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Communication—especially in the workplace is critical to a healthy work environment. Whether you’re in management or not, effective communication among coworkers and employees can make or break your working relationships. Face it, we spend more time at work than at home so building healthy relationships with coworkers is key. To help you kick your communication style up a notch, we are giving you 20 simple tips—10 today and 10 more in Part 2 of this article—to help you improve your communication skills and build stronger relationships with your coworkers.

When it comes to retirement readiness, the numbers are not encouraging: according to investmentnews.com, more than half of our fellow Americans do not have enough retirement savings to cover their living expenses after they leave the working world. Have you considered how this lack of planning and funding might affect your business?

In 2012, a popular San Antonio-based restaurant chain with locations throughout Texas was forced to temporarily close its doors after a number of employees quit work when they learned the company was undergoing a routine audit of their Form I-9 conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to the company’s prepared statement: “Several vital employees have chosen not to report to work …. [t]his has affected our ability to provide our expected level of service to guests.”

May 2017 marked the 68^th anniversary for the observance of Mental Health Month, opening the discussion for why companies should consider offering an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). An EAP provides free and confidential assessments, counseling, referrals, and follow-up services to employees that experience personal and/or work-related problems. Each year, more than 40 million Americans experience mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, stress, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress, and substance abuse, and an EAP is an additional tool you can have in your toolbox to keep your employees healthy in both body and mind. EAPs also help businesses address organizational components that may be contributing to a negative work environment, so they're able to resolve and prevent those types of issues from occuring.

I am several years away from retirement, and while I sometimes daydream about the day that I'll officially retire from the "rat race" (particularly on those long, tough days at the office) and trade my suit and tie for hunting gear, I recently learned that many Americans are delaying retirement. I found this surprising, so I sat down with Reuben Escobedo, Retirement Plan Specialist at SWBC, who has nearly 17 years of experience in the financial and retirement industry, to learn more about this trend and find out just why so many Americans are delaying their exit from the workforce.

Recruiting top talent continues to be a high priority, as it has been for years for companies. Successful companies understand the need to invest in a solid recruiting program, as a company is only as good as its employees. With the job market on the upswing, job seekers generally have more options when seeking employment.

"I am convinced that nothing we do is more important than hiring and developing people. At the end of the day you bet on people, not on strategies."—Lawrence Bossidy, former COO of GE.

LinkedIn's Global Staffing Trends 2017 survey found that 57% of recruiters say their biggest challenge this year is competition for top talent. As we march ahead through 2Q of 2017, how do your company's recruiting efforts stack up against five of the declared industry trends for this year?

Hiring an employee versus a contract worker can lead you to ask a variety of questions about the differences between the two, but the type of work you need in your organization will ultimately determine the best choice for you.

Running a successful business involves a lot of moving parts. One of the most important—and often overlooked—parts of running a profitable company is training and employee development. In fact, a study by The U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics found that companies with fewer than 100 employees gave only 12 minutes of manager training every six months. Organizations with 100–500 employees provided just six minutes. So, what does that mean? A lot of organizations aren’t taking into consideration the long-term impact that a comprehensive training program has on their company. To have a successful team, you need to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge that allows them to be more productive. A successful training program can also help employees feel greater job satisfaction and engagement which means less turnover for the company.

While it can be a bit time consuming to initially set up, employee training is worth the investment. Here are five steps to implementing a successful training program.

Recruiting and retaining employees in our fast-paced, digital world is no easy task for business owners. To compete in this new era with tech-savvy millennials, the first step is recognizing the evolution of the employee. There aren't many speed limits on technology, so it's resulted in easier ways for employees to communicate, be productive, and deliver services from a remote location. This means it's no longer necessary for every employee to wrestle with a bumper-to-bumper morning and afternoon commute. Sound unconventional? Well, it's becoming the norm for a lot of businesses—3.7 million employees work from home at least half time—simply because it yields huge advantages. Frankly, remote employees are often more productive than on-site employees, which can save companies money in the long run.