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Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Astronology - 2011 SHRM Annual Conference and Exposition Recap
Monday, July 25, 2011
Maybe You Should Quit Your Job
Sometimes, though, it is better to find ways to make the job you are currently in better, or more fulfilling. Doing charity work outside of the work day (or with your fellow co-workers), can make you feel like you're giving back a bit more. Speak to your manager or your human resources representative and see if you can find something that works with your work schedule whether that is tutoring or mentoring local kids, doing Habitat for Humanities, or just helping clean up a neighborhood area which has gotten overrun. Sometimes the things you most want to do with your life, you can fit into your work-life as well. Then you don't have to be like Kai and quit.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Beat the Heat and Don't Take a Counter-Offer
Today's article is a really interesting one from Forbes which says that if you receive a counter-offer from a company you're about to leave, turn it down. Of course, not every counter-offer is a bad one (although the author seems to have a lot of bad experiences with them), but the premise is correct: don't try to overreach in your job and if you already planned to leave a company, it's probably a sign that you should continue to do so. Playing one company against another can really harm your reputation and even get you blacklisted from some hiring firms. Not worth the trouble. Instead, the author suggestions, have a conversation with your boss and express your frustrations--before you accept another offer. As he says:
"Down the road, such a conversation will be far more valuable if you choose not to force your boss into a buyback offer. You will retain your reputation for honesty, and, in my experience, this will serves you far better than a single raise or promotion ever could."
That's some good advice on a very, very hot day here in New York
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Astronology - The Role of Self-Awareness
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Sunday, July 10, 2011
NYTimes: Somehow, the Unemployed Became Invisible
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/10/business/the-unemployed-somehow-became-invisible.html
It's important to remember that as you weight the effects that laying off a worker can have on their life. Although it shouldn't preventing you from making the right decision, know that it's taking an average of 9 months to find a job in this market
-Andrew
Thursday, July 07, 2011
Summer Perks in NYC: Central Park SummerStage
About.com has a great description of what goes on at the SummerStage including talking about 30 of the free events that will go on during the summer of 2011. The SummerStage website has a list of all the specific events and an outline of who will be performing and what type of music. Much like the Bryant Park movie nights, SummerStage is a great opportunity to get out for a night with your company and enjoy a free event together.
The key in picking a movie or a musical performance, though, is to make sure you have something that everyone can enjoy without anyone getting offended. Pick something light and fun and always make the event attendance optional. Encourage employees to bring their families or significant others and get to know your fellow-co-workers. And make sure that employees know they can leave a little early to get in line--as long as they get their work done on time.
Done right, free perks like these can make the summer months seem a lot less dull for your fellow co-workers.
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Guest Post: The Workplace Farewell
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It has become more and more common for employees to send out a mass e-mail to their co-workers announcing their departure. The e-mail usually offers some words of appreciation for co-workers, provides some details about future plans, and invites everyone to keep in touch. For most of us, the e-mails are forgettable, if not groan-inducing. But in a few rare cases, some disgruntled employees have become Internet legends for their memorable send-offs. Your writing skill and your ability to inspire or inflame aside, should you send out a mass e-mail bidding farewell to your co-workers when you’ve decided to move on to greener pastures? Or is it unprofessional not to send such a note?To Send or Not to Send
There are many reasons to send out the farewell e-mail. If you work in a large company, it gives you the opportunity to notify those in other departments of your departure and the impending change in procedure. No matter the size of your company, the farewell e-mail also gives you the opportunity to express appreciation for your co-workers and to lay the ground work for maintaining those relationships after you’re gone.
There is no rule of thumb for whether you should or should not send the e-mail. The best barometer is your own company culture. If workplace farewells are common at your company, your co-workers may think you cold or aloof if you don’t send out a note. On the other hand, if no one sends out such notes, you may seem inappropriate if you do.
Follow precedent for constructing your note, but be sure to always keep it positive and end on a high note. If company e-mails tend to be long and reflective, don’t be too terse in yours. You don’t have to match previous examples sentiment for sentiment, but do try to convey the same overall tone (i.e., adding a few more sentences if you’re usually brief, or learning to pare it back if you tend to go on and on). Try to fit in, but always be sincere and do what feels comfortable.
Some Guidelines
Friday, July 01, 2011
Astronology - Making the Most Out of Social Media for Your Organization
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Sunday, June 26, 2011
Summer Perks in NYC: Bryant Park
Bryant Park Movie Night - Every Monday night during the summer, HBO sponsors a summer film festival where they show old movies in the park. Get there at 5 PM with some blankets and hang out with your fellow employees. Once the sun goes down, the real fun starts as the movies (which this year run the gamut from "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest" to "Airplane" to "Dirty Harry"). Check out the summer film festival lineup here: http://www.bryantpark.org/plan-your-visit/filmfestival.html and try to get your whole department a night of fun and bonding at one of nicest events during the summer in NYC.
More to come in the next entry. If you have a suggestion for a summer activity in NYC, please let us know in the comments below
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Astronology - Technology in the HR World
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Friday, June 10, 2011
5 Years and Counting
I'll always remember the Summer I started working for Astron. I started the summer with one of the worst jobs I ever had when Jennifer Loftus called and asked if I wanted to come in for an interview. As the call came as I was trying to unclog a jammed copier (from someone who thought it would be a good idea to photocopy 100 pages at a time), it could not have been a more welcome invitation.
The interview was my favorite I've ever been on and soonafter I started as a "Marketing Specialist" and I've been working for them ever since. The rest--as they say--is history. Can't believe it's been 5 years!
-Andrew
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Astronology - Custom Survey Dos and Donts
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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.