Home  »  Archives

Tips and Suggestions

Three reference sites — for general HR, overtime rules, and technology policies

Written on 8 Jan, 2007 at 17:41

The only common thread here is that these are three sites you may want to explore and bookmark, as they look to be full of helpful content. I’ve added them to my custom search engine. (1) AllBusiness bills itself as... (Continue reading)

War, Pestilence, and the Second Coming: Is your Workplace Ready?

Written on 1 Jan, 2007 at 22:51

Starting the New Year this morning with a quick look at the news, I saw this AP story: “Poll: Americans see gloom, doom in 2007″ This story reports on an Associated Press-AOL News poll about Americans’ predictions for 2007. Poll... (Continue reading)

High-Tech, Impersonal Firings Not Good Idea

Written on 17 Sep, 2006 at 22:19

A recent Christian Science Monitor Work & Money piece discusses how to communicate bad news regarding termination or layoff. Specifically, the topic is the notion that “impersonal ‘cyber-firings’ via e-mail – even text message – have become an expedient way... (Continue reading)

Health Care Cost Crisis Inspires Sucessful New Strategies

Written on 14 Sep, 2006 at 8:45

Some things to consider in looking for savings. The rising cost of healthcare and unaffordability of health insurance is, of course, a national problem. But with our employer-provided insurance model, it is above all a crisis for employers seeking to... (Continue reading)

Beyond “Name, Rank & Serial No.” in Reference Checking

Written on 27 Aug, 2006 at 22:54

A few weeks ago, I found a nice concise piece in HR Daily Advisor (BLR) with some good tips for making reference checking more than a pro forma exercise. Some of the points: Make reference checking a personal matter, not... (Continue reading)

What Happens When an Employee Has Cancer?

Written on 25 Aug, 2006 at 0:47

One of the few pleasures of my daily commute is catching Marketplace on my local NPR station on the drive home (assuming I can leave by 6:00). This evening, I caught a story about employees with cancer — and how... (Continue reading)

Excellent Guide To Handling Workplace Harassment and Discrimination Complaints

Written on 6 Aug, 2006 at 22:51

Employers, HR managers, and attorneys can always use reminders of basic guidelines for handling workplace harassment and discrimination complaints. Today I’d like to share an article I ran across that provides these basics. “An Owner’s Guide To Dicey Workplace Complaints”... (Continue reading)

Customers vs. Employees: The Customer Isn’t Always Right

Written on 3 Aug, 2006 at 22:01

Long ago and far away, I had my first job at a McDonald’s for $1.60 an hour. I had fun, worked hard, and learned a lot about the workworld, including memorable phrases like “If you’ve got time to lean, you’ve... (Continue reading)

Pros and Cons of 360 Degree Feedback

Written on 1 Aug, 2006 at 13:30

Susan M. Heathfield, the About.com Guide to Human Resources, takes on the subject of 360-degree feedback, providing a balanced overview of the topic and clear and concise bullet points on the pros and cons. Susan’s definition of 360 degree feedback... (Continue reading)

More on Employers’ Immigration Obligations

Written on 26 Jul, 2006 at 23:31

Yesterday, I wrote about immigration. Today, I happened on a few related items. First, while looking at back issues of the St. Louis Bar Journal, for which I am preparing an article, I found: “A Brief Overview of the United... (Continue reading)

Some Immigration Law Tips for Employers

Written on 25 Jul, 2006 at 23:50

Congress seems to be stuck in the process of passing much-needed immigration law reform. But employers must still comply with existing law — an obligation that can get sticky. I ran across an article that briefly summarizes employers’ obligations —... (Continue reading)

Proving the Obvious? Good HR is Good Business, Study Finds

Written on 24 Jul, 2006 at 23:41

This from Tampa Bay Business Journal via the ManagersRealm blog: According to a recent Gevity Institute study, certain HR practices result in measurable business results. The study found that small businesses that follow a set of “workforce alignment” employee management... (Continue reading)

Five Mistakes To Avoid When Terminating Employees

Written on 2 May, 2006 at 9:02

Years of practicing employment law have taught me that although sometimes absolutely necessary from a business perspective, termination is the employment decision most likely to lead to litigation. I have also learned the hard way that management often makes mistakes... (Continue reading)

