In my last article on onboarding, titled “Your Onboarding Program Needs A Pair Of Fresh Eyes,” I shared a rather humbling personal experience. In the article, I described the mistake I made that was analogous to the one many employers make in their employee orientation and onboarding processes: They forget to examine their orientation and onboarding... [full article »]

Do you know the impact your onboarding program has on your new employees, moment-of-truth by moment-of-truth? Do you know what it’s like to experience your company as an employee on the first day of work? The first week? What about the week prior to that first day? [full article »]

At the recent onboarding conference I spoke at in Atlanta, I had the opportunity to listen to some great examples of companies that get concepts such as “It’s About the Experience” and “What’s The Emotional Take Away?” At the conference, Diana Oreck, vice president of Ritz-Carlton’s Global Learning & Leadership Center, shared how their employee orientation... [full article »]

  Employer branding is quite the rage these days. Yet, I’m still amazed at what many people think it means to “create” an employer brand. Let me give you an analogy for what I see as a common and very misguided approach to employer branding. Engaging in this mistake doesn’t just hamstring your ability to become an... [full article »]

If you’re serious about upgrading your new-hire orientation program and onboarding process as a whole, here are 13 questions you need to ask. Ask them of yourself, your HR department, your management team, your frontline supervisors, and most important, your new employees. [full article »]

If you want a successful onboarding process, one that quickly engages new employees and helps them succeed — rather than leaving them with “new hire’s remorse” — there’s a mantra you must remember. More importantly, you need everyone on your management team to remember this mantra. It comes from a lesson that branding guru Scott... [full article »]

An investment in effective onboarding is an investment in employee retention, morale, and productivity. Research at Corning Glass Works revealed that employees who attended a structured orientation program were 69% more likely to remain with the company after three years than those who did not go through such a program. Another study conducted at Texas... [full article »]

Imagine the following scenario: You go to an all-inclusive resort where you’re treated to mediocre service, meals, and accommodations. When you check out, the desk clerks pushes a package across the counter in your direction. On the way to the airport, you open it to find two items and a note from the property manager... [full article »]

In Part 1 of this series, we examined the ill-conceived and irrational hope that you can improve employee morale with just a program. Whether “program” means a half-day seminar on morale, a company picnic, or a process for handing out goodies like t-shirts and mugs with your company logo on them, such approaches are not... [full article »]

One of the questions I’m most frequently asked is, “How can we improve morale?” Whether it’s because employees are heading for the exits at an alarming rate or because employee relations issues are becoming increasingly problematic, the question usually arises because someone in senior management asks HR to see what it can do to improve... [full article »]

In Part 3 of this article series on building a magnetic employer brand, we explored how to: Analyze your default brand for strengths and weaknesses [full article »]

In the first part of this article series, we explored five essential components of effective employer branding: Putting together a team that understands, influences, and experiences all facets of employer branding and your employer brand [full article »]

In his recent article, Why Branding Is Important in HR, Dr. John Sullivan makes a compelling case for why HR can and should play a larger role in corporate branding. In this three-part series, I will map out the how and what: how specifically you as an HR professional can contribute, and what specific actions... [full article »]

In the first part of this series, we discussed five key principles and practices involved in building a compelling employer brand. Here in Part 2 of this series, we will discuss the process of identifying your “default employer brand.” For Better or For Worse, You Already Have an Employer Brand The process of building a... [full article »]

When you make the effort to create a compelling employer brand, you save yourself the work of trying to convince candidates that you are an employer of choice. With a compelling employer brand, your reputation acts like a huge talent magnet, drawing the best, most talented people to your organization. To enjoy the benefits of... [full article »]

Q: Is all this talk about employer branding just the latest in a long line of management fads? A: It depends. Q: Doesn’t it really just boil down to creating a better recruiting sales pitch? A: No. Q: Does it really make a difference in your ability to attract talent? A: Absolutely. Whether or not... [full article »]

If your job is to recruit the best employees possible, here’s what should be at the top of your “to do” list: recruit senior management onto your team. You can increase your efficacy ó and your value to your organization ó by helping them recognize that the responsibility for recruiting talent doesn’t just lie in... [full article »]

In the first two parts of this article series, we discussed how understanding and satisfying core human needs in the workplace is a far more effective strategy than bribing employees with goodies and gimmicks. In the second part of this series, we explored four critical human needs that influence employee retention: Having pride in one’s work... [full article »]

In the first part of this article series, we discussed why retention strategies based on “goodies and gimmicks” are misguided and how such approaches are not the key to increasing morale or becoming an employer of choice. Becoming an organization that attracts and retains the best employees instead requires strategies based on essential human needs... [full article »]

Imagine a male colleague of yours coming to you for advice on how to save his troubled marriage. He shares his strategy: “She’s thinking of leaving me, so I’ve got to find the perfect present that will make her want to stay. I’m thinking a Caribbean vacation, or maybe I’ll get her a Mazda Miata.... [full article »]