So when Orlando staffing firm Kavaliro saw the 60 Minutes documentary on the homeless situation in Central Florida, a piece that made 60 Minutes history, it made a commitment to help feed the hungry within the community. The firm partnered with Stenstrom Elementary and Casselberry Elementary in support of their Backpack Program and through the last four food drives collected more than 14,000 food items.

Each quarter the “Kavaliro: Fueling the Community” food drive asks clients, friends and other local businesses to participate. This quarter the drive collected 4,000 food items to donate to the struggling families – doubling what it collected from last quarter’s drive.

The program benefits students who receive free or reduced lunch or families facing financial difficulties. Each Friday backpacks are filled at the school with nutritious food to be sent home with the students, providing 10 to 15 needful families with two breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners for the weekend. The empty backpacks are returned the following Monday to be refilled for other families. Because the need is so great, the families rotate each week.

Just this year alone, the program collected peanut butter, jelly, mac & cheese, pasta sauce, pasta, tuna, cereal, pop tarts and other miscellaneous items, all staples on the Backpack Program needs list.

“The 60 Minutes story moved all of us here at Kavaliro so much that we just knew we had to help in some capacity,” said Lisa Moore, community relations director at Kavaliro. “Being that commitment is one of our core values, we are taking this opportunity to make a difference, and we encourage other Central Florida businesses to do the same.”

In the article, Spitz says temporary staffing allows a company to staff for peak need while providing the flexibility for letting those people go when they no longer need them.

“When some companies have an increase in workflow, they are afraid to hire,” he says in the article. “So they ask their existing employees to do extra work and sometimes work overtime. Partnering with a staffing agency to bring in temporary workers can help avoid burnout among your employees, improving their overall productivity and allowing them to continue to focus on their main job tasks.”

To read the entire article, which includes other ways temporary staffing firms help businesses that you can communicate to your existing or potential clients, click here.

“We’re starting to see (candidates) open up the job search to make sure they find the right position,” Janette Marx of staffing firm Adecco says in the article.

However, the movement still isn’t up to pre-recession numbers, according to the article. In the 12 months from March 2010 to March 2011, 4.8 million, or 1.6 percent of Americans, moved to a different state, up from 4.3 million the previous 12 months, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. As a comparison, in 2002, 7.6 million people moved between states.

For more information, read the entire article by clicking here.

A major overlooked expense is taxes, Steven Hagen, international tax attorney at Harper Meyer in Miami, says in the article.

“U.S. businesses are generally taxable on their worldwide income. Consequently, if they also have to pay tax on their income in the foreign country, they would have to pay tax there and here,” Steven Hagen, international tax attorney at Harper Meyer in Miami, advised in the article. “To avoid that, the U.S. gives U.S. businesses operating abroad a reduction against U.S. tax for the tax they pay abroad [the U.S. foreign tax credit]. However, there are many exceptions and hoops to jump through in order to qualify.”

For more international business tips, read the full article by clicking here.

The firm rated the top 12 cities to find an IT job in the current economic environment, with Houston topping the list for the second year in a row. They are:

1. Houston
2. Toronto, Ontario
3. Orlando, Fla.
4. San Francisco
5. Minneapolis
6. McLean, Va.
7. Walnut Creek, Calif.
8. Detroit
9. Jacksonville, Fla.
10. New York
11. Denver
12. Boston

“A strong, up-to-date IT infrastructure is crucial to businesses, and so with increased confidence in the economy, many companies are reinvesting in IT initiatives, beginning with talent,” said Jack Cullen, president of Modis. “Given the geographical spread of cities on this list as well as the breadth of skills needed, there is opportunity across North America for IT professionals who are looking to get ahead and further their careers.”

Twenty-seven percent of CIOs polled in a recent Robert Half Technology survey say their companies already offer a mobile app, while another 22 percent say they plan to offer one in 2012.

The survey was developed by Robert Half Technology, a leading provider of information technology professionals on a project and full-time basis. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with more than 1,400 CIOs from companies across the United States with 100 or more employees.

As mobile applications become more prevalent, there are many issues for the IT teams tasked with developing them. In the same survey, CIOs said the two greatest challenges for IT teams developing these applications are collaborating across departments (29 percent) and finding IT professionals with the skills to build them (28 percent).

“Building mobile applications requires intense collaboration between numerous groups within the organization, including marketing, IT, operations and sales,” said John Reed, executive director of Robert Half Technology. “It’s important for mobile application developers to have strong soft skills, in addition to the ability to write code and test and debug software applications.”

TheStreet, a digital financial media company, reports the four staffing stocks to watch:

• Robert Half International: Although the company didn’t take a deep hit during the recession, its revenues in 2010 and 2011 were less than those in 2006 and 2007. The improving economy can help Robert Half eventually get back to those pre-recession levels, especially as it is a vendor of choice for many companies.
• Manpower Group: The company’s shares decreased last summer, mainly because of its strong European presence. While European markets lag behind U.S. markets, they will ultimately see a similar improvement. Analysts predict Manpower’s EPS will decrease to about 5 percent this year but sharply improve after that.
• Kelly Services: Kelly is in transition as much of its work is transferring from temporary to permanent placements. As companies that have been relying heavily on temporary placements shift to more permanent placements, this will boost Kelly’s margins.
• On Assignment: A more conservative play, On Assignment provides staffing in health care, biotech research, engineering and other niches that aren’t economically sensitive. It has topped EPS estimates by at least 14 percent for four straight quarters and releases its recent numbers Feb. 14.

For more information on these stocks, read the full article by clicking here.

Areas of review include benefits, compensation, form review, hiring and orientation, job descriptions, performance evaluation processes, personnel file reviews and termination process and exit reviews, according to the article.

The audit should review each aspect of human resources in a checklist fashion to identify any problem areas, according to the article.

For more information on conducting an HR audit, read the full article by clicking here.

Franchisees pay a $35,000 franchising fee and sign a five-year agreement, according to the article. They participate in a discovery day at company headquarters, and then begin a three-week training program that includes two weeks of classroom training and one week in the field. It typically takes about a month between the time a franchisee signs a franchising agreement and the time the franchise’s doors open, according to the article.

For more information on Express Employment Professionals and its franchises, read the entire article by clicking here.

These statistics from a recent Accounting Principals survey show even the small things add up for consumers. So how can your company help your employees cut down on these expenses and keep them happy?

Twenty-five percent of Americans surveyed said the would like their company to invest in better vending machine snacks, and 22 percent would like their company to invest in better coffee in the office.

In addition, 46 percent of employees say their companies should invest in better office equipment, and 32 percent would like more comfortable office chairs, according to the survey.

“As the recovery gains momentum and companies look to attract and retain talent, they should consider worrying less about big-ticket discounts and focus instead on what will impact their employees’ happiness every day,” said Jodi Chavez, senior vice president at Accounting Principals. “Small improvements around the office, such as better equipment, food and drinks, can make a big difference in workers’ morale. After all it is often the little things in life that tend to make people the happiest.”