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The world is changing fast and so is the world of work. Technological transformation, global competition, and demographic change are affecting drastically how we work, consume and live. These three factors, according to the study Employment and Social Developments in Europe 2018, have determined two trends in the European labor market: Human capital quality improvement (reskilling) and highly diverse forms of work (atypical working).

Atypical work, defined by Eurofound (European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions), is any employment relationship that do not conform to the standard or ‘typical’ model of full-time, regular, open-ended employment with a single...]]> Tue, 23 Apr 2019 14:50:26 +0200
In today’s modern economy, employees are spending much longer at their desks. Certainly longer than the traditional 9-5 work week. But more hours spent at work does not automatically translate into more productivity. The success of a company is directly related to the performance of its employees, and the most successful companies are the ones with the most effective performance management systems. So what strategies can companies adopt to maximise their employee performance?

The Harvard Business Review published an article in March 2017 entitled “Great Companies Obsess Over Productivity, Not Efficiency”. In this article the author wrote that many companies...]]> Tue, 06 Mar 2018 20:59:38 +0100
Most employees dread the idea of performance evaluations at work, seeing it as an ultimately pointless, but obligatory process. These days, many companies have introduced the use of self-evaluation with the purpose of better participation and active engagement with employees regarding their work performance; through this method, employees are expected to set personal job goals and career goals based on how they perceive their own work performance, which in turn pushes employees to be more self-aware of their work ethic and how to actively improve themselves.

As with more traditional performance evaluations, the purpose of self-evaluation is to promote more...]]> Mon, 01 Jan 2018 12:42:48 +0100

Creativity is often associated with artists, musicians, and scientists. It is rarely recognized as belonging to the sphere of everyday life or with work – like being tied to business and economics. However, when defined as the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, creativity can easily be applied to most aspects of our lives. There are three main reasons why people are motivated to be creative. The first one is the need for novel, varied, and complex stimulation. The second is the need to communicate ideas and values. And the...]]> Mon, 02 Oct 2017 10:40:10 +0200 Many mergers & acquisitions ‘how-to’ manuals discourage executives from paying too much attention to people issues, urging them to focus all the energy on getting the greatest possible value out of the deal. That is almost ironic, considering that most failed mergers list inability to successfully blend the cultures of the two companies as the top reason of failure. In those cases, shortly after the integration, morale dropped, synergies failed to substantiate, and key people started heading to the exits. Arguably, if culture can be the biggest issue of mergers, then it could also be the most powerful tool for...]]> Mon, 03 Apr 2017 13:26:20 +0200 The boundary between boss/buddy relationships can often be difficult to discern for managers, and failure to have a clear distinction can create unwanted pitfalls. On the one hand, you – as a manager – do not want to appear too aloof or impersonal when dealing with your employees. On the other hand, you also want to maintain a professional separation that allows both you and your employees to work efficiently. Establishing firm rules is essential.

There are many reasons why managers want to be friendlier with their staff. A desire to be liked and to be accommodating to your workmates...]]> Mon, 03 Apr 2017 12:39:11 +0200 The key word to employees working together efficiently is “teamwork.” Often overlooked, teamwork is a highly needed aspect within the workplace. It involves different people with different capabilities working together to reach a common goal they would all share. Having employees supporting each other creates a positive atmosphere within the work place, thus givingless chance of stress amongst employees.

A study done by Kim Cameron at the University of Michigan found that workplaces that were to have “positive and virtuous practices” will provide better results. These “positive and virtuous practices” include providing support for one another, respecting one another, avoiding...]]> Mon, 06 Mar 2017 11:44:15 +0100 Management needs to convey what is required of employees as clearly as possible. If goals are not communicated well then the goals may not be met, may be passed over, or completed in an insufficient manner. Referring to certain frameworks or generalized approaches can be beneficial. The establishing of SMART goals is an example of one such approach. The ideas behind SMART goals are generally applicable, across industries or departments. They can refer to longer-term goals, short-term goals such as the preparation of a presentation, or regular goals, for instance, the regular publishing of a newsletter. Since SMART is one...]]> Mon, 06 Feb 2017 22:14:58 +0100 There is much literature about the negative effects of favouritism, from demoralised employees to outright feelings of resentment, and they all blame ‘bad’ managers. But one has to ask, objectively, if there are in fact positive aspects to favouritism in the workplace – what would compel a manger to practise it? And when is it permissible?

The Manager

Favouritism is a three-way relationship, the practitioner: often the manager, the receiver: often an employee, and the victim(s): the other employee(s) that make up the team/department. From the employee perspective, unless it is the employee that is lavished with praise, all other...]]> Wed, 11 Jan 2017 16:13:31 +0100 A manager’s job is to ensure that their team is on track to hit their goals and continue progress for the company. The most difficult part, is figuring out how. Every person responds to management differently,and can be motivated or discouraged depending on the style of management used. With that in mind, we ask: how should the success of each employee be measured? And, how do we do so while continuing to motivate and inspire?

First, we should go over the different types of management, and when they are beneficial or ineffective for employees. Research group, Hay-McBer, has identified six...]]> Mon, 31 Oct 2016 11:59:43 +0100 Many of us may have experienced praise after a job well done. Can you remember how you felt afterwards? Were the words more meaningful to you than completing the job? Maybe you were motivated to put in effort for even more success?

It is common knowledge that being praised often makes people feel good. Satisfaction, pleasure, pride and increased feelings of self-esteem are all common reactions to being paid a compliment or receiving positive feedback. This is because these reactions trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps control the reward and pleasure centres of the brain. As well...]]> Tue, 06 Sep 2016 09:30:50 +0200

“We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.”—Bill Gates.
Receiving feedback is highly beneficial, and no matter how well you do something, it will always be important to receive some. Feedback gives you a chance to improve and build on certain aspects your peer saw you could work on, it also gives you an impression as to how people view what you have created, which can spur changes or improvements. Having a positive attitude in receiving feedback will also show a more approachable impression to working together with your colleagues.

Asking for feedback provides you...]]> Tue, 07 Jun 2016 12:10:00 +0200 Getting the best performance out of your employees is an ever important step in maintaining your business and your workplace. Managing the performance of your workforce is a way to do this. By observing how your workforce has performed over the year, you can give advice to your employees on how to not only improve their efficiency, but also to give your employees a better idea of the organisational goals you have set for your company.

Ultimately, analysing performance allows you to show how they have worked towards achieving these goals, and what they can do to improve their output...]]> Tue, 05 Jan 2016 10:36:14 +0100 The performance evaluation system at HiiL Innovating Justice, the organisation I am a part of, has really grown up and developed from a child into a teenager, and at this moment it is turning into a conscious and smart adult. Initially, our performance evaluation system consisted of just a few questions to be asked and was more of a free style talk. The goal was to provide an opportunity to reflect on the demonstrated performance as well as evaluating achievements and identifying points of improvement and areas to keep on strengthening. All the employees were asked the same questions. However,...]]> Mon, 30 Nov 2015 11:04:44 +0100 Being on probation means your supervisor or other company manager can easily evaluate your progress closely, while making sure you are using your skills as a newly hired worker efficiently. As well as this, probation periods are also used to determine appropriate assignments for new workers, and to monitor other aspects of the employee such as their honesty, reliability, and how they interact with both their peers and customers.

However, probabtion is not only for newly employed personnel. Some employers can place permanent employees on probation, particularly if their performance is seen as being below the company standards, or if...]]> Mon, 30 Nov 2015 12:41:55 +0100