WorkStory Blog

As 2024 rolls in, it’s time for managers to refresh their approach. This year offers an excellent chance to adopt new methodologies that can improve team dynamics and personal management skills.

As we continue deeper into the 2020s, the corporate landscape is welcoming Generation Z in larger numbers. What can your team do to help get the most out of this new wave of employees?

Ever feel like you're in the dark about how to move up at work? You're not alone. A lot of us, including our managers, think there needs to be more openness about how promotions happen. So, what can we do to make things clearer for everyone involved?

In today's business landscape, the significance of authenticity cannot be overstated. Especially since so much of our communication is taking place indirectly or through software channels, it's important to be clear and to get your real feelings across.

Burnout has become an epidemic in today’s 24/7 business world. Employees feel constant pressure to do more and be always available. As a leader at a small or midsize business (SMB), you have a duty to combat burnout and create sustainable workloads for your team.

With limited resources, startups need to hire employees who can hit the ground running. This makes skills-based hiring an appealing modern approach. Rather than focusing on degrees and previous job titles, skills-based hiring prioritizes candidates' actual abilities.

Running a nonprofit is no small feat. We've created this guide to help nonprofit leaders pick the right tools to make managing performance easier and more effective.

Vacation and time off are essential components of employee well-being and productivity but it seems that US workers are not taking as much time as they should. Let's explore the reasons behind this trend and the pivotal role leaders play in setting a precedent.

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping industries, workflows, and job roles. It's crucial for HR professionals to understand and harness the potential of AI moving forward.

Have you ever seen someone who's really good at their job get promoted, but then they struggle in their new position? That's the Peter Principle.

A well-planned onboarding process is crucial to the success of any business, but it holds a particular weight for small and medium businesses (SMBs). This article will delve into some essential questions that managers at SMBs should ask their new hires to ensure a smooth, successful integration.

In today's remote work landscape, meetings play a crucial role in fostering collaboration and effective communication within SMB teams. However, if not managed properly, they can easily become time-consuming and unproductive.

In the professional world, being a good coworker isn't just about getting your work done. It's about contributing to a positive work environment, fostering strong relationships, and helping your team succeed.

In today's workforce, SMBs often employ individuals from multiple generations. Bridging the generation gap and effectively managing performance is crucial for fostering a cohesive and productive work environment.

Our 100+ Essential Performance Review Questions Kit is a powerful tool that not only provides you with an extensive list of meaningful performance review questions, but it also offers a range of features to help you make the most out of your performance reviews.

Performance improvement plans (PIPs) are designed to address underperformance and provide employees with the necessary support to improve. These plans set clear performance goals and expectations and outline the steps needed for employees to enhance their skills and achieve their potential.

When an employee leaves a company, conducting an exit interview is a valuable opportunity to gather feedback and insights. Effective off-boarding ensures a positive departure experience for the employee and provides valuable information for the company to improve retention rates and create a better work environment.

Traditional performance review processes can be time-consuming, difficult to coordinate, and often result in low employee engagement. We'll explore how teams can leverage Webex to make employee performance reviews easier and more effective.

Bonuses can be a great motivator for employees, but many companies struggle with determining the appropriate amount to pay out, when to give them, and how to tie them to performance.

As companies evolve, promoting employees to higher roles becomes crucial to maintaining their growth and success. But how do managers determine which employees are ready for a promotion?

Effective offboarding ensures that the departing employee leaves on good terms, and it provides valuable feedback to the company about how to improve retention rates and create a better work environment.

An effective way to help your employees grow is by creating a career progression framework that defines the various levels of each position and the pathways by which they can move up within the organization.

In this post, we'll provide a sample unlimited PTO policy text that you can use in your own employee handbook or policies, as well as discuss the pros and cons of this policy and tips for implementing it effectively.

As a small business owner or HR manager, you may think that creating an employee handbook is just another task on your to-do list. However, a well-crafted employee handbook can benefit your business in many ways.

Asking for a raise can be a daunting task, but it's an essential step in your career growth. It can also be a challenging conversation to have, especially if you've never done it before.

Many employees feel overlooked or undervalued by their managers, leading to demoralization and a lack of engagement. But there are steps employees can take to ensure their achievements are recognized and rewarded.

As a manager, you want to have a high-performing team that consistently delivers great results. But what happens when one of your employees is not meeting expectations?

As a business owner, you know that Glassdoor reviews can make or break your recruitment efforts. So, how can you manage your Glassdoor reviews to ensure that your company's reputation remains untarnished?

Promoting the wrong person can lead to negative consequences even increased employee turnover.This is why it's crucial to assess an employee's readiness for a promotion before making any decisions.

