By Elizabeth Ebanks
Since the world wide web became public, the internet has been changing the way that companies communicate and conduct business. Social networking sites, online communities that enable people to communicate and build networks based on similar interests, activities, values, and ideas, have significantly contributed to that change. These sites can provide a number of advantages to employers, such as publicity and marketing, recruitment, and employment screening. Improper or careless use of such sites, however, may result in tort liability, can compromise confidential information and business reputation, and may lead to discrimination, privacy, and freedom of speech suits. While the use of these sites can present increased litigation threats to businesses and employers, the reality is that not only are they here to stay, but also that they are growing at an exponential rate. Employers can either harness the power of these sites and use them to their advantage, or be left behind while their competitors do so.
The following article describes the major social networking sites in today’s market, and the advantages and disadvantages of using such sites. It concludes with recommendations on how employers and businesses should treat these sites to reap maximum benefits in the current market.
The Major Players
There are hundreds of social networking sites, and that number is growing by the day, but four major players stand out: LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. Employers should understand the intricacies of each site in order to effectively use them to their advantage and avoid their pitfalls.
LinkedIn. Unlike the other major free social networking sites, LinkedIn is primarily designed and used for professional networking and business-oriented endeavors. The site was launched in 2003, and enables users to join networking groups and add other users as “connections,” i.e., people they know or trust in a business setting. Members may utilize their connections and groups to network with other business professionals and find jobs and business opportunities. In addition, employers may use the site to list job opportunities and search for potential employees. Currently, all Fortune 500 companies have executives who are LinkedIn members, and over three-hundred law firms have a presence on the site.
Facebook. Facebook is a free, international social networking portal launched in 2004. With approximately 200 million users and over one billion visits per month, it hosts more users than any other major social networking website. Although originally targeted at college students, Facebook now allows anyone with a valid email address to sign up and access the site. Facebook features personalized profiles, current status updates, email, video and image sharing, group pages, instant messaging, and notes, which are similar to blogs.
MySpace. Launched in 2003, MySpace is another free social networking website with international use and popularity. The site primarily attracts 18-24 year olds, but users of all ages frequent the site. Although marketed as a “Place for Friends,” the site also features profiles of musical artists, companies, businesses, and other groups in addition to personal profiles. Users can write blogs, post photos, videos, and music, message other users, and join groups.
Twitter. Launched in 2006, Twitter is one of the more recent social networking sites and is rapidly gaining popularity among users of all ages. Twitter is a free micro-blogging site that enables users to post “tweets,” which are short messages with a maximum of 140 characters. Tweets provide succinct updates or web-related links and approximately three-million tweets are sent per day. Users have the option of making tweets public or only viewable to friends.
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Showing posts with label Employee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Employee. Show all posts
January 25, 2010
January 22, 2010
So what happens when ALL of your employees quit?
By Ron "Mr Motivation" Hummel
Ok Mr. C.E.O or you Human Resources Director when then the economy starts it's up turn in 2010 will you be ready for the mass exodus that is going to take place in hundreds of companies across the United States? Probably not.
You see right now you believe that those people are a dime a dozen and you would be right. As of now.
Very shortly however new opportunities are going to start to develop and if you haven't invested in those individuals you have in your company, guess what, they are GONE!
So you ask. What can I do to keep them. First of all money is NOT the first answer unless of course you have them so under paid it's an embarrassment to even process payroll.
No! The answer is motivating and sincerely caring about their well being. Now keep in mind that sincerity is the key word here. If you pretend to care, they will see through that very quickly.
First of all employee's are people, human beings, just like you. They have feelings. They have pride. They want, NO they demand to be recognized for who they are and what they do.
Sure you recognize them, every time they do something incorrect you write them up. Our HR group has 15 different forms just for that process. NOT surprising. One of the first things we notice when we do a seminar in a corporate setting is how the format within the company structure is set up to assist the employee to fail. Does that shock you, it shouldn't
When is the last time you or a member of your staff went out into the company and sincerely simply talked to your employee's. NEVER!
Companies don't do that. They take all the time, energy and money and train Senior Management, Upper Management, the management teams, Managers and Supervisors and NEVER spend a dime on the Assistant Supervisors, leads and front line people.
Oh! I'm sorry! I forgot about the turkey at Thanksgiving. Oh really, a $25 gift card at Walmart. Or maybe that real nice polo shirt with the company logo. Nice!
Think about this. The New York Yankees just won the World Series. Now what would have happened if the entire management staff showed for the series BUT the players NEVER came to the game? You really believe the managers abilities to coach wins the series without the players. NOT going to happen is it?
So you and your entire management staff show up for work all set to impress your dime a dozen employee's with your intellect, and they don't come into work!
Good luck with that!
Listen invest in them it's easy and simplistic.
Even as a C.E.O (In fact every position I ever held) I went around the entire building every morning I was in the office and shook the hand of each employee, asked them how they were doing, how the job was, how their family was and how were they being treated.
OK! now you going to say you have 10,000 employee's there is NO way I can do that and you would be correct.
So set the example and accomplish this with those around you encouraging your ENTIRE management team to do likewise.
However do NOT and I mean do NOT do it if you do not care or have the sincerity to do it. Believe me those $10.00 an hour dime a dozen employee's know when it's real and when it's not!
Remember when we said you noticed them and your HR people noticed them when they did something incorrect. Will take the same amount of time and energy to notice the positive they do. You just might be surprised how little correction there will be in the future. How attendance and tardiness are no longer an issue. Sick days decrease and productivity increases.
When is the last time you or a member of management said "thank you" to an hourly worker. When is the last time you even acknowledge their existence?
Remember your good, your Vice Presidents and Directors are good, your Management team is good but if those front line managers, supervisors, leads and front line employee's don't show up for work even for one day, what's the bottom line on the monthly P&L look like. Not sure the stockholders are going to understand the relevance in your Ph.D.
Realize they are NOT a dime a dozen, Good employee's are difficult to find and keep.
Remember! If you don't treat them well...... who will?.......Your competition!
Source: articlesbase
Ron Hummel has been "Mr Motivation" since 1978 talking to thousands of individuals in all types and sizes of companies. AT&T, BMW, Bell South, Sun Trust, Zenith, Wendy's, Long John Silvers, Taco Bell, Publix, Kroger, Eli Lilly, Ford Motor Company, and Honda just to name a few. Isn't it time for you and your company to invest in your employee's. Go to www.mrmotivation.net and schedule a seminar today. Watch the positive improvements tomorrow!
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
Ok Mr. C.E.O or you Human Resources Director when then the economy starts it's up turn in 2010 will you be ready for the mass exodus that is going to take place in hundreds of companies across the United States? Probably not.
You see right now you believe that those people are a dime a dozen and you would be right. As of now.
Very shortly however new opportunities are going to start to develop and if you haven't invested in those individuals you have in your company, guess what, they are GONE!
So you ask. What can I do to keep them. First of all money is NOT the first answer unless of course you have them so under paid it's an embarrassment to even process payroll.
No! The answer is motivating and sincerely caring about their well being. Now keep in mind that sincerity is the key word here. If you pretend to care, they will see through that very quickly.
First of all employee's are people, human beings, just like you. They have feelings. They have pride. They want, NO they demand to be recognized for who they are and what they do.
Sure you recognize them, every time they do something incorrect you write them up. Our HR group has 15 different forms just for that process. NOT surprising. One of the first things we notice when we do a seminar in a corporate setting is how the format within the company structure is set up to assist the employee to fail. Does that shock you, it shouldn't
When is the last time you or a member of your staff went out into the company and sincerely simply talked to your employee's. NEVER!
Companies don't do that. They take all the time, energy and money and train Senior Management, Upper Management, the management teams, Managers and Supervisors and NEVER spend a dime on the Assistant Supervisors, leads and front line people.
Oh! I'm sorry! I forgot about the turkey at Thanksgiving. Oh really, a $25 gift card at Walmart. Or maybe that real nice polo shirt with the company logo. Nice!
Think about this. The New York Yankees just won the World Series. Now what would have happened if the entire management staff showed for the series BUT the players NEVER came to the game? You really believe the managers abilities to coach wins the series without the players. NOT going to happen is it?
So you and your entire management staff show up for work all set to impress your dime a dozen employee's with your intellect, and they don't come into work!
Good luck with that!
Listen invest in them it's easy and simplistic.
Even as a C.E.O (In fact every position I ever held) I went around the entire building every morning I was in the office and shook the hand of each employee, asked them how they were doing, how the job was, how their family was and how were they being treated.
OK! now you going to say you have 10,000 employee's there is NO way I can do that and you would be correct.
So set the example and accomplish this with those around you encouraging your ENTIRE management team to do likewise.
However do NOT and I mean do NOT do it if you do not care or have the sincerity to do it. Believe me those $10.00 an hour dime a dozen employee's know when it's real and when it's not!
Remember when we said you noticed them and your HR people noticed them when they did something incorrect. Will take the same amount of time and energy to notice the positive they do. You just might be surprised how little correction there will be in the future. How attendance and tardiness are no longer an issue. Sick days decrease and productivity increases.
When is the last time you or a member of management said "thank you" to an hourly worker. When is the last time you even acknowledge their existence?
Remember your good, your Vice Presidents and Directors are good, your Management team is good but if those front line managers, supervisors, leads and front line employee's don't show up for work even for one day, what's the bottom line on the monthly P&L look like. Not sure the stockholders are going to understand the relevance in your Ph.D.
Realize they are NOT a dime a dozen, Good employee's are difficult to find and keep.
Remember! If you don't treat them well...... who will?.......Your competition!
Source: articlesbase
Ron Hummel has been "Mr Motivation" since 1978 talking to thousands of individuals in all types and sizes of companies. AT&T, BMW, Bell South, Sun Trust, Zenith, Wendy's, Long John Silvers, Taco Bell, Publix, Kroger, Eli Lilly, Ford Motor Company, and Honda just to name a few. Isn't it time for you and your company to invest in your employee's. Go to www.mrmotivation.net and schedule a seminar today. Watch the positive improvements tomorrow!
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
December 23, 2009
Handling the Holidays - Be careful and Accomodating!
Yes, it is once again the holiday season. The holidays often have employers and managers racking their brains about how they should handle them. Do you say “Happy Holidays” or do you stick with “Merry Christmas?” Is it okay to let people have days off or to let them leave early to observe different holidays? Which types of office décor are appropriate and which should you leave at home? Just thinking about all of these questions might give you a headache, but it’s very important to know how you intend on handling the holiday season in your office.
There are only two simple options when approaching holiday décor. You can either ALLOW all of it or BAN all of it. If you play favorites and tell your employees that they may display Christmas trees, but there are to be no Menorahs in the office, not only are you being unfair you are discriminating. Discrimination is most definitely an illegal offense and you don’t want to find yourself in court over something like an electric Menorah. If you let one employee decorate for the holiday that they celebrate, be prepared to allow everyone else to decorate the way that they wish to as well. On the other hand, though it might sound cold and Scrooge-like, you may choose to ban all holiday decorations regardless of religion. If you choose to go that route, be prepared to enforce the ban all year-round (watch out for Valentine’s Day and Easter!) However, if you are a public employer, it is always recommended that holiday decorations are limited to secular holiday symbols such as snowflakes and candy canes.
During this time of year, you will likely have many employees requesting time off for one holiday-related reason or another. Generally, the best way to handle these requests is to be flexible and accommodate employee’s requests to the best of your ability. Encourage employees to schedule these days well in advance. An easy way to do this would be by using an automated time and attendance system to allow employees to submit early leave requests. By submitting these requests early, you are given time to adjust the workload of others to compensate for the missing worker. Try your absolute best to accommodate your employee’s needs through flexible scheduling. You can also allow them to work longer shifts to make up hours and, provided that there’s no local or state law against it where you are located, you could also allow them to work through their lunch. If you choose not to accommodate a certain employee, be prepared to explain why and provide documentation to support your decision. If you say an accommodation is too expensive, for instance, be prepared to show the numbers. For the most part, if you encourage employees to schedule their time off early and plan for their absence, then accommodating each and every employee’s time off needs should be fairly simple. Be sure to discourage last-minute requests and remind employees of disciplinary actions that may be taken for any unscheduled absences.
