Author: Lin Grensing-Pophal, Contributing Editor

stress

Understanding the Impact Stress Has on the Workplace

Let’s face it: We can’t necessarily expect work to be fun and relaxing. We go to work to get a job done, and sometimes, that can be stressful. Particularly in for-profit companies, there is always pressure to keep costs down and to increase revenue.

conduct

How to Take Advantage of OSHA’s ‘Employee Misconduct’ Defense

Many times, when employers receive an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) citation—if not most times—they claim it wasn’t their fault, but rather the employee did something stupid. OSHA recognizes such a defense, called the “employee misconduct” defense. It is an affirmative defense, meaning the employer has the burden of proof in establishing the misconduct.

Champion

Does Your Training Program Have a Champion?

Training programs can fall victim to the same trap as many other company initiatives: Someone identifies a gap or a need; an initiative is put into place to address that shortcoming; and, without anyone taking ownership of that initiative, it slowly loses momentum and becomes another obligatory exercise the organization goes through out of habit.

Training Is Not a Silver Bullet

We talk a lot about the importance of training, and it certainly is important; however, we thought it would be appropriate to address a common pitfall many organizations encounter when it comes to employee development and organizational change: adhering to the misconception that training is a silver bullet to solve company ills.

mistake

Why Mistakes Are Great Training Opportunities

Anytime a real-world example can be provided to trainees, companies should try to find a way to leverage it to reinforce training and highlight key principles, policies, or concepts. But mistakes, in particular, can be valuable examples for several reasons.

document

Creating Documentation as an Employee Training Tool

Documentation is something every company struggles with. It takes significant time and effort to put together comprehensive documentation on company-specific information such as how homegrown software or other tools work; which positions are responsible for which tasks or are the best resources for particular issues; industry-specific knowledge; etc.

ecosystem

The Modern HR Ecosystem—Disruption and Opportunity

There’s a new approach to an old HR problem: artificial intelligence (AI). Our goal remains the same, though—hiring great talent and offering a great employee experience. Securing and retaining human capital that is aligned with the company’s core values is paramount. Emerging AI and machine learning (ML) technologies will have a significant impact across the HR function.