When it comes to interviewing, most potential candidates prepare their canned responses for those oh-so-predictable interview questions. But how well can you really test interviewees when they don’t have to think on their feet? How can you judge their creativity, worldview, critical thinking, and troubleshooting abilities when they know what to expect? The answer: You…
Social media has made some work boundaries a little blurry. We’ve talked about whether or not it’s okay to friend your employees on Facebook in the past, and this time we’re talking about social media policies. When it comes to social media, employees want to know how do you keep your personal life personal, and professional life…
So, let’s say you’ve been working for a company for a while, and you really want to find a way to accomplish some new tasks or take on new roles with your position. You’re ambitious, hungry, and ready for a challenge. But that means figuring out how to convince your boss that A) You’re ready…
Missing deadlines is a common occurrence in the world of small business. No one is to blame (or everyone is to blame) and there are no real consequences — until the owner wakes up one morning and says, “Hey, weren’t we supposed to be finished with this project by now? What happened?” There are plenty…
When starting your small business, you should be aware of the impact Human Resources can have on everything your company does. HR is responsible for supporting the business by handling hiring, firing, and classifying employees, as well as investigations. Some of the most common HR problems for all businesses but especially new businesses, include: Recruitment…
You’ve probably heard a lot lately about this idea of employee engagement. There are some scary statistics being thrown around; two-thirds of workers are less than fully engaged in their jobs (Aon Hewitt, 2013) with 18% “actively disengaged” (Gallup, 2013). I know when I read those stats I think, “Well, big businesses are like that….
I’ve been chatting with friends about my recent employee dress code post. They were all pretty surprised when I casually mentioned talking with my boss, Brad, about it. Apparently my friends don’t — and wouldn’t dare to — have an open discussion with their own bosses about what they should or shouldn’t wear to the office, how they feel…
Terence has been a solid team member the last 4 years, and in the last 18 months has really become an essential part of the team. When you hired him right out of school you got a real steal — the economy was down, you could tell he was smart — so you hired him…
You get back from a meeting at 1:30 p.m. and your office is ghost town. Where did everyone go? You know your staff usually breaks for lunch around noon but they can’t be gone this long – or can they? About 15 minutes later, the whole bunch walks in, laughing and having a great ol’ time. They…
Many small-business owners take pride in saying that “we’re like family” when talking about their business. When they say this, they are referring to the fact that people who work for their company care for one another, are willing to pitch in and help with whatever needs doing, and feel like they belong or have…