Estimated reading time: 4 minutes Managers can learn a lot of things on the job. For example, how to approve timecards or the steps to conducting a legal and effective interview. But there are some skills that organizations want to see in managers from day one. So, if you’re an HR professional trying to communicate performance expectations for the management team, this list might be helpful. Or, if you’re an …

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes Regardless of your opinions about the traditional annual performance appraisal, organizations still need to have a process for managing performance successfully. The process of performance management is a way to provide feedback, accountability, and documentation for performance outcomes. Even organizations that are “ditching” the annual review aren’t abandoning accountability, feedback, and documentation. So, it’s important for organizations to create a process that aligns with their …

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes A couple years ago, I wrote an article about all the different HR certifications that are available. There are quite a few and if you’re considering a certification, you’ll want to weigh what is best for you and your career. One other thing to consider when it comes to certifications is how recertification works. I believe this is as important as the certification for a …

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes In Daniel Pink’s book “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us”, he talks about the three elements for high performance: purpose, mastery, and autonomy. Today I want to focus on the mastery component. Please note, this isn’t to say that the other two elements aren’t important. Organizations should design work that has meaning and purpose. And, I’ve written several articles about autonomy and the …

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes We often talk about the importance of managers building good relationships with employees and even their boss. But I don’t know that we spend enough time talking about the importance of managers building good working relationships with their peers. Something I liked about the PMQ was that, in the context of building a manager peer network, HR could be included as a part of that …

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes I have fallen in love with the Apple TV show “Ted Lasso”. I know nothing about association football (aka soccer), but the overall vibe of the show is just wonderful. Even when things aren’t going as planned for the characters. In fact, there’s one scene from Season 1 that’s become a little joke between me and Mr. Bartender. When team captain Roy Kent is struggling …

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes During the pandemic, I started reading a few curated electronic newsletters focused on self and home. I totally blame them for our sourdough starter project and the fact that I’m reading a Reddit thread on retro library music. Over time, these newsletters have expanded their focus to include remote work, which totally makes sense. One of them – and I apologize because I can’t remember …

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes (Editor’s Note: Today’s article is brought to you by our friends at Criteria, a leading provider of pre-employment testing services. To learn more about how pre-employment testing can benefit your talent acquisition strategy, check out Criteria’s “Definitive Guide to Pre-Employment Testing”. I’ve found it to be a comprehensive guide that I keep handy all the time. Enjoy!)  With all the talk about today’s labor market, organizations cannot afford to …

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes I believe as a general rule, people want to find themselves in whatever their version of success looks like. I also believe that defining what success looks like can be really hard. Maybe one of the reasons that we’re reluctant to define success is because if we do and then we don’t achieve it…well, that’s often called failure. And we’ve attached a negative connotation to …

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes I read an article over on the site AIHR Digital recently that captured my attention. It’s titled “How to Make Your Organization More Life-Friendly”. What caught my attention was the part about “life friendly”. I thought author Suzanne Lucas (you might know her as Evil HR Lady) made a valid point about the difference between family friendly and life friendly. I tend to stay out …