Managing Employees

Diversity in the Workplace: Diversity and Inclusion Best Practices

Diversity is about more than quotas. It strengthens the heart of an organization–producing fresh perspectives, opening new markets and solidifying connections with the surrounding community. In one study, corporations that promoted diverse individuals into leadership roles improved their return on equity by nearly 50 percent.

Diversity in the workplace typically centers on traits like race, gender, age, disability or sexual orientation, but other dimensions are equally important. Companies produce better results when they recruit, retain and develop employees with different communication styles, work styles, geographic origins, socioeconomic roles and organizational experience. Here are some of the best practices from small businesses and multinational corporations: [click to continue…]

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Tips On Managing Employee Performance

Are you stuck with a problem child working on your team? Instead of avoiding the issue or filling out the pink slip, use these tips to get better results from your employees.

1. Set clear expectations and consequences early. Even though you understand the company’s mission, your employees may not. Make sure that your expectations are relevant, realistic, and treated consistently throughout the organization. All employees should know what to expect when they succeed and when they screw up.

2. Encourage participation in the employee performance process. Ask workers to link their daily tasks to team, department, and company objectives. Create an action plan with specific goals.

3. Promote self-discipline. You ultimately want employees to self-regulate their actions instead of relying on you to reward or reject every behavior. [click to continue…]

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What’s Wrong With Performance Reviews & How to Improve Performance Management

There’s an obvious reality I’ve been preaching for a while: performance reviews just don’t work.

If you’re the employer and you’re critiquing your employee one-on-one based on five set levels of performance, you’re shooting yourself — as well as your employee — in the foot. See, the real challenge is the pace of work and knowing one simple fact: things change. The way people work from, say January to March, can change. The way your employees operate with certain people can change. Finally, the level of engagement your workforce has can also change. [click to continue…]

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Strategies For Successful Supervisors

You want the best for your company, but how do you achieve results without tearing out your hair? Reduce your stress level and supercharge your workforce with these strategies on how to be a better supervisor.

Show Appreciation

Thank your employees for going beyond the usual expectations, such as helping a coworker understand the new software, staying late to complete a project, or working through lunch to make sure an order ships on time. Stop by your employee’s workspace and have a face-to-face chat; do not rely on email. You may be surprised by the impact that well-timed recognition can have.

Invest in Training

Online courses, seminars, and college classes can serve two purposes. First, it helps bring poor performers up to expectations. Second, your top performers will likely excel in new areas. Make sure you are not spending all of your time trying to boost your lowest performing employees while leaving your stars to stagnate. You may even be able to teach your replacement how to be a supervisor so you can move on to other responsibilities.

Provide Feedback

Whether an action is good or bad, address it within minutes. Do not wait until the weekly one-on-one or the year-end performance review. To discuss unusual employee behaviors, pull your employee into a private area and discuss the circumstances. Lay the groundwork for all the good you have witnessed, bring up the unacceptable actions, discuss expectations, and agree on an appropriate resolution going forward. Show appreciation when you witness your employee acting appropriately.

Become a Source of Direction and Inspiration

If you want to know how to supervise in the best way, you must understand your role. In most cases, you are responsible for administering day-to-day operations and directing employees in task completion. Always remember, however, that people are doing the work and people have special needs. Invest some time in learning how to motivate employees, how to manage without micromanaging or being too hands-off, and how to bring out talents to get the job done better.

Get more tips on interviewing, hiring, managing and engaging your employees. Dianne Shaddock is the President of Easy Small Business HR, Employee Hiring and Managing Tips and the author of the eGuide, “How To Supervise: What Your Boss Never Told You Before You Took the Job“, A Step-By-Step Guide For New and Seasoned Managers.

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