roductivity Nightmare or Communications Dream?No longer just a tool of the idle masses exchanging rumors and recipes, instant messaging (IM) applications have encroached into the working world, where professionals swap industry information, gossip, and expertise in the blink of an eye. Instead of traipsing down the hall, making an abrupt phone call, or waiting for an e-mailed response, employees can communicate with one another via online text, 'pinging' each other questions and requests, speeding up reaction rate and increasing productivity. According to a recent Jupiter Media Metrix report, ... view article details

Health benefits concern the physical well being of employees and their families. Broadly speaking, this could include such things as medical coverage, dental and vision insurance, prescription drug plans, certain types of disability coverage, and counseling services, often called employee personal assistance programs (EAP). You might also have a flexible spending account, which allows you to pay for certain medical and dependent care expenses out of pretax dollars.Dental plansDental plans come in almost as many forms as regular healthcare coverage. Basic dental coverage usually has categories ... view article details

Feeling at Ease with Negotiating Here’s a test. Over the past year, what has been the typical response when you ask people “How’ve you been?” My guess is that very few answer, “Actually, I’ve been incredibly relaxed, calm, and productive.” Most likely they say, “I’m so busy!” “Things have been so crazy!” “I’m so swamped at work!” “I’m exhausted and busy and crazy!” I could go on.So when the end of the year rolls around, it seems that is the time that people finally set aside time to be with family, unplug from the working world, relax and recover. But what if you could feel more relax... view article details

Positive Conflict in the Workplace If everyone agreed all the time, there would be no reason to consider different perspectives or look for new ways to handle situations. The best ideas often emerge from the creative problem-solving process that has to occur to reach conflict resolution. Here are five benefits of conflict in the workplace: 1. As team members work through conflicts, they are able to make progress toward accomplishing goals that need to be reached. This is true in terms of project-specific goals, as well as the goal of becoming a stronger, more unified team. Team members ... view article details

You’re probably in a fantasy football league. If your league is really competitive, you’ve probably spent a lot of time researching the best players for your team by buying magazines, studying depth charts, analyzing position rankings, or soliciting advice from experts on Twitter.If all this is true, you’ve probably heard of Dave Richard.As the Senior Fantasy Writer for CBSSports.com, Dave has a job most sports fans and stat-obsessed fantasy football geeks envy---he gets paid to watch professional football and then discuss it. Dave is paid to pick out the best players in the NFL and estimate h... view article details

Q: I am an HR professional who has had difficulty persuading managers to accept the HR team's job matching to salary surveys. How would you recommend I proceed to get them to buy into the results?A: For companies that have difficulty getting managers to buy into the process of job matching, it can be helpful to start by providing them with data. Ask your colleagues in the employment department how many offers of employment are rejected based on what your company can offer. And then find out how many employees leave the company for more money and/or better career opportunities. Then, armed with... view article details

Dear Annette,What is the best way for a new employee to remember the other employees' names? I will be starting a new job in a few weeks as the payroll manager so, of course, I have to get names down very quickly. I sometimes have a problem remembering names. Help! Guess WhoDear Guess Who,It's the sheer volume of people waiting inside the theater, not lack of confidence in the film, that makes a movie star's stomach flutter on the way to her premier.And so it is with a new job. You arrive, walk into the office, and notice that every coworker you meet has a nickname, first name, last name; some... view article details

Q:  Sometimes, as I arrive at a prospective employer's office for a first interview, the receptionist hands me an application that must be filled out before the HR manager interviews me. This protocol seems to take the focus of the interview away from my candidacy. I prefer not to disclose personal information such as salary history, age, Social Security Number, etc.before we've discussed my skills, my experience, and the benefits I can bring to the organization. How can I handle this situation tactfully without giving offense?A:  Organizations sometimes expect applicants to complete an applic... view article details

Dear Annette,My boss talks to other employees about employees. Is this an accepted practice? He claims to be quite educated in new management styles. However, I do not feel as though I should know that he is thinking about firing his secretary, also known as my coworker. Sincerely, Rather Not KnowDear Rather Not Know,Perhaps like me you recall the era when information was the currency of fabulousness. How much energy and time used to go into hiding and discovering secrets? How many Saturday and Sunday mornings has my dog Dickie spent sniffing around the back doors of my little Beverly Hills ne... view article details

For job seekers, the resume may be the most important document they need. After all, what's on that simple piece of paper can mean the difference between landing an interview and landing in the circular file. While most job seekers concentrate on what theyshould include on their resume, few pay attention to what they shouldn't include. This article explores 10 things you should never put on your resume. A crazy objective So you want to be the next Bill Gates. Terrific! And you may even have the chops to make it happen. But please don't put it in your objective statement. Outlandish, overcon... view article details