Memos to Managers

5 essential questions to ask your employees

03/20/2024

Don’t wait until you spot performance problems or the telltale signs of disenchantment. Take time to regularly sit down with workers to ask questions that get to the heart of their role with the company. Here are five essential questions to ask, as suggested by Susan Scott, author of Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time.

What managers need to know about hiring

02/16/2024

While legal problems can crop up during an employee’s tenure, the two events that carry the most legal risk for employers are the hiring and the departure of an employee. Hiring discrimination lawsuits are particularly dangerous. To stay out of court, managers should build their hiring process around these principles:

8 steps to becoming the manager your employees need

02/16/2024

In an effort to “empower” their staffs, too many managers take a completely hands-off approach, leaving employees alone unless they really need help. But this can create a rudderless ship, says management expert Bruce Tulgan. That’s not leadership! Here’s how effective managers provide genuine support to their employees.

3 ways to handle use of sick leave with employee well-being and productivity in mind

02/09/2024

Studies show that since the pandemic, employees are taking much-needed sick days to prioritize their physical and mental well-being. Based on data from more than 30,000 small and mid-sized businesses that use Gusto, a payroll and HR platform, 30% of all employees have taken sick leave. That’s a 42% jump compared to 2019.

How to properly train a new employee

01/24/2024

Good training doesn’t just happen. It’s the result of careful preparation and a well-developed supervisory system.

Writing job descriptions: An 8-question checklist

12/20/2023

Inaccurate or incomplete job descriptions can create costly legal risks. Here are eight questions managers should ask themselves when drafting a job description.

How to manage a remote worker experiencing performance problems

11/10/2023

Smart managers do not hesitate to address an underperforming worker. They know that rectifying the situation quickly is in the company’s best interest. This mindset holds true regardless of where the employee performs the role. Effective leaders realize, however, that root causes and possible solutions sometimes differ when the individual works remotely. Here, we look at ways to assist a struggling off-site staff member.

National-origin discrimination: What you need to know

10/25/2023

The rapidly increasing diversity of the U.S. workforce requires all managers to be aware of their legal responsibilities when dealing with applicants and employees from different races, ethnic groups and religions.

Take every opportunity to deliver positive feedback

09/27/2023

For some employees, hearing words of praise is better than a cash bonus—and such praise is a key reason people want to stay in their jobs. Yet many managers can muster up such phrases only during annual reviews … if at all. Here are 10 key ideas managers should consider when offering positive feedback to employees.

Use performance logs to simplify employee reviews

09/15/2023

It happens to every manager: You sit down to prepare a staff member’s review and realize you can remember only what the person has done the past few weeks. Or you allow only a single incident (good or bad) to color your assessment. If you’re relying solely on your memory to evaluate employee performance, you’re […]