Most organizations have a process for finding out why employees leave. It's called an exit interview. Exit interviews can provide valuable information. The problem is by the time you're having that conversation, it's usually too late to do anything about it. What if you could learn what keeps employees engaged, what frustrates them, and what might cause them to leave before they start looking for another job? That's where Stay Interviews come in. What Are Stay Interviews? Sta

It's almost Halloween, and for some organizations, the thought of another round of performance reviews is downright frightening! If your process feels more like a dreaded annual exercise than something that actually improves performance, it may be time for a change. Here are four ways to take the fright out of performance management: 1. Make feedback more frequent. An annual review shouldn't be the first time employees hear how they're doing. Regular check-ins help address co

October is Menopause Awareness Month, and menopause is finally getting some much-needed attention in the workplace. You might even say it's becoming a HOT topic (see what I did there?). And it's about time. A few states have introduced legislation addressing menopause in the workplace, and some have already enacted protections. As someone who's been through it, I can tell you it's no walk in the park. Yet despite being a natural stage of life that affects roughly half the pop

Most leaders know recognition matters. The problem is that we often recognize people the way we would want to be recognized. Discover how to make recognition meaningful using the PATS framework.

Have you ever had a really good employee who just seemed to change? They were still doing the job, but the energy was different. That employee who used to speak up in meetings no longer does. The person who always had ideas suddenly just does what they're asked. The employee who used to go above and beyond starts doing exactly what's required—and nothing more. They haven't necessarily become a bad employee. They may have just stopped caring. And that usually doesn't happen ov

Make employment-related decisions for legitimate business reasons, and be able to explain what those reasons are.

Growth is exciting. It can also expose cracks in the way an organization manages people. What worked when the company was smaller may not work as it grows. The owner or business leader can no longer be involved in every decision. Managers are expected to handle situations they may never have been trained to address. And processes that once lived in someone’s head need to become clearer, more consistent, and easier for others to follow. The problems may show up as turnover, po

Employees need to know who to talk to when they have a concern.

Good documentation isn’t about creating a paper trail for termination. It’s about capturing expectations, conversations, and follow-up so decisions are based on facts instead of memory. When documentation is simple, timely, and clear, it supports better management and reduces risk.

We often promote our best individual contributors to management, but don't give them the tools to be most successful. Learn more in this post.

“Turnover is too high. We need to increase pay.” “Employees aren't accountable. We need accountability training.” “Our teams aren't working well together. We need team building.” Maybe. But maybe not. One of the most common mistakes organizations make when dealing with people challenges is moving too quickly from problem to solution. I see this all the time in my consulting work. The problem that is initially presented is rarely the real problem. Leaders often see a symptom,

One of the most uncomfortable things I hear from a manager is: “They’re going to be completely shocked when we let them go.” If that’s true, there’s a good chance something has gone wrong long before the termination meeting. 1. The manager has been talking about the employee instead of talking to the employee. Everyone in leadership knows there’s a problem. The employee doesn’t. Managers often avoid difficult conversations because they don’t want conflict, hope the situation

This post is about the importance on consistency in avoiding legal risk and in building workplace culture.

Waiting Is One of the Most Expensive HR Decisions You Can Make Most people problems don't become expensive overnight—they become expensive because we wait. Whether it's avoiding a difficult conversation, hoping performance improves on its own, or putting off updates to policies and processes, delays often lead to lower morale, higher turnover, lost productivity, and increased risk.

Build HR fundamentals to build a better workplace and reduce legal risks.

This post provides 8 signs to look for in a potential future leader.

I started my career in HR in 1990 as a fresh-faced, big-haired, recent graduate. As of now, I have officially been in HR for 36 years. I’m not sure if it’s grit or insanity that has gotten me through. 😂 When I started in 1990, fresh out of grad school, cell phones were new (mostly in bags with no texting), email was barely a thing, there was no internet, and presentations involved overhead projectors and transparencies. A lot has changed. And a lot hasn’t. Here are five thin

Have you ever had to lead—or simply work alongside—someone who was never happy, stirred up drama, and seemed to drain the energy from everyone around them? Most leaders can identify that employee. The harder part is knowing what to do about it. One difficult employee can have a big impact on morale, productivity, trust, and even retention. Recently, I've been helping several clients work through situations like this, so I thought I'd share a few strategies that can help. 7 Ti

As employees take well-deserved vacations this summer, many organizations discover something important: Vacation season is often a stress test for their people systems.

Many organizations have a people problem, and they think they know the cause. But sometimes it's a symptom, and there is something deeper going on. Read on to learn how to avoid this.