The holiday season is a very important time in one way or another to most people. As an employer or manager, it is your job to respect everyone’s beliefs and handle things appropriately if you don’t want to be accused of discrimination. So make your “holiday game plan” now if you haven’t already. How are you going to handle all of the time off requests and religious icon decorations? Remember to be consistent in your rules to avoid harassment and discrimination accusations. Simply thinking ahead will help you make this holiday season as peaceful and happy as it should be.
Source: Legiant
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There are only two simple options when approaching holiday décor. You can either ALLOW all of it or BAN all of it. If you play favorites and tell your employees that they may display Christmas trees, but there are to be no Menorahs in the office, not only are you being unfair you are discriminating. Discrimination is most definitely an illegal offense and you don’t want to find yourself in court over something like an electric Menorah. If you let one employee decorate for the holiday that they celebrate, be prepared to allow everyone else to decorate the way that they wish to as well. On the other hand, though it might sound cold and Scrooge-like, you may choose to ban all holiday decorations regardless of religion. If you choose to go that route, be prepared to enforce the ban all year-round (watch out for Valentine’s Day and Easter!) However, if you are a public employer, it is always recommended that holiday decorations are limited to secular holiday symbols such as snowflakes and candy canes.
During this time of year, you will likely have many employees requesting time off for one holiday-related reason or another. Generally, the best way to handle these requests is to be flexible and accommodate employee’s requests to the best of your ability. Encourage employees to schedule these days well in advance. An easy way to do this would be by using an automated time and attendance system to allow employees to submit early leave requests. By submitting these requests early, you are given time to adjust the workload of others to compensate for the missing worker. Try your absolute best to accommodate your employee’s needs through flexible scheduling. You can also allow them to work longer shifts to make up hours and, provided that there’s no local or state law against it where you are located, you could also allow them to work through their lunch. If you choose not to accommodate a certain employee, be prepared to explain why and provide documentation to support your decision. If you say an accommodation is too expensive, for instance, be prepared to show the numbers. For the most part, if you encourage employees to schedule their time off early and plan for their absence, then accommodating each and every employee’s time off needs should be fairly simple. Be sure to discourage last-minute requests and remind employees of disciplinary actions that may be taken for any unscheduled absences.
The holiday season is a very important time in one way or another to most people. As an employer or manager, it is your job to respect everyone’s beliefs and handle things appropriately if you don’t want to be accused of discrimination. So make your “holiday game plan” now if you haven’t already. How are you going to handle all of the time off requests and religious icon decorations? Remember to be consistent in your rules to avoid harassment and discrimination accusations. Simply thinking ahead will help you make this holiday season as peaceful and happy as it should be.
Source: Legiant
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
Employees' New Year's Resolutions
The holidays tend to be a time to reflect on the past and plan for the future. So be warned, your employees are reflecting and planning, and now is the time to pay attention to keeping and reaping top talent.
It may be common sense but it bears repeating anyway. When we talk about talent retention, we're talking about key people and top talent. As we prepare to ring in the New Year, we should bear in mind a few things about our recruitment and retention efforts that might make this time of year both opportunistic and threatening where top talent is concerned.
It'is the season for resolutions after all. People everywhere will soon be resolving to lose weight, start a fitness program, drink less, or quit smoking. But the number one New Year's resolution last year, according to About.com, was to find a better job. In fact, more of us turn our attention to our working lives at this time of year than at any other time. (Traffic to major job boards typically spikes between 40-60% from December to January each year.) Monster itself agrees that its spike in traffic in January is the biggest all year (including increased traffic after its Superbowl ads) and that this is mostly due to resolutions.
Maybe it's having time off to reflect on the past year that causes so many people to think about improving their working lives. After all, according to Freud, love and work are the cornerstones of our lives. When we reflect, we tend to reflect on those two things more than anything else.
Derrick Barton, founder and CEO of the Center For Talent Retention notes, "Whenever there's a major holiday, Thanksgiving, July 4 or Christmas, you're around family and friends. People ask how work is going. Sometimes people open up beyond the usual one or two word response because they're comfortable talking with a trusted person. This may get them thinking that perhaps they're lucky in their work, or that maybe they need to get out of a bad situation. When that mental 'click' is turned on, there is a strong correlation to actually leaving, particularly among top talent and people with skills that are in demand. Worse, what held them back in 2004 will not as likely hold them back in 2005."
For many, work has become the dominant force in their lives. Numerous employee surveys this year and last revealed an enormous pent up desire for change; some surveys even suggested that more than half of all employees (and managers) plan to leave their employers within the next 12 months or "when the economy improves." If recent economic trends, which indicate a stronger economy and improved labor market, hold, 2005 could be the biggest year so far this decade for job change.
So how might this present an opportunity for recruiters and/or trouble for organizations? For recruiters, the New Year is harvest time. Clever recruiters will have planted seeds of interest into the top talent they hope to recruit from other organizations so that their follow-up calls in January and February connect them to people in the career-change state of mind.
Organizations, on the other hand, should spend some time in December and January cementing their ties with top talent. This involves more than a Christmas card or even a bonus. Employers should use this time of year to show real appreciation for the hard work of key performers during the past year. Of course, retention initiatives should occur year round, but it doesn't hurt to emphasize and increase those efforts at year end and during the first months of the new year, when employers are most vulnerable to losing their best people.
Retention of critical talent is not a one-to-many exercise. Top talent and those that have been identified as having strong potential should be met with one-on-one. Perceptive managers will gain a sense of whether an employee's commitment is strong or waning. At the very least, it will give managers the opportunity to express gratitude and learn what is important to keeping their key people engaged. This time of year has the advantage of being a natural time for taking stock of accomplishments during the past year and looking ahead to goals for the coming year.
However, this won't just happen. Data gathered by the Center For Talent Retention at the start of the decade found that 86% of managers did not feel accountable for engaging and retaining employees. Despite the elevation of "talent retention" as an issue since then, it is very doubtful that the situation has improved much. The surest path to getting managers actively involved in the retention of key people could be to build it directly into their compensation plans. Again, there is no better time to revisit incentive plans than the beginning of a new year.
The New Year is not a time to sit back and reflect. In fact, it may be the best time exploit the vulnerabilities of competitors, after all, all's fair in the war for talent.***
It may be common sense but it bears repeating anyway. When we talk about talent retention, we're talking about key people and top talent. As we prepare to ring in the New Year, we should bear in mind a few things about our recruitment and retention efforts that might make this time of year both opportunistic and threatening where top talent is concerned.
It'is the season for resolutions after all. People everywhere will soon be resolving to lose weight, start a fitness program, drink less, or quit smoking. But the number one New Year's resolution last year, according to About.com, was to find a better job. In fact, more of us turn our attention to our working lives at this time of year than at any other time. (Traffic to major job boards typically spikes between 40-60% from December to January each year.) Monster itself agrees that its spike in traffic in January is the biggest all year (including increased traffic after its Superbowl ads) and that this is mostly due to resolutions.
Maybe it's having time off to reflect on the past year that causes so many people to think about improving their working lives. After all, according to Freud, love and work are the cornerstones of our lives. When we reflect, we tend to reflect on those two things more than anything else.
Derrick Barton, founder and CEO of the Center For Talent Retention notes, "Whenever there's a major holiday, Thanksgiving, July 4 or Christmas, you're around family and friends. People ask how work is going. Sometimes people open up beyond the usual one or two word response because they're comfortable talking with a trusted person. This may get them thinking that perhaps they're lucky in their work, or that maybe they need to get out of a bad situation. When that mental 'click' is turned on, there is a strong correlation to actually leaving, particularly among top talent and people with skills that are in demand. Worse, what held them back in 2004 will not as likely hold them back in 2005."
For many, work has become the dominant force in their lives. Numerous employee surveys this year and last revealed an enormous pent up desire for change; some surveys even suggested that more than half of all employees (and managers) plan to leave their employers within the next 12 months or "when the economy improves." If recent economic trends, which indicate a stronger economy and improved labor market, hold, 2005 could be the biggest year so far this decade for job change.
So how might this present an opportunity for recruiters and/or trouble for organizations? For recruiters, the New Year is harvest time. Clever recruiters will have planted seeds of interest into the top talent they hope to recruit from other organizations so that their follow-up calls in January and February connect them to people in the career-change state of mind.
Organizations, on the other hand, should spend some time in December and January cementing their ties with top talent. This involves more than a Christmas card or even a bonus. Employers should use this time of year to show real appreciation for the hard work of key performers during the past year. Of course, retention initiatives should occur year round, but it doesn't hurt to emphasize and increase those efforts at year end and during the first months of the new year, when employers are most vulnerable to losing their best people.
Retention of critical talent is not a one-to-many exercise. Top talent and those that have been identified as having strong potential should be met with one-on-one. Perceptive managers will gain a sense of whether an employee's commitment is strong or waning. At the very least, it will give managers the opportunity to express gratitude and learn what is important to keeping their key people engaged. This time of year has the advantage of being a natural time for taking stock of accomplishments during the past year and looking ahead to goals for the coming year.
However, this won't just happen. Data gathered by the Center For Talent Retention at the start of the decade found that 86% of managers did not feel accountable for engaging and retaining employees. Despite the elevation of "talent retention" as an issue since then, it is very doubtful that the situation has improved much. The surest path to getting managers actively involved in the retention of key people could be to build it directly into their compensation plans. Again, there is no better time to revisit incentive plans than the beginning of a new year.
The New Year is not a time to sit back and reflect. In fact, it may be the best time exploit the vulnerabilities of competitors, after all, all's fair in the war for talent.***
November 24, 2009
HR Strategy to Keep Your Workers Happy
by George Butler
Human Resources (HR) is a major growth industry in the small business and corporate arena. Gone are the days where bosses got away with making ridiculous demands of their underpaid, unhappy and frequently on-strike workers. In these current times, good employees are hard to come by and even harder to keep - strategy planning is essential. If you research an effective HR strategy ahead of time, that takes into account your most valuable assets, you'll be saving money, enhancing productivity and growing a more positive working environment!
Your Most Valuable Asset.
Believe it or not, it is not your product, nor is it your enormous brain or fantastic location - it's your workers! Without them nothing happens - you can't do it all! Without strategic management, retention of your staff can be difficult. Going through the ordeal of replacing an unhappy staff member can cost up to three times their original annual salary. Couldn't that money be better spent on trusted, loyal employees that reflect your business values? On a quality HR strategy? On simply making them happy? Side effects of looking after your most valuable assets include; lower staff turnover, attraction of the 'right' talent when you do need new people, higher productivity and output and increased customer satisfaction. Sounds like a terribly successful way of doing business doesn't it?
What Workers Really Want.
So what makes for a dissatisfied worker? It could be one of many things... lack of advancement in their position, boredom with job content, low wages, long hours, managerial gripes, bullying, company dynamics or personal problems. What a way to spend eight hours, every day - for whatever reason, it's pretty evident that this person will either leave or eventually stop doing their job effectively. A happy worker on the other hand, envisions a workplace where they are valued and feel appreciated, where they feel a shared ownership in the brand or company.
Opportunities for professional advancement, training in and access to new technologies, and a pay cheque that reflects their contribution to the business also helps! On a more human level, workers just want to communicate and feel heard once in a while. They'd love it if the boss would acknowledge that they have a life outside the office and be flexible for family and social commitments.
How You Can Deliver.
First and foremost, if you have a large company and are not trained in human resources yourself, get an expert in strategic management in to look after it. Whether on a contract basis, or a permanent addition to your team, an expert in HR strategy will ultimately save you time and money. Even if you don't have a huge number of employees in your own small business there are lots of ways to get your staff morale flying high above the bar and raise the stakes for your success! Try being more flexible, both with hours and job roles. Allow timeshare or trading for parents or students; where they can either work from home or take a 'part time' or different roles when outside pressures and commitments arise.
