According to the Corporate Leadership Council, on average 50% of newly hired executives quit or were fired in the first three years! In addition, organizations are facing the retirement of significant numbers of Baby Boomers in the next few years and will have to replace and assimilate new employees into these roles.

Assimilating employees, managers, and executives can take years if done by waiting for the opportunities that provide business and cultural assimilation naturally in our complex organizations. Does an organization orient, on-board, assimilate, and/or immerse? Can you risk relying on engagement to happen organically? How many employees/ executives do you lose in the meantime? Join your colleagues to find out when and why each of these approaches is useful to your organization and receive best practices and models for implementing each in the new millennium organization.

"To err is human, but to forgive is divine." At one time or another, everyone makes a career mistake. In fact most CEOs will tell you, it's tough to get to the top without hitting some speed bumps along the way. Instead of letting blunders slow them down, high achievers analyze their setbacks and learn how to avoid them in the future.

This seminar will discuss the common mistakes people make at some point in their careers - and ways to avoid them. After all, managing your career is your responsibility. Michele Fantt Harris the Managing Director of Human Resources at the National Cooperative Bank will lead the discussion.

For more information, please contact Stephanie Simpson at (202) 220-0767 or via email at ssimpson@fmi.org.

The March 16th deadline is fast approaching to submit nominations for the 2007 HRA-NCA Strategic Business Awards. Nominations will be considered for the following categories:

• Effective Workforce Planning recognizing an innovative workforce planning program with a positive effect on the company's bottom line.
• Successful Worklife Strategies honoring a creative approach to work life strategies that both increase employee job satisfaction and have a positive effect on the company's financial returns.
• Excellence in Community Service recognizing an individual or company exemplifying community service as an important element of the organizations mission and serving as a positive example of social awareness.

Individuals or companies may be nominated for more than one award and self-nomination is permissible. All it takes to nominate someone (or yourself) for this recognition is a brief description of the individual, team, or project deserving of this honor. Awards will be presented April 26, 2007.

The 2007 HRA-NCA Compensation Survey and the 2007 Benefits Survey are now open. Participation information was e-mailed last week. If you did not receive an e-mail invite with your organization's login information, please go to the survey website and click on 'Forgot username and password' and your login will be e-mailed to you. Participation is free and convenient and all participants qualify for discounts when the surveys are released.

HRA-NCA has established a scholarship to recognize student merit, commitment, and contribution(s) to the field of Human Resource Management.

Award -- $1,500 check for tuition, fees and/or books, plus membership in HRA-NCA and meeting fees for the remainder of the academic year. Up to two scholarships may be awarded: one for an undergraduate student and one for a graduate student.

Requirements -- This competitive award program is open to all full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students (by nomination or self-election) majoring in Human Resource Management or a related area who have completed at least one-half of a relevant degree program at the time the scholarship is awarded and have at least one semester remaining.

APPLICATION DEADLINE - FRIDAY APRIL, 6 2007.

The 2007 Compensation and Benefits Surveys Job Matching Seminar Breakfast is this Thursday, March 15. Join us from 8:30am to 10:30am at the City Club of Washington D.C for this FREE event. This seminar will provide a general overview of how to participate in HRA-NCA's 2007 surveys by giving tips on matching your organization's jobs to the survey jobs. Other topics will include new enhancements to the web-based survey system and a review of policies and practices questions. Registration opens at 8am and Continental breakfast will be served. Attendance is FREE, but space is limited. Please register by calling (703) 451-0222 or at www.hra- nca.org/events.

Monica Dourado and Julie Perez are the recipients of the Spring 2007 certification scholarships awarded by HRA-NCA and Catholic University.

Monica has over six years of human resources experience and is currently a Senior HR Generalist with the International Foods Policy Research Institute. Julie has over 18 years of human resources experience and is currently serving as HR Manager with the National Council of La Raza. Both recipients are preparing for the PHR exam.

Congratulations to Monica and Julie!

You may look up these and other members' information in the HRA-NCA online membership directory, using various search categories. Log in through the "Member Login" on the HRA-NCA Web site home page. Keep your membership record up-to-date so we don't lose touch!

HRA-NCA Welcomes These New Members

HRA-NCA invites organizations to sponsor our newsletter - or any of the following: monthly speaker presentations, our Web site, special events, etc. Interested? Contact Tricia Riviere, HRA-NCA's PR & Sponsorship Chair, or access our information on the Web site.