Why are business leaders shifting their focus towards "ruthless execution" in today's market environment. What systems, tools, and resources are they looking for to help them get the most out of their teams.

It can be a challenge when your organization has a limited hierarchy or your team has limited opportunities for promotion. This can quickly lead to employee frustration and demotivation. However, there are ways to manage employee expectations to foster a positive growth-mindset culture.

As an HR manager, you know that maintaining pay equity is critical for building a positive organizational culture and attracting top talent. But how do you measure and track pay equity, and why is it so important?

As a startup founder or HR manager, one of the biggest challenges you'll face is finding the right people to join your team. Hiring the right candidate is crucial not just for their individual contribution, but also for the impact they'll have on your organization's culture and growth.

As a startup founder, you're always looking for the fastest way to drive growth. One of the key factors in achieving this is having a well-oiled and engaged team. But how do you measure and track employee performance in a fast-paced, ever-changing startup environment?

As a startup founder, you understand the value of having a team that is dedicated, motivated, and continuously growing. But with limited resources, it can be challenging to reward your employees for their hard work and dedication.

Firing employees is never an easy task for managers, but it's a regular occurrence in any office environment. Managers can approach firing employees in a way that minimizes the impact on both while maximizing respect throughout the process.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are becoming increasingly important for companies, as they strive to create a more inclusive and equitable workplace culture. DEI promotes understanding and appreciation of differences, and helps companies to better engage and retain employees, foster innovation and creativity, and improve bottom-line performance.

Office romances are a common occurrence in the workplace, where individuals spend a significant amount of time together. As a result, it is important for employees to understand how to handle these types of relationships and for HR to have the necessary policies in place.

Identifying and promoting good leaders within an organization is crucial for the success and growth of any business. Good employees do not always make good leaders, and it is important for managers and small business executives to be able to identify potential leaders and give them the opportunity to step into leadership roles.

Promotions are a crucial aspect of any organization's growth and success. They not only recognize and reward employees for their hard work and dedication, but they also help to fill leadership roles and shape the company's culture and future. However, determining when to promote an employee is not always a straightforward task.

Setting goals is an essential part of personal and professional development, but not all goals are created equal. In this pos, we will explore the SMART criteria and provide a template that employees and managers can use to quickly build their own goals.

OKRs, or Objectives and Key Results, is a framework for setting and achieving goals. In this guide, we will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of using OKRs in small businesses and provide tips for implementing them effectively.

Paid time off (PTO) and vacation policies can be a tricky issue to navigate. It's important to find a system that will work best for your particular team and will help to set the tone for the culture of your organization.

Slack has become an essential tool for many companies, particularly those with remote teams, to communicate in real-time with one another. However, as companies rely more on Slack for team communication, they are also recognizing the potential of the platform to collect feedback and conduct employee performance reviews.

In today's challenging economic environment, companies may be faced with the difficult decision to furlough or lay off large numbers of employees. There are ways in which executives and HR managers can plan for layoffs and go about them in a way that respects their employees and is most helpful to them in the long run.

The idea of a four day workweek has been gaining traction in recent years, with many companies and countries exploring the potential benefits and drawbacks. What are the pros and cons of this style of working?

Difficult bosses can have a significant impact on an employee's work experience. They can cause stress, anxiety, and a lack of motivation. However, with the right approach, it is possible to navigate a challenging work environment and maintain your well-being.

Performance reviews can be affected by biases, which can lead to inaccurate evaluations and unfair treatment of employees. It's important for your team to understand biases that can inadvertently pop up and to recognize ways in which they can be overcome.

Asking for a raise can be a nerve-wracking experience, but it's important to remember that it's a normal part of the professional process. Before you ask for a raise, it's important to be prepared and to have a clear idea of what you want to say and what you want to achieve.

While many organizations have formal mentorship programs, managers can also play an important role as informal mentors for their team members. Being a good mentor is different from being a good manager, and managers must learn to adapt their leadership style to be an effective mentor.

In order for companies to succeed in growing and maintaining a successful team, they must be able to set themselves apart by offering diverse compensation packages. By taking these steps, companies can create an environment that empowers and engages their employees, and sets them on the path to success in today's competitive market.

As teams grow, tracking employee performance within the traditional model can become a time-consuming and unmanageable task. Many companies get started by using surveys, Google Forms, or just plain Word docs to conduct performance reviews. With time, these methods become less effective.

Here we’re going to show you exactly what a SMART goal is, why they are so effective and how you can write SMART goals yourself.

Making sure your employees are as healthy as they can be is one of the best ways you can both support your team as well as your company. While most employers seem to only focus on the physical health of employees, their mental health is just as important.

Many of our business process are outdated. They are products of legacy organizations and old-school management philosophies. Our model for promoting employees is wrong.