Should Salaries Be Made Public?

The radio show Here and Now on NPR station WBUR in Boston had an interesting segment today. It discussed the pros and cons of "salary transparency". Here's a summary of the discussion:

"Some researchers say most of us think we are underpaid and that colleagues are making more money than they actually are. Is salary transparency the solution? We speak to Traci Fenton, founder of WorldBlu, which compiles a list of what it calls the most democratic workplaces..."

The best part comes at the end. The host asks the proponent what her salary is, and she chooses not to share that information. Telling perhaps, but there may be certain work situations where this could help. It will be interesting to see if this becomes more widely adopted.

You can listen to the full audio clip online here.

Photo credit: su.bo

Red Ditto offers "100 Ways How NOT To Run a Business"

Red Ditto is an interesting blog written by a "previous manager" of startups. Topics are varied, and include workplace gems like:

"Mistake # 41: Is there a reason for your employees to discuss their salaries amongst their coworkers?

Mistake #23: Walk in and tell your boss you are worth it (without proven results)

Mistake #13: Evil bosses!" (13 - can't be a coincidence)

Anyway, check out the blog as they count their way up to 100.

Best Corporate Practices 2008

businessweek.com: "Sometimes the difference between the best and worst company policies comes down to one thing: trust. Learn how to use it..."

This is an interesting article. The best stuff is in the 'slideshow' that covers "The 10 Best Corporate Practices, 2008 - A lot of these good ideas have been around for a while. It's time for employers to put them into practice before they lose their best workers..." Here's a summary of the 10 trends:

1. A Real Vacation Policy
2. Spot Bonuses
3. Instant Seniority
4. Community at Work
5. Pooled Sick-Time Banks
6. Customized Benefit Plans
7. Peer Mentoring
8. A Room of Her Own
9. Flex Time and Flex Place
10. Word of Mouth Recruiting

Read the full article...

Trouble at the Office?

Business Week launches special "Business @ Work" report. This is a insightful collection of articles covering topics such as:

• Toxic Bosses: How to Live with the S.O.B.
• Rigid Bureaucracy: Breaking Out of the Box
• Count Results, Not Hours
• Staying Creative: Success on a Shoestring
• Are You Being a Jerk? Again?
• And other great topics
  

Online networks may help job-hunting: surveys

"Job seekers should tap into online networking sites to help hunt down potential employers, new surveys suggest.

The polls, conducted in Canada and the United States on behalf of California-based recruitment firm Robert Half International (RHI.N), showed that most executives believe that professional networking sites will prove useful over the next three years for job seekers...

RHI provided five suggestions for benefiting from online networking:

• Craft your profile carefully
• Ask for recommendations
• Build your list of contacts
• Don't post anything you wouldn't want an employer to see
• Don't stop networking once you have a job"

Apply the 80/20 Principle with The FreelanceSwitch Client Analyser

Freelance switch has just added a cool new online tool called the "Client Analyser". It is based on the 80/20 or Pareto Principle:

"The way it works is that you put in your clients, answer some questions about them and then it lines up the data into tables, showing you where the results are coming from so you can compare and contrast them. The more clients you add, the better it works.

You should note, it’s not meant to be a very serious tool, more just a lightweight look at some of your client list. If you put in the minimum 8 clients and just guess values you can go through in about 10 minutes or so, and longer for more clients and more precision..."

Freelancers can also use Coworkers.com Reviews to rate and compare their various client contacts. The more data that can be gathered about a client portfolio, the more meaningful the insight.

Take Those Numeric Ratings and - Make Them Motivational

about.com: "Do numeric ratings make a contribution in the workplace? Done well, I believe numeric ratings can motivate excellent work performance; done poorly, numeric ratings undermine your positive work environment... these six recommendations set the stage for what makes an appraisal rating system, for employees or non-employees, sound, and potentially - motivational...

1. should be objective rather than subjective;
2. should be job-related or based on job analysis;
3. should be based on behaviors rather than traits;
4. should be within the control of the ratee;
5. should relate to specific functions, not global assessments,
6. should be communicated to the employee."

As the article states "Numeric ratings can have a positive impact on your company". Read the entire article to see other guidelines, as well as common things to avoid.

Already hip to this? Create a Coworkers.com review now

Inc.com: "Are You a Bad Boss?"

From inc.com: "Seven signs that your employees detest you. (By you, of course, we mean some other boss.)"



"There's a reason Dilbert, The Office, and their ilk are so popular. Satire gets old fast, but the appeal of realism endures. And the real world, sadly, is full of lousy bosses. Someone ought to do a study on where these louts come from. Were they abused by their own bosses? Did they toss overboard the ballast of human kindness to hasten the ascent of their career balloons? Or is this an example of absolute power corrupting absolutely? Such research might also demonstrate how ubiquitous miserable managers are. The proliferation of boss-bashing screeds with titles like When You Work for a Bully, Nasty Bosses, and How To Work for an Idiot suggests a plague..."

The article outlines "seven signs that you are a bad boss". Here's our favorite excerpt:

"Sign # 4: Your 360-degree evaluations come back short and full of generically positive comments, with one very mild criticism ("Sometimes she works too damn hard for her own good") thrown in for credibility's sake..."

This is exactly why Coworkers.com Reviews are a more effective solution to providing and receiving unbiased feedback!

Building Credibility: 11 Ways to Show You’re a Professional

Here's an interesting article from freelanceswitch.com:

"When it comes down to the wire, your potential clients are trying to figure out which category you fall into: the good or the bad.

So how can you show that you’re an honest and hard-working freelancer? A lot of the time it’s the little things that count the most..."

Here's a summary of their key points:

1. Have an established pricing structure
2. Create a clean and professional brand
3. Pay for a professional telephone service
4. Show Professional Endorsements
5. Proudly display your previous work
6. Proudly display client testimonials and comments
   
7. Dress appropriately for client meetings
8. Always be well-groomed
9. Have lots of detailed information on your website
10. Maintain a confident voice in your industry
11. Always be willing to say no

Of course, you can address points 4 and 6 by Requesting Reviews via Coworkers.com...

Change management is role for human resources professionals

Here's an article with some interesting data about the changing face of HR within the enterprise.

"Change management skills are a key part of the job for most Human Resources practitioners, according to a study (by "Employment Review")...

More than four-fifths (83%) of the HR practitioners taking part said their organisation had undertaken initiatives requiring change management skills in the previous two years, with most reporting multiple change initiatives..."


Read the full article

Always Be Prepared: 5 Tips for Unexpected Job Loss

This is a helpful summary of things to keep in mind as a 21st century worker.

"Whether you’re Joe Torre or Joe Cubicle, your at-will (more aptly, fire-at-will) contract may come to an end unexpectedly. If you’re smart, you may have seen the writing on the wall and given yourself time to prepare. Life isn’t always that obvious, so you should be thinking ahead and protecting yourself. Here are some tips that you can start putting into effect now, particularly if you are not the sole controller of your employment destiny..."

The main points of the article include:

• Keep three to six months in accessible funds.
• Keep your resume and portfolio current.
• Always be networking.
• Get recommendations without asking.
• Study your industry.

Montreal Gazette - Business Coverage of Coworkers.com

Site allows you to post anonymous evaluations of co-workers: "Be nice to co-workers. It's no secret that forward-thinking employers are looking at social networking sites to get a handle on prospective employees. It's one thing for them to see a bunch of glowing recommendations about someone from their friends, but what about honest opinions from actual colleagues? Coworkers.com is a site that lets anyone, not just friends, write reviews about people they work with..."

Read the rest of the article here...