future success—especially as companies find themselves increasingly dealing with hybrid workforces, rising turnover rates and lingering disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Not All AI is Really AI: What You Need to Know

July 2021

A wide range of technology solutions purport to be "driven by AI," or artificial intelligence. But are they really? Not everything labeled artificial intelligence really is. The technology, in reality, has not advanced nearly far enough to actually be "intelligent."

Small Businesses Face Hiring Challenges

July 2021

Many small businesses are struggling not only with finding great candidates, but also with thinking strategically about their overall talent strategy and how to address important topics like diversity and inclusion, which are very much top of mind these days.

7 Ways the Gig Economy Changed During COVID-19

July 2021

The gig economy was already exploding prior to the pandemic, but the gig economy changed during COVID in ways that are likely to continue well into the future. Businesses that previously thought face-to-face interactions were the only way they could conduct business had to suddenly pivot and become more open-minded and innovative about how they would interact with customers—and employees.

The Top Marketing Trends: AI and Automation Drive Digital Interactions

July 2021

The marketing lessons learned during COVID-19 are likely to last. Here we take a look at some of the top trends and technologies that have emerged over the past several months and what the future is likely to hold.

Labor Shortage: Desperately Seeking Solutions

July 2021

Manufacturers can do a number of things to recruit workers — such as offering appropriate pay, ensuring a good work culture, and working to change blue-collar stereotypes — as employee shortages continue.

Verifying Candidate Identity

July 2021

Risks associated with candidate identity are not outside the realm of possibility. Some companies are already taking steps to help ensure that their new hires are who they say they are – with some utilizing technology and others applying innovative non-tech-related tricks to help weed out the tricksters.

Analyzing the Pros and Cons of Robotic Process Automation

June 2021

By now, even the least tech-savvy among us have heard of artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotic process automation (RPA).

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These types of tools drive a certain amount of fear and uncertainty among employees who worry their jobs may someday be replaced by robots. But that technology, specifically RPA, can hold great promise for the workforce.

Debunking the Myths of Remote Work

June 2021

Even the most steadfast opponents of remote work have had to cave in, admit defeat, and, if they wish to stay in operation, allow employees to work from remote locations. Over the past several months this forced experience has revealed a number of former myths of remote work.

How Content Marketers Are Using Zapier and Other Automation Tools

June 2021

Input from content marketers,
analysts, and experts on the role that automation
can play to streamline processes for content
marketers. What types of automation are being used? What
best practices have content marketers discovered? What tools
do they prefer? What are the pros and cons of these various
options?

Taking a People-First Approach to Data Security

June 2021

Don't share your passwords. Sign out of your computer when you're away from your desk. Don't bring sensitive data home. Despite years of exhortations from IT and HR departments to encourage employees to take steps to protect data and systems, breaches still occur. Employees have heard the messages over and over again, yet still fail to heed them.

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What are organizations doing about data security to achieve better results? 

Information Today: Aligning Marketing and Sales

June 2021

There is often tension between marketing and sales in many organizations. But why? Shouldn’t these two functions be closely aligned to most effectively achieve the revenue and ROI goals of the organization? What causes this tension, why is alignment important, and what steps can you take to bring these two important organizational functions closer together?

SHRM: Hiring? Look Beyond LinkedIn

June 2021

Recruitment has changed significantly during the pandemic, and many of the changes are likely to stick. Employers have stepped up their use of social media—and not just LinkedIn—to find and connect with potential candidates for a wide range of jobs in various industries.

SHRM: Updating Benefits Administration with Robotic Process Automation

June 2021

Robotic process automation (RPA) is an emerging technology for streamlining HR activities, including benefits administration, which traditionally have required manual processing by HR departments.

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​RPA allows for rules-based, transactional processes to handle, without human intervention, tasks such as benefits enrollment. 

Speech Technology: The Speech Industry Eyes Another NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming)

May 2021

Since the earliest days of humanity, people have been seeking ways to influence others, whether for self-preservation, safety, or building wealth. Modern-day marketers continue this pursuit, aided today by technology that is becoming increasingly more sophisticated and potentially more adept at using algorithms to effectively influence the opinions, attitudes, and actions of others.

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That’s where concepts like neuro-linguistic programming come into play.

SHRM: Tapping ERGs During the Recruiting Process

May 2021

Job candidates are expressing growing interest in learning about an organization's diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) stance and practices prior to accepting a job.

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Some companies are addressing that desire by sharing relevant information through channels like social media, blogs and careers sites. Others are providing job applicants with opportunities to interact with employees who are members of minority groups during the interview process. Companies' employee resource groups (ERGs) and business resource groups (BRGs) present ready opportunities for doing so.

SHRM: Employers' Student Loan Assistance Tackles the College Debt Crisis

May 2021

Student federal loan repayments—and interest on that debt—have been paused during the pandemic, thanks to federal COVID-19 relief legislation. As of October 2021, however, some 44 million borrowers who owe an estimated $1.7 trillion will have to start repaying debt that has grown exponentially over the past decade and a half.

