We are aware that Telework has moved from being a "nice to have" to a business necessity. Return on investment can be measured in thousands of dollars when you realize the savings in recruiting, retention, real estate, and productivity. But managers and supervisors are the ones who have to implement new business practices while continuing to oversee challenging workloads. What's the best way to address their concerns?

This highly interactive and practical session is for anyone who is interested in exploring the value, opportunities, and challenges of leading a distributed workforce - whether it's "business as usual" or "business continuity."

Successful managers network 70% more than unsuccessful ones, according to Deloitte Research. How about you? In a recent study by Contacts Count of 800 people, only 15% said, "Yes, I have the network I need to get the job done."How will building relationships internally and externally help you get stakeholders engaged, expand your influence, and shape the culture of your organization? Lynne Waymon, CEO and co-founder of Contacts Count, will show you how to activate your network so you can easily uncork bureaucratic bottlenecks, tune into the big picture, round up talent, expand your knowledge base, and become part of the "inner circle."

Creating a World-Class HR Department: Focus on Industry (Nonprofits/Associations, Corporations, Government Contractors)

In a competitive market where many organizations aspire be an 'employer of choice', how can you as an HR practitioner help to distinguish yourself as a leader among your peers? How does your organization's industry play a role in defining your position?

In this engaging half-day conference, spend some time focusing on your niche in the world! Alongside two inspiring breakfast and lunch keynote speakers, we will have 3 cutting-edge breakout sessions where you can hone your skills.

January's monthly chapter event featured three outstanding speakers, who provided an information packed update on current and pending legislation that should be on the radar screen of every HR professional in the DC metro area.

Strong “Approval” Ratings: Attendees gave the jam-packed luncheon program a strong evaluation (4 on a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 is the highest rating), citing the meeting as “informative” and speakers as “easy to understand… explained (complex) bills and legislation well”.

The Upcoming Events page on our website shows the next five HRA-NCA sponsored events and the next five non HRA- NCA events that may be of interest to you. One of the more recent additions is "SHRM's Global Certification Prep Course" on March 5, 2008. Do you have an event to submit? Send them to Communications@hra- nca.org.

In 2005, the Foundation introduced a new DVD entitled Fueling the Talent Engine: Finding and Keeping High Performers. This case study of Yahoo Inc. demonstrates strategic HR in action. Through a series of interviews with senior Yahoo executives, the video explains how Yahoo's talent management strategy builds competitive advantage for the organization.

The DVD includes a bonus discussion guide and a PowerPoint presentation on the organization. This is an ideal resource for professional development, chapter programming and academic settings. Subtitles are included in Spanish, Japanese and Chinese. The DVD is available from the SHRM Store. This educational product was made possible by your generous donations to the SHRM Foundation.

The SHRM Foundation: 40 Years of Advancing the HR Profession

In each E-newsletter edition, HRA-NCA provides kudos to our newest members, our renewing veteran members, and our members who have accepted new positions or gained new credentials. As our association celebrates its 63rd year, we are very proud to announce that our mega-chapter is growing at a record pace! The continued support of all of our members and volunteers make us one of the largest local SHRM chapters. Congratulations to each member of HRA-NCA, whose contributions collectively emphasize our chapter values of "Connect, Support and Grow!"

Read the complete list here...

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 website home page. Keep your membership record up-to-date so we don't lose touch!

Please remember to update your HRA-NCA web profile should you move or change jobs.

HRA-NCA invites organizations to sponsor our newsletter - or any of the following: monthly speaker presentations, our website, special events, etc. Interested? Contact Chris Cramer, HRA-NCA's PR & Sponsorship Chair, or access our information on the website. For this issue, sincere thanks to the following sponsor.

FREE Posting and Pre-Screening Service for Non-exempt Jobs

A community-based 501(c)(3) organization, WORC assists Greater Washington's diverse population in finding jobs that can lead to sustainable careers. WORC serves as an employee referral agent between employers in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia and our region's workforce development organizations.

• WORC distributes a weekly eNewsletter, the WORC Job Board, to over 600 workforce development professionals. It contains hundreds of job openings for non-exempt positions.
• WORC collaborates with the area's workforce development organizations to identify and screen resumes - ensuring that qualified applicants are referred to hiring managers.

- 1 out of every 4 resumes referred to an employer by WORC receives an interview.
- 88% of WORC-referred individuals are still employed.

Are you looking to access a pool of qualified, pre-screened employee candidates? Please contact David Remick at 703-769-3712 or remick@worconline.org.

Visit WORC at www.worconline.org.