Human Resources
What Will Work Look Like in the Future?
What will work look like as we move into the future? Today doesn’t look like 40 years ago, so there’s no reason to expect 40 years from now will look like today. There have been many trends impacting work in recent years, including a decrease in the number of hours worked, an increase in the…
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Don’t Overlook Your Employees’ Good Performance
Could your performance reviews be having a counter-productive effect? In many businesses, reviews are a source of stress that actually hurt productivity, rather than spurring excellence. But it’s not because performance reviews are bad in and of themselves. It’s that many of us are doing them wrong. Recent studies urge business owners to focus on…
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Are You Watching Out for Workplace Bullying?
More businesses are increasing awareness of sexual harassment in the workplace, but there are other harmful behaviors that could negatively impact your business, too. Workplace bullying is a serious problem that can sometimes be more difficult to diagnose, yet can hurt productivity and morale in your business, increase employee turnover, and leave the company open…
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Consultant’s Corner: Taking Over an Existing Team
Q. I am about to become a new boss, supervising three people who are incumbent to the organization. I am the new player on the team. Any suggestions on best practices in embarking on this journey? While your most recent professional experience may be as a self-employed professional with no employees, you certainly have the…
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Get the Most Out of Your Performance Goals
Performance goals have the greatest effectiveness when they are part of regular discussions and give employees clear ways to measure their progress. A goal that is stated during an annual performance review and then never mentioned again until the next year’s review isn’t going to make much of an impression. To get the most out…
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Consultant’s Corner: Why You Need an Employee Handbook
Question: I run a small business and have less than 10 employees. Why should I have an employee handbook? An effective employee handbook that lays out all company policies can be a great benefit to your small business. Although there’s no kind of legal requirement forcing you to develop a handbook, experts have found that…
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The Challenge of Defining Corporate Culture
Everyone likes to talk about the importance of culture in their business, but it isn’t always clearly defined. Here’s a definition you can use: “Culture is the shared system of beliefs, values and practices that drive your success.” While this might seem a bit abstract, putting in the hard work to define your organization’s culture…
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Building a Team Through Shared Goals
For any business to succeed, you have to build a team that works together. That team includes you as the business owner, any employees you have, your vendors, your partners—everyone who is part of running your business. When it comes to building that team, although talent is important, a cohesive group that sticks together is…
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How Exit Interviews Can Increase Retention
Keeping your talented employees is a vital task for a business—in 2018, the ratio of hires to job openings reached an all-time low, as businesses struggle to find the right people. So how can you find ways to improve employee retention? That’s where exit interviews come in. Yes, an exit interview means an employee is…
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Watch Out for Wage Discrimination
Federal and state laws in the United States are designed to prevent gender wage discrimination. But studies find that a substantial wage gap still exists: 18.1%, according to Forbes. These gaps don’t come into being all at once; they tend to build up over time. So to keep your business one that offers fair, equal…
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