Catherine Iste

Catherine Iste loves to solve people-related work problems. She provides free, succinct HR advice to help leaders of small and micro organizations at betterHR.org. Catherine is also CEO of Humint Advisors, an operations consultancy that creates sustainable HR and technology systems. Connect with her via email at Catherine@betterHR.org or LinkedIn.

Articles by Catherine Iste

• Should your office manager be exempt?

  Determining whether a position meets the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for overtime exemption is fairly…

  Wednesday, June 21, 2017

• The path from manager to leader

  Whether it is because of a promotion, a new job or a comment on a performance review, becoming a good…

  Monday, June 19, 2017

• How to remain authentic when terminating an employee

  Well-intentioned legal advice, fears of lawsuits and simply the awfulness of the conversation can leave…

  Monday, June 12, 2017

• Create a 2-item to-do list to ease your stress

  A two-item to-do list will decrease stress while increasing productivity. But going from a massive to-do…

  Friday, June 09, 2017

• 3 ways to rethink your cellphone use

  ​Early business cellphones were amazing productivity tools. We did not have to wait to plug in to the…

  Tuesday, June 06, 2017

• Take a break from asking why

  ​A well-worn Post-it displaying "WHY" with a circle around it and line through it was hanging from…

  Wednesday, May 31, 2017

• How to return from vacation successfully

  ​​Preparing to leave for vacation is only half the process in ensuring we take a successful vacation.…

  Friday, May 26, 2017

• How to take a vacation successfully

  ​Feeling rushed and stressed is no way to start a vacation. Similarly, feeling exhausted and full of…

  Tuesday, May 23, 2017

• Stop doing that: How to take job duties away from an employee

  Which is more difficult: taking work away from an employee or giving her additional work? For any manager…

  Tuesday, May 16, 2017

• How and why to embrace vulnerability

  Why would you want to be vulnerable at work? As a woman, it is certainly not an approach I would have…

  Thursday, May 11, 2017

• Why can’t we wear shorts to work?

  How are strappy heels OK but sandals are not? Unless employers require uniforms, dress codes will always…

  Tuesday, May 09, 2017

• How to handle jerks at work

  ​Yelling, swearing, tantrums. It is amazing and surprising sometimes the types of behavior adults exhibit…

  Tuesday, May 02, 2017

• (Not) looking for a job at work

  As leaders, we try not to spend too much time thinking about how much time our employees are looking…

  Tuesday, April 25, 2017

• Leader or manager? 3 ways to tell

  Are you a leader who spends a lot of time managing people, projects and goals? Or are you the one who…

  Monday, April 24, 2017

• 4 signs you need a little refresh

  Daily routines can be a welcome thing — even downright comforting sometimes when everything else is…

  Thursday, April 20, 2017

• When you should fake it

  Driving, swimming and being pregnant are good examples of when "fake it until you make it" is clearly…

  Tuesday, April 18, 2017

• 3 ways to approach an awkward conversation

  Maybe the receptionist wears too much perfume. Or one of the accountants is always microwaving fish and…

  Tuesday, April 11, 2017

• It’s time to spring clean your brain

  ​The promise of sunnier weather is a nice excuse to engage in a little deep cleaning. While it can…

  Monday, April 03, 2017

• 3 basic interview tricks everyone forgets

  ​The internet provides thousands of tips and tricks for nailing job interviews. However, sometimes…

  Thursday, March 30, 2017

• 3 ways to tell whether to push through or cut your losses

  ​We set milestones, develop metrics and create plans to monitor our success. We know exactly what it…

  Monday, March 27, 2017

• 2 fundamental reasons performance reviews fail

  Performance reviews are awful. They are so difficult to get right, yet companies continue to cling to…

  Tuesday, March 21, 2017

• How to work less and accomplish more

  Perhaps with just one more day in the week, we could get all our work done. Or maybe even with just a…

  Monday, March 13, 2017

• How to increase ideas and reduce complaints right now

  As leaders, we have the luxury of making and implementing decisions rather quickly. Instead of having…

  Friday, March 10, 2017

• Is gender bias really that big of a problem?

