Professional & Business Services

GUAYNABO – November 14, 2026 -- Some 37% of U.S. workers say a potential employer contacted a former manager or coworker they had not listed as a reference, according to the Professional References Report from resume builder Zety. Applied to the 1,007 respondents, that works out to roughly 373 people. By comparison, only 15% say their listed references were contacted every time they were hired.

Fewer than one in six workers say listed references are always called

Of the respondents, 47% say their references were contacted sometimes and 38% say rarely or never. By our calculation, 85% say listed references were not called every time. The 37% reporting backdoor contact is about 2.5 times the 15% reporting consistent calls to listed names.

PHOENIX -- November 13, 2026 -- ISSA Career Connect, the career platform of the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), tripled its membership from 5,000 to 15,000 students and graduates between October 2025 and October 2026, the company said. Over the same period the number of hiring partners rose from 116 to 317 employers, an increase of about 173% by our calculation.

The platform was named a finalist for App of the Year in the 2026 Beyond Activ Americas Awards of Excellence. Finalists were recognized at Beyond Activ Americas in Dallas on Nov. 12. The release does not say who won.

Employer growth trails member growth, while brand and location reach more than doubles

Membership grew 200% against 173% for employers. That lifts the ratio from about 43 members per employer (5,000 to 116) to about 47 (15,000 to 317).

BERLIN – November 13, 2026 -- Employee criticism of a company Christmas gift can point to wider dissatisfaction at work, according to occupational psychologist Tosca Gort, founder of GORTcoaching. She made the comment in interviews conducted by Loopper, a gifting provider whose customers are employers.

Gort says strong frustration over a gift probably means something else is wrong, such as pay, job tasks, colleagues or commuting time. Nicol Tadema, a speaker and author on employee satisfaction, makes a similar point. She says a cheaper, personal gift can leave a stronger impression than a large or luxurious one. A big December gift after a year of little recognition "will not go down well", she says.

PINEHURST, N.C. -- November 12, 2026 -- The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded Veterans Guardian VA Claim Consulting a 2026 Gold HIRE Vets Medallion Award, the company said. The company says it has won the medallion every year since 2019, which works out to eight consecutive awards through 2026 by FairsOnline's calculation.

The company describes the HIRE Vets Medallion as the only federal award honoring employers for recruiting, employing and supporting veterans. It says the Gold tier goes to employers that also back veterans' career development, not only hiring.

CEO and founder Scott Greenblatt, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, says the firm has worked to support veterans moving into civilian careers since 2019. The award covers Veterans Guardian's employment practices. It is separate from the company's core business of helping veterans pursue VA disability claims.

MILWAUKEE – November 13, 2026 -- Advisers at Wipfli have set out four enterprise risk priorities for the next 90 days, starting with a check of the five performance reports leaders rely on most. The recommendations come from a Wipfli leadership panel that treats AI adoption, cybersecurity and data risk as one enterprise risk problem rather than separate silos.

The first priority is data: confirm the sources behind those five reports and agree on metric definitions. The second is cybersecurity. Panelists named four baseline controls: multifactor authentication, advanced endpoint detection, employee training and tested backups. Organizations that already have them should validate them through penetration testing and social engineering exercises. The third is a review of critical business processes, to find what could block major initiatives. The fourth is aligning risk tolerance and planning with business objectives.

Toronto – November 12, 2026 -- HR research and advisory firm McLean & Company has released a three-part research package that helps HR and learning and development (L&D) leaders decide whether to optimize, augment or replace their learning technology. The firm says only a small share of organizations have formal strategies covering both learning priorities and learning technology.

McLean & Company bundles strategy, selection and market guides in one package

The Optimize Your Learning Technology package contains three standalone resources: the Learning Technology Strategy Guide, the Learning Technology Selection Guide and the Learning Technology Market Guide. Leaders can use them according to their starting point rather than in a required sequence.

Zurich – November 12, 2026 -- Adecco Group lifted EBITA excluding one-offs by 10% year on year to €213 million, with the margin up 20 basis points to 3.6%, as organic revenue grew 3.7% on a TDA basis. The company published the figures in an ad hoc announcement under Art. 53 of the SIX Swiss Exchange Listing Rules.

Americas growth of 9% leads Adecco's regional gains

The Adecco business grew 4.7% year on year. Americas rose 9%, EMEA excluding France 8% and APAC 5%.

Akkodis was flat. LHH grew 1%, with Professional Recruitment Solutions up 6%. Flexible placement maintained its growth momentum, and permanent placement returned to growth.

Operating leverage lifts EBITA margin despite a 30 bp gross margin decline

Gross margin came in at 18.9%, down 30 basis points year on year and up 30 basis points quarter on quarter. Adecco attributed the movement to mix and firm pricing.

NEW YORK – November 12, 2026 -- Kroll has launched the Kroll Geoeconomic Risk Index (GRI), which stands at 70.9 on a 0–100 scale, well above its historical median of 50 and indicating significantly heightened geoeconomic pressure.

Index rose 3.2 points in a month after U.S. midterm elections

The GRI read 70.9 on 9 November 2026, up from 67.7 in October. Kroll attributes the increase to heightened market-implied risk adding to persistent energy pressure following the U.S. midterm elections.

Geopolitical, trade, commodity and energy pressures remain elevated, while broader financial conditions have so far been less affected, according to Kroll. Financial-market volatility after the elections sharpens the question of whether repricing stays contained or begins to affect credit conditions, investment plans and project delivery.

Orange County – November 10, 2026 -- KLC Leadership Advisory is offering a six-week live virtual program, Aesthetic Business School (ABS), to help female aesthetics and wellness practice owners build and lead multimillion-dollar companies.

ABS targets the shift from practitioner to CEO

The curriculum addresses owners who built their practices as practitioners and now must run them as companies. Core disciplines are financial performance, team productivity, leadership and accountability, operational systems, patient growth and strategic planning.

Participants attend live group sessions, receive private coaching and apply the material to their own businesses through guided implementation.

CHICAGO – November 10, 2026 -- LaSalle Network has rebranded as LaSalle Intelligent Solutions, adding AI advisory and outcome-led professional services to a recruiting and staffing business that has placed more than 130,000 professionals since 1998.

Firm organizes services across eight vertical markets

The Chicago-based company now structures its expertise around eight verticals: technology, engineering, accounting and finance, sales and marketing, supply chain, life sciences, professional services, and human resources and operations. The rebrand comes with a new logo, a new visual identity and a redesigned website.

LaSalle says its client base exceeds 15,000 companies. It operates from Chicago, with offices in Schaumburg, Dallas and Nashville.