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Most Recent Articles and Site Recommendations

Take a look to see what's new, interesting, and exciting at the About HR site. All new articles and site recommendations about human resources management, performance management, employee motivation, employee development, jobs, software, consulting, forms, training, policy and procedures, outsourcing and more, are here.
10 Tips for Dealing With Dificult People at Work
Difficult coworkers. In every workplace, you will have difficult coworkers. Dealing with difficult coworkers, bosses, customers, clients, and friends is an art worth perfecting. Dealing with difficult situations at work is challenging, yet rewarding. You can increase your skill at dealing with the difficult people who surround you in your work world. These tips will help you in dealing with diffi…
Open Enrollment – Key Points About Open Enrollment for Benefits
To get the most out of the open enrollment and their benefits, employees must fully understand the benefits their employer provides. To understand, they need to participate in the employer’s benefits education program which often occurs during the open enrollment time period. Information meetings by insurance professionals and comprehensive enrollment materials are key to providing employees the support they need to make informed benefit decisions. Find out about open enrollment.
Medicare Tax
The medicare tax is a payroll tax that must be withheld from an employee's paycheck by an employer. The medicare tax is one part of the employer's obligation to withhold FICA taxes which also include social security taxes. Employers pay a matching percentage of FICA taxes. Self-employed individuals pay the whole amount of medicare and social security taxes. Find out more about medicare taxes.
10 Tips for Hiring the Right Employee
Hiring the right employee is a challenging process. Hiring the wrong employee is expensive, costly to your work environment, and time consuming. Hiring the right employee, on the other hand, pays you back in employee productivity, a successful employment relationship, and a positive impact on your total work environment. Hiring the right employee is rewarding for your employees. Hiring the right …
How Do You Celebrate Holidays in Your Workplace?
Many workplaces celebrate annual holidays. Over time, as you celebrate annual holidays in your workplace, you form traditions and give employees fodder for stories about their workplace. These stories and the photos from the annual events help form the company culture, the environment you provide for people at work. Employees like to celebrate holidays in the workplace. If you involve them in cre…
Paths to Careers in Human Resources
People take many paths on their way to careers in Human Resources. Everyone has a story about how they planned for or transitioned into careers in Human Resources. Won’t you take a few minutes and share your path to a career in Human Resources? Careers in Human Resources are popular reading on this Human Resources site.
Readers Share Stories About Their Good Boss
Nothing gets people more worked up than sharing stories about bad bosses. Bad bosses are legend and they impact worldwide workplaces in ways that are tough to quantify. But, bad bosses are key to lower productivity, unmotivated employees, and a failure to retain employees. My good boss, on the other hand, provides an environment in which employees succeed because they are informed, excited, learn…
Office Party Blunders
I've covered the seven most common office party blunders. Now, your experience of office party blunders will be most interesting and illuminating for other readers. There are bad behavior blunders at the office party, but there are also missed networking and schmoozing opportunities at the office party. Share your experience.
Performance Improvement - Performance Improvement for Managers
You've worked hard to help a manager with performance improvement, but the manager is failing at your suggestions for performance improvement. At what point do you decide that you’ve had enough? The manager is not improving and, based on your coaching experience, you don’t have faith that they can or will. The manager’s potential to negatively impact other employees and your organization is…
Research Candidates Online - Do You Research Prospective Empl…
The use of social and professional networking sites online to research and background check prospective employees and employees is increasing. So is the use of search engines such as Google. And employers are making hiring decisions based on the information they find. Is this right? Or, is the practice discriminatory and unethical. Do you research candidates online? If so, how does the search add…
Speed Meeting Icebreaker
Looking for an icebreaker that will quickly allow your training session participants to meet fellow participants? Need an icebreaker that will warm up the group with action and movement? You’ve found the right icebreaker. This speed meeting icebreaker will accomplish both of these objectives.
Team Culture and Commitment
Commitment of team members to work together effectively to accomplish the goals of the team is a critical factor in team success. The relationships team members develop out of this commitment are key in team building and team success.
Team Culture and Context
Clear performance expectations are a critical factor in teamwork success. Whether your goal is to develop a project team, your departmental team, or a sense of teamwork company-wide, clear performance expectations support teamwork success. Use clear performance expectations to help your employees develop accountable, productive, meaningful, participatory teamwork.
What Is the U.S. Department of Labor?
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is the federal agency charged with promoting the best interests of wage earners, job searchers, and retirees. The DOL does this by: “improving their working conditions, advancing their opportunities for profitable employment, protecting their retirement and health care benefits, helping employers find workers, strengthening free collective bargaining, and tracking changes in employment, prices, and other national economic measurements.”
What Is the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)?
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is a federal government agency, founded by Congress in 1935. The primary responsibility of the NLRB is to administer the National Labor Relations Act. The Act is the main law governing relationships between unions and private sector employers.. The Act guarantees the right of employees to organize and bargain collectively with their employers.
Coaching: Use Employee Coaching to Improve Performance
The first step in any effort to improve employee performance is counseling or coaching. Counseling or coaching is part of the day-to-day interaction between a supervisor and an employee who reports to her, or an HR professional and line managers. Coaching often provides positive feedback about employee contributions. But, coaching also helps an employee improve performance.
Confidentiality Agreement
A confidentiality agreement is a written legal contract between an employer and employee. The confidentiality agreement lays out binding terms and conditions that prohibit the employee from disclosing company confidential and proprietary information. A confidentiality agreement is in effect for the duration of an employee’s employment and for a period of time following employment termination.
Manufacturing Dress Code
A collection of images displaying a Manufacturing Dress Code, including casual-type clothes to be worn in a light manufacturing or industrial work place.
Smart Casual Dress Code
A collection of images displaying a Smart Casual dress code, including a variety of different options for men and women in a Smart Casual workplace.
Non Disclosure Agreement
A non disclosure agreement is a written legal contract between an employer and employee. The non disclosure agreement lays out binding terms and conditions that prohibit the employee from disclosing company confidential and proprietary information. A non disclosure agreement is in effect for the duration of an employee’s employment and for a period of time following employment termination.
Non Compete Agreement
]A non compete agreement is a written legal contract between an employer and employee. The non compete agreement lays out binding terms and conditions about the employee’s ability to work in the same industry and with competing organizations upon employment termination from the current employer. Generally, the non-compete agreement states that the employee may not work for a competing firm for six months to two years following employment ending.
Clear Performance Expectations in Team Building
Clear performance expectations are a critical factor in teamwork success. Whether your goal is to develop a project team, your departmental team, or a sense of teamwork company-wide, clear performance expectations support teamwork success. Use clear performance expectations to help your employees develop accountable, productive, meaningful, participatory teamwork.
What Is Bullying?
Bullying at work is intentionally causing pain to or harming another employee. Bullying takes many forms: verbal abuse from swearing to belittling, physical abuse from standing too close in a threatening manner to punching, mental abuse from undermining a coworker’s work to keeping track of and reporting mistakes. Bullying is characterized by a lack of respect for a coworker. Bullying is sometimes obvious, but more subtle forms of bullying often cause the most damage.
Employment Contract
An employment contract is a written legal document lays out the terms and conditions of employment between an employee and an employer. An employment contract generally covers salary, benefits, paid holidays, paid vacation, paid time off (PTO), bonus potential, profit sharing, details of employment termination including reasons, severance package, and notice. An employment contract is written most frequently for high level jobs and by senior employees.
Please Don't Let HR Be Misunderstood
The most common email I receive recounts a Human Resources horror story. Employees tell me endless stories about how they were treated by their HR staff person. They describe HR officials as uncaring, incompetent, and clueless. They accuse HR staff of being out of touch with the needs of employees and favoring management and the company line over employee concerns.
How to Ask for a Pay Raise in a Tough Economy
How do you ask for a pay raise when your company has put most pay raises on hold this year? Or, what if your employer is offering a 2% pay raise across the board, and you believe you have earned more? The answer? It depends. If pay raises are on hold, keep in mind that you risk looking like you’re not a team player when you ask for a pay raise under those circumstances.
Meet and Greet Meeting Ice Breaker for Lunch
Here's a fun ice breaker that warms up a group and enables participants at a meal to get to know each other quickly. I usually recommend ice breakers that bring participants into discussion about the content of a training or team building session. But, there is a place for a fun lunch meeting ice breaker whose only purpose is to help session attendees know and appreciate each other.
Share Your Goals
You've set some goals. Please take a moment to share your current goals.
Have You Been Bullied or Witnessed Bullying at Work
Bullying ended on the middle school playground - right? Wrong. Bullying at work is a serious problem that 54 million Americans have experienced. Have you been bullied or witnessed another employee dealing with bullying at work? What happened and how did you respond to the bullying at work?
You Know You're in HR When...
Readers write to share the problems they experience with their HR department. The problems shared often involve a failure to communicate, a misunderstanding of employee confidentiality, or a less than satisfactory outcome in the mind of the person writing. Employees just don't get the multiple roles played by HR. Are you misunderstood, avoided, loved, feared?
Fire an Employee - What Is the Best Day to Fire an Employee and Why
Details employers have considered when firing an employee have changed in recent years due to online resources. Employers believed that it was unkind to fire an employee on Friday because the employee would be unable to weekend job search. The times they are a’changing, but some things never change. It’s still important to develop a solid case for firing an employee and effectively communicat…
How to Deal With a Bully at Work
Think you work with a bully? Do you regularly feel intimidated, dread to work anywhere near a particular coworker, or you’re yelled at, insulted, and put down? Does a coworker talk over you at meetings, criticize your performance, or steal credit for your work? If you answer yes to these questions, chances are good that you’re one of 54 million Americans, who have been attacked by a bully at work.
All About Work Schedules
Employees' work schedules vary from full time to part time to job shares. All work schedules have one thing in common; the employee is doing work required by an employer. Today's employers understand that flexibility is what employees require in their work schedules. If they don't, employers should beware. You'll lose your best employees to an employer who understands that flexibility in work sch…
Employment Letters
These sample employment letters will assist you to reject job candidates, make job offers, welcome employees, and more. Use these sample employment letters to develop the employment letters you use in your organization.
Team Building Ideas
Looking for team building ideas to make your team building sessions effective? These team building ideas will engage your participants, reinforce your learning concepts, and build the cohesiveness of your team. Use these team building ideas to ensure your team's success.
New Employee Welcome Letter Sample
A welcome letter to a new employee who has accepted your job offer confirms the employe's decision to accept the position. The welcome letter helps the new employee feel wanted and welcomed. Depending on the goal of your new employee welcome letter, these sample welcome letters will give you a template. See sample welcome letters for new employees.
New Employee Welcome Letter Sample 2
A welcome letter to a new employee who has accepted your job offer confirms the employe's decision to accept the position. The welcome letter helps the new employee feel wanted and welcomed. Depending on the goal of your new employee welcome letter, these sample welcome letters will give you a template. See sample welcome letters for new employees.
Introduction Letter for New Employee: Sample
This sample new employee introduction letter welcomes the new employee and introduces the new employee to his or her new coworkers. A nice touch for the employee introduction to the company is to schedule an informal time, with food and drinks, for coworkers to greet the new employee.
Why Organizations Do Employee Performance Evaluation
Interested in why organizations do employee performance evaluation? Employee performance evaluation is both an evaluative process and a communication tool. Done traditionally, employee performance evaluation is universally disliked by supervisors and employees.
Work-Life Balance
Work-life balance supports the efforts of employees to split their time and energy between work and the other important aspects of life. Work-life balance is a daily effort to make time for family, friends, community participation, spirituality, personal growth, self care, and other activities, in addition to the demands of the workplace. Work-life balance is assisted by employers who institute policies, procedures, actions, and expectations that enable employees to easily pursue balanced lives.
IRS Mileage Reimbursement:
The IRS mileage reimbursement rate is an optional rate, recommended by the Internal Revenue Service in the U.S., that is used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, medical, charitable, or moving purposes. The IRS mileage reimbursement rate is adjusted depending on the IRS-determined cost of operating a motor vehicle.
Job Share
A job share occurs when two employees cooperatively share the same job. There are advantages, disadvantages, challenges, and opportunities when employees job share. As an employer, a job share can benefit both the employee and you. Find out how.
Part Time Employee
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not define what constitutes a part time employee. What is counted as a part time employee is generally defined by the employer by policy. The definition of a part time employee is generally published in the employee handbook.
Paid Holidays
Benefits are a form of compensation paid by employers to employees over and above the amount of pay specified as a base salary or hourly rate of pay. Benefits are a portion of a total compensation package for employees. A comprehensive, common set of benefits includes the following components.
Paycheck
A paycheck is a check issued by an employer in order to satisfy the compensation commitment the employer has with the employee. The paycheck is most frequently issued by the employer, every two weeks, but some employers issue the paycheck weekly or monthly. The average employee receives 26 paychecks a year.
Holidays: Paid
Benefits are a form of compensation paid by employers to employees over and above the amount of pay specified as a base salary or hourly rate of pay. Benefits are a portion of a total compensation package for employees. A comprehensive, common set of benefits includes the following components.
Human Resources Command
The Human Resources Command is a field agency under the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel. The Human Resources Command is responsible for U.S. Army Human Resources programs, processes, and services. The advantage to the combined Human Resources Command is that it enables every soldier in the U.S. Army to manage their entire career from basic training until retirement and later through one office.
Flexible Schedule
A flexible schedule allows an employee to work hours that differ from the normal company start and stop time. Particularly in an environment for exempt employees, those hours are generally 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. A flexible schedule involves either a compressed work week or flexible starting and stopping times. A flexible schedule is one of the benefits most appreciated by employees.
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
Health care premiums continue to increase and employers are shifting part of insurance costs to employees. Or, employers are not offering comprehensive health care benefits because of their cost. To help offset the sting associated with these higher costs to both employers and employees, some employers are implementing Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs). Learn more about the benefits.
Full Time Employee
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not define full time employee or part time employee. What is counted as a full time employee is generally defined by the employer by policy. The definition of a full time employee is published in the employee handbook.
Breaks and Lunch Requirements
The U.S. Department of Labor has no requirements for employer supplied breaks and lunch free time at work. However, if the employer does supply coffee breaks and lunch time away from the job, the employer is required to count these hours as compensated. They also count toward the accumulation of hours eligible for overtime payment.
Life and Family Challenges With Flexible Work Schedules?
Employers agree on the life and family advantages of flexible work schedules for employees. The flexibility allows employees latitude when children are sick, for doctor’s appointments, teacher conferences, and the myriad of life and family responsibilities with which work competes. Working out the details is moe challenging.
Negotiate a Flexible Schedule
The advantages of a flexible work schedule for employees are clear and well-documented. So, plan your negotiation for a flexible work schedule with your employer in mind. The negotiation is not about you. It’s not about what works best for you and your family. The negotiation is about the advantages to the employer for allowing you to work a flex schedule. With thoughtfulness and a little creativity, you can turn every advantage to you and your family into an advantage for your employer.
What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Flexible Work Schedules
Advantages for employers and employees exist when the employer allows employees to work flexible schedules. Whether the flexible work schedules involve compressing work days, flexible daily hours, or telecommuting, challenges exist for the employer and the employee. Find out more about flexible work schedules.
Flexible Work Schedule - Do You Have a Flexible Work Schedule
Organizations increasingly support a flexible work schedule for employees. Not like the former 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. required office hours, a flexible schedule allows you to come early or stay late, work fewer days or telecommute. Have you negotiated a flexible work schedule for your own work-life balance? Or, does your company offer all employees a flexible work schedule? What sort of flexible work s…
You Know You're in HR When...
Readers write to share the problems they experience with their HR department. The problems shared often involve a failure to communicate, a misunderstanding of employee confidentiality, or a less than satisfactory outcome in the mind of the person writing. Employees just don't get the multiple roles played by HR. Are you misunderstood, avoided, loved, feared?
Please Don't Let HR Be Misunderstood
The most common email I receive recounts a Human Resources horror story. Employees tell me endless stories about how they were treated by their HR staff person. They describe HR officials as uncaring, incompetent, and clueless. They accuse HR staff of being out of touch with the needs of employees and favoring management and the company line over employee concerns.
How to Develop a Social Media Policy
Your prospective, current, and former employees, customers, and vendors are all hanging out on social media sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr. You need to monitor social media to learn what all of these stakeholders are sharing and saying about your company, your employees, and your workplace.
Welcome Letter Sample
A welcome letter to a new employee who has accepted your job offer confirms the employe's decision to accept the position. The welcome letter helps the new employee feel wanted and welcomed. Depending on the goal of your new employee welcome letter, these sample welcome letters will give you a template. See sample welcome letters for new employees.
