Category : workplace culture

Finishing out the final two weeks at your job can be a tough task but, handled the right way, you can use it as a way to launch yourself into your new position with momentum and confidence.

In our first post in this series, we pointed out that experts emphasize offering your support by helping transition in your replacement or drafting a summary of your daily duties. A transition plan can be a helpful tool for your employer, as well as a mindset of maintaining bridges when you leave, not burning them.

In this post, we’ll continue offering the insight of workplace experts whose advice can help you turn your final two weeks into a success story.

Finish Up Any Remaining Tasks You Have

Ryan O’Neil, funder of St. Louis-based Curate, an event software company, says your final two weeks should be a time for you to finish out your remaining workload. Don’t assume you can brush off the work you committed to do before leaving.

“If someone gives their two weeks, that’s totally understandable especially in situations where we’re too small of a company for a particular skill set,” he said. “But, if you really work hard to finish off any remaining tasks you have on your list and help create a transition plan, you better believe I’ll recommend you at a later day or even hire you again as we grow.”

This advice is something we also heard from Philip Livingston, a digital marketing specialist at Condo Control Central.

“I strongly believe you should work harder than you ever have in the final two weeks, so that when you leave everyone will have a good last impression of you,” he said.

Resist the Urge to Live Out a Rage-Filled Quitting Fantasy

Most of us have had that frustration-fueled fantasy in which our last day of work ends with leaving the building in a blaze of disgruntled glory.

Resist the urge, said Elene Cafasso, founder of Enerpace, Inc. Executive Coaching.

“As tempting as it may be to tell people what you really think of them on your way out the door, please don’t do it! If you really need to get it off your chest, write a letter at home and don’t send it,” she said. “You can symbolically let go of all your negative emotions towards the prior firm or boss by destroying the letter in whatever way most appeals to you.”

As far as how you should handle your goodbyes, Cafasso says the safe way to go is to wish your coworkers the best.

“No more is necessary,” she said. “If you had a positive relationship with the person, ask if they’d like to connect via LinkedIn. If you were friends, see if they’d feel comfortable staying in touch on Facebook.”

Set Up Lunches or Drinks with the People You Want to Maintain Friendships With

It can be hard to set aside time with your best work friends as you’re getting ready to transition to a new job, but it’s worth it to be intentional about meeting up with them before you leave, said Anna Hunter, founder at ArcVida,

“Ask yourself: Whom do you want to be able to email in a few years knowing they’ll respond? Who is excited about the same things you’re excited about? Who has the kind of positive energy that means they likely have a powerful network of their own,” Hunter asked. “Those are the people with whom you want to schedule time out of the office.”

Not only will these last few meet-ups help you gain a sense of closure, but they’ll also increase your network, which could come in handy further down your professional journey.

“The last two weeks in any job are a great time to strengthen relationships so you leave the company with a stronger network than when you came in,” Hunter said.

Wrapping Up the Series: Some Final Reminders About Finishing Strong

Handing in your two-week notice is a freeing thing to do because it means you’re moving on by virtue of your own decision. In some cases, you’re leaving because you can’t stand your current position. In other cases, the move is the beginning of a new phase of your career. Either way, how you leave will say a lot about your character as a professional.

Try your best to put your former company in the best possible position when you’re gone. Provide a transition plan and finish work you’re able to reasonably complete before you go. Avoid burning bridges out of bitterness and, when you can, spend some time with your favorite coworkers before you go.

Link to Part 1

Americans are quitting their jobs at the fastest rate in nearly 20 years.

And, according to the U.K.’s HR Magazine, January is the most popular time of the year for quitting. Regardless of the reason, most of those who decide to make a career change share one thing in common: two weeks’ notice.

Depending on your work situation, you may view these two weeks as your chance to burn bridges and move on to bigger and better things. Or, if the job change is a positive one for everybody involved, it can be a pleasant end to a great story.

Whichever the case, the last two weeks at your job is an important time not only to prepare for your big change, but also to leave the right way.

Be Supportive

Petal Bovell-Proffitt, a consultant with HR firm DISC Bodhi, encourages employees on their way out to support their company by tying up loose ends and delegating in-progress tasks to ensure a smooth transition.

“It’s easy to take the easy way out and sail through your last two weeks, however, your manager and team may still need you to be present and supportive,” she said.

In her opinion, “support” means meeting with your managers and helping them see what your role is in current projects and what needs to be done to make sure nothing falls through the cracks when you leave.

“Help your manager and team to understand your work projects, where you are in the process, and the next steps for completion. Create a cheat sheet to make life simple for the team. Identify all outstanding projects,” she said. “Help them locate essential documents and files by sharing where it is located, or even better, create a folder with all projects, files, and critical resources.”