  How can we live in one of the most advanced societies in history and still be fighting biases in the…

  Wednesday, March 08, 2017

• 3 questions to start asking today

  If Tony Robbins and Tim Ferriss both gave you the same advice, would you consider taking it? Both men…

  Tuesday, March 07, 2017

• How to avoid hiring those difficult-to-fire employees

  ​Though terminations can be challenging, it is so much easier to fire a consistently poor performer…

  Monday, February 27, 2017

• 4 ways to get sick employees to stay home

  How much work can you get done when your co-worker is coughing, sniffling and sneezing right next to…

  Monday, February 20, 2017

• 3 traits any HR professional should possess

  Whether you are an HR professional or are hiring one, here are three traits the most successful HR pros…

  Wednesday, February 15, 2017

• Lessons from The Matrix: 4 steps to prescient communication

  In the 1999 hit sci-fi movie "The Matrix," Neo is told he will save the world from its horrible fate.…

  Monday, February 13, 2017

• The overachiever’s guide to overcoming failure

  Who gets everything right on the first try? If we are honest about it, many of our successes are built…

  Tuesday, February 07, 2017

• 5 leadership mistakes to stop making now

  By reading this article, you have already avoided the first mistake: thinking you are done learning how…

  Tuesday, January 31, 2017

• Make more money because you deserve it

  One of the most common complaints I heard from employees while working in HR was regarding compensation.…

  Tuesday, January 24, 2017

• Make more money without a raise

  One of the most common complaints I heard from employees while working in HR was regarding compensation.…

  Tuesday, January 17, 2017

• 3 ways understanding SAD makes you a better leader

  Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and the "winter blues" could affect 10 to 15 percent of your staff.…

  Tuesday, January 10, 2017

• Ditch the resolutions and accomplish more

  ​Good for you if you have not wasted your time writing a New Year's resolution. Those of you who wrote…

  Tuesday, January 03, 2017

• The delicate balance of HR: Inside

  Being an HR professional is often a thanklessly rewarding job. We work with employees through the best…

  Tuesday, December 13, 2016

• The delicate balance of HR: Employees

  ​From an employee perspective, HR can be anything from the team who coordinates the holiday party to…

  Tuesday, December 06, 2016

• The delicate balance of HR: Leadership

  It is easy to hate human resources professionals. In small or startup organizations, they are constantly…

  Tuesday, November 29, 2016

• Reclaim your time from the co‑workers who waste it

  What is more frustrating than staying late in the office to get something done only to have your co-worker…

  Monday, November 21, 2016

• Getting a new job at your current company

  Employment investigations and terminations are the bulk of what I do. Often, the investigations highlight…

  Tuesday, November 15, 2016

• 3 simple steps to reduce stress this holiday season

  It's here. The most wonderful, weight-gaining, money-spending, schedule-packed time of the year is upon…

  Tuesday, November 08, 2016

• Minimalism at work: Break out the red pen

  ​As soon as we decide to do less, it becomes more clear how much we have yet to do. ​As we touched…

  Monday, October 31, 2016

• Minimalism at work: Less is more

  Work-life balance does not exist. Work is part of our lives; it is not something we put our life on hold…

  Monday, October 24, 2016

• Tell that employee to stop whining — It’s OK

  When is it OK to tell your employees to stop whining? More often than you think. While "stop whining"…

  Tuesday, October 18, 2016

• Workplace investigations: Following through

  Handling an employee complaint and the subsequent investigation can be tricky, as we discussed in the…

  Tuesday, October 11, 2016

• Workplace investigations: The devilish details

  Receiving an employee complaint and embarking on an investigation can be a tough but necessary decision.…

  Monday, October 03, 2016

• Workplace investigations: Why you should care

  "Workplace investigations are human resources problems. They're something only bigger companies have…

