As a consultant, I am often asked by my clients, “How can I identify employee relations tension before it becomes a company-wide endemic?" Why am I asked this so often? Because employee relations are difficult to assess...

It’s that time of the year when most organizations begin thinking about their retirement plan responsibilities, whether it’s non-discrimination testing or preparing to file the Form 5500 with the IRS. This is usually a nerve-wracking time for employers, as there are often concerns about the outcome of the testing. Will we pass our tests? Will we be required to return hard-earned retirement monies to some of our employees? Will we have more serious issues?

Very recently I had a conversation with the COO and CFO of a client regarding a top candidate who had turned down an offer. They were shocked and confused. They had offered the candidate the compensation she requested and had thrown in a few small perks, but it unfortunately wasn’t enough to seal the deal. Ultimately that candidate (who had multiple offers on the table) accepted another offer. Why?

We live in a world of “make it work.” When there’s no oregano, we substitute rosemary. Or when we have a cold, we take a Dayquil and get ready to tackle the day. When our company grows too fast, we piece together an HR function. You’ll notice that one of these things is not like the other. The first two will affect your pasta sauce or how alert you are. The third may determine if your company will go out of business or still be able to win government contracts.

We’ve all been there... You filled out your annual self-evaluation. Your manager reviewed it. Your manager reviewed your performance and sent their review and your self-review to your second level manager for review and approval. You have a meeting with your manager to review the appraisal. You sign off on the appraisal. Your manager signs off on your sign off. Your second level manager signs off and finalizes the appraisal.