My organization's policy on performance evaluation is to do it every six months for all employees. It's coming up to that time and, as a supervisor, I find myself dreading the event. Having to give performance feedback to people whose...
In my organization we're having a problem hiring people who fit. Too often we bring in someone who seems to meet our criteria only to have to dismiss them later, or have them resign, because they're just not working out....
Most recruiting that is done is considered urgent! Whenever we ask the question, “When would you like this position filled by”, the answer is invariably “yesterday”. There is pressure, therefore, to dive into the recruiting process without paying attention to...
I'm in charge of human resources for a medium-sized, government-funded provider of institutional care. Whenever our executive director is considering a strategic or tactical issue, she never fails to consult with my colleagues in marketing and finance. But unless there's...
My nonprofit routinely hires the children of staff as summer students. Do you think this is ethical? Like any good ethics advisor, I often give answers of "it depends" because details matter, and I rarely have all the information. I...
The treasurer of my theatre company is a very close friend of the artistic director, and has used the finance committee to give the artistic director a huge raise. The executive director, who also reports to the board, will receive...
The term 'time management' is somewhat of an anomaly because we can’t actually manage time! Telling delegates this at the beginning of a time management course can produce some frowning faces. We quickly move on to suggest that what we...
In an earlier column you suggested that organizations devote more resources to marginal employees than they do to talent. I'm trying to understand how this is a problem. Aren't supervisors supposed to help struggling employees turn their performances around? Why...
When hiring a person with a disability, it is very important that human resource managers be aware of the job accommodation needs of potential employees. These job accommodation needs vary depending on the specific needs of the individual, as no...
Our board of directors recently approved the creation of a new position, and I have to staff it quickly. I don't want compensation to be a problem in bringing the right person in. How do I go about establishing an...
