The two most difficult decisions human resources professionals must make with regard to a recruit are the decision to hire them and the decision to keep them or let them go at the end of their probationary period. Determining the candidate's skill and experience is usually a relatively straightforward process. What is complicated is determining after the hire whether or not … [Read more...]
Human Resources for the 21st Century: Hiring and Training
The human resources department is an important part of any organization. From hiring new staff members to training them in an online training software, and then potentially transitioning them to a different organization, HR takes care of employees start to finish. In a knowledge economy, people, more than machines, are the major source of innovation and growth for any … [Read more...]
7 Steps to Make Workplace Bullying Clock Out
The word “bullying” is often overused and misused, but that doesn’t discount the damage of the real thing. StopBullying.gov defines it as "unwanted, aggressive behavior among school-aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance." But bullies aren’t just wreaking havoc on the playground. Bad behavior left unchecked during adolescence tends to continue into … [Read more...]
Why HR Professionals Must Know How Employees Commute
With the news that New York City and Washington D.C. have joined the trend of municipalities requiring employers of more than 20 workers to provide qualified pretax transportation benefits, a host of human resources professionals will be greeting 2016 with proposals on how this can be done. This is a trend that's not going away, so even if it hasn't hit your city yet, it's … [Read more...]
Standing Desks Less Popular in Wake of New Study
After a flurry of studies suggesting workers who sit behind desks all day were endangering their health, many human resources departments were flooded with requests for standing desks and standing meetings as well as walking consultations. Now, a new study out of the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom suggests that prolonged sitting does not actually increase … [Read more...]
Job Applicant Background Check Basics for Employers
The hiring process can be daunting. Resumes and interviews reveal only so much, and many employers want to dig deeper. A background check can be a useful tool that reveals information the applicant might want to keep secret. Before you jump to get a background check on that recent applicant, here are a few things you need to know to protect your business: 1. Get Written … [Read more...]
Why HR Professionals Become Effective Business Partners
There was a time when human resources professionals were expected to function quietly behind the scenes, to discretely deal with the paperwork of hirings and the delicacy of dismissals. A growing trend, however, is seeing more and more organizations embracing the HR manager as an active partner and contributor to key business strategies and positions. This is interesting to … [Read more...]
How the Quest for the Best Jobs Keeps HR Innovating
A shocking 86% of workers are looking for better jobs even as they work for your company, according to research completed by the Indeed Hiring Lab of Indeed.com. The mobile workforce will happily pull up stakes and head to San Francisco, Toronto, New York, and other tech-friendly cities if they get a chance, some staying in their current field of interest and some moving … [Read more...]
The Fine Art of Giving Effective Feedback
Of all the tools available to train, guide and motivate employees, the most finely balanced is the art of giving feedback. If it is too negative, it can throw the employee off their game entirely, thinking that they are doing everything wrong and can never achieve the excellence demanded by their boss. If it is too positive, it can be construed as shallow and start to … [Read more...]
Managing Shift Workers and Their Special Needs
In a global marketplace that has no time zone of geographic restrictions anymore, industry must continue to churn out goods and services 24 hours of the day, seven days a week. What was once the domain only of health care workers and emergency personnel now impacts air traffic controllers, oil refinery and power plant workers, manufacturers, restaurants and supermarkets, … [Read more...]