New Employee Welcome Letter
A welcome letter to a new employee who has accepted your job offer confirms the employe's decision to accept the position. The welcome letter helps the new employee feel wanted and welcomed. Depending on the goal of your new employee welcome letter, these sample welcome letters will give you a template. See sample welcome letters for new employees.
Develop an Employee Handbook
Looking for ideas about the content of a comprehensive employee handbook? HereÂ’s a list of the policies, procedures, and professional behavioral expectations found in many employee handbooks. This sample employee handbook table of contents also covers pay, benefits, performance expectations and legal issues. When additional resources are available on the site about a particular employee handbook item, I have linked additional articles, policies, checklists, and forms.
Employee Handbook - What Are the Contents of Your Employee Handbook?
What contents do you include in your employee handbook? These are the employee handbook contents recommended, but you are enouraged to add your thoughts about the contents of an employee handbook. Keep the discussion going.
Negotiate a Flexible Schedule
The advantages of a flexible work schedule for employees are clear and well-documented. So, plan your negotiation for a flexible work schedule with your employer in mind. The negotiation is not about you. It’s not about what works best for you and your family. The negotiation is about the advantages to the employer for allowing you to work a flex schedule. With thoughtfulness and a little creativity, you can turn every advantage to you and your family into an advantage for your employer.
Flexible Work Schedule - Do You Have a Flexible Work Schedule
Organizations increasingly support a flexible work schedule for employees. Not like the former 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. required office hours, a flexible schedule allows you to come early or stay late, work fewer days or telecommute. Have you negotiated a flexible work schedule for your own work-life balance? Or, does your company offer all employees a flexible work schedule? What sort of flexible work s…
Work-Life Strategies for Optimal Performance and Life Balance
You've experienced the challenges of balancing the needs of your work and life. Both work and life are becoming more complex so creating optimal work performance in combination with a balanced life is increasingly difficult. Employers are taking steps to assist employees to obtain balance in their work and life. But, balancing work and life is never easy even with employer sanctioned flexible wo…
Transition to a Career in Human Resource Management
People take widely divergent paths on their journey to working in Human Resource management. They enter Human Resource management by luck and by design and they stay because they enjoy the work and the people. Common themes emerge when you listen to the stories people tell about their transition into Human Resource management.
Sick Days Policy
Paid sick days are time off from work that an organization voluntarily provides employees as a benefit. The number of paid sick days is often accrued by employees based on years of service to the organization and the level of their position. Other companies, however, keep paid sick days simple - every employee receives the same number of paid sick days.
Shift Work
Shift work occurs in a work schedule that utilizes 24 hours in the day and occasionally, 7 days a week to keep an organization operating. Shift work occurs whenever 24 hours a day coverage is necessary or when a 24 hour day optimizes work output and productivity.
Self Evaluation
Want to encourage more participation in performance evaluation and career planning from employees? Does your company use a traditional performance appraisal system? Or, does your company pursue a forward thinking performance management process? Whatever method your company uses for employee performance development, consider making an employee self evaluation an integral component in the process.
Powerful Management Training
Management training develops employee strengths and their ability to contribute within your organization. A variety of management training is available in organizations – choices are endless. The management training can include internally supplied, customized for your company, ongoing management development. Management training can also encompass seminars, conferences, training sessions, and college and university classes. Learn more about the kinds of management training to incorporate.
Management Courses - What Other Management Courses and Opportunities …
I've suggested a number of management courses that managers need for success. What other types of training, management courses, and developmental opportunities do managers need to succeed in management? What developmental opportunities helped you to succeed? Suggest particular management courses and other developmental opportunities you think managers need.
Help Develop Employee Strengths - Not Weaknesses
A management philosophy, that flies in the face of conventional thinking, compels you to help employees continue to develop their strengths rather than trying to help employees develop their weaknesses. This theory was proposed by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman in First, Break All The Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently as a result of the Gallup organization's interviews with 80,000 effective managers. Learn more about helping employees develop their strengths.
WARN Act Requirements
The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN Act) offers: "protection to workers, their families and communities by requiring employers to provide notice 60 days in advance of covered plant closings and covered mass layoffs. This notice must be provided to either affected workers or their representatives (e.g., a labor union); to the State dislocated worker unit; and to the appropriate unit of local government." The WARN Act requires 60 days notice to stakeholders.
Indeed.com for Recruiting
Indeed.com is a search engine for jobs that drives job searchers directly to jobs on corporate career websites, employee recruiting job boards, online newspapers, blogs, and association websites. Indeed.com searches thousands of websites that employers use for employee recruiting to post jobs and gives the job searcher a comprehensive list of jobs that meet or closely match his or her specifications.
Oganizational Chart
An organizational chart is a visual communication tool. The organizational chart allows employees and other stakeholders to see the reporting relationships in an organization. The organizational chart is a reflection of your organization’s culture.
At Will Employment
At will employment describes the employment relationship between employers and employees in almost every state. At will employment means that the Company does not offer tenured or guaranteed employment for any period of time. In at will employment either the Company or the employee can terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice.
Recruitment
Recruitment is the process of finding candidates,reviewing applicant credentials, screening potential employees, and selecting employees for an organization. Effective recruitment results in an organization hiring employees who are skilled, experienced, and good fits with your corporate culture. Recruitment methods should ensure engaged employees who are loyal to your organization.
Benefits
Benefits are a form of compensation paid by employers to employees over and above the amount of pay specified as a base salary or hourly rate of pay. Benefits are a portion of a total compensation package for employees. A comprehensive, common set of benefits includes the following components.
Employee - What Does an Employee Do?
An employee is an individual who was hired by an employer to do a specific job. The employee is hired by the employer after an application and interview process results in his or her selection as an employee. Each employee has a specific job to accomplish that is often defined by a job description.
Employee of the Month
Employee of the Month is an organizational recognition that companies have used - both successfully - and unsuccessfully - for years. In some organizations, Employee of the Month is a joke, a popularity or take-turns contest for management fawning employees. In others, Employee of the Month is cherished. With so many forms of employee recognition available, why pursue Employee of the Month?
Rejection Letter - Want to Hire
Do you need a sample rejection letter? Here is a sample rejection letter for the applicants who did not get the job. Use this sample rejection letter to develop your own letters to politely and kindly turn a candidate down.
Rejection Letter - Unqualified Candidate
Looking for a sample candidate rejection letter? The following is a sample rejection letter for a candidate who did not appear to be a good fit for the open position or for your company.
Swine Flu H1N1 Should Matter to Employers
Employers have a legal obligation to provide a safe, disease-free workplace for employees. Consequently, you need to take proactive steps to prevent the potential spread of any contagious disease, including Swine Flu H1N1, in your workplace. Employers also need to address business continuity in the event that a Swine Flu H1N1 outbreak affects the ability of your employees to come to work.
Lactation Accommodation Policy
To assist the transition of women from maternity leave back to work following the birth of a child, lactation accommodation is provided. Lactation accommodation allows a nursing mother to express milk periodically during the work day. The American Academy of Pediatrics, long time advocates of breast feeding, updated their research and findings about the beneficial impact of breast feeding on the health of both the mother and the child.
Employee Satisfaction
Employee satisfaction is the terminology used to describe whether employees are happy and contented and fulfilling their desires and needs at work. Employee satisfaction is often measured by anonymous surveys administered periodically that gauge employee satisfaction in areas such as management and teamwork.
Work Dress Codes Collection
A work dress code is a set of standards that companies develop to help provide their employees with guidance about what is appropriate to wear to work. Work dress codes range from formal to business casual to casual. The formality of the workplace dress code is normally determined by the amount of interaction employees have with customers. See sample work dress codes.
Business Casual Dress Code
A collection of images featuring different options to fulfill a Business Casual Dress Code in an office environment, including a variety of images of business casual attire for both men and women.
Business Formal Dress Code
A collection of images that showcase a variety of Business Formal clothing options, including both Business Formal clothing options suitable for a formal work environment, for men and women.
Religious Discrimination
Religious discrimination is prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of l964. According to this Act, religious discrimination by the employer is forbidden in hiring, firing, and other terms and conditions of employment. The Act also requires employers to reasonably accommodate the religious practices of an employee or prospective employee.
Age Discrimination
Age discrimination is adverse work treatment of an employee based on a class or category that the employee belongs to – employees over age 40 - rather than on the employee's individual merit. Age discrimination is unlawful under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967.
What's Your Strategy for Keeping Your Job?
No matter your job or your industry, this year is a challenge for employment. In 2008, 48% of employers laid people off, according to a Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) survey cited at CNNmoney.com.
Make Their Day! Employee Recognition That Works
This is an excerpt from the fully-revised and expanded second edition of Make Their Day! Employee Recognition That Works (Berrett-Koehler May 2009) The book is written for managers. This chapter focuses on how HR can help them to provide the best possible recognition for employees.
Hiring Freeze
in a hiring freeze, an employer decides to stop hiring employees for all non-essential positions. A hiring freeze allows an employer to consolidate current employees and potentially restructure departments, to complete the work that is essential for serving the customers of the business.
Temporary Employees
Temporary employees are hired to assist employers to meet business demands yet allow the employer to avoid the cost of hiring a regular employee. Sometimes, it is the expectation of the employer that if the temporary employee is successful, the temporary employee will be hired.
Work Sharing
Work sharing is an Unemployment Insurance (UI) program that allows an employer to reduce the number of hours an employee works during a week while unemployment compensation makes up some of the difference in income. So, if a company is experiencing less demand for its products and consequently fewer sales and down revenue, it can submit a plan requesting work sharing to UI to cushion the reduced hours for its employees.
Buyout
Buyouts are a common method for reducing the number and cost of employees. In a buyout, the employer offers some employees or all employees the opportunity to receive a large severance package in return for leaving their employment.
What Is the Purpose of a Team?
The purpose for creating teams is to provide a framework that will increase the ability of employees to participate in planning, problem solving and decision making to better serve customers. Find out more about the purpose of teams.
What Is a Team?
A team is any group of people organized to work together interdependently and cooperatively to meet the needs of their customers by accomplishing a purpose and goals. Teams are created for both long term and short term interaction. Find out more about teams.
Stages of Team Development
Traditionally, a team goes through five stages of development. Each stage of team development presents its own special challenges to a group of people striving to work together successfully by forming a cohesive team. The team and the organization can take specific actions at each stage of team development to support the team’s success to accomplish the team mission.
Employee Furlough
An employee furlough is mandatory time off work with no pay. Used as an alternative to a layoff, an employee furlough can occur in both public and private sector organizations when revenue or projected revenue fails to match expenses. Revenue is generated through product sales, grants, and governmental support and subsidies.
Best Practices in Layoffs
Best practices in layoffs matter for the employees you lay off and the employees who survive the layoffs. Employee layoffs allow you to cut costs while preserving your relationship with your most critical employees. These are best practices of employers toward the employees they must lay off. Find out how to help the employees who survive the layoffs maintain positive morale and motivation.
Got the Layoff Blues?
Here's hope and help. Whether you're an employer dealing with downsizing and layoffs or an employee looking for a new work home, these resources will help. Find job search ideas and interviewing techniques. Learn how the best employers treat the survivors of their layoffs. Get in touch with your dreams; set your goals; we'll help you chart your future course. You don't have to do this alone.
The COBRA Subsidy and Alternative Healthcare Options
Providing COBRA and alternative healthcare options for departing employees assures your employees that you care about them. Although the COBRA subsidy makes COBRA a more tempting, less expensive alternative for some employees, others may be better served by private insurance options. Learn about the COBRA subsidy and how employees can find private insurance while limiting the employer’s risk, and slowing the increase in administration fees and costs in your corporate healthcare spending budget.
The Economic Stimulus Package and COBRA
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009 (the "Act") was signed into law on February 17, 2009. This new law dramatically affects employers whose group health plans are subject to COBRA, which includes virtually all employers with 20 or more employees. As an employer who is potentially impacted by this legislation, prompt attention must be paid to the substantial requirements under the Act and its affect on COBRA.
Ten Tips to Recession-proof Your Job and Career
Don’t bury your head in the sand and hope all of the potential threats to your job and career disappear. They won’t. Keep your ears tuned into your work grapevine; watch sales; observe your industry; keep a close eye on Washington; listen skeptically to your employer when you see problems not articulated. Now is the time to take steps to recession-proof your job and your career. You can recession-proof your job and career, but start soon, not later, to recession-proof your job and career.
Recession Planning for Employees
Given the downward spiral of CEOs' confidence and with the talk about a potential recession, what have you done to plan for the possibility that the downturn becomes severe and impacts employees? These are some of the actions to take in recession planning for employees, for your HR department and other departments within your business, perhaps for your whole company, if recession looms.
Before You Do a Workforce Reduction
Before you do a workforce reduction, you will want to consider other cost cutting options.
What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Employee Furloughs?
Furloughs are mandatory time off work with no pay. Generally implemented by employers as a cost saving measure, there are advantages and disadvantages to the use of furloughs as an alternative to layoffs. Find out more about furloughs.
How to Cope When Coworkers Lose Their Jobs
You’re sad, you’re scared, and you’re worried that your job might be the next to go. You’re also relieved, you’re thankful, and you feel guilty that you still have a job. You’re suffering from the loss of your coworkers, and despite being a downsizing survivor, you feel a bit like a victim, too.
Five Steps to a Human Resources Software Technology System
Interested in a game plan for finding a Human Resources Software Technology system that fits your needs, budget, and company growth? These five steps will help you select a Human Resources Software Technology system.
The Human Resources Department As a Profitability Factor
What would you do if you had a Human Resurces employee in an HR department who could improve company profit margins, positively impact the cost of goods sold, lower the day’s sales outstanding, and increase the price/earning ratio while liquidating overhead costs - and still deliver flawless transactional and traditional Human Resources services? You'd ask: Why is this employee wasting time in an HR department? Or, why didn’t I demand this level of HR department performance years ago?
Human Resources Training and Success Tips
Human Resources training classes are available via email from the About.com Human Resources site. Take the free Human Resources training.
Getting Fired or Laid Off?
Employment termination - no matter the cause - is scary, disorienting, and disruptive to habitual patterns. Getting fired is never fun; layoffs are equally disheartening. In either scenario, your feelings of self worth are dealt a blow. Just when you need a positive outlook to help you find your next opportunity, you feel dizzy as if your whole world is spinning out of control. Don’t despair. Better? Prepare yourself for your next layoff or employment termination – before the fateful meeting.
Eliminate Employee of the Month Designations
Employee of the Month is an organization’s positive effort to recognize an employee’s achievements and contributions. But, publicized criteria for selection as Employee of the Month is most frequently non-existent. The employee who is Employee of the Month rarely knows why he or she was selected. Lacking criteria, other employees find the selection process an unmotivating fog. With so many forms of employee recognition available, why pursue Employee of the Month with its inherent problems?
Top Seven Office Party Gaffes
The office party during the holidays or any other time of the year is a prime professional opportunity to mingle casually with coworkers, impress bosses, and get to know people you don’t see every day. Unfortunately, the holiday office party is also a prime opportunity to ruin your professional reputation, alienate coworkers, and fail to capitalize on networking opportunities. These are the seven most common office party blunders. Some could cost you your career.
How to Select Human Resources Information Technology
HR information technology is essential for companies to manage their benefits plans and their employee information. Benefits management technology is no longer a “nice to have,” but a necessity to help HR manage. But how do HR and other executives know they are selecting the best HR information technology to manage all of the details, and that the solution they select will stand the test of time?
Sample Human Resources Recruiter Job Description
This is a sample job description for a Human Resources Assistant. While all Human Resources Assistant job descriptions need to be customized to meet the needs of their organization, this sample Human Resources Assistant job description will give you ideas and sample phrasing, too. The job description of the HR Assistant can range from clerical to responsibilities that cross over into those of a Human Resources Generalist.
HR’s Role in Promoting Corporate Social Responsibility
When companies are global, an important challenge in garnering success is to respect other cultures and workforce environments and start forming a global profile or social consciousness. Recognize these differences with a sound Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) plan that can simultaneously increase shareholder value, boost employee engagement and increase employer brand recognition
Background Checks
Background checks are a critical component in hiring. When it comes to your business, you cannot afford to make a poor hiring decision. In fact, for most businesses, one bad hire can make the difference between success and failure. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 30% of small business failure is caused by employee theft. Effective background checks mitigate your risk of hiring objectionable, or even dangerous, employees. Find out more about background checks.
Employee Handbook
An employee handbook is a compilation of the policies, procedures, working conditions, and behavioral expectations that guide employee actions in a particular workplace. Employee handbooks generally also include information about the company, employee compensation and benefits, and additional terms and conditions of employment.
Employee Recognition Cards and More Success Tips
Giving employees employee recognition cards or gifts for birthdays, wedding anniversaries, and the anniversary of their start date in your office is appreciated. Add the dates for these employee recognition cards to your tickler system.
