Last year brought major changes to the higher education landscape. Turnover reached a peak, prompting more attention than ever to retention and recruitment, while looming policy changes in overtime pay and Title IX regulations further complicated long-term planning. And, though it may feel like unprecedented change is the new normal, timeless HR topics like onboarding... View Article
Members OnlyNavigating difficult conversations is a critical skill for both HR practitioners and front-line leaders. When such conversations are successfully managed it builds trust between employees, supervisors and teams, to the benefit of the entire organization. There are countless reasons a conversation could be considered “difficult”, including performance or behavioral issues, topic sensitivity and procedural... View Article
How often does “stuff” ruin your workday? Stuff like people’s propensity to complain about anything and everything; petty squabbling or personality conflicts; miscommunication; misunderstanding; mistakes. This is the stuff that gets on people’s nerves. The stuff that makes people angry. The stuff that is distracting and disruptive to people’s daily psyche. So how can we... View Article
Members OnlyAmong the most risk-bearing HR activities are employee discipline and dismissal, with the latter being the most challenging from both a legal and a stress-level perspective. No one enjoys disciplining an employee, and most certainly employees don’t relish the encounter. Supervisors are reluctant to initiate such negative encounters with employees, especially when they involve persons... View Article
Members OnlyInvestigations of alleged violation of state or federal compliance legislation such as discrimination, harassment, sexual assault or whistleblower claims, are best conducted by trained individuals under guidance of legal counsel and/or a very prescriptive processes. Missteps can be costly and unfortunate and unintentional consequences can result. Some governmental entities prescribe a general process and others... View Article
Think about the many different work styles, personality types, viewpoints and temperaments in your organization. Now add to that mix competing ideas, workplace stress, ego and pride, and it’s easy to see how coworkers can butt heads. While many workplace disagreements are either intentionally resolved or simply fizzle out on their own over time, others... View Article