  Monday, September 26, 2016

• Overtime overboard: The numbers game

  The new overtime rules will affect an estimated 4 million workers, according to the U. S. Department…

  Tuesday, September 20, 2016

• Overtime overboard: The honeymoon phase

  Misclassification of employees is a common occurrence in small businesses. It is usually a mutually agreeable…

  Tuesday, September 13, 2016

• 5 ways to diffuse political arguments at work

  We're exactly two months from Election Day, and the closer we get to Nov. 8, the more prevalent election…

  Thursday, September 08, 2016

• A different kind of mentor

  When we think of mentors, the image is one of a more senior person sharing his/her vast knowledge with…

  Tuesday, August 30, 2016

• Adding mindfulness to your daily routine

  By finding a balance between autopilot and intention, we can increase our sense of accomplishment and…

  Tuesday, August 23, 2016

• Moms: A great recruiting resource for small businesses

  An often overlooked but potentially fantastic source for new hires is moms returning to work. Large companies…

  Wednesday, August 10, 2016

• 5 signs you care too much about work

  Even those of us who do not like our jobs can care about them too much. In fact, sometimes we are the…

  Tuesday, August 02, 2016

• Pros and cons of retention pay: Employer and employee perspectives

  Retention pay is a common tool in a total rewards toolkit. However, as discussed in the previous article…

  Tuesday, July 26, 2016

• Pros and cons of retention pay: The basics

  ​The story of Kelly Rieves, a former employee of Buc-ee's being sued by the company for pay they say…

  Tuesday, July 19, 2016

• The reality of work relationships: To ban or not to ban

  There are 168 hours in a week. Assuming a modest seven hours of sleep per night, removing those 49 hours…

  Wednesday, July 13, 2016

• The reality of work relationships: Dangerous clichés

  Common sense does not usually prevail in matters of the heart. Fortunately, however, the biggest problems…

  Wednesday, July 06, 2016

• The reality of work relationships: Co-workers in love

  There are 168 hours in a week. Assuming a modest seven hours of sleep per night, removing those 49 hours…

  Thursday, June 30, 2016

• 5 ways to deal with a bad boss

  What do you do when the person responsible for directing the activities of the majority of your waking…

  Tuesday, June 21, 2016

• Creative ways to take time off work

  Summer is here. Bodies of water, sunny spots and parks are all beckoning us to visit. But few of us have…

  Monday, June 13, 2016

• 3 leadership myths no one wants to discuss

  Instead of looking at a checklist of things you need to become a better leader or manager, this article…

  Tuesday, June 07, 2016

• Employee rights: What to do when you face a challenge at work

  Having an issue with a co-worker can be a time-consuming, energy-draining, unproductive challenge. Whether…

  Thursday, June 02, 2016

• Guns at work: Are employers keeping their workers safe?

  ​Are employers doing enough to protect their employees from active shooters? And if not, does an absence…

  Wednesday, May 18, 2016

• You should pay your summer interns

  Interns are usually employees. The issue can seem confusing, but that is only because so many employers…

  Wednesday, May 11, 2016

• 3 simple steps to destress your commute

  Even with all of the telecommuting, online meeting services and flexible schedules available to us, commuting…

  Thursday, May 05, 2016

• Do you really deserve a pay raise?

  Too many of us feel like we are underpaid. Maybe our salary is right for our position, but we are working…

  Wednesday, April 27, 2016

• Guns at work: Do you know the laws and policies?

  ​True or false: Only law enforcement and some security guards are allowed to bring weapons to work.…

  Friday, April 22, 2016

• Millennials are not always the problem

  It is always the younger generation's fault. But if you think about it, that means at one point it was…

  Wednesday, April 13, 2016

• Approaching FMLA openly is best for everyone

  Jodi Lasher, a nurse, was terminated after she failed to notify anyone that she needed to take measures…

  Tuesday, April 05, 2016

• The communication challenges of FMLA

  Jodi Lasher, a nurse, was terminated after she failed to notify anyone that she needed to take measures…

  Tuesday, March 29, 2016

• Does it matter if you sleep at work?

