A man jumps into a public swimming pool on Monday in Duesseldorf, Germany, as an airplane prepares to land. (Frank Augstein / AP Photo)Frank Augstein/The Associated Press
Throw young staff into the deep end
Internet entrepreneur Michael Fertik suggests you should throw young employees in their twenties into the deep end on their first day of work, giving them some decision-making authority on at least one mission immediately. Give them short-term projects, since young employees often have short attention spans. Harvard Business Review blog
Maximize your site with quizzes
People remember much more after reading if they retrieve information about the text from their memory. One study found that 145-per-cent more information is retained after taking a test, so Web usability authority Jakob Nielsen recommends adding interactive quizzes to your website. Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox
Appreciate staff with scrapbooks
Halifax-based human resources consultant Gerald Walsh says if an employee is celebrating an important anniversary with the company - such as 20 years since joining - ask the other employees to write something special about the individual and turn those appreciative comments into a scrapbook that can be presented to the person. Another option for recognition: the Montreal-based service Flatter Me, which will call someone in your workplace and offer praise on your behalf. Gerald Walsh's e-newsletter
An online fix to unstick your printer
Printer stuck in no-go mode? Tech columnist Rick Broida recommends downloading Stalled Printer Repair from Fantastic Freeware, which can purge stuck print jobs from the queue on your PC and printer. PCWorld.com
Harvey Schachter