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Many are ill-prepared to do so. That massive debt is causing consternation and concern not only for those who owe the money, but for their employers as well.

HR Daily Advisor: Summer Hammons --Finding Her Way into Diversity, Equity, and Belonging

April 2021

Maybe it just comes with the territory of being in the HR and development business, but HR Daily Advisor always finds it interesting to hear about the career trajectory of corporate leaders. While some have had their current role in their sights since they were children, others seem to stumble into their fields completely by chance.

SHRM: Are Your Job Posts Biased?

April 2021

HR and talent acquisition professionals need to seek out bias in their hiring processes—knowing that it may be their own bias they need to eliminate. Here are some important steps they can take and considerations they can keep top of mind to help build a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

SHRM: Recruitment Training for a Virtual World

April 2021

Virtual interviews can convey organizational culture and provide a first impression of your company. How those interviews are handled can also prevent legal pitfalls.

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But too often, companies overlook the need to train staff to conduct these interviews. That training is critical to ensure that the best hiring choices are being made and that companies steer clear of legal risks.

Destination CRM: Shining a Light on the Dark Funnel

March 2021

The dark funnel is a concept that has been making the rounds for some time now in sales circles. The term refers to the often-veiled insights marketers might fail to uncover as they attempt to understand the customer journey. While the digital marketing environment yields some powerful insights into consumer actions, some of these actions, like visits to other websites, research conducted through third-party sites, social media impacts, etc., might be hidden from marketers.

SHRM: COVID-19 Spurs Novel Approaches to Talent Acquisition

March 2021

While the global spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 has resulted in enormous damage to the economy and businesses around the world, hiring is still a top priority for many organizations. Talent acquisition just looks a little different now.

Information Today: How Marketers Will Use Video in 2021

March 2021

Video continues to be a popular and effective way to boost marketing efforts, especially with the emergence
of video-first platforms such as TikTok. And, with the proliferation of do-it-yourself (DIY) video options, the demand
for professionally produced, high-production-value video content
no longer looms as the must-do priority it used to be.

Today, marketers of all types and sizes—even those with very small budgets—can successfully use video to augment their
marketing communication efforts.

Destination CRM: Customer Intent: Elusive, but Not Impossible to Obtain

March 2021

Customer or buyer intent refers to the motivations that drive consumer behaviors—not simply what they want, but why they want it. The ability to discern the whys behind the whats is obviously important to marketers. The more they can understand the motivations of their customers, the better they will be able to produce the goods and services that best meet their needs and effectively communicate the right points to compel the desired action—a sale.

SHRM:When Hiring Remotely Raises Legal Issues

February 2021

Over the past year, employers have made significant changes to their hiring practices to ensure the safety of potential and current employees. In fact, many employers are realizing the potential benefit of having access to talent around the country—

or around the globe.

However, there are certain risks that employers need to consider when recruiting and hiring talent beyond their traditional market areas.

SHRM: Taking Advantage of a Broader Talent Pool

February 2021

As many organizations around the country continue to operate in a remote or hybrid way and many indicate that they may do so for the foreseeable future (or even permanently), some are beginning to realize a potential big benefit—an opportunity to recruit and hire employees from a much broader talent pool.

Specialty Fabric Review: Managing Remote Workers

February 2021

While remote work, aka telecommuting, has been technologically possible for a number of years, and companies like AT&T and others have long had remote workers on their payroll, many organizations are new to the world of remote work and remote employee management.

CU Management: The Value of Valuing Mental Health

January 2021

While a growing number of employers are taking proactive steps to address the rising awareness, and prevalence, of mental health issues impacting their organizations, mental health continues to carry a certain amount of stigma. Some companies are taking steps, though, to bring these issues out in the open.

Information Today: COVID-19's Impact on 2021 Content Marketing Strategy

January 2021

When pandemic restrictions around the country started occurring in March 2020, few imagined that many would still be in place—or start up again—as the year drew to an end. As I write this, in mid-November, cases are rising across the country, and new restrictions are emerging. Through it all, organizations of various kinds have had to adjust and adapt to the new normal—whatever that is. As businesses plan for 2021, none can ignore the potential for COVID-19 to continue disrupting their operations and impacting consumer decisions.

Tips for Remote Selling During and After COVID-19

January 2021

COVID-19 has upended a number of industries and jobs. Among the professions that have been hardest hit are sales and business development, which have traditionally relied on face-to-face interactions to build networks and relationships. People who ply those trades have had to pivot to remote selling with mixed success.

2020 Work for HR Daily Advisor

2020

Lin Grensing-Pophal is a contributing editor for HR Daily Advisor writing regularly on learning and development, HR/employee relations and employee communication issues.

