Recognizing and rewarding employee teamwork

We’ve told you previously about the best (and worst) ways to reward employees, young and old. But, what if those employees are working collaboratively in groups to achieve a common goal? What’s the best way to go about recognizing and rewarding employee teamwork?

Yesterday, I read a post on Incentive Intelligence devoted to team-based recognition. The authors explain how employees in the corporate world depend on teamwork to complete tasks and use it to learn from coworkers. Statistics reveal that many employees would rather work together than work alone, especially with younger generations.

The ‘Intelligent’ ones reviewed recent statistics on work collaboration from the April 28 edition of BusinessWeek. Here are some highlights:

• 82% of white-collar workers partner with coworkers
• 46% of white-collar workers say learning from others is their motivation to collaborate
• More women (51%) than men (40%) prefer to work together because they can learn from others
• Gen Y employees (ages 18-24) like collaborative work the best (60%), as compared to 44% of 25-64 year olds and only 28% of 65 and older workers

“Given the tendencies these statistics indicate, it might be counterproductive to conduct individual programs in many situations,” according to the author at Incentive intelligence.

Remember that teamwork requires team recognition. This is not to say that individual recognition should be thrown out the door, but you should carefully look at the team effort first.

Like one of our past posts, the best way to know how to recognize and reward employees is by simply asking. The ‘Intelligent’ advisors are on the same page - “Gather some folks together, tell them you think teamwork is the driving force behind success (I think they will agree) and ask them for the best way to measure team effort and team success.”

Employee safety training: Teens on-the-job

If you’re planning on hiring teens to fill summer job positions, be sure that you have the proper structure and employee safety training programs set up to keep these young employees safe at work.

Last week, the Department of Labor (DOL) kicked off the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) national 2008 Teen Summer Job Safety Campaign in downtown New York city.

The campaign is part of a large effort to reduce work-related injuries among teens by teaching proper on-the-job safety, with a goal to reach more than three million teens. By reaching out to workers at a young age, OSHA hopes these teens will carry important safety lessons through as they grow older.

Before considering bringing teens into your workplace, first educate yourself on the laws protecting young workers:

OSHA. Depending on where you do business, employers must comply with certain hazard-specific job safety and health standards. Federal or state OSHA offices can help with regulations and standards. Visit osha.gov for more information.

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The FLSA protects minors by restricting the amount of hours they are able to work and the types of jobs they can work. Your local Employment Standards Administration office can help with questions, or visit the OSHA site for more information.


If you decide to employ teens, be sure your workplace is ready:

Make employee safety training a top priority.

Review work sites to spot and eliminate potential hazards, ensuring employees are working in a safe environment.

Train adolescent and teen employees how to recognize workplace dangers and how to perform their jobs safely.

Training should include, but is not limited to topics such as fire and accident prevention, workplace accidents, violent situations and what to do if someone is injured on the job.

Educate teen employees on their rights, in the case they are injured on the job, including how to file a claim to cover medical benefits and lost work time.

Choose well trained supervisors who know how to spot workplace hazards and follow safe work practices to monitor new, young employees.

Supervise teens to be sure they are following safe work practices and know how to spot hazards on their own.

Implement a shadowing program where teen employees follow older, experienced employees to teach them valuable safety skills.

Promote an open-door policy and encourage young workers to always ask questions about anything that is unclear.


Keep your teen employees safe this summer while employed with your company. Be sure you know the rules when hiring teens and train your workforce regularly on safety. A safe and healthy work environment will create a rewarding work experience for teen workers and your business.

Spring training - refresh your employee programs

Spring is here, you’ve happily banished all of your winter boots to the creepy dark corner in the basement and stashed away those big, bulky coats to never be seen again! (Well, at least until next winter.)

After you’re done cleaning up the house, why not move some of that spring cleaning to the office? Freshen-up those tired, old employee training programs you’ve been using for years with some new ideas.

Switch-hit. Change to a new training platform. Using employee self-study training? Maybe switch to an interactive method. Using large training groups? Divide large training groups into smaller teams. Working in small groups keeps employees engaged and fosters teamwork.

Take it outside. Enjoy the change in weather and take your meeting or training session outside. Find a park pavilion nearby, or a restaurant with outdoor seating. A change of setting can break up a monotonous program and your employees will appreciate the fresh air.

