• Like flies to honey: Recruiters flock to freshly trained employees
  Employees who have just completed a professional development program often are vulnerable to being wooed away by other companies who see them as being more valuable because of their new skills and training, Josh Letourneau writes. Workers might be interested in leaving if they believe their current employer will now put back them in the "9 to 5 rat race like everyone else." Fistful of Talent (11/2)

• Charitable efforts lift employee morale, engagement
  Employee engagement and morale can be boosted when a company asks workers to use their specific skills to help with philanthropic efforts, writes Sylvia Ann Hewlett, the founding president of the Center for Work-Life Policy. Such efforts are especially key when a company has been rocked by bad press or tough economic times. HarvardBusiness.org/Winning the Talent War blog (10/30)

• Employers take steps to curb impact of H1N1 outbreak
  Companies such as Hormel Foods are cross-training workers in case the H1N1 flu virus infects a significant portion of their workforce at one time. Other strategies being used by employers include installing hand sanitizer, encouraging sick workers to stay home, disinfecting work stations and holding vaccination clinics. The Wall Street Journal (11/2)

• Put the smack down on idea thieves
  If a company wants a more collaborative and innovative workforce, it must ensure employees are not stealing the ideas of others and taking credit for them, Jared Shelly writes. An Office Team survey found nearly 30% of employees say a coworker has taken credit for their idea. Human resources should make it clear such a practice "is a serious offense." Human Resource Executive (11/2)

• The growing neurological diversity dilemma
  While employers should "bend and flex" to accommodate diversity, the question is whether they should give special consideration to the growing number of employees claiming neurological disabilities such as Asperger's syndrome. In reality, some might use these conditions as an excuse for poor performance or behavior. Sometimes "it's easier to be a victim than to take a deep dive into your psyche and hold yourself accountable," Laurie Ruettimann writes. Punk Rock HR (10/31)

• 3 ways to bring a project back from the dead
  If you decide to resurrect a failed project, figure out how much it will cost in terms of hours and resources; look at your past mistakes to figure out what you shouldn't do; and keep it simple so you can be flexible if things go wrong, Celine Roque advises. She also recommends never bring back a project "just because you have nothing better to do." Web Worker Daily (10/31)

• Risk some chutes if you want to move up the career ladder
  The most common career mistake managers make is they're too afraid to take a risk, so they take a job that doesn't allow them to really "make a difference," according to Steve Tobak. Don't stop reaching for new opportunities unless you know that you've "hit your limit" and seek input from mentors about accepting greater challenges. BNET/The Corner Office blog (10/30)

• Do you expect to hire more people in 2010 than in 2009?
  Look out for the SmartBrief on Workforce Year-End Report on Dec. 8 and 15. The results of this poll will appear in Part 2 on Dec. 15.

	Yes, but primarily due to business growth.
	Yes, but just to get back to staffing levels that we lost.
	No, we plan at staying at the same level.
	No, we are going to hire less than 2009.
	We don't know.

• World's largest rubber band ball rolls into museum
  The world's largest rubber band ball -- weighing 9,032 pounds and measuring 6 feet, 7 inches -- will go on display at an undetermined Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum. Joel Waul, 28, spent six years creating the ball that the Guinness Book of World Records declared the world's largest in 2008. CBS News/The Associated Press (10/30)

Top five news stories selected by SmartBrief on Workforce readers in the past week.

• 5 steps to being seen as a leader (CubeRules.com)

• Hostage negotiation tips for coping with a bad boss (Forbes)

• 3 tricks for refocusing distracted workers (HarvardBusiness.org)

• 7 methods for converting social media nonbelievers (Learning Putty blog)

• Letting your boss win and other career tips from "Star Wars" (CIO.com)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

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