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Picture of Stephanie Hammerwold

Stephanie Hammerwold

Stephanie Hammerwold, PHR is the co-owner of Hammerwold & Pershing and specializes in small business HR needs. Stephanie blogs as the HR Hammer and is a regular contributor at Blogging4Jobs and The HR Gazette. She specializes in training, employee relations, women's issues and writing employment policies.
Picture of Stephanie Hammerwold

Stephanie Hammerwold

Stephanie Hammerwold, PHR is the co-owner of Hammerwold & Pershing and specializes in small business HR needs. Stephanie blogs as the HR Hammer and is a regular contributor at Blogging4Jobs and The HR Gazette. She specializes in training, employee relations, women's issues and writing employment policies.

It’s Time To Ditch Annual Reviews

Most employees, managers and HR professionals have a strong opinion about the annual performance review. Overwhelmingly it seems that most of us would prefer that they go away. Yet, many employers still rely on this out-dated and often inaccurate tool to measure work performance. The annual review is time consuming and rarely ends up being the performance management tool it is supposed to be. Here are some reasons why it is time to ditch the annual review and ideas for replacing it. Inaccurate Reviews I one time got a call from a manager who was ready to fire an employee on the

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A Plus Student Report Card Grade Class Rating Review Evaluation

Checking References And Getting The Info You Need

For those of us in HR, the process of checking references on candidates is ingrained. We call, ask a few questions to verify dates and title, ask if the candidate is eligible for rehire, and, if we are lucky, we get some details about what type of employee the candidate was. In some ways the process is cursory and merely a way to show that we did our best to ensure we were not hiring a psychopath. Even though such an approach fulfills basic hiring practices, it does not always provide a useful tool for making a good decision about a

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Why Onboarding And Orientation Matter

I have worked at places where onboarding is little more than filling out a stack of paperwork. New hire training and orientation are a matter of being thrown in the midst of things and trying to figure out what to do. Such a welcome to a new job can leave an employee feeling like their new employer cares little for their success. Regardless of the size of your company, creating a plan for onboarding and new employee orientation is important to employee retention. Use Orientation To Review Policies And Company Culture Onboarding includes everything from new hire paperwork to orientation and training.

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What To Do When You Can’t Find Good Candidates

Unemployment has been falling steadily over the last couple years. As unemployment decreases, job seekers have more options and employers may find that it is harder to fill openings. Maybe you are getting a lot of resumes, but very few are from qualified candidates. Or maybe you are not getting any resumes at all. What do you do when you cannot find good candidates to fill your current openings? Simply waiting for the right candidate to walk into your office is not enough. Here are some tips for what to do when you cannot seem to find good candidates. Review the Job

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Are Your Recruiting Practices Scaring Good Candidates Away?

Have you ever posted an opening and received very little response from job seekers? It has happened to most of us who work in HR and recruiting. We often sit and lament the fact that there are no more good candidates, but sometimes the issue is with our recruiting and hiring process rather than the candidate pool. Here are some tips for improving your process, so you can attract the right candidates. Confusing Application Process Whether you are posting on your company site or on a job site, you want to make a good impression. Start with a clear and easy-to-understand

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Managing Underperformers

Underperformers can be some of the most frustrating employees. At some point in the employment relationship, you saw potential in the underperformer. That’s probably a big reason why you hired them. But for some reason they are no longer meeting your expectations. You have already invested a lot in this employee, so firing is not always the best solution. Turning to performance management can sometimes help turn a problem employee around. Here are some tips for managing your underperformers into being good employees. Meet with the Employee As soon as you notice a problem, address it. One of the worst ways

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