Instructive, intriguing and practical information on "hot" topics in the modern workplace. Our Leadership Tips are based on years of rigorous research in the field of HR, psychology, management, and employee well-being.
![]() |
Want to use a pre-employment test? Here's what to look for
A test may ask all the right questions and assess all the skills you are looking for, but it needs to be able to perform well statistically. Any theories, regardless of the field of study, only become fact if they can stand up to rigorous analysis. You don't need to be a psychologist to assess the quality of a test. Use this checklist. |
![]() |
Hiring mistakes you may not realize you're making
HR managers have to be fair and objective, and put aside any assumptions, stereotypes, and prejudices when going through the hiring process. But alas, we are human. We can be charmed by a charismatic job candidate, or completely dismiss someone whose interviewing skills are unpolished. Here is an informative "cheat-sheet" on how to sidestep the most common interview errors. |
![]() |
Risk-Taking - Going Out on a Limb Requires a Nimble Personality
Risk-avoidant people are less likely to make rash decisions and consequent mistakes. They're also not likely to attain great achievements. Extreme risk-takers can be reckless, dangerous, and put their body and ?nances in peril. But to risk nothing is to achieve nothing. Thankfully, there is a happy medium. |
![]() |
Bridging the gap analysis
Whether you're assessing a job candidate's potential or want to optimize the performance of your existing staff, the next step (after assigning psychometric tests and reviewing test results) is to conduct a Gap Analysis. Here are a few tips on how to optimize a new hire's performance by bridging the gap between their skills and your company's needs. |
![]() |
When You Don't Have a Picasso or da Vinci on Staff - Developing Creativity in Employees
Creativity is one of the least understood areas of human ability. Our ideas about our creative selves are too frequently discouraged in our early years by others whose ability to judge this matter should be questionable at best. To nurture creativity in employees, it's important to uncover if there are any psychological obstacles that can be snuffing their creative fire. |
![]() |
Multi-tasking is for Jugglers, Not Employees
Multitasking may seem to be a simple concept but it is actually a complex and frequently misunderstood mental process. Unlike a computer, we can only perform one complex task at a time, regardless of how fast we think our brain works. Employees in a busy organization obviously need to be able to work on many different projects. So what's the alternative? |
![]() |
The Managerial Jigsaw - Finding the Right Piece to Fit Your Company's Puzzle
One of the most difficult positions to fill in a company is, arguably, a managerial one. It has to be filled by someone who can wear a lot of different hats - coach, cheerleader, leader, innovator, visionary, etc. Finding a manager who possesses the right set of competencies is important, but so is the type of organizational atmosphere and circumstances you're hiring for. |
![]() |
The Ultimate Leaders: PsychTests Releases Study on Leadership Qualities That Differentiate the Best from the Rest
It's important for companies to recognize that management and leadership are distinct, and that in order to bring out the best in employees, a person must have the business know-how of a manager but the finesse of a leader. Good leaders are in a class of their own with a very distinct personality profile. |
![]() |
Performance Evaluations Don't Need to Taste Like Brussels Sprouts - Making Reviews an Appealing Experience
Giving evaluations, especially where there's some negative feedback involved, is like a ripping a band-aid - you just want to get it over with, and suffer as little pain as possible. Here are some tips on how to ensure that the performance appraisal process of your company is a productive one. |
![]() |
Do Your Employees Spell Team with M-E? Reasons Why Teamwork Isn't Always a Pleasant Experience
Teamwork is the foundation of success for many companies. Creative ideas are more easily generated, large workloads can be shared, and it's always great to have others to turn to for help. For many people though, teamwork rarely works like a well-oiled machine - more likely, they see it as a rusty set of gears that creak and squeak at each other. |
![]() |
Quarterback, Shortstop, Goalie, Bob - Finding the Right Team Player for Your Company
We all know that a team player is someone who places the success of the team frst and is willing to make personal sacrifces. Of course there is more to being an effective team player than simply a desire or willingness to be one. There are specific attributes that constitute an effective team player, as well as different types of team players. |
![]() |
The best offense is a good defense! Healthy coping mechanisms
Theorist George Eman Valliant proposed four categories of coping mechanisms, ranging from unhealthy or immature, to healthy and mature. When it comes to dealing with stress, there is one crucial point to keep in mind - it's not the stressor that matters, it's how you respond to it. Here are some healthy strategies: |
![]() |
Snuffing Out Burnout
Burnout can turn the best employees into a shell of their former selves, too tired to care about what happens to their job, their clients, their projects, or themselves. And long before the body shuts down, a person with burnout will have already"signed o?" on a mental and emotional level. |
![]() |
How to help a distressed employee
Not all employees are comfortable talking to their managers, let alone telling them that they are feeling stressed. This is why it's important for you as a manager to create an atmosphere in which your staff will be at ease coming to you for help. Here is a quick guide for managers on how to handle a stressed-out employee. |