NEW BOOK: Managing Remote Staff

November 2020

Out of sight, does not have to mean out of mind! A timely look at best practices in managing remote staff. 

Managing remote workers is nothing new, but its prevalence has been impacted significantly by COVID-19.

This book addresses the myths, misconceptions, pros and cons of remote work for both employers and employees and offers guidance on the attributes of successful remote workers, establishing policies and procedures for remote work, training (employees and managers) and effective management practices with an emphasis on communication.

Employees Look to Workplace Programs to Ease Charitable Giving

December 2020

Employees today are more likely to seek employment in socially responsible organizations, and one way that employers can commit to helping those in need is by offering a charitable giving program at work.

How Will You Support Your Staff During What May Be a Very Lonely Holiday Season?

December 2020

Employees who have been dealing with the impacts of COVID-19 since March are feeling the strain. A report from employee experience software company Limeade, Workplaces in Crisis: Employee Care Missing the Mark, was released in October. 

Be Aware of How External Recruiters Reflect Your Employer Brand

November 2020

When a company relies on an external recruiting firm to handle its candidate searches, it is trusting that the firm and its representatives will reflect favorably on the company's employer brand. But will they?

Changes in SEO Strategy

November/December 2020

SEO has long been the holy grail for internet marketers—
and content creators—of all kinds. Attracting
eyeballs, and website visitors, was job number one.
While that’s still the case to a large degree, SEO has become
less of a numbers game and more of a driver for creating
high-quality, relevant content.

Drive-Thru Job Fairs: A Sign of the Times

October 2020

Despite the massive impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the U.S. workforce, some parts of the economy are still frantically searching for talent to meet business demands. And they're getting increasingly creative about how to engage with potential employees in an era of social distancing.

Build Empathy Into Your 2020 Open Enrollment Season

October 2020

The phrase "we're all in this together" is often bandied about as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, but any employee may be facing a situation far different from those of his or her colleagues.
Compare the employee who has two children schooling at home and whose spouse is furloughed to the employee approaching retirement with no children at home and a comfortable nest egg. Between these two scenarios lies a wide range of personal situations challenging workers' health, wealth and well-being.

Tips for Finding Freelancers

October 2020

Consumer appetite for content is at an all-time high and continuing to grow. That’s great for organizations that have well-oiled content creation teams in place to meet the demand. For others, though, developing content on a regular basis that is high-quality and focused on issues and topics that resonate with their audiences can be a challenge. The gig economy can help.

Use Digital Platforms to Drive In-Store Traffic, and Vice Versa

September 2020

In the modern retail landscape, digital is no longer a threat to the in-store shopping experience. In fact, smart retailers have come to see e-commerce as a tool to boost in-store foot traffic. This represents a new phenomenon called ROPO (research online, purchase offline), where consumers start their shopping journeys online but complete them in-store.

Handling Applicants With Noncompete Agreements

September 2020

It's not unlikely for job candidates, particularly those in highly competitive industries or in sales, to have noncompete agreements with their current company. These agreements are often said to be tough to enforce, depending on the job market. Yet, they are used by companies to discourage employees in key positions from taking their knowledge and expertise to a competitor.

Many Roads Lead to Multiple Impacts

August 2021

It’s been a long time coming, but the wait is finally over. Final Countdown, the latest title from Lin Grensing-Pophal is something of a departure from their previous work. Order your copy today.

When Top Candidates Have Another Offer

September 2020

You're in the middle of the selection process for a key position and have a few top candidates making their way through the second round of interviews. One of them informs you that he or she has received an offer from another company.
Your initial reaction is panic—oh no! You felt like the process was dragging along too slowly. What can you do? What should you do?

Work Tourism: A New Employee Perk During the Pandemic?

September 2020

As employees are adjusting to a new normal at work, some have identified an unexpected potential perk of the ability to work remotely—the opportunity to travel to distant locations for extended periods.

Emergency Savings Accounts Boost Financial Wellness

September 2020

Financial stress hurts workers' ability to stay motivated and do their jobs, and for many employees, the COVID-19 pandemic has only added to that stress. Some employers are taking steps to ease employees' financial burdens and setting up emergency savings accounts (ESAs) that allow automatic deposits through payroll deductions—much like how employees fund their 401(k) plans.

Best Practices for Repurposing Content

September 2020

It can be extremely expensive to feed the constant demand for content from a wide range of audiences. Content marketing has become a major industry in the 21st century, with companies of all types and sizes working hard to produce content to help them distinguish themselves from competitors as they attract and engage audiences that can represent potential customers.

Influencer Marketing in 2020: What App Marketers Need to Know

August 2020

App engagement is a challenge for most developers; putting the power of influencers behind your app can help. But the influencer market is in flux and increasingly under the watchful eye of regulators. Meanwhile, the nature — and value — of influencers during the pandemic is shifting.
What do app developers need to know to fully and successfully leverage the power of influencers?