The economy is still down and many companies have closed their doors and just as many have had to consider doing so at one time or another. Motivation and morale is hard to come by in the workplace when the economy is down and your company isn’t doing as well as you or your employees would like. This is an unfortunate truth but certainly a reality for many.
So what can you do to help lift spirits? How can you get your team motivated to reach and succeed company goals necessary to keep your doors open?
Well, it’s simpler than you may think. Some of the best and simple words that a manager can speak to their employees to help motivate and build morale are as follows:
1.) We
2.) Thank you (or) I appreciate your help
3.) I made a mistake (or) I was wrong
4.) What do you think
5.) Great Job (or) Well done
All though these are simple, managers fail to use them as much as they should or even fail to use them at all.
It’s also important to do the following:
1.) Recognize your employees – verbally, in written form, public praise. These are all FREE!!
2.) Ask for input and ideas – when your meeting with your staff make sure to ask them for their input. This is motivating to employees and it makes them feel valued. Implement as many ideas as you can, as long as they’re practical.
Simple phrases remind employees that they matter and when a manager can recognize their good work then your team will be far more motivated to achieve desired results. Your employees need you to lead the way and if you’re not motivated then it’s definitely hard for them to be as well. Yes the economy can be stressful but it’s up to you and your team to pull together and succeed.
Start speaking these simple words to your staff today!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Tips for How to Properly Use Background Checks
Every employer has steps and methods for assessing candidates before they make the final hiring decision. The issue is that many employers fail to use assessments properly and sometimes don’t realize or recognize when they’re discriminating. Because of this concern, it’s important that employers understand why they should use background checks and how they need to be assessed in regards to screening candidates.
First employers need to understand that not all crimes are equal so you need defined criteria that allow you to effectively measure the relevance of an applicant’s criminal history which directly relates to the position.
Review your job description for the position you need to fill. Based on the nature of the position, the type of access and the responsibilities, what could pose a threat should an applicant have a criminal offense on the background check you ran?
Examples of why this would be important:
1.) You need a delivery driver so you do not want to hire someone who could pose great danger to your customers or themselves. You run a background check and find a record on the applicant for a recent conviction for driving under the influence. This would provide you with enough information to make an educated and honest decision to choose not to hire this individual.
2.) You need a bank teller position filled so you definitely need someone who can handle money responsibly that you can trust. You run a background check and find a record on the applicant for a conviction of forgery, theft or embezzlement. This would provide you with enough information to make an educated and honest decision to choose not to hire this individual even if they had the appropriate skills.
You have to decide when you need a position filled if running a background check is even necessary. If you can place just about anyone without much comprise to security, trust or safety then make sure you do not discriminate against applicants for criminal records that really do not directly relate to the position. You can find yourself in a lawsuit very quickly if you fail to have direct and reasonable evidence that supports your reasoning behind failing to hire an individual to their criminal background.
First employers need to understand that not all crimes are equal so you need defined criteria that allow you to effectively measure the relevance of an applicant’s criminal history which directly relates to the position.
Review your job description for the position you need to fill. Based on the nature of the position, the type of access and the responsibilities, what could pose a threat should an applicant have a criminal offense on the background check you ran?
Examples of why this would be important:
1.) You need a delivery driver so you do not want to hire someone who could pose great danger to your customers or themselves. You run a background check and find a record on the applicant for a recent conviction for driving under the influence. This would provide you with enough information to make an educated and honest decision to choose not to hire this individual.
2.) You need a bank teller position filled so you definitely need someone who can handle money responsibly that you can trust. You run a background check and find a record on the applicant for a conviction of forgery, theft or embezzlement. This would provide you with enough information to make an educated and honest decision to choose not to hire this individual even if they had the appropriate skills.
You have to decide when you need a position filled if running a background check is even necessary. If you can place just about anyone without much comprise to security, trust or safety then make sure you do not discriminate against applicants for criminal records that really do not directly relate to the position. You can find yourself in a lawsuit very quickly if you fail to have direct and reasonable evidence that supports your reasoning behind failing to hire an individual to their criminal background.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Great Questions to ask During Interviews!
Of course we all are looking for the best fit for the job, right? But how often do you think about their ability to handle your particular management style? This is often an area that managers overlook when asking the candidates questions during an interview. Here are some questions that you should consider asking in your interviews to help assess the candidate’s adaptability to different management styles:
1.) Describe the perfect manager.
2.) Based on your past employment, who would you choose as the best manager you’ve had the opportunity to work for? Why were they good?
3.) Based on your past employment, who would you choose as your least favorite manager? Why were they your least favorite? How did you adapt?
