Etiquette for Using Personal Technology at Work

Most companies allow their employees to bring their own smartphones and even their tablets to the office. But does that mean you can–and should–use them whenever you like?

Obviously, each office should have its own policy for appropriate use, but there are several simple rules that all users should follow.

1. Mobile devices should be used with discretion. You need to give your full attention to your work and to those with whom you’re speaking or meeting, not allowing your eyes to wander to a new text message or being distracted by a ringing phone. Research has shown that we may not be able to multi-task like we think we can, and you also want to avoid giving the perception that your attention is divided when you’re supposed to be working.
2. Smartphones and tablets should be used in the office for work-related activities, not for playing games or updating your Facebook status.
3. If you prefer to take notes on your tablet, smartphone or laptop during a meeting, be sure to let your colleagues know what you’re doing. Because smartphones and tablets are usually associated with games, texting and other non-work applications, using them can send the message that you aren’t paying attention. And keep the device on the desk or table in front of you, not on your lap. If you spend the meeting hunched over your device, you’ll miss social cues and signals–like facial expressions–that could be important.
4. If you get a non-work, non-emergency call, find a private place to take it–and get off of it as soon as possible. If a client calls you on your mobile number, explain that you’re in the office and ask to move the call to the office phone. If you’re in a meeting, set the phone to silent/vibrate and answer only urgent calls. If you’re expecting the call, let others in the meeting know ahead of time that you may be leaving the room when it comes in.
5. Don’t wear your Bluetooth or other wireless headset at the office. Period.
6. If you’re running a meeting or a presentation, you have the right to set ground rules for using mobile devices, including asking everyone to turn them off in order to give the session their full attention. If you’re in the audience, follow instructions.
7. The mobile devices you’re using may be personal, but if you’re using your company’s Wi-Fi network, or using the devices for work purposes, you need to take precautions to protect your company and yourself from liability if you lose your phone or tablet. If your company doesn’t have an “acceptable use” policy for mobile devices, at least put your own protections in place: set up a PIN number needed to unlock your device. If possible, install an auto-wipe app that will allow you to remotely wipe all the information if your phone or tablet is lost or stolen. And if you’re tech-savvy enough, or can find out how from an expert, encrypt the data on your device so it can’t be read by the wrong people.
8. If you’re using a company-issued device, don’t add any apps or tools without requesting permission. Don’t employ it for personal use unless you’ve been given permission to do that, also.

The rise in the use of mobile devices has often blurred the lines of what is appropriate and what isn’t–especially for the younger generation, which has grown up using them, and since the technologies are relatively new and standards have not always kept pace. But etiquette in general is about paying attention to the convenience and comfort of the people you interact with. So even when technology is involved, the basics of good manners apply.

The Top 5 Pain Points in Performance Reviews (And How To Solve Them)

Most everyone dreads dealing with performance appraisals.

Let’s be honest: performance reviews are a pain in the you-know-what.

Employees don’t like them and HR aren’t fans either–45 percent of HR leaders didn’t think reviews were good gauges of a worker’s performance, compared to last year’s 39 percent, according to a poll by the Society of Human Resource Management and Globoforce. They simply aren’t the kind of feedback the modern worker needs to perform better, particularly in ever-changing work environments.

More specifically though, performance reviews don’t do much to help an employee to stop and realize what they are doing right or wrong as they need it. Yes, performance reviews may focus on the “big picture” stuff, but that’s not what employees need in the moment.

Let’s look at a few reasons why performance reviews don’t do this and some alternatives:

1. Infrequent

Most performance reviews are only given once or twice a year. Well, does an employee need the right feedback annually, or do they need it as a goal is being worked on?

Research from employee survey specialist ETS found that only 42 percent of employees are asked to provide feedback to their manager through 360-degree feedback, and 45 percent of employees think clear, honest communication from managers would improve the quality of management. To get the best out of your people and become a solid manager, you need to provide positive feedback along the way. Traditional performance reviews just don’t meet the needs of today’s agile workforce.

Instead: Real-time feedback offers employees the direction they need as a goal is being worked on, not a year later. According to Derek Irvine, “Regular, frequent, consistent recognition–from multiple sources (not just the direct manager)–gives the ongoing, real-time feedback employees at all levels need to stay on course.” I couldn’t agree more.

