7 warning signs of problem employees

Thanks to recent economic woes, many people are struggling to keep their heads above water -- both personally and professionally. At work, they're likely doing the job of two or three people as employers seek productivity gains. Or maybe they’re worried about another round of layoffs. On the home front, concerns about foreclosures or even putting enough food on the table may be very real.

Such stressors may be bumping up problems in the workplace. Although many warning signs go unchecked amid the hectic pace of business, owners who keep a sympathetic eye on employees will be better prepared to manage issues that come up or even prevent them entirely.

Here are seven warning signs of problem employees and what to do about them:

top 10 learning tools

t’s time to update my top 10 learning tools and techniques list. This time I’ll try to focus more on tools and services. You can view my previous lists of Aug 08 and Jan 08.

Top 10 learning tools 

10 Things the HR Department Won't Tell You

Discover shocking reasons why you might not get a callback—or a promotion

By Kimberly Fusaro 

Photo: © Thinkstock

If everything’s going smoothly, you probably won’t interact with the folks in human resources much between the day you’re hired and your last day with the company. But every day in between, it’s their responsibility to make sure you’re doing your job well. Which means they know a lot more than you might think. We checked in with human resources experts to see what your current employer is keeping tabs on—and how your next employer could be judging you based on a whole lot more than the résumé you submitted.

1. Background checks have gone beyond Google.
Before calling in applicants for a job interview, HR will snoop around online to make sure there are no virtual red flags. “Social media ‘stalking’ has become the norm—especially at larger companies,” says Mary Hladio, who worked in human resources for more than 15 years and is currently CEO of leadership group Ember Carriers. “Beyond typing names into asearch engine, companies will also employ sophisticated online monitoring platforms that dig even deeper. If there’s something on the Internet you wouldn’t want your boss to see, it’s probably in your best interest to take it down.”

10 Ways to get ahead in your job

By Tori Rodriguez

Even if you love your job, you’ll likely find yourself stuck in a rut at some point in your career. You may have gotten so good at what you do that it has become automatic (and perhaps a bit boring), or maybe you’d like to ask for a raise but don’t know how to broach the subject. Whatever your goal, we spoke to career experts to learn what techniques will help you gain momentum at work.

1. Take on diverse assignments.

8 Ways to Get Ahead at Work

If it seems like the only thing that ever changes about your job is the day of the week, it’s time to ask your boss for “stretch assignments” to enhance your growth, says Jodi Glickman, president of a communication training firm and author of Great on the Job. Offer to help with new projects, even ones that fall outside your department. Or, if you have a particular skill that isn’t part of your job description, be on the lookout for opportunities to indulge your other areas of expertise. For instance, say you’re a teacher who also has a flair for writing. “If your team is redesigning the curriculum or applying for a grant, offer to help write, edit or review the proposal,” suggests Glickman. “By showcasing your natural talents, you’ll give people a chance to see another side of you, and you may open doors to new opportunities you never even considered,” she explains. If there are no projects on the horizon, let it be known that you're available when one does come along. “People will appreciate your initiative and will often find a way to make new assignments come your way over the long term,” Glickman adds.

Top CEO Blogs

1. Bill Marriott, Chairman & CEO of Marriott International – well written and connects with customers and employees. I quite like this one.
2. Tom Glocer, CEO of Thomson Reuters – As per Tom, in his blog he is going to “write about what interests me, which is often my work at Thomson Reuters, as well as wider issues like technology and media - two areas that I am fascinated by.” Seems like a genuine attempt to connect with employees and make the leader in Tom more human.
3. Scott Ragsdale, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, naseba – Very un-CEO type blog, written from the heart, couldn’t care less about what people might think. As per Scott, “the main purpose of this blog is to communicate with my 300+ employees, my future employees and leaders of naseba, my clients, future clients, and investors – at the same time helping me stay focused on my climb — to build naseba into a multi-hundred million euro company.”
4. Jonathan Schwartz, CEO Sun Microsystems Inc. – writes mostly with customers as intended audience. Seems more like the Sun website and less like a blog.
5. Kevin Lynch, Chief Technology Officer, Adobe – software development is Kevin’s passion that has led to great products from him and his team.
6. John Dragoon, Chief Marketing Office for Novell – a nice mix of company specific and generic content. Has good content for marketing folks.
7. Sanjeev Bikhchandani, CEO, Naukri.com – a personal blog, unfortunately not updated frequently
8. David Neeleman, Founder and Chairman of JetBlue Airways – “Each week I fly on JetBlue flights and talk to customers so I can find out how we can improve our airline. This is my flight log”, one post a month, however unfortunately last updated in Oct 2007.

Changing Education Paradigms

This animate was adapted from a talk given at the RSA by Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned education and creativity expert and recipient of the RSA's Benjamin Franklin award.

For more information on Sir Ken's work visit: http://www.sirkenrobinson.com

Evaluating the User Experience: How Instructors Can Track Behavior

Evaluating the User Experience: How Instructors Can Track Behavior

For eLearning courses, evaluation of test scores alone is not enough to determine the learner’s overall experience. In their presentation at the Lectora User Conference, Peter Sorenson, President of Quizzicle, LLC, Bradley Fredrick, Instructional Designer at Correctional Medical Services and Michelle Allen, Senior Manager at Pfizer, introduced three different viewpoints regarding evaluation, and how Lectora allows instructors to track students’ behavior even from a distance.

Sorenson’s main points
Think about education programs as a living entity. It’s able to monitor, observe, support and modify the actions and behaviors of users while engaged in the program. This is the ONLY way to TRULY evaluate the experience.

Mobile Learning Trends and Predictions From Tim Ferguson

Mobile Learning Trends and Predictions from Tim Ferguson 

“Learn Anywhere, Anytime, Anyway”
“The Future Comes Alive” theme of the 2011 Lectora User Conference sets the tone for Tim Ferguson’s presentation on Mobile Learning - as he puts it, “The Mobile Future Comes Alive.” Ferguson discusses how to reach our “Digital Native” students with new expectations and new technologies that contine to impact our society, business and education.