Present a Transition Plan with Your Notice

The first step to supporting your employer on your way out is to provide a transition plan with your two weeks’ notice, said Laura Handrick, a career analyst at Fit Small Business.

“The best thing I’ve done and seen others do is to provide your employer with a transition plan at the same time as you give your two weeks’ notice,” Handrick told us. “What that means is that you give your employer a document that maps out all the activities you currently do, and then describes who those activities should likely transition to, and how you will prepare that person, or that job task for the transition.”

This will balance out the suddenness of your exit and will reflect well on you should a future employer want to contact your current one. It never hurts to be as professional and helpful as possible, no matter what the situation.

Focus on Maintaining Bridges, Not Burning Them

Philip Livingston, a digital marketing specialist at Condo Control Specialist, said the final two weeks at a job can be a relational strain. In his case, the final two weeks at the last job he left were uncomfortable.

“It was a bit awkward interacting with other employees leading up to my departure,” he said. “They made it seem like I was betraying them, or I was wrong for wanting to further my career.”

Your instinct might be to return their disdain or disapproval with your own salvos of frustration but, Livingston said, push through the weirdness for the sake of the good relationships you have among the awkward ones.

“Try your best to leave on a good note and resist the urges to not come into work or to be rude to your colleagues,” he said. “It was tough for me to say goodbye to everyone but, at the very least, I tried to stay in touch with those I considered friends.”

Be Prepared to Stop Working the Day You Give Your Notice

Most of us assume that our two weeks’ notice means that we’ll be at the company for two more weeks. After all, you’re giving your employer enough notice to find someone to replace you. However, that doesn’t mean there are things going on behind the scenes that would make it more beneficial for the employer to let you go the day of your resignation.

“Even if you map out your last two weeks’ activities in detail, don’t be surprised if your employer offers to pay your last two weeks and subsequently asks you to exit the office the very day you provide notice,” Handrick said.

If you’re a well-liked employee, there’s a good chance your bosses won’t want to upset your colleagues and they may ask that you keep the news private.

“It’s not about you per se, but they may not want the work environment disrupted as employees, sad to see you go, stream into your office in tears upon learning about your departure,” she said.

Link to Part 2

Leadership is desired but rarely acquired.

Our first post in this two-part series shared 10 actionable tips from experts about how you can augment your leadership skills at work. While corresponding with nearly two dozen experts, we discovered that there isn’t a single system for becoming a leader.

Rather, building your reputation as someone who should be followed is a dynamic mixture of many different factors that suit personalities of all types.

Our series continues in this post with 10 more tips you can use to transform yourself from a follower to a leader.

Be a master at your job

Shefali Raina, Leadership and high-performance coach, Alpha Lane Partners

“To be seen as a leader and to inspire trust and respect in others, you first have to be seen as good at your job. Whatever your core job is, focus on being great at it — build subject matter expertise, learn to collaborate and deliver results in your job and build a brand of credibility and competence at what you do.”

Don’t live in a silo

Ilene Marcus, MSW, MPA; Founder, Aligned Workplace

“Leaders don’t only make their department or unit successful, they add to overall company success. As you work on projects or teams and go about your daily business, think about how to include others and make that part of your standard operating procedure.

“Not only will you build a cadre of supporters, you will produce a better outcome for the entire company. Your ability to align work and address multifaceted issues will be noticed.”

Ask to lead meetings

Desiré Greene, Managing partner, Luckett & Liles

“Meetings are essentially mini-projects and a great way to showcase leadership skills. By keeping attendees focused, ensuring all voices are heard, and synthesizing big ideas, you can demonstrate that you’re ready for other leadership roles.

“I’ll never forget the nod of approval from a company exec after leading my first conference call. My facilitation skills instilled confidence and opened the door for future opportunities.”

Write strategically

Genna Ziino, Content coordinator, Ariel

“So much of business today is conducted via email—it’s easy to feel like blasting out emails at the speed of light is the best way to go, but it’s important to remember that someone is reading that email and relying on your answers and expertise.

“Instead of firing away, take some time to strategically plan your writing to be reader-centered, giving your audience exactly what they need as clearly and concisely as possible.

“Work on having specific, clear subject lines; organizing longer emails into sections that make sense and using headlines for ease of skimming; and drawing attention to any action requests or deadlines instead of burying them.

“Crystal clear writing and knowing you’ve put thought into your responses makes people respect you—and also drives productivity.”

Be a morale builder

Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew, Founder, Soulstice Consultancy

“Build a network of colleagues from various departments and within your team. Listen to their stories to build trust.

