There’s a standard scene in many movies where a woman becomes involved with a man but wants to keep the budding relationship secret. Invariable, either at work or a social gathering, a close friend will say, “Something’s different about you. Are you seeing someone?” You’ve probably been in this situation, as either the primary subject or […]
I think that small business owners must sometimes feel like contestants in The Hunger Games, except that there’s never a winner. I say this because it seems like small business owners are always running around like crazy with a target on their backs. Consider mandatory paid sick leave. In the last couple of years and […]
Some of you may be old enough to remember when Japanese industry, especially manufacturing, was seen as a juggernaut. It was characterized by the world’s highest levels of quality, unflagging company loyalty and lifetime employment for workers. The quality standards are still there, but the loyalty and lifetime employment are very much on their way […]
Did you know your company has an employment brand? Whether by design or default (usually by default) every company has its own employment brand. I talk to many small business owners who tell me they have difficulty attracting and retaining the talent they need to grow their businesses. They typically blame their inability to provide competitive salary and benefits packages to their employees. But money isn’t always the biggest motivator for employees today — particularly younger workers. Many job seekers place more importance on the quality of the work environment when making a job choice.
At a recent women business owner conference, I participated in a roundtable with other women entrepreneurs to discuss common challenges. The dominant topic, which surprised me, was employee recruitment and retention. Many women expressed concern about hiring an employee, training them and then watching them leave after a short tenure. The High Cost of Employee […]