How do we know if incentives are powerful motivators or foolish "tricks of the trade"?

Last year, it seemed the notion of "at least you still have a job" was actually part of the messaging on which the low increases were tempered. This year, however, with the economy at least showing tepid signs of recovery, that may not be enough to keep workers motivated and engaged.

When Rich DeMatteo -- the creator of the job search, recruiting and HR blog Corn On The Job -- approached me months ago to write a few hundred words for him and Penelope Trunk at the Brazen Careerist about career advice and "what I knew about getting a job" I thought: Right on.

What I submitted ended up being unconventional anecdotal advice, but for someone who grew up channeling the middle-of-the-road spirit of Richie Cunningham, sometimes I like to surprise, be giddy and cut to the left.

My advice became associated with 17 other smarter folk than me in an eBook titled: What I Know About Getting A Job - Advice from the Top Bloggers in Human Resources. It's free to download, so please, be my guest.

It's a great read full of multifaceted gems. Here are a few:

• The best thing you can do for your career after your education is to get a strong set of mentors.
• Know your destination and pursue it with complete abandon.
• There’s a really old saying “you’re network is your net worth.” It’s true.
• Do people respect you? Listen to you? Do your actions matter in this world? A job is what you do with your down time. Answering those questions will set you free.
• So when you choose your career path, above all choose one that will make you happy. Don’t settle for anything less.
• Be different and be distinct. Leave the gimmicks behind. It all comes down to you.
• It is possible to love your job, respect your employer, feel valued, and do work you care about. Promise.
• If your career provides the income and flexibility to pursue your real passions, then you’re in brilliant shape.

No, I didn't quote myself (wink).

A brief note on the first one, which was Penelope Trunk's advice: It's critical to have a strong set of mentors.

They can come in the form of a formal mentorship program at school or work, or they can be informal mentors, those guides and muses in your life you've grown close to and whose "life" advice is invaluable, a few of which for me are included in this eBook.

True, work can and should hold meaning for you, but it can also be callous and transitory.

Your mentors are a special lot; keep them close to your heart and let them know how much they mean to you.

And become one someday.

"A spirit with a vision is a dream with a mission." ~Neil Peart

Post by Kevin W. Grossman (join me on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn - and now join HRmarketer on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn!)

Somehow or another I have been blissfully unaware of Cleveland Cavaliers basketball until this point in my life.

Just when you think you have heard and seen it all. Of course, with the Govenator making his grand entrance into the world of compensation, all bets are off.

My buddy Chris Ferdinandi and I chat throughout the day about what’s going in HR, social media and the world. Now I don’t know about anybody else but I work from home. So I’ve got a crew of co-workers, colleagues and friends that I keep in touch with throughout the week. Chris is on that list for sure.

We always talk about ways to simplify processes, explanations and solutions. The fight for simplicity is difficult though because you’re not only fighting against people who have skin in making things more complicated, you’re also fighting against your own natural tendency to make things more difficult than they deserve.

So I’ll tell someone that being great in HR is really simple. If you have great talent, get out of their way. If you don’t, fix it or get out.

And then someone will ask me how do they get out of their no-win scenario using these principles. Like it’s a game of stump me or something. Look, if you have a situation that is going to suck no matter what, pick a side and move on.

And people will ask me how to start a blog. So I’ll tell them pick a platform, write and connect with people who write about the same things as you.

Then someone will ask me about SEO and specific platforms and comment systems and how to set strategy?

Someone will ask me the best way to do a resume. I’ll tell them to compel the company to hire you by aligning your traits and skills with their need.

But then they will ask me about cover letters or typos. How many jobs or pages should it be?

Or someone asks me how to use Twitter. So I’ll tell them to start an account, start tweeting and following other people who you think are interesting.

Questions are asked about timing, how often, how much, retweets and…

Step back for a second.

Figure out what works for you and do it. If that doesn’t work, try something else. Or don’t.

There’s no set of “best practices” for your life. Stop over-complicating things and just live a bit.

To all who succumb to the occasional sin of looking down our nose smugly at other cultures whose norms and institutions may at times appear super-righteous or simply peculiar we need to simply look in the mirror.

The profession has long aspired to a strategic business partner role with the proverbial seat at the table. Perhaps, now is the time to declare victory and set new goals?

Seems compensation is again connected straight-line to another disaster.

The success of professional networking sites reflect the fact that today our culture is one where people's affiliation is primarily directed towards their profession and, at best, is secondarily oriented towards their organization. The implications are profound.