This time next week the roads in and around Philadelphia will be packed with school buses, creating heavier traffic and longer commute times. The streets near our office will be teeming with students who attend the myriad of neighborhood middle schools, high schools, and community college. It is, as an office supply store used to comically quip in their advertisements, the most wonderful time of the year for parents: back to school.

Our weekly editorial meetings typically start off with some small talk. Some of the contributors are parents, so for them, back to school comes with some necessary responsibilities. Naturally, the conversation recently turned to some of those anecdotes. The discussion then shifted to what this time of year really means. Across the board, the common theme was that it typically is seen as the time to get back to the basics.

For students and parents alike, leading up to the first day of school frequently means taking inventory of the summer time status quo in order to determine what needs to be realigned to get back to the simple day-to-day basics that help get the school year off to a good start. I know enough teachers to understand that this is a reality of their preparation as well.

Before we knew it, the conversation slipped into what basics needed to be returned to in the world of hiring staff and managing talent. So today I introduce you to another new series, "Back to school: Evaluating the basics of hiring, staffing, and supplying talent."

The series will offer perspectives from those working with suppliers of temporary talent, hiring managers, and human resources, to name a few. By offering some recommendations for squaring away the basics, we hope to get your school year off to a great start.