Communication

Checklist: 15 questions to ask employees in their first 60 days

05/18/2010

How’s that new hire fitting in? To find out, have managers meet with their new employees within the first 60 days. The goal: Discover what new hires like and dislike about the job and environment, see if the job meets their expectations and nip potential problems in the bud. These 15 questions can steer the conversation.

What do employees want from their managers?

05/14/2010

Inspiring leader … Quiet problem-solver … Compassionate mentor. Different employees crave different things from their managers. Unless you’re a mind reader, it’s impossible to know exactly what your staff wants from you. But a survey of 500 U.S. employees—published in the book, What People Want, by Terry Bacon—reveals what matters most to workers.

E-Mail and Internet Usage: Legal Risks & Sample Policy

05/11/2010

Employers have any number of legitimate reasons to monitor employees’ e-mail and Internet usage. Beyond personal productivity issues, you risk significant loss should an employee download a virus or other damaging software or engage in illegal activity conducted on company computers. Here’s a discussion of the risks, plus a sample policy …

5 keys to boosting participation in your health plan

04/27/2010

Innovative employers are applying five new principles when they talk to employees about health and health insurance. As you look for ways to encourage employees to be active, informed consumers of the health benefits you offer, see how many you can incorporate into your own communication plans.

Hold shorter, more effective meetings

04/27/2010

Cut down on meeting time by remembering the three purposes for having a meeting in the first place: to inform, to gather input or to ask for approval. Tell attendees which of those goals your meeting will achieve.

Once is not enough! Promote perks year-round

04/23/2010

For too many employers, benefits communication consists of handing an annual statement to workers and saying, “See you next year.” However, a new survey says U.S. workers’ biggest complaint about their employee benefits isn’t cost or access—it’s that employees don’t really understand the benefits they already have. Here are inexpensive ways HR can educate employees year-round:

For savings & inspiration, meet in other boardrooms

04/20/2010

Looking for a place to host your next off-site meeting? Some companies are hosting them at other companies’ offices, according to a recent Wall Street Journal Report.

Base health communication strategies on 5 behavioral quirks

03/19/2010

When researchers at HR consulting giant Towers Watson were compiling new stats on 2010 employer health care costs, they uncovered some fascinating findings from the world of behavioral economics that innovative employers are applying to their health communication efforts. As you look for ways to encourage employees to be active, informed consumers of the health benefits you offer, see how many you can incorporate into your own communication plans.

Having ‘the talk’: Wise words for discipline discussions

03/12/2010

Serving as an effective manager means confronting those “challenging” employees who, while typically good at their jobs, too often display unprofessional or obnoxious behavior. The best way to tackle such problems is to meet with employees right when you spot the problem behavior. Follow these guidelines, which have the side benefit of protecting the organization from employee claims that they weren’t treated fairly.

‘Unwonk’ your company mission statement; give employees a quantifiable goal

03/09/2010

Do your employees truly understand your organization’s mission? Heck, do you even understand it? Sometimes, putting a one-sentence mission on paper for all to see can help focus and motivate a workforce. And while mission statements can be valuable, they must articulate real targets. Otherwise, they sound too much like a corporate Hallmark card.