The summer is a tough time at work for some employees with nice weather outside and slow work inside. Some companies can't afford to give employees Summer Fridays or other perks like that so they have to get more creative. Vault.com has some great suggestions of 10 great summer perks that some companies out there are giving to their employees. I wanted to add to that a few suggestions in New York City in a running series. Here's the first:
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
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Astronology - Technology in the HR World
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Friday, June 10, 2011
5 Years and Counting
As I drive up to Brandeis University for my 5-year reunion from graduating college, I am also celebrating another anniversary: my 5th year with Astron Solutions.
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
As we all enjoy our Memorial Day by the beach or the BBQ or just with friends or family, let us thank those who make this type of day possible. And let's be thankful that the start of summer is finally here!
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
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
Back in February I wrote a blog post about the vicious cycle of unemployment where the unemployed find it harder and harder to get hired which just keeps them further away from being employed. Many states (like New Jersey) have gotten ahead of the federal government and has banned discrimination against the unemployed, but as a bill is going to be introduced before Congress banning this type of discrimination on a country-wide level, TIME Magazine took another look at what happens when companies refuse to hire the unemployed (H/T Wendy):
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
"Interim" is defined as "a temporary or provisional arrangement; stopgap; makeshift". But in the working world, interim titles sometimes carry a lot more weight and a lot more questions. Can this person handle this job? Does this person want this job? Will we find someone else from the outside who can do this job better? Is this person a viable candidate for this job? The problem (and, as I said in the title "danger") with the "interim" tag is that sometimes it can give an employee the wrong idea.
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.
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
I haven't disappeared--we merely have been having some technical issues with the blog. But I am back with a great guest post from Mariana Ashley on the departure of a co-worker who was a positive influence. We've all had this happen and this is some good advice on how to deal with it. Mariana is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031 @gmail.com. Here is her guest post:
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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.
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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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Monday, April 25, 2011
Guest Post: How to Ace a Phone Interview
The great guest posts continue to roll in here at Astron Solutions World of HR. Phone interviews can be some of the most stressful parts of an interview process since you can't actually see the person you are speaking to (and sometimes can't hear them well either). Alexis Bonari has a blog post today to help you ace that interview. Alexis is currently a resident blogger at College Scholarships, where recently she’s been researching arabic scholarships as well as tips on finding archery scholarships. Whenever this WAHM gets some free time she enjoys doing yoga, cooking with the freshest organic in-season fare, and practicing the art of coupon clipping. Here is Alexis' guest post:
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More and more employers and recruiters have started interviewing potential job candidates over the phone because it is relatively cheap, and can be done fairly quickly. If you are a recent grad student, then participating in a phone interview with a potential employer could be stressful and intimidating.
Because of this, it’s extremely important to take the proper steps beforehand to make sure you are fully prepared for a phone interview in order to succeed in your job search.
The first step in preparing for a phone interview is to make sure your cell phone is completely charged, and that you are in an area with excellent reception. (If you are using a land line then this shouldn’t be a concern for you).
It’s also important to make sure you are in a quiet room so there won’t be any background noise that will distract you as you are on the phone with your (hopefully) future employer.
You should also make sure your phone volume is set on high, and turn off any appliances, or even your TV or stereo, because they could act as potential distractions. (It may even be a good idea to place a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door as well, just in case).
The next step is preparing some notes of what you would like to say or bring up during the interview. Write down some questions or even points you want to make beforehand, and have a paper and pen handy so you can write down notes during the interview as well. Remember one of the benefits of a phone interview is that the person interviewing you can’t see what you’re doing, so take advantage of this and lay out pages and pages of notes and questions you want to cover during the interview.
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More and more employers and recruiters have started interviewing potential job candidates over the phone because it is relatively cheap, and can be done fairly quickly. If you are a recent grad student, then participating in a phone interview with a potential employer could be stressful and intimidating.
Because of this, it’s extremely important to take the proper steps beforehand to make sure you are fully prepared for a phone interview in order to succeed in your job search.
The first step in preparing for a phone interview is to make sure your cell phone is completely charged, and that you are in an area with excellent reception. (If you are using a land line then this shouldn’t be a concern for you).
It’s also important to make sure you are in a quiet room so there won’t be any background noise that will distract you as you are on the phone with your (hopefully) future employer.
You should also make sure your phone volume is set on high, and turn off any appliances, or even your TV or stereo, because they could act as potential distractions. (It may even be a good idea to place a “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door as well, just in case).
The next step is preparing some notes of what you would like to say or bring up during the interview. Write down some questions or even points you want to make beforehand, and have a paper and pen handy so you can write down notes during the interview as well. Remember one of the benefits of a phone interview is that the person interviewing you can’t see what you’re doing, so take advantage of this and lay out pages and pages of notes and questions you want to cover during the interview.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Astronology - The Best Sales Compensation Programs Align Incentives with Business Strategy
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