Fire the coaches. Let the trainees become the trainers. Split up your training group into small sections and have them teach the group. Or, if someone has recently attended an outside training event, let them train others back at the office on what they learned.

Toss the ball around. Break out of the boring winter cycle with some out-of-the box team building activities. Contact local volunteer organizations and try to find a one-day community service project like a park clean-up or repair work at a nursing home. While helping out the community, you’re also building pride and team spirit.

Practice, practice, practice. Remember, don't forget to follow up. Employee follow-up training can help drive your message home and will keep employees engaged.

Friday office humor: Just another day in the life of an HR manager

Everyone grab your lunch bags, there’s a thief among us!

This is a real email sent by a real HR manager at a real company, all names will stay anonymous to protect the innocent. It landed in my inbox yesterday and thought it must be shared with those who would appreciate it. (And, I thought this little bit of Friday office humor could brighten your day.)

Subject: Missing Lunches

Hi All,

It has been brought to our attention this week by a few employees that their lunches have been taken from the refrigerators in the Lunch Room.

It is our hope that this is an isolated situation and will cease from occurring.

We understand that many times lunch bags/totes may look alike, so please be sure the food you take from the refrigerator is yours, and if it does not belong to you, that you not take it.

Thank you for your attention and consideration in this matter.

Human Resources Manager

All of us are guilty of a little office lunchroom theft - a drop of coffee creamer here, a squirt of salad dressing there, shoot, maybe you’ve been brave enough to sneak away with an entire soda can, but a whole lunch bag! Now, that’s just criminal.

As an ode to the office lunch thief, I dedicate this video - “Lunch Miserables”

Employee recognition ideas that don’t work

“Never give a plaque to an employee who has no wall!”

This quote from Anne Bares at Compensation Force sheds light on something important to remember when coming up with new employee recognition ideas - it doesn’t matter what you think is a great gift, give employees what they would most appreciate.

In one of our past posts, we mentioned that younger Gen Y employees would much rather have a gift card to their favorite store or a pair of movie tickets over a shiny silver “You’re #1” award pin.

An unfitting employee recognition award can actually have a negative outcome. A boss may think they’re giving a wonderful gift to an employee, but that same employee thinks the gift is old fashioned and that their boss doesn’t care.

Recognition needs to be tailored to the employee who is receiving it. Don’t assume someone will like a gift based on what you think is nice. The solution is simple - just ask your employees what they would most like to get.

Bares shares a great lesson:

Recognition can be a powerful and effective tool, particularly given its ability to accomplish a lot on a relatively small budget. But recognition plans can have extraordinarily limited shelf lives. You have to keep 'em fresh and keep 'em real, and you have to watch carefully for signs that they are fraying around the edges.

So keep it fresh, keep it real and keep on showing employees they're appreciated.

Employee security training: How to catch ‘phish’

Do your employees know how to spot phishing when they see it or even know what it is?

Phishing is a popular scam where Internet crooks spam potential victims to gain access to personal financial information. These ‘phishers’ use clever ways to lure unsuspecting victims into handing over credit card information, bank account numbers, passwords and other personal information. It is a criminal activity that can result in identity theft, financial theft or malicious computer viruses.

This type of fraud isn’t limited to sweet old ladies. Recent major scams have gone after the big fish - corporate CEOs.

Earlier this month, scammers sent emails telling CEOs that their company was being sued in federal court and to follow a link that will download the court documents. After downloading malicious software disguised as a special browser plug-in, the criminals gained access to everything on the victim’s computer.

This technique is a new form of “spear phishing” where phony emails are written as if they were coming from within the organization, or from a sender with close ties to the organization, like U.S. federal courts. Many times these emails contain believable information, complete with the victims name, company name and phone number.


How do you keep your company safe?

Make sure to provide thorough employee security training with tips on how to avoid phishing scams and what to do if someone suspects they are a victim.

The federal government created a resource, OnGuardOnline.gov, to provide the public with information on a variety of Internet scams.

