Month: January 2011

A Matter of Trust

The other day, I was faced with a situation where things were not progressing as I had hoped. My frustration led me to have a conversation with a colleague. I shared my dilemma with him and asked what he thought the key was to resuming progress. His response was, “You need to build trust. Obviously […]

Using Targeted Interview Techniques

Don’t forget the purpose of the interview—to determine whether the candidate is the best match for the job. Skilled interviewers are able to focus on the requirements of a particular job and how closely a candidate matches those requirements. Make sure you understand the job description. Talk with the supervisor or manager so you are […]

Happy New Year—It’s Time for the Dullest Job in HR

In HR, sometimes the dullest jobs are the most important. Even HR has essential functions, and one of them is updating job descriptions. It’s not exactly the thrilling part of HR, but it can’t be overlooked. It’s the beginning of the new year—bite the bullet. No HR manager has time to just sit down and […]

10 Tips to Making Telecommuting a Success

Do you have employees requesting to telecommute to work a few days a week over the summer, or are you looking at telecommuting as part of an emergency response plan? New York City’s CommuterLink (www.commuterlink.com) offers these tips for teleworking success: Present helpful info. To get approval to telework, show your boss the benefit for […]

Are Your Employees Stressed Out?

The first step in tackling any problem is to understand it. Henry Neils, who heads an organization known as the International Assessment Network, has identified 13 signs of work-related burnout: 1. Chronic fatigue (exhaustion, tiredness, a sense of being physically run-down) 2. Anger at those making demands 2. Self-criticism for putting up with the demands […]

Investigating an Employee’s Formal Complaint

When an employee initiates a complaint to HR of unfair treatment or sexual harassment, the best thing to do is to move immediately to start an investigation. Choose an objective, outside investigator, attorney, or HR professional to conduct the investigation. Prepare a summary statement of the complaint that the interviewee agrees with and signs. Interview […]

Do Your Business Manners Stack Up?

Too Much Information Is Simply Too Much Information: Be polite, express interest in the basic elements of your co-workers’ lives, but never share too much—and never pry. Keep Your Workplace Clean and Uncluttered: Keeping things order ensures you’ll never crucial lose information or get bogged down looking for something. Prioritize: Decide what is most important […]

Customers Are Royalty!

Satisfying customers is the secret of business success. And the secret of satisfying customers is for you and your co-workers to do high-quality work and provide excellent service that gives customers their money’s worth. That builds sales, profits, and job security. The key to treating customers like royalty is for you to remember that your […]

Are Your Employees Helping Cut Costs?

Every business has to watch expenses carefully. A successful business needs employees who do their best to cut costs, avoid waste, and make do when they can’t afford better Many workers may think there’s not much they can do about costs—that these decisions are made in the accounting office. But that isn’t true. The company’s […]

Workaholics Anonymous: Relax and Recover from Burnout

HR executives and many senior leaders recognize that working significant overtime hours regularly can cause employee stress and burnout, negatively impact an employee’s personal life, and frankly, is just plain unhealthy. An internet site now addresses the problems: www.workaholics-anonymous.org. According to a statement on their site, “Workaholics Anonymous is a fellowship of individuals who share […]