Amy Nickson

"Red Flag Alert: How Not to be 'That Employer,'" June 16

Great start to a discussion, Natasha. Just as important as what the potential employer and potential employee do during the hiring process is what we do after. The transparently bad are easy to spot during the application and interview process; it's the ones that hide it all behind a curtain that make it tough.

So one key is to never be in the position to have to decipher that. A potential employee who does smart homework can easily in today's electronic world find employer red flags and avoid applying to those "opportunities."

The employer should take great pains to avoid being the organization with the red flags. Despite what some believe, high turnover is not just the nature of the business or the cost of doing business; it is a PRIMARY INDICATOR of a SERIOUS LEADERSHIP PROBLEM. That problem, when ignored or poorly acted upon, is deadly to the organization. It becomes not a matter of if but when.

Today's climate has changed. If you want to attract and keep top quality people, especially millennials and newer generations, you must develop a culture that is open and responsive. Smart, effective people know they are in demand and can go anywhere. You must make sure that where they want to be is with you.

Paul Simkins

"Credit Unions Have a Perception Problem," June 19

Over decades working with credit unions, my biggest frustration was their unwillingness to confront the fact that most people do not know what they are and how they are different from banks.

I can't begin to estimate the number of times I've asked the simple question, "If the average consumer is not looking for CREDIT and not a member of a UNION, what would make them think of a CREDIT UNION instead of a bank?"

That question was invariably met with a bemused look and the recitation of the traditional credit union attributes, including friendliness, lower costs, etc.

jrwells5