“It isn’t always about being upfront and visible, but when people see that you are committed to step up in the behind-the-scenes work, willing to support them, your leadership shines. Be a morale builder even in the tough times.”

Be curious

Kathy Taberner, Certified executive coach & co-founder of Institute of Curiosity

“When we are curious, we better understand each other and with this clarity comes fewer errors thus increased accurate productivity, engagement and accountability.

“When one person becomes curious, it can lead to collaboration where everyone becomes more open and non-judging which leads to collaboration and innovation, even decreases conflict.

“So, we suggest, employees get curious if you want to be seen as a possible leader.”

Build relationships

Sarah Finch, SarahFinch.com

“Leaders can’t lead if they don’t have followers. Talk to the people in your organization, even if you don’t work with them often. Learn their names and say hello when you see them. Help them out when you can.

In this world of technology as a primary mode of work communication, the value of a face-to-face relationship is high and those seen as leaders are often simply the people others can identify and remember moments and conversations.”

Plan ahead

Jenny Hester, Director of Marketing, LIVE Design

“From calendars to task lists, look ahead to what needs to be addressed and accomplished. Set calendar reminders for both new tasks & recurring events.

“Give yourself deadlines of 3 days or more prior to all official deadlines. When out of the office, anything due in your absence or within a few days of your return should be handled before you leave.”

Stop whining and complaining

Laura Handrick, Career and workplace analyst, Fitsmallbusiness.com

“The fastest way to be seen as a leader in your workplace is to find problems, identify what’s broken, and then develop a plan or recommendations to fix it. In other words, don’t be a complainer about what’s not working. No one likes a complainer.

“Instead, be a solution provider. Most employees will gripe about issues. Leaders take those issues on as challenges and come up with ideas, recommendations and solutions to those problems as if it were their own company/business. They look for ways to improve the business, teamwork, processes and overall profits.”

Manage your emotions

Nancy Cramer, Founder, Correct Course Consulting

“One of the most important steps to becoming a leader is to learn to manage emotions. This does not mean to always be stoic. It means to respond authentically and appropriately to situations as they occur.

“When people are in tough leadership situations, they often let their emotions get the best of them. They let how they feel overwhelm them and cloud their thinking. Mistakes are made. Collateral damage is left.”

Wrapping it up: Take action, Focus on people

Much of what we learned from our experts’ input is that leadership is a matter of initiative and relationships.

Advancement is not for the passive and those who find great success are most satisfied when they achieve their success with people, not against them.

 Link to Part 1

Most of us want to be leaders but few of us have created a path to meet that goal.

According to a 2017 article from Infopro Learning, 83% of organizations believe it’s important for them to develop leaders at all levels in the workplace, but only 5% actually have a plan to accomplish it.

With leadership development so absent from the workplace, employees are left to their own devices as they try to rise through the ranks. Those with strong personalities have an easier time navigating competition and success.

However, all of us can apply at least one or two habits or mindsets to our daily work life that can help us become leaders.

We reached out to workplace professionals across the country to find 20 tips for becoming a leader at work. In this post, we’ve included the first 10.

Run toward the fire

Chris Ebmeyer, Managing director, Crossmedia

“Many times, when a problem arises in the office with a client, account, project, etc.; people have a tendency to run the other way.

“True leaders ‘run towards the fire’ and jump in to help solve the problem, not the other way around. When employees put themselves in uncomfortable, tough positions, many times not of their own making, they show true leadership characteristics.”

Make your colleagues’ successes known

Erin Halper, Founder, The Upside

“To become a leader in an organization, it’s important to highlight others’ achievements, even more than your own. True leaders recognize that milestones and wins are a group effort, and never the result of one person’s work, especially their own.”

Don’t be afraid to be competitive

Greg Spillane, CEO, Reachify

“Having people on your team who are competitive, who can work within a team environment, and who understand the importance of hard work can give you a heads up in business. To succeed in a competitive world, you have to be relentless in your desire to win.”

Document your wins and your goals

Arlena Jackson, Founder, Elevation Ally

“Your manager is your biggest supporter. When you win, your manager wins. Make certain he or she always knows your top three accomplishments for the week and your top three priorities for the upcoming week. This can be delivered by way of email each Friday morning.”

Develop your presence

Genna Ziino, Content coordinator, Ariel

“Presence is the ability to connect authentically with others in order to motivate and inspire them. This skill can be used for large audiences or one-on-one, and it’s something you can work on daily through small things like listening sincerely and showing up fully in the things you do.

“Having these skills helps people to trust you, builds relationships and makes your audience tune in to your message above others.”

Become an office thought leader

Desiré Greene, Managing partner, Luckett & Liles

“Sharing industry knowledge and having a point of view will strengthen your professional brand. It also helps you think strategically.