Work with people's natural circadian rhythms; have rotating shifts for morning and afternoon people - as long as the same amount of work is getting done, does it really matter when? Offer genuine thanks for good work; this is so simple, but almost never done properly. Have readily available opportunities for advancement available, in-house or external professional development can only help give you an edge over your competitors. Any which way you look at it, an investment in your workers happiness via quality strategy planning, will reap major rewards for your overall business performance.
About the Author:
George Butler is a successful businessman who believes in utilising your human resources management to the best of your abilities. His areas of interest are human resources planning and technology resources to help business grow.
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
Human Resources (HR) is a major growth industry in the small business and corporate arena. Gone are the days where bosses got away with making ridiculous demands of their underpaid, unhappy and frequently on-strike workers. In these current times, good employees are hard to come by and even harder to keep - strategy planning is essential. If you research an effective HR strategy ahead of time, that takes into account your most valuable assets, you'll be saving money, enhancing productivity and growing a more positive working environment!
Your Most Valuable Asset.
Believe it or not, it is not your product, nor is it your enormous brain or fantastic location - it's your workers! Without them nothing happens - you can't do it all! Without strategic management, retention of your staff can be difficult. Going through the ordeal of replacing an unhappy staff member can cost up to three times their original annual salary. Couldn't that money be better spent on trusted, loyal employees that reflect your business values? On a quality HR strategy? On simply making them happy? Side effects of looking after your most valuable assets include; lower staff turnover, attraction of the 'right' talent when you do need new people, higher productivity and output and increased customer satisfaction. Sounds like a terribly successful way of doing business doesn't it?
What Workers Really Want.
So what makes for a dissatisfied worker? It could be one of many things... lack of advancement in their position, boredom with job content, low wages, long hours, managerial gripes, bullying, company dynamics or personal problems. What a way to spend eight hours, every day - for whatever reason, it's pretty evident that this person will either leave or eventually stop doing their job effectively. A happy worker on the other hand, envisions a workplace where they are valued and feel appreciated, where they feel a shared ownership in the brand or company.
Opportunities for professional advancement, training in and access to new technologies, and a pay cheque that reflects their contribution to the business also helps! On a more human level, workers just want to communicate and feel heard once in a while. They'd love it if the boss would acknowledge that they have a life outside the office and be flexible for family and social commitments.
How You Can Deliver.
First and foremost, if you have a large company and are not trained in human resources yourself, get an expert in strategic management in to look after it. Whether on a contract basis, or a permanent addition to your team, an expert in HR strategy will ultimately save you time and money. Even if you don't have a huge number of employees in your own small business there are lots of ways to get your staff morale flying high above the bar and raise the stakes for your success! Try being more flexible, both with hours and job roles. Allow timeshare or trading for parents or students; where they can either work from home or take a 'part time' or different roles when outside pressures and commitments arise.
Work with people's natural circadian rhythms; have rotating shifts for morning and afternoon people - as long as the same amount of work is getting done, does it really matter when? Offer genuine thanks for good work; this is so simple, but almost never done properly. Have readily available opportunities for advancement available, in-house or external professional development can only help give you an edge over your competitors. Any which way you look at it, an investment in your workers happiness via quality strategy planning, will reap major rewards for your overall business performance.
About the Author:
George Butler is a successful businessman who believes in utilising your human resources management to the best of your abilities. His areas of interest are human resources planning and technology resources to help business grow.
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
November 19, 2009
Is Twitter a Recruiting Tool?
Once depicted as a trendy social media experiment, Twitter has officially arrived. From cell phone integration to CNN broadcasts, we can no longer escape the fact that Twitter is not a passing fad. The site once criticized for a complete lack of utility has evolved into one of the most flexible tools available in the social media space. HR departments, Corporate Recruiters and Job Seekers have taken notice. Twitter has become an important tool in corporate recruiting.In the current job market companies are clamoring to hang on to their talent. Blasting out new positions in real-time is an exciting strategy to target quality candidates. The fact of the matter is that there are more job seekers than jobs. This situation results in the limited number of prime candidates being scooped up with greater urgency. Despite the fact that there are less job openings, publicizing your new positions is critical to landing top talent.
Another interesting facet of Twitter's contribution to the recruiting field is an enhanced ability to find passionate candidates. Companies that actively rely on twitter to publicize new job openings create a channel for passionate supporters and potential future employees to track. For example, A software engineer who thoroughly enjoys the online music service Pandora.com will be more likely to respond to a new job opening if the candidate can track the available positions for Pandora in real-time.
Perhaps Twitter's most impressive function in the recruiting process is to establish a company's reputation for hiring quality, renowned talent. Spacex, the growing rocket company founded by Elon Musk, uses Twitter to announce talent acquisition. When Spacex hired former astronaut Ken Bowersox they tweeted out the news. This PR strategy serves to build a reputation around the human capital at a company. The more talented super stars that a candidate perceives to work for your company, the more likely that candidate will want to join your ranks. Ultimately companies want top candidates beating down the doors to get a chance to join the team. Twitter can help make this desire a reality.
A few smart software companies are working to seamlessly integrate Twitter and other social media sites into the recruiting process. These applicant tracking providers allow corporate recruiters to automatically post new positions to Twitter. Whenever a new job goes live the system will tweet out the new position. As more recruiting software packages leverage the Twitter API, Twitter will become more integral to the hiring process.
The recent Twitter revolution in the recruiting field is only a subset of how the social media site is affecting business across the board. With adoption rates soaring and users hunting out innovative applications for the service, Twitter's inherent flexibility may become its killer feature.(HR Rsource)
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November 11, 2009
The Art of Employee Motivaton
If you think that your employees’ poor performance on their designated jobs is costing you a whole lot of loss profits, then instead of just doing a total overhaul of your employee roster, why not try to do some employee motivation tactics to get them to actually come around and be able to save your company from looming bankruptcy. It really is fairly easy and simple to rouse some employee motivation, you just have to take these techniques to heart:
People nowadays are concerned of the lack of importance that is being put into health care plans. Is your company one of those companies who does not provide their employees with the health benefits that they should be entitled too? This is a possible reason why your employees’ morale are down. You need to reassess the situation and try to give them the health benefits that will ensure them that they will be protected by the company that they have been loyal even in their times of sickness. Always remember that a happy worker is a satisfied worker so make sure to use this employee motivation tool in order to give your employees morale a much needed boost.
Remember, companies are usually employed with some women who will, most often than not, become mothers. So it is highly important that you know their needs especially during the time when they would want to avail of their maternity leave. It is important that your company, no matter what kind of product or service you offer, is always sensitive to your employees needs, no matter what gender.
When it comes to having a good health plan for your employees, you must be sure that your health plan is actually of any good or else it would not really do any good to your employees’
morale. Make sure that the health plan will be able to cover all their basic needs and it wouldn’t really hurt if you throw in some added kicks.
Basic health care plans that you can use for employee motivation actually covers the following: full coverage for any basic illness or injury, coverage of hospital payments in case the employee has to be checked in at the hospital or if there are some minor surgeries that need to be done.
Added benefits to further boost employee motivation through a health care plan is through having their dental health covered as well as their optical needs, eyeglass subsidies as well as free dental cleaning and check-ups will be a good treat for your employees and will surely be a great added employee motivation move.
Apart from having a good health care plan for your employee motivation tactics, you must also be able to provide for them some other additional care such as an insurance plan which they can rely on in case something bad happens to them and they are still of service to your company. Even if this employee motivation move will not be availed by the employee’s family during the time of his or her service, your employee can still choose to continue on paying for the premiums of the insurance plan even after he or she has retired from your company. Unfortunately for your employees, once they resign
from a job position at you company the said insurance plan will be revoked since the company will not be able to play for your insurance premiums anymore (remember, all the payments from these employee motivation tactics will actually come from the employee’s salary).
Another great employee motivation move for loyal employees of your company is to have a car loan ready for them, employees who have already served some considerable amount of years in the company should be entitled to a car plan wherein deductions from their salary will be used to pay for their vehicle of choice. This is a great employee motivation move since those who are not able to afford a car (a brand new car at that!) would actually want to continue staying in your company because of this added employee motivation benefit.
From time to time, especially during special occasions, you need to be able to give your employees some added morale boost by organizing events or parties that will foster camaraderie among your employees. A little good time certainly wouldn’t hurt anyone and this will all be in the spirit of good ole’ company fun. Employee motivation directed events such as Christmas parties and company picnics are surely a welcome treat to your seemingly overworked and over fatigue employees.
You must also remember to give your employees some time to unwind like providing your regular employees the benefit of having a two-week paid vacation leave. That’s the least you can do for your employees who you have held captive for the majority of the year in your office.
These are really simple and easy employee motivation tactics that you can do in order to boost your employees’ morale and be able to ensure a good upkeep of your company.
For more great employee motivation info and advice check out: http://www.profitable-employees.com
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
People nowadays are concerned of the lack of importance that is being put into health care plans. Is your company one of those companies who does not provide their employees with the health benefits that they should be entitled too? This is a possible reason why your employees’ morale are down. You need to reassess the situation and try to give them the health benefits that will ensure them that they will be protected by the company that they have been loyal even in their times of sickness. Always remember that a happy worker is a satisfied worker so make sure to use this employee motivation tool in order to give your employees morale a much needed boost.
Remember, companies are usually employed with some women who will, most often than not, become mothers. So it is highly important that you know their needs especially during the time when they would want to avail of their maternity leave. It is important that your company, no matter what kind of product or service you offer, is always sensitive to your employees needs, no matter what gender.
When it comes to having a good health plan for your employees, you must be sure that your health plan is actually of any good or else it would not really do any good to your employees’
morale. Make sure that the health plan will be able to cover all their basic needs and it wouldn’t really hurt if you throw in some added kicks.
Basic health care plans that you can use for employee motivation actually covers the following: full coverage for any basic illness or injury, coverage of hospital payments in case the employee has to be checked in at the hospital or if there are some minor surgeries that need to be done.
Added benefits to further boost employee motivation through a health care plan is through having their dental health covered as well as their optical needs, eyeglass subsidies as well as free dental cleaning and check-ups will be a good treat for your employees and will surely be a great added employee motivation move.
Apart from having a good health care plan for your employee motivation tactics, you must also be able to provide for them some other additional care such as an insurance plan which they can rely on in case something bad happens to them and they are still of service to your company. Even if this employee motivation move will not be availed by the employee’s family during the time of his or her service, your employee can still choose to continue on paying for the premiums of the insurance plan even after he or she has retired from your company. Unfortunately for your employees, once they resign
from a job position at you company the said insurance plan will be revoked since the company will not be able to play for your insurance premiums anymore (remember, all the payments from these employee motivation tactics will actually come from the employee’s salary).
Another great employee motivation move for loyal employees of your company is to have a car loan ready for them, employees who have already served some considerable amount of years in the company should be entitled to a car plan wherein deductions from their salary will be used to pay for their vehicle of choice. This is a great employee motivation move since those who are not able to afford a car (a brand new car at that!) would actually want to continue staying in your company because of this added employee motivation benefit.
From time to time, especially during special occasions, you need to be able to give your employees some added morale boost by organizing events or parties that will foster camaraderie among your employees. A little good time certainly wouldn’t hurt anyone and this will all be in the spirit of good ole’ company fun. Employee motivation directed events such as Christmas parties and company picnics are surely a welcome treat to your seemingly overworked and over fatigue employees.
You must also remember to give your employees some time to unwind like providing your regular employees the benefit of having a two-week paid vacation leave. That’s the least you can do for your employees who you have held captive for the majority of the year in your office.
These are really simple and easy employee motivation tactics that you can do in order to boost your employees’ morale and be able to ensure a good upkeep of your company.
