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January 2010 Archives
I've been paid bi-weekly at many jobs, and consistently since joining academia in 2007. I find this to be motivating to me in managing my budget, managing my productivity, and planning ahead for future projects.
By getting paid bi-weekly, it forces me to work hard in between pay periods on other sources of income (or on spending less until the next check comes along). In my business, I find that the weeks I don't get paid by the school are the most productive for me in bringing about new business, working with existing clients, and planning ahead for future projects.
While many may not have the time nor the resources to take on a second job or side business, I have found that overall, I have seen less turnover in roles I have worked in where the staff gets paid bi-weekly, and have seen that the staff works harder (especially if it is a commission based sales position) on the weeks between pay periods.
What are your thoughts on bi-weekly pay? Does it work for you?
I encountered two more people recently who had very unprofessional or unclear voice mail messages. After bringing it to the attention of one of the people, I was told "well it took forever for me to get it right, so I'm not going to change it now."
Again, it's very important to set the tone with the right impression, especially for people who don't know you already.
A colleague mentioned to me that one of his peers deletes any resumes that come into his mailbox from email addresses he does not recognize. This peer says unless a person is willing to take the time to come out and meet him first, he is not someone who is going to read "cold-calling emails."
Something to keep in mind for your next job search - is email too impersonal? Maybe it's time to consider going on an onsite visit to a job you may be interested in, and take a more personal approach.
But first - make sure you have a professional voicemail and email set up!
Several news outlets reported this week that Wal-Mart was letting go of 12,000 workers in its Sam's Club division.
Reading deeper into this story, it became clear that most (if not all) of these workers were part-time and/or were in-store product demonstrators. These in-store demonstrations will now be outsourced to a firm specializing in this service.
Many companies fear bringing in outside workers for basic tasks, feeling it will take away from the level of service or consistency of that service.
While anyone losing their job faces an uncertain future, situations like this can happen and people holding the positions often are given the opportunity to pursue a position with the new company.
In my family alone, two of my relatives worked for companies whose services were then outsourced, and both received new jobs with the new company similar to the tasks they were performing.
If you are good at what you do and passionate about the products and services you offer, no layoff can stop you from trying to keep your job when it is sold off to another person or company to do.
One of my best employees ever was named Grace. She had a strong work ethic and a great customer service focus. After I left for a new opportunity in a different department, I let Grace know if she ever wanted to work for me again, I'd be delighted to bring her along.
A few months later, a transfer opportunity came up to come to our front desk. Grace struggled during training and a few of the managers wanted to send her back to her old position, saying she didn't have what it takes to work in this new role. Instead, we set her up with a different trainer who worked with her and provided her better guidance. She turned out to be a great success at our property.
It delighted me to see Grace at the resort a few summers ago long after I left, still doing well and still being a great employee.
I always hope to have "Grace wherever I go" - sometimes an employee has that kind of impact on you and is worth bringing along the way.
I've enjoyed having a place to walk and talk at every work location I've worked at. Sometimes the best place to give feedback is while taking a leisurely walk away from the store, office, etc...
At Disney, my hotel was right near Epcot, so I could walk across to the Boardwalk or over to the back entrance to Epcot to have a meeting with a coworker or cast member. At the mall, it was always the food court or just a stroll away from the store. Here at the college, we have a track and also a number of areas to get away from the normal routine.
Taking your employees and your peers out of their element often is the best way to relax and get the feedback you need.
What is the best place for you to go to dialogue with one of your teammates?
I saw Up in the Air yesterday, a great film with a number of great HR moments that make an excellent film to use in an HR class or study.
Firing employees is difficult, and George Clooney's character is brought in to handle firing for companies who lack the leadership skills to fire people and deal with difficult situations. While firing and layoffs are difficult, they must be handled with tact and by the people doing them where possible.
Another theme brought up was that of the proper way to deliver bad news to people. We see an aspiring employee share a great new technology in which layoffs and firings can be done remotely. The impact of this is far-reaching, as the company makes a decision to conduct all layoffs remotely by webcam. After a laid off employee commits suicide, the company revisits this stance and decides to go back to a more personal touch.
Definitely a must-see!
I'll be presenting a workshop at Tech II in Saratoga Springs on Tuesday March 23rd. At this workshop, I'll be presenting some of the latest and greatest apps and programs for the Mac and iPhone to work with your business.
There are some amazing apps that help you stay in communication with your coworkers and employees, especially ones that work with programs such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. There are labor scheduling apps, project management apps, and a variety of tools to help you on the go and in the office.
One of the fears always shared with me about the iPhone is that its "not the Blackberry" - not so! Real-time email, messaging, and linking with Microsoft Exchange are just a few clicks away. Calendar sharing and contact sharing as well.
Hope to see you there on March 23rd. For more information, or to sign up, visit
This past week's announcement that The Jay Leno Show has been cancelled and that NBC is trying to keep all three of its late night hosts happy has the potential to be an HR lesson we all can learn from.
A few years back, Conan O'Brien negotiated a deal to stay at NBC and earned the right to host The Tonight Show. NBC feared losing O'Brien in a similar way that they lost David Letterman years ago when a move to 11:30 wasn't in the cards.
After deciding to create a new show for Jay Leno at 10pm, many questioned the move and its impact on all of NBC's lineup.
Now that the move has failed, NBC faces losing O'Brien again, possibly even losing Jimmy Fallon, and creating an HR situation that could cost them money, viewership, and people.
To bring this into a business environment, think about a valuable employee who is seeking new opportunities that has transitioned into a new role; what steps do you take to ensure this person is going to be a success in that new job? What are the fail-safes you put in place in the event the transition does not work?