“By understanding the larger picture, you can make better suggestions and contribute to executive-level discussions. So, while everyone else is checking Instagram, read an industry article. You’ll be surprised by the results.”

Know your department and company key performance indicators

Ilene Marcus, MSW, MPA; Founder, Aligned Workplace

“As a boss, I always follow the data.  Usually, all roads lead to one person over and over again.  Be that person.  Know the reports, the data, the numbers (how they are created and what impacts them); this makes you indispensable.

“Believe me; as the boss, you are keenly aware of your KPIs, so if you want to be a leader, be keenly aware of your KPIs (metrics).”

Be the first to volunteer

Thomas Harris, Co-owner, The Exceptional Skills

“You’ve probably seen it a hundred times. Someone asks a question for a response or asks for a volunteer, and no one raises their hand. Then eventually one person does, then everyone else starts to follow.

“Everyone is afraid to be first. They are followers. Don’t be that person. Be the person who stands up first, volunteers, answers questions, shares input, and get things done.”

Be clear on the end game

Shefali Raina, Leadership and high-performance coach, Alpha Lane Partners

“In any situation or context, or for any project at work, get clear on what the end game is, what the goals are and what matters most. People are seen as leaders when they have clarity on vision and goals and are able to communicate that clarity to others.

“When you are clear on what matters most, you will be able to help the team focus their energy and attention to the most important aspects and avoid unproductive and ineffective distractions and people will look to you to resonate with the big picture vision.”

Self-start your professional development

Jenny Hester, Director of marketing, LIVE Design

“Attend free seminars, lunch & learns, etc. These usually end up being extremely useful, full of info and provide great networking opportunities. Show your boss you care about your career, want to learn more, at little or no cost to them.”

Link to Part 2

If you’ve got plans to read this summer, we’ve got some great suggestions for you.

Whether you’re relaxing in a lakeside Airbnb rental or headed to the beach for a few hours of relaxation, spending some time reading through the six books we’ve recommended in our two-part series will strengthen your resolve as an employee and expand the dreams you have of moving up in your own company, making a lateral move or starting your own business.

In our first post, we highlighted books that provided specific steps you can take and traits you can adopt to achieve your short- and long-term goals.

In this post, we’re focusing on three unique but powerful books that address customer service, resilience and a case study in a wildly successful product.

“Hug Your Haters: How to Embrace Complaints and Keep Your Customers” by Jay Baer

We live in a world where one ill-timed mistake can turn into a viral sensation that creates hordes of haters. Businesses need to be experts in turning their most critical customers into their happiest using popular social media channels, personal interaction and genuine interest in individuals.

Baer’s book provides businesses with the tools they need to leverage public interactions in a way that turns the tide of public opinions and wins faithful followers one by one.

Need more convincing? According to Baer, 80 percent of companies say they have good customer service while only 8 percent of their customers say they do.

The book provides advice on multiple customer- and press-related matters, Entrepreneur contributor John Rampton pointed out.

“The book also covers how to embrace complaints, turn bad news into great news, and transform haters into ambassadors for a brand,” Rampton wrote.

“Hug Your Haters” is available on Amazon for $16.72 and has an average rating of 4.4 stars from more than 125 reviews.

“Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy,” by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant

Hardship is a given inside and outside of the business world; it’s an axiom that Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg knows well.

Her husband passed away unexpectedly during a vacation in 2015. The loss was gut-wrenching for Sandberg and her children.

In an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Sandberg talked about the loss:

“Going through this … it’s the unimaginable. Those early days … months, weeks, I felt like there was this void closing in on me. The grief. I couldn’t breathe. And I didn’t know what to do. I turned to my friend Adam and I said, ‘How do I get my kids through this?’ Because I was so worried their childhoods were going to be wiped away.”

In “Option B”, Sandberg talks about the power of resiliency and how it can be used in business to overcome disaster and find success. The book is a poignant and invaluable resource for those who’ve been met with unexpected loss and need a sympathetic and influential voice to help them bounce back.

The book gets an average rating of 4.5 stars on Amazon and is $14.68 in its hardcover version.

“The One Device: The Secret History of the iPhone,” by Brian Merchant

Merchant dives into the history of the iPhone, taking you from planning meetings for multi-touch screens before the phone was even developed to the marketing and launch of Apple’s most profitable device in its history.

The book touches on various vignettes from the phone’s history, walking you through the stages of development and providing insight into the ideas and strategies that made the phone an international icon.

Serving as a case study for idea development and implementation, the book is a fascinating read for a variety of situations:

• You’re in the middle of a project and need some inspiration to get to the next stage.
• You have an idea, but you aren’t sure how to make it a reality.
• You’re in on the planning stages of a new initiative at work and you want insight into how to adapt and succeed.