Cool Recruiting Trick

Written on 24 Apr, 2006 at 14:34

Jim Stroud has step-by-step instructions for how to electronically deal with the following recruiting situation: Imagine finding the resume of the perfect candidate only to find out that they were not swayed by your pitch and are quite happy where... (Continue reading)

Dear John: Some Potential Suggestions for Writing Applicant Rejection Letters

Written on 17 Apr, 2006 at 11:39

It is always interesting to discuss how to craft a candidate rejection letter. Indeed, some might wonder whether such letters should even be written! I found a recent article discussing some characteristics of a successful rejection letter. Most interestingly, the... (Continue reading)

“Tell Me About Yourself”
The 25 Toughest Interview Questions (and Tips on How to Answer Them!)

Written on 6 Apr, 2006 at 10:30

We originally wrote this post in April 2006, when we discovered a very useful list of the 25 toughest interview questions. We’ve updated it several times since then, because it has proven very popular, mostly with people searching for advice... (Continue reading)

When In Rome, What Do You Do?

Written on 6 Apr, 2006 at 10:14

You have certainly heard the old cliche “When in Rome, do as the Romans.” But, what do the Romans, Greeks, or others “do” that you should “do?” More important, sometimes, when dealing with persons from other cultures, is to avoid... (Continue reading)

Advice on Keeping Your Corporate Job Without Losing Your Soul

Written on 27 Mar, 2006 at 22:09

Can you be true to yourself, stick up for what you think is right, and keep a corporate job?  A recent Business Week column answers affirmatively — if cautiously.  The problems of conscience it considers include those involving the impact... (Continue reading)

St. Patrick’s Day Friday Semi-Humorous Career Tips

Written on 17 Mar, 2006 at 0:43

Happy St. Patrick’s Day one and all! Usually it’s Michael who’s trying to get you to laugh Friday morning. Today I have a couple of career tip articles that try to appeal to a certain type of sarcastic sense of... (Continue reading)

Unemployed or Looking to Change Jobs? Some Hopeful Job Market News and Interview Tips

Written on 15 Mar, 2006 at 22:46

Looking over my latest e-clippings, I found I had saved a number of items about signs of a job market healthier in many respects than some may fear, and also some with practical tips useful to job seekers. Related Reading:... (Continue reading)

Beyond the Gold Watch and Employee of the Month: Reflections on Employee Recognition Programs

Written on 12 Mar, 2006 at 23:29

Today, for a change, I’m writing an original post inspired by personal experience and observation, not by my daily Internet news reading. The other day, my wife and I were guests at the annual meeting of the insurance company for... (Continue reading)

Is Your Company A Target for A Discrimination Class Action Suit? Ten Factors to Consider

Written on 8 Mar, 2006 at 12:58

We have followed a number of large, well-publicized employment discrimination class-action cases, such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy, among others. Most attorneys and HR managers have heard of these kinds of cases, and unless you work in a small company, you... (Continue reading)

All Aboard: Five Tips for Successful On-Boarding Programs (f/k/a Employee Orientation)

Written on 2 Mar, 2006 at 9:40

Another solid article from ERExchange.com on On-Boarding Programs. This time, the author, Kevin Wheeler, offers five solid tips for success with regard to such programs. On-boarding programs (f/k/a employee orientation), I believe, are one of the current hot fads in... (Continue reading)

Getting Applicants to Join: Marketing Your Company

Written on 21 Feb, 2006 at 12:46

In another nicely written article on erexchange, Howard Adamsky explains the key points to cover in convincing candidates to come work at your organization. I don’t think that there is anything earthshattering here, but the article provides a nice summary,... (Continue reading)

Does Your Organization Pass Muster on Ethical Standards?

Written on 20 Feb, 2006 at 18:37

Lots of talk these days about ethics in the workplace, so it’s not surprising that there are are a number of websites and surveys devoted to ethics in the workplace. I found one interesting website on ethics, the Ethics Resource... (Continue reading)