Top HR and Company Culture News of the Week- August 19, 2013

No one strives for a terrible company culture. However, many leaders either fail in their efforts to create one or never try at all. Matt Ehrlichman's recent piece gives us 6 signs that your company culture stinks. Whether you've worked for a great culture or not, if any of these are present, you know you've got work to do. From rampant office gossip to leaders with terrible habits, this article is a fantastic guide on what NOT to hope for in the journey to fantastic workplace culture.

Employee recognition is clearly a buzzword these days. While the term has become somewhat trendy, Susan Strayer LaMotte argues that employee recognition is actually REQUIRED for company growth. While we're all understandably very busy each day, leaders need to make it a priority to recognize and thank their employees. In this thought-provoking piece, LaMotte offers a test for leaders to determine how good they are at employee recognition. These four questions may be the most worthwhile questions you ask yourself today.

While 40% of the world's employees don't feel engaged, some companies are down right nailing it. Sylvia Vorhauser-Smith features companies such a DHL Express, SAP, Google, and REI , detailing how they walk the walk when it comes to employee engagement. From mentoring to employee surveys, these firms are a model in how to treat your employees with respect and make sure they know that they're valued.

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