The Human Resource: Building trust with employees

Is employee morale a concern in your business? Is there extensive gossip in your workforce that distracts from getting the job done? Do you get the sense employees are “checked out” and not focused on the business goals? If any of these situations resonate with you, read on. In prior columns, we have discussed engagement, and a major component of engagement is trust. This is…

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The Human Resource: Engagement starts with leadership

If you have ever solicited an employee engagement survey and became surprised at the results you are not effectively demonstrating or holding accountable the right individuals in your leadership and management to achieve the desired results. Engagement begins with leadership and ends with the supervisor-employee relationship in which the supervisor is promulgating the culture and information necessary to achieve success. Generally, the results of a…

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The Human Resource: Harassment prevention training

If you have watched or heard any of the attest news highlights in recent weeks, the topic of sexual harassment is popping up all over the country and across industries.  Increased education and awareness of the behaviors and conduct that lead to violations of employee’s rights in the workplace have and will continue to lead to an increase in complaints and litigation.  Ignorance in this…

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The Human Resource: Five critical HR planning

The most important piece of advice we can provide you as you review the planning steps below, critical to HR, in the coming year is this: Strategic human resource management planning is not to be treated separate and apart from all your other strategic planning for the business. The human capital asset of your business must be tied closely to all your other financial, operational,…

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The Human Resource: Employee breaks cost

Before we even get into the core message of this article, be sure to check if your business is even obligated to provide a break to your employees under federal or state law. In many jurisdictions, there is no legal mandate forcing an employer to provide workers over the age of 18 any breaks whatsoever. In other states, such as Delaware, state law covers “meal…

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The Human Resource: Investing in your employees

From the moment you hire a new employee, you should be considering the competitive advantage you gain by developing the skills and capabilities of the employee. To do this effectively, examine the needs of your business to meet current skill gaps and when hiring fills these gaps with individuals who can make the most immediate and sustained impact for you. However, do not neglect what…

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The Human Resource: Calculate the cost of a bad hire

Regardless of how effective your recruitment process may be, there will be times when a new employee simply cannot effectively or successfully perform the job they were hired for. Further, there are times that an applicant is simply successful at getting through the process without the necessary skills and expertise to perform the role well. The result? A bad hire. The purpose of this article…

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The Human Resource: Teach employees to share

Perhaps you remember the old-fashioned and antiquated business approach to employee engagement formerly known as the “suggestion box.” This was the method used by many organizations to allow employees to share ideas and thoughts about what to do differently in the workplace. Instead of finding a way to directly engage the workforce, a box would be stationed in the workplace for employees to drop in…

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The Human Resource: Difficult decisions

It is not uncommon for a small business owner to face a decision that has significant consequences to the company. What may not be common, is when the decision requires the business owner to decide what is good for the business, or what is good for an employee. These situations go right to the core of leadership capabilities that influence the owner’s ability to see…

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The Human Resource: Enhancing meeting productivity

If “It feels like we do nothing but meet to meet,” or “Nothing ever gets done at our meetings” are common statements made at your organization regarding the productivity and effectiveness of your staff meetings, this article is for you. In this edition of The Human Resource, I present to you two strategies to increase engagement and participation in staff meetings, and ultimately the productivity…

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The Human Resource: Policy versus practice

As a business owner, it is a great feeling when you have examined your workforce and designed an effective infrastructure for your employment practices. Policies were carefully and deliberately designed to educate the workforce on expectations, communicate benefits and programs, and establish guidelines for workplace behavior and job performance. Prior to issuance of these policies, you examined the regulatory obligations of your organization and established…

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