Social Media Should Rock Your World
Social media participation is an essential tool in networking with professional contacts, making new contacts, recruiting employees, and keeping in touch with the world. If you’re not participating in the top social media and networking sites, the world is leaving you behind. Become involved on the social media Web sites while your participation can advance your career, help you obtain superior employees by enlarging your candidate pool, and enable you to easily stay in touch with ex-coworkers.
Why Halloween Hi-jinx Should Frighten Employers
Halloween celebrations in the office are motivational and fun for employees. But, Halloween celebrations in the office also bring their own set of challenges for the employer. Although Halloween is meant to be a festive day, for some employers it could be more frightening than fun when employees celebrate Halloween in the office.
Top Ten Employee Complaints
Are you interested in discovering your employees’ most serious complaints? Knowing what makes employees unhappy is half the battle when you think about employee work satisfaction, motivation and retention. Listen to employees and provide opportunities for them to communicate with company managers. If employees feel safe they will tell you what’s on their minds. Your work culture must foster trust.
Develop an Employee Handbook
Looking for ideas about the content of a comprehensive employee handbook? HereÂ’s a list of the policies, procedures, and professional behavioral expectations found in many employee handbooks. This sample employee handbook table of contents also covers pay, benefits, performance expectations and legal issues. When additional resources are available on the site about a particular employee handbook item, I have linked additional articles, policies, checklists, and forms.
Employee Resignation: How to Handle an Employee Resignation
The reasons are endless for an employee resignation. But, each employee resignation poses the employer with a series of questions. How do you announce the employeeÂ’s resignation? Who needs to know what about the employeeÂ’s resignation? When do you tell your employees about the employee resignation? Here are answers to the questions you may have about employee resignation.
COBRA
The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) set forth regulations that give employees and their families, who lose their health benefits because of unemployment, the right to choose to continue group health benefits provided by their group health plan. These health care benefits may be extended for limited periods of time under certain circumstances according to the COBRA regulations.
Sample Informal Employee Recognition Letter
An informal thank you letter, that recognizes specific employee contributions, goes a long way in helping employees feel recognized and rewarded. In fact, an einformal mployee recognition letter that accompanies a bonus check or a gift magnifies the recognition an employee experiences. Some employees experience such gratification that they post the thank you and recognition letter in their cubicle, office, or workstation for years.
How to Write an Employee Thank You Letter
A simple thank you letter, that recognizes specific employee contributions, goes a long way in helping employees feel recognized and rewarded. In fact, an employee recognition letter that accompanies a bonus check or a gift magnifies the recognition an employee experiences.
How to Write an Employee Recognition Letter
A simple thank you letter, that recognizes specific employee contributions, goes a long way in helping employees feel recognized and rewarded. In fact, an employee recognition letter that accompanies a bonus check or a gift magnifies the recognition an employee experiences. Some employees experience such gratification that they post the thank you and recognition letter in their cubicle, office, or workstation for years.
Sample Formal Employee Recognition Letter
A formal thank you letter, that recognizes specific employee contributions, goes a long way in helping employees feel recognized and rewarded. In fact, a formal employee recognition letter that accompanies a bonus check or a gift magnifies the recognition an employee experiences.
Sample Semi-formal Employee Recognition Letter
A semi-formal thank you letter, that recognizes specific employee contributions, goes a long way in helping employees feel recognized and rewarded. In fact, a semi-formal employee recognition letter that accompanies a bonus check or a gift magnifies the recognition an employee experiences.
Top Job Interview Questions to Help You Select the Best
The job interview is a powerful factor in the employee selection process. You can use behavioral-based job interview questions to help you select superior candidates. Ask interview questions that help you identify whether the candidate has the behaviors, skills, and experience needed for the job you are filling. Review sample job interview questions, both legal job interview questions and illegal job interview questions.
Memorable Firsts in Human Resources Management
Anyone who works in human resources management knows that the job comes with great joys and great sorrows. And all along the way, memorable first moments with people occur. Sometimes you feel prepared for the moments; some sneak up and surprise you. Whether you're new to management, starting a department, or just looking for a refresher, these tips will help.
Conduct Powerful Job Interviews
Want to hire great employees? How to conduct a safe, legal job interview that also enables you to select the best candidate for your open positions is important. The job interview is one of the significant factors in hiring because so many employers count on the job interview to help determine their best, most qualified candidates. Learn about job interviews in my free email class.
Minimum Wage
The federal minimum wage for covered nonexempt employees is $5.15 an hour. The federal minimum wage provisions are contained in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Many states also have minimum wage laws.
Improving Employee Performance
If you want to improve employee performance, think about your daily conversations with employees. No better opportunity exists to reinforce and help refine excellent employee performance. You discuss new projects, talk about overdue assignments, give updates about completed tasks, and more. Use these conversations to reinforce the importance of doing a great job. How? Link the employee performance to a workplace result.
Applicant Tracking Software
Researching business technology can be a daunting task and finding a Human Resources Management System (HRMS), that meets the unique needs of your business and offers ease of acceptance by your employees, can present a challenge. To begin this process, I suggest exploring a Web-based HRMS solution, which avoids the pitfalls of a costly software purchase, internal IT involvement or a lengthy implementation process.
Love Contract Policy
A love contract policy is a document signed by the two employees in a consensual dating relationship that declares that the relationship is by consent. Additionally, organizations may include guidelines on behavior appropriate at work from the dating couple. The contracts generally make arbitration the only grievance process available to the participants in the office romance. Love contracts eliminate the possibility of a later sexual harassment lawsuit when the relationship ends.
Unusual Job Interview Questions Help Select the Best
The job interview is a powerful factor in the employee selection process in most organizations. While the job interview may not deserve all the attention that the job interview receives, it is still a powerful force in hiring. Other background checking and work history references provide much less personalized and more factual information, and hopefully, you have also added these checks to your hiring decisions, too. But the job interview remains key to assessing the candidate's cultural fit.
Use Training and Development to Motivate Staff
Want to keep your staff motivated about learning new concepts? The quality and variety of the training you provide is key for motivation. The structure of your training programs brings 'em back for more. Learn more.
Blogging and Social Media Policy Sample
Your Company recognizes the importance of the World Wide Web in shaping public thinking about our company and our current and potential products, employees, partners, and customers. Your company also recognizes the importance of our employees joining in and helping shape industry conversation through blogging and interaction in social media. These guidelines in this blogging and social media policy will help you make appropriate decisions about your blogging content and online interactions.
Overcome Your Fear of Confrontation and Necessary Conflict
Meaningful confrontation is never easy but conflict is often necessary if you want to stick up for your rights at work. Whether the confrontation is over shared credit, irritating coworker habits and approaches, or to keep a project on track, sometimes you need to hold a confrontation with a coworker. The good news is that while confrontation is almost never your first choice, you can become better and more comfortable with necessary conflict.
Spring Cleaning Your HR Department
The HR department is the information center for the most important assets of any organization – the employees. Maintaining a well-organized HR department is imperative for cultivating a successful and satisfied workplace. Selecting an innovative Web-based Human Resource Management System (HRMS) and dividing the process into five easy-to-handle steps, the transformation is extremely manageable. In order to complete this project, I have put together the following list - the most important steps.
The Human Resources Management System Solution
Researching business technology can be a daunting task and finding a Human Resources Management System (HRMS) that meets the unique needs of your business and offers the ease of acceptance by your employees can present a challenge. To begin this process, I suggest exploring a Web-based HRMS solution, which avoids the pitfalls of a costly software purchase, internal IT involvement or a lengthy implementation process.
How to Prepare for a Career in Human Resources
Liking people is not the only qualification for pursuing a career in Human Resources. It helps, but it is insufficient for success. In Human Resources, like any other career, some minimum requirements exist to enter the field. But, you have the opportunity to continue to develop these skills and experiences as you work in Human Resources and are promoted into higher level, more responsible roles.
So, You Think You Want a Career in Human Resources?
Many people are eager to start a career in Human Resources, as it is a fast-growing career field with many lucrative opportunities. Career analysts expect the number of Human Resources jobs to increase in the future and the median annual income for careers in Human Resources is above the national average. For these reasons and more, you are probably wondering how to start a career in Human Resour…
Human Resources Job Prospects and Earnings
Many people are eager to start a career in Human Resources, as it is a fast-growing field with many lucrative opportunities. Career analysts expect the number of Human Resources jobs to increase in the projected future and the median annual income is above the national average. For these reasons and more, you are probably wondering how to start an HR career of your own. Find out more about breaking into a career in Human Resources.
Resignation Letter: Future Plans - Sample
Sample letter of resignation or a resignation letter for the human resources policy, checklist, procedure, and samples directory. This resignation letter informs your current employer of your future plans.
Paid Vacation Days Policy
Paid vacation days are time off work an organization provides employees as a benefit. The number of paid vacation days is generally accrued by employees based on years of service to the organization.
How to Break Into a Career in Human Resources
Many people are eager to start a career in Human Resources, as it is a fast-growing field with many lucrative opportunities. Career analysts expect the number of HR jobs to increase in the projected future and the median annual income is above the national average. Learn more.
Job Search Books for Grads
Thinking about your current job search after graduation? These books will help you find your way. Learn about the job market. Translate your most important needs, interests, and goals into a rewarding career. Find techniques for a successful online and offline job search. These are my long term favorite job search books. Gift a favorite graduate with the opportunity to explore their desired futur…
Human Resources Job Prospects and Earnings
Many people are eager to start a career in Human Resources, as it is a fast-growing field with many lucrative opportunities. Career analysts expect the number of Human Resources jobs to increase in the projected future and the median annual income is above the national average. For these reasons and more, you are probably wondering how to start an HR career of your own. Find out more about breaking into a career in Human Resources.
Paid Sick Days Policy
Paid sick days are time off from work that an organization voluntarily provides employees as a benefit. The number of paid sick days is often accrued by employees based on years of service to the organization and the level of their position. Other companies, however, keep paid sick days simple - every employee receives the same number of paid sick days.
Paid Time Off Policy Sample
The purpose of a Paid Time Off (PTO) policy is to give staff the opportunity to take paid time off from work that can be used flexibly for such needs as vacation, illness, personal time, doctor appointments, school or volunteerism, and other activities of the employee's choice. The company's goal, in providing PTO, is to reduce unscheduled absenteeism and reduce the need for supervisory oversight.
Use LinkedIn for Recruiting Employees
LinkedIn and other social networking sites are advantageous for employers who use them for both networking and recruiting. I am increasingly receiving email notes from my LinkedIn contacts asking me to refer potential employees or help them make a contact for hard-to-fill positions. The potential for LinkedIn and other social networking sites to play a major role in your employee recruiting strategy increases as millions of potential employees profile themselves on these sites each year.
More Tips to Reduce Employee Turnover
Competitive salary, competitive vacation and holidays, and tuition reimbursement are three basics in employee retention. Especially for millennial employees, these are the holy grail for recruitment and retention. But, employers can reduce employee turnover in many other ways. (If you think these read like the Golden Rule, you're right, they do.) Reducing employee turnover is dependant on the total work environment you offer for employees. Learn more.
Sample Human Resources Letters
These sample Human Resources letters provide guidance for common letters you encounter in business and human resources. Use these sample human resources letters to make job offers, thank rejected job candidates, resign from your job, review resume cover letters, review interview thank you letters, and provide effective employee recognition. Find sample human resources letters.
Strategic Human Resources: Avoiding Circular Conversations
We've been talking about making Human Resources strategic for decades, but organizational readiness, resistance to change, and complicated and expensive technology issues continue to get in the way. So strategic human resources remains a challenge. But, if you do the right math and talk about the bottom line, strategic human resources thinking will occur.
In Sales and Marketing Hiring, You Can't Always Get What You Want
Hiring employees is becoming more challenging as employers are hiring employees from a shrinking pool of qualified candidates. Hiring employees is easier of you are willing to settle for 80% of your requirements and training the employee in the rest. You don't have to wait for the perfect sales and marketing candidate when you're hiring employees.
Thinking Strategically First Makes Strategic Planning Work
Strategic planning for organizations is not fun. Strategic planning is often done under duress because it is required. Strategic planning is important yet many plans are found on bookcases, not on the desktops being used. Done well, strategic plans provide a useful focus that energizes and moves the organization toward its mission, plus it provides a document to recruit others to the mission.
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
Health care premiums continue to increase and employers are shifting part of insurance costs to employees. Or, employers are not offering comprehensive health care benefits because of their cost. To help offset the sting associated with these higher costs to both employers and employees, some employers are implementing Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs). Learn more about the benefits.
Electronic Surveillance of Employees
There are pros and cons about the electronic surveillance of employees at work. This review of the pros and cons of electronic surveillance of employees at work will help employers decide what is best in their organization. Not every workforce, workplace, or work culture and environment is a candidate for electronic surveillance of employees at work. In some work environments, depending on the culture and environment desired, electronic surveillance of employees would injure trust and culture.
Surfing the Web at Work
Employees spend between one and three hours a day surfing the Web on personal business at work, depending on the study reviewed. Since most studies depend on employee self-reported data, this productivity loss, combined with the concerns employers have for "where" their employees are surfing the Web at work, causes more employers to monitor employee use of the Internet. From the survey results, 66% of employers are monitoring Internet connections. Learn more.
Recession Planning for Employees
Given the downward spiral of CEOs' confidence and with the talk about a potential recession, what have you done to plan for the possibility that the downturn becomes severe and impacts employees? These are some of the actions to take in recession planning for employees, for your HR department and other departments within your business, perhaps for your whole company, if recession looms.
Sample Human Resources Assistant Job Description
This is a sample job description for a Human Resources Assistant. While all Human Resources Assistant job descriptions need to be customized to meet the needs of their organization, this sample Human Resources Assistant job description will give you ideas and sample phrasing, too. The job description of the HR Assistant can range from clerical to responsibilities that cross over into those of a Human Resources Generalist.
Develop Your Leadership Brand
These are tips about how to provide effective training and leadership development so that you are actually investing in developing your leadership brand. Enormous research has been done on how to train adults with impact. Here are some specific tips that will increase the impact of your investment in building leadership brand, as opposed to developing leaders.
Help Develop Employee Strengths - Not Weaknesses
A management philosophy, that flies in the face of conventional thinking, compels you to help employees continue to develop their strengths rather than trying to help employees develop their weaknesses. This theory was proposed by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman in First, Break All The Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently as a result of the Gallup organization's interviews with 80,000 effective managers. Learn more about helping employees develop their strengths.
Candidate Rejection - Candidate Rejection Letter Sample
Sending a candidate rejection letter to the applicants who were not selected for the job is an extra, but positive step, your company can take to build good will with candidates and establish yourself as an employer of choice. See a sample candidate rejection letter.
Candidate Thank You Letters
People forget that the purpose of a job interview is not just to get the job. Sound strange to you? It’s not. You go to a job interview to discover whether your talents, abilities, interests and direction are a good fit for the job, the company, and the company’s mission. Learn more about the match that needs to occur during a job interview for a subsequently successful employment relationship.
Customer Service Success
Most businesses spend more time and energy trying to find new customers than they spend retaining the customers they have. The logic behind customer retention is simple - it costs far less money to keep current customers happy than to spend much more money to recruit new customers. Loyal customers tell their friends about your business and will spend more money than new customers. Here are seven steps to superior customer service.
Workers' Compensation
Workers' compensation laws make certain that an employee who is injured as a result of an accident on the job or who contracts a disease as a result of performing his or her job, will receive compensation and medical benefits. Every state requires that employers purchase workers' compensation insurance to ensure that employees, who are affected by illness or injury, and their dependants, are protected against significant hardships in case of injury, illness, or death.
Are You the Victim of a Bad Boss?
How many times have you witnessed someone working in a supervisory position without the necessary supervisory competencies? How many times have you questioned why some leaders get the roles that they do? It should not come as a surprise to you, then, that at least once in your life, you will be the victim of a bad boss. These ideas will help you deal with your bad boss.
Telecommuting
Telecommuting or working from home is a flexible work arrangement that enables an employee, a consultant, or a contractor, to work distantly from the employer's location all or part of the time. Learn more about telecommuting.
How to Make Your Messages Memorable
When a piece of communication is to the point, relevant, worthwhile, and compelling, it moves you—the listener or reader—to action. Moving people is not magic—it’s all about effective communication. Anyone can achieve effective communication by using a simple tool that has an uncanny ability to pinpoint why any message works or doesn’t work, and how to improve it. Find out more.
How to Manage a Deadbeat Employee
A deadbeat employee is an employer's nightmare. You know the occasional employee I am talking about. He doesn't show up for work, calls in sick, and milks the time off policy, always walking on the edge, but never falling off. He walks the edge of the work policies and processes, too. He does just enough to stay employed but doesn't grow professionally nor contribute like your other employees. The deadbeat employee impacts your workplace and employees negatively, constantly, and insidiously.
