Employee Performance

Keep sick workers where they belong

December 23, 2014
Every winter we get the same advice from the pros: Don’t come to work when you’re sick! And don’t let your employees do it, either. Managers are the first line of defense against what experts call “presenteeism”—people coming to work impaired by illness and therefore unable to be productive–and worse–infecting ­others. So what’s a manager to do?

Here’s why we need Workaholics Appreciation Week

November 13, 2014
Maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to crack down on the ones who greet both the dawn and the dusk with a hearty “Let’s do something already!”

Brush up on your employees by hitting the archives

November 12, 2014
Your files may reveal surprising things about the people working for you.

How to handle workers’ personal problems

November 6, 2014
Are you ever in a bad mood at work because of something that happened at home? Of course this happens to you, and to all of us. But when team members’ personal problems affect their work on an ongoing basis, it can spell disaster for team morale and productivity. Here’s what team leaders can do when such problems are affecting their results.

Uncover hidden talents

November 3, 2014
Before you stamp most of your employees as average, try to unleash their potential. Here’s how.

Don’t reward attendance

September 8, 2014
Absenteeism is an issue that affects all employers, all year long. How do you motivate em­­ployees to cut down on absenteeism? Offering perfect attendance awards may not be the right carrot. Here’s why.

Don’t offer employees feedback ‘sandwich’

September 5, 2014
Many managers have been taught to “sandwich” constructive criticism between two positive statements. You might want to think twice about this technique.

Facing a downturn? Fix the workplace before the workers

August 6, 2014
When productivity dips, it seems logical to blame the employees for not engaging in the job. But that might not be what’s going on.

5 ways to ruin an evaluation

August 1, 2014
Receiving an annual review is a big deal to employees. Though you may dread it, respect your employees and put some effort into it. Give your best evaluations by avoiding these mistakes:

Is your staff this clueless about computer viruses?

June 19, 2014
Has your computer ever been infected? It can be a big hassle, right? Watch this funny video about what happens when an office professional’s computer is attacked by the “Evil Dandelion” virus.