Communication

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.

Management 101: Never hand off work without a checklist

05/10/2011

More than ever, work is collaborative. And where do things go wrong when it comes to collaborative work? At the handoff. It’s usually not because someone is incompetent or lazy; it’s due to poor communication. The bottom line: We all need checklists. Use or adapt this “handoff checklist” when delivering a project assignment, suggests the Harvard Business Review blog.

Admins aren’t personal assistants … and vice versa

05/10/2011

It’s one of the most sensitive issues HR pros have to deal with: the boss who treats administrative support staff like they’re personal assistants. Think it went out with the three-martini lunch? Think again.

8 steps to becoming the manager your employees need

04/26/2011

In an effort to “empower” their staffs, too many managers take a completely hands-off approach, leaving employees alone unless they really need help. But this can create a rudderless ship, says management expert Bruce Tulgan. That’s not leadership! Here’s how effective managers provide genuine support to their employees.

New business etiquette rules for the modern age