Sales Compensation: Retain Sales Super Stars
Keeping salespeople motivated can be a real challenge. What motivates one might not motivate another. Good sales managers know this and are always aware of where their individual salespeople are on that "motivational" scale. Sales compensation is a crucial factor in motivation. Learn more about keeping great salespeople with successful sales compensation.
Indicators of Leadership Potential
In my many years of observing leaders, I have noticed a number of signs that a person has high potential for corporate leadership. A wide cognitive "bandwidth" - the capacity and inclination to see things in a broader context - is an earmark of a CEO. Other signs of high-potential leaders include integrity, decisiveness, drive, aggression, and setting direction. There are many more indicators of high-potential leaders. Learn more.
How to Celebrate Halloween at Work
Traditions are important in companies just as they are in families. And, Halloween is one of the best holiday traditions to celebrate at work. Halloween is the second most popular holiday, second only to Christmas, so it's popular with employees, too. Celebrating Halloween at work appeals to the child in each of us and helps create a motivational, team work-oriented work culture.
Your Personal Best
Picture this. I'd been asked to lead the final team building activity of the day before drinks and dinner. The audience had been in meetings since eight in the morning. The attendees were police officers who are experts at what they call, "cop faces," expressionless features that don't provide much information for the facilitator. Want to see the team building activity I created?
Keep Company and Employee Information Safe
Right now, someone within your company may be accessing confidential corporate information either dishonestly or by accident. In the news, you read about well-known companies suffering the loss of sensitive corporate information at the hands of employees. HR departments often hold the key to valuable corporate and employee information, so the risk of data breaches presents unique challenges.
The Role of the Supervisor in Managing Absenteeism
Almost two out of three employees who are absent are not ill. For most companies, the responsibility for managing absenteeism has fallen primarily on immediate supervisors. These supervisors are often the only people who are aware that a certain employee is absent. They are in the best position to understand the circumstances surrounding an individual’s absence and to notice a problem at an early stage. Their active involvement in managing absenteeism is critical.
Job Analysis
A job analysis is the process used to collect information about the duties, responsibilities, necessary skills, outcomes, and work environment of a particular job. You need as much data as possible to put together a job description, which is the frequent outcome of the job analysis.
A Formal, Professional Dress Code
Your Company's objective in establishing a formal dress code is to enable our employees to project the professional image that is in keeping with the needs of our clients and customers. Because our industry requires the appearance of trusted business professionals and we serve clients at our site on a daily basis, a more formal dress code is necessary for our employees. See a formal dress code.
Work Dress Codes Collection
A work dress code is a set of standards that companies develop to help provide their employees with guidance about what is appropriate to wear to work. Work dress codes range from formal to business casual to casual. The formality of the workplace dress code is normally determined by the amount of interaction employees have with customers. See sample work dress codes.
A Relaxed, Casual Dress Code
Your Company's objective in establishing a relaxed, casual, and informal work dress code is to enable our employees to work comfortably in the workplace. Yet, certain standards are established so employees are not confused about the meaning of the terms: relaxed, casual, and informal dress. Because no customers or clients are served in person at our company location, our chief concern is the comfort of our employees. See a casual work dress code.
Recognition Success Tips
This tip about reward and recognition will help you create a profitable business and develop the talented workforce you need for progress, resiliency and agility. You need solid criteria in place before providing recognition that involves money and rewards. Everyday recognition that shows appreciation needs nothing but your commitment to providing recognition. Learn more.
Reinventing HR from the Classroom to the Boardroom
We need to reinvent the field of HR in our HR educational programs and in our businesses. We have all heard that HR needs to be more strategic to gain a seat at the “proverbial” table, and that we need to be more business-oriented. However, unless the whole HR community starts investing in educating, certifying, and mentoring junior HR professionals, we will never see the industry gain the respect it deserves. We can reinvent the field of HR is we just make these recommended changes.
How to Develop a Job Description
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 tool that tells coworkers where their job leaves off and the job of another starts. A well-written job description tells an employee where their job fits within the overall department and the overall company.
Job Description
Job descriptions are written statements that describe the duties, responsibilities, most important contributions and outcomes needed from a position, required qualifications of candidates, and the reporting relationship of a particular job.
Group Mentoring
Effective relationships and learning are the mainstays of organizational success today. Organizations that find meaningful ways for their employees to connect are more likely to realize greater productivity, enhanced career growth, freely flowing innovation and overall improvement in employee performance. Group mentoring is a value-added tool for connecting employees and advancing learning within the organization.
Tips for HR Training
In every company, Human Resources (HR) training in many employee-related and legally-related topics is mandatory, especially for managers and supervisors. We need to equip our employees to handle their employee relations responsibilities competently. But, for maximum positive impact and learning, we need to make the HR training motivational and engaging.
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment occurs when one employee makes continued, unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, to another employee, against his or her wishes.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws make it illegal for employers to discriminate against an employee or potential employee in certain workplaces. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which was created by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, is the federal agency that has the responsibility to handle discrimination complaints.
Tips for Weekly Training
In my usual approach to training, I meet with groups weekly for a two hour training session. These sessions can last for several years, although we do tend to limit the frequency over time.
Goals of the 360 Degree Feedback Process
Join the great debates about 360 degree feedback. Find out more about the pros and cons of the various facets of 360 degree feedback. This article considers your organization's goals in offering a 360 degree feedback process. Learn more about 360 degree feedback goals.
Recommended Methods for Your 360 Degree Feedback Process
One of the great debates about 360 degree feedback is how to collect the data, administer the chosen method of data collection, and provide feedback to the participants. If you are offering a 360 degree feedback process, the method you use to collect and share the information will make or break your process. Learn more about 360 degree feedback processes and methods.
Outcomes From Your 360 Degree Feedback Process
The outcomes you experience from your 360 degree feedback process are dependant on the decisions you make about the goals you want to achieve. The most important outcome of the 360 degree feedback process is personal and career development for the staff person whose skills and performance are rated. And, these decisions have sparked more debate in organizations about 360 degree feedback. Learn more about 360 degree feedback processes and methods.
The Case for Web-based 360 Degree Feedback
The outcomes you experience from your 360 degree feedback process are dependant on the decisions you make about the goals you want to achieve. The most important outcome of the 360 degree feedback process is personal and career development for the staff person whose skills and performance are rated. And, these decisions have sparked more debate in organizations about 360 degree feedback. Learn more about 360 degree feedback processes and methods.
The Great Debates About 360 Degree Feedback
Join the great debates about 360 degree feedback. Anonymous or shared? Web-based or paper and pencil? Affects compensation or not? Organization or employee-owned? Find out more about the pros and cons!
The Impact of the Minimum Wage Increase
The increase in the minimum wage on July 24, 2007 from $5.15 to $5.85 an hour, is expected to have minimal impact on most employers nation-wide. That's because 32 states and the District of Columbia have already established minimum wage levels higher than the new federal level. The minimum wage will increase again to $6.55 on July 24, 2008, and to $7.25 per hour on July 24, 2009. It is the first increase in the federal minimum wage in a decade. Find out more about the minimum wage.
Baby Boomers
Baby Boomers is the name given to the generation of Americans who were born in a "baby boom" following World War II. Baby Boomers were born between 1944 and 1964.
Training: Your Investment in People Development and Retention
The right employee training, development and education at the right time provides big payoffs for the employer in increased productivity, knowledge, loyalty, and contribution. Learn the approaches that will guarantee a return on your investment.
Tuition Assistance
Tuition assistance is an employer-provided employee benefit that is a win-win for your workplace. In a tuition assistance program, an employer pays all or part of an employee's cost to attend college or university classes.
Laughing Your Way to Organizational Health
Workplace wellness is a serious issue. With stress-related-illness and burnout becoming household words, you are increasingly looking for ways to keep your workforce happy, healthy and productive. David Granirer's humor insights tell you how.
How to Add Value in Continuing Strategic Change
HR is the stabilizer and champion during organizational change. HR adds value by ensuring change efforts deliver lasting results. How? Use a principle-based approach to promote stability and manage your organization's embedded polarities. Learn more!
Elan at Work
Are you capturing the ardor and the spirit of your work force? You want to maximize contributions from people. You want to fuel excitement. You want people to fulfill dreams, plans and needs. You want to be the chosen, valued employer. Find out how!
What Do You Mean My Company’s a Stepping Stone?
With baby boomers – all 80-plus million of them – starting their exodus from the workforce and into retirement, the labor pool is shrinking. No, Chicken Little, that doesn’t mean the sky is falling. But it does mean that organizations that distinguish themselves as destinations for talented and valued employees will see their stock rise - and not just on Wall Street. Find mentoring to be an employee recruitment and retention strategy.
Work Like You’re Showing Off
I’ve come to think of high performance as showing off. Showing off, as I define it, isn’t about bragging or arrogance. Showing off simply means bringing your best to everything that you do. It’s about being focused and working with the intention of creating results that benefit the stakeholders in any given situation. Showing off means creating value through accomplishment. Here are four keys to “showing off” your high performance at work in the best sense of the term.
Video Resumes
If you haven't received your first video resumes from candidates yet, you will shortly. The buzz is growing and video resumes are the next "cool" thing to do. In fact, the conversation has already moved from whether to make a video resume to how to make a professional video resume to enhance job applications. So, employers will be seeing video resumes - whether you want them or not.[p]
Myths About Millennials
You've hired millennial employees. Now how can you keep your millennials around? Things aren't always what they seem. If I could give you one bit of advice about dealing with the latest generation of employees to come under your management, it would be to remember those words. Things aren't always what they seem about your millennial employees.
Policy Samples, Checklists, Sample Forms, and Sample Procedures for Businesses
Looking for policy samples, sample checklists, sample procedures, sample forms, and examples of Human Resources and business tools? You've found the site for policy samples, sample checklists, sample procedures, sample forms, and examples of Human Resources and business tools. These samples are provided for personal use, if you cite the source. Contact the Human Resources Guide to inquire about use of the samples for publication or any other use.
Who Owns Reference Checking?
Reference checking is often relegated to Human Resources in organizations. In my mind, that's not who should own reference checking. The manager of the position should check the employment references. He or she has the most to lose if the needed skills and cultural fit don't work out. The manager's "feel" for the viability of the candidate is also key for the person's eventual success as an employee. Managers own reference checking.
Performance Management Strategies
Do you have responsibility for supervising the work of others? If so, you know that employees don't always do what you want them to do. On the one hand, they act as if they are competent professionals. On the other, they procrastinate, miss deadlines, and wait for instructions. So, what's a supervisor to do? Performance management is your answer. You must begin by finding out why the employee is not meeting your expectations. This checklist for employee performance management will help.
Form a Green Team to Improve Your Work Environment
To raise employee awareness of opportunities to save energy and contribute to a healthy work environment, form a green team at work. While debate exists about recycling and other aspects of environmentalism, a green team is motivational for employees who want to make a difference in their work environment.
Effective Delegation
Delegation can be viewed as dumping by the employee who receives more work to do. . So, the manager must carefully balance the delegation of more work with the delegation of work requiring more responsibility, authority, and challenge. Here are more tips about effective delegation.
Behavioral Interview Questions Tip
I differentiate behavioral interviewing from speculation. But, the supposed behavioral interview questions that I most often hear employers ask in their behavioral interviews, require speculation on the part of the candidate.
Tips for Weekly Training
In my usual approach to training, I meet with groups weekly for a two hour training session. These sessions can last for several years, although we do tend to limit the frequency over time.
Book Review: Birth of the Chaordic Age
Birth of the Chaordic Age, by Dee Hock, opens the door to exciting ideas and new ways of thinking about organizations. Birth of the Chaordic Age is a landmark book in which Hock provides his philosophy about the fundamental nature of people and organizations. Read a full review of this book.
Explore the New Science of Complexity
The emerging science of complexity is a way to better understand how organizations actually work. This knowledge will help you enable your organizations to flourish in a world of constant change. Here's more on exploring the new science of complexity.
Sample Human Resources Generalist Job Description
This is a sample job description for a Human Resources Generalist. While all Human Resources Generalist job descriptions need to be customized to meet the needs of the organization in which they serve, this sample Human Resources Generalist job description will give you ideas and sample phrasing, too.
Corporate Data Security Challenges
Identity theft resulting from a corporate data breach is big news. The extensive media coverage and damage to the organizations and brands involved in recent data security breaches has brought identity theft detection and prevention to the forefront of corporate America's concerns.
Meeting Management - Competing Conversations
Want to develop effective working relationships with people at work? Effective interaction by people in business meetings can create effective work relationships. Effective group meetings manage the interaction of difficult people holding competing conversations. Here's more on how to effectively manage a meeting, and make sure that this meeting is productive, too.
Talent On-the-Bubble: Addressing Human Behavior at Work
One of the great lessons from Talent IQ is that the performance of talent gone awry is very seriously under-addressed in organizational life. Called “Talent On-the-Bubble,” a pattern of human behavior was identified that can take any organization and its leadership team down if left untended. Talent On-the-Bubble can make a mockery of organizational values, sap creative energy and drive highly talented top performers out. Find out how human behavior must be managed at work.
Q. Should My Husband Ask for a Raise at His Troubled Company?
Couple spent on the assumption that the husband's base income included both his base pay and his profit sharing bonus. When his company experienced problems, the profit sharing ceased and they found themselves unable to live on his base salary. They want to know if he should ask for a pay raise to make up the difference. Their question is answered.
What Is the Human Resource Department?
Departments are the entity organizations form to organize people, reporting relationships, and work in a way that best supports the accomplishment of the organization's goals. Departments are usually organized by functions such as human resources, marketing, administration, and sales. But, a department can be organized in any way that makes sense for the customer.
Variable Pay
Variable pay is used generally to recognize and reward employee contribution toward company productivity, profitability, team work, safety, quality, or some other metric deemed important. Variable pay changes depending upon the circumstances. Learn more about variable pay.
Profit Sharing
Profit sharing is an example of a variable pay plan. Profit sharing is taking a percentage of a company’s annual profits and then dividing the pool of money generated across all employees using a formula for distribution. Profit sharing payments are only made if the company has been profitable for the time period specified. Find out more about profit sharing.
Managing Human Resources
Managing human resources refers to the functions that a manager performs relative to the organization's employees. Managing human resources includes, but is not limited to these functions. Learn more about managing human resources.
What Is Human Resources?
Human resources are the people that staff and operate an organization. Read the definition of Human Resources.
What Is a Human Resource?
A human resource is a person or employee who staffs and operates a function within your organization. Read the definition of a Human Resource.
What Is Human Resource Management?
Human Resource Management is the function within an organization that focuses on recruitment, management, and the direction of the people in the organization. Human Resources management is also performed by line managers.
What Is Human Resource Development (HRD)?
Human Resource Development is the framework for helping employees develop their personal and organizational skills, knowledge, and abilities. Human Resource Development includes such opportunities as employee training, employee career development, performance management and development, coaching, succession planning, key employee identification, and organization development.
Human Resources Information System (HRIS)
The Human Resource Information System (HRIS is a software or online solution for the data entry, data tracking, and data information needs of the Human Resources function within a business. Normally packaged as a data base, hundreds of companies sell some form of HRIS and every HRIS has different capabilities. Pick your HRIS carefully based on the capabilities you need in your company.
Telephone Use Policy - Manufacturing Facility
Company employees may receive or make personal telephone calls during break periods only. If a telephone call is received during a non-break time, and the call is not an emergency, callers will be asked to leave a message. See the sample telephone use policy for manufacturing facilities.
Sample Personnel File Policy
The Company maintains three employee files for each employee. The files maintained include the personnel file, the payroll file, and the medical records file. Employees may access their personnel file by contacting Human Resources staff. See more about personnel files in this sample personnel file policy.
Personnel File Access Policy
All employees, former employees, and representatives of employees may view certain documents from their personnel file with advance notice to Human Resources staff. Documents that relate to the employee's qualifications for hire may be viewed. Documents that may not be reviewed are also described.
Job Search Tip: How Employers Hire an Employee
Sometimes when you're job searching, the wait at each step in the hiring process can feel interminable. check. Perhaps some insight into the steps an employer takes to hire an employee will help you understand what is going on behind the scenes. It's really not about you, for the most part. To recruit and hire an employee usually starts with a recruitment planning meeting, and moves on from there until the employes hires an employee.
Fair Labor Standards Act
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), first enacted by the United States Congress in 1938, sets standards for the basic minimum wage and overtime pay. The FSLA also sets standards for recordkeeping and for child labor. The FLSA affects most private and public sector employment, including state, local, and federal government.
