BLR's New HR Website is Now "Like a Personal Assistant".

OLD SAYBROOK, Conn. -- For nearly a decade, human resource professionals have depended on the website, HR.BLR.com, created by Business & Legal Reports (BLR), to meet all their information needs. The site provides news on employment law compliance, along with forms, prewritten HR policies and training materials, and other essentials. But as with most Net-based information, users had to mold their needs to the way the website operated.

Now, that's no longer the case. Through a combination of improvements, HR.BLR.com is now customizable to the user's preferences, showing what's desired, not making the user plow through what's not--and even providing some of the information in audio.

"It's like a personal assistant now," said HR manager Amy Champlin who tested the new design. "You tell it how you want your information and it's there," she adds. The features Champlin refers to include the following:

--"Drag and Drop Widgets." The site's home page can now be set up to offer what's of most interest, in the placement order desired. "Just move the elements around, and lock in your preferences," explains BLR product manager Josh Baker. "HR.BLR.com will remember them whenever you login."

--Built-In Bookmarking. Users no longer need to store the features they use most in their "Favorites" file, available only on the computer that holds the file. Instead, the site now includes internal bookmarking, instantly available from any machine used.

--Digital Notes. Users can also wave goodbye to "sticky notes" on their monitor screens. HR.BLR.com now offers digital notes, attachable to any file or feature, and organized as the user chooses.

--Newsletter Wizard. Employee newsletters are an effective communications vehicle. But many professionals deny themselves this tool because of a perceived lack of publishing ability. "They no longer need it," says Baker. "We've included ready-to-use templates to quickly and easily create custom newsletters, in a flash."

--Audio Training Presentations. HR.BLR.com has long featured ready-to-present training meetings on harassment, FMLA, safety and other topics, in customizable PowerPoint[R] format. Now those meetings are in audio, with professional narration accompanying the slides.

HR.BLR.com is available on a free trial basis by logging on to http://HR.BLR.com/index.cfm?source=PRS&effort=118 or calling 800-727-5257. There is no obligation to purchase.

About BLR

For 30 years, BLR has provided books, newsletters and Web products serving professionals in human resources, compensation, safety and environmental management. For a catalog, call 800-727-5257 or visit www.blr.com.