Companies are just collections of people, and people are imperfect. In some cases, our flaws are just the innocuous expressions of our human design. But in … Read more
Star Wars HR: What Darth Vader Demonstrates About Employee Engagement
Some of the most visionary minds in business over the last hundred years have worked in popular media like film and television. I draw a great deal of … Read more
Motivating Employees Is Not About You — It’s About Them
What is someone’s motivation to exercise? It could be to lose weight, or it could be for health reasons, or it could be to recover from an injury. If you … Read more
HR Famous: When Employees Pass Around Salary Worksheets
In episode 26 of The HR Famous Podcast, longtime HR leaders (and friends) Kris Dunn and Jessica Lee discuss their favorite real estate apps, the hottest … Read more
New DOL Guidance on Compensation Issues Related to Remote Work
The Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor recently published new guidance for employers, focusing on compliance under the Fair Labor Standards … Read more
5 Ways to Support Employees With Debt
“Leave your problems at the door” used to be a common expression in U.K work culture. However, the idea that it’s possible for employees to completely … Read more
HR Famous Podcast: Crocs and Compensation Strategy in a COVID World
In episode 17 of The HR Famous Podcast, long-time HR leaders (and friends) Kris Dunn and Tim Sackett come together to discuss Crocs, compensation strategy, … Read more
Transparency and Technology Can Help You Make Comp Fair
The best way to show employees you value their work and contributions is by compensating them in a fair and transparent way. While this may seem like the … Read more
The Skills Your Managers Need Are All Soft
Whether I was managing a five-person accounting firm or leading 500 professionals in a multi-office consulting corporation, one threat loomed that always … Read more
Not Every Career Path Should Lead to Manager
Why do so few companies provide opportunities for individual contributors to continue doing what they do best — or move sideways into some other direct … Read more
Make Sure the Next Person You Promote Is an ‘Asset Builder’
“You’re like a dictator dolling out tasks.” — Bill Campbell to Jonathan Rosenberg. “I was surprised when Jonathan Rosenberg, former senior executive … Read more
Lessons From the US Women’s Soccer Team Pay Dispute
The United States women’s national soccer team (USWNT) deserves a right to pay equity, and after investigating all of the publicly available data … Read more
Incentive Systems Won’t Substitute For Good Management
For two decades I designed compensation and performance management systems for large and medium companies. I always had this nagging thought that after two … Read more
Management Lessons Learned On a Driving Range
Note: The following excerpt about celebrating wins is from the book Balanced Accountability: Three Leadership Secrets to Win Hearts and Maximize … Read more
Do You Really Need All Those Incentive Plans?
It’s a fact. Left on their own, with no boundaries or constraints, incentive plans will often multiply like rabbits. I once spoke with a … Read more
Study Finds Dynamic Rewards Trending and Non-Cash Awards are More Appreciated
Employee recognition and rewards have come a long way even in just the last 10 years. In a new Voice of the Market study by the Incentive Research … Read more
Rewards and Recognition Is Becoming More Sophisticated
An acceptable Rewards and Recognition (R&R) program used to mean an opportunity to earn points redeemable for merchandise or additional PTO days. While … Read more
What Do You Do When Bosses Go Wild?
“I see the classic image of the boss as a total anachronism. It may work in certain connotations like ‘organized crime boss,’ ‘union boss,’ or ‘pit boss.’ … Read more
One View of How AI Is Impacting Career Dynamics
Professional careers have always had a tinge of uncertainty. However, the digital age has amplified it significantly with efficiency no longer being the … Read more
The Problem With Incentive Plan Cliffs
Triggers and hurdles and cliffs, oh my! To be clear, I’m talking about pay plan mechanics and in particular about the kind of cliff that plays an … Read more