Asking questions is a normal part of everyone’s workday. In fact, you want employees who are naturally interested, inquisitive, and curious. But, dealing with constant barrages of questions can make it difficult to get your own job done. A key part of your job as a manager is providing clear, direct feedback. But you wouldn’t [...]
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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 [...]
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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 [...]
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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 [...]
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Are you a micromanager? Knowing how much supervision to give can be difficult: too little, and people could become lost and unproductive; too much, and you could end up with freaked-out, demoralized employees. Despite good intentions, micromanagers ultimately hurt their business as their supervisory style results in low morale, wasted time and often, high turnover. [...]
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Approximately 50 million Americans contribute to March Madness pools at work. This level of participation is estimated to cost employers more than $1.9 billion in lost productivity. It may be tempting to bar all March Madness-related activities in your workplace, but … bah humbug! Experts agree this will not only hurt your reputation as a [...]
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If you are seriously considering a candidate for your open position, do not overlook the importance of checking with their past employers and talking to their references. This should be a prerequisite to making a job offer. The harsh truth is: A significant percentage of applicants lie on their resumes. In one recent survey, 56 [...]
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Successful recruitment begins the moment you decide to hire a new employee – and continues through your hiring strategy and process. Sometimes, despite all your best efforts, a bad hire happens. If you fear that’s the case, there are signs you can watch for to help verify your concern. Red Flags Let’s hope it didn’t [...]
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What do you do if the employee who showed so much promise during their interview turns into something else entirely? On the job, they are lazy and unmotivated. They may even drag others down with them – and they will most likely have a negative effect on morale, productivity or profitability. Yikes! Granted, there will [...]
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When you are looking to hire new college grads, you want to be sure that your company gets the cream of the crop. While spring and summer are prime times for newly minted graduates to hit the workforce, there are also a substantial number of students who earn their degrees in December. How can you [...]
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