Communication

One-on-one counseling helps employees understand benefits

07/19/2011

On average, 30% to 40% of an employee’s total compensation is wrapped up in benefits. Unfortunately, employees often have no idea that’s the case. The most effective way to make sure employees really understand the benefits you offer, their value and why they’re a great deal is to tell them face-to-face.

Sample Policy: Social Media

07/14/2011

The following sample policy was excerpted from The Book of Company Policies, published by HR Specialist. Edit for your organization’s purposes ________________________________ “Social media (including personal and professional websites, blogs, chat rooms and bulletin boards; social networks, such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter; video-sharing sites such as YouTube; and e-mail) are a common means of […]

The art of giving positive feedback: 7 simple tips

06/28/2011

Giving feedback is an important legal and practical management task—and certainly not an easy one. Many managers make the mistake of dishing out feedback only when employees do something wrong. But praise can also be an effective motivational tool, if used correctly. Here are seven guidelines to follow:

Face-to-face counseling helps employees grasp benefits

06/27/2011

On average, 30% to 40% of an employee’s total compensation is wrapped up in benefits. Unfortunately, that information is often invisible to employees. The most effective way to make sure employees really know about the benefits you offer, their value and why they’re a great deal is to tell them face-to-face.

Want real employee feedback? Use a focus group

06/15/2011

Employee focus groups are a good way you can uncover issues affecting productivity and retention. Use the following steps to organize your focus groups without excessive red tape or cost:

How do employees refer to your organization: ‘we’ or ‘they’?

06/13/2011

When talking to friends and family, nearly three-quarters of working Americans (72%) say they refer to the organization where they work at as “we,” while only 20% refer to it as “they,” according to a Kenexa survey.

9 things employees want from their managers (and 5 things they don’t)

05/24/2011

Different employees crave different things from their managers. Here’s practical advice you can give the bosses in your organization. You’ll help them focus on the managerial qualities that matter most to employees—and forget about the window dressing workers don’t care about.

Sodexo reaches out to engage its employees

05/19/2011

Food service giant Sodexo has labeled some of its employees as “hard to reach”: those who work at client locations or telework from home or whose jobs don’t involve regular use of computers or e-mail. Now it’s offering managers several methods to reach out to them to ensure that they have knowledge, team spirit and the sense of belonging that are necessary to build a highly engaged workforce.

Beat the summer blahs: 9 tips to boost productivity & fun

05/18/2011

As the weather warms, the focus and productivity of your employees can sometimes drift. It’s time to create some fun and optimism at work. Think about simple activities that will help employees feel good and interact with each other on a friendly, personal level. Here are ideas to try:

Lower employee stress to raise performance

05/11/2011

Studies show that workplace stress has increased over the past several years and that productivity can drop if employers don’t address the problem. Here are just some of the issues likely stressing your staff—along with suggestions on how HR can help.