The Walking Dead finished its fifth season in March, and I have to admit I enjoy a story that involves supernatural creatures in the apocalypse. Without giving too much away, this season saw our band of survivors joining a group of people who had built a small, walled-in community. Their leader is a politician who […]
How Employees Can Have a Good Relationship with their HR Department
I have friends who have said to me, “I never go to HR because they aren’t helpful.” While I know there are some HR people out there that warrant such a statement, I have worked with and met a number of HR professionals who dedicate themselves to improving the workplace and advocating for employees. It […]
Real Life Lessons from Fictional Workplaces
With all the years I have spent in HR, it is hard to turn off the HR part of my brain when watching a movie or TV show or reading a book. I start analyzing the fictional workplaces I encounter, and I have even used them as examples during presentations. Even though things can get […]
How I Learned to Love Workplace Investigations
It is Friday afternoon. You are sitting at your desk, sending out a few final emails, finishing up the last of the reference calls on your list and using the remaining minutes to make a list of the candidates you want to call for phone interviews on Monday. The weekend is just moments away when […]
Accommodating Mental Health Impairments in the Workplace
According to the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), 25% of adults experience a mental health impairment each year.1 Mental health impairments are invisible disabilities in that we cannot necessarily see the signs of the disability. Some employers may see this as a challenge because the accommodation the employee needs is not always obvious. In addition, there […]
What the First Few Days of Employment Should Look Like
You wrote a good job description, posted ads, screened applicants, created awesome interview questions, checked references and finally hired someone you think will fit in well at your company. Now what? The first few days of employment are really important in building an employment relationship that will last. After all the energy we put into […]
You’re Fired! Tips for Conducting Termination Meetings
In my last post, I offered some tips for conducting exit interviews when an employee voluntarily leaves a job. This week we will tackle what to do when you have to tell an employee they need to go. Terminations are one of my least favorite parts of HR. Even in situations where the employee did […]
Tips for Improving Exit Interviews
If exit interviews at your company consist of handing over an employee’s final check and sending them on their way, it might be time to update your exit interview process. There is a lot to be gained from talking to departing employees. Understanding why people are leaving can do a lot in the ever present […]
Why Teamwork is not a One-Size-Fits-All Approach
In many of my jobs, I have heard the constant refrain that teamwork is the best way to accomplish anything. I had one boss who told me that I need to stretch out of my comfort zone when I grumbled about the endless push for teamwork. While I do find value in collaborating with others, […]
Care and Compassion are Vital HR Skills
When we look at the standard HR job description, we usually see things like knowledge of federal and state labor laws and experience with workplace investigations, benefits, training, safety, recruiting and strategic planning. It is not common to see something about the ability to care for employees on the list of requirements even though it […]