Productivity / Performance

Are your employees happy?

03/02/2023

Tomorrow is Employee Appreciation Day! So it’s a good time to assess whether employees are happy. Not skipping down a rainbow happy, but happy at work and with their work. Maybe happy-ish would be a better description. If you want to know whether employees are happy, ask them.

Decided to terminate? Don’t wait to act

02/13/2023

Once you have made the decision to fire a worker, try to carry out the firing promptly. Delaying can backfire. If you must wait, write a memo memorializing when and why you made the discharge decision. That documentation can help you later if the terminated worker files a lawsuit.

How HR can equip managers to drive high employee performance in 2023

02/08/2023

It’s no secret that employee engagement and performance are at all-time lows, posing significant challenges for managers and HR departments. Dubbed the “quiet quitting” epidemic by the mainstream media, employees across the country are disengaged, only putting forth the minimum effort not to get fired.

Plants at work could help reduce errors

01/31/2023

Participants in an experiment made 43% fewer errors when performing stress-inducing cognitive tasks in rooms outfitted with “air-purifying green walls” covered with plants.

Plan ahead to apply PIPs consistently, fairly

01/31/2023

When employees aren’t living up to work standards, consider placing them on a performance improvement plan that spells out what they must do to keep their jobs. While each case will be unique, it’s important to set up procedures for implementing PIPs in advance.

Worried about a new hire? ‘Salvage operation’ tips

01/25/2023

Most managers have faced this dilemma at least once in their careers: A candidate looks great on paper and gives a knockout interview; but two weeks into the new job, you’re less than enthused. You now have a choice: Cut your losses or run a salvage operation.

12 tips for your next performance review

01/18/2023

At its core, performance reviews don’t need to be complicated, says Paul Falcone, principal of Paul Falcone Workplace Leadership Consulting. Following are 12 practical tips for your HR team and managers to put into practice during their next round of performance reviews.

Boost employee morale in 2023

01/04/2023

The holidays are over; the January blahs are real. Here are two ways to boost employee morale and motivate them throughout the year.

The ghost of the pandemic says: Here’s how to motivate remote workers in 2023

12/20/2022

About 70 percent of employees now work remotely worldwide, according to Apollo Technical, a recruiting agency. Here are some of the ways they recommend motivating your far-flung workforce in the new year.

The case for remote or hybrid workplaces and the data behind it

12/14/2022

The phrase “remote work” dominates workplace conversations as companies and HR professionals migrate and adapt to this new working environment. But what’s the real story? The HR Specialist looked at some recent stats that show how employers actually implement remote work options.