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How to Scale Culture Without Losing What Makes It Work

It’s one thing to build a strong culture—it’s another to scale it. As organizations grow—whether through rapid hiring, geographic expansion, or acquisitions—company culture can get diluted or distorted.  New people come in, processes shift, and what used to feel natural now requires intention. The risk? Losing the very culture that made workplace growth possible in […]

benefits

3 Ways Small Businesses Can Provide Employee Child Care

At the start of an individual’s career, child care most likely is not at the center of his or her employee benefits concerns. But, as people venture further into their careers, the chances increase that they’ll need to find a childcare provider to be able to progress in their jobs, which is not necessarily an […]

coaching

The Manager’s Role in the Promotion of Subordinates

In most organizations, managers wear many hats; of course, they need to manage their teams, but many also have nonmanagerial duties, such as working on projects or championing company initiatives. It’s becoming increasingly expected that managers also serve as coaches for their teams. Although the manager-as-coach paradigm is relatively new, interest in that role has […]

Does a Formal or Informal Outfit Boost Office Productivity?

It used to be that a 9–5 job meant snappy Charles Tyrwhitt suits and briefcases all through the office. But these days, many companies are happy to let their employees dress how they like (so long as it doesn’t affect their work!). Does dressing comfortably increase or decrease productivity though?

Drawing the Line on Tips: Where Does It End?

Employee compensation is a complicated issue that can stir passion in people. Recently, the now-former CEO of Wells Fargo was taken to task by Congress for his company’s compensation practices, which many believe contributed to widespread fraud on the part of bank employees.

How to Bring the Best Ideas Forward

You might think the individual leading a company’s innovation program needs to be an “ideas person”—but I disagree. The real skill is in uncovering and advancing ideas from others across the business.

HR Merger and Acquisition Playbook

By Barbara Mitchell Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) were at an all-time high in 2015. There is some indication that they will slow down in 2016 because it is an election year, but probably not by much. However, just because there are a lot of mergers does not mean that they are successful. In fact, at […]

automation

Rise of the Machines: Which Roles Will Be Replaced in 10 Years?

In the Johnny Depp movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie Bucket’s father works in a toothpaste factory but is quickly replaced by robots that can do his job—screwing toothpaste caps onto tubes of toothpaste—at a fraction of the speed. Spoiler alert: At the end of the movie, Bucket’s father lands a job repairing the […]

Everything I Need to Know About HR I Learned from NCIS

NCIS is a popular TV show that has run for 16 seasons. One of the show’s running conceits is the set of rules promulgated by lead investigator Leroy Jethro Gibbs (played by Mark Harmon). The rules are referenced scattershot throughout the episodes. Sometimes they’re self-fulfilling prophecies and at other times contradictory for the plot as […]