Blog

Horrible Bosses!

Published: 11/8/2011 3:38:00 PM - Author: J. Wooster
No, I haven’t seen the movie – I don’t need to because I’ve not only read the book I’ve seen the stage production in far too many workplaces. There’s not much the movie can add to the real life experience.

Which Came First, The Salary Increase or Great Performance?

Published: 3/26/2011 - Author: none
A question posed by someone in a recent training session concerned me greatly, and unfortunately, it’s not the first time I’ve heard a version of this. She asked, “what’s the point of evaluating performance when we haven’t had a salary increase in two years? Some of my colleagues feel they no longer have to work as hard if they’re not getting an increase each year.”

But Officer .... I Was Just Multi-tasking!?!

Published: 2/8/2011 - Author: none
There’s been a lot of media recently about the dangers of texting while driving. Seems this shouldn’t even be something we need to warn people of average intelligence about. And yet ..... I do a lot of highway driving in a week, so I have plenty of experience with distracted drivers. And for the record, it’s not just the young people who are guilty.

Job Applicants Are Customers Too - Do They Feel Valued?

Published: 10/22/2010 - Author: Janice Wooster
Regardless of the business the message to me, the customer, is always the same with a few variations. We value your business – you’re important to us –what can we do to improve our service - we want to meet and exceed your expectations – your satisfaction is guaranteed.

And so it should be – if I’m an existing or potential customer, then I really am an important asset and a costly one to acquire and cultivate.

But do I get that same great service oriented, warm fuzzy welcoming feeling if I apply for a job at the same company?

Reading Recruitment Ads 101

Published: 9/16/2010 - Author: Janice Wooster
You are an enthusiastic job seeker. I am an employer who needs to fill a job. So far so good. But here’s the rub – do your education, skills and experience match what I need?

Sounds easy to figure out but experience shows me that’s not the case. We seem to get into trouble somewhere in the translation of reality vs desire.

Independent Consulting - Conspiracy, Partnerships and Forgiveness

Published: 9/7/2010 - Author: Janice Wooster
I’m often contacted by people who know someone in my network who has directed them to me for advice on beginning their own consulting practice.

So, if you’re thinking about setting up your own practice, here are just a few tips you may want to consider:

The Departure Lounge - How To Exit Gracefully

Published: 9/2/2010 - Author: Janice Wooster
The worst has happened – for whatever reason you’ve just been terminated. Face to face with this difficult reality there is the first rush of emotions – fear, embarrassment, confusion - which may then quickly morph to indignation and anger - then to concern about how you will tell your family - and for those tortured few who felt it coming for a while, there may also be a sense of welcome relief.

And then the inevitable question – what do I do now?

The Ethics of Job Interviews – Who Owns Presentations Made By Job Candidates?

Published: 8/27/2010 - Author: Janice Wooster
This one hits close to home as the result of an experience my son had a couple of years ago.

He was invited in to interview for a marketing position with a very well known company. A great opportunity for someone not long out of college and looking to move to the next level. After the requisite screening by HR, he was invited in to meet with the Marketing Director and one or two other members of the team. Part of the interview was to include a presentation on a marketing concept he had developed based on very general criteria given by the employer.

As A Recruiter What Do You Value More - Education Or Experience?

Published: 8/25/2010 - Author: Janice Wooster
Today, it is a rare job advertisement that doesn’t ask for a college diploma or university degree. I’ve even seen positions at not much more than minimum wage stating that a degree is a job requirement. Hmmm, I wonder what their turnover rate is like?!?

But in the final analysis, is it education or experience that clinches the hiring decision?

The Salary Dance

Published: 8/23/2010 11:50:00 AM - Author: Janice Wooster
“Please forward your resume, along with salary requirements, to .....”

Let the games begin. Being asked the salary question in a job ad is a bit like going to the senior prom with your cousin ... unwelcome, contrived and just plain uncomfortable. For both of you. So why do employers do it?

Cobwebs and Cleaning Ladies - When It Comes To Performance The Devil May Be In The Details

Published: 8/19/2010 - Author: Janice Wooster
I’ve recently reached that time in my life when I treat myself to a cleaning lady every two weeks. Of course I still keep things tidy, but I feel I’ve put in my time and so I’ve given those skills an early retirement package and happily declared myself redundant in the housework department.

That is until this week. I suppose every relationship has its honeymoon period. Small indiscretions are overlooked because the bigger picture seems so rosey, but inevitably the rot sets in. For me, it was the cobwebs that did it.

Workplace Stress ... How About Customer Stress?

