Displaying All Posts tagged with human resources

5 Ways to Improve Company Culture

A lot of businesses have a hard time quantifying their company culture.

In the absence of a formal vision and a strategy to support it, culture usually devolves into variations on the “golden rule.”

Be nice.

Respect your co-workers.

Avoid gossip.

Or, as Michael Scott of NBC’s The Office eloquently puts it: Click Here to Read Article …

Office Bullying Guide: 5 Tips for Managers

It’s scary but true.

A recent report by a law firm has revealed one-third of employees have been bullied in the workplace.

The repercussions are huge.

While a third of those affected say they did nothing for fear of losing their job or hurting their career prospects, a large number of victims are remonstrating in ways that have financial impact on the business.

Either by taking paid leave due to stress; resigning and, effectively, walking away from the career you’ve both invested in; or in extreme cases, beginning legal proceedings in which you, the business owner, are held accountable.

Therefore, bullying strikes a moral and financial blow. Which means it is your responsibility as a small business owner to be vigilant. What should you do? Click Here to Read Article …

5 Ways to Talk Politics at Work

politics at work

“Don’t hug a boa constrictor” is absolutely good advice that you should always take.

“Pull the rip cord” is also solid guidance.

“Don’t talk politics at work” is pretty good advice in some ways.

Yet, democratic nations pride themselves on affording freedoms, including the freedom to express oneself.

Having and voicing viewpoints can develop richer workplace relationships that will lead to some solid collaborations.

Or, maybe talking politics on the job is just inevitable. Here are some tips for expressing honest opinions in a way that will help you avoid trouble and offending your peers. Click Here to Read Article …

10 Tips to Keep Employees Happy

happy employees

As job-hopping millennials infiltrate the workforce, employers need to be aware of the value of keeping their employees happy.

Considering the time and money investments associated with the hiring and training processes, it makes much more sense to keep current employees than take on the challenge of bringing in new ones.

So how do you keep employees happy?

The best place to start for employers is to understand why people quit their jobs and, conversely, what makes people stay. Click Here to Read Article …

Why Employee vs. Independent Contractor Classification Matters [INFOGRAPHIC]

Why Employee vs. Independent Contractor Classification Matters [INFOGRAPHIC]

Although some may overlook it, classifying someone as either an employee or a contract worker matters for both businesses owners and employees.

Businesses can face issues with the IRS for improper employee classification, and employees may be getting the short end of the employment stick if they are improperly classified in terms of both pay and benefits.

This infographic, compiled by Wunderland, a creative staffing agency, provides useful information for both business owners and job seekers about the differences between being classified as an independent contractor vs. being classified as an employee.

It also covers what you need to know about job mis-classification along with the risks of improper job classification, and how to protect yourself at work.

Here are some key points to note:

  • As an employee, much of the burden of the work falls on the employer, from training to providing you a computer and other resources to assuring your taxes are being paid from your wages.
  • A company can try to take advantage of an employee by improperly classifying them as an independent contractor.
  • Employers can work with a staffing firm to avoid mis-classification and IRS tax audits.

Check out the full infographic below and let us know your thoughts in the comments!

contractor vs employee

 

What do you think? Is it easy to distinguish an employee from a contract worker in your line of work?

How to Succeed at a Job Interview

When confronted with the scrutiny of selection interviews, many of us feel threatened, embarrassed, uptight, overwhelmed by emotion and totally uncomfortable. It’s not easy to accept a perfect stranger dig intrusively in the world of your experience, aspirations and dreams, even if it’s meant to be just a neuter discussion about career issues.

However, it’s good to know that butterflies in the stomach are not a pre-requisite to a hiring interview. Here are some tips & tricks to avoid recruitment traps and turn a ghastly encounter in a friendly chat. Click Here to Read Article …

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The Good Manager’s Guide: Conducting an Employee Evaluation

Employee evaluations (or staff appraisals) should be an enlightening experience for both parties involved. These reviews should be in no way intimidating for either you or your employee. However, for a lot of people the process has become exactly that. The reasons for these discouraging occurrences can range from when the evaluation takes place to how the reviewer handles the evaluation process. Here’s a guide to help you create a positive employee evaluation procedure in your workplace.

Deciding When to Conduct Employee Reviews

The first thing required for a successful employee evaluation program is a solid review schedule. You need to know when the evaluations will take place and how you plan on notifying your employees of their upcoming performance reviews. It is important to decide how many times per year you want to do employee reviews. While some companies only hold one single evaluation per year, other companies will conduct more informal (or “mini”) reviews once or twice before that yearly review is conducted. This practice can be beneficial to all involved — it cuts down on the time that the formal review takes. Periodic “mini-reviews” also allow the employees time to improve on weaker areas of work before the dreaded formal evaluation takes place.
Click Here to Read Article …

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Health Savings Account: A Year in Review

Back in August of last year, I wrote an article here that asked if you should you switch to a Health Savings Account.This article was popular – and garnered some controversy. I think the controversy was due to the fact that there is still a large percentage of the population who are misinformed on what a High Deductible Health Plan with a Health Savings Account(HDHP/HSA) really entails.
Click Here to Read Article …

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