Maintaining Productivity During Vacation Season
Vacation season is almost upon us. Days of fun in the sun and all that goes with the more relaxed nature of summer is just around the corner. And although you fully believe in the benefits of vacation time, you admit to a smidge of nerves, a tiny ruffling of your managerial feathers when you peer at the full vacation calendar. The benefits of time away from the job, as well as your daily rituals and responsibilities, are well-established. But it’s your job to make sure it’s “business as usual” during those vacationing days of summer. You know, that the…
Building Effective Teams – Part II
What is the foundation of an effective, productive team? In the same way that a building requires a sturdy foundation to stabilize the structure, an effective team must have a defined and understood purpose on which to build. Why are we here and what are we trying to accomplish, are questions that must have definable answers. Each member must be able to grasp their contribution to the effort and understand their role on the team. Knowing where you’re headed, why you need to get there, and when you need to arrive are crucial to a team’s success. But the one ingredient…
Management’s Role in Effective Teamwork – Part I
Everyone knows that teamwork works. A team effort allows for the workload to be shared and distributed according to each member’s skills and strengths. It’s a manifestation of the “many hands make light work” idiom. A productivity-enhancing, efficiency-building proposition, described by the acronym: Together Everyone Accomplishes More. And of course, management plays a vital role in the success or failure of those teams the company is counting on. Because teams work—except when they don’t. But more about that later. How does the boss/department head pull together an effective team? The fact of the matter is that not every employee has…
4 Strategies – Snag the Brightest and Best of 2018 Grads
Results from the 47th annual “Recruiting Trends” survey notes the 2017-18 academic year will represent the eighth consecutive year of steady hiring expansion, the longest stretch since such stats have been tracked. “The overall hiring outlook is white-hot,” says Jeff Kauflin. While this is fantastic news for the nearly three million college students who will walk across graduation stages this spring, it’s a challenging time for recruiters and hiring managers. Will your company snag the brightest among this new crop of job candidates? What strategies will provide the best opportunity to get these eager young men and women on your…
Qualities to Expect in 2018 College Grads
The 2017-18 graduates will be awarded 1 million associate degrees, 1.9 million bachelor degrees, and 790,000 masters degrees, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. This group represents a bounty of young adults eager to launch or further their careers in the real world. Aside from the necessary skills and training needed for their open positions, what qualities should recruiters and hiring managers look for among this crop of potential employees? The 3 “Rs” Reliability Review the graduate’s work experience or extra-curricular activities for demonstrated evidence that he/she can be trusted and counted on to perform well consistently. Resilience…
EVP: What It Is & What It Can Do for Your Company
Are you missing out on a fab opportunity to impact just about every aspect of your business for the long-term? If you’re not familiar with or have brushed aside the re-emerging concept labeled “Employee Value Proposition”—EVP for short—then yes, you are missing out. Heralded as the solution to the talent retention dilemma in this highly competitive labor market, EVP is the definition/explanation of what an employer expects from his employees merged with what the company provides in return for the skills, capabilities, and experience this valued workforce brings to the company. “Your EVP is the value that employees gain in…