(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
Loading ...Bring the Best Out in Employees by Showing You Care
An article I ran into at BusinessWeek.com talks about when employees know they are being cared about, they will in turn step up their efforts around the office. Also, it says to be careful not to neglect a valued employee because they can probably go elsewhere and make the same amount of money, if not more, doing something similar or more compelling.
With that said, you must be thinking, “what can I do to make sure my employees aren’t going to leave me? You are in luck. Another section of the article gave a list of suggestions for managing the type of valued employees that fit the about criteria? Rank-order each of your direct reports in terms of his contribution to your customers and your company.
• Ask yourself, "How many of these people could leave our company and get another job—with a pay raise—in three months?"
• Make sure you express your sincere appreciation for the contribution these great people are making to your company.
• Make peace with the fact that you need them more than they need you.
• Ask each of them, "What can your manager do to create an environment where this is a great place for you to work?"
• Don't focus on what you cannot change. Focus on what you can change. Let's say you can't give them a raise. Accentuate the things you can give them: recognition, educational opportunities, the chance to work with a wider range of people, both within the company and outside of it.
• Listen to their ideas, and do whatever you can to keep them coming to work with you.
• Treat them as a great human services leader would treat valued volunteers.
Posted April 18th, 2008 by admin - Posted in Human Resources, Performance Reviews, Productivity, Recruiting | | 1 Comments
(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5) Loading ...The Rules of Criticizing Others
The ability to give and receive criticism is an art that few have mastered. If you can, you will have a leg up on managing your employees.
A line from BusinessWeek.com points out some ground rules to go over before you criticize someone.
When you want to criticize someone:
1. Begin by finding something you like or appreciate about the person you're about to criticize. This is not only fair, but will also make the person more likely to be receptive to what you have to say.
2. Focus on what that person has said or done, not on him or her personally. Only the former is relevant and likely to be acknowledged.
3. Conclude by affirming your faith that the other person will consider what you have to say. This is both a respectful way to wrap up the criticism and the best way to ensure that your remarks will be given their due.
Living by these rules, before you attack someone, will make you a more respected manager/co-worker with everyone involved in the situation. Also, it will allow more communication to pass through one another. Next time you have a beef to pick with someone…remember the rules.
Posted April 4th, 2008 by admin - Posted in Customer Service, Human Resources, Performance Reviews, Productivity, Uncategorized | | 0 Comments
(3 votes, average: 5 out of 5) Loading ...Launch a Wellness Program for Your Employees
Creating a wellness program for your company can mean more than just getting in shape. It can mean a whole new lifestyle for all your employees. When you are feeling healthy, you are more energetic and motivated to face each day. Who wouldn't what all their employees to feel great and perform at their best?
In an article from Business Week, "Some companies hand out small cash bonuses or gift certificates for reaching predetermined milestones. Others offer discounted insurance premiums. Still others make it a “team thing” and set up competitions between departments. "
By making heath exciting, everyone will want to join in and be a part of the new family. Make it a priority in your company and watch the benefits exude from your employees.
Posted March 14th, 2008 by admin - Posted in Benefits, Health, Human Resources, Performance Reviews, Productivity, Recruiting, Workers' Comp | | 3 Comments
(2 votes, average: 5 out of 5) Loading ...Who Do You Have Winning It All?
Its coming up on March Madness time. For all you college basketball fans, the most exciting time of the year is right around the corner. To make it even more exciting, what do you do? Start up the company office pool! A little gambling should help spice it up just enough to make it interesting to even the uninterested.
In the article from the Business Journal is a survey relating to productivity and March Madness. An interesting stat that I couldn't believe was, "Very few employers offer guidance in their policies regarding office pools, even though it may mean taking a hit in terms of productivity, Spherion officials said."
Maybe its time to update the employee handbook and put some guidelines or rules in on office pools, or maybe its just time to enjoy March Madness!
Posted March 7th, 2008 by admin - Posted in Human Resources, Performance Reviews, Productivity | | 1 Comments
(2 votes, average: 4.5 out of 5) Loading ...Is Your Place to Work, Great?
Having open communication is a key to avoiding organizational or interpersonal problems at work. What can you do shen there is silence among some employees? Are your employees just not speaking up or is it just in thier personality not to?
Here are a few ways to create a work environment with a commitment to open communication and how to break the silence. (Creating a Great Place to Work from Business Week)
Spend the day out of the office: Meet with employees in their own departments. Actually take the time to see your workers in their element rather than yours.