Published: 8/16/2010 - Author: Janice Wooster
I’ve been blogging recently on workplace stress. A very emotional topic to be sure, but what about Customer Stress? Especially when I’m the customer!

Workplace Stress - Take My Breath Away

Published: 8/12/2010 - Author: Janice Wooster
If you’re in HR you’re definitely familiar with the effects of stress in the workplace. We see the outcomes consistently in lost time at work, increased illness and medical costs, employee turnover, inability to attract the best staff, and in some really unfortunate and extreme instances, it can break out as violence.

So I’m always interested when I come across articles and resources suggesting they can help to reduce stress in the workplace. But lately, I’m beginning to see an imbalance between employer and employee responsibility. The trend seems to be moving away from assisting the employer to be aware of their role in reducing unnecessary stress in the workplace, and placing responsibility for managing what I can only assume is now the accepted inevitability of increasingly stressful workplaces squarely on the employee.

Social Media Intrusion - What's Fair Game?

Published: 8/11/2010 - Author: Janice Wooster
Let’s keep the conversation going about how intrusive HR should be in relation to information employees choose to publish on social media sites. Bearing in mind, they are doing this on their own time, using their own equipment, and not representing their comments as those of their employer. We’ve already discussed facebook in a previous blog, but what about information that is available in an open forum?

The Big Slide to Freedom - What's Really Going on Here?

Published: 8/11/2010 - Author: Janice Wooster
Steven Slater just quit his job as a flight attendant with JetBlue by losing his cool with a passenger, chewing everyone out over the intercom, grabbing a beer, and deploying the emergency slide. I’ve had days when I felt like that, and if there had been a big slide to freedom available I might just have taken it.

To some, Steven is a hero and to others he’s a felon. But whatever your position on what he did, the real issue here is what lead up to his actions.

Is It OK For HR To View Employees' Facebook Pages?

Published: 8/9/2010 - Author: Janice Wooster
I recently came across this blog post http://www.knowhr.com/blog/about-2/
Although I completely agree that it's wrong to cruise the facebook pages of employees for what can only be the purpose of catching them doing something you don't approve of, I'm quite fascinated by the highly confrontational tone used by the author.

Corporate Culture ... The View From My Petri Dish

Published: 8/6/2010 - Author: Janice Wooster
When writing my recent blog on corporate values, I spoke of the connection between values and culture. A symbiotic relationship if ever there was one. But, what does it really mean to have a culture? Some shared interests and preferences, sure, but an actual culture?

Corporate Values - Are They Still Relevant?

Published: 8/5/2010 - Author: Janice Wooster
About 15-20 years ago everybody started jumping on the well-intentioned “values” bandwagon. Not surprising when you consider that identifying an organization’s values was meant to create a foundation for defining how work is performed, how people were to conduct themselves, what qualities and behaviours best reflect organizational practice and culture, etc. And a lot of HR people, like me, put in a lot of time facilitating focus groups, aligning values with performance indicators, building them into our employer branding, and demonstrating how values would enhance the organization’s strategic direction. Now, 15-20 years down the road, where are we really?

I'd Rather Ask For Forgiveness Than Ask For Permission

Published: 8/4/2010 - Author: Janice Wooster
Brace yourself, because my patience has really run out on this one. What a sorry excuse for the inability to collaborate, communicate, acknowledge the validity of other people, and understand that there is a larger organization beyond your own little fifedom. This is a very popular approach being taken by people who lack the ability to see anything other than what's important to them.

The Power of the Strategic "No"!

Published: 8/2/2010 - Author: Janice Wooster
In most organizations there is an expectation that you will say "yes" more often than "no" if you're a person who wants to have impact. That’s how things get done - at least that's always been my experience. Hard enough to say no if you’re in a corporate environment, but when you’re working in a highly mission driven organization it just isn’t done. How can you say “no” when lives are at stake?

Working At The Centre of Your Light

Published: 7/28/2010 - Author: Janice Wooster
How powerful would it be if we could always work in the centre of our light? What does working at the centre of your light mean for you? Tips for finding your light and staying in the centre of it ...

Bill 168 - The What, The Why .... but Where's the How!!!

Published: 6/28/2010 - Author: Janice Wooster
Lately, it seems we're drowning in templates, sample policies, checklists, legal opinions and numerous information sessions related to Bill 168, an amendment to Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act that came into effect on June 15, 2010. But what will it really take to achieve not only an acceptable level of compliance, but also a truly meaningful standard of conduct and prevention, and how do we get there?

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