December 9, 2008
Categorized in: HR
No federal or state law requires employers to use job applications. But if you do require applicants to fill them out, know the legal do’s and don’ts of what questions to ask. Here’s the topic-by-topic guidance you need, along with relevant records-retention rules.
Emily Morgan works 60 to 70 hours a week and doesn’t even get a steady paycheck. You would think she’d loathe her boss, but you’d be wrong. Morgan is a virtual assistant (VA) and chooses how much work she takes on and how many hours she works. Ever wonder whether a VA career might be right for you?
In Working Girl, Melanie Griffith overhauls her appearance so others will take her seriously. In the real world, it takes more than a wardrobe change to lift your on-the-job reputation from “wet behind the ears” to “wise beyond your years.” Indeed, changing the perception others have of you at work can take up to 18 months …
Save time by storing “canned responses” on Gmail for commonly asked questions … Halt interruptions by giving your physical space a makeover … Turn voice-mail messages from your mobile, home or work phone into e-mail messages … Earn the mantle of “too valuable to lose”…
Much more than a gatekeeper, a good executive assistant can double or triple a boss’s efficiency by staying one step ahead of him or her. The more an assistant can predict an executive’s needs, the less he or she will need to interrupt.
Demand for highly skilled administrative professionals will remain steady this year, predicts the 2009 Salary Guides from Robert Half International. While starting salaries for admins are expected to rise 2.6% on average in 2009, employees with specific skills can command even more.
Dreams of a pay increase may be put on hold, but that doesn’t mean giving up on the idea forever. Eventually, the economy will shake itself out of its doldrums, and employees will once again be in the position to
negotiate robust raises. In the meantime, lay the groundwork for a future raise.
According to the 2009 Salary Guides, being multilingual is an “expert skill” that can bump you from the low end of a salary range to the high end. Here are a few web sites to help you spruce up your language skills.
While relationships between employees and their bosses have always seen their ups and downs, the turbulent economy may be forging stronger ties as employees look to shore up their job security.
Here’s a new office morale booster: Organize a company snitch program. It runs on the same grapevine that conducts office gossip, only all the news is good. Snitchers tell one another about accomplishments, small victories or acts of heroism that go beyond the call of duty.