For more great employee motivation info and advice check out: http://www.profitable-employees.com
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
June 8, 2009
Monday Wisdom Makes You Wiser to Act
What is seen outside is 15% - 10% (appearance). What's really happening inside is 85% - 90% (emotions). Emotion is like gravity. You know it's there. You know it exists but how do you define it? It is always experienced by the people.
Emotional intelligence -"Is a term used to describe the various competencies that are essential for building, developing and managing relationships" (Peters, 2008, p.13). Emotional intelligence consists of two dimensions; intrapersonal intelligence and interpersonal intelligence.
Emotional Intelligence or Emotional Quotient is simply defined as "Knowing what one feels good, what one feels bad, and how to get from bad to good. Knowing your emotions and knowing emotions of others." It refers to emotional management skills, which provide competency to balance emotions and reasons so as to maximize long term happiness.
"Emotional Intelligence is the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships. Emotional intelligence describes abilities distinct from but complementary to academic intelligence," said Daniel Goleman (1998).
Are we giving EQ training in school?
Are we giving training for how to control emotions?
Are we training people how emotions related with one event change their future?
My answer is "NO."
Emotional competency, Emotional maturity and Emotional sensitivity can be learned and develop person.
Bad News!
EQ abilities are declining in children. More impulsive, aggressive, and angry entry level employees need more training in EQ competencies.
Good News!
EQ is teachable and tends to increase over your lifetime (maturity).
Work climate is dependent on EQ level of management. Majority of employees choose to leave or stay at an organization based on relationship with their manager.
What is observed in the life is that people take emotions heartily and break down the relationship. People react with emotions towards others and this hurts the other one. The other one takes it personally instead of taking it professionally. Other people do not take it as a reaction to an event but treat it as a critic to him and take it personally. This breaks down the long time relationship for life time.
Emotional reactions spoil relationship, future goals and tend to change destination. Other people also treat it personally and react badly to the action, which hurt the people and love in the relationship is slowly drop down where as bitterness starts flowing in the relationship. Finally, no one wins, and team spoils off, relationship spoils off and organization is spoils off.
Today's conclusion of Monday wisdom is Emotional competency, Emotional maturity and Emotional sensitivity. It can be learnt by developing person. Emotions should be treated mentally instead of personally.
Article by Dr. Shailesh Thaker, a business coach and young power-house of Motivation and Leadership, holds Ph.D. in Cognitive Thinking and Creative Writing (INDIA). He is also one of the third named fellows of JCI University for the International Training Fellowship from SAARC countries.
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
Emotional intelligence -"Is a term used to describe the various competencies that are essential for building, developing and managing relationships" (Peters, 2008, p.13). Emotional intelligence consists of two dimensions; intrapersonal intelligence and interpersonal intelligence.
Emotional Intelligence or Emotional Quotient is simply defined as "Knowing what one feels good, what one feels bad, and how to get from bad to good. Knowing your emotions and knowing emotions of others." It refers to emotional management skills, which provide competency to balance emotions and reasons so as to maximize long term happiness.
"Emotional Intelligence is the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships. Emotional intelligence describes abilities distinct from but complementary to academic intelligence," said Daniel Goleman (1998).
Are we giving EQ training in school?
Are we giving training for how to control emotions?
Are we training people how emotions related with one event change their future?
My answer is "NO."
Emotional competency, Emotional maturity and Emotional sensitivity can be learned and develop person.
Bad News!
EQ abilities are declining in children. More impulsive, aggressive, and angry entry level employees need more training in EQ competencies.
Good News!
EQ is teachable and tends to increase over your lifetime (maturity).
Work climate is dependent on EQ level of management. Majority of employees choose to leave or stay at an organization based on relationship with their manager.
What is observed in the life is that people take emotions heartily and break down the relationship. People react with emotions towards others and this hurts the other one. The other one takes it personally instead of taking it professionally. Other people do not take it as a reaction to an event but treat it as a critic to him and take it personally. This breaks down the long time relationship for life time.
Emotional reactions spoil relationship, future goals and tend to change destination. Other people also treat it personally and react badly to the action, which hurt the people and love in the relationship is slowly drop down where as bitterness starts flowing in the relationship. Finally, no one wins, and team spoils off, relationship spoils off and organization is spoils off.
Today's conclusion of Monday wisdom is Emotional competency, Emotional maturity and Emotional sensitivity. It can be learnt by developing person. Emotions should be treated mentally instead of personally.
Article by Dr. Shailesh Thaker, a business coach and young power-house of Motivation and Leadership, holds Ph.D. in Cognitive Thinking and Creative Writing (INDIA). He is also one of the third named fellows of JCI University for the International Training Fellowship from SAARC countries.
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
June 4, 2009
Ten Common Hiring Mistakes Done by Managers
The Consistent Risks Inherent in All Hiring Decisions
To errors in hiring is human - and is considered to be very expensive. Many "standard" hiring procedures are actually common mistakes, so to choose more competent candidate, you need to be prepared to revise your hiring methods. Learn the consequences of the hiring errors managers often make, and then eliminate them from your hiring practices to help you choose only the cream of the crop. Most, if not all managers would agree that there are always risks when hiring new employees. These risks exist whether the new hire is a fresh-out-of-school Field sales rep. or a new chief executive officer.
Some concerns are rather low-level risk issues. "Does this candidate always dress like that?" Other questions are more qualitative. "Does this candidate's education and experience truly 'fit' the requirements of this open position?" Another important category is mostly subjective. "Does this candidate have the best personality and demeanor to provide positive 'chemistry' to the team on which he or she will work?" or to answer the biggest question, "does this candidate thinks and acts like the way we want him to do?". In most of the hiring decisions, the line Managers and the H.R tends to think if they can get the 'white elephant' out of the candidate that best suits their purpose.
Most of the hiring decisions are hardly based on a complete availability of information on the candidates and there is no much information available to carry out a full proof investigation on the candidature. Although it is argued that the real need of a 360 degree investigation is actually needed for an entry level or junior position and most of the senior hiring are through referrals and market knowledge but still their has been a dire need to re calculate the actual risk of hiring an wrong candidate at the senior management level than a junior management level. Hiring a wrong CEO can get the organization into doldrums of never ending problems or annihilate the corporation.
It is the most critical decision of a human resource professional, department head or a line manager to understand the sensitivity of a hiring decision. It is not expected that every time one makes the right hiring decision and every hire turns out to be a superstar in the organization, yet the damage can be controlled better if precautions have been proactively taken in every organization.
1. Too much of dependency on interview techniques to evaluate a candidate.
2. Managers sometimes use too many criteria for selection
3. The "I need someone right now" or the Emergency syndrome.
4. The "I hired this person because I got a great referral from her sister, father, or close friend who works for our organization" or the Neighbor syndrome.
5. The "I hired this person because they said they liked to do the work I hate to do" or the Action Leader syndrome.
6. The "I must hire this candidate because he/she is just like me" or the 'Halo Effect'.
7. Evaluating "Personality" instead of the required Job Skills.
8. Lend an ear to the candidate. Hear him loud and test his emotional intelligence.
9. Failure to have a sales mentality and obvious enthusiasm about your organization when speaking with a candidate.
10. And finally, hiring a candidate who is a good "job" fit, but not a team or organization match.
Recruiting and hiring the best candidates for your organization is a challenging responsibility. One or more of these hiring errors are often made by even the most experienced HR professionals unknowingly. Avoiding these mistakes is not really difficult and can make a measurable positive improvement in your organization operations. The personal "star rating" of HR professionals, who avoid these errors, may also rise noticeably.
Hiring is both an art and science and its root is embedded in the field of behavioral and social sciences. Hiring is an on going process and is considered to be a pivotal and strategic part of the H.R function in an organization. Although the list of common hiring mistakes is exhaustive and several studies have been conducted in this regard. The risks will always exist, but being aware of them should greatly improve your managerial scorecard and the ability to recruit the right talent. With the discovery of hiring mistakes comes the opportunity to make positive change. Even if you are content with most of the people you have hired so far, remember that continuous improvement is key to success. (An article by Mayuk S Dasgupta)
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
To errors in hiring is human - and is considered to be very expensive. Many "standard" hiring procedures are actually common mistakes, so to choose more competent candidate, you need to be prepared to revise your hiring methods. Learn the consequences of the hiring errors managers often make, and then eliminate them from your hiring practices to help you choose only the cream of the crop. Most, if not all managers would agree that there are always risks when hiring new employees. These risks exist whether the new hire is a fresh-out-of-school Field sales rep. or a new chief executive officer.
Some concerns are rather low-level risk issues. "Does this candidate always dress like that?" Other questions are more qualitative. "Does this candidate's education and experience truly 'fit' the requirements of this open position?" Another important category is mostly subjective. "Does this candidate have the best personality and demeanor to provide positive 'chemistry' to the team on which he or she will work?" or to answer the biggest question, "does this candidate thinks and acts like the way we want him to do?". In most of the hiring decisions, the line Managers and the H.R tends to think if they can get the 'white elephant' out of the candidate that best suits their purpose.
Most of the hiring decisions are hardly based on a complete availability of information on the candidates and there is no much information available to carry out a full proof investigation on the candidature. Although it is argued that the real need of a 360 degree investigation is actually needed for an entry level or junior position and most of the senior hiring are through referrals and market knowledge but still their has been a dire need to re calculate the actual risk of hiring an wrong candidate at the senior management level than a junior management level. Hiring a wrong CEO can get the organization into doldrums of never ending problems or annihilate the corporation.
It is the most critical decision of a human resource professional, department head or a line manager to understand the sensitivity of a hiring decision. It is not expected that every time one makes the right hiring decision and every hire turns out to be a superstar in the organization, yet the damage can be controlled better if precautions have been proactively taken in every organization.
1. Too much of dependency on interview techniques to evaluate a candidate.
2. Managers sometimes use too many criteria for selection
3. The "I need someone right now" or the Emergency syndrome.
4. The "I hired this person because I got a great referral from her sister, father, or close friend who works for our organization" or the Neighbor syndrome.
5. The "I hired this person because they said they liked to do the work I hate to do" or the Action Leader syndrome.
6. The "I must hire this candidate because he/she is just like me" or the 'Halo Effect'.
7. Evaluating "Personality" instead of the required Job Skills.
8. Lend an ear to the candidate. Hear him loud and test his emotional intelligence.
9. Failure to have a sales mentality and obvious enthusiasm about your organization when speaking with a candidate.
10. And finally, hiring a candidate who is a good "job" fit, but not a team or organization match.
Recruiting and hiring the best candidates for your organization is a challenging responsibility. One or more of these hiring errors are often made by even the most experienced HR professionals unknowingly. Avoiding these mistakes is not really difficult and can make a measurable positive improvement in your organization operations. The personal "star rating" of HR professionals, who avoid these errors, may also rise noticeably.
Hiring is both an art and science and its root is embedded in the field of behavioral and social sciences. Hiring is an on going process and is considered to be a pivotal and strategic part of the H.R function in an organization. Although the list of common hiring mistakes is exhaustive and several studies have been conducted in this regard. The risks will always exist, but being aware of them should greatly improve your managerial scorecard and the ability to recruit the right talent. With the discovery of hiring mistakes comes the opportunity to make positive change. Even if you are content with most of the people you have hired so far, remember that continuous improvement is key to success. (An article by Mayuk S Dasgupta)
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
June 1, 2009
The Importance of Online Recruitment
When you plan to recruit people for your business you generally expect it to be a hassle. There will be a lot of people who will apply and who won't be qualified, and there will be a lot of people who will be qualified but for one reason or the other you just won't want to hire them because you won't feel comfortable with them - they just don't 'fit' with what you're looking for in regard to the company. Sometimes, your ad won't target the right people or the right people won't see it, and you won't get enough response, despite the cost.So, what do you do? One of the best things to do is to recruit online. It helps stop people from flooding to your place of business, resumes in hand, disrupting what you're trying to do. It also reaches a lot more people, so you have a better chance of finding the person that you want. Advertising in newspapers and trade publications is still done, but it's slowly giving way to online recruitment because of these reasons, and also because of the lower cost and the ease with which a person can generally be found and hired. Posting the ad is usually free or very cheap, too, so that helps to drastically cut down on costs.