4.) How do you handle conflict with your managers? Disagreements? How do you resolve issues?
By asking questions similar to the ones listed above, you’ll find a greater understanding of how the candidate feels about different management styles. If you find that you’re for the most part the ideal manager described by the candidate then you can have confidence that you’ll work great together should you decide to hire them for the position. On the other hand, if you really like the candidate but worry about being similar to the manager that was their least favorite then you can consider ways to adapt to ensure a smooth and successful relationship if you decide to hire them on.
You shouldn’t base your hiring decision on whether or not they can or cannot handle your management style but rather use these questions to help prepare yourself for building and maintaining successful relationships with new hires.
1.) Describe the perfect manager.
2.) Based on your past employment, who would you choose as the best manager you’ve had the opportunity to work for? Why were they good?
3.) Based on your past employment, who would you choose as your least favorite manager? Why were they your least favorite? How did you adapt?
4.) How do you handle conflict with your managers? Disagreements? How do you resolve issues?
By asking questions similar to the ones listed above, you’ll find a greater understanding of how the candidate feels about different management styles. If you find that you’re for the most part the ideal manager described by the candidate then you can have confidence that you’ll work great together should you decide to hire them for the position. On the other hand, if you really like the candidate but worry about being similar to the manager that was their least favorite then you can consider ways to adapt to ensure a smooth and successful relationship if you decide to hire them on.
You shouldn’t base your hiring decision on whether or not they can or cannot handle your management style but rather use these questions to help prepare yourself for building and maintaining successful relationships with new hires.
Tips for Becoming a High Performance Supervisor!
Supervisors have to work at being strong and influential leaders. There are some basic steps that all supervisors/managers need to practice to ensure that they’re truly effective as leaders in their workplace.
1. Define and explain your role and responsibilities. When your team understands the “big picture” of what your role and responsibilities entail then your direction and delegated tasks will be better understood and welcomed by your staff.
2. Set reasonable objectives that are obtainable and that do not conflict with other goals asked of your staff. Employee motivation can be damaged quickly if your short term goals interfere with your long term goals and vise versa. Don’t be the supervisor who pushes too hard on smaller objectives that ultimately interfere with larger objectives. This will hinder your overall success.
3. Provide an opportunity for your staff to participate in the decision making process. Don’t always assume that you have the only and/or best answers to achieving goals and success for your team. Supervisors often forget that their ultimately part of a team and their role is just to lead, supervisor and maintain an effective team. Supervisors should be explaining to their team why decisions are made so that they can help rationalize the decision and provide feedback on how to improve if necessary.
4. PLAN YOUR ACTIONS instead of making it up as you go! Staff needs the big and small picture for their department to be as effective and contributing as you want and need them to be. If you find yourself just making it up as you go then you’re selling your team short. It’s harder to keep employees motivated when tasks and goals change day to day.
Your team is not only as strong as your weakest link but their also only as strong as their leader allows them to be. Leaders (supervisors & managers) often complain that their team is inefficient but they never look to themselves on how and why their team isn’t being successful. This is a huge pitfall for many leaders because they’re not only doing their team a disservice but their also hindering their own individual success.
1. Define and explain your role and responsibilities. When your team understands the “big picture” of what your role and responsibilities entail then your direction and delegated tasks will be better understood and welcomed by your staff.
2. Set reasonable objectives that are obtainable and that do not conflict with other goals asked of your staff. Employee motivation can be damaged quickly if your short term goals interfere with your long term goals and vise versa. Don’t be the supervisor who pushes too hard on smaller objectives that ultimately interfere with larger objectives. This will hinder your overall success.
3. Provide an opportunity for your staff to participate in the decision making process. Don’t always assume that you have the only and/or best answers to achieving goals and success for your team. Supervisors often forget that their ultimately part of a team and their role is just to lead, supervisor and maintain an effective team. Supervisors should be explaining to their team why decisions are made so that they can help rationalize the decision and provide feedback on how to improve if necessary.
4. PLAN YOUR ACTIONS instead of making it up as you go! Staff needs the big and small picture for their department to be as effective and contributing as you want and need them to be. If you find yourself just making it up as you go then you’re selling your team short. It’s harder to keep employees motivated when tasks and goals change day to day.
Your team is not only as strong as your weakest link but their also only as strong as their leader allows them to be. Leaders (supervisors & managers) often complain that their team is inefficient but they never look to themselves on how and why their team isn’t being successful. This is a huge pitfall for many leaders because they’re not only doing their team a disservice but their also hindering their own individual success.
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