Labor Day Thoughts

We celebrated Labor Day this past Monday.  While many people got their last hurrah of summer and sun, the day should not pass without a more than passing thought on the state of labor.  Statistics out this week claim that layoffs are finally down, and while unemployment remains high, employers are holding on to their pared down workforces but not hiring new employees while they figure out what is coming up down the road.  While this may sound like good general economic news, it may not really be so.  There is never a bad time to take stock of employees -- reward hard working, good employees and let them know that loyalty and hard work go in two directions.  That should mean hiring new employees when workflow causes the current workforce to become overworked and overtaxed.  On the other hand, no economic fears, or even hopes of increased business should keep a fair employer from fairly evaluating those employees whom time and again have shown that they do not have what it takes to contribute.  Let what happens in the workplace dictate how employees are treated, not hopes and fears about a slow to recover economy.  Fair employers and fair employees.  It is what every labor day really celebrates.   

Getting New Employees Off To The Right Start

Do you remember your first day at your current job?  Chances are you were pretty nervous.  Chances also are that you were overwhelmed with all the new people you were meeting, all the paperwork you were processing, and all the energy you were expending trying to figure out who and what was going to be important. To help employees start out right, help them hit the ground running.  For example, rather than leaving it up to individuals to make all the little things happen, give new employees the list of what they need to know to get on board and become productive and a cast of characters of the people who can provide that knowledge.  More senior hires should set up those meetings themselves and gather that information on their own.  Check in at the end of the first week to make sure things are on track and schedule a six-month and/or three-month check-in.  This gives an employee and an employer a hard target for thinking about and evaluating the new relationship. Of course if it is really not working out, feedback should be provided more immediately, but for most employees, it is good sense to know when you plan to formally check in and evaluate both sides of the relationship. Remember, nothing energizes an employee more than being told that she is off to a great start and performing above expectations. However, in those cases when the message is not as upbeat, everyone benefits from honest feedback and a chance to right the course before it becomes too late.