Online recruitment isn't suitable for every job, though, and sometimes the ads just don't work. If they aren't worded well or don't reach your target audience they can be a disappointment. Still, however, most companies can use them for most job openings with a very high degree of success, and that's something that's hard to beat. Traditional ways of finding job applicants often don't work that well, so the online recruitment option is really the way to go for most people. Jobs can be posted in the morning, a few resumes will come in by noon, and it might even be possible to talk with a candidate that afternoon - and possibly even hire that person that day. It isn't always that quick or simple but it has the potential to be, and that's something that traditional ways of recruiting people just don't offer.
This article was written by Tom Sangers on behalf of MKH London Recruitment advertising specialist and London Advertising agency.
Article Source: Ezine Articles
April 28, 2009
The Importance of Employee Performance Reviews
Employee performance reviews are essential to ensure that your company functions at its optimal level. For the well-being of employees, as well as the growth of the company, these reviews are invaluable tools to maintain a satisfying and enriching environment for all. However, most managers view performance reviews as one of their most uncomfortable tasks. A little bit of planning and preparation makes all the difference, and transforms the entire process into a productive tool.
A company’s strength lies in how secure an employee feels about his job. Remember, it’s a performance review, not a criticism session. The primary objective is to evaluate how an employee can add more value to the company. An employee should feel motivated after a performance review session. A positive attitude makes all the difference!
Of course, all companies have a mixed population of employees; some are top performers, while some are mediocre or weak. Top performers deserve appreciation, and weak performers need positive inputs. However, the real challenge for any manager is to remain consistent and act without prejudice or favoritism. The prime factors during employee performance reviews are generally the quality and quantity of work. The employee’s attitude is a secondary, but important criterion as well.
An important, yet commonly overlooked tool for effective employee performance reviews is an interactive session. Two-way communication ensures that the employee feels important, and the inputs you get might prove equally important to the company.
Performance reviews are also a great to show that you really care about your employees. Your active listening skill is valuable in showing concern for an employee's well-being. Discuss and address the concerns of the employee in a way that makes the employee feel important and acknowledged. This reaffirms the employee’s value to the company.
Avoid restricting the conversation to an employee's job. It gives a mechanical feel to the performance review and dilutes the interest of the employee. A good way to connect with your employee is to discuss how he balances his professional life with his personal. Discussing personal, but not personally sensitive topics creates a friendly ambiance, which helps the employee feel at ease and more willing to listen to your comments.
Employees are assets, and acknowledging their efforts goes a long way in increasing their value and consequently, the net worth of the company. The bottom-line: Employee performance reviews — when done correctly — increase productivity and job satisfaction.
Article by Angela Martin
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
A company’s strength lies in how secure an employee feels about his job. Remember, it’s a performance review, not a criticism session. The primary objective is to evaluate how an employee can add more value to the company. An employee should feel motivated after a performance review session. A positive attitude makes all the difference!
Of course, all companies have a mixed population of employees; some are top performers, while some are mediocre or weak. Top performers deserve appreciation, and weak performers need positive inputs. However, the real challenge for any manager is to remain consistent and act without prejudice or favoritism. The prime factors during employee performance reviews are generally the quality and quantity of work. The employee’s attitude is a secondary, but important criterion as well.
An important, yet commonly overlooked tool for effective employee performance reviews is an interactive session. Two-way communication ensures that the employee feels important, and the inputs you get might prove equally important to the company.
Performance reviews are also a great to show that you really care about your employees. Your active listening skill is valuable in showing concern for an employee's well-being. Discuss and address the concerns of the employee in a way that makes the employee feel important and acknowledged. This reaffirms the employee’s value to the company.
Avoid restricting the conversation to an employee's job. It gives a mechanical feel to the performance review and dilutes the interest of the employee. A good way to connect with your employee is to discuss how he balances his professional life with his personal. Discussing personal, but not personally sensitive topics creates a friendly ambiance, which helps the employee feel at ease and more willing to listen to your comments.
Employees are assets, and acknowledging their efforts goes a long way in increasing their value and consequently, the net worth of the company. The bottom-line: Employee performance reviews — when done correctly — increase productivity and job satisfaction.
Article by Angela Martin
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
April 7, 2009
Why Should You Use Psychometric Testing?
Testing provides more information about a candidate in an objective way than the CV or Resume can provide. You can therefore make a more informed decision than working with the skills the CV provides, and the impression your recruit makes during the interview. This is therefore the most important reason you should use psychometric testing; it leads to hiring decisions that are more valid than decisions made by any other means. It takes the guesswork and “feeling” out of the hiring process and allows you to work with fact and logic. This puts you in control.
Psychometric testing improves the effectiveness of the employment process by selecting the most suitable candidates first. This will help reduce the amount of money you spend on people who don’t fit into your organisation, either by having to rehire soon as someone who doesn’t fit into your organisation won’t stay long, or wasting money on them during the hiring process.
Speaking about money: Imagine the amount you need to spend to get the same information about a new recruit than a psychometric test gives you.
You can profile a job so that you can see the personality type that is required for it. Then you can choose the person that has the personality type for the job. This makes the hiring process quick, stress free and easy.
Interviewing alone places emphasis on skill. Psychometric testing tells more about the behaviour of the candidate. As people get hired on skill, but fired on behaviour it would make sense to test the behaviour.
Psychometric testing uses assessment tools that have been designed by skilled psychologists and tested in over 38 countries so that you have the peace of mind that your business will benefit from hiring the right recruit.
These tests are designed to use for employment and is targeted to your business needs. You can see whether the person you need fits into your organisation, as it measures what they will bring to the job, and match their strengths with your requirements.
You can see someone’s development needs and strengths at a glance in easily understandable language. No psychological jargon to confuse you.
You can measure the potential of the individual tested so that you can train that person and know how to motivate them to give their best.
You can test all your staff while you’re at it, and make sure they are where they should be to enable them to help your business grow. You can then make interdepartmental changes to put them where they will perform at their best and retrain where necessary. You will reap the results of this in the form of revenue. Your staff will thank you, because they will be where they are happiest, and your business will flourish.
Psychometric testing improves the effectiveness of the employment process by selecting the most suitable candidates first. This will help reduce the amount of money you spend on people who don’t fit into your organisation, either by having to rehire soon as someone who doesn’t fit into your organisation won’t stay long, or wasting money on them during the hiring process.
Speaking about money: Imagine the amount you need to spend to get the same information about a new recruit than a psychometric test gives you.
You can profile a job so that you can see the personality type that is required for it. Then you can choose the person that has the personality type for the job. This makes the hiring process quick, stress free and easy.
Interviewing alone places emphasis on skill. Psychometric testing tells more about the behaviour of the candidate. As people get hired on skill, but fired on behaviour it would make sense to test the behaviour.
Psychometric testing uses assessment tools that have been designed by skilled psychologists and tested in over 38 countries so that you have the peace of mind that your business will benefit from hiring the right recruit.
These tests are designed to use for employment and is targeted to your business needs. You can see whether the person you need fits into your organisation, as it measures what they will bring to the job, and match their strengths with your requirements.
You can see someone’s development needs and strengths at a glance in easily understandable language. No psychological jargon to confuse you.
You can measure the potential of the individual tested so that you can train that person and know how to motivate them to give their best.
You can test all your staff while you’re at it, and make sure they are where they should be to enable them to help your business grow. You can then make interdepartmental changes to put them where they will perform at their best and retrain where necessary. You will reap the results of this in the form of revenue. Your staff will thank you, because they will be where they are happiest, and your business will flourish.
an article by Hannah Du Plessis
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
March 7, 2009
What Are Employee Assistance Programs?
It happens! work related problems and stress can cause major health issues for workers who then land up with severe health problems! The UK Health and Safety Executive issued a statement which said that Work-related stress, depression or anxiety was the main cause of staff absenteeism causing a loss of about 12.5 million days a year in the year 2003/4. And that means that office related worker problems required intervention from companies to ensure the well being of their staff!
How it started!
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations presented a legislation in 1992 which presented a company obligation towards the health of its staff. According to the ruling office related stress was to be considered to be an occupational hazard which companies had to deal with to ensure optimum productivity of their staff. This also meant that employers were responsible for dealing and helping with the mental anxiety and physical risk to the workers when they were at the workplace.
Advantages to the organisation!
Although the primary fear was about dealing with the rising cost of setting up a Employee assistance program which the company had to pay for, in the long term the benefits became obvious! Organisations and their staff began to accrue several benefits like:
1. Employee assistance programs were able to recognize and help workers who were suffering from office and work related problems of drug abuse, deaths in the family and office related chronic stress problems. One great effect of these intervention programs is that companies were able to assist workers before situations got out of hand. It also definitely helped to reduce staff absenteeism
2. Many employees have relationship problems which can hamper their office work and attendance. But they are embarrassed to get in touch with counselors or lawyers for legal issues related to personal problems. Quite a few of these personal problems could be settled with timely intervention from a good employee assistance program.
3. About 5.6% of a companys outgoing cash is spent on absenteeism and coping with absenteeism in the form of replacement staff. With the help of a good employee assistance program, absenteeism is significantly reduced. And the cost to the company is about less than 1% for a single employee! This turns out to be a huge cost saving for the company.
4. Employee retention increased. Several studies indicated that in about 65 to 80% of termination cases, the main reason provided was personal or work related issues. An employee assistance program was able to catch these problems early on and provide a solution to the problem before termination became necessary. As a result, employee morale increased and turnover rates decreased.
5. A good Employee Assistance program can also catch stress related issues early on by diagnosing symptoms like office aggressiveness, lack of creativity, concentration and motivation.
Getting an Employee Assistance Program in place is a vocal commitment from the company for employee health. And it does work.
Source: Best Management Articles by Richard Reid
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How it started!
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations presented a legislation in 1992 which presented a company obligation towards the health of its staff. According to the ruling office related stress was to be considered to be an occupational hazard which companies had to deal with to ensure optimum productivity of their staff. This also meant that employers were responsible for dealing and helping with the mental anxiety and physical risk to the workers when they were at the workplace.
Advantages to the organisation!
Although the primary fear was about dealing with the rising cost of setting up a Employee assistance program which the company had to pay for, in the long term the benefits became obvious! Organisations and their staff began to accrue several benefits like:
1. Employee assistance programs were able to recognize and help workers who were suffering from office and work related problems of drug abuse, deaths in the family and office related chronic stress problems. One great effect of these intervention programs is that companies were able to assist workers before situations got out of hand. It also definitely helped to reduce staff absenteeism
2. Many employees have relationship problems which can hamper their office work and attendance. But they are embarrassed to get in touch with counselors or lawyers for legal issues related to personal problems. Quite a few of these personal problems could be settled with timely intervention from a good employee assistance program.
3. About 5.6% of a companys outgoing cash is spent on absenteeism and coping with absenteeism in the form of replacement staff. With the help of a good employee assistance program, absenteeism is significantly reduced. And the cost to the company is about less than 1% for a single employee! This turns out to be a huge cost saving for the company.
4. Employee retention increased. Several studies indicated that in about 65 to 80% of termination cases, the main reason provided was personal or work related issues. An employee assistance program was able to catch these problems early on and provide a solution to the problem before termination became necessary. As a result, employee morale increased and turnover rates decreased.
5. A good Employee Assistance program can also catch stress related issues early on by diagnosing symptoms like office aggressiveness, lack of creativity, concentration and motivation.
Getting an Employee Assistance Program in place is a vocal commitment from the company for employee health. And it does work.
