Articles

Statistics show that people like people who are like themselves, they buy from them, sell to them, hire them and they refer them. How then can we be sure that people know what we are really like? There is a new wave crashing over the business community that says, “It’s time to share a little of your personal self along with your professional profile.” Most of us are not sure that we really want to share more of ourselves and in fact, we like the idea of keeping our professional and our personal life separate.

A sabbatical can be a great way to recharge your batteries and get some time for yourself and see life from a different perspective. This article will cover some of the pros and cons and other issues to consider before taking a sabbatical

"Tis the Season for Holiday Parties"... As we all know there is always that one employee who stands out from the crowd and behaves completely inappropriately at the annual Holiday Party. We have all heard tips of "How Not to Behave" hundreds of times before; however, according to the statistics below, company staff still aren't listening to sound advice to stay out of trouble.

The Ontario Human Rights Code is a provincial law that recognizes the dignity and worth of every person. The Code defines the situations where discrimination is not allowed.

Making sure that your new employees are comfortable in their new workplace is a great opportunity to make sure that they start off on the right foot with you. However, many employers turn off new employees by making some simple, easy-to-fix, mistakes on the employee's first day(s) on the job.

For Canada to have an adequate supply of talented workers, The Conference Board of Canada estimates that at least 300,000 individuals will have to immigrate into Canada annually after 2011. There is no doubt that many immigrants into Canada have good credentials: In 2006 66.3% had a post-secondary qualification, according to The Conference Board of Canada. Nevertheless, Canadian employers to date are not equipped to give proper value to international academic credentials and recognize them. An ongoing survey in 2008 by the Council for Access to the Profession of Engineering, for instance, indicates that 60% of their members are unemployed.

Staffing often tops the list of challenges facing businesses, regardless of the industry. Having the right number of staff at the right time is a common issue facing all businesses, particularly those whose operations are subject to seasonal or project related ups and downs.

The downsizing of the 90’s has resulted in too few people doing too much work. Now in 2006, retention is a key concern to busy workplaces. If you want to keep your staff, and make them feel appreciated, you may want to follow some of these guidelines.

It has become commonplace in many industries for employers to conduct reference checks, background checks, and security checks on new employees. Depending on the industry, these checks can be rather extensive. In some cases, the application for employment contains a provision whereby the applicant consents to the employer conducting such checks and reviewing the results. However, on higher level positions where there is no “application” there is a question as to whether such checks violate the employee’s right to privacy.

We all know and can see the significant impact the current state of the economy is having on productivity, morale and teamwork in the workplace. Companies are desperately looking for ways to do “a lot more with a lot less” while trying to keep the remaining employees engaged and motivated.