Merchant’s book gets an average of four stars from nearly 100 reviews on Amazon and is available in hardback for $17.67.

Wrapping It Up: Plenty of Material for Personal and Business Growth

Succeeding in business is just as much about what you learn after school as what you learn in school.

The six books we’ve recommended are among the best that have been released over the past two years. They provide real-life examples of individuals who relied on their determination and focus to overcome difficulty and achieve the dream or standard of excellence to which they aspired.

Part 1 Link

Summer is nearly upon us.

And with summer comes vacation plans that include a few hours here and there for reading. Even if you aren’t heading out of town between June and September, a few hours on the beach every so often is the perfect time to read through some excellent business books.

Over the course of the next two posts, we’ll provide you with a list of the year’s newest and most popular business books, titles which can inspire you and provide insight into how you can strengthen your business acumen.

“Your Best Year Ever: A Five-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals” by Michael Hyatt

Hyatt is a business vet and a productivity guru whose new book is a great way to renew your vigor for the goals you set at the beginning of the year.

Here’s how the book’s website describes the type of person who could benefit from Hyatt’s newest tome:

“We all want to live a life that matters. We all want to reach our full potential. But too often we find ourselves overwhelmed by the day-to-day. Our big goals get pushed to the back burner—and then, more often than not, they get forgotten.”

What’s interesting about this particular tome is that Hyatt offers packages for individuals and businesses that serve as a multi-week course focused on the principles the book lays out.

The hardcover version of the book goers for $15.13 on Amazon.com and has an average rating of 4.8 stars from more than 250 Amazon customer reviews.

“Rise and Grind: Outperform, Outwork and Outhustle Your Way to a More Successful and Rewarding Life” by Daymond John

Daymond John, he of Shark Tank fame, was part of the founding team of FUBU, the international clothing brand made famous in the ‘90s. John took out a $100,000 mortgage on his home to launch the business. He split his home in half and used one part of it to live and the other part of it to produce clothing.

If there’s anyone who knows how to grind his way to success, it’s John. His book focuses on how you can draw on the methods he used in his own life to implement and accomplish the business goals you’ve set for yourself. Here’s how Business Insider’s Richard Feloni and Shana Lebowitz describe the book:

“He’s drawing from his own career and those of fellow entrepreneurs to compile the rituals, habits, and best practices for sustained success, whether you’re leading your own company or not.”

John’s book is available on Amazon for $15.04 in hardcover. It gets an average of 4.5 stars from more than 400 reviews.

“The CEO Next Door: The 4 Behaviors that Transform People into World-Class Leaders” by Elena Botelho and Kim Powell

Botelho and Powell gathered up data from thousands of CEOs and those aspiring to executive positions to compile a list of four common behaviors that make people succeed.

Both women have the credentials and expertise to back up their observations, too. Botelho is a Wharton grad and Powell received her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.

Their book has drawn high praise from thought leaders. Here’s what author Daniel H. Pink said in his recommendation about the sources used for the book:

“They may not all come from fancy schools, but they do know how to make smart decisions, adapt to changed circumstances, and work honestly and directly with customers and employees. Whether you’re running a large organization, or simply have your eye on the corner office, this book should be your guide.”

This book is an excellent choice if you’re working from the bottom up or you’re in mid-management and want to find the edge you need to ascend.

“The CEO Next Door” hardcover is available on Amazon for $16.30. It gets an average rating of 4.7 stars from 27 reviews at the time of publishing.

Part 2: Three More Business Books for the Summer

In our second post on the best business reads for the summer, we review three books that delve into personal experience or product development and mine some of the important principles that worked well for the authors or the products they researched.

It’s important to keep in mind that these success narratives aren’t hard and fast rules from which you can’t waver; contextualize the principles into your own workplace situation.

Building a strong HR department is crucial to the long-term success of a company.

Hire the right people and life will be easier. That starts with human resources, including who you hire to fill key HR positions and who those integral HR people bring onto the team.

In our first post about strengthening your approach to HR, we pointed out some crucial action steps: Focus on the employee experience, hire a consultant when building a new HR team and recruit certified human resources professionals.

In this post, we’re going to expand on our earlier advice via the expertise of HR professionals.

Win the HR Battle by Going Mobile

The race for talent is as tight as it’s ever been as the economy grows and qualified candidates flood the job market. One candidate could be the target of multiple companies and, in order to stand out from the competition, says SocialChorus exec Sonia Fiorenza, you have to focus on a culture-relevant HR strategy: mobile outreach.

