Blog

What Motivates Employees in a Telecommuting Environment

May 29, 2012 | Work Environment and Policies

Allowing employees to work from home can be a great benefit to both the company and worker.  Beyond the benefits, it could be difficult to engage employees working remotely.  And, it’s not for everyone.  Some individuals are not necessarily the most productive when working in a home environment.  So, what should you do to motivate and engage your virtual employees?

Onboarding Process for New Leaders and Managers - How to Reduce the Risk of Failure

May 13, 2012 | Employee Onboarding

You have just hired a senior leader for a newly created role at your company.  It has taken an expensive headhunter months to find the right person and tomorrow is her first day on the job.  How do you ensure your onboarding process is successful so that you quickly see a return on your investment?

12 Great Questions to Ask Employees to Assess Employee Engagement

May 03, 2012 | Work Environment and Policies

You don’t have to be an undercover boss to find out what your employees think of your organization.  Employees are willing to give their all when they feel genuinely appreciated and when they’re asked for their opinion.

Organizational Development and its Importance to Your Business

April 17, 2012 | Work Environment and Policies

If your profits are down, your performance is weak, the competition is passing you by, and your productivity is waning, Organizational Development (OD) is an imperative tool for your business.  Through working with your people processes and organizational systems, you can improve performance in individuals, teams and your entire organization using OD methods and tools.

Verbal Threats in the Workplace Considered Serious Offence under Bill 168

March 06, 2012 | Work Environment and Policies

Workplace violence includes statements or behaviours “that [are] reasonable for a worker to interpret as a threat to exercise physical force against the worker, in a workplace, that could cause physical injury to the worker.” (Section 1(c) Bill 168).  This definition was recently put to the test in a landmark arbitration decision in Kingston, ON whereby the arbitrator upheld the employer’s decision to terminate the employment of a veteran employee, with 28 years of service, for verbally threatening her co-worker; in this case, the Union President.

Onboarding – how to get the greatest ROI in the shortest amount of time

February 21, 2012 | Employee Onboarding

Whether you have moved a current employee into a new department or hired a new employee from externally, it is important to have a solid onboarding program in place.  An effective onboarding process will enable your employee to contribute value in his/her new role as quickly as possible, and will lower the risk of turnover within the first year of hire.

Conducting Effective and Meaningful Performance Appraisals

February 07, 2012 | Performance Management

Timely and meaningful feedback supported by facts, examples and observations is key to getting the most out of your performance appraisal process.

Checklist for How to Hire Your First Employee

January 29, 2012 | Recruitment

The good news is your business is booming.  The bad news is you can’t keep up.  Thinking about hiring your first employee is exciting.  This blog provides you with advice and a checklist on how to successfully hire your first employee.

17 Common Recruiting Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

December 31, 2011 | Recruitment

Recruitment is a process that should be followed sequentially to avoid expensive mistakes. Hiring managers are often frustrated by what they perceive to be unnecessary bureaucratic steps and tend to take shortcuts.

Retaining Talent starts with Onboarding

December 14, 2011 | Employee Onboarding

The idea of onboarding has been around for quite some time, and it used to be known as New Employee Orientation.  Onboarding is more about retaining talent than getting people settled in their new job.