  Jodi Lasher, a nurse, was terminated after she failed to notify anyone that she needed to take measures…

  Tuesday, March 22, 2016

• Volunteer, intern or worker — Which are you?

  Organizational development experts, business coaches, great bosses, mentors and solid human resources…

  Wednesday, March 16, 2016

• Don’t have unions? You should still be worried about the NLRB

  ​If you are in a nonunion work environment, it is possible you have no idea who the National Labor…

  Wednesday, March 09, 2016

• Why managers do stupid things

  It is really unfortunate when you have to discipline a good manager for bad decisions based on good intentions.…

  Tuesday, March 08, 2016

• When to bring a coach into your organization

  ​Coaching can be a valuable tool. Like with any tool, though, it helps to know what you can use it…

  Tuesday, March 01, 2016

• The reality of raises

  A colleague's younger sister graduated from college and got a great job in a fantastic city. She was…

  Friday, February 19, 2016

• Department of 1: Tearing down silos

  Welcome to Part 3 in our series on best practices for leading multiple functions. With the majority of…

  Thursday, February 18, 2016

• Department of 1: The good, the bad and the ugly

  More than 95 percent of businesses have fewer than 100 employees. Within those companies, it is inevitable…

  Tuesday, February 09, 2016

• Department of 1: Vigilante or superhero?

  How do you stay organized, current and compliant while handling administrative, tactical and strategic…

  Tuesday, February 02, 2016

• You’re right — Why doesn’t anybody listen?

  ​Nothing would drive me crazier than being right, telling people about it and having no one listen.…

  Monday, January 25, 2016

• Take the time to assess your Web presence

  What does 2016 look like for you? Are you up for change or are you looking forward to something more…

  Friday, January 15, 2016

• Your goal for 2016? Set fewer goals

  The season of excesses is behind us — 2016 is here. With the same spirit you are shunning huge dinners…

  Tuesday, January 05, 2016

• Lessons in termination: Being proactive

  ​Welcome to the time of year when it becomes ever so clear who you wished no longer worked here. In…

  Monday, December 14, 2015

• The naughty and nice of holiday parties

  The idea behind the holiday party is a positive one: celebrate. It is the end of the year, a whole number…

  Wednesday, December 09, 2015

• Lessons in termination: Don’t wait, terminate

  Welcome to the time of year when it becomes ever so clear who you wished no longer worked here. In Part…

  Friday, December 04, 2015

• Lessons in termination: Too small to fail

  Welcome to the time of year when it becomes ever so clear who you wished no longer worked here. But before…

  Tuesday, November 24, 2015

• 3 signs your small business is no longer ... small

  Across industries — from design firms to doctor's offices, accounting teams to nonprofits — there…

  Monday, November 16, 2015

• The other kind of mentor: Starting your own program

  Mentor programs have become increasingly common across industries and in many organizations of various…

  Monday, November 09, 2015

• I hate football: Handling an employee who doesn’t fit in

  There are those who are sent to HR and those who voluntarily show up. Of that latter group, I have seen…

  Monday, November 02, 2015

• Your relationship with work: The honeymoon phase

  Continuing our series on our relationships with work, this week we will look at consulting. How does…

  Thursday, October 08, 2015

• Your relationship with work: Reinventing yourself

  For many people, their relationship with their job is like a marriage. They make a thoughtful decision…

  Wednesday, September 30, 2015

• Your relationship with work: It’s not you, it’s me

  Continuing with our series on the relationship we have with our jobs, this week we will take a look at…

  Friday, September 25, 2015

• Your relationship with work: Time to start dating

  Whether it is the turn in the economy or the incessant demands of the millennials, the tide has turned…

  Thursday, September 17, 2015

• Back to school or back to work? An ideal workplace combines both

  'Tis the season for the younger set to end their summer jobs, hang up their bathing suits and return…

  Thursday, August 20, 2015

• How ethical is your HR department?