Source: Best Management Articles by Richard Reid
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
March 3, 2009
Downsizing as a Staff Management Technique
Downsizing is a method used by the personnel managers to reduce the labor force to a manageable number and thus cutting the overall costs of the organization.
It is not something that should be done hastily because the manager proposing it did it successfully in a different firm.
Becoming unmindful of the fact that such a strategy will be involving people squarely risking to be put on the exit line is unwise.
Human resources who should be valued company assets would not sit back and do nothing if their stay at the organization is being violated without a proper cause.
The personnel officer suggesting the downsizing strategy must start by presenting it to the managing director and other senior managers to get a go ahead if he sounds convincing and fair.
Resistance to change however, may surprisingly start at this meeting if some of those in big positions feel they would be shown the door as well, if the strategy implementation pushed through.
If the threat is felt from the above, you can be assure that this personnel manager would now be treated like a threat to the organization normal operations.
Sooner than later, these managers will influence even the small ranked worker to refuse to give in to the proposed downsizing strategy following strikes planned via involvement in grapevines.
And since one of the steps of deciding which worker should be declared redundant is carrying out thorough job analysis and specifications, no one would be willing to cooperate if they feel downsizing proposal is unethical.
More organizational politics on this kind of personnel officer are likely to bring his career in to an abrupt end while he thought it would have been fair for other employees to be victims.
Employees’ grievances are heard in industrial courts where their rights are protected from being violated unjustly and such efforts to retrench them may be ended immediately.
A downsizing strategy works best where the company in question is in financial trouble, because personnel managers can sell their cost cutting ideas to then desperate directors.
Also ahead of implementing such a strategy, it would be very important to consider your understanding of the organizational culture, structure, and weaknesses.
One must be capable of demonstrating how lay off of some workers can bring substantial savings on wages without risking productivity, quality and profitability.
As mentioned earlier, keeping the welfare of your staff in mind when drafting the new structure after downsizing is very imperative because a lot in their lives is to be impacted negatively by such a sudden move.
And how do you do this? Allowing them to speak up their minds after listening to your proposal without interrupting them is the way forward.
Becoming authoritative would only make things worse and before you realize it, you have gained a good share of enemies across the organization.
Use of proper communication channel that is suitable for each individual worker is the right way of conveying the new changes.
While this is happening, a lot of disagreements will arise from those whose retrenchment efforts are likely to hit badly, and it is then up to the proposing agent to make clarifications.
Workers would obviously reject downsizing strategy because they would fear loosing their only source of livelihood, but at times organizational managers lack other ways of mitigating the costs!
Source: Article Base by Esteri Maina
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
It is not something that should be done hastily because the manager proposing it did it successfully in a different firm.
Becoming unmindful of the fact that such a strategy will be involving people squarely risking to be put on the exit line is unwise.
Human resources who should be valued company assets would not sit back and do nothing if their stay at the organization is being violated without a proper cause.
The personnel officer suggesting the downsizing strategy must start by presenting it to the managing director and other senior managers to get a go ahead if he sounds convincing and fair.
Resistance to change however, may surprisingly start at this meeting if some of those in big positions feel they would be shown the door as well, if the strategy implementation pushed through.
If the threat is felt from the above, you can be assure that this personnel manager would now be treated like a threat to the organization normal operations.
Sooner than later, these managers will influence even the small ranked worker to refuse to give in to the proposed downsizing strategy following strikes planned via involvement in grapevines.
And since one of the steps of deciding which worker should be declared redundant is carrying out thorough job analysis and specifications, no one would be willing to cooperate if they feel downsizing proposal is unethical.
More organizational politics on this kind of personnel officer are likely to bring his career in to an abrupt end while he thought it would have been fair for other employees to be victims.
Employees’ grievances are heard in industrial courts where their rights are protected from being violated unjustly and such efforts to retrench them may be ended immediately.
A downsizing strategy works best where the company in question is in financial trouble, because personnel managers can sell their cost cutting ideas to then desperate directors.
Also ahead of implementing such a strategy, it would be very important to consider your understanding of the organizational culture, structure, and weaknesses.
One must be capable of demonstrating how lay off of some workers can bring substantial savings on wages without risking productivity, quality and profitability.
As mentioned earlier, keeping the welfare of your staff in mind when drafting the new structure after downsizing is very imperative because a lot in their lives is to be impacted negatively by such a sudden move.
And how do you do this? Allowing them to speak up their minds after listening to your proposal without interrupting them is the way forward.
Becoming authoritative would only make things worse and before you realize it, you have gained a good share of enemies across the organization.
Use of proper communication channel that is suitable for each individual worker is the right way of conveying the new changes.
While this is happening, a lot of disagreements will arise from those whose retrenchment efforts are likely to hit badly, and it is then up to the proposing agent to make clarifications.
Workers would obviously reject downsizing strategy because they would fear loosing their only source of livelihood, but at times organizational managers lack other ways of mitigating the costs!
Source: Article Base by Esteri Maina
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
February 28, 2009
Internal Recruitment: Turning Necessity Into Opportunity
The shock of the recent stock market correction and resulting financial losses are still reverberating throughout the workforce. Given the new economic reality, many of us will need to work well past the time we thought our 401Ks and other retirement accounts would support us. What does this mean for America and is it a "bad thing?"
Of course, losing money is rarely viewed as a "good thing." However, for those who will now need to work longer, either full time or part time, there are likely to be increasing opportunities to do so.
Part of the need for ongoing work lies in population demographics. The "Baby Boomers," 77 million strong, were followed by a "baby bust" of only 46 million Generation X'ers. Therefore, for every five workers retiring, only three will be coming though the ranks to take their place. Although industry leaders have long been aware of this demographic challenge, they have done little about it. Traditionally, talent need has been addressed through external recruitment, but that will clearly be insufficient for today's situation. Internal recruitment, exploring the current workforce with the goal of retaining employees past traditional retirement age, will become an important complementary strategy.
Aside from economic necessity, what benefits will a mature worker derive from ongoing work? And, if the economy does turn around, will retirement-aged people leave in droves regardless of industry needs?
Historically, the record of post-retirement careers has been brief, approximately 2.3 years. That is due to three principal factors: the continuation of traditional job skills without regard to acquiring new or different responsibilities; a psychological desire for a "marker," because mature workers want recognition for life stage achievement; and a chance to reflect on potential changes in the mature years to reassess whether personal interests are aligned with career responsibilities.
In response to these points, consider the following.
First, potential post-retirement employees can benefit from better self-knowledge through personality assessments, such as the Birkman Method. This information will help them select the parts of their responsibilities they wish to keep or develop further and which they want to give up, either because they cause them stress or that they are least aligned with their current interests.
Second, even with the information derived from the personality assessment tool, many individuals may still want a period of reflective time to separate the traditional work years from their new life stage. This period may be organized similar to an academic sabbatical with a guaranteed return date for employment, if desired.
Third, others may wish to downscale their time commitment, but without the loss of authority or leadership which has traditionally accompanied part-time work. In the past, this was often not possible.
The convergence of these two factors, an expanding need for skilled workers and an unprecedented loss of retirement capital, will create a new working class of mature workers.
Therefore, we may expect the following outcomes. Skilled workers and administrators will continue past retirement age, but will still want a high level of responsibility, even if part-time. In addition, employees will discover a new sense of creativity and motivation through personal customization of career responsibilities. And finally, intellectual capital will be conserved, flowing from senior staff to younger employees.
Surveys conducted five years after retirement have consistently found that 40% of respondents were happier when they were working. With a creative approach to the new working retirement, this stage of life may well become a source of profound satisfaction and continuing productivity.
Source: Best Management Articles by John Trauth
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
Of course, losing money is rarely viewed as a "good thing." However, for those who will now need to work longer, either full time or part time, there are likely to be increasing opportunities to do so.
Part of the need for ongoing work lies in population demographics. The "Baby Boomers," 77 million strong, were followed by a "baby bust" of only 46 million Generation X'ers. Therefore, for every five workers retiring, only three will be coming though the ranks to take their place. Although industry leaders have long been aware of this demographic challenge, they have done little about it. Traditionally, talent need has been addressed through external recruitment, but that will clearly be insufficient for today's situation. Internal recruitment, exploring the current workforce with the goal of retaining employees past traditional retirement age, will become an important complementary strategy.
Aside from economic necessity, what benefits will a mature worker derive from ongoing work? And, if the economy does turn around, will retirement-aged people leave in droves regardless of industry needs?
Historically, the record of post-retirement careers has been brief, approximately 2.3 years. That is due to three principal factors: the continuation of traditional job skills without regard to acquiring new or different responsibilities; a psychological desire for a "marker," because mature workers want recognition for life stage achievement; and a chance to reflect on potential changes in the mature years to reassess whether personal interests are aligned with career responsibilities.
In response to these points, consider the following.
First, potential post-retirement employees can benefit from better self-knowledge through personality assessments, such as the Birkman Method. This information will help them select the parts of their responsibilities they wish to keep or develop further and which they want to give up, either because they cause them stress or that they are least aligned with their current interests.
Second, even with the information derived from the personality assessment tool, many individuals may still want a period of reflective time to separate the traditional work years from their new life stage. This period may be organized similar to an academic sabbatical with a guaranteed return date for employment, if desired.
Third, others may wish to downscale their time commitment, but without the loss of authority or leadership which has traditionally accompanied part-time work. In the past, this was often not possible.
The convergence of these two factors, an expanding need for skilled workers and an unprecedented loss of retirement capital, will create a new working class of mature workers.
Therefore, we may expect the following outcomes. Skilled workers and administrators will continue past retirement age, but will still want a high level of responsibility, even if part-time. In addition, employees will discover a new sense of creativity and motivation through personal customization of career responsibilities. And finally, intellectual capital will be conserved, flowing from senior staff to younger employees.
Surveys conducted five years after retirement have consistently found that 40% of respondents were happier when they were working. With a creative approach to the new working retirement, this stage of life may well become a source of profound satisfaction and continuing productivity.
Source: Best Management Articles by John Trauth
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
February 19, 2009
Induction Training For Employees
Every organization has a big picture, in which they want to achieve their goals and objectives. In order to achieve these one could consider it a sum of all parts, as all employees and all departments need to pull their weight and carry out their functions for the business to succeed and strive for higher goals and objectives.
In terms of induction training, of which is also sometimes referred to as onboarding, the trainer will have the opportunity of communicating these goals and the entire corporate picture to the new employee. It will also allow the proficient training of the employee to conduct their work in the way that is desired and stipulated by the company. This time and process of induction training is in effect the first impression that the new employee will have of the organization, and the trainer is advised to make the most of this process, obviously without making false claims and promises.
One of the key tips when providing induction training for new employees is to try and keep the training sessions as interesting and as simple as possible. The new employee is out of his or her comfort zone, and without overburdening the employee with new information and details, you would rather want them to gain a good understanding of the business in as simplistic manner and detail as possible. This will insure that the new employee gets an understanding of the entire business. Professionals also recommend that a welcome pack or email be sent to the new employee prior to their first day at work, this will help the employee to get a basic understanding of the company as well as who the key players are in terms of the organization; that is if the company has a suitable website of course.
Each company and organization has a culture and a few of their own unique traits and traditions that they may follow, such as casual Friday, or drinks at the pub on Tuesdays, whichever the case may be. The new employee should be informed of this and be made to feel welcome to attend these informal get together sessions, it will make them feel valued and part of the team. They should not however find out the long way round, but rather ate the induction training; it will instill that sense of belonging form the very beginning. These little tricks will enable and empower the new employee so that he or she will feel as if they are part of the so called corporate family even before they begin working with their new peers, it will also take the edge off of being the so called new kid on the block.
Induction training enables the corporate training to effectively introduce an organization, its policies and procedures as well as an avenue to be used to welcome a new incumbent into the organization.
