Interesting article here from Australia's Herald Sun – not so much for the content, but because it seems shocking that it's taken so long for people to notice!
The article starts out with some insignificant news. Six 6 in 10 small businesses prefer to hire family, friends, and personal associates of their own or those of their employees to fill job openings.
Hardly surprising, it seems, because this seems to a fairly normal practice in both Europe and in the United States. Given the cost of recruitment these days, it's not surprising that companies would try and keep recruiting costs down by going with "the devil they know".
Where the article gets interesting is where the following is noted: "research in the US has proved there are links between investment in human capital and performance and profit."
Now, the term "human capital" has always made me cringe, and this is no exception. In short, if you give a crap about the human beings working for you, they may feel loved and therefore valued, and eventually even work harder.
Am I the only person who, as a member of someone else's human capital (and remember, we're all human capital to someone else), feels disgusted by this?
The article goes on to list ways of making the workplace and its environment more amenable to better performance, happier employees, and in short, generating more profit.
Alternatively, you can look at this list as specific actions your company may be taking to get a little more of you to earn a bit more for them!