By Sheri Mazurek on June 26, 2012
If you are working in HR, you should already know that talent management is critical to organizational success. You can find the research to support it and if you want you can read 1000 different books that will confirm it and show how to do it the right way. So why do so many of us still get it wrong? Why is it hard to create, roll out and execute the strategies we know will work?
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By Sheri Mazurek on June 12, 2012
Turnover is a huge concern for many HR professionals. One of the key steps an organization can take to reduce this during one’s first year is to develop an effective on-boarding program. Below are a few tips to get your started.
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By Sheri Mazurek on June 1, 2012
Dr. Seuss has been providing great advice to children for years. And while the above mentioned passage is great advice, it assumes that one realizes their own control in situations. It requires personal accountability. Personal accountability seems to be missing far too often in organizations today. Consider the number of conversations you have had with those in your organization about missed deadlines, failed projects, or performance misses. How often do those conversations result in a list of excuses?
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By Sheri Mazurek on May 20, 2012
This is the first in a new series called tips and tricks. Supervising others is one of the most difficult jobs one can have; it is also one of the most important. Below is a list of tips for supervising others that I picked up along my career path. What can you add?
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By Sheri Mazurek on May 10, 2012
A common understanding in the learning field is that the best way to learn is to teach someone else. During the past year, I have had the privilege to learn a great deal from my HR students. What my students taught me this year: HR is still misunderstood in many organizations. Many of my students […]
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By Sheri Mazurek on April 30, 2012
When your business grows to the point where you need to start hiring people to work for you, you know you’re doing well. It means you’re growing, and it’s a big step forward in terms of just how successful your business can be.
It also means you need to spend some time figuring out exactly what those employees are going to do, and how they’re going to do it. Do you need part-time employees? Full-time? Do you need occasional help? How you answer those questions will help determine how those employees are classified.
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By Sheri Mazurek on April 21, 2012
Recently, I got asked another question and the answer required a little more thought on my part. One of my HR students asked, “How do you know so much about this stuff?” After thinking about that for a couple of days, I discovered that the answer is that I am a true student of HR and all things related to people in the workplace. I read a lot of books, I read a lot of articles, I spend a great deal of time on websites, I attend professional development seminars and conferences, I teach HR, and I am actively involved in my local ASTD chapter. I am constantly seeking the most up to date information and I love research on the topic. I am a true HR Nerd.
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By Sheri Mazurek on April 9, 2012
During the past twenty years, the landscape of communication has changed. It seems that everyone has a cell phone and a portable internet-enabled device. These devices have been great business tools that have allowed us to get answers quicker and keep informed of important events and news. They have also facilitated the globalization of business and helped us keep track of kids. There are many positive things that have resulted in development of these products.
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By Sheri Mazurek on March 26, 2012
You get a resignation notice from a top performing manager. You weren’t prepared. You have been talking about succession planning, but other priorities got in the way. Now you have the notice. So what do you? This is an important role and will be key to the future success of the company. Knowing the spot can’t go vacant, you take a look at the team and offer the position to the top performer. The top performer tells you he’s not ready. You know that he will be fine. You tell him that, hand him a set of keys and get busy on those other priorities.
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By Sheri Mazurek on March 11, 2012
A few months later as I was looking in the mirror, I realized that my skin seemed better that day. In fact, it was almost clear. And even as I stood there with the evidence right in front of me, I wasn’t connecting the dots. I wasn’t making a connection. As I reached for my make-up, it hit me. I never stopped using the make-up I had used for the past twelve years. I had changed everything else I put on my face, but I was still using the same make-up. What if it was the make-up that was causing my condition? I hadn’t even considered it since the product I was using was specifically designed for my condition. But here it was, the evidence right in front of me. I realized that in the previous two days, I hadn’t worn any make-up. And now my face was clear (well, almost clear).
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