See a New Twist on Job Descriptions
Tuesday January 31, 2012
Readers ask frequently whether employees need job descriptions or if they have become such a legal mine field that we are best off forgetting about them. I am a firm ... Read More
Need Phrases for Performance Reviews and Other Difficult Conversations?
Tuesday January 31, 2012
Does it seem sometimes that you need a whole different language for talking with employees during a less-than-outstanding performance review? The myriad conversations that you participate in during the course ... Read More
How to Welcome New Employees With a Letter
Monday January 30, 2012
After an applicant accepts your job offer and before the new employee starts at your company, you have an opportunity to enhance the relationship before the new employee even starts ... Read More
How to Resign From Your Job
Monday January 30, 2012
Think resigning from your job is easy? Just drop that resignation letter off on the boss's desk, and you're home free. Sure, you can resign from your job that way, ... Read More
Are You Hiring Superior Employees?
Sunday January 29, 2012
Probably not. And, if not, why not? You win some, you lose some, and some days, it rains, or snows, as the case may be. Most organizations are not hiring ... Read More
Try Learning at a Brown Bag Lunch
Saturday January 28, 2012
Do you take advantage of inexpensive, team building and morale boosting opportunities to help your employees adopt a continuous learning mindset? One of the hallmarks of learning organizations, employers can ... Read More
Create Value With Human Resource Measures
Saturday January 28, 2012
Are you interested in how to measure the impact of Human Resources leadership, management, actions, policies, and assistance in your organization? You should be so that your organization understands your ... Read More
Want Powerful On-the-Job Training?
Friday January 27, 2012
Explore the power of on-the-job training to enhance employee development in your organization. Use job shadowing as a significant component in on-the-job training, too.
Probably because I was a jointly-appointed training ... Read More
Interview Questions for Employers to Ask
Thursday January 26, 2012
Have you ever wanted sample job interview questions that you can ask prospective employees? These sample interview questions for employers to ask candidates focus on various skills and attributes that ... Read More
The Best Perks Are Free
Wednesday January 25, 2012
What employee benefits do employees really value? The best perks do not have to cost the employer any money at all.
For example, the newest generation of employees, the millennials, in ... Read More
Make the Super Bowl a Workplace Win
Wednesday January 25, 2012
Ready for Super Bowl Monday? Think creatively about what you can do to harness and capitalize on the Super Bowl's impact on your workplace. You can make the Super Bowl ... Read More
Do Your Job - Despite the Threat of Lawsuits
Tuesday January 24, 2012
The Wall Street Journal made several key points I'd like to share. Fear of losing costly lawsuits is making employers hesitant to fire employees who are underperforming.
And, human resources professionals, ... Read More
Why Goal Setting Fails
Tuesday January 24, 2012
Have goals? Still sticking with your New Year's resolutions? How are you or your organization doing with them so far this year? Goals are a powerful force for good when ... Read More
Need Job Descriptions?
Monday January 23, 2012
Are you interested in free, sample job descriptions? I've developed quite a few for the site that deal with Human Resources jobs. Recently, I added a generic manager's job description ... Read More
How to Deal With a Snow Day?
Monday January 23, 2012
Ready for the next big snow storm? I am. But, they've been few and far between this year. Today it's raining and last night we had a thunder storm. Winter, ... Read More
Who Knew?
Sunday January 22, 2012
This weekend finds me still working on simple, basic information for the HR site. People new to HR, starting to hire their first few employees, or just looking for an ... Read More
Are You Weary?
Sunday January 22, 2012
Feeling weary? No matter how much you love your job, love your employer, or love your life - or not - you may sometimes feel weary. It's okay to feel ... Read More
Want a Human Resource Job?
Saturday January 21, 2012
Lately, my email overflows with questions from people who want to find a Human Resource job or transition to an HR career.
So, today, I'll run through the resources that I ... Read More
How to Deal With Everyday People
Saturday January 21, 2012
I write a lot about how to deal with difficult people at work. The website also overflows with information about how to deal with bad bosses. Readers make more comments ... Read More
Ensure Great Hires
Friday January 20, 2012
If you've read this site for any time at all, you know that I am a big fan of identifying the characteristics, traits, skills, and experience necessary to perform the ... Read More
Your Worst Job - Ever?
Thursday January 19, 2012
Some of you said that what didn't kill you, made you strong or a better person. Others said, "Despite the fact that this was no doubt a character-building experience, if ... Read More
Stop Destroying Motivation
Thursday January 19, 2012
Looking for ways to keep work from destroying motivation? It's so easy to puncture an employee's balloon. Yet, the consequences are devastating for your workplace.
It's true that employees are primarily ... Read More
What's in an Employee Personnel File?
Wednesday January 18, 2012
What Is Employee Documentation?
I-9 Files Contents
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Time to Say Good-Bye?
Wednesday January 18, 2012
Is it time for you to say good-bye? I'm working on employment resignation this week since I've seen an amazing uptick in interest from my readers over the holidays.
Suddenly, ... Read More
Best Practices With Interns
Tuesday January 17, 2012
I've worked with interns for a number of years and have some strong opinions about how you can effectively use interns in your business. I have equally strong opinions about ... Read More
Can Favorite Color Determine Your Career?
Tuesday January 17, 2012
Come savor a cup of hot coffee or tea with me today. I found a fun quiz at AOL that uses color choices to predict potential careers for you. I ... Read More
How to Implement Job Expectations and Career Development Plans
Monday January 16, 2012
Interested in ideas about how to improve employee performance and professional development? Our company is transitioning into a new way to communicate expectations, encourage employee professional and career development, and ... Read More
What's Key to Improve Employee Satisfaction and Engagement?
