Expert Advice
How PowerPoint Can Kill Your Career
By Jay Forte Wednesday Jun 9, 2010I recently guest-hosted an MBA class for a PhD colleague of mine. Though the focus of the class was global human resources, each class starts with one or two teams of students presenting an overview of the critical concepts in particular chapters in their text. The first team presented slide after slide of small text and, as most novice presenters do, read the content of the PowerPoint slides to the class. One by one every head in the class nodded off. No learning was happening. I had to stop the mental massacre.
Hiring Mistake #4: Snap Judgments
By Barry Deutsch Tuesday Jun 8, 2010It’s a familiar hiring scenario: The candidate walks in sharply dressed and looking good. He’s got a winning smile and a firm handshake. He exudes confidence and assertiveness. He loves to play golf, just as you do. And, it turns out, he even graduated from the same college. The candidate makes such a good first impression that you can’t help but like the guy. But as you go through the interview, you discover he doesn’t quite have the job skills and aptitude you’re looking for. Nevertheless, you decide to “go with your gut” and extend the candidate an offer.
Free Agents: A Cheaper, Better Way to Staff
By Jay Forte Tuesday Jun 8, 2010My clients keep me tightly connected to the attitudes and challenges in the workplace. And though some clients are rigidly and inexplicably connected to outdated systems and approaches, more are open to new ideas so long as the discussion remains about performance and results (as it always should).
The Pitfalls of Banning Tattoos at the Office
By Ira Wolfe Tuesday Jun 8, 2010We make hundreds of judgments about people every day, many of them based on personal preferences. Personal prejudices don't stop at the office door either. This poses a particularly compromising situation for employers.
Is Your Business IT Compliant? That's Just the Beginning
By Kevin Beaver Tuesday Jun 8, 2010Operating systems, mobile devices, you name it — it's amazing how the more things change in IT, the more they stay the same. When it comes to keeping sensitive information under wraps, IT compliance is no exception.
Manager's Dilemma: The Case of the Misdirected Email
By Jay Forte Monday Jun 7, 2010In this week's Manager's Dilemma, I discuss an all-too familiar situation that a client of mine recently encountered: what happens when an employee's email criticizing the company ends up in the boss's inbox?
Hiring Mistake #3: Thinking Experience Matters
By Barry Deutsch Monday Jun 7, 2010Did your last help wanted ad read like a drive-thru menu at a fast food restaurant? Most job ads contain a long list of requirements, such as 12 years of industry experience, an MBA, a CPA or this skill or that certification. As the resumes come in and hiring managers begin the screening process, they check off those boxes one by one as if they were ordering items from a fast-food menu.
What Your Health Care Business Doesn't Know About E-Records
By Kevin Beaver Monday Jun 7, 2010Earlier this year, when I first saw this press release about 2010 being a pivotal year for the health care industry, I was curious if it was going to come to fruition. PR and marketing hype are often short-lived, but put a seemingly unlimited supply of taxpayer dollars (via Obama's HITECH Act) behind something such as electronic health records and it's got substance. It looks like health care IT is finally moving into the 20th century.
Manager's Dilemma Solved: When Employee Funk Is Killing Your Business
By Jay Forte Monday Jun 7, 2010Last week I introduced a problem many organizations are dealing with — low employee morale brought on by layoffs and other internal changes due to the recession.
Putting Today's Jobs Report in Perspective
By Ira Wolfe Friday Jun 4, 2010According to a recent report published by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University, we’ve just lived through ”The Katrina of Recessions.” While some might argue that we are still living in the recession (as Friday's jobs data on private-sector hiring suggest), few would disagree that American attitudes toward work are forever altered.