Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
A recent six-figure training investment by the Florida-based subsidiary of electric utilities provider Duke Energy, the Duke Energy Foundation and Duke Energy Florida, highlights the growing importance and recognized need of talent development among major employers. Employers today are likely pulling their hair out trying to find and keep qualified workers in the wake of […]
There’s often a chicken-and-egg problem with employee recruitment and training. Employers almost always want to hire someone with experience, but while some candidates might have the experience from a previous role, others are actually hoping to gain that experience from the job they’re applying for, but they need the experience to get the job. Many […]
In order to compete effectively in the marketplace, companies have to invest time, money, and effort into training their staff members. Unfortunately, there is a persistent skills gap across virtually all industries in the United States. But the problem isn’t that companies aren’t trying to train their staff. In fact, in the aggregate, the problem […]
Social dynamics play an often subtle role in people’s everyday lives. Whether the context is the classroom, the office, the grocery store, or the local watering hole, humans tend to modify their behavior based on their perceived place in the social hierarchy of those present. The same kind of effect is present in other animals, […]
With world conflicts, pandemic concerns, political issues, societal differences, and economic factors weighing heavily on people’s minds, it can feel overwhelming and affect mental and emotional well-being. Juggling professional and personal responsibilities on top of it all can take a toll on even the healthiest of human beings. During times of tragedy and instability, the […]
Many readers are probably guilty of using one chore as an excuse to avoid another—cleaning the kitchen instead of doing one’s taxes; organizing one’s office instead of getting started on tedious reports; or online shopping for “necessities” instead of updating the slide deck for an upcoming presentation. OK, that last one is a bit of […]
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Great Resignation, companies around the world have been faced with changes in the skills necessary to succeed, as well as more difficulty in hiring new staff or replacing departing employees. Many employers have resigned themselves to the idea that they can’t easily bring on new staff […]
It’s natural for hard-chargers and go-getters to be perfectionists. Every project must be a stellar accomplishment, every presentation must be flawless, and even e-mails must be perfect. When necessary and appropriate, that drive for perfection is an admirable trait and one managers can appreciate. Quest for Perfection Carries Costs Although it’s great to perfect, there’s […]
Employees often bemoan the symptoms of poor communication with their superiors. This might include feeling like they aren’t getting the recognition for their good deeds or are getting blamed for things beyond their control. Or it might include feeling like the superior is simply out of touch and doesn’t appreciate the needs of the employee. […]
“This meeting could have been an e-mail” has been a common office joke; the idea is that rather than use up workers’ valuable time, the information could have simply been presented in an e-mail. But consider what an entire meeting’s worth of information would look like in e-mail format: a long, dense manuscript many are […]