Apr 09 2013

3 Reasons Private Companies Need to be Transparent

Over the years, I worked with a lot of small, privately owned companies.  After awhile, you get a sense of the companies that seem to get it right and the ones that never do.  Of course, much goes into making a successful company, but I would argue that the culture is at the top of the list. 

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Mar 27 2013

What CEOs Don’t Understand About Telecommuting

First it was Yahoo, now Zappo’s CEO, Tony Hsieh has stated "we don't really telecommute" and is investing  $350 million on a new Las Vegas Office building to prove it.  These CEOs and executive’s use phrases like ” building relationships”, “improving communications and collaboration”. But does this really happen when you force people back in the office?

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Feb 26 2013

The Problem with Yahoo’s Telecommuting Decision

The recent announcement from Yahoo to force telecommuters back to the office comes on the heels of Bank of America’s announcement in December to limit it's "My Work" flex schedules.  This is a disturbing trend at a time when employees are asking for more and more flexibility and work-life balance.

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Dec 10 2012

Better Ways to Deliver Bad News

Every company has to delivery bad news now and then. It seems like the end of the year is prime time for these types of communications. Maybe the company thinks if you’re in the Holiday spirit, it won’t sound so bad.   Just recently, we saw IBM's announcement of a change to their 401k match and the NY Post reported lower Wall Street bonuses this year.  Hopefully, these firms are using these tips to deliver the message to their employees.

 

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Nov 07 2012

6 Ways to Motivate Without Money

Whether you call it motivation or employee engagement, everybody wants the same thing- a workforce that wants to show up and wants to give 100%.  But with incentive pools being cut and raises almost passé, what can you do?

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Oct 11 2012

4 Ways to Improve Employee Engagement

My father use to always say,” You’re lucky if 20% of the managers you work for are good at what they do”.  Turns out, he overshot it.  According to a recent Orion Partners study found in Management Today, less than 5% of employees have faith in their bosses’ leadership. Is it any wonder employee engagement is at record lows?

 

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Sep 28 2012

The Problem with Pre-Employment Testing

More and more job applicants are being asked to take personality tests. I’d like to believe it’s one small arrow in a quiver of screening methods, but it’s likely to be the one the company weighs the most.  A recent WSJ article discusses some of the inherent biases in this kind of testing but what else is wrong with pre-hire testing?

 

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