Source: Best Management Articles by Chris Kennelly
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
In terms of induction training, of which is also sometimes referred to as onboarding, the trainer will have the opportunity of communicating these goals and the entire corporate picture to the new employee. It will also allow the proficient training of the employee to conduct their work in the way that is desired and stipulated by the company. This time and process of induction training is in effect the first impression that the new employee will have of the organization, and the trainer is advised to make the most of this process, obviously without making false claims and promises.
One of the key tips when providing induction training for new employees is to try and keep the training sessions as interesting and as simple as possible. The new employee is out of his or her comfort zone, and without overburdening the employee with new information and details, you would rather want them to gain a good understanding of the business in as simplistic manner and detail as possible. This will insure that the new employee gets an understanding of the entire business. Professionals also recommend that a welcome pack or email be sent to the new employee prior to their first day at work, this will help the employee to get a basic understanding of the company as well as who the key players are in terms of the organization; that is if the company has a suitable website of course.
Each company and organization has a culture and a few of their own unique traits and traditions that they may follow, such as casual Friday, or drinks at the pub on Tuesdays, whichever the case may be. The new employee should be informed of this and be made to feel welcome to attend these informal get together sessions, it will make them feel valued and part of the team. They should not however find out the long way round, but rather ate the induction training; it will instill that sense of belonging form the very beginning. These little tricks will enable and empower the new employee so that he or she will feel as if they are part of the so called corporate family even before they begin working with their new peers, it will also take the edge off of being the so called new kid on the block.
Induction training enables the corporate training to effectively introduce an organization, its policies and procedures as well as an avenue to be used to welcome a new incumbent into the organization.
Source: Best Management Articles by Chris Kennelly
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
February 11, 2009
Improve Productivity in an Uncertain Economy
CURRENT ECONOMIC FACTORS ARE INCREASING STRESS.
You may have noticed that the United States economy is somewhat unsure of itself these days. Consumer prices are rising, stock markets are fluctuating, and the rate of unemployment has increased. As illustrated in a recent study by Wayne Hochwarter of Florida State University's College of Business, these economic stressors are directly impacting the workplace environment. "People concerned with the effects of gas prices were significantly less attentive on the job, less excited about going to work, less passionate and conscientious and more tense," Hochwarter says in a statement.
STRESS DECREASES PRODUCTIVITY AND HURTS THE BOTTOM LINE.
The American Institute of Stress estimates that U.S. businesses lose up to $300 billion per year (or $7,500 per employee) due to stress related issues including compensation claims, reduced productivity, absenteeism, medical expenses, and employee turnover. The Bureau of National Affairs suggests that forty percent of job turnover is due to stress.
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
Here are a few suggestions on ways to reduce workplace stress.
Make it clear to your employees that you have a plan and they are part of it. Having a comprehensive strategic plan in place that is accessible to all employees does wonders for relieving anxiety in the workplace. Employees are much more productive when they know what they are working toward and are not anxious about the future of their job or their company.
Celebrate your successes! Too often, particularly in times of high stress, companies forget to celebrate their successes or affirm the work of employees. A little celebration and affirmation can go a long way toward future productivity.
Let your employees know that you are sensitive to the pressures that they are facing and their need to relieve stress. Many companies might be tempted to cut "stress-relief" activities during periods of economic uncertainty. It is important to recognize that now is the time when these exercises are needed most.
Focus on Communication. According to a survey by the Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health, three of the top four workplace stressors relate to poor communication. Reduce stress by making an effort to improve channels for regular communication, implementing informal performance reviews, and offering positive feedback and constructive criticism.***
An article by Phil Kiracofe, The Director and Chief Innovation Officer of Gooseworks Consulting. Gooseworks has facilitated team development with organizations throughout the United States and abroad.
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
You may have noticed that the United States economy is somewhat unsure of itself these days. Consumer prices are rising, stock markets are fluctuating, and the rate of unemployment has increased. As illustrated in a recent study by Wayne Hochwarter of Florida State University's College of Business, these economic stressors are directly impacting the workplace environment. "People concerned with the effects of gas prices were significantly less attentive on the job, less excited about going to work, less passionate and conscientious and more tense," Hochwarter says in a statement.
STRESS DECREASES PRODUCTIVITY AND HURTS THE BOTTOM LINE.
The American Institute of Stress estimates that U.S. businesses lose up to $300 billion per year (or $7,500 per employee) due to stress related issues including compensation claims, reduced productivity, absenteeism, medical expenses, and employee turnover. The Bureau of National Affairs suggests that forty percent of job turnover is due to stress.
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
Here are a few suggestions on ways to reduce workplace stress.
Make it clear to your employees that you have a plan and they are part of it. Having a comprehensive strategic plan in place that is accessible to all employees does wonders for relieving anxiety in the workplace. Employees are much more productive when they know what they are working toward and are not anxious about the future of their job or their company.
Celebrate your successes! Too often, particularly in times of high stress, companies forget to celebrate their successes or affirm the work of employees. A little celebration and affirmation can go a long way toward future productivity.
Let your employees know that you are sensitive to the pressures that they are facing and their need to relieve stress. Many companies might be tempted to cut "stress-relief" activities during periods of economic uncertainty. It is important to recognize that now is the time when these exercises are needed most.
Focus on Communication. According to a survey by the Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health, three of the top four workplace stressors relate to poor communication. Reduce stress by making an effort to improve channels for regular communication, implementing informal performance reviews, and offering positive feedback and constructive criticism.***
An article by Phil Kiracofe, The Director and Chief Innovation Officer of Gooseworks Consulting. Gooseworks has facilitated team development with organizations throughout the United States and abroad.
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
February 7, 2009
Staff Reductions: the Last Resort Part 2
This article reviews best practices for when employee lay-offs are unavoidable.
Legal commentators speculate that 2009 will see an increase in litigation arising out of reductions in force ("RIF") cases. Generally, this is because RIF cases involve plaintiffs who are often more sympathetic than other employment law litigants.
The key to limiting liability associated with RIF cases is planning. Planning which employees will be impacted by a layoff should be managed carefully and not rushed, even when top management is demanding immediate action. A timeline with realistic expectations should be developed and followed closely.
Also, employers should avoid viewing a RIF as the opportunity to get rid of the "bad apples" or poor performers. Employers who do decide to lay-off employees based on poor performance, should do so only if they have documented issues beforehand. In other words, an employer's failure to document performance issues and/or efforts to give "poor performing" employees satisfactory written performance reviews or salary increases risk exposing their companies to wrongful termination, discrimination, and retaliation suits.
There are a number of concerns that should be weighed prior to reducing one's labor force. A few of these concerns have been highlighted below.
Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) (Federal): Requires employees with 100 employees or more to provide 60 days notice in the case of a mass layoff.
California's adoption of the WARN requires 60 days notice for employers with 75 or more employees.
Older Worker's Protection Act (OWBPA): requires special language and timelines when presenting an employee who is 40 years of age or older with a severance and release agreement.
Federal and State anti-discrimination and anti-retaliation regulations.
Federal and State wage & hour and final pay regulations.
California's adoption of the WARN requires 60 days notice for employers with 75 or more employees.
Due to the complicated nature and maze of regulations, employers should work closely with human resources professionals.
About the Author:
Michele O'Donnell joined the MMC team in January 2007 and currently leads MMC's elite team of HR Consultants. Ms. O'Donnell has been involved in the Human Resources industry for more than 14 years, bringing vast training and management experience to the MMC leadership ranks. Her experience spans the broad scope of labor law, regulatory compliance and HR Best Practices, drawn from her rich experience as Director of HR for several firms throughout her career. She currently works to ensure that MMC's consultants forge long lasting relationships with our clients, fostered in exceptional service and unsurpassed HR expertise. Ms. O'Donnell earned her baccalaureate degree in Business Administration from Auburn University before receiving her Masters degree in Human Resource Management from Troy State University.
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
Legal commentators speculate that 2009 will see an increase in litigation arising out of reductions in force ("RIF") cases. Generally, this is because RIF cases involve plaintiffs who are often more sympathetic than other employment law litigants.
The key to limiting liability associated with RIF cases is planning. Planning which employees will be impacted by a layoff should be managed carefully and not rushed, even when top management is demanding immediate action. A timeline with realistic expectations should be developed and followed closely.
Also, employers should avoid viewing a RIF as the opportunity to get rid of the "bad apples" or poor performers. Employers who do decide to lay-off employees based on poor performance, should do so only if they have documented issues beforehand. In other words, an employer's failure to document performance issues and/or efforts to give "poor performing" employees satisfactory written performance reviews or salary increases risk exposing their companies to wrongful termination, discrimination, and retaliation suits.
There are a number of concerns that should be weighed prior to reducing one's labor force. A few of these concerns have been highlighted below.
Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) (Federal): Requires employees with 100 employees or more to provide 60 days notice in the case of a mass layoff.
California's adoption of the WARN requires 60 days notice for employers with 75 or more employees.
Older Worker's Protection Act (OWBPA): requires special language and timelines when presenting an employee who is 40 years of age or older with a severance and release agreement.
Federal and State anti-discrimination and anti-retaliation regulations.
Federal and State wage & hour and final pay regulations.
California's adoption of the WARN requires 60 days notice for employers with 75 or more employees.
Due to the complicated nature and maze of regulations, employers should work closely with human resources professionals.
About the Author:
Michele O'Donnell joined the MMC team in January 2007 and currently leads MMC's elite team of HR Consultants. Ms. O'Donnell has been involved in the Human Resources industry for more than 14 years, bringing vast training and management experience to the MMC leadership ranks. Her experience spans the broad scope of labor law, regulatory compliance and HR Best Practices, drawn from her rich experience as Director of HR for several firms throughout her career. She currently works to ensure that MMC's consultants forge long lasting relationships with our clients, fostered in exceptional service and unsurpassed HR expertise. Ms. O'Donnell earned her baccalaureate degree in Business Administration from Auburn University before receiving her Masters degree in Human Resource Management from Troy State University.
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
February 4, 2009
Pre-employment Tests & Other Ways to Stop Employee Theft
“Wall Street Journal” and Fox News reported (a) increases in employees stealing plus (b) employee theft’s financial drain on companies.
How financially draining is employee stealing and theft? (A) The value of stolen items rose one-third in just two years, according to PriceWaterhouseCoopers’s survey of 5,400 companies. (B) 20% of employers consider employee theft a moderate to very big problem, found Institute for Corporate Productivity research.
And how does employee theft impact your non-stealing employees? First, your honest employees feel dismayed when co-workers steal. It proves you hired lousy humans. Second, employees know anything reducing profits impacts job security. If a company loses too much to theft or stealing, eventually employees may get “de-employed” to decrease losses.
Fortunately, managers can use pre-employment tests and other methods to (a) avoid hiring job applicants who are thieves and (b) discover which employees steal.
1st WEAPON = PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTS to HELP HIRE NON-THIEVES
Pre-employment tests that specifically predict or forecast dependability can help you hire Non-Thieves. After all, the fastest, easiest and cheapest way to avoid stealing by employees is obvious: Avoid hiring job applicants who will steal.
For example, in my pre-employment test research to create the Theft/Stealing prediction on the “Dependability Forecaster(tm) Test,” I used a two-step method to find out which test questions predict if someone may steal. First, two groups of people answered my extensive list of research questions: (1) One group was Thieves – hundreds of prisoners locked-up in jails for stealing and theft crimes. (2) The second group was hundreds of Non-Thieves. Then, I did statistics to find out which specific questions the Thieves answered significantly differently than the Non-Thieves.
Those questions became the pre-employment test’s section that helps predict if a job applicant may steal.
When applicants take the pre-employment test, companies immediately see if a job applicant scored like the Thieves or the Non-Thieves. Of course, managers prefer hiring applicants who get the test scores of the Non-Thieves.
2ND WEAPON = BACKGROUND CHECKS
In addition to pre-employment tests that help predict Theft/Stealing, a company also might conduct a criminal background check to see if the applicant was convicted of stealing crimes.
Problem: Unfortunately, a background check only will tell you if the applicant was convicted in the locale where you do the check, for example, your county. Warning: If an applicant was convicted in another locale, then you will not find out.