“The growing gig economy means individuals also now juggle multiple types of jobs, vastly changing the ways and tools they use to engage with their employer,” Fiorenza said. “And, tied to this, the shift to an increasingly mobile workforce is forcing HR departments to do away with legacy systems and processes, and implement mobile-centric strategies to identify new ways of reaching remote workers.”

Part of that mobile-centric strategy includes:

• Developing new methods for ongoing access to feedback and company news.
• Designed curated, target content through apps.

These two tips are only part of an overall strategy that will keep an HR department performing well. Sometimes, a complete overhaul of the HR process is necessary, Fiorenza said.

Use Trade Organizations to Lay the Foundation

Startups that are focused on scaling, subscriptions and rounding up capital may not place much importance on HR. So, when someone is tasked with launching human resources, they’re most likely going to feel like they’re on a very isolated, overwhelming island.

In our first post, one of our experts recommended hiring a consultant who can get a feel for company culture and then recommend action steps for building a solid department. However, if you or your team are DIYing human resources, Cheer Partners’ Cat Graham says you need to tap the trade organizations to get all the information you can.

“You can join SHRM and download annually updated and state specific employee manuals to ensure you capture all the important policies and employee rights pertaining to compensation, benefits, IT, sick policies, FMLA grievance procedures, jury and military leave,” Graham said.

SHRM is the Society for Human Resource Management, a national organization that includes many of the nation’s top HR professionals in its membership. Their resources are extensive as is their network of HR pros.

Once you’ve solidified the basics, you can add the nuances that will make your department more reflective of your company’s goals and mission.

“Add personal flavor by inputting employee referral bonus program, merit review and increase policies and, most importantly, required harassment and sensitivity policies with zero tolerance for drug use, abuse of employees and clients and alcohol use,” Graham said.

 Don’t Shut HR Out of Big Decisions

There’s a perception of HR out there that treats the department as more of an apparatus that an integral part of implementing a company’s vision.

Mark LaScola, CEO of consulting firm On The Mark, says that firms who provide HR with a seat at the most important meeting are the ones who tend to have the strongest HR departments.

“HR needs be a strategic partner in the annual planning process to understand what the future holds. HR’s role in this planning process is to consider people plans and talent management needs in accordance with the company’s strategic review,” LaScola said.

Short- or long-term strategies require manpower and, as the branch of the company most acquainted with the process, HR is essential to the big picture.

“The outcome is ensuring better anticipation of the need of talent in advance,” LaScola said. “In return, leadership can plan development investments and talent acquisition requests into the annual budgeting process.”

The human resources department has become an interesting litmus test for progress.

There’s a perception in the professional world that HR departments at newer companies focus more on their employees than they ever have before, whereas older companies run their HR as if it did two things: hire and fire people.

Whichever the case is, these two examples don’t do much for helping startups decide how they should build a strong HR department.

We spoke with HR experts across the country to get their insight and expertise on how to build a strong HR department from the ground up.

#1 Become Obsessed with the Employee Experience

Most companies can give you a data-driven breakdown of who their customers are, what they want and how to most effectively reach them.

Unfortunately, companies rarely apply the same principles to learn about their employees, said Sonia Fiorenza, senior vice president of communications and engagement strategies at SocialChorus.

“It’s common for companies to focus heavily on the customer experience and journey, mapping every touchpoint and analyzing how this impacts the organization. However, they haven’t put the same focus on their employee experience. More companies must realize the benefit of taking a similar approach with employees.”

The HR department is a crucial part of this process, Fiorenza said. They are the lynchpin in identifying opportunities for engagement and creating a methodology for finding the right people and keeping them.

“Led by HR, they should bring together multiple disciplines, including communications, IT and others to optimize every touch point in the employee journey so that employees feel more informed, valued and engaged to help the company succeed,” Fiorenza said.

#2 Bring in a Consultant to Lay the Groundwork

Employee engagement is great, you might be thinking, but how do we actually create an HR department from scratch?

Jill Santopietro Panall, owner of 21Oak HR Consulting, says hiring a consultant is an effective way to understand who a company is and how the human resources department should play a role in hiring, firing, compliance and employee engagement.

“For a company without any HR department at all or a company that is too small to sustain or afford a full-time HR person, the first step is often to bring in an experienced HR consultant to examine their practices and compliance and help build a strong foundation of appropriate HR practices and processes,” she said. “Those are often executing in conjunction with finance or office administration folks.”

Once the consultant has built up sufficient knowledge of how the company functions and what its needs are, he or she should then go about making the first HR hires.

Laura Handrick, an HR analyst at Fit Small Business, says a good consultant will help you understand how to avoid big missteps early on.

