Archive for September, 2016

Employees are like puzzle pieces. When they fit with your organization, the relationship creates a clear vision of the bigger picture and mission. But no matter how hard you push, rotate, or wish the wrong piece to fit, it won’t. If one of your team members is not right for the organization, keeping them in the mix takes away from efficiency and a cooperative work environment. 5 tips for letting go of sub-par employees 1. Keep detailed feedback records. Make sure a clear understanding of your expectations and their performance exists from the start. The decision to fire an employee should not be unexpected; provide them with ample opportunity to succeed before resorting to firing. 2. Get over the guilt. Focus on the future and best interests of the organization and staff morale. Managing sub-par employees costs more time, money, and productivity than hiring someone better suited for the role. 3. Be direct and to the point. Use the words “terminate,” “let you go,” or “fire.” Write a script if necessary and prepare a list of items to cover during the conversation. Showing sympathy is fine, but stay focused and level-headed. 4. Be respectful. Avoid accusations or pointing the finger…

Sadly, in the United States a gender pay gap of 22% still exists. In practically every corner of the workforce, women earn less than men. While the gap has become smaller over the years, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), a U.S. think tank founded in 1987 that tracks wages, projects that at our current pace, it will be 2058 before women finally reach pay parity. Possibly more surprising and sobering is the reality that the gender pay gap is even greater in the nonprofit sector. Women Dominate Nonprofit Leadership; Lag in Pay Women in the nonprofit sector earn 25% less than their male counterparts noted Ruth McCambridge in Nonprofit Quarterly, reporting on a survey performed by the Bayer Center Nonprofit Management at Robert Morris University. Peggy Outon, Bayer Center’s executive director said, “We’ve made some progress and gained some ground before the Great Recession [in 2008], but since then we’ve hit a plateau. Nonprofit boards of directors must own their responsibilities as employers and citizens and refuse to allow pay inequity to be the norm.” How to Close the Gender Pay Gap? Data shows that the wage gap is the smallest for young women. According to an estimate…