At the end of a business meeting, the organizer summarizes the decisions the group has made, lists the next steps, and assigns action items or tasks to participants. Typically, all action items should be carried out by people who attended the meeting, or people who report to them. It is usually less productive to assign work that results from a meeting to someone who wasn't represented.To be courteous of people's time, end the meeting when it is scheduled to end and leave the room, especially if another group is using the room directly afterward.The Meeting-After-the-MeetingPay careful attenti... view article details

In October 2008, the U. S. Labor Department reported the tenth straight month of job losses. With the current economic situation, it can be anticipated that this trend will continue. Most industries are expected to suffer although jobs in security, health care, the environmental sector, energy and education are expected to fare somewhat better. So how do you manage your career through an economic crisis? The best thing to do in uncertain times is to prepare yourself for the worst case scenario.Stay where you are – if you can During a recession, even if you are un... view article details

1. Re-Gifting Anything! First off, if you didn’t like it, what makes you think they will. Secondly, wouldn’t it be awful to get caught re-gifting the gift they gave you!2. Duplicate Gifts Make sure to look at the registry before buying something. There’s nothing worse than getting twenty toasters.3. Perishable Food Don’t forget the couple will likely be going on a honeymoon for at least a week!4. Useless Books They might be a little insulted to receive a book on how to make a marriage work.5. Inappropriate Gifts There’s a time and a place, bu... view article details

Getting a raise. Climbing the corporate ladder. Receiving a better title. Taking on more responsibility. Advancing your career. These are the accomplishments most people in the workforce strive to attain. Countless resources exist to guide you every step of the way, from entry-level newbie through middle management and all the way up to the executive offices. How much heartbreak and anger has been exercised lamenting when things don’t go as planned? Why can’t I earn more money?I can’t believe I got passed over for that promotion!My boss is so incompetent, I could do so much better!So if you ar... view article details

                        One of the biggest challenges facing employers is recruiting and retaining qualified, dedicated employees. Over the past decade, with unemployment levels low and the economy doing well, one of the ways businesses in many industries were recruiting the best possible talent and keeping those employees happy was by offering stock options. For the first time ever, the trend extended not just to top-level managers and executives, but to people throughout the organization.As a result, the ability to participate in an employee stock option plan became an integral part of many ... view article details

Q. I am the assistant to the president of a small consulting firm. Since I am at the top of my pay scale and receive excellent bonuses, what else can I negotiate that is not monetary, and how do I go about it?A. You pose a very interesting question, and you're in an admirable spot. What does one negotiate for when one is already paid well above market? Since you already know you won't be able to get any more money in base or incentive pay, you should decide what else you would really like. For instance, you might like to spend more time with your family, take a professional course, or attend a... view article details

Q. I am a software consultant at a relatively small firm (under 50 employees). Recently, the company entered into contracts with several clients overseas and international travel will be required for me for three weeks each month. Management has made it clear that salary, rather than extra time off or other benefits, will be the main incentive for work abroad. What should I expect in a salary increase?A. If the company were relocating you outside the United States, you could expect it to provide you with additional incentives, such as a housing allowance, a travel allowance, hazard pay (if you... view article details

Job hunting is a nerve-racking process. Scouring LinkedIn for opportunities, waiting by the phone for employers to call, and sending out countless résumés to people who may never read them is a huge pain.But as any HR professional will tell you, the best time to look for a job is when you already have one. When you’re happily employed, your negotiating power skyrockets and you're more likely to be wooed by hiring managers with higher compensation, better benefits, and stock options. That's where passive candidacy comes in.Passive candidates are people who aren’t actively looking for a job but ... view article details

How to Handle Giving an Employee a Poor Performance Review Having a positive employee review is easy. You applaud your employee’s accomplishments, discuss plans for the future, and (hopefully) give them a handsome raise. Sadly, the same does not apply when you have to give a poor performance review to an employee whose efforts have been iffy at best. Here’s how to handle a negative employee review so that both you and your employee both feel positive and motivated at the end of it. 1. Most likely, your employee already knows his work has not been up to par. But there is a chance that yo... view article details

In the mid 1990’s, people were talking about employment brands (EB). Mark Hornung, now the Director of Employment Branding at Teradata, was arguably the first. Throughout the 1990’s he helped very large organizations focus their recruiting efforts with professionalized messaging and audience targeting. In the past two decades, EB became a standard part of the Recruiting Department’s work. There is a direct relationship between the rise of review sites and the increased emphasis on EB. When Hornung began to evangelize the idea, the company could more or less control the message. Today, employe... view article details