Human resources

The open secrets of employee motivation

Employees can easily go along their daily routines without much insight on the people buying their products, but exposing them to customers can serve as a powerful motivator.

By Julian Birkinshaw and Simon Caulkin, contributors

(ManagementInnovationeXchange) -- Employee engagement is, as they say, a no-brainer. There are stacks of literature showing that companies with committed employees who feel strongly about their organization do better financially than those with indifferent employees. In many MORE

Why bosses don't need to know all the answers

As a boss, you must be knowledgeable and bright, but demonstrating expertise in your field is no longer your most critical professional asset. By Linda A. Hill and Kent Lineback

How to build an army of happy, busy worker bees

People who are happy at work put in far more effort, work longer hours, and are more productive than those who aren't. So can you actually make the people you manage any happier? By Linda Mignone

5 ways to manage your autocratic boss

Got a boss who's too bossy? You can turn that to your advantage, says a veteran HR executive. Here's how. By Anne Fisher

Is it better to hire for cultural fit over experience?

The ideal candidate may become a disaster if he doesn't fit company culture, but how do you screen for something as nebulous as cultural fit? By Ethan Rouen

'I had to fire my friend' and other termination tales

Whether you're on the delivering or receiving end, layoffs and firings are a messy office enterprise. Here are four readers' stories from the front lines.

The following four readers' tales of firing and being fired -- the first round of the You Can't Fire Everyone series -- speak to the dread, anger, and, yes, humor enmeshed in this most unnerving office ritual.

Weigh in with your own firing experiences. Leave MORE

Looking to hire? Don't ask for the impossible

With more job candidates out there, employers are getting picky, sending their recruiters out on endless (and fruitless) missions. Here are a few ways to get the best out of a recruiter.

By Stephenie Overman, contributor

It's a buyer's market for companies looking to hire, but managers aren't giving recruiters high marks for the candidates they are delivering.

Only one in three managers who have hiring authority is satisfied with the influence recruiting MORE