Don't plan on hiring an onboarding specialist? Here are ideas for a great start from consultants who help senior executives switch into new jobs:

It's never easy, but James M. Citrin, a senior director at executive search firm Spencer Stuart and co-author of You’re in Charge
—Now What?, offers four guidelines:

BusinessWeek talks to Bill Gates as his "final" day at Microsoft approaches

Ten things to do now to help keep your job in this tough market—and 10 tips for getting job-search ready (just in case)

See the expanded version of BusinessWeek's exclusive listing of the world's top executive recruiters

Reviews are time-consuming, bureaucratic, and stressful for everyone. Here's how to put the performance back into the process

Creating consistently good customer experiences is one of the hardest tasks in business. Here are ideas from our winners

Founder Reed Hastings keeps the troops motivated with hefty compensation and luxe perks, including lots of time off

To lure and keep young talent when cash is tight, companies of all stripes are appealing to Gen Yers' ambitions for speedy advancement—and their desire to do good while doing well

Thomas B. Gilliam, co-author of Move It. Lose It. Live Healthy: Achieve a Healthier Workplace One Employee at a Time, shares five tips.