Succession planning is often difficult, but the following are five important people–handling strategies that can be applied profitably in every succession–planning scenario: 1. Working their way through your company from the ground up is not always necessary to build future leaders. Besides getting an appropriate education, it may be best if your potential successors gain … Read more →
Careful preparation for candidate interviews can hugely improve your chances of making the right hiring decision and yield significant long–term returns for your business. In fact, a recent study concluded that hiring excellent staff is the single largest factor affecting a company’s fiscal growth. Accordingly, last month’s and this month’s column provide suggestions for conducting … Read more →
Hiring the right people is essential to the continued success and growth of your business, and job interviews are the best way to gain insight into candidates’ skills, strengths, and how well they will fit with your company. It is also important to realize that a job interview is a mutual learning experience. It requires … Read more →
This column continues last month’s discussion of the benefits of flexibility in HR practices. We begin with flexibility that is specific to a given job or job type. Job-specific flexibilityLet’s consider sales. Company owners and managers will ideally hire someone who can walk in the door with a bag of business. While circumstances certainly do … Read more →
The speed with which the printing industry adopts new technology continually alters the qualifications and skills that printing companies require in their staff. As such, hiring qualified staff is often a great human resources challenge, as the definition of “qualified” can seemingly change from day to day. Being flexible in your hiring practices, if done … Read more →
There are many management activities beyond those directly related to print production workflow that enhance a company’s profitability. These activities can be categorized as regulatory or loss–prevention functions and include: environmental regulation compliance health & safety regulation compliance process management, lean manufacturing, quality management employee management (HR is not just about payroll!) IT management and … Read more →
This article expands last month’s discussion of “The Credible Resumé” with a summary of the crucial information a resumé should include: 1. Candidate’s name, full postal address, telephone number(s), and e-mail address indicated clearly at the top. To find either the candidate’s contact information or geographic location, the reader should never have to hunt. We … Read more →
Resumé writing has become a business. And there are many conflicting guidelines about what constitutes a good resumé. Opinions vary greatly on what information should be included, how it should be presented, and what purposes it serves. For PrintLink, a company specializing in printing-industry-specific recruitment, resumés function foremost as guidelines for further discussion of a … Read more →
The Western World faces a dramatic shift in the constitution of our workforce. Throughout the 20th century, declining fertility and increasing life expectancy dramatically raised both the median age of our populations and the number of workers who are retirement-bound. Projections indicate that nearly 25% of the U.S. population will be eligible for retirement by … Read more →
This article expounds on last month’s discussion of the purposes and techniques for managing employee success, starting with additional guidelines for conducting performance appraisals. Encourage two-way dialogue. An effective performance appraisal requires interactive conversation. Give employees the message that their opinions matter and they will get a fair hearing. To stimulate discussion, ask open-ended questions … Read more →
Employee performance is a key to business success. When you hire an employee to fill any given job, you choose the candidate who offers the best potential to succeed. But just as you maintain your capital equipment to keep it running in top condition, your staff’s success is another component of your capital investment that … Read more →
Not everything today is brand new. Take the fundamental goal of printing, for instance. Historically its goal was, and still remains, the dissemination of information. And not only that, but one of the most essential business strategies for printers – configuring their tools and production processes to provide information to customers in ways customers want … Read more →