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With stiff competition at every corner, finding a job is a daunting process. To increase your chances of being selected, you should understand the hiring funnel.

Released concurrently with Feb. 10’s changes to the employer mandate, the Affordable Care Act’s shared-responsibility regulations offer guidance to employers in two areas: non-assessment periods and transitional relief. The non-assessment portion allows for specific periods of time when employers will not be held accountable for fines levied for failure to offer qualifying health insurance to a full-time employee. Additionally, employers entering their first year as an applicable large employer (ALE) were given details on a transition rule, giving them a specific time frame to comply fully with ACA mandates without being penalized.

Has your nonprofit recovered from the impact of the recession? For many nonprofits the time period following the 2007 recession was challenging as many experienced a decrease in donations and increased competition for what funding was available. Fortunately, charitable giving has begun to rise, with a reported 4.9 percent increase in 2013 alone. However, a new trend has arisen: donor accountability. Now more than ever, the nonprofit sector has to juggle not only achieving its mission goals, but also showing good financial stewardship.

In growing numbers, businesses are experimenting with the concept of allowing their employees to use their own mobile devices (laptops, cellphones and tablets) at work, for work. Since 2007, the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) craze has seen an increase in popularity because it reduces employer costs while increasing productivity by giving employees added flexibility, both personally and professionally.

With Earth Day here once again, it’s a perfect time to remind businesses looking to cut costs that going green is a smart way to get more green in your revenue stream. Embracing the sustainability of people and technology in these five tips ultimately should improve your bottom lines. Going green is also a smart way to leverage award opportunities, recruit millennials and instill a reputation as a world partner.

What do the NBA and your business have in common? More than you might expect, from bench play to developing winning game plans and more. At the core of each are competitiveness, teamwork, innovation and a results-driven focus. As the NBA Playoffs kick into high gear, there are business lessons to be observed from all the on-the-court chaos. Here are four lessons to help you make a slam dunk toward success:

One in four new hires leave before their second year on the job. While it’s easy to point the finger at the employee for not adapting to their new environment, the blame is easily a shared responsibility with the employer. Inexperience, lack of preparedness and a poor on-boarding system are all contributing factors to a new hire’s struggles.

As a recent graduate myself, I know all too well about the immediate fear that ensues the excitement of graduation day. It’s a day you’ve been preparing for your entire college career, but yet it hits you so unexpectedly. Mid-day naps and catching up with friends after class will soon be distant memories. Eight to five will most likely be many of yours’ new normal. While this may not seem ideal for some, each student has an impending responsibility to grow-up, graduate and get a job.

Are you rushing to meet the April 15 deadline to file your personal income taxes? Well, good news for procrastinators as you might be in luck. If you haven’t started preparing your 2013 tax return, or maybe you have more to report than the income on a W-2 and a 1099, here’s an easy solution: File for an extension.

Whether in a business or educational environment, our culture is dazzled by the idea of collaboration as a means for creativity. Managers are so insistent on finding “the right fit” for the team that a whole group of people are forgotten: the individualists. With collaboration becoming the new way of thinking, those with introverted personalities are left on the outside looking in.

Employee benefits have become a hot topic in the business realm, especially in regard to the federal government’s Affordable Care Act. Ultimately, it comes down to dollars and cents, and companies are finding that a more affordable route may exist beyond offering traditional health coverage. However, if you are thinking of finding a loophole through lowering employees’ hours, you might want to think twice.

The constant demand to remain a reliable source for customers is keeping grocers on edge. In a highly competitive market, grocers have to constantly keep up with ever changing price/value trends in order to remain relevant. Knowing the landscape of your competitive market helps grocers tremendously when marking items and increasing efficiencies across the board. Grocers who are armed with the proper tools to identify inventory, competitively price products, update old technology and maintain labor costs will ultimately win the battle.