The budget is locked. A high performer is wavering. You can’t get a comp increase approved in time. What do you do? This is the question we hear most often from HR leaders and owners who don’t have a comp budget to flex. The highest-impact retention moves don’t cost money. They cost attention, sequencing, and … Read more
Are you facing the challenge of balancing competitive pay with controlling costs? We spoke with compensation expert Susan Pyles, who shared how blending base pay with bonuses can help you fairly reward your team without overspending. Susan shared practical steps to design an incentive plan that helps you retain key employees, manage pay effectively, and … Read more
ERC would like to announce the retirement of Chris Kutsko, Vice President of Strategic Accounts. Chris’ remarkable career has been instrumental in helping to shape ERC’s growth, client relationships, and training services for more than 20 years. Chris officially joined ERC in 2005, but her impact began long before her first day. At the time, … Read more
Over the past few years, many organizations have been asking the same question: How do we get people back to the office? Many leaders — including those at NorthCoast 99 winning organizations — are starting to ask a different question: How do we make time together impactful? Before 2020, connection happened almost automatically at work. … Read more
Meet Brian Barren, President of Business Operations for the Cleveland Guardians, where he oversees everything beyond the field of play, from revenue growth and fan experience to talent strategy, culture, and community impact. Brian stepped into the organization after more than two decades at Procter & Gamble, bringing a strong background in sales, strategy, and … Read more
If HR in your organization is currently “owned” by a mix of leaders, office/admin staff, finance, or operations, or you’re feeling the growing pains of not enough HR capacity, this guide is meant to help you decide what to do next. The two next steps we’re going to explore are: 1) HR Self-Assessment: Are you … Read more
What happens when pay rises without a clear link to performance, role growth, or business impact? Organizations start paying more but getting less in return. Payroll costs climb faster than results. Employees remain highly compensated for responsibilities they no longer carry. Raises get approved because they feel easier than addressing performance issues. Over time, compensation … Read more
It’s easy to lump all outside HR help into one bucket, but HR outsourcing and HR consulting are not the same thing. Here’s the simple version: HR outsourcing helps you get HR work done.HR consulting helps you address a specific HR problem, challenge, or project. The right choice depends on whether you need ongoing capacity, … Read more
Meet Lauren Reed, CEO of MHEDA, an international trade association serving the material handling industry and hundreds of member companies across the country. Lauren stepped into the top leadership role in 2025 at a moment when both the industry and the expectations of MHEDA’s member companies were evolving quickly. As CEO, she’s now responsible for … Read more
If HR work is spilling onto the desks of your leadership team, office manager, controller (or possibly even you), it’s time to rethink HR in a way that keeps you compliant, supports your people, and scales without burning out your team. For some, that might mean hiring one or more dedicated HR employees, but we … Read more
Beachwood, Ohio – ERC, an organization that provides organizations data and HR services to help leaders create great workplaces, is pleased to announce the appointment of Megan Fellinger, President & Chief Executive Officer of Morrison Products, Inc., to its Board of Directors. ERC’s Board of Directors advises on the company’s overall operations, including finance, compliance, … Read more
Every growing organization eventually hits a point where managing people, compliance, and culture gets too complex to handle without HR support of some kind. Managers need help handling employee issues, and as you add people, new employment laws start to apply. Recruiting and retention become growing challenges. And soon, HR starts taking more time than … Read more