They offer some tips on how not to get ‘hooked’ by a phishing scam:

• If you receive a message asking for personal or financial information do not reply to the email or click on any links.
• Some scams involve calling a phone number to update account information. While the phone number may look legitimate, with a correct area code, the number you call will draw you right into the scam.
• Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software, along with a firewall. Make sure all are updated regularly. Without these tools, there could be software on your computer tracking every move you make and you wouldn’t know it.
• Never email personal or financial information.
• Keep a close eye on credit card and bank statements for unauthorized charges.
• Call your HR department or whoever is responsible for online security and report the email immediately.

How to cut costs at the office

Looking for a new way to cut costs at the office?


After yesterday's post on 'recession-proof' employee training, this comic had me thinking ...

How does your company deal with tough economic times? What departments or office activities feel the crunch first?

Thanks to HR.com for the comic.

'Recession-proof' employee training tips

With the big “r” word in the headlines everyday, along with job layoffs and a struggling stock market, it’s almost impossible for any company not to feel the crunch.

So, what does an economic recession have to do with employee training and development? Everything, according to Chris Young at the Rainmaker group.

Why? During economic hard times nervous executives start cutting unnecessary company spending. Unfortunately, employee training programs can be the first to hit the chopping block.

Though keeping an employee is much cheaper than finding a new one, it isn’t always clear how much the company benefits (in dollars) from employee training and development programs.

What’s the best way to keep up your training programs while the company is tightening it’s belt? Young offers five tips to tackle the issue:

1. Employee training is an investment. Young uses the stock market as an example: by putting money in when stocks are down, you’ll be on top when the market turns around. Keeping funds for training now will put you ahead of your competitors when the economy comes back around.

2. Be sure your training efforts are targeted and necessary. Focus training programs on employee weaknesses. Don’t waste you or your employee’s time on unnecessary training.

3. Measure results. With hard numbers in front of them, executives may find it harder to cut training costs.

4. Find quality training vendors. If you use outside training vendors often, be sure you’re getting your money’s worth in the form of measurable results.

5. Keep training flexible and unique to the company’s needs. Most “one size fits all” training programs don’t work as well as those that are tailored to your situation.


Whether the economy is facing hard times or not, company spending should be focused on results. Creating measurable results can help keep employee training and development in the budget no matter what NASDAQ looks like.

Hands-Only CPR, not rocket science

Have you ever wondered what would happen if someone suddenly collapsed in a room full of rocket scientists?

No? Me either.

Even so, the video below from the American Heart Association (AHA) shows you what would happen.

Instead of sitting back and discussing what to do while a heart attack victim lay helpless on the floor, just remember two simple steps: call 911 and start pushing hard and quickly in the center of the person's chest.

The AHA recently released a scientific statement explaining that Hands-Only CPR can be just as effective as conventional CPR when an adult collapses from cardiac arrest.

And, bystanders can more than double a victim's chance of survival by giving CPR.

Read our recent post about the new Hands-Only CPR technique and visit http://handsonlycpr.eisenberginc.com for more information.

How to deliver an effective speech or presentation

Whether it’s an upcoming employee training session or a presentation in front of the executive big wigs, delivering a speech or presentation are two things the majority of us don’t look forward to.

Tim Ferriss, author of “The 4-Hour Workweek,” shares some simple tips from Al Gore’s speech writer on how to master the art of the presentation in a post last week. It’s a worthwhile read, even if you just click through to watch him breakdance.

Here’s a run-down of some great speech tips he shared:

Any good speech will answer two questions: What is your point? and Why does it matter to your audience?

A speech is like a story, give it a beginning, middle and end.

Mix it up. Share funny anecdotes in between facts and figures, it will keep your audience engaged.

After you figure out what you’re going to say, get rid of 20% of it.

“In all my years of preparing and watching political and business speeches, I’ve yet to hear anyone say, ‘Gee, I wish that speech were longer.’”

Remember the speech isn’t about you, it’s about the audience and what they can take away from it.

Don’t try to be someone else when you present. Be yourself. Remember to focus on the value of the speech, not how funny your jokes are.

Do your homework and tailor your message to the audience.

Harassment investigations save money, supervisor training a key factor

Conducting effective investigations into workplace harassment and properly training supervisors how to handle investigations can save employers costly legal fees in the long run, according to a recent SHRM article.

