Stress Management: Evaluating Stress

Feeling the effects of stress is a normal part of life, especially when you are facing major challenges. But each person responds to stress differently. What causes a lot of stress for one person may not cause stress for someone else. That’s because a large part of stress is a matter of perception-how you view a situation determines how much stress it causes you. Therefore, only you can best evaluate the amount of stress in your life and learn better ways to cope with it. Ask yourself the following questions to learn what is causing you stress and how you respond: What job, family, or personal stress do I have? Chronic stress can be caused by an ongoing stressful situation such as: Family or relationship problems. Caring for a family member who is elderly, has chronic health problems, or is disabled. Care giving is a major source of stress. For Continue reading

Traditional Methods of Performance Appraisal

Performance appraisal has been considered as a most significant and  indispensable tool for an organization, for the information it provides highly  useful in making decisions regarding various personal aspects at work place.  The performance appraisal activity is very much sensitive. It leads to very  positive side, if the system operated in a very systematic manner. The same  system also leads to destruction of the entire work lance, if proper care had not  been taken in the process of performance appraisal system. Traditional Methods of Performance Appraisal Traditional methods of performance appraisal  lay emphasis on the rating of the individual’s  personality traits, such as initiative, dependability, drive, creativity, integrity,  intelligence, leadership potential and so on. 1. Rankings Method It is the oldest and simplest method of performance  appraisal, by which the man and his performance are considered as an entity by  the rater. No attempt is made to fractionalize the ratee Continue reading

The Significance of New Employee Orientation Programmes

Ever hear the expression “common sense isn’t so common anymore”? This phrase certainly has many workplace implications. All too often, managers incorrectly assume that other workers have the same work ethic and knowledge of the workplace that they do. We take it for granted that people know what is expected of them. The fact of the matter is, employees need to know not only the specifics of how to carry out their duties, but also the company’s rules and expectations, before they can succeed in the workplace. The ideal time to set forth expectations of an employee is at the time he or she is hired, through some type of new employee orientation. In addition to providing a road map to workplace success, a thorough orientation has the added benefit of creating a positive first impression on the employee. The sense that he or she is important to the company Continue reading

What are the Different Types of Employee Contracts?

A contract of employment is essentially an agreement between the employer and the employee. It should have the purpose of outlining the specific terms and conditions of employment.  This can be either verbal or in writing and it can be regarded as forming the basis of the employment relationship between employer and employee. The implications of different types of employment contracts can mean that there are different outcomes or considerations for the employer, depending on the type of contract. A full-time contract involves a set amount of working hours and terms and conditions including the minimum hours set by the employer, which is normally 35 hours or more a week. A full-time contract is also usually covered by employment laws and implies a permanent employment type. A full-time contract can also be beneficial for staff retention and be more attractive to loyal and committed employees. It is also more difficult Continue reading

Different Approaches to Industrial Relations

The industrial relations scenario has been perceived differently by different practitioners and theorists. Some have viewed it in terns of class conflict; some have viewed it in terms of mutuality of interest of different groups; some have viewed it as a consequence of interaction of various factors both within an organization and outside it. Based on these orientations, several approaches to industrial relations have been developed. One researcher has stated industrial relations in his research report as, “An economist tries to interpret industrial conflict in terms of impersonal markets forces and laws of supply demand. To a politician, industrial conflict is a war of different ideologies — perhaps a class-war. To a psychologist, industrial conflict means the conflicting interests, aspirations, goals, motives and perceptions of different groups of individuals, operating within and reacting to a given socio-economic and political environment”. Most important approaches to industrial relations are discussed as follows: Continue reading

Current Trends in Human Resource Management

The world of work is rapidly changing. As a part of organization,  Human Resource Management (HRM) must be prepared to deal with effects of changing world of work. For the HR people it means understanding the implications of globalization, work-force diversity, changing skill requirements, corporate downsizing, continuous improvement initiatives, re-engineering, the contingent work force, decentralized work sites and employee involvement.   Let us consider each of them one by one. 1. Globalization and its implications Business today doesn’t have national boundaries – it reaches around the world. The rise of multinational corporations places new requirements on human resource managers. The HR department needs to ensure   that the appropriate mix of employees in terms of knowledge, skills and cultural adaptability is available to handle global assignments.   In order to meet this goal, the organizations must train individuals to meet the challenges of globalization. The employees must have working knowledge Continue reading