Cissy Pau, workplace expert and Principal Consultant for Vancouver-based Clear HR Consulting, was interviewed this morning in studio for CBC Radio One’s Early Edition regarding the high level of employee anxiety in British Columbia. She provided human resources expertise on dealing with employee anxiety and effectively maintaining employee productivity.

Clear HR Consulting’s top 5 tips to reduce employee anxiety and maintain employee productivity are:

1. Communicate updates and information to employees on a regular, timely basis - you cannot communicate enough about anything.
2. Maintain strong leadership and a strong vision for the future.
3. Ask for employee input on how to improve work environment.
4. Use down times as an opportunity for employee skills development and cross-training.
5. Show appreciation to staff and have fun.

As well, Cissy was asked about ways to effectively manage a company restructuring. Some of Clear HR Consulting’s tips include:

1. Develop a communication strategy which ensures employees are kept informed.
2. Use employee layoffs as a last resort - look for other alternatives first.
3. Hold one-on-one, in-person meetings with all affected employees.

CBC Radio BC contacted Clear HR Consulting to discuss a UBC study, summarized in a Vancouver Sun article, which found that Canadians with English names are more often called back for job interviews than job seekers with Asian names. Cissy Pau, Clear HR Consulting’s Principal Consultant, was interviewed for CBC Radio’s “On the Coast” program to discuss her thoughts on the study’s results.

The main topics covered:

• Questions about survey methodology
  • Were the resumes sent to the same person at the same time? If not, then sending resumes at different times will skew the results as hiring needs may have changed.
  • What were the size of employers the resumes were sent to?  The larger the employer, often the more sophisticated the hiring practices.  The smaller the employer, the more likely they are to not have a systemized hiring process and instead select by gut feel.

• Should someone change their name to sound less “foreign” to improve their chances of landing a job?
  • Cissy does not believe that anyone should change their name, unless they choose to do so proudly.

Clear HR Consulting is a Vancouver-based human resources consulting firm that provides HR services to small- and medium-sized businesses.

The latest episode of CBC Radio One’s popular show “Definitely Not the Opera” focused on leadership, with a discourse on office politics, including the “office fox”.  Cissy Pau, Principal Consultant for Clear HR Consulting, was interviewed for a segment on the role of the “office fox”, the well-connected power broker who is in the know, sought after by all for their advice and their willingness to share what needs to improve in the workplace.

Cissy explained how the ” office fox” is usually not the boss, but rather a person whose influence is drawn from their ability to have the ear of both employees and management.  When entering a new workplace, it is important to figure out who the fox is, and get on their good side.

To listen to this episode of CBC Radio One’s “Definitely Not the Opera” and hear Cissy Pau’s take on the “office fox”, then be sure to listen the podcast of the show; the segment can be found around 19 minutes into the episode.