The Thriving Small Business

4 Steps to Successful Termination Through Progressive Discipline

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Anyone who manages people hopes that employees follow policy, accomplish goals and get along with co-workers.

Unfortunately, there are times when that does not happen and managers are forced to correct and discipline employees.

This is one of the least favorite responsibilities of a manager – but a necessary part of  managing employee performance. Read the Full Article →

25 Interview Questions To Ask A Job Candidate

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Anyone who has ever interviewed a job candidate understands that it can be a daunting task.

Knowing the right questions to ask is critical to identifying the right fit for your organization.

Interviewing is a skill that is developed with practice and being prepared for the interview is an important first step. Read the Full Article →

5 Steps To Help You Prepare to Interview a Job Candidate

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Hiring a new employee can be an exciting yet stressful time for a small business owner.

The reason being – no one wants to make the costly mistake of hiring the wrong person.

There are many steps to the hiring process – articulating the need, creating a job description, budgeting for salary, advertising and reviewing applications to select a handful of candidates to interview. Read the Full Article →

7 Steps Your Small Business Should Take Before Hiring That New Employee

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When a small business is formed, it is often difficult to imagine the time when there is a need to hire employees.

When that day comes, it is important to understand what needs to be done to hire a new employee.

There are several steps that need to be considered before entering into an employment arrangement. Read the Full Article →

3 Things Top Companies to Work For Do Well

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Any of us who have been around for a while understand that the work place is changing.

Employees are changing and with this change comes a necessity for organizations to change how they practice and manage employees.

This is important if they want to recruit top talent but more importantly if the goal is to retain those valuable employees. Read the Full Article →

5 Benefits of Training Employees

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Employee training is something that many organizations struggle with.

There are issues with adequate resources for curriculum development, facilitating the training and the down time associated with pulling employees out of their job for a period of time to learn new skills.

I worked for a large nonprofit who communicated to employees that they “could not guarantee employment, but could guarantee employability”. Read the Full Article →

Sample New Employee Orientation Checklist

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When employees are new to a job, the organization should do everything it can to make the employee’s transition as smooth as possible. A new employee orientation checklist can help!

Starting a job means that there are many new things to learn, many people to get to know and lots of new information that needs to be absorbed in a very short period of time. Read the Full Article →

7 Tips For Managing Remote Workers

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More and more organizations are offering employees the option to telecommute – at least occasionally.

This number has inched up the past several years.

Some organizations offer the option to telecommute it in an attempt to support a healthy work-life balance, while others do so in an effort to control increasing costs. Read the Full Article →

6 Things Managers Can Do to Encourage Work-Life Balance

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Employees go to work with the intention of doing a good job.

However, the challenges of life can take its toll on even the best employees.

Life happens and it simply takes a lot to juggle the responsibilities of home, family and a job.  And quite frankly some people are better at keeping the balls in the air than others. Read the Full Article →

10 Secrets to Creating a Culture That Fosters Engaged Employees

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Successful organizations understand the importance of developing employees who are engaged and share a common goal.

They recognize that engaged employees put their heart and soul into their job and have the energy and excitement to give more than is required of them.

However, when employees are not engaged, it can have a negative effect on the work environment and ultimately the customer experience. Read the Full Article →

8 Traits To Look for in a Mentor

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We’ve all heard the term ‘mentor’ but we need to acknowledge the importance of mentoring for professional development.

Mentoring has been around for a long time, specifically in academic environments where teaching is a part of the business model.

So what is a mentor?

According to dictionary.com a mentor is “a wise and trusted counselor or teacher – an influential senior sponsor or supporter.”

A mentor is someone who understands the work environment and offers advice to employees coming up the ladder. Read the Full Article →

 7 Tips to Make The Employee Survey Process Successful

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Every business owner understands that customers pay the bills.

And, to keep those customers coming back they need to provide a great service experience.

However, many organizations don’t pay as much attention to those people who care for their customers – the employees.

Employees are often on the front-line and interact with customers either in person, on the phone or delivering the product or service. Read the Full Article →