  Human resources serves as the liaison between management and staff. It helps with critical administrative…

  Tuesday, August 04, 2015

• Content learners vs. test preppers: Which type is best?

  ​It seems there are two types of people when it comes to professional certifications: those who work…

  Thursday, July 30, 2015

• Giving negative information: What we can learn from healthcare

  ​In the course of our work either as managers, HR professionals or consultants, the day comes when…

  Wednesday, July 22, 2015

• Why can’t we all just get along?

  We are adults. We are professionals, and we spend most of our waking hours at work. Why is it so hard…

  Thursday, July 16, 2015

• What makes a good workplace investigator?

  Michael Julian, CPI, PPS, CSP, grew up in the investigations business. His father, Ron Julian was a former…

  Wednesday, July 08, 2015

• How to tell your employees they are nonexempt

  Despite the very clear regulations specifying what employees should be exempt or nonexempt for wages,…

  Thursday, June 18, 2015

• Rethinking the rules of resume screening

  Anyone who has had the pleasure of screening resumes has a set of rules that allows them to look for…

  Thursday, June 11, 2015

• Problems at work? Maybe it’s you

  My coaching colleagues and I were talking the other day about the challenges we have when we suspect…

  Thursday, June 04, 2015

• Work-life balance in healthcare: Addressing the system

  Why is achieving work-life balance as a healthcare professional so difficult? As noted in the first part…

  Thursday, May 28, 2015

• Work-life balance in healthcare: Realign your priorities

  As a healthcare professional, your work requires you to be there for others, but how can you do that…

  Thursday, May 21, 2015

• Work-life balance in healthcare: The fundamentals

  People in careers that revolve around helping others are often the worst at maintaining a healthy work-life…

  Thursday, May 14, 2015

• Using outside investigators: 4 ways to ensure success

  Using an outside investigator can be a great option when you are dealing with an internal investigation…

  Thursday, May 07, 2015

• Overcoming bias: 3 things to consider when interviewing

  Organizations often say they are committed to a diverse workforce or transparent hiring. But organizations…

  Thursday, April 30, 2015

• 5 steps to prep for that tough job interview

  You made it past the thousands of others jockeying to get an interview for your dream job, and the big…

  Thursday, April 09, 2015

• Inside HR: Making the job offer

  A client of mine is posting for a director-level position at a real estate development and property management…

  Thursday, March 26, 2015

• Inside HR: Scheduling and executing interviews

  A client of mine is posting for a director-level position at a real estate development and property management…

  Thursday, March 19, 2015

• Treating office politics like traffic stops

  You may have pursued your career in law enforcement to avoid the boredom and confines of an office environment.…

  Thursday, March 05, 2015

• Inside HR: How the screening process works

  A client of mine is posting for a director-level position at a real estate development and property management…

  Wednesday, March 04, 2015

• Finding a job in healthcare: Terminations

  ​Once a year, I have the pleasure of being a guest lecturer for an ethics and social leadership class…

  Tuesday, February 17, 2015

• Finding a job in healthcare: Performance reviews

  Once a year, I have the pleasure of being a guest lecturer for an ethics and social leadership class…

  Wednesday, February 11, 2015

• Finding a job in healthcare: Bureaucracy

  ​Once a year, I have the pleasure of being a guest lecturer for an ethics and social leadership class…

  Tuesday, February 03, 2015

• Finding a job in healthcare: Negotiations

  Once a year, I have the pleasure of being a guest lecturer for an ethics and social leadership class…

  Wednesday, January 28, 2015

• Before you hang up your uniform ...