Severance Pay
Severance pay is money that an employer might want to provide for an employee who is leaving their employ. Normal circumstances that might warrant severance pay include layoffs, job elimination, and mutual agreement to part ways for whatever reason. Severance pay usually amounts to a week or two of pay for each year of service to the company. In some instances, a severance package might include extended benefits and outplacement assistance.
Human Resources Information System (HRIS)
The Human Resource Information System (HRIS is a software or online solution for the data entry, data tracking, and data information needs of the Human Resources function within a business. Normally packaged as a data base, hundreds of companies sell some form of HRIS and every HRIS has different capabilities. Pick your HRIS carefully based on the capabilities you need in your company.
I-9 (Employment Eligibility Verification)
The Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9) is the form that is required by the Department of Homeland Security - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to document eligibility for employment in the United States. All employees, citizens and noncitizens, hired after November 6, 1986, must complete Section 1 of this form at the time of hire, the actual beginning of employment.
Wholesome Organic Profits
Recent corporate financial scandals have called into question the quality of corporate earnings. Find out how twenty-two big companies thrive and prosper by consistently producing high-quality organic growth and homegrown profits. Organic growth does foster successful employees, company profit, satisfied customers, and measurable contributions.
How to Fire an Employee: Legally, Ethically
Assuming that you have taken all possible steps to help an employee improve their work performance, it may be time to fire the employee. These are the legal and the ethical steps in how to fire an employee. Ensure that the company's actions are above reproach. How you fire an employee sends a powerful to your remaining staff - either positive or negative. How you fire an employee matters.
Team Norms Sample
Every team has two components that team members must pay attention to if the team is going to succeed. The team must pay attention to the content (or goals or outcomes expected). The team must also carefully shape and monitor the process it uses to accomplish the goals. Here are sample team process norms or guidelines that a team might use to effectively conduct its business.
Top Ten Ways to Be Happy at Work
Working at Google sounds very cool. I'd be the first to tout Google as a motivating employer: free food, fun ... Google and other top 100 employers provide best workplaces. But, perks that enable employees to spend all their time at work exploit people and destroy life balance. So, even the best employer may not be best for everyone. These are the factors that will help you find happiness at work.
Keeping the People You Really Need in the Outsourced Economy
The outsourced economy is here to stay. As a leader, you may not relish the idea of outsourcing. However, the reality is that you may soon need to. When that happens, you will want a workforce that is nimble, adaptable, and prepared to participate in your organization at a new level of competitiveness. Organizations that partner with their employees will retain those employees when they have the opportunity to become free agents.
Handbook Introduction
Use this employee handbook introduction as the basis for your introduction to your employee handbook. Customize this handbook introductory letter for your company's needs.
Handbook Acknowledgement of Receipt
Use this employee handbook acknowledgement of receipt as the basis for your employee signoff for receipt of your employee handbook. Customize this handbook acknowledgerment letter for your company’s needs.
Cell Phone Policy Sample for Workplaces
You can make this cell phone policy the basis for your work place cell phone policy. This cell phone policy sample is not to be construed as legal advice.
Concealed Weapons Sample Policy
This is a sample, simple concealed weapons policy for workplaces. Please utilize this policy to form the basis for your work concealed weapons policy. This concealed weapons policy sample is not to be construed as legal advice.
What Makes a Bad Boss - Bad?
Nothing sparks more commentary than asking about what makes a manager a bad boss. With my Web site poll and its lengthy comments thread, I found some common themes in site visitor responses. Want to avoid becoming a bad boss? Afraid that you may already be considered a bad boss? Just want to commiserate with other people who have bad bosses? Here are the pertinent themes about bad bosses.
Top 10 Principles of Employee Empowerment
Looking for real management advice about people? You want to create an environment in which people are empowered, productive, and happy. Don't hobble them by limiting their tools or information. Trust them to do the right thing. These are the most important principles for managing people. They reinforce employee empowerment, accomplishment, and contribution. These actions enable people to soar.
Strategic Planning Pitfalls - to Avoid
I have mixed feelings about what many companies call strategic planning but creating an overall direction for your company, office, or work group is necessary for success. People need to feel as if they are part of something bigger than themselves. At the same time, they need clear direction to know what "bigger thing" they are part of. Learn strategic planning pitfalls to avoid.
Develop a Drug-free Workplace
In a drug-free workplace, the employer has taken steps and initiated policies to ensure that employees, vendors, and customers are not taking or using alcohol or drugs, selling drugs, or affected by the after effects of indulging in alcohol or drugs outside of the workplace during non-work time. Additionally, the goal of a drug free workplace program is to encourage an employee with a substance abuse problem to seek treatment, attain recovery and return to work.
To Drink or Not to Drink?
To drink or not to drink at work related events is a question every employee has to ponder for one occasion or another. Whether the business occasion is lunch during an interview, the company holiday party, or a staff networking event on Friday afternoon, alcohol is usually an option. My limit is two. How about you? Make your decision about how much to drink before you are faced with choices.
Stop Being Miserable at Work
Are you miserable at work? Do you never feel good about heading to work? Do you feel unchallenged, unhappy, or not in control? Is your boss the worst? Do your coworkers engage in unjustifiable complaining. If you continue to participate in any of these situations, you will ensure that you will continue to hate your job. And, hating your job is the centerpiece for a miserable life. Why go there?
Job Descriptions: Why Effective Job Descriptions Make Good Business Sense
Effectively developed, job descriptions are communication tools that are significant in your organization's success. Poorly written job descriptions, on the other hand, add to workplace confusion and hurt communication. Here's why effective job descriptions are so important.
Preventing Predictable Decision Making Errors
Predictable errors in decision making are preventable errors. And a few simple techniques can help you steer clear of the most common wrong turns in decision making. They can get you to your go point, that decisive moment when the essential information has been gathered, the pros and cons weighed, and the time has come to get off the fence and make your decision. Learn more about decision making.
How to Create Team Norms
The members of every team and work group develop particular ways of interacting with each other over time. Effective interpersonal communication among members and successful communication with managers and employees external to the team are critical components of team functioning. With the potential power of the impact of these interactions on team success, why leave team interaction to chance? Form team relationship guidelines or team norms early to ensure team success. Learn about team norms.
How to Develop Group Norms: Step by Step to Adopt Group Guidelines
The members of every team and work group develop particular ways of interacting with each other over time. Effective interpersonal communication among group members and successful communication with managers and employees external to the team are critical components of group functioning. With the potential power of the impact of these interactions on group success, why leave group member interaction to chance? Adopt group relationship guidelines or group norms early to ensure group success.
How to Respond to a Reference Check
Checking job or employment references is time-consuming and frequently unsatisfactory, as many employers, despite recent legislation, refuse to offer more than dates of employment, salary history and job title. Here is the format I use to check references. Take a look; it provides a format for reference checking that you'll find helpful.
Paid Time Off Policy
Definition of the paid time off approach to employee vacation, sick days, and personal days for the human resources glossary of human resources related terms. Paid time off has advantages and disadvantages that are explored in this definition of paid time off.
The Family and Medical Leave Act
As most employers are now aware, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires covered employers to provide twelve weeks of unpaid leave to eligible employees within a 12-month period. The FMLA applies to private employers with 50 or more employees, and to all public employers. Learn the answers to several common questions you may have about the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Three Shining Work Moments Ice Breaker
Looking for a winning team building ice breaker that you can use for meetings, training classes, team building sessions, and company events and activities? My three Shining moments ice breaker makes group cohesiveness and cooperation a natural extension of this team building ice breakers. Your participants will learn to know and appreciate each others' strengths with this ice breaker.
A New Role for HR: Support Your Company's Brand
"I once read an article in which Mickey Mantle tells about a recurring dream. He's racing to get to Yankee Stadium in a panic, because he's late for the game. To his horror the gates to the field are locked. He finds a hole in the centerfield fence and sticks his head through. As he tries to wiggle through the small hole he wakes up drenched in sweat!” Like Mickey Mantle, one HR challenge …
Job Interview Tips: How to Interview Potential Employees
The job interview is a powerful factor in the employee selection process in most organizations. While the job interview may not deserve all the attention that the job interview receives, it is still a powerful force in hiring. Other background checking and work history references provide much less personalized and more factual information, and hopefully, you have also added these checks to your hiring decisions, too. But the job interview remains key to assessing the candidate's cultural fit.
How to Implement a Book Club at Work
Looking for an easy way to share information and develop employees at work? Form a book club in which a group of employees voluntarily read the same book. Combine the book reading with a regularly scheduled discussion meeting to double the impact of the book. Ask one employee to lead the discussion about the week's assigned chapter or two. Ask a second employee to lead the discussion about the relevance of the book's teachings to your organization. You'll magnify learning from the book club.
The Five of Anything Ice Breaker
Looking for a winning team building ice breaker that you can use for meetings, training classes, team building sessions, and company events and activities? My five of anything ice breaker makes group cohesiveness and cooperation a natural extension of the discussion when you use this team building ice breaker.
The Bottom Line for Employee Retention
Want the bottom line when it comes to employee retention? The quality of the supervision an employee receives is critical to employee retention. People leave managers and supervisors more often than they leave companies or jobs. Learn how to help your managers address employee retention.
Build an Organization Based on Values
"Our people are our most important asset." You’ve heard these words many times, if you work in the human resources field. Yet how many organizations act as if they really believe these words? Not many. These words are the clear expression of a value, and values are visible through the actions people take, not their talk.
Magnify the Retention Value of Your 401k Plan
Tired of feeling as if your 401k plan doesn't get the appreciation and participation it deserves? You can maximize the impact of your 401k retirement plan to benefit the people you employ. These necessary and recommended actions will help you create an appreciated, valued benefit that helps you achieve your business goals.
Your 401k Plan is a Recruiting Magnet
Competitive base pay, medical insurance and a 401(k) plan are the must have benefits necessary to attract and keep talent in your company. Read more about retirement resources and your 401(k) plan, including how to use it for recruiting.
Human Resources Director Job Description Sample
This is a sample job description for a Human Resources Director. While all Human Resources Director job descriptions need to be customized to meet the needs of the organization in which they serve, this sample Human Resources Director job description will give you ideas and sample phrasing, too.
The Americans With Disabilities Act - An Employer’s Responsibilities
The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) makes it unlawful for an employer with 15 or more employees to discriminate against a qualified individual with a disability. The Michigan Persons with Disabilities Civil Rights Act, which is similar to the ADA in many respects, covers employers with one or more employees; other states may similarly define different laws for workplace treatment of people with disabilities. This article addresses disability law issues relevant to employers.
Resignation Letter
Definitions for a letter of resignation or a resignation letter for the human resources glossary of human resources related terms.
Resignation Letter Sample
Sample, simple letter of resignation or a resignation letter for the human resources policy, checklist, procedure, and samples directory.
How to Change Your Culture: Organizational Culture Change
Are you ready to change the culture that exists in your organization? Your assessment of your organizational culture may make you happy; your organizational culture assessment may make you sad. Whatever your organizational culture assessment teaches you about your culture, though, your culture is what it is. To change your organizational culture, to enhance your organizational culture, to benefit from your organizational culture, you need to see and understand your culture. Take the first step.
Meet and Greet Meeting Icebreakers
Want to know more about creating quick, fun ice breakers for meetings? I am a proponent of ice breakers that reinforce the content and goal accomplishment of a team building or training session. There is a place, however, for a fun ice breaker whose only purpose is to help session attendees know each other. Here are ice breakers that take time to prep, but are quick to do at the meeting.
HR as Product: Be the Brand of Choice
It is time for Human Resources practitioners to rethink their role and that of the HR department, not only for the purposes of contributing to the organization's bottom line, but also for their own survival. Read more about tips for image, reputation, and brand.
Twenty Dumb Things Organizations Do to Mess Up Their Relationship With People
Even the best organizations periodically make mistakes in dealing with people. Here are twenty mistakes that organizations make - mistakes that mess up their relationship with their employees.
Top Ten Ways to Turn Off a New Employee
New Employee Orientation is a critical factor in helping a new person develop a productive, lasting relationship with your organization. Learn the top ten ways to turn off a new employee.
Employee Orientation: Keeping New Employees on Board
You want your new employee to experience his new job as a major turn on. Here are tips, tools, and examples for new employee orientation processes that promote longevity and loyalty.
Dress Code for Work: Manufacturing and Office
The Company's objective, in establishing a dress code, is to enable employees to project a professional, business-like image while experiencing the comfort and advantages of more casual and relaxed clothing. Casual dress is the standard for this dress code that differentiates between clothing worn in manufacturing and clothing worn in the office. Learn more about casual dress in this dress code.
Dress Code: Letter of Introduction
The Company's objective, in establishing a dress code, is to enable employees to project a professional, business-like image while experiencing the comfort and advantages of more casual and relaxed clothing. This letter is a sample letter to introduce the concept of the dress code to your managers and supervisors.
Policy Receipt Acknowledgement Sample
The Company's objective, in establishing a dress code, is to enable employees to project a professional, business-like image while experiencing the comfort and advantages of more casual and relaxed clothing. This policy receipt acknowledgement allows you to track that every employee has received and understands the new policy.
Trust Rules: The Most Important Secret About Trust
Without trust, you have nothing. Trust forms the foundation for effective communication, employee retention, and employee motivation and contribution of discretionary energy, the extra effort that people voluntarily invest in work. When trust is present, everything else is easier. Learn more about how to build trust in your workplace.
How to Hold a Difficult Conversation
If you manage people, work in Human Resources, or care about your friends at work, chances are good that one day you will need to hold a difficult conversation. As an example, people dress inappropriately and unprofessionally for work; personal hygiene is sometimes unacceptable. These steps will help you hold difficult conversations when people need professional feedback.
How to Win the Job Search Competition
Reasons for hiring one employee over another are as varied as the employers hiring employees. But, there are critical factors that can help you win the job search competition. Employees who were hired did a lot of things right. Better, they did almost nothing wrong. Find out why Mary got the job.
Creating a Mentoring Culture
More than ever before, organizations, large and small, are looking outside traditional mentoring paradigms to raise the bar on the practice of mentoring by creating a mentoring culture. A mentoring culture continuously focuses on building the mentoring capacity, competence, and capability of the organization. Discover the hallmarks of a mentoring culture.
Culture: Your Environment for People at Work
People in every workplace talk about organization culture, the mysterious word that characterizes a work environment. One of the key questions when employers hire an employee explores whether the candidate is a good “cultural fit”. Culture is difficult to define, but you generally know when you have found an employee who appears to fit your organizational culture. Learn more about organizational culture.
How to Understand Your Current Culture
Are you ready to take a look at the culture that exists in your organization? Your assessment of your culture may make you happy; your assessment may make you sad. Whatever your culture assessment teaches you about your culture, though, your culture is what it is. To change your culture, to enhance your culture, to benefit from your culture, you need to see and understand your culture. Take the first step.
Job Search Tip: Prep Your References for a Reference Check
Prepping your references can make all the difference in whether you get the job you want or not. A positive reference check is a priority in the hiring decisions of many employers. Make sure your references are prepared to respond favorably when the potential employer calls for a reference check.
Change Management Tips
As the speed of change continues to increase, change management is a fundamental competency needed by managers, supervisors, Human Resources staff, and organization leaders. To tap your wisdom, my recent survey about change management afforded me the opportunity to consolidate hundreds of years of experience in change management. Here, in your words, is your best advice about change management.
Change Lessons From the Field
Change is possible; the need for change is increasing; change capability is necessary for organizations that will succeed in the future. So say the respondents to my recent survey about change management success. Check out the first installment of results! Much more to come!
Communication in Change Management
You cannot over-communicate when you are asking your organization to change. Every successful executive, who has led a change management effort, in my experience, makes this statement. I have never worked with a client organization in which employees were completely happy with communication. Communication is one of the toughest issues in organizations. Learn more.
Change Management Lessons About Employee Involvement
Change can succeed. Effective change management helps change succeed. The role of employee involvement in change management is explored. Your change management efforts can succeed. Learn more about change management.
Executive Support and Leadership in Change Management
Change is possible; the need for change is increasing; change capability is necessary for organizations that will succeed in the future; effective change management strategies rule. Learn about executive support and leadership for change management. Check out the results of my change management survey about the impact of executive support and leadership in change management.
Planning and Analysis in Change Management
Change is possible; the need for change is increasing; change capability is necessary for organizations that will succeed in the future; effective change management strategies rule. Learn about planning and analysis in change management. Check out the results of my change management survey about the affect of effective planning and analysis in change management.
Build Support for Effective Change Management
Change can succeed. Effective change management helps change succeed. The role of building support for change prior to the change and during the change in change management is explored. Your change management efforts can succeed. Learn more about building support for change.
