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.

How to Interview Candidates for Soft Skills

The right hire is not based solely on a candidate’s education, experience, and technical prowess. Soft skills are equally, if not more important in determining whether a person will be a good fit at your company. Soft skills are those transferable traits beneficial to many different types of jobs. These personal qualities and attributes enable [...] Read More

How to Handle Bickering Employees

It’s unrealistic to think all your employees will get along famously, all the time. But you may be surprised to hear that typical managers spend up to 40 percent of their time on conflict resolution – and 60 to 80 percent of workplace trouble is due to strained employee relationships. How can you avoid having [...] Read More

How to Develop an Effective Social Media Policy for Employees

Social media has become an everyday part of our lives; we find ourselves constantly checking on the latest update, answering the pings that make our phones buzz and our hearts race just a little bit faster: What happened? Who posted? Unfortunately, those distractions filter too often into the workplace, taking people away from work and [...] Read More

Should You Allow Employees to Telecommute?

Workplace norms have changed dramatically in recent years. From 2005 to 2012, telecommuting grew by 80 percent, due in large part to technological advancements and the influx of millennials into the workforce. Allowing employees to work from home or another remote location has its pros and cons. Will it work for your company? The Plusses [...] Read More

Avoiding Burnout as a Manager

Burnout as a manager can be devastating. If you feel constantly tired, disengaged or unmotivated on the job, you may be suffering from it. The good news is: There are ways to reduce or avoid burnout, so you can continue to be your best self at work. What is Burnout? Before you can fight burnout, [...] Read More

What to Look for When Checking References

The cost of a poor hire can be as high as three to four times their salary. When you add in intangible costs such as stress and lower morale on the part of co-workers, you can easy see why it’s worthwhile not to skip reference checks as a key part of your hiring process. All [...] Read More