William Tamayo, an attorney with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) gave advice on the right way to handle workplace harassment complaints at the American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law, Employment Rights and Responsibilities Committee on April 2.

If an employer promptly investigates a claim and attempts to correct the harassment issue, employers may be able to minimize damages and even escape liability, Tamayo said, noting two past Supreme Court cases.

The first “line of defense” for employers is to have an up-to-date workplace policy against harassment of any kind, Tamayo advised. Also, businesses should have clear procedures for harassment complaints and every supervisor must be trained on the steps to take after receiving a harassment complaint or witnessing workplace harassment.

With a managerial promotion, every employee should be trained on anti-harassment laws and their responsibility as a supervisor under those laws, including how to report a compliant to HR.

Lack of resources is not an excuse for a delayed investigation, he said, reminding everyone that the cost of an investigation is far less than the legal fees and damages associated with a court case.

The attorney's tips on conducting workplace harassment investigations:

• An investigation should begin immediately or within the first few days following the harassment complaint.
• The HR person investigating harassment claims must be independent and unbiased, with a clear goal to uncover the truth.
• All records of the investigation should be kept completely confidential and filed in a different location than other corporate records.
• At the end of the investigation, it turns out the harassment claims are legitimate, the company should take all the necessary steps to prevent it from happening in the future.

If an employee does choose to sue the company, the investigation was not in vain.

“The investigation can win the case,” Tamayo said.

Read the full article.

Disgruntled Chrysler employee fired after Internet post

For the past 10 years, Rob Diel worked as a contract information technology worker at Chrysler. Last week, he was fired for posting the email and phone number of Chrysler’s chief executive on the Internet.

In response to an article about Chrysler’s decision to outsource jobs, Diel posted the email and phone number in a readers’ comment section of the Detroit Free Press online.

"I guess he started getting e-mails. They didn't tell me how many," Diel said of the security personnel. "They just said his Blackberry lit up," Diel, told the Detroit Free Press.

His post encouraged people to boycott the company and send the chief executive an email to “tell him what a great job he’s doing.”

Diel made the post from his company computer during work hours and found the executive’s contact information on the internal company directory.

Every company has policies on how to handle situations when employees use company computers for personal reasons and on disclosing company information. In order to keep your job, most experts would advise keeping your personal business at home and privileged company information at work.

Using company computers for such activities as checking personal email or banking information and viewing questionable internet material has employees in trouble everyday.

But, do your employees know exactly what your company policy is?

Surely, it’s written in the company handbook, right where everyone has access to it. Unfortunately, that’s not enough.

Especially with Gen Y entering the workforce, who manage most of their personal business on the Internet, training on proper internet use at work is crucial. Managers, employees, contract workers and even the interns should know what is off limits.

In this particular case, Diel was not surprised by the firing, he was expecting to lose his job at the end of May. But, many times employees are caught off-guard when a manager approaches to discuss their internet use, mostly because they simply didn’t know.

Read the full story of Rob Deil and how Chrysler handled this case of personal Internet use on company computers.

Workplace safety training tips, straight from the turkey’s mouth

You may not associate the turkey industry with high safety risks, but keep in mind that no industry is immune to workplace accidents.

Butterball is the industry leader in safety standards, earning OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs designation, which recognizes exemplary safety and health efforts. And, they didn't receive that standing by chance.

In 2006, the company adopted an “integrated companywide approach to safety,” which includes a set of best practices and nine measurable deliverables.

After enacting the 2006 safety plan, Butterball reduced its injury incident rate to 63 percent below the poultry industry average.

Those nine deliverables and best practices include:

• Goal setting and performance tracking at every facility
• Detailed planing for safe conditions
• A professionally staffed health facility and ergonomics teams at each plant
• 20 to 30 hours of safety training annually for every manufacturing employee
• Safe workplace standards that document the risks for every job

With these deliverables, Butterball managers must annually audit their facility and answer 545 questions. The answers to those 545 questions become the basis for yearly safety improvement action plans.

After the audit, immediate action is taken on items that require timely attention. Other safety items are given 30- to 90-day windows for improvement.

“The 545-question audit is the foundation on which we build safety initiatives for the year,” VP of Operations, Mike Bliss says. “It is a very demanding process that consumes a full week at each location.”