2. Generic

Performance reviews are akin to used college papers with a name change. That is, the benchmarks are usually the same for every person. So, if the scale is generic, it likely means the feedback will be as well. If you don’t want mediocre employees, don’t give them mediocre reviews.

Instead: Feedback becomes easier to give if it is tied to results–real work that happens throughout the workday. Think about it: Is it easier to give feedback on one’s communication skills, or is it easier to give feedback on the latest project they completed, or an account meeting that went well?

When you tie feedback to results and objectives, it’s easier for both the receiver and giver. It gives you an opportunity to really mention their strengths, innovative approaches and results. Cater feedback to the candidate by considering their individual behavior, work ethic, goals, and direction–and by using benchmarks that are fair to them.

3. Not every goal is considered

Employees work on tons of goals throughout the year, yet only a few can possibly be considered in a performance review. Yes, not every goal compares to the other, but if it helped the overall focus then the goal was obviously important. Most performance reviews look at overarching goals and don’t look at the steps it took to achieve the objective.

Instead: In addition to giving frequent feedback, try to look at every goal an employee reached, not just the huge ones. This also helps employers to gain some real insight into their workforce which they may not have been aware of before.

4. Not agile

We live in a world where news, trends, and objectives can change in an instant. Most performance reviews consider the number of goals reached, as opposed to the quality of those goals. If a goal had to be adjusted quite a bit, it may look like the employee wasn’t on task, when in reality, they were just adapting to the nature of the new goal.

Instead: Adopt a results-only work environment (ROWE), which focuses on results, as opposed to when the goal was met. Some organizations have found ROWE to increase productivity by 41 percent as well as reduce turnover by as much as 90 percent. This helps your workers focus on the outcome of a goal, instead of rushing to meet deadlines or exerting too much effort on things that do not benefit the end result.

5. Bad for engagement

A recent survey indicated that 63 percent of employees are not engaged and are struggling to cope with work. Performance reviews don’t help with this case or with employee engagement since they are impersonal and irregular.

Instead: Offer feedback to employees in a more personal way. Let them know how they’re doing with their goals by regularly offering critiques, whether it’s good or bad.

This shows employees that you not only care about their performance, but that their performance actually contributes to the well-being of the company. This can boost the engagement levels of employees because it shows they really matter and that the future of the organization can be shifted through their work.

Reprinted with permission of TLNT.com: http://www.tlnt.com/2012/09/05/the-top-5-pain-points-of-performance-reviews-and-how-to-solve-them. Morgan Norman is the Founder and CEO of Work Simple, putting an end to performance reviews by providing a better way for co-workers and teams to share goals, work together, get and give feedback, and make each other shine. Connect with him and WorkSimple on Twitter at Twitter.com/worksimple.

Setting Career Goals

Whether you’re happily employed or searching for a job, the new year is an ideal time to set or reset your career goals. The holidays provide some much needed time off to rejuvenate, refresh, and refocus, which can help you to hit the ground running, professionally, come the new year.

Reflecting on 2012

Carve out some time to reflect on 2012–what went well and not so well. If you set annual goals for the year, did you meet those goals? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of? Did you already add these accomplishments to your resume, or do you still need to do that? Can you identify areas in your career that need improving? If so, these can turn into career development opportunities and goals for 2013.

Setting Career Goals for 2013

A year shouldn’t pass without you learning new things and growing professionally. These are the two guiding factors in renewing or tweaking your career goals for the new year.

Step 1: Set Goals
To generate the best results, your goals should be specific and attainable–while still causing you to stretch a bit.

Step 2: Pick five things to learn
Choose five things you can learn this year that will help move your career forward. You can ask your supervisor for suggestions, or do a little research to see what would be the next logical step in your upward career path. There are two advantages to reaching out at this stage of the game: you let others know your plans and that helps keep you accountable, and you may find out areas of deficiency that need to be addressed.

Step 3: Create an action plan
Whatever goals you set for yourself, you’ll want to develop a tactical plan broken down into incremental, actionable steps to help you achieve each goal. Be sure to write down your action plan! Figure out what steps you’ll need to take to accomplish each goal and write them down in order. If you’re not entirely sure, ask your supervisor. Once you know what you need to do, and you’ve given yourself a check list, it’s time to step up and just do it.

Step 4: Reward yourself.
When you complete a task on your action plan, reward yourself. Choose an incentive to work toward–something you love, something you don’t do or buy often because of the time or money required, and give yourself that something when you achieve a major goal. It’s not the end result you’re working toward, of course. It’s just a pat on the back to keep you moving forward.

