Since the 1998 McKinsey study, "The War for Talent,"found that star performers are 50 to 100 percentmore productive than average performers, employers logically want to hire more star performers who not only out perform their average peers, but also fit in and stay longer at the job.

But all too frequently, every element of the recruiting process -- advertising, job descriptions, interview questions, reference checks -- focuses on the hard skills part of the job opening, and disregards the critical importance of soft skills. As a result, employers have inadvertently lowered productivity and increased turnover. We hire for the possession of hard...(Read More)

As a boss, it can be tempting to treat employees like friends — to share office gossip and express your hopes and fears about the business. After all, you liked your employees enough to hire them. But too much friendliness can put employers in some sticky situations.

When the line between friend and boss is blurred, it can be difficult to give critiques, stay objective and make tough decisions. Which “friend” do you pick for a promotion, for instance? And when it comes to layoffs, how... (Read More)