Have you ever experienced (or witnessed) a work environment where a manager makes conditions so uncomfortable that you (or someone you know) decides to quit? These conditions might include consistently being denied promotions and raises, despite hard work and accomplishments; being left out of important meetings and decisions; being given an overwhelming workload or unreasonable deadlines; and/or being subjected to discriminatory behavior or language. Rather than dealing with issues head on with constructive feedback and needed resources, some managers deny … Read the rest
Category Archives: HR Practice
Six Tips to Engage Job Candidates on Your Career Site
How easy is it for someone interested in working at your library to find open positions on your website? How many clicks does it take to get to a list of your vacant positions? Have you ever gone to your home page and tried to find the available jobs (acting as if you were a job candidate)? Was it frustrating? Does your site inspire job seekers to take the leap and apply? Or does it discourage them? This brief article… Read the rest
How to Use Active Listening Skills to Become a Better Colleague and Manager
Have you ever seen the 1957 movie Desk Set starring Katherine Hepburn, Spenser Tracy, and Gig Young? The film focuses on the reference library of a fictional network, the Federal Broadcasting Network. There is a scene in the movie where someone calls the library and asks for specific information. The person who answered the phone was at the library assisting with the installation of a new computer system. She was not a librarian. She did not listen completely to … Read the rest
Employers Need to Provide Mental Health Resources to Keep Women in the Workforce
As I waited for a committee meeting to begin last week, the members chatted about life. Most talked about how difficult it is to engage in self-care activities. The recurring theme was that our members ─all women─ felt stressed and overwhelmed by all their responsibilities. One person mentioned how tired she felt because she still had to do much of the caregiving for her family after a full day at work. When she arrives home from work, she is usually … Read the rest
Tips For Creating a More Inclusive Workplace
Almost every employer, be it a library or otherwise, has statements and policies proclaiming that they are an equal employment opportunity workplace. Employers often add text to their vision, mission, and/or core value statements declaring that equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) is intertwined in all facets of their organization. Many people have become jaded when they hear the words equity, diversity, and inclusion because they have become just another buzz phrase —the current fad— in the workplace. Employers must understand … Read the rest
CPR: What Every Person Who Works in a Library Should Know
If you watch football or if you’ve seen the news any time within the last week, you may have heard about the Buffalo Bills’ player Damar Hamlin who collapsed on the field from cardiac arrest during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals (Jan. 2, 2023). It was devastating to watch the reactions of players from both teams who surrounded Hamlin as they witnessed the unfolding medical trauma. The coaches and onsite medical staff reacted quickly and administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). … Read the rest
Continuing to Support Mental Health in the Workplace
The pandemic made it clear that people were (and are) struggling with mental health concerns. Efforts to destigmatize mental health issues abound. Celebrities, sports personalities, and others have all spoken up about their battles with mental health. Yet, some people feel that since we have gotten past the critical point of the pandemic —where hospitals are no longer overwhelmed with treating people suffering from the effects of COVID— it’s time to move on. But I say, not so fast. We … Read the rest
Employers Can Help Employees Prepare for Retirement
Recently, I reconnected with several friends from college. We had a great time catching up. I was shocked to learn that some of them had already retired! I couldn’t believe it. I know I’m getting close to retirement age, but I’m not there yet. Not wanting to pry into others’ lives too much, I had to wonder why such early retirements. Many of us read about how the pandemic might have impacted the timing of planned retirements, sometimes causing people … Read the rest
How to Create a Workplace Violence Plan
Many of us think of the holiday season as a time of love, peace, and joy —when everyone is happy and treats others with kindness. It’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of year. It can be. However, it can also be a time of stress, frustration, misunderstanding, friction, and violence. It is believed that violence increases during the holidays. This might be true for several reasons. People may get less sleep, causing them to be crankier than usual. … Read the rest
Tips for Motivating Employees
Do you ever have days when you just don’t feel like working? Of course you do. Everyone has days when you can’t seem to get excited about work; days, when no matter what you do, you just don’t feel like doing anything – especially work. We all have days when we would rather be doing anything but working. It is normal for employees to experience dips in motivation. However, it can become a problem when our “get up and go” … Read the rest