  Certain skills you pick up wearing a uniform can put you ahead in the civilian world. So before you box…

  Friday, November 07, 2014

• The care and feeding of an executive

  Executives have a different approach to work than individual contributors or even directors. Some people…

  Wednesday, October 29, 2014

• Rethink your resume: Accounting for gaps and job changes

  How many times have you applied for a job that perfectly matched the skills and experience on your resume,…

  Wednesday, October 22, 2014

• Strong women and handling criticism

  Women in traditionally male roles — military veterans, law enforcement, firefighting — have all faced…

  Thursday, October 16, 2014

• Show and tell: The impact of stories on organization success

  About 100 human resources and organizational development professionals listened to Chris Van Gorder,…

  Thursday, October 02, 2014

• 4 ways to ensure successful board presentations

  ​As a consultant and board member, I have experienced board presentations from both sides of the table.…

  Tuesday, September 23, 2014

• What if your transition from the military did not go as planned?

  A fellow veteran, Andy, was a high-ranking NCO, who had racked up lots of training and credentials while…

  Monday, September 08, 2014

• Embracing change in business

  Regardless of industry or title, the one thing we all have to understand is the nature of change. In…

  Thursday, September 04, 2014

• Should you pay your employees for overtime?

  Managers, executives and owners often want to work around the overtime laws so they classify employees…

  Monday, August 25, 2014

• Top 4 myths of landing a civilian job

  Previously, we discussed some of the keys to landing a civilian job with some great insight provided…

  Friday, August 22, 2014

• Smart referrals: Basic tenets of a good referral

  As service providers, we often see other areas of the business than the one we are supporting. Providing…

  Tuesday, August 12, 2014

• Reading is fundamental for seeing your work differently

  Combine lots of paperwork with office politics, then add working with the public when they are not necessarily…

  Thursday, July 31, 2014

• Frustrated at work? Try a different approach

  ​A common theme in the round-table meetings and one-on-ones I host for my clients is frustration. Frustration…

  Thursday, July 24, 2014

• Wordle it — just a little bit

  ​Word clouds are a visually appealing way to distill key concepts from larger amounts of data. There…

  Tuesday, July 22, 2014

• This is the last job you’ll ever have — now what?

  What if the job you are in now is the one you plan to keep until you retire? How do you keep it fresh…

  Tuesday, July 15, 2014

• Why you have to use social media

  As a teenager, I frequently used the "but everyone else is doing it" argument to try to secure permission…

  Thursday, July 10, 2014

• 4 quick tips to make presenting simple

  Are you ready for your TED talk? In the expert hands of John Bates of Executive Speaking Success, you…

  Thursday, June 26, 2014

• 3 steps to better office communication now

  I love technology. I even married a software DevOps guy. So I was thrilled when I walked into a new client's…

  Wednesday, June 18, 2014

• Take a day off — a real day off

  When is the last time you took a day off? A real day off? A no-checking-email, do-what-you-want, Ferris…

  Wednesday, June 11, 2014

• Niceness is no excuse to avoid termination

  ​Managers often wait too long to terminate an employee either because the employee is too nice or the…

  Thursday, June 05, 2014

• Managing up: How to keep your boss happy

  One of the most important skills to develop is the art of keeping your boss happy. It does not matter…

  Wednesday, May 21, 2014

• Where are the women?

  ​We make up half the population but only 18.5 percent of Congress and only 14 percent of leadership…

  Wednesday, May 14, 2014

• Formalizing your veteran hiring program

  With the ever-increasing number of veterans in the workforce, formalized veteran hiring and retention…

  Monday, May 05, 2014

• Help wanted: 3 ways to minimize new-hire risk

  Great news: Companies are hiring again. In fact, today's Labor Department numbers ​show unemployment…

  Friday, May 02, 2014

• 4 easy ways to have a better day at work

  How do you change your attitude when you are in the midst of a bad day? Here are four simple things I…

  Monday, April 28, 2014

• Can interview techniques squash boring business meetings?

  ​Meetings and interviews can be some of the worst job experiences. We can have too many or not enough.…

  Tuesday, April 15, 2014

• 4 tips for transitioning to a civilian post

  Whether you work in defense, military, police or fire, your job description includes duties rarely found…

  Thursday, April 10, 2014