Monday January 16, 2012
Think your employees are satisfied with their jobs and their career development opportunities? According to the 2011 Job Satisfaction and Engagement Research Report, published by the Society for Human ... Read More
You Can Ask for a Raise
Sunday January 15, 2012
Want to ask for a raise? You can ask for a raise with these tips. As you know, I periodically feature reader questions that are relevant for all. ... Read More
Where Are the Good HR Candidates?
Saturday January 14, 2012
The past few years have brought challenges at several client organizations when they were hiring Human Resources staff. Perhaps my expectations were too high - and this is a ... Read More
Got a Mentor? You Are Blessed
Saturday January 14, 2012
Mentoring people has been one of the joys of my past twenty years of work. There is nothing quite as special as watching individuals grow their capabilities, outlook, goals, and ... Read More
Do Job Descriptions Matter?
Friday January 13, 2012
The process of developing a job description helps you articulate the most important outcomes you need from an employee performing a particular job.
A job description is also a communication ... Read More
Write a Meaningful Recommendation Letter
Friday January 13, 2012
I'm not a big fan of employer-provided recommendation letters for employees. As a prospective employer, I would much rather talk with the applicant's manager than read a letter. Maybe ... Read More
Do You Ask Odd Interview Questions?
Thursday January 12, 2012
Do you ask your candidates unusual interview questions? If you do, you'd be among a growing number of organizations that have developed surprising interview questions to ask their applicants. You're ... Read More
Are HR Staff - Professionals?
Wednesday January 11, 2012
Readers continue to ask interesting questions. I'd sure like to know how you'd respond to this question.
Reader Question: I'm looking for some help in answering a question. I'm new to ... Read More
Color Me Purple Team Building Icebreaker
Wednesday January 11, 2012
Need an always successful, interesting, yet personality revealing, icebreaker for teambuilding sessions? In a team building exercise I have used for years, participants are asked to name their favorite color. ... Read More
Seek Relevance: Anticipate Organization Needs
Tuesday January 10, 2012
Teambuilding remains a tough topic in most organizations. You want team mates comfortably interacting. But, you also want the teamwork and teams supporting your organization's desired culture and team ... Read More
How You Treat Employees Really Matters
Tuesday January 10, 2012
Employers have had to make some tough choices over the past couple of years - and more tough times continue. Employees are generally forgiving of cost cuts when they are ... Read More
Ready for the Talent Shortage?
Monday January 9, 2012
Are you interested in Human Resources information from a global perspective? I've had several notes from people working in multinational corporations asking me to emphasize global issues more frequently. So, ... Read More
Share Vision, Optimism, and Purpose-Driven Goals
Sunday January 8, 2012
What can managers do to motivate employees? The reality, when you talk about how to motivate employees, is that employees are motivated. The manager's challenge is to figure out how ... Read More
Is It My Job to Fire Employees?
Sunday January 8, 2012
Nothing is as confusing to many readers than the parameters and responsibilities of the role of HR staff. I receive frequent questions that tell me that the HR person's organization ... Read More
Never Blind-Side the Boss
Saturday January 7, 2012
Questions about how much autonomy a team should have in implementing its ideas come up with every team you form. This is one of the toughest questions to answer which ... Read More
Your Favorites from December
Saturday January 7, 2012
We're one week into the New Year. How exciting. I am making progress on this year's goals - at least I am still working on them. The parking lots at ... Read More
Hear That Whooshing Sound?
Friday January 6, 2012
Hear that whooshing sound? It's the sound of your plans and dreams, your hopes and schemes, your goals and resolutions passing by as you wallow in the quagmire of procrastination. ... Read More
In Your Personnel Files?
Friday January 6, 2012
Reader questions drive a lot of my work. That's how it should be - right? So, please keep them coming - I appreciate. Even more, I appreciate when you add ... Read More
What to Look for in Applicant Answers to Interview Questions
Thursday January 5, 2012
Looking for tips about how to interpret your applicant's answers to your interview questions?
Motivation ranks high as a desirable characteristic or attribute in the employees you hire. But, how do ... Read More
Manage a Deadbeat Employee?
Thursday January 5, 2012
If Wishes Were Horses...
Wednesday January 4, 2012
Make the Best Impression
Wednesday January 4, 2012
Your Tip of the Week for Success
Tuesday January 3, 2012
Looking for a way to bolster your spirits through the New Year? Here are positive thoughts, good ideas, thoughtful quotations, self-motivation ideas, working well with people tips, newsletter fillers, news ... Read More
Busy Celebrating? You May Have Missed...
Tuesday January 3, 2012
Welcome to the New Year. I do hope that you will have a wonderful New Year. I'm looking forward to all that we can do to transform workplaces in ... Read More
Want Empowered Employees?
Monday January 2, 2012
Looking for real management advice about people? Your goal is to create a work environment in which people are empowered, productive, contributing, and happy.
Don't hobble them by limiting their tools ... Read More
Top 10 Ways to Encourage Employee Work Balance
Monday January 2, 2012
It's not my job as an employer to help my employees balance their work with their life needs. It's the responsibility of the employees.
But, there are ways in which the ... Read More
Your Top 10 Resolutions
Sunday January 1, 2012
All of us have holiday traditions that bring us joy; I hope yours have fulfilled your expectations. Please accept my heartfelt wishes for a joyful, healthy, prosperous year full of ... Read More