DirectEmployers Blog
DE Talk Unplugged: Strategies for Disability-Driven Innovation & Growth
With National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) recently coming to a close, we reflect on this year’s theme, ‘Celebrating Value and Talent’. After all, individuals with disabilities are more than a compliance requirement. Each talented individuals brings...
Recapping SHRM Blueprint: Conversation, Cohorts & A Reminder to Stay Curious
The phrase, “The only constant is change,” couldn’t ring truer for 2025. Since January 21st, federal contractors have experienced unprecedented change that’s impacted the hiring landscape unlike any year before it, beginning with the Executive Order 14173, which...
Beyond the Headlines: Conducting Empathetic and Strategic Employee Separations
Employee separation, particularly a reduction in force (RIF), is one of the toughest responsibilities for any HR or business leader. Even though 40% of Americans have been laid off or terminated at some point in their career, many organizations still struggle to...
DE Talk Unplugged: Your Role in a Disability Inclusive Culture, No Matter Your Title
When it comes to recruiting, hiring, and retaining individuals with disabilities, most of the work happens in the middle. After onboarding, do your processes, communities, or culture make your employees feel a sense of belonging? Regardless of your title, everyone...
How Are Some of the Nation’s Top Employers Using AI in Recruitment?
In today’s technologically dependent world, you’re hard pressed to go a day without using some form of AI–even if you don’t realize it. And while workplaces strive to work more efficiently, you may find your teams consciously implementing AI into your daily processes....
DE Talk Unplugged | Labor Law Poster Compliance: What Every Employer Must Know
Labor law posters are one of those things you can order once, stick to the break room wall and forget about, right? In this episode of the DE Talk podcast, Al Contrera and Ed Buenaventura from the Labor Law Center set the story straight by discussing both federal and...
Ashley Romanias to Step in as Director of OFCCP Upon Catherine Eschbach’s Departure
While no official announcement has been made by the U.S. Department of Labor on her departure, reports are making their way through the regulatory sphere that Catherine Eschbach is leaving the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), where she has...
DE Talk Unplugged | AI & Early Talent Hiring Trends with NACE
What is the outlook for entry-level candidates in the workforce? We recently kicked off season seven of the DE Talk podcast with a conversation with Shawn VanDerziel, President & CEO of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), to discuss the...
Federal Contractor Regulatory Review: 2025 Highlights from January’s EO 11246 Rescission to July’s NPRMs Affecting Section 503 & VEVRAA
Federal contractors have navigated a turbulent regulatory landscape throughout 2025, starting with significant policy shifts as the Trump Administration re-entered the White House in January. For federal contractors subject to Office of Federal Contract Compliance...
Senate Confirms EEOC Acting Chair Andrea Lucas for Second Term
On Thursday, July 31st, the U.S. Senate confirmed Andrea Lucas for her second term as Acting Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in a vote of 52-45 (see full press release). Lucas was originally appointed by Trump in 2020 where she served as a...