It’s your career. And your success is up to you!
Goals–both personal and professional–require your commitment of time and effort. Your new year career goals should motivate and excite you, and advance your professional success.

Setting Career Goals

Whether you’re happily employed or searching for a job, the new year is an ideal time to set or reset your career goals. The holidays provide some much needed time off to rejuvenate, refresh, and refocus, which can help you to hit the ground running, professionally, come the new year.

Reflecting on 2012

Carve out some time to reflect on 2012–what went well and not so well. If you set annual goals for the year, did you meet those goals? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of? Did you already add these accomplishments to your resume, or do you still need to do that? Can you identify areas in your career that need improving? If so, these can turn into career development opportunities and goals for 2013.

Setting Career Goals for 2013

A year shouldn’t pass without you learning new things and growing professionally. These are the two guiding factors in renewing or tweaking your career goals for the new year.

Step 1: Set Goals
To generate the best results, your goals should be specific and attainable–while still causing you to stretch a bit.

Step 2: Pick five things to learn
Choose five things you can learn this year that will help move your career forward. You can ask your supervisor for suggestions, or do a little research to see what would be the next logical step in your upward career path. There are two advantages to reaching out at this stage of the game: you let others know your plans and that helps keep you accountable, and you may find out areas of deficiency that need to be addressed.

Step 3: Create an action plan
Whatever goals you set for yourself, you’ll want to develop a tactical plan broken down into incremental, actionable steps to help you achieve each goal. Be sure to write down your action plan! Figure out what steps you’ll need to take to accomplish each goal and write them down in order. If you’re not entirely sure, ask your supervisor. Once you know what you need to do, and you’ve given yourself a check list, it’s time to step up and just do it.

Step 4: Reward yourself.
When you complete a task on your action plan, reward yourself. Choose an incentive to work toward–something you love, something you don’t do or buy often because of the time or money required, and give yourself that something when you achieve a major goal. It’s not the end result you’re working toward, of course. It’s just a pat on the back to keep you moving forward.

It’s your career. And your success is up to you!
Goals–both personal and professional–require your commitment of time and effort. Your new year career goals should motivate and excite you, and advance your professional success.

Changing Organizational Culture: Do You Do It Top Down or Ground Up?

Lots of companies are adding an executive-level position of culture chief. Seems like a good idea, right?

NOT SO!

When done right, a culture exec can be a powerful role to marshal resources, but it runs a HUGE risk of communicating a top-down approach to culture–and that’s not the way to go.

What works better? Bottom-up culture change aligned with organization strategy and goals as discussed in the Harvard Business Review in the article “Culture Change that Sticks” by Jon R. Katzenback, Ilona Steffen, and Caroline Kronley.

Keys to long-lasting culture change

Using Aetna as a case study, the authors make clear these important aspects to long-lasting culture change and management over time:

1. Culture change must be ground up, not top down.

2. Enlist ambassadors for desired change from among respected, engaged employees at all levels and all areas of the organization to help get buy-in.

3. Communicate clearly why you’re making the change and the new purpose of the changed culture showing a strong correlation between employee engagement and knowledge of the organization’s core purpose.

4. Reinforce the behaviors (new and old) you need to see in the new culture.

Five more principles of effective change

Those were my high-level takeaways, which are well in line with the five (5) principles of effective culture change the authors outline themselves (key points and excerpts below are quoted):

1. Match strategy and culture: A strategy that is at odds with a company’s culture is doomed. Culture trumps strategy every time.

2. Focus on a few critical shifts in behaviors: When a few key behaviors are emphasized heavily, employees will often develop additional ways to reinforce them.

3. Honor the strengths of your existing culture: Acknowledging the existing culture’s assets will also make major change feel less like a top-down imposition and more like a shared evolution.

4. Integrate formal and informal interventions: As you promote critical new behaviors, making people aware of how they affect the company’s strategic performance, be sure to integrate formal approaches–like new rules, metrics, and incentives–with formal interactions.

5. Measure and monitor cultural evolution: Rigorous measurement allows executives to identify backsliding, correct course where needed, and demonstrate tangible evidence of improvement–which can help to maintain positive momentum over the long haul.

What are your experiences with culture change?
What would you add as critical for success?