“An HR consultant can educate the business owners about basic HR labor law and payroll best practices, so that they prevent common HR issues, like discrimination or payroll mistakes from happening in the first place,” Handrick said.

#3 Look for HR Candidates With SPHR/SHRM-SCP Certification

As your company decides who it will bring into its HR department, Panall advised looking for HR leadership candidates with professional certifications. It’s not just about credentials, either; those who get their SPHR or SHRM-SCP show they’re serious about their expertise.

“I am personally biased towards seeing both a strong HR experience as well as some evidence of commitment to the profession, such as an HR designation like PHR/SPHR, SHRM-CP/SCP, or a benefits or payroll certification like CBS, CEBS or CPP,” she said.

An SPHR (Senior Professional of Human Resources) certification, for example, requires that the recipient take a 175-question test to be completed in three hours.

As your department evolves and matures, you may want to think about hiring a senior exec with a doctorate in a related area of study, Panall said.

“For the larger companies, seeking an experienced HR leader with a PhD in Industrial Organizational Psychology may be desirable, as it indicates a very deep knowledge of the people process, an understanding of data analytics and trends in the workplace and an ability to help set organization-wide strategy,” she said.

More HR Advice to Come: Looking Ahead to Part 2

Building a strong human resources department takes time, research and an acute desire to make sure your employees are just as happy as your customers.

Our next post in this two-part series about HR departments will dig into other interesting topic areas including why it’s important for HR to be a part of big company decisions, why HR leaders should be big-picture thinkers and the necessity of being responsive.

You’ve always got the time to be kind.

That’s the opinion of various experts and business leaders we talked with as we pondered what seems to be the lost art of acting generously toward coworkers. The idea may be counterintuitive for A-type personalities whose daily objective is to press hard for goals, benchmarks and bonuses.

However, says workplace leadership expert Dianne Crampton, we often forget that kindness can be a catalyst for better performance through empathy, putting oneself in the place of your coworkers in order to identify with their situation.

“The bottom line is that improving empathy and kindness is tied to increased productivity and ultimately improved business revenue,” Crampton said. “So, as a principle required for high-performance work groups, empathy and kindness improvements are both measurable and then trackable in the business bottom line. No fluff.  Not touchy-feely.  Just solid psychological, good business sense.”

Organization development consultant Lisa Sansom, a coach and consultant at LVS Consulting, echoed Crampton’s sentiment, noting that kindness in the workplace also boosts employee retention and participation.

“Kindness in the workplace is important for building positive workplace relationships, setting a strong corporate culture and increasing employee retention and engagement,” Sansom said.

But how exactly do businesses go about achieving those lofty goals of increased performance, retention and engagement?

We reached out to business owners and HR reps to find out. We received some intriguing responses offering ideas for practicing kindness as well as examples of kindness at work in the office.

The Experts Offer Up Easy Ways to Express Kindness

To be kind, you must be intentional about it. Very few employees are willing to bring their schedule to a halt to take a few minutes to ponder what they can do to enliven their colleagues’ spirits.

The time spent on kindness, though, is well worth it.

Say Thank You

Dana Case, director of operations at online legal filing service MyCorporation, says kind workplaces have one common thread: consistent expressions of gratitude.

“One of the most appropriate ways to practice kindness in the workplace is to say, ‘Thank you,’ to fellow employees and make it a regular practice,” she said. “It’s a simple sentiment that goes a long way in making everyone feel valued.”

Be careful, though, says Sansom; if you try to formalize a system of thank-you’s or kindness in general, these transformational moments could become forced and lose their punch.

“It’s possible to institutionalize kindness but, in my opinion, this takes a discretionary fun effort and turns it into a corporate obligation,” she said. “Be kind just because – not because someone else told you to or because everyone else is doing it.”

Send a Note

Alexis Monson, co-founder of Punkpost, a service that lets users send custom thank-you notes via their app, says acts of kindness don’t have to be grandiose, either.

“To spread happiness, gestures don’t have to huge and elaborate,” she noted. “Simple and thoughtful is all you need.”

A note written to a co-worker expressing heartfelt gratitude for a job done well or their willingness to cover for you in a jam can go a long way.

Using a service like Punkpost – or even a handwritten note — is something that can make a difference in a co-worker’s life, she said.

Listen

Another excellent bit of advice came from Fit Small Business HR Analyst Lauren Hedrick, who emphasized the importance of listening.

We’ve all been the person who tunes out our colleagues because we’re focused on an upcoming deadline or issue. Taking the time to set aside the momentum of your work life to genuinely fix your attention on the person in the cubicle next to you is powerful.

“We warm up our cars and we allow our computers time to load their apps,” Hedrick said. “Should we not give a moment to our human peers to let them know we seem them, care about them and enjoy working with them?”

