The Watercooler

The Watercooler Blog is full of workplace tips and trends related to employee retention, engagement, interviewing and more. The Watercooler is frequently refilled, so gather ‘round often.

What Do You Do if You Have Two Strong Job Candidates?

It’s a good problem to have – but a problem nonetheless. You’re seeking to fill a business-critical job vacancy, and the field has been narrowed down to two final candidates. Both have sterling resumes and recommendations and have interviewed well. Everything in their backgrounds checks out, and they both have the right education and experience [...] Read More

3 Tips for Handling Frustrated Employees

If one or more of your employees are frustrated, it’s only a matter of time before their performance is negatively impacted. As a result, you will soon become frustrated too. And so will other members of their team. This scenario isn’t fun or productive for anyone involved. As a leader, it’s up to you to [...] Read More

3 Tips for Handling Frustrated Employees

Even among the happiest, most motivated teams, frustration will inevitably occur from time to time. And if it starts to become common in one or more people, chances are it won’t go away on its own. It may fester and worsen if left unattended. Frustrated employees rarely do their best work. And, signs of frustration [...] Read More

How You Can Get to Know Your Employees Better

As the boss, it’s natural for you to feel a bit of a division between yourself and your employees. When you pass in the hall, you’re polite and even friendly to each other, but have you ever considered the benefits of really getting to know them – as the unique individuals they are, rather than [...] Read More

What You Can Do to Avoid a Bad Hire

When you hire an employee who quickly ends up not working out, it’s more than just an inconvenience and extra work. From advertising the position to training a replacement to lost productivity, the cost of bad hires can be substantial. Fortunately, there are ways to improve the hiring process to make more successful decisions. Avoid [...] Read More