The company also uses a behavior observation technique called the Safety Training Observation Program, or STOP. The program requires all managers (safety, operational and HR) to be present on the factory floor to observe employees work, coach employees on safe practices and recognize employees who perform well.

Butterball also tracks key performance indicators, what they call KPIs, which include safety incident rates. Each plant must report KPIs on a weekly basis and their numbers must be below half of the industry rate. If plants don’t fall under the desired rate they are managed more tightly and are required to submit a safety plan along with the 545 question audit.

The company continues to look at safety training as in a positive light.

“We have strategically moved our safety pro­cess to focus on leading indicators, such as training completed, instead of lagging indicators, such as incident rates. Two of the most important leading indicators are near misses and our hazard recognition log. We take a proactive approach though these leading indicators,” according to Brian Rodgers, director of safety and risk management.

Butterball has seen positive results in more than lowered workplace safety incidents. It has also paid the company back in lower workers’ compensation premiums. In 2008, Butterball cut its casualty insurance by $1 million.

Motivating generation Y: How-to and how-not-to

Generation Y, Generation X and the Millenials ... accept it, they’re young and here to stay.

They like to be rewarded and taught in much different ways than their older counterparts. What are the best techniques to engage and motivate your Generation Y employees? Paul Herbert at Fistful of Talent has a few ideas to add.

- They don’t like top-down corporate control. They’ve been able to customize everything in life from their MySpace page to their sneakers. Give them an option to customize their incentive, reward and recognition programs. Herbert recommends creating a shell and asking the employee to fill in the blanks.

- Peer recognition is more valued than “boss” recognition. Lunch with the CEO has no appeal. Let them go to lunch on the company tab, with the employee friends of their choice.

- They won’t be motivated by out-dated incentives like employee anniversary lapel pins. Instead of giving them what you think they want, just ask them what type of incentive they would like.

“To sum up: Be honest, open, collaborative and fast. You'd be surprised how much you both will appreciate the results.”

And, because its Friday, here’s a great video demonstrating the “G.R.E.E.D.” motivational program, a new take on employee incentives.

E-Learning Best Practices: Bridging the generational gap

Last year, 30 percent of employee learning last year occurred online, according to two reports on the U.S. training market as reported in the recent Workforce Management article “E-Learning Hits Its Stride.”

“One of every three hours of training is now being delivered via some form of technology, and that ratio is expected to climb in coming years.”

A few reasons for e-learning becoming more prominent: higher fees for instructor-led classes and organizations’ reluctance to let employees miss work to attend training sessions.

Also, younger generations entering the job market are more accepting of, and prefer to be taught with the latest technology. But, how do you bridge the gap between young employees and older employees who may not be as accepting of e-learning?

A new Workforce White Paper titled “Bridging the Multigenerational Workplace,” outlines some best practices in e-learning across all generations.

Make a plan. First, they suggest to take a quick inventory of the different generations that make up your workforce and then develop a plan that addresses the expectations and requirements on each generation. The plan should include specific guidelines to ensure managers are managing, developing, evaluating and rewarding each generation accordingly.

Introduce technology training. Remember that older generations may not be as comfortable with technology as younger employees. Incorporate hands-on training programs focused on technology, starting with every employee’s first day on the job.

Address training differences. Mold your training programs to address different learning styles and generational differences. For example, Baby Boomers generally prefer relationship-based learning styles while Gen X prefers independent learning.

Manage performance and give feedback. Remember that younger generations thrive on constant praise and feedback. Use performance reviews to show what employees have accomplished, what they need to accomplish going forward, and how and when they can expect to be rewarded for their accomplishments.

Reward strong performers. Design promotion and compensation practices to meet the needs and expectations of multiple generations.

Working from home. Well, almost...

Tired of staying at home all day? Over-caffeinated from working out of coffee houses? There’s a new option out there for all the folks who call their second bedroom the “remote office.”

Office Nomads provides remote employees, and anyone self-employed, the opportunity to work in an office setting for a monthly fee. “Coworking” lessens the feelings of isolation that often come with working from home, by putting people back into an office setting.