Derek Irvine is Vice President, Client Strategy & Consulting Service at Globoforce, a global provider of strategic employee recognition and reward programs. In his role as a thought leader for employee recognition at Globoforce, Derek helps clients set a higher ambition for global, strategic employee recognition, leading consultative workshops and strategy setting meetings with such organizations as Avnet, Celestica, Dow Chemical, Intuit, KPMG, Logica, P&G, Symantec, and Thompson Reuters. Contact him at irvine@globoforce.com.

Human Resource Challenges for 2013

Want to make a big impact on your company–and your career–in 2013? Then it’s time to put your human resources to the test. It’s time to challenge your organization to do more, do it better, and really make the most of your human resources function. Are you ready?

Here are 30 HR challenges for you. Below the list, you will find some instructions to help you use the information to the fullest extent. Now it’s up to you to put these ideas into action. Let’s get started!

30 HR Challenges–Which Ones Will You Choose?

1. Create better supervisor training. Help your front-line managers become better leaders. Consider these topics:

• How to improve interviewing skills
• How to give accurate, honest feedback
• Why documentation is essential
• Managing terminations
• Harassment, discrimination, and other potential lawsuits
• Safety and security in the workplace
• How to effectively train adults
• Coaching and mentoring employees
• Building and managing teams
• Developing and pursuing goals

2. Develop an HR portal. Save time and resources by answering common questions in one place. Here’s a little help to get you started: http://upstarthr.com/employee-hr-portal-how-to-build-one.

3. Implement a low-cost recognition program. Forget cash bonuses, and instead develop a program that provides positive, public recognition when people do the right things. Rewards can be as simple as public praise, a mention in the company newsletter, or an award certificate people can hang in their workspaces.

4. Strengthen your benefits package. Benchmark your benefits against other local firms and leaders in your industry. Are there benefits you’re not offering but should be? Are there any innovative employee benefits you could add to differentiate your firm from the competition?

5. Find out if there’s a need for leadership development. Conduct an assessment of departments and teams to determine who your leaders are, how they are doing, and what you can and should be doing to identify and develop tomorrow’s leaders.

6. Re-evaluate your training programs. What could you do to increase the impact of the training you provide or increase the offerings to your employees?

7. Think about your employment brand. Does your organization send the right message to the labor market? What changes do you need to make to have a stronger, more consistent employment brand?

8. Attend an HR conference. Whether it’s a local event, the national SHRM or HR Tech conference, or even HR webinars, make an investment in your own education and find sources for new ideas you can bring to your firm.

9. Learn more about social media. Facebook. Twitter. LinkedIn. They’re all having a big impact on hiring, managing and retaining employees. If you’re not already an expert, learn how to use these tools as an HR professional.

10. Join a SHRM chapter. Network, become involved, and learn as much as you can from your peers.

11. Write a guest post for an HR blog. Think of one of those crazy HR stories or one of the big “aha!” moments you’ve had as an HR pro. Write it down. Find an HR blog that accepts submissions. Sharing your stories will help attract more candidates to your firm and can get you feedback to improve your HR management.

12. Get certified. Check out http://www.hrci.org/hrcertification/ for more information.

13. Mentor an entry-level HR pro. Help develop the strength of your internal team, so you can deliver even greater value to your organization.

14. Learn more about business. To be effective in HR, you have to understand the fundamentals of business, accounting, marketing, etc. Learning more about the other aspects of how the business works will make you a more well-rounded HR pro.

15. Review your compensation plans. Are you paying competitive wages? Do you offer rewards for performance? Do you provide positive incentives for star talent?

16. Measure your level of employee engagement. No matter what it looks like, we can all stand to make employee engagement a little better.

17. Implement an employee satisfaction survey. Create a quick poll to gauge how happy your people are with your organization–and more importantly, anything they are unhappy about. Determine which departments or job functions might be trouble spots, and then work with department managers to develop plans for improvement.

18. Identify your high potential employees. Make sure they have a clear career path, and that you are providing them with the challenges and opportunities they seek.

19. Develop a succession plan for your key employees. Why? If one of the employees was hit by the proverbial bus and could not work, how would you keep things going? Is there a plan in place? What if a handful of your senior employees decided to retire at once?

20. Look at your HR analytics and… Wait, you’re not measuring your HR analytics? Then start. Now.

21. Research innovative new HR technology tools. Determine what’s available and which tools would have a positive impact on your business. (Many of them are free!) You might start by looking at the vendors who attend the HR Tech conference.

22. Throw out a policy. Or two. How do you know which ones? If it affects less than 5% of your employee population, it’s a candidate for removal.

23. Think like an entrepreneur. How can you cut costs/increase revenue? Don’t assume it’s “someone else’s job” to think about things like that.

24. Is your new hire orientation and onboarding process up to snuff? Do new hires feel welcomed on their first day? Are expectations clearly set? What could you do to help people get productive faster?

25. Blow up your performance management system (or tweak it, whichever applies). Talk to line managers and employees to see what’s working, and what’s not, with your performance systems.

26. Analyze innovative HR theories. Give some serious consideration to cutting-edge practices like unlimited vacation, ROWE, FedEx Days, etc., and see which make sense for your business.

27. Offer a wellness plan–financial or physical. If you already offer these, develop a plan to improve participation.

28. Check your staff diversity levels. Make sure you are attracting a diverse candidate pool and consciously hiring people who can bring different perspectives to the organization.

29. Institute “Meeting-Free Mondays” (or Wednesdays, or Fridays) and free your staff from the tyranny of meetings for one day a week.

30. Determine which sources of hire provide the best candidates. Maybe it’s employee referrals. Maybe it’s your social media efforts. Whatever the case, focus on getting more people from the source that provides the highest-quality employees.

Now that you’ve read through the 30 human resources challenges, your instructions:

Go ahead, and grab a pen and a notepad. This is an interactive exercise.

Got ’em? Okay, great. Here’s what you need to do. Read through this list again. When you come across an idea that might be interesting or valuable to you, just jot down the number and keep going. Try to pick out at least three items from this list. It’s okay to do more (or less), but with three solid, pertinent options you will be less likely to skip this exercise altogether.

Next, go back through the numbers you wrote down and re-read each HR challenge. Think of what you’d have to do as the very first step to make this activity happen, and write that down next to the number. If the following steps immediately come to you, feel free to get those on paper while they are fresh. Do this for each of the numbers you wrote down. Now your notes should be a little more detailed.

Now for the “hard” part. Take those notes that you have, type them up in an email, and add the paragraph below to the top of the email. Then send that to another HR person that you trust to hold you accountable. They aren’t going to beat you up, but they will gently encourage you to pursue the challenges that you’ve listed for yourself. Some of these are big challenges, and others small, so it really can help to have someone else to do this exercise with. Oh, and feel free to send the link to this article to them so they can choose their own challenges as well.

“Hey! I found this neat list of 30 human resources challenges online, and I am participating in an exercise to help me overcome the challenges that are especially fitting for me. I am reaching out to you to see if you would have a few minutes to respond back and give me some encouragement to face these issues.”

The whole point is for this to be more than just any old article that you read and delete or toss to the side. It’s a chance for you to really make a difference in what you do!

Reprinted with permission. Originally published on the Upstart HR blog with 20 additional challenges! http://upstarthr.com/50-human-resource-challenges-to-overcome/

About the Author: Ben Eubanks is an HR pro from Huntsville, AL. He spends his days as an HR Generalist for Pinnacle Solutions, a small government contractor focusing on the aviation training industry. He spends his nights writing at upstartHR–an HR blog with a little humor, humility, and how-to. When he’s not working or blogging, he’s getting ready for the next HRevolution (an HR conference on steroids) and chasing his twin toddler girls around the yard.

Human Resource Challenges for 2013

Want to make a big impact on your company–and your career–in 2013? Then it’s time to put your human resources to the test. It’s time to challenge your organization to do more, do it better, and really make the most of your human resources function. Are you ready?

Here are 30 HR challenges for you. Below the list, you will find some instructions to help you use the information to the fullest extent. Now it’s up to you to put these ideas into action. Let’s get started!

30 HR Challenges–Which Ones Will You Choose?

1. Create better supervisor training. Help your front-line managers become better leaders. Consider these topics:

• How to improve interviewing skills
• How to give accurate, honest feedback
• Why documentation is essential
• Managing terminations
• Harassment, discrimination, and other potential lawsuits
• Safety and security in the workplace
• How to effectively train adults
• Coaching and mentoring employees
• Building and managing teams
• Developing and pursuing goals

2. Develop an HR portal. Save time and resources by answering common questions in one place. Here’s a little help to get you started: http://upstarthr.com/employee-hr-portal-how-to-build-one.

3. Implement a low-cost recognition program. Forget cash bonuses, and instead develop a program that provides positive, public recognition when people do the right things. Rewards can be as simple as public praise, a mention in the company newsletter, or an award certificate people can hang in their workspaces.

4. Strengthen your benefits package. Benchmark your benefits against other local firms and leaders in your industry. Are there benefits you’re not offering but should be? Are there any innovative employee benefits you could add to differentiate your firm from the competition?

5. Find out if there’s a need for leadership development. Conduct an assessment of departments and teams to determine who your leaders are, how they are doing, and what you can and should be doing to identify and develop tomorrow’s leaders.

6. Re-evaluate your training programs. What could you do to increase the impact of the training you provide or increase the offerings to your employees?

7. Think about your employment brand. Does your organization send the right message to the labor market? What changes do you need to make to have a stronger, more consistent employment brand?

8. Attend an HR conference. Whether it’s a local event, the national SHRM or HR Tech conference, or even HR webinars, make an investment in your own education and find sources for new ideas you can bring to your firm.

9. Learn more about social media. Facebook. Twitter. LinkedIn. They’re all having a big impact on hiring, managing and retaining employees. If you’re not already an expert, learn how to use these tools as an HR professional.

10. Join a SHRM chapter. Network, become involved, and learn as much as you can from your peers.

11. Write a guest post for an HR blog. Think of one of those crazy HR stories or one of the big “aha!” moments you’ve had as an HR pro. Write it down. Find an HR blog that accepts submissions. Sharing your stories will help attract more candidates to your firm and can get you feedback to improve your HR management.

12. Get certified. Check out http://www.hrci.org/hrcertification/ for more information.

13. Mentor an entry-level HR pro. Help develop the strength of your internal team, so you can deliver even greater value to your organization.

14. Learn more about business. To be effective in HR, you have to understand the fundamentals of business, accounting, marketing, etc. Learning more about the other aspects of how the business works will make you a more well-rounded HR pro.

15. Review your compensation plans. Are you paying competitive wages? Do you offer rewards for performance? Do you provide positive incentives for star talent?

16. Measure your level of employee engagement. No matter what it looks like, we can all stand to make employee engagement a little better.

17. Implement an employee satisfaction survey. Create a quick poll to gauge how happy your people are with your organization–and more importantly, anything they are unhappy about. Determine which departments or job functions might be trouble spots, and then work with department managers to develop plans for improvement.

18. Identify your high potential employees. Make sure they have a clear career path, and that you are providing them with the challenges and opportunities they seek.

19. Develop a succession plan for your key employees. Why? If one of the employees was hit by the proverbial bus and could not work, how would you keep things going? Is there a plan in place? What if a handful of your senior employees decided to retire at once?

20. Look at your HR analytics and… Wait, you’re not measuring your HR analytics? Then start. Now.

21. Research innovative new HR technology tools. Determine what’s available and which tools would have a positive impact on your business. (Many of them are free!) You might start by looking at the vendors who attend the HR Tech conference.

22. Throw out a policy. Or two. How do you know which ones? If it affects less than 5% of your employee population, it’s a candidate for removal.

23. Think like an entrepreneur. How can you cut costs/increase revenue? Don’t assume it’s “someone else’s job” to think about things like that.

24. Is your new hire orientation and onboarding process up to snuff? Do new hires feel welcomed on their first day? Are expectations clearly set? What could you do to help people get productive faster?

25. Blow up your performance management system (or tweak it, whichever applies). Talk to line managers and employees to see what’s working, and what’s not, with your performance systems.

26. Analyze innovative HR theories. Give some serious consideration to cutting-edge practices like unlimited vacation, ROWE, FedEx Days, etc., and see which make sense for your business.

27. Offer a wellness plan–financial or physical. If you already offer these, develop a plan to improve participation.

28. Check your staff diversity levels. Make sure you are attracting a diverse candidate pool and consciously hiring people who can bring different perspectives to the organization.

29. Institute “Meeting-Free Mondays” (or Wednesdays, or Fridays) and free your staff from the tyranny of meetings for one day a week.

30. Determine which sources of hire provide the best candidates. Maybe it’s employee referrals. Maybe it’s your social media efforts. Whatever the case, focus on getting more people from the source that provides the highest-quality employees.

Now that you’ve read through the 30 human resources challenges, your instructions:

Go ahead, and grab a pen and a notepad. This is an interactive exercise.

Got ’em? Okay, great. Here’s what you need to do. Read through this list again. When you come across an idea that might be interesting or valuable to you, just jot down the number and keep going. Try to pick out at least three items from this list. It’s okay to do more (or less), but with three solid, pertinent options you will be less likely to skip this exercise altogether.

Next, go back through the numbers you wrote down and re-read each HR challenge. Think of what you’d have to do as the very first step to make this activity happen, and write that down next to the number. If the following steps immediately come to you, feel free to get those on paper while they are fresh. Do this for each of the numbers you wrote down. Now your notes should be a little more detailed.

Now for the “hard” part. Take those notes that you have, type them up in an email, and add the paragraph below to the top of the email. Then send that to another HR person that you trust to hold you accountable. They aren’t going to beat you up, but they will gently encourage you to pursue the challenges that you’ve listed for yourself. Some of these are big challenges, and others small, so it really can help to have someone else to do this exercise with. Oh, and feel free to send the link to this article to them so they can choose their own challenges as well.

“Hey! I found this neat list of 30 human resources challenges online, and I am participating in an exercise to help me overcome the challenges that are especially fitting for me. I am reaching out to you to see if you would have a few minutes to respond back and give me some encouragement to face these issues.”

The whole point is for this to be more than just any old article that you read and delete or toss to the side. It’s a chance for you to really make a difference in what you do!

Reprinted with permission. Originally published on the Upstart HR blog with 20 additional challenges! http://upstarthr.com/50-human-resource-challenges-to-overcome/

About the Author: Ben Eubanks is an HR pro from Huntsville, AL. He spends his days as an HR Generalist for Pinnacle Solutions, a small government contractor focusing on the aviation training industry. He spends his nights writing at upstartHR–an HR blog with a little humor, humility, and how-to. When he’s not working or blogging, he’s getting ready for the next HRevolution (an HR conference on steroids) and chasing his twin toddler girls around the yard.

How to Fight the Midday Slump!

Does this sound familiar? At work, you’re going full steam ahead all morning, crossing things off your to-do list and feeling productive. You take a quick break for lunch and figure you’ll dive right back into your work and power through the afternoon.

But somewhere between 2 and 3 p.m. you find your attention wandering and your energy flagging. In fact, all you really want to do is take a nap. How can you fight this slump?

Here are five proven tactics to power you through–or, better yet, keep you from feeling draggy in the first place:

1. Drink Some Water. Being even slightly dehydrated will lower your energy and often make you think that you’re hungry, which is why too many of us head for the vending machines and the sugary snacks. What you really need is water. Drink a full eight ounces of cool water to revive yourself and your body.
2. Get Up and Move. Sitting in front of a computer all morning, as most of us do, is an energy drain. Stand up, stretch, and take a quick walk–if you can’t go out and walk around your building, go up and down the stairs a couple of times, or just visit a friend in a far-off department. Get your blood pumping and your heart rate up to re-energize your tired body.
3. Refocus Your Focus. Have you been working on the same project for hours and feel your head getting heavy? Switch to a different project, at least for a few minutes. Your mind works better if you can change gears once in awhile. When you go back to the original project after the break, the cobwebs in your brain should be gone.
4. Just Breathe. But do it right. Shallow breathing creates less oxygen running through your system. Focus on deep breathing for a few minutes. Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth for a count of five on both the inhale and the exhale. Fill both lungs, feel your ribcage expand outward, then exhale, emptying your lungs and feeling your ribcage collapse. Repeat 10 times.
   
5. Have a Healthy Snack. Often, a midday slump is due to your blood sugar levels dropping. Instead of succumbing to the munchies or those sugar cravings, eat something small and healthy: a piece of fruit, yogurt, a handful of nuts or a wedge of cheese and a few crackers. Sugary, fatty snacks will make your blood sugar soar, then crash, making you feel more sluggish than before.

When you find your energy lagging after lunch, know that you can do something about it! You’ll be happier, more productive and less tired when you learn how to control that drop in energy.

How to Fight the Midday Slump!

Does this sound familiar? At work, you’re going full steam ahead all morning, crossing things off your to-do list and feeling productive. You take a quick break for lunch and figure you’ll dive right back into your work and power through the afternoon.

But somewhere between 2 and 3 p.m. you find your attention wandering and your energy flagging. In fact, all you really want to do is take a nap. How can you fight this slump?

Here are five proven tactics to power you through–or, better yet, keep you from feeling draggy in the first place:

1. Drink Some Water. Being even slightly dehydrated will lower your energy and often make you think that you’re hungry, which is why too many of us head for the vending machines and the sugary snacks. What you really need is water. Drink a full eight ounces of cool water to revive yourself and your body.
2. Get Up and Move. Sitting in front of a computer all morning, as most of us do, is an energy drain. Stand up, stretch, and take a quick walk–if you can’t go out and walk around your building, go up and down the stairs a couple of times, or just visit a friend in a far-off department. Get your blood pumping and your heart rate up to re-energize your tired body.
3. Refocus Your Focus. Have you been working on the same project for hours and feel your head getting heavy? Switch to a different project, at least for a few minutes. Your mind works better if you can change gears once in awhile. When you go back to the original project after the break, the cobwebs in your brain should be gone.
4. Just Breathe. But do it right. Shallow breathing creates less oxygen running through your system. Focus on deep breathing for a few minutes. Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth for a count of five on both the inhale and the exhale. Fill both lungs, feel your ribcage expand outward, then exhale, emptying your lungs and feeling your ribcage collapse. Repeat 10 times.
   
5. Have a Healthy Snack. Often, a midday slump is due to your blood sugar levels dropping. Instead of succumbing to the munchies or those sugar cravings, eat something small and healthy: a piece of fruit, yogurt, a handful of nuts or a wedge of cheese and a few crackers. Sugary, fatty snacks will make your blood sugar soar, then crash, making you feel more sluggish than before.

When you find your energy lagging after lunch, know that you can do something about it! You’ll be happier, more productive and less tired when you learn how to control that drop in energy.

Etiquette for Using Personal Technology at Work

Most companies allow their employees to bring their own smartphones and even their tablets to the office. But does that mean you can–and should–use them whenever you like?

Obviously, each office should have its own policy for appropriate use, but there are several simple rules that all users should follow.

1. Mobile devices should be used with discretion. You need to give your full attention to your work and to those with whom you’re speaking or meeting, not allowing your eyes to wander to a new text message or being distracted by a ringing phone. Research has shown that we may not be able to multi-task like we think we can, and you also want to avoid giving the perception that your attention is divided when you’re supposed to be working.
2. Smartphones and tablets should be used in the office for work-related activities, not for playing games or updating your Facebook status.
3. If you prefer to take notes on your tablet, smartphone or laptop during a meeting, be sure to let your colleagues know what you’re doing. Because smartphones and tablets are usually associated with games, texting and other non-work applications, using them can send the message that you aren’t paying attention. And keep the device on the desk or table in front of you, not on your lap. If you spend the meeting hunched over your device, you’ll miss social cues and signals–like facial expressions–that could be important.
4. If you get a non-work, non-emergency call, find a private place to take it–and get off of it as soon as possible. If a client calls you on your mobile number, explain that you’re in the office and ask to move the call to the office phone. If you’re in a meeting, set the phone to silent/vibrate and answer only urgent calls. If you’re expecting the call, let others in the meeting know ahead of time that you may be leaving the room when it comes in.
5. Don’t wear your Bluetooth or other wireless headset at the office. Period.
6. If you’re running a meeting or a presentation, you have the right to set ground rules for using mobile devices, including asking everyone to turn them off in order to give the session their full attention. If you’re in the audience, follow instructions.
7. The mobile devices you’re using may be personal, but if you’re using your company’s Wi-Fi network, or using the devices for work purposes, you need to take precautions to protect your company and yourself from liability if you lose your phone or tablet. If your company doesn’t have an “acceptable use” policy for mobile devices, at least put your own protections in place: set up a PIN number needed to unlock your device. If possible, install an auto-wipe app that will allow you to remotely wipe all the information if your phone or tablet is lost or stolen. And if you’re tech-savvy enough, or can find out how from an expert, encrypt the data on your device so it can’t be read by the wrong people.
8. If you’re using a company-issued device, don’t add any apps or tools without requesting permission. Don’t employ it for personal use unless you’ve been given permission to do that, also.

The rise in the use of mobile devices has often blurred the lines of what is appropriate and what isn’t–especially for the younger generation, which has grown up using them, and since the technologies are relatively new and standards have not always kept pace. But etiquette in general is about paying attention to the convenience and comfort of the people you interact with. So even when technology is involved, the basics of good manners apply.