Signs Your Employees Are Motivated By Fear April 11, 2011 by Bob Hill Are you guilty of creating a workplace where employees’ prime motivation is fear? In the past, we’ve discussed the negative impact fear-based leadership can have on staff. Today we offer these five classic signs employees operate out of a sense of fear … fear of consequences, fear of harsh (and often … [Read more...] about Business Brief
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Business Brief
The No. 1 Reason Customers Leave April 12, 2011 by Bob Hill A new study reveals the most common reason customers stop doing business with a company; and it’s not about price. The 2011 Net Promoter Industry Benchmarking study, conducted by Satmetrix, found that 22% of customers have stopped doing business with a company due to a bad customer experience. The top three … [Read more...] about Business Brief
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How Much Will The Average Raise Be This Year? March 25, 2011 by Bob Hill A new study reveals how much the average company will be offering in terms of pay hikes (and other incentives). The Towers Watson study, which included nearly 400 U.S. companies across a broad range of industries, found the average merit raise in 2011 will be approximately 3% (compared with 2.7% in … [Read more...] about Business Brief
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NLRB Ruling Warns Against Disciplining Employees Who Gripe March 16, 2011 by Jim Giuliano Suppose a disruptive employee comes to you and makes wild accusations and complaints over pay or benefits. Be careful how you respond. In the case of Parexel International, LLC, the company fired the employee; and ran afoul of the National Labor Relations Board, which ruled that the … [Read more...] about Business Brief
Business Brief
Lawmakers Look At Bias Against The Unemployed March 2, 2011 by Bob Hill A highly discouraging trend reveals a lot of employers have little or no interest on easing the burden for unemployed workers. And some legislators aren’t happy about it. While there are no specific statistics or studies that have tracked the percentage of current employers who refuse to hire … [Read more...] about Business Brief
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States Take Up Major Change To OT Law February 28, 2011 by Jim Giuliano Giving employers the option of substituting comp time for overtime compensation is one of the business-friendly ideas that has been kicking around Washington. Now, some of the state legislatures are giving the idea a close look, too. The latest to take up the cause is Ohio. A state House committee … [Read more...] about Business Brief
Business Brief
Dale Carnegie’s 9 Secrets To Success February 7, 2011 by Bob Hill Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People is one of the most popular business books of all time, thanks to these business tips: Become a friendlier person. Fair but firm is the modern-day equivalent of this approach, which hinges on empowering peers by taking a genuine interest in them and … [Read more...] about Business Brief
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Smaller Firms More Vulnerable To In-House Larceny June 5, 2009 by Jim Giuliano In an economic downturn, small firms find themselves hit by more incidents of in-house larceny. Here’s why, and what to do about it. First, the statistics. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners looked at 959 cases of in-house fraud and embezzlement, and came up with the following … [Read more...] about Business Brief
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3 Keys When Promoting Someone Into Management February 7, 2011 by Bob Hill You’ve seen it: A good employee becomes a bad manager. Here’s how to change that. “Organizations that create multiple, flexible pathways to success will keep their best people, keep them engaged, and keep them longer.” So says Harvard Business Review’s Susan David. As Co-Director for the … [Read more...] about Business Brief
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Why Good Customers Stop Buying - And What Starts Them Up Again January 31, 2011 by Ken Dooley Some customers just fade away. They don’t complain. They don’t tell you they’ve found a new supplier. They still take your calls. But over time, they buy less and less. Some people stop buying for one of three reasons: Something unrelated happened in their life or business … [Read more...] about Business Brief
Business Brief
Cupid Brings Costly New Consequences To Businesses Valentine’s Day is almost here! And like just about everything else, the office romance has undergone some major changes due to – you guessed it – the recession. Productivity dips may be the least of your problems. Now your company could end up with a major legal nightmare when co-workers hook up. Check out what … [Read more...] about Business Brief
Business Brief
Healthcare Reform Is Officially Here Just in case the date slipped your mind, the first wave of healthcare reform regulations became effective September 23, 2010. Here’s a quick refresher course on the new rules. First, a caveat: If your company offers a calendar year plan, the changes have taken effect January 1. A brief rundown of the new rules: Plans can’t deny … [Read more...] about Business Brief
Business Brief
Are older workers worth the bother? Their health insurance costs are higher, right? And they don’t need to work so they’re less committed, right? Those are among the conventional-wisdom drawbacks to hiring older workers. Then what’s the argument for hiring them? According to some recent studies, there are plenty of good reasons to hire older workers, including that some … [Read more...] about Business Brief