With the Super Bowl matchup set, serious fans will be poring over all kinds of statistics for clues as to who will claim the Lombardi Trophy on Feb. 5.  But a RiseSmart analysis shows that one of the most accurate predictors for the past two decades has come from an unlikely source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment data.

Recruiting out-of-town job candidates is tougher than ever. Plenty of talented people are feeling unable to relocate, and recruiting failures can hammer budgets that are already tight. That’s why more companies are responding with a new benefit to attract recruits: spousal outplacement.

One of the most difficult situations for an HR manager is when an employee says he or she is going through a personal crisis. While the situation differs for each employee, there are ways to handle all employee crises with skill, empathy and respect.

1. Have a plan in place

It’s been an exciting year here at RiseSmart, as we’ve received a significant amount of industry recognition for our innovative, cloud-based outplacement solution.

The most recent addition to the list of honors for 2011 is from the U.S. Commerce Association, which named RiseSmart its Best of San Jose Award winner in the Professional Services category.

Other awards given to RiseSmart this year include:

Red Herring Global Top 100 Award

Managers planning a reduction in force often face a stressful, even emotional, period. They must balance their allegiance to the company with their feelings – positive and negative -- toward departing employees. In that sometimes supercharged atmosphere, managers make decisions that can have significant impacts on the bottom line. Among them is how much to spend on a severance package. 

In arriving at that number, managers must weigh an imposing number of considerations. But the process can be made smoother if they focus on these four ways to avoid overspending on severance pay: