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Communication

Can we do anything about employees discussing pay with one another?

08/15/2008

Q. Can we prohibit workers from discussing their pay with each other? This practice appears to be creating workplace conflict and damaging morale in the office …

How can our process elicit more specifics when the union files grievances?

08/08/2008
Q. We have a lot of trouble with our employees’ union in terms of processing grievances. The form the union uses does not provide enough information for my HR office to determine if the grievance has merit or not. We would like the union to identify the contract provision that it believes has been violated, along with sufficient facts to understand the issue. Any thoughts? …

Are you a micromanager? Control the process, not the people

08/01/2008
As a manager, you must remain involved in your employees’ activities. But where does involvement stop and micromanaging begin? Sticking your nose too deeply into an employee’s work process can be counterproductive. Let’s say you overheard an employee refer to you as a micromanager. To find out if it’s true, answer the following questions using […]

Face-to-Face talk best bet for helping cope with slump

08/01/2008
CEOs who participated in a recent survey conducted by Vantage Research agreed that an economic downturn isn’t the best time to make bold, sudden business moves. Instead, they advocate “hunkering down and building up the business” in tempestuous fiscal times like these …

What is the ‘Lifetime value’ of your employees?

08/01/2008
Businesses have always understood the value of cultivating lifelong relationships with customers eager to patronize them again and again as their lifestyles change and they need new products or services. Nurturing those same kinds of relationships with employees has just as much value …

Survey on surveys: Act on what you learn

07/25/2008
Roughly 56% of U.S. companies conduct employee surveys, but nearly half fail to act on their employees’ suggestions, according to a survey by the Opinion Research Corporation …

We fix machines, why not staff? 5 ways to retool employees

07/24/2008
All companies have a large investment—time and money—in their human capital. A company would never hesitate to fix a machine, repair a plant or improve a work site, so why not treat human assets the same way? The key to correcting performance problems is a collaborative effort between a supervisor and an employee. It’s not the responsibility of the HR department …

Management Score Card: Rating Your Supervisor

07/22/2008
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15 Questions to Ask Employees in Their First 60 Days

07/21/2008
A good employee who seemed happy quit after just three months. His supervisor never saw it coming. What happened? That unexpected turnover might have been avoided if the boss had checked in to uncover any potential problems. Here are 15 questions supervisors or HR should ask all new employees in their first 60 days on the job.

Should we limit political talk at work?

07/18/2008

Q. With the upcoming presidential election, our employees have spent more time talking politics and debating candidates and their positions. Do we have an obligation to limit or prevent such conversations in the workplace? …