For about $475 a month, you can rent desk space, unlimited coffee and printing, 24-hour access, Wi-Fi and use of three conference rooms. You can also rent by the day for $20 if you don’t need a full month.

Other companies, like Nutopia Workspace and San Francisco’s Hat Factory, are part of the growing coworking phenomenon. An online map shows all of the roughly three dozen workspaces worldwide.

So, if you haven’t changed your clothes in two days or your head hurts from too many double cafe lattes, maybe coworking can work for you.

What’s my job anyhow?

Ever been in one of these situations?

• You need help in the office, so you post a vague job description to test the waters and see if anyone bites. A very smart, highly-qualified applicant does bite at your job posting and wins an unfitting position at your company, because they’re just so wonderful you couldn’t let them go.
  
  
  
• Your company goes through a reorganization, managers slack on planning for the change and the ever-willing college grad gets stuck in a “we’ll figure it out as time goes on” position.
  
  
  
• Management changes, and although it's clear the new manager has different ideas in mind, the employee is never told exactly what those are.
  

After a few weeks on the job, the employee in any one of these situations may be asking themselves - What’s my job anyhow?

Neither your company or the employee will benefit from the directionless position they’re in. When an employee doesn’t understand their role at work or are unclear about their job description, you will be left with a very stressed and anxious employee on your hands.

The main reason why employees leave a job is because they don’t see opportunities for advancement. If an employee is confused with the role they play at work, you may be giving them a good reason to jump ship.

A well written, clear job description will help you attract the right employee for the position and keep current employees on track.

Employers should ensure that job descriptions are always accurate and up-to-date. A good job description should include:

• Main purpose of the job. Try to describe this in one sentence.
• Main tasks of the job. Use active verbs, like “writing,” “repairing,” “calculating,” instead of vaguer terms like “dealing with,” “in charge of”
• Scope of the job. Expand on the main tasks and importance of the job. Note how many people will be under their supervision and what major skills are important to the job.

Employees can often feel that what they do is pointless if they can’t see how it fits into the big picture. Keep a direct line of communication between managers and employees to make sure everyone stays on track with company and personal goals.

Managers should give employees constant feedback, complete with expected job performance and monitor employees' progress. When employees know what is expected of them, with goals to achieve, they're more likely to stay on track with a clear picture of how they contribute to the bottom line.

New CPR Training: Hands-Only saves lives

How does it go again? Ten breaths to 20 pumps? Five to 30?

If you’ve ever taken a first-aid training class, you know remembering the ratio of breaths to chest pumps can be tough, making CPR (or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) intimidating to attempt. But, lifesaving just got a lot easier.

Saving adult lives with CPR no longer depends on mouth-to-mouth breathing. A call to 911 and chest compressions are sufficient until help arrives, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement.

The American Heart Association announced the major change to CPR training in a release last week. Hands-Only CPR - rapid, deep presses on the victim’s chest until help arrives - works just as well as standard CPR for sudden cardiac arrest in adults.

About 310,000 adults in the U.S. die each year from sudden cardiac arrest occurring outside of a hospital setting.

“Without immediate, effective CPR from a bystander, a person’s chance of surviving sudden cardiac arrest decreases 7 percent to 10 percent per minute,” according to the American Heart Association press release.

Bystander CPR can double or triple a person’s survival chances after suffering sudden cardiac arrest. Less than one-third of cardiac arrest victims outside of hospital settings receive bystander CPR.

The association hopes the change will encourage more bystanders to help if someone nearby suddenly collapses.

“You only have to do two things. Call 911 and push hard and fast on the middle of the person’s chest,” said Dr. Michael Sayre, an emergency medicine professor at Ohio State University who headed the committee that made the recommendation.

In many cases, bystanders don’t help out of fear that they will injure the victim or don’t have the confidence, said Sayre. He advises bystanders not to be afraid to try Hands-Only CPR because many lives can be saved.

Hands-Only CPR requires 100 uninterrupted chest presses per minute until paramedics take over or an automated external defibrillator (AED) is available to restore the victim’s normal heart rhythm.

The new recommendations only apply for adults who unexpectedly collapse, stop breathing and are unresponsive. Many times the collapse is caused by cardiac arrest and the victim still has ample air in the lungs. Compressions keep blood flowing to the brain, heart and other vital organs.

