Human Resources 101

Survey Reveals Managers’ Most Embarrassing Moments at Work
MENLO PARK, CA — Sitting in a dunk tank may be business as usual for a circus performer, but how about a corporate executive? Strange but true, some managers have made a splash – literally – in front of colleagues. In fact, in a recent survey, sitting in [...]

Susan M. Heathfield answers some of the general frequently asked questions questions she receives, about Human Resources.
Human Resources: General Questions
Want basic information about human resources including a definition? Career planning, a career outlook and more? I’ve answered some of the questions about human resources that I receive most frequently in email. I trust the responses [...]

Heather Hamilton posts some tips on the Post-Interview Thank You note:

Keep it brief
Refer to your interview conversation
Be objective about your performance in the interview 
Write the note, even if they said no
Hand-written notes are preferable

Read it all at Heather’s Marketing
Technorati Tags: Recruiting, Job+hunting, Interview+tips

BEELINER SURVEYS DEVELOPS TOOL FOR HUMAN RESOURCES AND TRAINING PROFESSIONALS TO COLLECT AND MANAGE EMPLOYEE DATA
New Survey Software Provides Affordable, Web-based Tool to Easily Manage
Employee Communications and Evaluate Training and Hiring Practices
December 5, 2005 — Cambridge, MA — Spinfish/ROG, Inc. today introduced
Beeliner HR & Training, a customized version of its flagship online survey
software product, enabling [...]

NAIT using SuperNet to train apprentices in their communities
Edmonton… Classes are underway and going well for 21 apprentices taking training through video conferencing over Alberta’s SuperNet. The pilot project, which is offered through NAIT and is the first of its kind in Alberta, allows apprentices to take the in-class portion of their training without having [...]

Listening is a way to acknowledge someone and increase the speaker’s self-esteem. It’s the listener’s way of saying “You are important and I am not judging you.”
10 Tips for Effective Listening:

Shut up! Okay, that’s a little harsh, but you can’t listen if you’re talking.
Eliminate distractions. Close the door, turn off the telephone, stop reading [...]

Listening is a way to acknowledge someone and increase the speaker’s self-esteem. It’s the listener’s way of saying “You are important and I am not judging you.”
10 Tips for Effective Listening:

Shut up! Okay, that’s a little harsh, but you can’t listen if you’re talking.
Eliminate distractions. Close the door, turn off the telephone, stop reading [...]

As a manager/supervisor, you just can’t do it all. To achieve effective results, you need to able to delegate projects and work to others.  By effective delegation, you communicate to your employees that you have confidence in their ability to complete a job or project. (Again, don’t dump your garbage on your employees.)
Here are some [...]

Praise a specific task or job. Go beyond generalizations when acknowledging good performance. Point out the specific behaviour(s) that caught your attention. “I appreciated the extra time you put in getting the widget report for this morning’s meeting.” is better than, “You’re doing good work.”
Arrange for performance recognition from the boss. When an extra-mile job [...]

I dislike the presumption that employers empowering employees. I believe this concept works the other way around, employees empower their employers. From small businesses to large, from private to public sector, organizations need employees to get the job done. “People are our most valuable asset/resource/etc.” is not only corporate double-speak, it’s a statement of the [...]