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The Sweet (?) Smell of Workplace Security

You may soon need to ban the use of fragrances in your workplace—even if no one is allergic. Why? Because you may be using your employees’ unique body odors as their security IDs. While biometric security systems based on iris patterns or finger swirls can be breached through computer duplication, it’s more difficult for anyone […]

Documents, documents, documents: What to keep, what to shred

The hiring process has a way of creating a lot of paperwork. A single job opening can bring a flood of resumes, cover letters, and applications from a horde of hopefuls. Once the decision has been made, the question becomes what to do with the pile of documents the hiring process generates.  Recently, a group […]

What is Coaching and Mentoring?

Transformational leadership is the process of gaining performance above expectations by inspiring staff to reach beyond their potential. But what do you use to make that happen in your organization? Do you have a coaching and mentoring program? A coaching and mentoring program can help your employees reach their full potential

Train Supervisors to Be Critical Thinkers

Use the following description to teach your supervisors how the critical thinking process works. You can also go over each step of the process in more detail by describing a common workplace situation and then discussing each step trainees would follow to think critically about it. The critical thinking process begins with defining questions clearly […]

10 Most Common Errors in Performance Rating

Pay for performance is the order of the day, but you can’t have pay for performance if you can’t measure performance in a meaningful way. Unfortunately,  there are significant pitfalls to avoid when conducting your performance reviews. In today’s Advisor, we’ll get tips from expert Armstrong on how to make performance appraisals more meaningful for […]

Mind over matter: lessons on mental toughness from the Olympics

by Dan Oswald When I flipped on the television yesterday to check out the Olympics, I found myself watching the men’s Super-G Alpine skiing. By the time I had tuned in, the celebrated American skier Bode Miller was safely at the bottom of the slope and sitting in first place. This is believed to be […]

Performance Management: Do’s and Don’ts in the Real World

Makris, senior counsel at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, and Rhoma Young, of the HR consulting firm Rhoma Young & Associates, offered tips for ensuring that performance appraisals are used legally and effectively. Their suggestions came in a recent BLR®/HR Hero® audio conference. From a legal perspective, performance appraisals are important because they can help defend […]

Volkswagen’s Chattanooga workers reject UAW representation

by Bart Sisk, David Jaqua, and Valeria Gomez The votes are in, and the wait is over. In what can only be characterized as a major setback for organized labor, Volkswagen’s Chattanooga employees have voted to reject union representation by the United Auto Workers union (UAW).   Eighty-nine percent of Volkswagen’s Chattanooga employees participated in the […]

Employee Reimbursements for Uniforms: When Must a Company Provide?

According to most state laws, all employees must be reimbursed for reasonably incurred business expenses. This includes employee uniforms in some cases, which is an area some employers like to push as an employee’s responsibility. Read on for more information on when it is the responsibility of the employer to either provide the uniform or […]