Change Management Wisdom
As the speed of change continues to increase, change management is a fundamental competency needed by managers, supervisors, Human Resources staff, and organization leaders. To tap your wisdom, my recent survey about change management afforded me the opportunity to consolidate hundreds of years of experience in change management. Here, in your words, is your best advice about change management.
Top Ten Reasons to Quit Your Job
Are you feeling increasingly unhappy about your job? Then, it may be time for you to quit your job. Or, address the issues that you dislike about your current career. Without leaving your job, you may be able to solve the problems. Take a look at these reasons to determine whether it's time to quit your current job. Perhaps you can identify adjustments that will re-invigorate your job and career.
How to Make Your Current Job Work
Are you feeling increasingly unhappy about your job? Then, it may be time for you to quit your job. Or, address the issues that you dislike about your current career. Without leaving your job, you may be able to solve the problems. Take a look at these reasons to determine whether it's time to quit your current job. Perhaps you can identify adjustments that will re-invigorate your job and career.
Email and Internet Policy
This is a sample simple, straightforward email and Internet policy. Please utilize to form the basis for your work email and Internet policies. This policy sample is not to be construed as legal advice.
Hostile Environment Claims – Not Limited to Sexual Harassment
Most employers are aware of problems related to and have adopted policies prohibiting sexual harassment. An employer who limits its anti-harassment efforts to claims of sexual harassment, however, does so at its own risk. Both the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) have taken the position that conduct constituting harassment on the basis of any protected class is unlawful.
Employee Onboarding: One Chance for a Positive New Employee Experience
In the talent management universe, the new employee orientation and mainstreaming process is known as “employee onboarding.” Keeping in mind that you never get a second chance to make a first impression, your business should make absolutely sure that new hires feel welcomed, valued, and prepared for what lies ahead during your new employee orientation or onboarding process. Learn more.
Play Well With Others: Develop Effective Work Relationships
You can submarine your job and career by the relationships you form at work. No matter your education, experience, or title, if you can't play well with others, you won't succeed. Effective relationships create success and satisfaction on the job. Learn more about seven effective work relationship musts.
How to Ask for a Pay Raise
Want more money than you're currently making? If your goal is to stay in your current job working for your present employer, you'll need to ask for a pay raise. Planning and preparation are key when you ask for a pay raise. So are timing, your employer's pay practices, and the market-based pay rates for your job.
Nine Recruiting and Selection Tips to Ensure Successful Hiring
These nine tips will help you in recruiting and hiring a candidate who will become a successful, contributing superior employee. Learn how job analysis helps you in recruiting and hiring a superior staff.
Recognition Success Tips: Recognition or Entitlement?
These tips about reward and recognition will help you create a profitable business and develop the talented workforce you need for progress, resiliency and agility. What makes reward and recognition memorable? The element of surprise is big for effective reward and recognition. Learn more.
Conduct a Simple Training Needs Assessment
Want to quickly learn the training needs of a group of employees who have similar jobs? Yet, you don't want to develop and implement a survey, put the questions in a computer program, or run analyses on demographic information you collect. This training needs assessment works best in small to mid-sized organizations. It will give you a quick assessment of the training needs of an employee group. This training needs assessment helps find common training programs for a group of employees.
Make More Money: Your Lifetime Income Potential
Work is about the money. Work only becomes not about the money when you have sufficient income – however you define sufficient income – to support your chosen life style. With sufficient money, work becomes about other motivations. Maximize lifetime income potential by the choices you make for your career and how you work with your employer. Learn how to maximize your lifetime income potential.
The Scoop on Salary Increases
Do you believe your work is worth more money than you are making? If so, you are not alone. According to a Salary.com survey of 13,500 random visitors, sixty-five percent of respondents said they are looking for a new job within the next three months. Of those, fifty-seven percent say they are looking because they believe they are underpaid. But, you may not be underpaid. See what salary increases are available for pay raises currently. You might be surprised.
Why This Resume Rocks
When employers receive 100 resumes in response to a job posting, the resume that catches your eye has to stand out from the crowd. This sample resume was accompanied by an exemplary cover letter. Here, I'll show you the resume that accompanied the cover letter that did capture my attention and tell you why. This sample resume sets a standard employers need to seek and candidates need to emulate.
My Favorite Resume Cover Letter
Resume cover letters ought to matter to employers. As an employer, you are seeking the resume and resume cover letter that describe the candidate who will best fill your position. A thoughtful resume cover letter tells you that the candidate took the time to customize his application to fit your needs. Perhaps the applicant with a superior resume cover letter, will make a superior employee.
Moneyball Hits a Home Run: Implications for Managers
If you're a baseball fan and in business, too, this book hits a home run. Billy Beane, the Oakland A's General Manager, had to select players he could afford. Beane used selection methods not widely accepted in baseball recruiting. He used baseball statistics to predict what a player could contribute to the team. Despite Beane's recruiting success, these statistical methods are not widely used.
How to Develop and Write a Policy
You want to have the necessary policies and procedures to ensure a safe, organized, convivial, empowering, nondiscriminatory work place. Yet, you do not want to write a policy for every exception to accepted and expected behavior. Policy development is for the many employees not for the few exceptions. Learn How to Develop and Write a Policy.
Smoke Free Workplace Policy for Your Company
This smoke free workplace policy guarantees that employees, customers and guests will not be subjected to second hand smoke in the workplace. No smoking and no tobacco products are allowed. Read more about this smoke free workplace policy.
Becoming a Sage: The Keys to Life-long Self-development
Successful people practice life-long self-development. Studies show that successful people have similar characteristics. They are self-confident without being arrogant. This comes from being self-aware: knowing one’s strengths and weaknesses, knowing one’s goals and remaining true to one’s values and capabilities. They are willing to grow by challenging their limits of knowledge and experience. Find out how else to continue your life-long self-development.
Open Door Policy: Policy Sample
Your company has adopted an Open Door Policy for all employees. This means, literally, that every manager's door is open to every employee. The purpose of our open door policy is to encourage open communication, feedback, and discussion about any matter of importance to an employee. Our open door policy means that employees are free to talk with any manager at any time.
How an Open Door Policy Ought to Work
Want to bypass levels of management, strike fear in the hearts of supervisors, and undermine your chain of command? Adopt an open door policy that states any employee can talk with any level manager about any issue at any time. Isn't that the point of an open door policy, you may ask? My answer? Yes and no.
Create Your Personal Vision Statement
Your personal vision statement guides your life. Your personal vision statement provides the direction necessary to guide the course of your days and the choices you make about your career. Your personal vision statement is the light shining in the darkness toward which you turn to find your way. Your personal vision statement illuminates your way. Find out how to develop your personal vision statement.
How to Build a Teamwork Culture: Do the Hard Stuff With Teams
Fostering teamwork is creating a work culture that values collaboration. In a teamwork environment, people understand and believe that thinking, planning, decisions and actions are better when done cooperatively. People recognize, and even assimilate, the belief that “none of us is as good as all of us.” (High Five) It’s hard to find work places that exemplify teamwork. Learn more. .
Team Building Activity: Radio-controlled Cars
Readers often send in ideas, initiatives, and team building activities and icebreakers that worked for them in their organization. It's great to have examples, and in the spirit of this article, I value your collaboration and ideas. Recently, I received a note from Keith Hamm which began: "You were asking about fun things in HR.” A fun team building activity was enclosed with his note.
My Favorite Team Building Icebreaker
I've used this successful team building icebreaker for so many years that I don't remember where it originated. This team building icebreaker is fast, easy, and fun. Try out this always successful, laughter-generating, team building icebreaker.
Business Management Success Tips - Space Planning Feedback
This tip about how to gain management input for people needs and space planning will give you a proven approach to try to stay one jump ahead of your company’s growth. These are the questions to ask as you plan space for people.
How Real Women Get Ahead: The Woman’s Advantage at Work
Forget what you’ve heard about “being one of the boys,” “having it all,” and “going for the jugular.” Here is how real working women get ahead. Working women favor smarts and skills over sexy, communicate superbly, and earn and learn from line management positions. Learn more about how real working women get ahead: the woman’s advantage at work.
Communication Success Tips: Interpersonal Communication Dynamics
Each of us is a radar machine constantly scoping out our environment. Human beings are sensitive to body language, facial expression, posture, movement, tone of voice and more. To effectively communicate, these interpersonal communication dynamics must match your words.
Leadership and Management Success Tips: Business Management Success Tips - Why Human Resources Leaders Need Degrees
Human Resources leaders need degrees. If you are considering a career in Human Resources, or trying to advance your current HR career, a Bachelors degree, and even a Masters degree, will assist you to achieve your goals and dreams. As organizational expectations of the potential contributions of an HR pro have increased, the need for the HR leader to possess both experience and a degree has increased, too. Find out why a degree is essential.
Job Interview Match Dance
People forget that the purpose of a job interview is not just to get the job. Sound strange to you? It’s not. You go to a job interview to discover whether your talents, abilities, interests and direction are a good fit for the job, the company, and the company’s mission. Learn more about the match that needs to occur during a job interview for a subsequently successful employment relationship.
About What Employees Want From Work: Employee Motivation
Every person has different reasons for working. The reasons for working are as individual as the person. But, we all work because we obtain something that we need from work. The something obtained from work impacts morale, employee motivation, and the quality of life. To create positive employee motivation, treat employees as if they matter - because employees matter. These ideas will help you fulfill what people want from work and create employee motivation.
Tips for Managing Stress and Change at Work
Stress is normal. Everyone feels stress related to work, family, decisions, your future, and more. Stress is both physical and mental. It is caused by major life events such as illness, the death of a loved one, a change in responsibilities or expectations at work, and job promotions, loss, or changes. Read on to understand the impact of stress and stress in the workplace.
Understanding Stress and Workplace Stress
Stress is normal. Everyone feels stress related to work, family, decisions, your future, and more. Stress is both physical and mental. It is caused by major life events such as illness, the death of a loved one, a change in responsibilities or expectations at work, and job promotions, loss, or changes. Read on to understand the impact of stress and stress in the workplace.
Leadership and Management Success Tips: Recruiting and Staffing Success Tips - Second Interview Tip
Genentech, Fortune magazine’s pick as the best company to work for, regards recruiting talented employees as a top priority. Recruiting the “right” employees is a lengthy process that can include a candidate returning to the company to interview 5-6 times. A candidate may participate in as many as 20 interviews. I’ll bet other best companies approach employee selection with just as much care. So should you.
Genentech: Best Companies' Practices
Genentech has a mission, vision, and cultural values that thoroughly engage staff. Ninety-five percent of Genentech employees own stock in their best company. Genentech is philanthropically and community outreach oriented. Genentech provides a leading edge package of benefits and perks to their employees. Learn more.
Employment Terminations – How To Avoid Legal Problems
The decision to terminate an individual’s employment carries with it the risk of a possible legal challenge. Depending upon an employer’s policies or whether an employee has an employment contract, an employee may, for example, have a breach of contract or “wrongful discharge” claim. Learn the right questions to ask before you terminate an employee's employment.
Leadership and Management Success Tips: Business Management Success Tips: How to Manage Gossip
These leadership and management tips will help you create effective interpersonal relationships. This leadership and management tip about interpersonal relationships will speed up your progress and profitability.
Plan Your Recruiting to Ensure Successful Candidate Selection
Do you select new employees based largely on an attractive resume and the candidate’s performance at the resultant interview? If so, you are missing the opportunity to use additional recruiting and screening methods that will ensure a superior hire. Learn how a recruiting planning meeting can ensure you hire candidates who will perform successfully in your work place.
Quick Start Learning Guide: Strategic Planning
Want to learn about strategic planning quickly and efficiently? Don't want to read all the site resources about strategic planning and strategic Human Resources just yet? These are the articles I'd like you to read in this order and why. This is the quick path to learning about strategic planning.
Business Management Success Tips - Why HR Should Report to the CEO
People are the most important resource of your business. One of your biggest challenges will be attracting and retaining a superior workforce. Your HR staff members are key players in recruiting and retaining staff. Your HR staff should also lead your efforts in training and organization development. They are the heart of helping you form a positive, employee and customer-oriented culture.
Provide Motivational Employee Recognition
You can avoid the employee recognition traps that: single out one or a few employees who are mysteriously selected for the recognition; sap the morale of the many who failed to win, place, or even show; confuse people who meet the criteria yet were not selected; or sought votes or other personalized, subjective criteria to determine winners. Learn more.
Five Tips for Effective Employee Recognition: How to Reward, Recognize, Award, and Thank People
Employee recognition is not just a nice thing to do for people. Employee recognition is a communication tool that reinforces the important outcomes people create for your business. When you recognize people effectively, you reinforce, with your chosen means of recognition, the actions and behaviors you most want to see people repeat. An employee recognition system is powerfully reinforcing.
Sample Hourly Employee Attendance Policy
Excellent attendance is an expectation of all employees of Your Company, Inc. Daily attendance is especially important for hourly employees whose customers and coworkers have the expectation of on-time product shipping and delivery. Emergency personal time is made available to employees for such unscheduled events as personal illness, immediate family member illness, and doctor appointments. See a sample attendance policy.
Ten Days to a Happier, More Successful Career and Life
”We hold these truths to be self-evident,” said our Founding Fathers. The truths you will discover over the next ten days or lessons are self-evident, too, but they are profoundly difficult to practice. Even as I write this series, I find myself questioning whether I am practicing what I am recommending. So, consider the pursuit of happiness and success in work and life - a journey. These practices will get you started on that success journey.
How to Take Responsibility for Your Life
You are totally responsible for your life. This is the foundation principle you must embrace if you plan for happiness and success in life and work. The most important aspect of taking responsibility for your life is to listen to the little voice in your head. We tend to become what we think about most of the time. Your thoughts are powerful. Learn more.
Stay the Course or Change the Course: Practice Persistence and Self-discipline
Practicing the self-discipline and persistence to stick with the course you’ve set to attain your goals and purpose is the single most important factor in determining whether you will achieve them. Self-discipline to stick with the direction you have set, or to purposefully change it, allows you to persist every day on your journey. Note that purposefully changing your course, is perfectly okay. Drifting away is not. Learn more.
Identify and Live Your Personal Values
Values are traits or qualities that are considered worthwhile; they represent your highest priorities and deeply held driving forces. When you are part of any organization, you bring your deeply held values and beliefs to the organization. There they co-mingle with those of the other members to create an organization or family culture.
Your Ten Toughest Questions - Asked and Answered
Regular emails from readers ask hundreds of questions each year. Patterns emerge about the toughest situations you face in your organizations. These are the ten toughest, but most frequent questions you send my way. I’ve written a how-to piece to answer each question you’ve asked. These articles address and answer your toughest questions.
Holiday Pay Practices: Do You Know What Your Legal Requirements Are?
The end of the year is a good time to review your company’s holiday pay practices. This article answers common questions regarding holiday pay related issues.
Most Popular Topics at the Human Resources Website
Looking for some of the most popular topics on the human resources site? New articles and articles I blog usually become the most popular topics for a time. But these ten pieces are among the site’s most popular topics about human resources issues over time. Enjoy reading.
How to Deal With a Negative Coworker: Negativity Matters
Some people exude negativity. They don’t like their jobs or they don’t like their company. Their bosses are always jerks and they are always treated unfairly. The company is always going down the tube and customers are worthless. You know these negative Neds and Nellies – every organization has some – and you can best address their impact on you via avoidance.
Quick Start Learning Guide: Performance Management and Development
Want to learn about performance management quickly and efficiently? Don't want to take the email class in performance management and performance development planning? These are the articles I'd like you to read in this order and why. This is the quick path to learning about performance management and performance development planning.
Holiday Stress Hotspots: Manage Stress with Knowledge
There are four main causes of holiday stress: gift giving obligations, expenses, a lack of time, and unrealistic expectations about creating a perfect holiday. To reduce holiday stress, arm yourself with knowledge. Know the ins and outs of these top four holiday stress hotspots and follow these effective stress-reducing tips.
The Five Causes of Employee Negativity
The typical workplace has its ups and downs in terms of employee negativity. Many workplaces are trying to be employee oriented. But, even the most employee oriented workplace can shudder under the weight of negative thinking. When employers understand the causes of employee negativity and put in place measures to prevent employee negativity, negativity fails to gain a foothold in the work environment. Learn the five key causes of employee negativity.
Appreciating Diversity During the Holidays: Diversity’s About More Than Just a Simple "Happy Holidays" Greeting Card
Guess who's not celebrating Christmas this year? Millions of people in the United States. That's right. Tens of millions of Americans don't hold Christmas religious or holiday celebrations either as followers of non-Christian religions (Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Jews) or as individuals with no religious affiliation. Find out more about honoring diversity and religious or holiday celebrations.
