Workplace 101: A Profiles Global Business Blog

Leadership IQ, a firm that provides research and executive education to top companies, conducted a study of 20,000 newly hired employees that shows 46 percent of all new hires fail within 18 months. This happens not because the new employees lack technical skills, but because they are not coachable, have the wrong temperament, are not motivated, or demonstrate other problems "that never get assessed in the interview." What about the candidate’s resume? Another study shows that 70% of college students would lie on their resume to get the job they want, according to Accu-Screen, Inc., ADP, The Society of Human Resource Managers. 

Make sure to share with us in the comment section your favorite news story this week, or what you think is “Hot in HR” right now!

Want to be Amazing at Task Management? Here’s How..

Author: Steve Deighton

For any fan of the Rolling Stones, the words “Time is on my side… yes it is” rings as a familiar lyric. I know many business leaders and sales managers who wish the lyric was true, but unfortunately, the reality is that time compression is one of the leading reasons why goals and business results are not achieved at the expected standard. If only someone would invent the ability to add a few hours to every day! Here is the good news… someone has!

Mark Zuckerberg is making a splash in the press by reducing his annual salary to $1, according to SEC filings. Zuckerberg joins a small group of CEOs who made the same move years before him, including John Mackey (Whole Foods), Meg Whitman (HP) and Larry Ellison (Oracle).

Curious Insight into Employee Motivation and the Pygmalion Effect

By “great expectations,” I’m not referring to the Dickens book. Presumably when you hire or promote someone, you expect great things from them. You don’t think, “Yes, this warm body will be adequate enough, I suppose.” If so, then you’re probably not reading this article. Studies based on the Pygmalion Effect have shown that people will perform up – or down – to the level of expectations you set for them.

Much has been written about the Pygmalion Effect (most notably a study by Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson), or the notion of self-fulfilling prophecy, from the viewpoint of parenting and teaching, but the same can be said for businesses. Do you scold, criticize, and demean your employees, or do you positively and constructively encourage them?

“Knowledge is power.” This famous quote from Francis Bacon reflects how important modern-day business professionals find knowledge. Whenever an employee is extremely knowledgeable about a particular topic, everyone is immediately impressed. Many of us read business book after business book in an attempt to become more knowledgeable on particular subjects. As we move up in our organizations, we learn more and more. This is a good thing…. except for when this knowledge gets in the way of innovation.

Make sure to share with us in the comment section your favorite news story this week or what you think is “Hot in HR” right now!

It is only natural to be curious about your competition’s employees, especially if your competitors rank higher than you in your industry. You may think these employees are their secret weapon. You may even believe that these individuals would be perfect for your organization, as they are already equipped with the appropriate industry knowledge and experience.

The decision to allow employees to work from home is a big decision.  We have written about the pros and cons of a mobile workforce. Unfortunately, no outsider can give you a definitive answer on whether or not you should allow telecommuting at your office, because there is no "one size fits all" answer.