Turnover is Turnover: What Churning Employees Says About Your Culture

“You are not going to believe this, but our admin just quit. She just handed in her two weeks’ notice.”

This is the third admin to come in within the past year and within a month all showed signs that their exit is imminent. Working till 10/11 pm three to four nights a week will cause anyone to rethink a job, especially if you are the new person on the block.”

As our discussion continued, I asked what the manager/HR is going to do about this. Her remarkable reply was, “Oh, they just reposted the job.” I almost dropped the phone reacting to that statement.

How could you allow the job to be re-posted after having three people walk out the door?

When this turnover issue first surfaced, I was told that the first person in the job had been there for just a few weeks, went to lunch one day and did not return or call back. The phrase for that is quitting over lunch.

Doing the “Pope Thing”: Lessons From the Day I Walked in and Quit My Job

 When I got in my car the other morning, the news flash that came through was that Pope Benedict XVI had resigned.

This was big news since apparently a pontiff has not resigned in the past 600 years. That is quite a record since the last resignation was by Gregory XII in 1415.

As I drove along my HR mindset kicked in. Although it was reported that the Pope resigned for health related reasons, I was fixated on the act of resigning. We have all at some times is our career had jobs that we could not wait to resign from.

When I walked in and did the “Pope thing”

The Remote Work Advantage, or Why a Big Storm Wasn’t a Big Problem

Sometimes when we hear weather reports we tend to turn a blind eye or ear depending upon your medium.

This past weekend in the New York City area, we were warned of a big snow storm that was bearing down on the region. By all estimates, it was a giant one.

I thought of this when I read a press release earlier in the week titled Telecommuting Could Save Employees and Employers Time, Money, Grief. This release by outplacement consultants, Challenger Gray & Christmas discussed the big question about whether the nation’s employers should consider making a serious commitment to expanding the use of telecommuting strategies.

Working during the storm

Are You More Than Just Your Lofty Job Title?

Being powerful is like being a lady; if you have to tell people you are, you aren’t. – Margaret Thatcher

I read an article a few years back about a minister in a wealthy suburb that had been hit severely by layoffs because of the financial hiccups that the country was going through at that time.

He noticed that the demeanor of many once high-flying executives, who had all the swagger that they wore when the world was theirs, had changed and now they were just a shell of themselves. The vision of having that super title vanish took all their perceived power away. They were truly not themselves.

I am Mr. SVP, that is WHO I am

When Rudeness Dominates Your Work Culture, Everyone Pays the Price

 You’re rude because your boss is rude.

WOW! That was an article in my feed from the Harvard Business Review this week. I could not wait to click over and absorb that one.

What happens when you have bad behavior and you do nothing about it from an organizational perspective?

When you do not address it in the flick of a switch, this could become your culture. Yes, I’m talking about a culture of screamers. How long do you think you can keep that a secret?

When rudeness dominates, everyone pays a price

Are You Committed Enough to Invest in Yourself?

“I don’t read this crap. When someone gives me an article to read, I just say yes I will. I don’t read anything anymore. When I leave work, the last thing on my mind is HR.”

This was from one of my HR peeps.

My thought was, “boy they have checked out.” Not only that, but they have checked out and don’t even know it.

Do you “invest in the night?”

What Message Do Your Organization’s Workforce Policies Send?

“I am glad I do not feel pressured and I have a job to come back to.”

Right on ABC! That was my response when I read that.

Robin Roberts, broadcaster on ABC’s Good Morning America,made that statement the other day in talking about her cancer and her career.

This reminded of a friend of mine who took a leave of absence to deal with her elderly parents. When it was nearing the time for her to return, she tried logging in to her company’s computer system, but for some reason, it was not allowing her to get in.

The message: “We take care of our own”

HR's Big Challenge for 2013: How Do We Help Our Organizations Succeed?

What did you learn today?

“Morning Joe,” which is a show that I watch on MSNBC, always asks the most profound questions at the end of every show. Each guest talks about their learning moment for the show.

During the hiatus from work last week, I heard the question asked and thought about it in the context of what I do as a consultant, blogger, and social media enthusiast.

Given that it was the end of one year and the beginning of a new one, I looked back and thought about 2012 and what I learned.

What did you learn?

The Office Christmas Party: One Last Chance to Get Engagement Right

“Yeah, our Christmas party is on Friday night in the conference rooms. In the conference rooms! They will bring food and drinks in. Nobody wants to attend so everyone is planning on going to the area, spend maybe a half-hour, and then get out.”

One of my commute companions told me that story the other day about his company’s “Christmas party.”

It reminded me of someone telling me last year that their company made the Christmas party MANDATORY. I said to him then that if you have to make it mandatory, a loud siren should go off in someone’s head. That should show one and all that there is a bigger problem besides some celebration.

Signals that management don’t seem to see