Solution: First, administer a pre-employment test to help predict Theft/Stealing – before you spend your time and budget on background checks. Then, if employment test scores show an applicant scored like Thieves, then you probably will not bother to waste budget doing a theft or criminal background check.
3RD WEAPON = ACT LIKE JAMES BOND
After you use pre-employment tests to hire the best, you still need to watch your employees to make sure they do not steal. It may not sound nice, but you need to “spy” on employees. You can install video cameras, tracking devices and other spying instruments that are allowed.
For example, an executive at one company called me for help to stop employee theft and stealing that harmed the company’s finances.
First, I helped the executive start using the pre-employment test that predicts possible Theft/Stealing concerns – so the company could avoid hiring thieves. Second, I recommended the company “spy” on current employees by installing location-tracking devices on its delivery trucks.
Results = The pre-employment test helped the company hire Non-Thieves. Among employees, the company discovered delivery drivers were (a) driving away from their most direct routes and then (b) selling company goods during their off-route driving. The company’s stealing by employees came to a screeching halt. And new employees were Non-Thieves.
Suggestion: Make 100% certain employees realize you watch them. Some may complain about “Big Brother” for awhile, but they will know your rules. Your rules include no stealing is tolerated. Plus, employees realize you use multiple tools to catch employees who steal. Also, point out that stealing by employees creates less job security for everyone. That will make them thank you for “spying.”
PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTS, CRIMINAL CHECKS, & SPYING HELP YOU STOP EMPLOYEE STEALING
Employee stealing drains a company’s financial resources. It also creates a lousy workplace for employees. Research and news reports indicate employee stealing is a big, growing and expensive problem. So, managers need to take three steps to stop theft by employees.
First, give pre-employment tests to job applicants to help you avoid hiring possible Thieves or people who may steal. Second, conduct criminal background checks on job applicants who did well on the pre-employment test. Third, monitoring devices catch employees who try to steal your company’s possessions.
Pre-employment tests, criminal theft background checks and “spying” give you a fantastic 1-2-3 punch to knock-out employee stealing in your company.
COPYRIGHT 2009 MICHAEL MERCER
Michael Mercer, Ph.D., is America's Hire the Best Expert™. Many companies use pre-employment tests he created -- "Abilities & Behavior Forecaster™" Tests - and his "7-Step Method to Hire the Best"™. Dr. Mercer authored 5 books, including "Hire the Best -- & Avoid the Rest™" & "Turning Your Human Resources Department into a Profit Center™."
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How financially draining is employee stealing and theft? (A) The value of stolen items rose one-third in just two years, according to PriceWaterhouseCoopers’s survey of 5,400 companies. (B) 20% of employers consider employee theft a moderate to very big problem, found Institute for Corporate Productivity research.
And how does employee theft impact your non-stealing employees? First, your honest employees feel dismayed when co-workers steal. It proves you hired lousy humans. Second, employees know anything reducing profits impacts job security. If a company loses too much to theft or stealing, eventually employees may get “de-employed” to decrease losses.
Fortunately, managers can use pre-employment tests and other methods to (a) avoid hiring job applicants who are thieves and (b) discover which employees steal.
1st WEAPON = PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTS to HELP HIRE NON-THIEVES
Pre-employment tests that specifically predict or forecast dependability can help you hire Non-Thieves. After all, the fastest, easiest and cheapest way to avoid stealing by employees is obvious: Avoid hiring job applicants who will steal.
For example, in my pre-employment test research to create the Theft/Stealing prediction on the “Dependability Forecaster(tm) Test,” I used a two-step method to find out which test questions predict if someone may steal. First, two groups of people answered my extensive list of research questions: (1) One group was Thieves – hundreds of prisoners locked-up in jails for stealing and theft crimes. (2) The second group was hundreds of Non-Thieves. Then, I did statistics to find out which specific questions the Thieves answered significantly differently than the Non-Thieves.
Those questions became the pre-employment test’s section that helps predict if a job applicant may steal.
When applicants take the pre-employment test, companies immediately see if a job applicant scored like the Thieves or the Non-Thieves. Of course, managers prefer hiring applicants who get the test scores of the Non-Thieves.
2ND WEAPON = BACKGROUND CHECKS
In addition to pre-employment tests that help predict Theft/Stealing, a company also might conduct a criminal background check to see if the applicant was convicted of stealing crimes.
Problem: Unfortunately, a background check only will tell you if the applicant was convicted in the locale where you do the check, for example, your county. Warning: If an applicant was convicted in another locale, then you will not find out.
Solution: First, administer a pre-employment test to help predict Theft/Stealing – before you spend your time and budget on background checks. Then, if employment test scores show an applicant scored like Thieves, then you probably will not bother to waste budget doing a theft or criminal background check.
3RD WEAPON = ACT LIKE JAMES BOND
After you use pre-employment tests to hire the best, you still need to watch your employees to make sure they do not steal. It may not sound nice, but you need to “spy” on employees. You can install video cameras, tracking devices and other spying instruments that are allowed.
For example, an executive at one company called me for help to stop employee theft and stealing that harmed the company’s finances.
First, I helped the executive start using the pre-employment test that predicts possible Theft/Stealing concerns – so the company could avoid hiring thieves. Second, I recommended the company “spy” on current employees by installing location-tracking devices on its delivery trucks.
Results = The pre-employment test helped the company hire Non-Thieves. Among employees, the company discovered delivery drivers were (a) driving away from their most direct routes and then (b) selling company goods during their off-route driving. The company’s stealing by employees came to a screeching halt. And new employees were Non-Thieves.
Suggestion: Make 100% certain employees realize you watch them. Some may complain about “Big Brother” for awhile, but they will know your rules. Your rules include no stealing is tolerated. Plus, employees realize you use multiple tools to catch employees who steal. Also, point out that stealing by employees creates less job security for everyone. That will make them thank you for “spying.”
PRE-EMPLOYMENT TESTS, CRIMINAL CHECKS, & SPYING HELP YOU STOP EMPLOYEE STEALING
Employee stealing drains a company’s financial resources. It also creates a lousy workplace for employees. Research and news reports indicate employee stealing is a big, growing and expensive problem. So, managers need to take three steps to stop theft by employees.
First, give pre-employment tests to job applicants to help you avoid hiring possible Thieves or people who may steal. Second, conduct criminal background checks on job applicants who did well on the pre-employment test. Third, monitoring devices catch employees who try to steal your company’s possessions.
Pre-employment tests, criminal theft background checks and “spying” give you a fantastic 1-2-3 punch to knock-out employee stealing in your company.
COPYRIGHT 2009 MICHAEL MERCER
Michael Mercer, Ph.D., is America's Hire the Best Expert™. Many companies use pre-employment tests he created -- "Abilities & Behavior Forecaster™" Tests - and his "7-Step Method to Hire the Best"™. Dr. Mercer authored 5 books, including "Hire the Best -- & Avoid the Rest™" & "Turning Your Human Resources Department into a Profit Center™."
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January 30, 2009
Staff Reductions: the Last Resort
Everywhere you turn, the current state of the economy is a central topic. The economic crisis is not only an issue in the United States, but a matter of global concern. In fact, the United Nations projects that about 20 million jobs will be lost worldwide by the end of 2009.
As many businesses across the country are facing financial challenges, employees naturally are uneasy about their future with employers. The fears of reductions in workforce loom large in employees' minds. Minds that are also dealing with adjusting mortgages, rising childcare, fuel, food, and generally a higher cost of living.
Jon Gordon, author of "The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work," suggests that employer's ramp up communication during this period of uncertainty to quell employee fears. By holding weekly meetings, sending out informative newsletters or e-mails, an employer can better manage fears. Gordon says, "Even if things are great, people are still nervous." When there's a void in communication, he says, "Negativity fills the void."
The reality is that as many businesses experience the twinges of financial strain, the first thought often is to turn to staff reductions, as reductions can be a fast and quick cost saving measure. However, the decision can also result in general fear, increased workers' compensation and employment law claims, a loss of trust, and non-productivity.
There are options that employers should consider before making the decision to cut staff. Some alternatives are highlighted below.
Have frank and open discussions with staff about financial challenges. Staff may willingly agree to a reduction in pay or hours worked in lieu of undergoing a reduction in staff.
Consider retraining current employees so that they can assume greater responsibilities and limit the need of having to hire additional workers with specific expertise or limited skills sets.
Consider cutting back on perks such as employer-sponsored meals and snacks. Although many enjoy workplace perks, most would gladly give them up if it meant saving jobs.
Consider alternative ways to save money, such as banning color copies, canceling company service subscriptions or limiting employer-sponsored memberships.
Have employees volunteer to leave early on days where business is slow or set up a rotating schedule of who will go home early on slower days.
The bottom line is if this is a challenging time for your business, be open and share with your staff. Employees are much more willing to compromise and contribute solutions when they feel their input and opinions matter.
About the author:
Michele O'Donnell joined the MMC team in January 2007 and currently leads MMC's elite team of HR Consultants. Ms. O'Donnell has been involved in the Human Resources industry for more than 14 years, bringing vast training and management experience to the MMC leadership ranks. Her experience spans the broad scope of labor law, regulatory compliance and HR Best Practices, drawn from her rich experience as Director of HR for several firms throughout her career. She currently works to ensure that MMC's consultants forge long lasting relationships with our clients, fostered in exceptional service and unsurpassed HR expertise. Ms. O'Donnell earned her baccalaureate degree in Business Administration from Auburn University before receiving her Masters degree in Human Resource Management from Troy State University.
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
As many businesses across the country are facing financial challenges, employees naturally are uneasy about their future with employers. The fears of reductions in workforce loom large in employees' minds. Minds that are also dealing with adjusting mortgages, rising childcare, fuel, food, and generally a higher cost of living.
Jon Gordon, author of "The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work," suggests that employer's ramp up communication during this period of uncertainty to quell employee fears. By holding weekly meetings, sending out informative newsletters or e-mails, an employer can better manage fears. Gordon says, "Even if things are great, people are still nervous." When there's a void in communication, he says, "Negativity fills the void."
The reality is that as many businesses experience the twinges of financial strain, the first thought often is to turn to staff reductions, as reductions can be a fast and quick cost saving measure. However, the decision can also result in general fear, increased workers' compensation and employment law claims, a loss of trust, and non-productivity.
There are options that employers should consider before making the decision to cut staff. Some alternatives are highlighted below.
Have frank and open discussions with staff about financial challenges. Staff may willingly agree to a reduction in pay or hours worked in lieu of undergoing a reduction in staff.
Consider retraining current employees so that they can assume greater responsibilities and limit the need of having to hire additional workers with specific expertise or limited skills sets.
Consider cutting back on perks such as employer-sponsored meals and snacks. Although many enjoy workplace perks, most would gladly give them up if it meant saving jobs.
Consider alternative ways to save money, such as banning color copies, canceling company service subscriptions or limiting employer-sponsored memberships.
Have employees volunteer to leave early on days where business is slow or set up a rotating schedule of who will go home early on slower days.
The bottom line is if this is a challenging time for your business, be open and share with your staff. Employees are much more willing to compromise and contribute solutions when they feel their input and opinions matter.
About the author:
Michele O'Donnell joined the MMC team in January 2007 and currently leads MMC's elite team of HR Consultants. Ms. O'Donnell has been involved in the Human Resources industry for more than 14 years, bringing vast training and management experience to the MMC leadership ranks. Her experience spans the broad scope of labor law, regulatory compliance and HR Best Practices, drawn from her rich experience as Director of HR for several firms throughout her career. She currently works to ensure that MMC's consultants forge long lasting relationships with our clients, fostered in exceptional service and unsurpassed HR expertise. Ms. O'Donnell earned her baccalaureate degree in Business Administration from Auburn University before receiving her Masters degree in Human Resource Management from Troy State University.
If you like the articles from this blog subscribe to RSS Feed or via email
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