In the NBC late night dilemma, O'Brien had earned his right to host The Tonight Show by committing to stay with NBC for a few more years waiting to take the new role. When Leno left the role, that created the opportunity for O'Brien to step up and perform in his new "promotion".
I think the best way to handle this situation from an HR perspective is to find a new role for Jay Leno elsewhere on the network (perhaps a comedy talk show at a different hour, not late night). O'Brien has held his own against Letterman, and although the ratings aren't quite where they were, he didn't have the kind of support Leno did in the same role (a strong lead in program).
From the way it looks, NBC may take the wrong approach and totally shift the lineup yet again in late night. More to come as this story develops...
I visited Chic Fil A on my workation on two occasions, and am always impressed with the level of service they provide on each experience.
They are on of two national businesses (Hobby Lobby being the other) that I am aware of that make it a well known fact that they close on Sundays so their employees can either spend time with their family on a set day each week.
I've always been amazed that companies are open seven days a week in this economy (and even when the economy is flourishing). It seems to make more sense to me to have a 5 or 6 day operational week (even if it means closing on a Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday to capitalize on the perceived Sunday business).
The common answer I receive is that "if we close on (insert day here), we will lose business to someone else". My thought and belief is if you really have a business that is going to suffer because you are closed one day a week, perhaps you aren't in the right business or aren't doing business the right way.
Are there things you can do for your business to improve balance issues for your staff? Share some of the best practices of your company in keeping your employees personal lives balanced with their professional lives.
When I queried some of my colleagues, they shared with me some of the things their workplace does in lieu of closing on Sunday
- an office in Florida gives employees every other Friday off and has them work longer days Monday through Thursday
- businesses in Saratoga Springs close Mondays and Tuesdays (and sometimes Wednesdays) during the winter months
- many personal care businesses like hairdressers close Mondays and Wednesdays.
This morning, I returned from the traveling part of workation refreshed and recharged. Tonight, a few more projects to tackle and all in all I considered this to be one of the most productive yet relaxing 4 days I have had in a long time.
Wednesday, I left the Albany area around noon, and made my way down to southern New Jersey. I picked out a general area I wanted to stay in, and found a business hotel with wireless throughout the building. Had a relaxing dinner, and worked for about an hour and a half Wednesday night on a couple projects. Also fielded a few calls from past and future clients.
Thursday, I drove to my next stop, Baltimore, visiting a plaza called The Avenue at White Marsh, and again worked for about an hour before I left the hotel, and an hour at Starbucks before getting in a movie, visit and dinner with friends, and about an hour relaxing in a hot tub.
Friday, I had about a 45 minute drive to Lancaster, PA, the last leg of my "tour", and worked about an hour in the morning at Starbucks. In the afternnon, I went to see Avatar, and then talked to a couple clients, had another relaxing dinner, and then hit Starbucks for another hour of work before going to see my favorite musician Michelle Branch in concert.
Today, no work until this evening, and I left about 5:30 am to get back here at 10:30, when I fielded a client call on the way home and visited with him to fix some minor issues he was having with his Mac.
To recap, I was as productive as I would be (if not more) on the road in the minimal hours that I put in as I would have been sitting in my office at home or at the library. I managed to unwind with friends, family, and good food while catching up on movies and sites that I wanted to see.
My next "workation" is scheduled for a long weekend in February to Florida. I am already excited planning how to relax and be productive at the same time.
In July 2008, I took my first "workation". I spent 9 days in Florida (had only planned on spending 5 days) and worked 4 of them remotely. It was a refreshing way for me to change the scenery and get work done, all the while also relaxing and recharging.
The first workation was something different - the first two days I stayed with a friend, and while she was at work, I worked from her house on some projects over the web, and when she got off of work I turned back into vacation mode. Later in my trip, I took another full day of work at my aunt's house, and on my last day before traveling back, I worked at the airport.
Last summer, I did a similar extended time away in Alaska. That time, I took a different approach - spending an hour each day before everyone awoke catching up on work or building new business, and vacationing the rest of the time. I took two full days completely off while I was there.
This time, I have a much shorter workation planned, but over three days I'll be in three different places, and work a few hours each morning before I spend the afternoons with friends or in leisure activities.
For those of you who find it hard to get away from the office, take it from me, the workation works!
Q: I'm finishing college in May; when should I begin searching for a job?
A: When I was finishing college, the old adage was "for every 10,000 you hope to make, allow 1 month of job searching." I began the job search in the Fall of 1996, and by March of 1997 I had companies in mind that I'd consider working for, and interviews setup. Sure enough, the job I landed (which paid about $30k at the time), started in May, which match the 10,000/per month rule).
This same rule can be applied after college. If you are planning on leaving the job you are in, you may want to plan on researching jobs several months prior to your decision to leave, allowing for maximum opportunities for consideration.
I was talking to some friends the other day about how to schedule your staff for New Year's Day if your business is open. It brought to mind one of my New Year's Day experiences back in the day.
We had a skeleton crew on for most of the day, knowing we'd have a slow morning and maybe a moderately busy afternoon. Most people were scheduled for short shifts, so as to limit the impact of overtime and also to limit the impact of callouts.
After a fun and exciting New Year's Eve where I got home pretty late, I arrived at the store about 15 minutes till 10 and was joined by two other opening crew members. The store was very quiet until about 11:45, when one of my staffers called and told me they didn't feel well after going out last night and they wouldn't be in. He was scheduled for a 4 hour shift. I was pretty upset with him, but then realized we'd be better off without having someone there who already decided he was going to be unproductive.
At times like these, it's important to make the employee realize that they are being irresponsible. I informed him I was out until 5am (which was a bit of a stretch) and still managed to come in to run a business at 9:45am. He fell silent on the phone, and then said, well I am sorry but I am still not coming in. Believe it or not, he knew not to call in like that again after this occurrence.
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