Training and Development for Motivation and Retention: Training and Development Options
One key factor in employee motivation and retention is the opportunity to continue to grow and develop job and career enhancing skills. There are a couple of secrets to what employees want from training and development opportunities, however. Plus, training and development opportunities are not just found in training classes and seminars. Learn more about what employees want in training and development opportunities.
Progressive Discipline Warning Form: Counseling Record for Disciplinary Warning
Disciplinary action is sometimes necessary when an employee's behavior is negatively impacting his or her work, his or her coworkers' work, or the workplace. This disciplinary warning form documents the discipline warning. This disciplinary warning form also documents and records the coaching or counseling discussion that accompanied the discipline warning.
Employee Recognition Rocks: Kick Employee Recognition Up a Notch
Employee recognition is limited in most organizations. Employees complain about the lack of recognition regularly. Managers ask, “Why should I recognize or thank him? He’s just doing his job.” And, life at work is busy, busy, busy. These factors combine to create work places that fail to provide recognition for employees. Managers who prioritize employee recognition understand the power of recognition.
How to Implement Strategic Planning: Vision Statement, Mission Statement, Values, More
In an earlier article, I gave you a strategic planning framework, samples, and examples for creating your organization’s mission statement, vision statement, and more. As a result of the strategic planning article, people ask: now that I know what all of this strategic planning should look like, how do I actually make strategic planning happen in my organization? This strategic planning question strikes at the heart of how to make change of any kind happen in your organization. Find out how.
Profit from Life’s Losses: Find Significance
Sometimes life throws us unexpected curve balls. When you get yours - and we all will at one time or another - how you choose to respond to it will set the course for the rest of your life. John Chappelear, author of "The Daily Six" says, "When I received my 'Gift of Desperation' I began to notice, FINALLY, something was missing in my life. It wasn’t success that was missing. It was significance." Upon this realization, he set upon a path to find significance - and he found it. Learn more.
Network Your Way to a New Job or Career: Connections Made by Business Networking Are the Key to Finding a Job
Many people think of business networking as circulating around a room and exchanging business cards. But a broader view of business networking is creating a pool of contacts from which you can draw leads, referrals, ideas, and information for your job search. You can network without ever attending an official business or social networking event, although attending events is useful in networking. Find out more about how to do business networking successfully.
When Management Systems Fail: Why Employees Don’t Do What You Want Them to Do
Managers perennially ask why employees don’t do what they are supposed to do. While part of the responsibility falls on choices individual employees make, managers need to shoulder part of the blame, too. Employees want to succeed at work. I don’t know a single person who gets up in the morning and says, “I think I’ll go to work to fail today.” Many of the reasons employee responsibility fails is due to a failure in the employee management systems.
Resume Cover Letters Matter: Why Resume Cover Letters Should Matter to Employers
Job searching specialists and career counselors recommend that job applicants write a customized resume cover letter to accompany each resume sent to an employer. They’re right. As an employer, a customized resume cover letter matters. A resume cover letter saves you time, connects the candidate’s relevant experience to your advertised job, and provides insight into the candidate’s skills, characteristics, and experience. Look for a resume cover letter from a good applicant.
Gone in Thirty Seconds: How to Review a Resume
The work of resume review starts well before applicant resumes fill your inbox. Reviewing a resume starts with a job description or role profile so you know broadly what the job entails. Part of the job description, in an effective job description, details the qualifications and experience of the candidate you seek to fill the job. Find out how to effectively review resumes to select superior candidates.
Inspirational Quotes for Business and Work: Trust and Trustworthiness
Looking for an inspirational quote or a business quotation for your newsletter, business presentation, bulletin board or inspirational posters? These trust and trustworthiness quotes are useful to help motivation and inspiration. These quotes about trust and trustworthiness will help you create success in business, success in management and success in life.
Management Skill Job Interview Questions
The following sample job interview questions about management and supervisory skills enable you to assess your candidate’s skill in the management and supervision of employees. Feel free to use these job interview questions in your own candidate interviews.
Top Job Interview Questions to Help You Select the Best
The job interview is a powerful factor in the employee selection process. You can use behavioral-based job interview questions to help you select superior candidates. Ask interview questions that help you identify whether the candidate has the behaviors, skills, and experience needed for the job you are filling. Review sample job interview questions, both legal job interview questions and illegal job interview questions.
Interpersonal Skills Job Interview Questions
The following sample job interview questions about interpersonal skills enable you to assess your candidate’s skill in interpersonal and work relationships. Feel free to use these job interview questions in your own candidate interviews.
Team Work Job Interview Questions
The following sample job interview questions about teams and team work enable you to assess your candidate’s skill in working with teams. Feel free to use these job interview questions in your own candidate interviews.
Leadership Job Interview Questions
The following sample job interview questions about leadership enable you to assess your candidate’s skill in leadership. Feel free to use these job interview questions in your own candidate interviews.
Motivation Job Interview Questions
The following sample job interview questions about motivation enable you to assess what motivates the candidate you are interviewing. Feel free to use these job interview questions in your own candidate interviews.
Communication Job Interview Questions
The following sample job interview questions about communication enable you to assess your candidate’s skill in communication. Feel free to use these job interview questions in your own candidate interviews.
When Tragedy Strikes: Eleven Tips for Your Workplace Response
A national tragedy or a personal tragedy has a huge impact at work. And, workplaces can help people successfully weather the tragedy. They can ease the passage people experience during tragedy. They can help people deal with the helplessness and grief they experience during tragedy. They can provide a support system to help prop people up. Find our more about the workplace response to tragedy.
Job Offer Letter
Looking for a sample job offer letter? Your candidates appreciate the job offer terms spelled out in detail. Use this job offer letter as a base for developing your own employment offer.
Executive Job Offer Letter Sample: Introduction and Sample Executive Job Offer
Looking for a sample job offer letter for the executive, director, or other high level employee? Your candidates appreciate the job offer terms spelled out in detail. Use this executive job offer letter as a base for developing your own executive employment offer.
Sales Representative Job Offer Letter Sample: Introduction and Sample Sales Job Offer
Looking for a sample job offer letter for a sales candidate? Your candidates appreciate the job offer terms spelled out in detail. Use this job offer letter as a base for developing your own employment offer for your sales candidate.
Managing Millennials
The millennials joining your workforce now were born between 1980 and 2000. Unlike the Gen-Xers and the Boomers, the Millennials have developed work characteristics and tendencies from doting parents, structured lives, and contact with diverse people. Learn more about millennials.
Three Tips for Business Blogs
While 43 percent of online weblog or blog readers visit political/news blogs, the percentage of the online audience reading blogs is skyrocketing. Why does this growing blog readership matter? A business blog is an ideal way to highlight your successful company and products to prospective employees, vendors, customers, and your industry. Convinced you need a business blog? Use these three recommendations to write your business blog so that it attracts readership, superior candidates, and sales.
Why Sexy Isn't Better: How Sexual Behavior Can Submarine Your Career
Women who wear short skirts that display a lot of leg may be overlooked for promotion and pay increases. So says a recent study conducted by Tulane University. Overt sexual behavior at work, whether men and women are consciously aware of it, or not, can submarine your career. Learn more about sexual behavior and its impact at work.
Dress for Work Success: A Business Casual Dress Code
The Company's objective, in establishing a dress code, is to enable employees to project a professional, business-like image while experiencing the advantage of more casual and relaxed clothing. Business casual dress is the standard for this dress code. Learn more about business casual dress in this dress code.
How to Build Powerfully Successful Work Teams
Team work, effective work teams, and team building are popular topics in today’s organizations. Successful teams and team work fuel the accomplishment of your strategic goals. Effective work teams magnify the accomplishments of individuals and enable you to better serve customers. Here is the information you need to develop team work and effective work teams in your organization. Use this information for team building.
What People Want From Work: Employee Motivation and Positive Morale
Some people work for personal fulfillment; others work for love of what they do. Others work to accomplish goals and to feel as if they are contributing to something larger than themselves. The bottom line is that we all work for money and for reasons too individual to assign similarities to all workers. Learn more.
Employee Termination from an IT Perspective
Firing an employee can be a dirty job, but the IT department must help do it. It is necessary to involve IT in the employee termination process because a former employee who still has access to a company's network and proprietary corporate data is a security threat. Find out why and how the IT department needs to be involved in the termination of employees.
China: A Wakeup Call for United States Competitiveness and Productivity
It doesn't matter what kind of business you are in -- whether you are a multi-national corporation, or a "mom and pop" business - you will be affected by the economic development in China. China is like this huge vortex consuming both human and natural resources at an amazing rate. I am proud to be an American, but the things that make us the most powerful nation in the world are slipping away fast. America needs to be more competitive.
Behavioral Interviews: Use Behavioral Interviewing to Select the Best
Behavioral interviews are the best tool you have to identify candidates who have the behavioral traits and characteristics you have determined are essential for success in your open position. As you read my tips in How to Conduct an Effective Behavioral Interview below, please note that the actual behavioral interview is preceded by behavioral trait identification and a job description. Learn more.
Tips for a Successful Salary Negotiation
A salary negotiation window exists from the time you offer a job to a candidate to the acceptance of the job by your selected candidate. The results of this negotiation can leave a candidate feeling wanted or devalued. The results of this negotiation can leave the employer excited to welcome the candidate or feeling as if he lost. A positive employer and a positive employee are the result of a successful salary negotiation. Here are some tips for conducting a successful salary negotiation.
Top Ten Ways to Make Employee Empowerment Fail
Empowerment is a panacea for many organization ills, when empowerment is implemented with care. Managers and employees say they want empowerment. Organizations see empowerment as a strategy to develop employees and serve customers. If empowerment is great for customer service and employee motivation, why is empowerment not implemented effectively? Here are my top ten reasons why empowerment fails.
Why Blogging Matters to Business
The current revolution in writing and instant publishing is blogging. A business blog is an informal, easily maintained way to regularly communicate with your customers and employees. Blogging matters to business because blogging can represent your company in a positive or negative light. Blogs can pinpoint employees you don't want to hire and help you do market research. Learn more about blogs.
The Five Teams Every Organization Needs
Team work, effective work teams, and team building are popular topics in today’s organizations. Successful teams and team work fuel the accomplishment of your strategic goals. Effective work teams magnify the accomplishments of individuals and enable you to better serve customers. Here are the five teams that every organization needs. Read more.
Effective Meetings Produce Results: Twelve Tips for Meeting Planning and Implementation
People spend so much time in meetings that turning meeting time into sustained results is a priority. Actions that make meetings successful occur before, during, and after the meeting. If you neglect any one of these opportunities, your meetings will not bear the fruit you desire. Take these twelve actions to guide meeting attendees to achieve expected, positive, and constructive outcomes.
Believe What You See: How to Use Nonverbal Communication in Hiring
Have you ever made up your mind about a job candidate based on the way he sat in your lobby? Did you confirm that opinion when he walked across the room and shook your hand? Awareness of nonverbal communication and the messages job searchers send does influence your evaluation of job candidates – and it should. Aside from protected characteristics such as gender, race and weight, you can learn a lot about your prospective employee from their nonverbal communications. Learn more.
Listen With Your Eyes: Tips for Understanding Nonverbal Communication
Is there ever any doubt in your mind as to the mood of a coworker upon their arrival at work? Nonverbal communication is the single most powerful form of communication. More than voice or even words, nonverbal communication cues you in to what is on another person’s mind. The best communicators are sensitive to the power of the emotions and thoughts communicated nonverbally. Find out more about nonverbal communication.
Inspirational Quotes for Business and Work: Nonverbal Communication
Looking for an inspirational quote or a business quotation for your newsletter, business presentation, bulletin board or inspirational posters? These quotes about nonverbal communication are useful to help motivation and inspiration. These quotes about nonverbal communication will help you create success in business, success in management and success in life. Find out more about nonverbal communication.
How to Demonstrate Respect at Work
Ask anyone in your workplace what treatment they most want at work. They will likely top their list with the desire to be treated with dignity and respect. You can demonstrate respect with simple, yet powerful actions. These ideas will help you avoid needless, insensitive, unmeant disrespect, too. Read more about respect.
Inspirational Quotes for Business and Work: Respect
Looking for an inspirational quote or a business quotation for your newsletter, business presentation, bulletin board or inspirational posters? These respect quotes are useful to help motivation and inspiration. These quotes about respect will help you create success in business, success in management and success in life.
How to Post Jobs Online: Post Jobs Inexpensively - Get Job Posting Results
Are you convinced about the usefulness of the Internet for employers? You can post jobs online and get the attention of hundreds of potential job candidates. Post jobs online inexpensively and reap the value that online job posting can provide. Post jobs online easily and get results as the online applications roll in. Find out how.
Inspirational Quotes for Business and Work: Intention
Looking for an inspirational quote or a business quotation about intention and purpose for your newsletter, business presentation, bulletin board or inspirational posters? These intention quotes are useful to help motivation and inspiration. These quotes about intention will help you create success in business, success in management and success in life.
How to Fire With Compassion and Class
Managers cite firing employees as the job they most hate to do. Sometimes, terminating a staff person’s employment is the best step to take for your organization. Sometimes terminating a person’s employment is the kindest action you can take for the person. In some circumstances, firing an employee is an immediate necessity for the safety and well-being of the rest of your employees. Read more.
Inspirational Quotes for Business and Work: Commitment
Looking for an inspirational quote or a business quotation about commitment for your newsletter, business presentation, bulletin board or inspirational posters? These commitment quotes are useful to help motivation and inspiration. These quotes about commitment will help you create success in business, success in management and success in life.
Ten Deadly Mistakes Job Searchers Make
Sometimes the simplest mistakes make all the difference in the potential joining together of an employer and a job searcher. These opportunities to fail occur before the first phone call is ever exchanged. If you’re an employer, these simple, yet serious, job searcher mistakes tell you volumes about the candidate. These ten deadly mistakes matter. Check them out.
Read, Learn, and Think Your Way to Success
Bill Gates doesn’t have to know everything. He recognizes that he has employees who do. But, he appreciates the importance of taking the time to learn what they know. He takes time to listen to their ideas. He takes time to think, to ponder the direction of Microsoft. Do the same for yourself and your employees, take time to think, to read and learn. Ten ideas about creative thinking and learning follow.
Perform Exit Interviews: Questions for Exit Interviews
The exit interview is your opportunity to obtain information about what your organization is doing well - and, what your organization needs to do to improve. Exit interviews are key to organization improvement since rarely will you receive frank feedback from current employees. The exit interview questions you ask help you obtain actionable information. This is how to conduct an exit interview.
Inspirational Quotes for Business: Work
Looking for an inspirational quote or a business quotation about work for your newsletter, business presentation, bulletin board or inspirational posters? These work quotes are useful to help motivation and inspiration. These quotes about work will help you create success in business, success in management and success in life.
Bad to the Bone: Dealing With a Bad Boss or Bad Managers
You're weary. You're frustrated. You're unhappy. You're demotivated. Your interaction with your boss leaves you cold. He's a bully, intrusive, controlling, picky and petty. He takes credit for your work, never provides positive feedback and misses each meeting he schedules with you. He's a bad boss, bad to the bone. Dealing with less than effective managers, or just plain bad managers and bad bosses, is a challenge too many employees face. These ideas will help you deal with your bad boss.
Human Resources and Management OneStop Center
Looking for information about human resources, work force management and development or business management for your organization? You've found the right resource. Here’s what you'll need to effectively start, manage and develop your human resources department and manage your business and its people. Find policy samples, HR systems and plans and employee motivation information. Take a look.
Rise Above the Fray: Options for Dealing With Difficult People at Work
Difficult people do exist at work. Difficult people come in every variety and no workplace is without them. How difficult a person is for you to deal with depends on your self-esteem, your self-confidence and your professional courage. Dealing with difficult people is easier when the person is just generally obnoxious or when the behavior affects more than one person. Dealing with difficult people is much tougher when they are attacking you or undermining your professional contribution.
Mentoring and Baby Boomers: Mentoring Is a Strategic Business Imperative
Baby boomers play a key role in mentoring the next generations of employees. Utilize baby boomers to mentor because of the wealth of knowledge older workers have acquired. Younger workers will benefit immensely from mentoring. Mentoring will jump start careers and help the next generation of workers succeed more quickly. Learn more.
Keys to Team Building Success: How to Make Team Building Activities Successful
Want to make your next team building activity or team building exercise live up to its true potential? Integrate the team building with real-time work goals. Establish a systematic workplace integration and follow-up process - before you go on the team building adventure. You need to make the good feelings and the outcomes from the team building activity last.
Why "Blink" Matters: The Power of First Impressions
Professional speakers and trainers have long asserted that people make up their minds about people they meet for the first time within two minutes. Others assert that these first impressions about people take only thirty seconds. As it turns out, both may be underestimates. According to Malcolm Gladwell, in Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, the decisions may occur much faster.
