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Making the shift to home working – practical steps for the firm
Written by John Berry on 7th December 2021. Revised 17th June 2022.
8 min read
A firm that’s oriented around a central headquarters and offices is a very different beast from one that embraces flexible working and working from home. There are some practical things that all firms must do when moving to home working. Here we discuss some of the changes needed to the terms and conditions of contract and employee handbook.
Director of Happiness is a sham of a job
Written by John Berry on 1st March 2022. Revised 17th June 2022.
5 min read
A Director of Happiness does not have the executive authority to make what’s needed happen every day. They can't build the trust needed in the relationship between manager and employee. Such a job is a sham. It’s an invention to avoid the hard work of learning and getting good at management. Here we discuss why.
Should recruiters ask candidates about current salary?
Written by John Berry on 18th November 2021. Revised 21st November 2021.
2 min read
The phrase ‘a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work’ is common in the labour market. Penned first by Carlyle and then Engels and it applies now. The employer and candidate reach a bargain between work and pay. It’s not necessary for managers to know about the past. They should never ask anything about history. As soon as they do, they're wide open to bias.
Writing Responsibility Statements in Job Descriptions
Written by John Berry on 25th June 2021. Revised 22nd July 2021.
6 min read
The vast majority of job descriptions on Earth contain a list of tasks or duties. The job holder can do these, year on year, and yet fail miserably in contributing to the business. Tasks and duties are useless. Sadly, that means that most job descriptions are useless. What’s needed is stated responsibilities or accountabilities embodying required achievement. Here's how to build such statements.
How do you make a supplier contract work? Agreeing what’s to be agreed is typically complicated. Start by setting out the nature of the services to be supplied. Then describe how the services are to be specified and called off month by month. Ask the supplier for a quote, then raise a purchase order. Have the whole process managed by a project manager.
Not infrequently, we begin work with a new client and request to see current employee documentation. And we find there is none. We go to a particular employee’s personnel file and find that either there is no file, or it’s substantially empty. And that’s often after they’ve been with the firm for many years. Simply, this can’t ever be so. Here's why and what to do.
