Employee Relations

Back ‘gut’ decisions with objective criteria

05/30/2012

Most managers want to choose the best candidate for the job. But assessing what constitutes “best” can often feel a bit subjective. That’s OK. Just make sure you can point to some objective factor that backs up your choice.

Promoted to manager? 10 survival tips for rookie bosses

05/29/2012

There’s a huge difference between mastering a specific task and managing employees. Supervision requires a different skill set that, for many rookie managers, doesn’t come as easy as doing the work. Here are 10 tips to help new managers transition into their roles.

How to Establish an Employee Mentoring Program

05/25/2012

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Poor performer? Give examples during review

05/25/2012

Not every new hire works out. Chances are, you’ll realize early on that you made a hiring mistake. You’ll want to give the employee a chance to improve, but you’ll also want to protect the company in the event of a lawsuit. To do that, provide a detailed and thorough performance review that includes specific examples and suggestions.

Employees use work skills to improve communities

05/23/2012

ARAMARK employees are putting the culinary, hospitality, nutrition and facilities management skills they use at work to good use in their communities as well. The Philadelphia-based professional services company has devoted more than $7 million to its volunteer and philanthropic program.

Motivate employees through better communication

05/22/2012

When it comes to retaining and motivating employees, compensation is important, but communication is key. Especially for a company with a combination of on-site and virtual employees, regular, required communication between management and staff—and among peers—is essential.

Patience, careful documentation pay off when disciplining underperforming employees

05/21/2012

Reasonable employers always fare better in court than unreasonable ones. That’s one reason to keep careful disciplinary records showing everything you did to help an employee perform well despite obvious problems. If he’s ultimately terminated, the court probably won’t second-guess the decision.

Kil-A-Watt contest makes employees energy-aware

05/21/2012

The Fairmont Hotel Resorts Kea Lani on Maui, Hawaii, got a lot of publicity, recruited a few new hires and taught its own staff a thing or two about energy conservation by lending Kil-A-Watt meters to its employees.

Art helps employees better understand their colleagues

05/18/2012

Employees of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services are tapping their inner art critics to better understand their co-workers. In partnership with the Detroit Institute of Arts, the company is exposing workers to the work of artistic masters in a setting where they can express their views on the artwork—and learn about their colleagues.

Best defense against harassment complaints: Robust policy and prompt investigations

05/14/2012

HR professionals can’t be everywhere at once, making sure no boss ever harasses a subordinate. It will happen, even in the best, most progressive organizations. Protect against such nonsense with a robust anti-harassment policy …