Leadership and Management Tips Directory
I'm regularly adding new tips to this Leadership and Management Tips Directory. I'm also open to ideas and suggestions. You can see the direction in which the tips are heading. Let me know what you think.
Achieve Your Dreams: Six Steps: Accomplish Your Goals and Resolutions
Don't let your goals and resolutions fall by the wayside. Chances are that to achieve your dreams and live a life you love, those goals and resolutions are crucial. Goal setting and goal achievement are easier if you follow these six steps for effective and successful goal setting and resolution accomplishment.
Leadership Success Secrets: Leadership Rewards and Recognition
A leader makes other people feel important and appreciated. The leader excels at creating opportunities to provide rewards, recognition and thanks to his or her staff. A leader creates a work environment in which people feel important and appreciated. Learn more about rewards and recognition in this fifth article in my Leadership Success series.
Leadership Values and Ethics: Secrets of Leadership Success
Leaders know what they value. They also recognize the importance of ethical behavior. The best leaders exhibit both their values and their ethics in their leadership style and actions. Your leadership ethics and values should be visible because you live them in your actions every single day. Learn more about ethics and values.
Top Ten Ways to Retain Your Great Employees
Key employee retention is critical to the long term health and success of your business. Managers readily agree that their role is key in retaining your best employees to ensure business success. If managers can cite this fact so well, why do many behave in ways that so frequently encourage great employees to quit their job? Here are ten more tips for employee retention.
Management and Leadership Lessons From the Military
A reviewer of military leadership and management books wondered whether he wanted an MBA or an Army Ranger on his business team. You'll wonder, too. Management and leadership practices of groups such as the Rangers are highlighted. We can learn much about vision, mission, values, core beliefs, team work, empowerment and more from these recommended military books about leadership and management.
More Lessons from Military Management and Leadership
To the uninitiated, management and leadership practices in armed services groups such as the Army Rangers and Navy SEALs may appear rigid, brutal and hierarchical. Not true. As the recent spate of books about military leadership and management attests, the civilian world of business can learn much from the military. Here are five more of my favorite military leadership and management books.
A Majority of Employees Seek New Jobs
Seventy-five percent of all employees are looking for new jobs, according to the 2004 U.S. Job Recovery and Retention Survey. Thirty-eight percent of the human resource professionals surveyed said they have noticed an increase in turnover since the beginning of 2004. Employee turnover creates the need for aggressive employee retention programs. You don't want your best employees seeking new jobs.
Celebrate Annual Holidays for Motivation and Team Building
Traditions are important in companies just as they are in families. And, nothing is more important than the annual traditions work places establish around the celebration of seasonal holidays. A holiday celebration builds positive morale which results in increased employee motivation. Motivation contributes to team building and productivity. Productive teams are responsible for your success.
Harness the Power of an Employee Suggestion Program
The pitfalls of an ill-conceived employee suggestion program are multiple, legendary and most frequently - avoidable. A carefully constructed suggestion program, launched with organizational commitment, clarity and ongoing communication can positively impact your bottom line. With these tips and ideas you can implement an employee suggestion program that will succeed beyond your wildest dreams.
Directory to Inspirational Quotes for Business and Work
Looking for an inspirational quote or a business quotation for your newsletter, business presentation, bulletin board or inspirational posters? These quotes are useful to help motivation and inspiration in business and at work.
Leadership Success Secrets: Leadership Inspiration
What makes a leader inspirational? The ability to inspire people to reach great heights of performance and success is a skill leaders need. Passion, purpose, listening and meaning help make a leader inspirational. Learn more about how to enable inspiration and motivation in the people you lead.
Leadership Vision
Leaders have vision. They share a dream and direction that other people want to share and follow. The leadership vision goes beyond your written organizational mission statement and your vision statement. The vision of leadership permeates the workplace and is manifested in the actions, beliefs, values and goals of your organization’s leaders. Read more about leadership vision.
Lead the Team: How to Be the Person Others Follow
Leaders are hard to find. They exhibit a unique blend of charisma, vision and character traits that attract people to follow them. They exhibit the other nine characteristics around which this article series was developed, too. Successful leadership produces successful followership. Find out more.
Nix Political Discussion at Work
In a workplace that honors diversity, every person’s politics, religious beliefs, sexual orientation and opinions about non-work issues, should, for the most part stay home. Unless you work in a setting that is dependant on a particular set of beliefs, political discussion potentially causes conflict and hard feelings. Nix politics and political discussion at work.
Secrets of Leadership Success
Key leadership success secrets set great leaders apart from so-so leaders. Leadership style is learned from mentors, learned in seminars and is part of your innate personal leadership skill set. Nature or nurture, I’m often asked about leadership. I answer, "yes," because I believe the combination of natural leadership skills and nurture through leadership development defines leadership style.
Play a Bigger Role in Life: Build Your Self Esteem
Your self esteem can use a daily dose of exercise just like your physical self. Here you'll find ideas for building your self esteem and self confidence. Take a look and plan to play a bigger role in life.
The Mid-Life Challenge: Make a Plan to Re-ignite Career Passion
Nobody will stop you in the hallway at work to ask if your career provides meaning and personal fulfillment. Recognizing that something’s missing in your career and vocational life and taking the initiative to make a career change must come from within. These tips will help you take charge of re-igniting your career search and making your ultimate career change.
Use the Web for Recruiting: Recruit Online
Are you tempted to recruit talent online? If you haven't started recruiting on the web already, you're behind the curve. Most job sites allow you to reject resumes with unwanted keywords and locations. Do you think executive recruiting is best done in the off-line world? Think again. Executive recruiting is happening online. Here are tips to help you use the power of the web to recruit online.
Ten Tips to Help You Overcome Your Employment Gap
Concerned about getting back in the workforce after a gap in your employment? You should be. The job market appears to have qualified candidates for most positions. Employers hate to be risky. How will your resume as a stay at home parent, with a ten year employment gap, stack up against those of people who have been racking up career achievements and accomplishments for the same ten years?
Promote Your Personal Growth and Motivation
Are you feeling blah about your life? Does boredom make you unmotivated and unexcited? Are you having a mid-life crisis? You can promote your personal growth and motivation to overcome this inertia. Here are ideas and tools that will help you explore personal growth, set new goals, choose motivation and get your life and work back on a course that excites, motivates and fills your life with joy.
Workplace Conflict Resolution: People Management Tips: Managing Your Human Resources
As an organization leader, manager or supervisor, you are responsible for creating a work environment that enables people to thrive. If turf wars, conflicts, disagreements and differences of opinion escalate into interpersonal conflict, you must intervene immediately. Conflict resolution, with you as mediator, is essential. Conflict resolution is an immediate priority for your organization.
Employment Ending Checklist
Employees leave your organization for good and bad reasons. On the positive side, they find new opportunities, go back to school, retire or land their dream job. Less positively, they are fired for poor performance or attendance or experience a layoff because of a business downturn. In each instance, you need an employment termination checklist to help the employee exit process go smoothly.
How to Improve Exit Interview Participation Rates
Exit interviews are one of the best ways to get true and honest feedback from employees. The downside is that it takes time to build up a significant amount of data from exit interviews. Increasing your participation rate can help you get greater amounts of actionable information faster from your exit interviews.
Use Affirmations as Passwords
What do you type over and over on a daily basis if you use your computer to access email or the web? Your password, of course. If you're a road warrior, you use this access code even more frequently. Why not make the password user-friendly? Why not make the password an affirmation?
The Most Important Management Secret
Your expectations of people and their expectations of themselves are the key factors in how well people perform at work. Known as the Pygmalion Effect and the Galatea Effect, respectively, the power of expectations cannot be overestimated. These are the fundamental principles you can apply to performance expectations and performance improvement at work. Learn more.
10 Tips For Taking Yourself Seriously, So Your Employees Do, Too
Looking for quick tips about how to set a positive example for staff members by taking the impact of your role as "boss" seriously? You've found ten tips here.
I Just Lost My Job: How Am I Going To Tell My Kids?
One of the responsibilities of a human resources professional is to let employees know that their job has been eliminated. Job loss and the following job search are painful and upsetting for most people. Additionally, parents must tell family members about the job loss and mitigate their fears about the family, the income and the job search. Here are ten tips.
Performance Management: Performance Development Plan Form
This Performance Development Planning (PDP) Form provides a format to use in your quarterly Performance Development Planning meetings to document goals, measurements and progress on goals. Business, personal and professional goals are documented and tracked.
Performance Improvement Plan
Looking for a format that's a winner when you want to help an underperforming employee succeed? The purpose of a formal Performance Improvement Plan is to help an employee succeed. This format enables you to set goals, establish measures, conduct review sessions and chart progress. Not convinced of the need for this procedure? Check out my introduction to the form. You'll be happy you did.
Performance Development Planning
Are you looking for the process that provides the heart of your performance management system? You've found it. The Performance Development Planning (PDP) process enables you and the people who report to you to identify their personal and business goals that are most significant to your organization's success.
What Brings You Joy?
What brings you great joy in the workplace? I know what brings me joy. Perhaps we share meaning about joyful events and circumstances? I trust that in sharing mine, I remind you of yours. It's easy to get so bogged down in the day-to-day busy that we forget to cherish the best moments. What motivates the motivators? Here are some of mine.
Beyond Traditional SMART Goals
Once upon a time, in a business world that seems remote, SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based) were enough to support business success. No more. Goal setting is the foundation for success. It is time, however, in today's business environment, to expand the meaning of SMART goals. And, perhaps, one word per letter is no longer enough to define a useful acronym.
Powerful Performance Management - E-course
Managers cite performance appraisals or annual reviews as one of their most disliked tasks. Performance management eliminates the performance appraisal or annual review as the focus and concentrates on the entire spectrum of performance management and development issues. Employee performance development, training, cross-training and more are included in an effective performance management system.
Why You Need Allies at Work: Tips About Developing Work Alliances
Do you want to effectively accomplish your work mission? If so, you need allies, people who support your ideas at work. Forming these alliances takes time and energy, but they are worth the investment for the payback they provide. A positive, successful alliance is a collaboration that accomplishes great good for you and for your organization.
Create the Life You Want With a Mid-Career Crisis
Are you experiencing a mid-career crisis? And, if not, should you be? Are inner voices asking, "Is this all there is?" Do you have a growing sense that you would be happier doing something else? Do you hate going to work each morning? If so, it's time to create a mid-career crisis. I'll share with you some career resources, career assessments and tests and career planning tools to help.
Personal Courage and Conflict Resolution at Work
Practicing personal courage is necessary if you want to really resolve conflicts at work. Many people are afraid of conflict resolution. They feel threatened by conflict resolution because they may not get what they want if the other party gets what they want. Even in the best circumstances, conflict resolution is uncomfortable because people are usually unskilled.
How to Retain Your Best Employees
Interested in keeping your best employees when the job market rebounds? Retention will be a challenge, according to a recent study. Retention requires a competitive salary and great benefits. However, retention of your best requires a whole lot more. Employee involvement, recognition, advancement, development and pay based on performance just get you started in your quest to retain your best.
Tips for Effective Delegation as a Leadership Style
Your leadership style is situational. Your leadership style depends on the task, the team or individual's capabilities and knowledge, the time and tools available and the results desired. These six tips for successful delegation will help you with employee involvement and employee empowerment as your selected leadership style.
Team Building and Delegation: How and When to Empower People
Employee involvement is creating an environment in which people have an impact on decisions and actions that affect their jobs. Team building occurs when the manager knows when to tell, sell, consult, join, or delegate to staff. For employee involvement and empowerment, both team building and delegation rule. Learn more.
Seven Tips About Successful Management
An effective, successful manager pays attention to many facets of management, leadership and learning. He or she displays characteristics that make people want to follow them. Here are seven tips for people who want to be successful managers.
Your Tip of the Week for Success in Work and Life
Looking for an immediate positive thought or an idea to pick your spirits up? Want good ideas, thoughtful quotations, self-motivation ideas, working well with people tips, newsletter fillers, news about trends affecting workplaces and more? Once a week, Your Tip of the Week for Success in Work and Life will uplift your spirit, make you smile, touch your heart and provide useful information.
Tips for a Better New Employee Orientation
Want to know what modern organizations are doing with new employee orientation? It's not your traditional signing of policy acknowledgements. Find out what's new in employee orientation.
Reference Checking
Checking job or employment references is time-consuming and frequently unsatisfactory, as many employers, despite recent legislation, refuse to offer more than dates of employment, salary history and job title. Here is the format I use to check references. Take a look; it provides a format for reference checking that you'll find helpful.
Job Offer Letter
Looking for a sample job offer letter? Your candidates appreciate the job offer terms spelled out in detail. Use this job offer letter as a base for developing your own employment offer.
Initial Phone Screening: Telephone Interview
The telephone interview or candidate screen allows the employer to determine if the candidate's qualifications, experience, workplace preferences and salary needs are congruent with the position and organization. The telephone interview saves managerial time and eliminates unlikely candidates. Review the suggested format.
Job Candidate Evaluation Form
You want samples and examples, so, this featured tool is a Job Candidate Evaluation Form. Useful for comparing candidates, it also gives your interviewers information about the skills they need to assess in each candidate. Take a look and remember, you can print a printer-friendly version.
Free E-course: Recruit and Hire the Best
Recruiting the best employees for your organization is an ongoing challenge. If you're looking for solid, proven best practices and up-to-the-minute ideas in recruitment, interviewing and selection, you've found the right course. Sign up today!
Recruiting Stars: Top Ten Ways to Get Great Candidates
Looking for talent? The smartest employers, who hire the best people, develop a pre-qualified candidate pool before they need to fill a job. You can develop relationships with potential candidates long before you need them. These ideas will also help you create a large pool of candidates when you have a current position available.
How to Recruit and Hire the Best: A Checklist for Success
Want to recruit and hire a superior workforce? This checklist will help you systematize your hiring process. The checklist helps you keep track of your recruiting efforts. It communicates both the recruiting and the hiring process and progress in recruiting to the hiring manager. Take a look and provide feedback.
Internal Job Application for Career Opportunities
Looking for a format to use for your internal job application process? You do post job openings for your internal staff first, right? This form will give you a head start as you develop your internal job application and career opportunities process for current employees. Take a look and feel free to use or modify the form to meet your organization's needs.
Build a Strategic Framework: Mission Statement, Vision ...
Organizations whose employees understand the mission and goals enjoy a 29 percent greater return than other firms. U.S. workers want their work to make a difference, but 75% do not think their company's mission statement has become the way they do business. Read more to find out how to develop a successful strategic framework for your organization and yourself.
Holiday Job Searching
Many job seekers are convinced that job hunting between Thanksgiving and the middle of January is a waste of time. If you buy into this myth, you are losing one of the better job searching seasons of the year. During this season, you enjoy reduced competition for jobs and more. Debunk the common job searching myths.
Top Ten Ways to Show Appreciation
You can tell your colleagues, coworkers and staff how much you value them and their contribution any day of the year. Trust me. No occasion is necessary. In fact, small surprises and tokens of your appreciation spread throughout the year help the people in your work life feel valued all year long.
Stress Less for the Holidays
Want to keep productivity and employee spirits positive during the holidays? Are you looking for ways to relieve holiday-related stress that your employees may experience during this time of the year? You can start by not causing stress. Then, here are fifteen ideas for alleviating the holiday stress that exists.
Singing the Job Search Blues: A Viewpoint From the Candidate
My recent article about "How to Make a Potential Employer Fall in Love With You" sparked both praise and controversy. There are two perspectives to every job search issue. In fact, a Forum reader said,"Want a job search perspective from the other side of the desk?" Want to hear more? He gave employers plenty of good, common-sense advice.
How to Walk Your Talk
If you work in an organization, you’ve heard this complaint repeatedly. Leaders and managers say they want change and continuous improvement but they don’t walk their talk. The power of an organization’s leaders in creating the organization’s values, environment, culture and actions is immeasurable. Want to know how to “walk the talk” to enable organization change and improvement?
Build a Mentoring Culture
What does it take to develop people? More than writing “equal opportunity” into your organization’s mission statement. More than sending someone to a training class. More than hard work on the part of employees. What development does take is people who are willing to listen and help their colleagues. Development takes coaches, guides and advocates. People development needs mentors. Learn more.
How Do You Know When It's Time for You to Go?
Are you feeling increasingly unhappy about your job? Do you find yourself day dreaming about other things you could be doing with the time you spend at work? Do you dread the thought of Monday mornings? Then it may be time for you to quit your job. Take a look.
How to Reduce the Cost of Advertising: Ad Adventures
It’s expensive to advertise available positions in newspaper classifieds and online. You can significantly reduce the cost of online advertising and classified advertising with a bit of effort and rewriting. The cost savings is definitely worth your time. Want to know more? I'll share a recent experience.
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