A Few Reminders About Kindness

As we mentioned early on in this post, you have to avoid formalizing kindness. Employees will sniff out the corporate nature of enforced generosity and they’ll most likely lose interest.

Sansom said another important aspect of kindness is to remember that you need to be discerning about what you say and to whom you say it. Don’t bare your soul to someone you barely know.

“Kindness can be different for different people. What you may see as kind might not come across well with someone else,” she said. “So, unless you know someone well, it may be wise to stay away from anything too personal at the start.”

As you get to know your colleagues, managers and/or employees, you’ll recognize the best way to be kind.

Another benefit of building empathy and kindness in the workplace? Conflicts are more likely to be less severe.

“In work cultures that measure high in empathy, conflict rarely escalates but is quickly rolled back to the root cause,” Crampton said. “There is a recognition that problems usually arise over confusion on how to do something or the way a system works rather than problems that employees have willfully caused to antagonize one another.”

The Consumer Electronics Show concluded this past January with tons of fanfare surrounding the consumer products showcased in what is the premier tech show of the year.

Lost in all this techie talk was the fact there were some innovative products focused on improving the office.

We did some research and discovered some very interesting products that could provide your office with cutting-edge tech that will make your workplace a little more interesting.

In our conversations with exhibitors who hawked their creations to the country’s top investors and businesses, we found everything from the Google of video footage to innovative community phone chargers to ultra-durable power strips that can withstand power surges and the every-day abuse of the workplace.

Stepping Up Your Security with IC Realtime’s Ella

Let’s say you drive to work one day, put in a solid eight of hours of work and, when you head to the parking lot to drive home, you notice somebody sideswiped your car at some point in the day.

Normally, you’d have to connect with your building’s security department and ask them to pore over hours of footage to figure out who hit your car.

With IC Realtime‘s Ella, you can search your footage by using keyword searches just like you would when looking for something on Google.

For example, if you see black paint at the impact point, you can search “black car” and Ella will search through all the footage and isolate clips that include a black car.

The service also recognizes letters and numbers. So, if FedEx is late on a delivery or you never receive a shipment that was supposedly delivered, you can search “FedEx truck” and Ella will pull up all footage of FedEx trucks that pulled up to your delivery dock during the hours you specify.

“There was a lot of interesting buzz, for sure,” a company rep told us. “The Wall Street Journal included Ella in their list of the best tech to see at CES.”

Design Meets Device Charging: Humavox NEST

We’re not saying that charging your phone at your work desk is archaic but using a cord to charge your phone can be annoying for those who work in small spaces.

Humavox NEST has solved this problem by creating technology that can turn virtually anything into a charging station by incorporating near-field radio frequencies to charge phones and tablets.

Here’s how they explain the problem they say they’re solving:

“With the growing number of devices, charging has become a daily hassle that must be resolved with a simple, natural charging solution. But when thinking of what would be the most natural charging experience for users, we realized that it’s not unanimous, (it) changes with different products and between different users.”

Current NEST designs available on the Humavox website reveal personal-sized charging pods as well as community bowls where multiple phones and IoT devices can charge.

This novel idea for charging stations would be a great fit in communal areas where employees take breaks, brainstorm or meet, all without the need for charging cords.

Power to the People: Juice Mobile Power

Imagine the following scenario. You’ve got an event going on at the office — new employee orientation, for example — and dozens of people are crammed into a meeting room. The combination of phones, tablets and laptops needed to take notes means that some people are left without an outlet.

That’s the type of scenario some office managers had to be thinking about when they stopped by Bretford’s booth at CES and saw the company’s newest power solution: Juice Mobile Power.

Juice provides DC power for up to 20 mobile devices. One main power source plugs into the wall, and, from there, you can connect multiple power lines that roll out like a red carpet. The power strips are low-profile, durable and, as the company’s website says, they provide simple power solution without any retrofitting.

Here’s how a company representative explained the problem that Juice Mobile Power solves:

“Juice Mobile Power is the solution to this problem – the cost of rewiring a given room, whether that is an office conference room, an event space, or a classroom, is thousands of dollars and lots of time and energy. Juice Mobile Power takes the existing power available in the room and spreads it in a mobile, safe, adaptable way so people can stay charged and productive.”

There’s not much difference in the way that Bretford approaches power and the way we approach existing cubicles. We provide a simple solution that doesn’t require any work stoppages or costly disassembly of existing cubicles or desks.

Our panel and privacy extenders can be added to existing desks and walls in a matter of minutes. In many cases, we can add our panel extenders without interrupting your team’s workflow.

To learn more about our office solutions, call us at or head to our website.