Productivity / Performance

Fire blatant rule-breakers–even ‘top producers’

11/01/2010

Some employees think that being the best employee in a division or company means not having to follow the rules. That isn’t true and can be downright damaging to morale. If you decide to fire the employee because of disruptive and uncooperative behavior, don’t worry that he’ll win a lawsuit just by virtue of productivity.

4 steps for implementing a variable pay program

10/26/2010

Making variable pay work requires lots of interaction throughout the organization before, during and after implementation. As the business unit most likely in charge of implementation, it’s up to HR to make sure that happens. Here’s how to do it.

Sudden discipline problems? Check for retaliation by boss

10/25/2010

Some supervisors get angry when an employee complains about alleged discrimination. Then they may look for an excuse to discipline the employee. Watch for such sudden complaints of “poor performance.” If the worker was formerly a good employee and now suddenly is not, you may be staring down a sudden outbreak of retaliation.

Mopey workers? 8 ways to snap ’em out of it

10/18/2010

The economy isn’t the only thing that’s in a slump these days. Plenty of workers are in the doldrums, too. They feel stuck in their jobs because new ones are hard to come by. They can’t afford to retire. So they’re not performing as well as employees who look at their jobs as labors of love. Here’s how HR can help get them back on track.

The 4 key factors to keep ’em happy & in their seats

10/14/2010

The “at least I have a job” feeling is starting to wear off among employed Americans. After years of taking on new duties at their old pay, many are feeling overworked, underpaid and underpromoted. Two in five of them are seeking new jobs. Here are four key things your employees will look for elsewhere if you’re not providing it:

The HR I.Q. Test: October ’10

10/13/2010

Test your knowledge of recent trends in employment law, comp & benefits and other HR issues with our monthly mini-quiz …

Planning for productivity: What time are workers at their best?

10/07/2010

Tackle important projects in the morning and don’t plan brainstorming sessions for the afternoon. That’s the message of a new survey that says employee productivity peaks from 10 a.m. to noon and hits a wall from 4 to 5 p.m.

Bonuses bounce back, but bar is set higher

10/06/2010

The days of organizations handing out bonuses like Halloween candy seem to be over. While employers have returned to awarding bonuses in 2010, they’re attaching more strings than ever and are more likely to look at “hard” financial performance metrics when making variable pay decisions.

9 strategies for unleashing employees’ creativity

10/05/2010

Does your company’s success depend on employee innovation? It’s important for managers to let employees know they value initiative and creativity and that people who question will be rewarded—not labeled as troublemakers. Here are nine tips your managers can use to remove barriers to employee innovation.

Poor attitude and work ethic? Don’t give that promotion

10/01/2010

You want to promote the most capable and promising employees and encourage low performers to improve. That may mean pointing out some painful realities when an employee is passed over for promotion. Done sensitively, pointing out poor attitude and lack of a strong work ethic won’t fuel a lawsuit.