The Digital Highway: Why HR Needs to Move Out of the Slow Lane (Wired): Legacy HR IT systems could be preventing companies from realizing competitive advantage through people. Digital technologies are changing the way employees find jobs, learn, and do their work—so HR needs to make digital a priority.

U.S. Workers Can’t Get No (Job) Satisfaction (Wall Street Journal): According to a new survey from the Conference Board, job satisfaction in the US has decreased significantly since 1987, when the survey was first conducted. While workers today are more satisfied with bonuses and flexible-work opportunities, they are less satisfied with job security, sick leave, and health coverage.

Temporary Jobs Are Canada’s Future: Report (Huffington Post): The practice of hiring contract workers is likely to pick up over the next few months in Canada, where the economic environment is unstable and employers can be fill jobs quickly without offering benefits or vacation time.

Indian workforce reports lowest employer loyalty in Asia: Report (The Economic Times – India): A recent study of employee engagement levels in India has highlighted the need for Indian companies to increase their efforts in that area. “When employees are effectively engaged—in alignment with corporate strategy—extraordinary performance advantages are achieved,” says Brad Adams, Head of HR Research in Asia at the Corporate Executive Board.

Obama Calls for Family-Friendly Workplace Policies (Wall Street Journal): At the White House Summit on Working Families, President Obama communicated his support for paid parental leave, noting that the US is the only developed country that does not offer paid maternity leave. The White House and the Labor Department are planning to fund paid-leave programs, but will likely struggle to find support from Congress.

Millennials want more out of work (Chicago Tribune): Popular opinion says easily bored Millennials choose meaningful work and flexibility over compensation, and that they change jobs much more frequently than older workers. (But our preliminary survey results suggest that the gap between what Millennials think and what others think may not be as wide as most believe.)

Retirement age of new Hong Kong civil servants to rise to 65 under new plans (South China Morning Post): In an effort to address the shrinking workforce, the retirement age for newly hired public sectors in Hong Kong will extend from 60 to 65.

Don’t Go to Work: The management scheme that lets workers do whatever they want, as long as they get things done. (Slate): Best Buy created what they call the Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE) in 2003, a model that gives employees complete autonomy, including the freedom to choose hours, vacation time, and even which meetings to attend. The retailer believes the ROWE not only improves employee satisfaction, but also leads to better business results for the company.

The key to employee engagement has less to do with management than you’d think (Fast Company): A recent study from Bain & Company says the employees who are least engaged are those who have the least control—and the most customer contact. What can executives do to make sure these employees are engaged and passing along that satisfaction to the customers?

The curious case of the missing Millennial workers (CNN Money): According to a recent Fortune report based on Bureau of Labor Statistics, roughly 10% of recent college graduates are neither in the workforce nor in school. While contract workers may account for part of this number, the trend may still present a challenge for companies looking to hire entry-level employees.

Kill the Cover Letter and Résumé (New York Magazine): New thinking suggests the traditional application packet—a cover letter and résumé—are major impediments to hiring diverse and skilled workforces, as recent research has exposed the bias that often creeps into a hiring manager’s review of the materials.