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Feedback: 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!
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 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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