Q: Why do so many companies do phone interviews vs. in person interviews? Phone interviews seem so impersonal.A: Phone interviews allow companies to pre-screen applicants, cut down on travel expenses, and enable more flexibility in meeting with applicants. As a...
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Resume Submission and Application Protocol
Courtesy and technology seem to differ from place to place when it comes to the application process right now. It is important to remember the human touch on both sides of the application process.Gone are the days when a personalized...
Scheduling Dilemma
Q: I can't seem to cover my Saturdays at my retail store so we are able to maximize sales. I have 5 full-time employees who work on Saturdays, and 10 part-timers. The full-timers either work 8-5 or 1 to 10pm,...
Who’s Got Your Back
I'm reading an excellent book called Who's Got Your Back by Keith Ferrazzi. Keith's first book Never Eat Alone was also one of my personal favorites.Who's Got Your Back talks to you about building deep personal and professional relationships with...
The Leadership Challenge
From time to time, I will post recent work I have done as part of my PhD Program. Here is a recent discussion post that I put together on "The Leadership Challenge"The most important supervisory challenges in the workplace, according...
Minding The Minds
It's so important to nurture the great minds in your business. If work tends to be mundane, involving your top perfomers in key "future-thinking" work will keep them around much longer than if you let their talents lie dormant. Many...
The Art of Introduction and Assimilation in Business
I haven't done a scientific study, but results over the years have indicated to me that people who are introduced and assimilated into a work culture immediately upon hire stay longer, are more productive, and more successful longterm. From my...
Managing To Do Nothing
I had some friends who used to say they worked for "A manager - he manages to do nothing at all." Unfortunately, in many work situations, that seems to be the perception about management.Having an effective MBWA (Management By Walking...
Collaboration vs. Competition
Are your rewards systems and pay systems designed to reward innovation and inclusion, or single-mindedness and seclusion?These are issues companies face every day. In an environment that awards singular effort, there may be others who contribute as much (if not more)...
Consistency Among Management Team Members
It's important to maintain consistency amongst management team members in terms of the message being sent to staff or team members reporting to you.However, where consistency can sometimes rear its ugly head is when certain members of the team choose...