Have an employee orientation: New employees should have an extensive training and "getting to know you" period. Have a strict plan in place to make them feel welcomed.
Company wide meetings: This way everyone is in the same place hearing the same thing. Everyone is then on the same page.
Keep open lines of varying communication: Have multiple ways for your employees to communicate to their managers and bosses. Some personality types like face to face conversations while others express themselves better in writing.
Posted February 15th, 2008 by admin - Posted in Customer Service, Human Resources, Other, Performance Reviews, Productivity, Recruiting, Uncategorized | | 0 Comments
(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5) Loading ...Helpful Tips to conduct your Employee Performance Reviews
It's February and every employee here at Creative Business Resources is ready for their annual employee performance review. Our organization has an annual review for every employee to discuss their accomplishments and areas for improvement. We use this as a benchmark so the management staff has an understanding of where they can best help an employee reach their career goals and identifying the key areas that may be preventing them from reaching their career goals. We help our clients incorporate strategies like this in their workforce, so you better believe that we are practicing what we preach.
Many business owners invest their blood, sweat, tears and finances in building their business. The reality is that no company can function without a solid and productive staff supporting it. Performance reviews represent a great way to ensure your staff is not only feeling appreciated and recognized for outstanding accomplishments, but also provides a benchmark on where they stand on their personal path for success within your organization. There are many reasons WHY a company would conduct performance reviews, but in my opinion the best reason is for the growth of the company and the well being of it's employees.
Conducting performance reviews may be unfamiliar territory to some business owners. So in an effort to put your mind at ease while you consider adding this to your management strategy. Here are a few tips to ensure your performance reviews are well executed and well received by your employees.
1. Be Prepared. Make sure you are clear on what you plan is to discuss with your employee before you sit down with them. Take into consideration your experience with the employee and develop a game plan on how you plan to communicate this review to that employee. People receive criticism differently. The same type of review approach you take with your sales team may not hold up well with an accounting or operations person.
2. Lead with positive feedback. One best practice is to always start by reaffirming the employees positive contribution to the team. With job security being a concern to most people, now is a good time to express why you value that employee in your organization.
3. Do not be confrontational. It is a must that your employee is not getting the feeling that they themselves are being criticized. The review is simply an evaluation of job performance not the actual person.
4. Keep it real. No need to run out and invest in the latest employee review software or system. Avoid overly detailed reviews that seem to be to mechanistic. By keeping the review simple, your employee will feel more valued about your opinions and communication rather than spitting out a report from a management software system. Develop your own criteria and system on what is important to you, your business, and your employees.
5. Be Consistent. This is crucial for your staff. It's important that if this is to be done that it is regular and consistent. Top performers should hear plenty of affirmations and praise during their reviews; weaker performers should be shown areas in which they can improves. One simply way of evaluating this is by making your main focus based on quantity and quality relative to each job requirement.
6. Make it a two-way conversation. This meeting should serve as a forum for open communication and dialog. It's equally important to hear feedback fro your employees. Try to ask questions that ask the employee ideas or recommendation to make them feel more valued during this process.
7. Address what important to each employee. Since job satisfaction should play a major role in the performance of your employees. Focusing on topics and conversations that are important to them are crucial. It almost goes without saying but an operations person has no desire to hear about the performance of the sales department during this meeting. Save that for a company wide meeting. This meeting is about the employee in the room.
8. Discuss Work/Life Balance. take this opportunity to learn how you may contribute to your employee's work/life balance. Is an employee late because he or she has to drop of children at daycare and get's caught in morning rush our traffic? Create a compromise that will be a win-win. For instance, have the employee come in an hour earlier or later to allow the drop off of the children in the morning and allowing the employee to get to work on time and focused. Now you have just solved a major issue regarding that employees performance and also increased the value of their work/life balance.
9. Listen, Listen, Listen. Take this opportunity to really just "be in the moment." This means do away with distractions such as phone calls, text messages and emails while discussing some of these very important topics. It's a great way to understand your employee and also pick up on verbal and nonverbal clues.
10. Review Regularly. Reviews should be done proactively and with the purpose for improving employee moral and productivity. Conducted often, you avoid the difficult and uncomfortable reviews performed solely to document poor performance. From an HR standpoint, this can be seen as just information being gathered for that sake of collection evidence to avoid litigation should that employee ever be terminated.
Posted February 13th, 2008 by Vincent - Posted in Human Resources, Performance Reviews, Productivity | | 0 Comments