The change is supported by three separate studies finding no negative impact on survival when ventilations were omitted from bystander CPR.

Mouth-to-mouth breathing should still be performed when the victim is a child or an adult who has become unresponsive from a near-drowning, drug overdose or carbon monoxide poisoning. These victims need mouth-to-mouth rescue breaths to get air into their lungs and bloodstream.

The Heart Association still urges the public learn full CPR and medical personnel should still perform conventional CPR as a part of their medical duties. Hands-Only will be added to conventional CPR training.

Visit the Hands-Only CPR site for more CPR training information.

Office Humor: Evaluating your workplace worth

Workplace worth is directly proportional to the size of your office birthday celebration, according to a recent study conducted by CareerBuilder.

The study analyzed key factors including: where the birthday celebration is held (in the office or outside), at what time of the day and how many people attend. Workplace worth can be determined by looking at these and other factors related to your office birthday celebration (or, lack of one).

Ok ... so it’s not a real study. But, CareerBuilder.com did make this funny video.

(Kudos to the HR Capitalist for bringing this great video to our attention.)

Employee retention: Why employees leave

Employee retention is at the top of most business executives’ priorities this year. More than 80 percent of business executives consider employee retention a top priority in 2008, according to the annual Employee Turnover Trends survey by TalentKeepers.

Before you ask about the best way to retain employees, first discover why they are leaving.

The main reason why employees consider leaving jobs is because they don’t see opportunities for advancement at their current employer, according to a recent SHRM survey of North American workers.

One third of those surveyed cited lack of career development as the most important factor when considering moving on to a new employer.

Other top factors for leaving, according to the survey:

• Desire for change
• Unsatisfying work or work that doesn’t make the most of their talents
• Desire to earn more money
• Job conditions (commute, lack of flexible schedule)
• Dislike of manager
• Dislike of colleagues

Factors that influence an employee to stay:

• Enjoyable work
• Significant development or advancement opportunities available
• Good job conditions (good commute, flexible schedule)
• Belief in organization’s mission
• No desire for change
• Expect desirable salary, bonus or stock option in the coming year
• Commitment to manager
• Economy, no opportunities elsewhere

Free advertising opportunities at TrainingTime.com

Now through September 1, 2008, TrainingTime.com is offering free product and service listings online for employee training and development solutions providers.

TrainingTime.com brings buyers and sellers together to better find, compare and select the right business training solutions in an intuitive, easy shopping experience. It also gives providers of training products and human resource seminars a highly targeted, engaging audience of professionals ready to buy.

“TrainingTime.com lets you shop for training products, classes for training consultants and employees, and the best business seminars the same way you’d shop for the latest electronics on familiar sites like PriceGrabber and Shopzilla.”

With this limited time offer, training product and service providers can discover a new, innovative way to get to market faster and strategically target customers. After registered, training providers can add their own products, seminars and other events to the website.

Read the full press release.

April Fool’s Day work pranks

Did you wake up this morning with a giant knot in your stomach? Did the thought of seeing your cubicle completely covered in bubble wrap have you thinking about cashing in some PTO time?

Or, have you been strategically planning a prank on the boss for months, anxiously awaiting the arrival of April? Did your plot play out according to plan?

According to a CareerBuilder survey, 32 percent of workers say they have either initiated or been on the receiving end of an April Fools’ joke at work.

Most executives aren’t humored by office pranks. Seventy-one percent of marketing executives thought pranks were not appropriate for the workplace, as polled by The Creative Group.

Here are a few highlights from CareerBuilder.com's annual April Fool's Day survey:

• Placed a pair of pants and shoes inside the only toilet stall in a men’s room to make it appear someone was using the stall. It sat there for hours until someone called security to check if the person had died.
• All the women in office individually spoke to the president, confiding that she is pregnant. By noon, he ‘knew’ that all of his female workers were pregnant and he could not tell anyone because each asked for confidentially.
• Filled the vending soda machine with cans of beer.
• Placed a sign on the restroom door that read, “The company ran out of toilet tissue; please use your own resources.”
• Shrink-wrapped everything in a co-worker’s cubicle.

Happy April Fool’s Day! ... Now go prank someone.