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Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Astronology - Custom Survey Dos and Donts
Monday, May 30, 2011
Happy Memorial Day and Summer Fridays
One of the things that many companies institute during the Summer are "Summer Fridays". Summer Fridays are a great way to reward hard-working employees during a time when the work sometimes slows down.
And Summer Fridays can come in all shapes in sizes. They can be every week or once a month. They can be the whole Friday off or early dismissal. They can be the whole office or everyone spread out. They can be made up for by working an hour extra during the rest of the week or they can just be free time off". The key is to make sure that they never get in the way of work and that clients and suppliers know you are doing this. The last thing you want to do is have upset clients because of this.
But done correctly, Summer Fridays can be a great way to reward employees for the hard work they do the rest of the year and let them leave early on a day many of them like to bet the traffic out of town. And it sure beats frustrated employees twiddling their thumbs and waiting for the clock to strike 5.
Happy Memorial Day to you and yours!
-Andrew
Friday, May 27, 2011
Follow Up on the Vicious Cycle of Unemployment
Refusing to hire people on the basis of race, religion, age or disability — among other categories — is illegal. But companies that turn away jobless people as a group are generally not breaking the law — at least for now.TIME did a lot of work in this issue profiling the out of work in America including profiles of some of those who are unemployed. Check it out and know that your refusal to hire someone who is unemployed could end up being illegal in the very near future.
Job seekers have long known, of course, that it's easier to land a job when you are still working. There are no hard data on discrimination against the unemployed. But there have been reports from across the country of companies' making clear in job listings that they are not interested in people who are out of work. Employment experts say other companies have policies of hiring only people with jobs — but do not publicly acknowledge their bias.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
The Danger with the "Interim" Role
An employee should know from the very beginning whether a role is "interim" with the idea that it is really only temporary or "interim" as in "we're seeing how you perform and then maybe giving you the role". Those are two very different things that sometimes gets blurred. The last thing you want is someone to come into the role and think they are going back to their old role, or, much worse, think they are auditioning for a new role only to find out that they really were just a "stopgap". This happens all the time in Major League Baseball with interim managers and sometimes those people do not want be relegated back to other duties once someone else is hired to take their place--unless they know it is really only temporary.
If the role is meant to be a temporary stopgap, then let the employee know. Tell them this is their chance to shine and show what they can do in a more visible and senior role. Tell them that this is an opportunity to show that next time this job comes up (or something similar), that they can handle it. And tell them this will also show to everyone what a team player they are that they stepped in to the role. Just don't tell them they have a chance at getting the role permanently if they don't because that will lead to very angry, bitter employees once the truth eventually comes out.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Astronology - Low Cost Techniques for Employee Recognition
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Thursday, May 12, 2011
Guest Post: How to Deal with the Departure of a Co-Worker Who was a Positive Influence in the Workplace
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Think of the kinds of things that keep you happy at work. Probably you enjoy your job or some aspect of the work you do. You might have a great supervisor who understands your skills and needs as an employee. Maybe your commute is easy and stress-free and you have good benefits. And maybe you consider your co-workers to be your friends.
All of these factors can contribute to a great workplace atmosphere, especially if you have for a co-worker someone whom you consider to be a friend and a positive influence.
But what happens if that special co-worker leaves the office for greener pastures? How do you respond then in the wake of that departure? How do you maintain that great work atmosphere and keep up your productivity?
As an employee, you have to do your best to maintain your productivity, despite the departure of your friend. Because it's much easier to stay focused at work if you have a good work atmosphere, you should try to follow some of these tips in order to quickly help things return to normal.
Change Everything!
Okay, you don't have to change everything, but you should at least consider making some changes to your daily return in order to minimize the effect of your former co-worker's absence on your own day. If you and your co-worker often met for mid-morning coffee to talk about your latest projects, then avoid this habit. Do something different, such as going for a walk, instead. By changing up how you work through the day, you can help your mind focus on the tasks you have before you in new ways, thus minimizing the effect of your friend's departure.
Begin Working on a New Project
Another way to get your mind off of the departure of your friend is to lose yourself in a new project if possible. By launching a new project, you can refocus on your tasks, what you have to do, and the goals you'd like to accomplish. This is incredibly helpful, especially if your former co-worker worked on past projects with you. Without him or her, you'll have a chance to see how you work on your own. This new project doesn't have to be anything complicated either; it could be as simple as reorganizing your files or preparing a six-month evaluation of your productivity.
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
Astronology - How to Reduce Confusion and Uncertainty through Job Descriptions
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