Friday Links: Posts and Resources from the Business World

Every Friday we connect you with some of our recent favourite links. This week with a focus on our current topic, Human Resources:

Posts and resources from mainstream business publications

12 Ways Successful People Handle Toxic People – Entrepreneur

Recent research from the Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology at Friedrich Schiller University in Germany found that exposure to stimuli that cause strong negative emotions—the same kind of exposure you get when dealing with toxic people—caused subjects’ brains to have a massive stress response… 90% of top performers are skilled at managing their emotions in times of stress in order to remain calm and in control. One of their greatest gifts is the ability to neutralize toxic people.

3 Ways to Jump-start a New Employees’s Productivity – Inc.

We hear all the time that onboarding has a huge impact on employee retention. In fact, research shows that employees who participate in strong onboarding programs are 69% more likely to stay with a company up to three years. And that’s an important statistic – particularly in this day and age, when frequent job hopping is the norm among young, talented professionals. But onboarding isn’t just about preventing turnover. It’s about jumpstarting productivity.

Positive Teams are More Productive – Harvard Business Review

All managers would like their teams to be more productive. Yet most companies are using the same old methods: strategic plans, goal-setting, streamlining operations, reducing inefficiency. Others are offering employee perks, such as on-site food, daycare, or gyms. Others are offering bigger bonuses or flexible schedules. Kim Cameron and his colleagues at the University of Michigan, however, have discovered a way to improve performance that has nothing to do with dishing out benefits or deploying new processes. Cameron and his coauthors found that a workplace characterized by positive and virtuous practices excels in a number of domains.

5 Big Problems to Look Out for in Your Startup’s First 3 Years – Entrepreneur

A talented, passionate and responsible workforce forms the basic foundation of a successful startup. So right from day one, your aim should be to hire and train the most effective people who will be able to take on bigger roles and run the show (even when you’re away) as the business grows. Hiring decisions need to be made with care. If you feel you don’t have the time, ensure you take external help and guidance.

10 Job Interview Questions You Should Ask – Forbes

Many job seekers focus so hard on answering interview questions well that they forget something very important: You are there to ask questions, too. Asking the right questions at an interview is important for two reasons: First, when done correctly, the questions you ask confirm your qualifications as a candidate for the position. Second, you are interviewing the employer just as much as the employer is interviewing you. This is your opportunity to find out if this is an organization where you want to work.

The Shocking Differences in Basic Body Language Around the World – Business Insider

The body speaks volumes. But what it says depends on the culture you’re in. Facial expressions, gestures, mannerisms, and degree of eye contact vary greatly across countries. The cultural differences in body language are vast — there are entire books dedicated exclusively to hand gestures — but we’ve selected a few to create a simple, body-language etiquette guide that highlights some surprising differences, thanks to information from Lewis’ book and the National Academic Advising Association.

11 Things Every Entrepreneur Must Outsource to Survive – Inc.

You can’t do everything. You shouldn’t do everything. And if you try to do everything, you will die. This is wisdom. I wish I could label it as some Chinese proverb, handed down by generations of wise sages. In reality, this is a lesson I learned in the crucible of entrepreneurship. As an entrepreneur, you don’t have any extra time. How do you overcome this incredible challenge? The solution is easy. Really easy. Simply do less. How can you afford to do less? Outsource more. But what should you outsource? Here are 11 of the most time-wasting tasks you should outsource right away.

Image via Entrepreneur