Communication

Motivate employees through better communication

05/22/2012

When it comes to retaining and motivating employees, compensation is important, but communication is key. Especially for a company with a combination of on-site and virtual employees, regular, required communication between management and staff—and among peers—is essential.

Art helps employees better understand their colleagues

05/18/2012

Employees of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services are tapping their inner art critics to better understand their co-workers. In partnership with the Detroit Institute of Arts, the company is exposing workers to the work of artistic masters in a setting where they can express their views on the artwork—and learn about their colleagues.

10 ways to give employees something to smile about

04/18/2012

The greatest compliment CEO Paul Spiegelman gets from candidates who apply for jobs at his company comes in the form of a question: Why is everyone smiling? He says the answer is simple: They’re happy. Here are 10 tips for creating a culture of fun in your workplace:

Are your employees ready for retirement? 6 smart steps

04/11/2012

How many of your retirement-age employees are just hanging around so they can receive benefits and collect paychecks, simply because they can’t afford to stop working? It’s in employers’ best interests to improve the retirement outcomes for their employees by creating a culture of retirement readiness.

The ‘Great Boss’ checklist: How do you rate?

03/23/2012

Great bosses aren’t born, they’re made. Becoming a great boss requires honest self-analysis and periodic reassessments. The following checklist was designed to guide you in that analysis. Use it to take stock of your people skills. Be honest with yourself.

Warn bosses: Your snarky email could cost us a lawsuit

03/22/2012

It used to be that managers picked up the phone when seeking HR’s input on how to handle an employee problem. These days, they send an email. That can spell big trouble. Email, unlike a phone conversation, leaves a perfect record of what transpired. And courts don’t hesitate to use email as evidence.

10 ways to help employees feel less overwhelmed

03/19/2012

Employees who survived the downturn have absorbed work left behind by laid-off co-workers. “Overwhelmed” is here to stay. As an HR pro, you might not be able to help employees embrace that sad fact, but you definitely can help them manage it. Here’s how:

Annual meeting inspires, while skirting business talk

02/21/2012

The 100-plus senior managers who attend the annual meeting of nationwide retirement community firm Aegis Living talk about everything except business. Instead, they listen to inspirational speakers and celebrities, whose identities are not revealed until the guests are introduced.

Communicating benefits: 3+3 strategy works best

02/03/2012

Giving employees at least three weeks to review benefit information and providing that information in at least three different formats is the key to benefits training that sticks, says new research from benefits provider Unum.

Team dysfunction: Why it happens and how to fix it

01/27/2012

Managers can bring the most intelligent, creative people to their departments, but if the employees aren’t able to work as a team, the department’s productivity will suffer. If your team isn’t firing on all cylinders, it’s important to identify the reasons why … and what you can do to overcome the dysfunction.