Workplace 101: A Profiles Global Business Blog

In case you are catching up on your reading or just joining us, check out the hot topics in Leadership & Management.

Some managers inspire and motivate, but many fail miserably to engage their employees. The entertainment industry seems to have created the ultimate formula for the "bad manager" character, so why can't real managers understand how to be more effective? When employees choose to leave a position, it's often because of their manager or relationships with people in their working environment. People quit people, not jobs.

How much do you spend on recruiting and replacing an employee? It is estimated that most organizations spend between $4,000 and $40,000. Understandably, with such a large range, most managers have come to accept employee turnover as a normal business practice.

When the time comes to promote strong, capable individual contributors into their first role as a manager, how do you prepare them? Although their performance has been good and you’ve assessed that they are a fit for the job, leading others will be an adjustment for most. Don’t assume that an effective worker will automatically become an effective manager – especially if he’s to manage a group of his peers. Here are 10 leadership tips to help your first-time managers succeed and avoid failure:

Hiring Outside Superstars Doesn't Guarantee Success

There are many comparisons to be made between business and sports. This year’s Philadelphia Eagles team provides plenty of examples of talent management issues from assembling the best team of players to selecting the right coaching staff to lead them, then getting them to function as a team and perform at their best. Each of these touch points and more represent variables that factor into wins, losses, and ties on the field or in the office.

For the past 18 months, the Profiles Research Institute conducted an ongoing study to help organizations bridge employee generational gaps.

In the past, managers were generally older than the people they managed. In recent years, we have seen this is no longer the case. Research clearly shows that this presents some unique challenges and that these managers need help  managing multi-generational workforces to avoid conflict and a decrease in staff morale.

A global leader in business process outsourcing, Sitel is well-known for providing customer call center’s and back offices services, as well as customized solutions in risk management, tech support, sales and collections.

The current pool of available talent is larger, and more diverse than ever. This fact alone should tempt managers to rethink their hiring process. The quantity of people and the skills they have to offer can be overwhelming for companies trying to find the best fit for available jobs. The volume and quality of submitted resumes may breed anxiety for those trying to pick the best applicant.

Promote a positive attitude in your organization and dramatically increase employee productivity.

"An optimist is the human personification of spring."
- Susan J. Bissonette

If you're like me, you've had one of those days when you've begun work with a spring in your step and a smile on your face, eager to see what the day had to offer. But by the end of a particularly long and stressful day, you've left the office with a dramatic mood change, slumped shoulders, and a negative attitude. It has been a tough day surrounded by negative employees with poor attitudes.