Archive for category: Blog

Increase Profits Through Appreciation

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Did you know that Employee Appreciation Day was March 4th? Were you ready? Did you do someone nice for an employee? Buy lunch or hand out gifts cards?

Considering how hard we work, is it really enough to appreciate your employees only once or twice a year?  A regular thank you could generate a greater return, costing only time and words.

Expecting quality work, without an occasional thank you, is one of the biggest mistakes business owners can make when managing their employees; especially when it comes to retaining top performers. Three ways a simple thank you can affect profits:

  1. Cut the cost of turnover.  They can exceed one to two times the position’s annual salary.  Your office manager that makes $40,000 per year could cut $80,000 from your bottom line when you consider hiring a replacement, training and lost productivity, to name a few.  The occasional thank you may save the hassle and expense.
  2. General productivity may increase.  More people will want to work for you. Want to expand? There is high quality talent working for your competitor. What better way to lure them away than by having a reputation for being an appreciative employer?
  3. Individual productivity may increase.  Your top performers may not consider the grass is greener so much, if they always feel appreciated.

An annual Employee Appreciation Day is a great reminder to thank those who contribute some much to the success of your business.  But one day won’t consistently increase productivity or cut your turnover costs.  Develop and promote an appreciative culture, so your company and profits are always moving forward.

Click the link to view our recent blog: HR Admin for a Franchise or check back for more on human resources, payroll, insurance and benefits.

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HR Admin for a Franchise

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Since we are a premium supplied to the IFA and are in Vegas for this year’s convention, we decided to tailor these week’s blog on HR for franchising. Once a small business franchise has filled all of the positions that are considered “standard” within day-to-day operations, it is likely the business has moved from grow to run. If HR due diligence was done during the ‘buy’ phase, and an HR management foundation was established during the ‘grow’ phase, the next step is to determine who will be responsible for HR administration on an ongoing basis.

This is a good time to identify:

  • Resources you have available to stay on top of labor law changes and best practice trends.
  • Which role your franchisor has identified as the best HR point of contact.
  • Which employees or should demonstrate a commitment, competence and passion for HR and employee management (labor law compliance and best practices)
    • Who is best qualified to update, maintain and amend your documented employee management manuals, handbooks and policies?
    • What HR duties will be placed on supervisors?
    • Are there included HR administration services offered by your payroll provider?
      • If so, who is the best qualified person/role to effectively utilize those services?

The key to keeping your HR house in order is to establish accountability and consistency. Where does that begin? With having the following in place before moving into the ‘run’ phase:

  • Employee Handbook
  • Job Descriptions
  • Compliance Plan
  • Employee Operations Manual – that includes hiring, new hire and performance management forms and processes.

If your franchise has these basics in place, you are off to a GREAT start in delegating daily employee management duties to an internal HR administrator.  This could be your office manager who handles HR, an operations manager, your supervisory staff or a combination thereof.  You have this option because you have a DOCUMENTED, consistent starting point – use them to your advantage.

Many franchise owners choose to delegate primary HR responsibilities to the person who reports payroll or processes payroll. Why? Questions about pay, how deductions should be handled, whether overtime should be paid and final paychecks are all triggers for the questions that plague HR administrators.  They often reveal red flags prior to a misstep, so a course of action that complies with labor laws can be drawn out.

Whoever you choose and whatever structure you put in place, make sure whoever handles HR knows how to minimize the risk of employment law fines and when to suggest best practice changes that can positively affect the business. The more you minimize the risk of fines, penalties, complaints, low morale and turnover, the better your P&L will look.

Click the link to view our recent blog: 1099 Made Simple, Less Risk or check back for more on human resources, payroll, insurance and benefits.

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1099 Made Simple, Less Risk

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It is almost TOO easy to make this mistake.  And sadly it is one that small business owners and untrained managers make too often, without realizing the liability that a back payroll tax audit. It only takes one government agency, such as a state unemployment agency to tell you “sorry, there are actually an employee and you owe us back unemployment taxes”. Ouch. The next phone call might be to the IRS to hit your business with back Social Security taxes. Double ouch.

Rather than fearing the worst case scenario, and hoping that your desire to keep payroll costs down ends up costing you even ore in the longer, let’s agree to minimize risk. 1099 is just simple way to say VENDOR.  Not an employee. Not a staff member. They are an independent business entity, whether it is one individual or a small LLC with a team of professionals to access.  Just like your business can sustain a profit or loss, so can the 1099 or independent contractor.

If you have identified a need to “contract” with a person or entity that will be 1009′d at year end, forget that “20 Point” test let’s embrace some simple steps to follow:

  • Is the need you have identified by all the primary service your company offers? If the core service of your business is computer repair, then you generally would not categorize your technicians as 1099.  If your company provides after hours answering services, then those who answer for the phone for customers should be 1099. To qualify as 1099 without back payroll tax or other liability your business should not rely on a contractor as a major portion of your businesses success.
  • If you have cleared step 1, step two is to find the vendor.  Be referred, do a Google search, put an RFP out. Yes, an RFP. You are looking for a vendor to propose to your business how what they do will satisfy your need and what their terms are.  This is very different from hiring an employee who will be paid through your payroll. If you vet them and want to move forward then follow the step listed below.
  • Enter into a service agreement. Or call it a contract. Initially, the service agreement terms will be proposed by the vendor (1099), and you can decide to sign and accept or negotiate out a few items.  BUT some key points with that service agreement:  Be sure it clearly states the individual or company is a contractor never an employee; highlight the contractor’s autonomy and level of authority in complete a project or rendering services; list circumstances that would cause termination of the agreement; be sure the contractor commits to keeping their licenses and insurances current through the course of the agreement; no exclusivity!  A contractor should be free to work with other “clients”.
  • Require the chosen contractor to prove their existence as a business entity!  Ask for a copy of a current business license and any proof of insurance you deem necessary to feel comfortable.  Typically that would be proof of E&O coverage for certain consultants and proof of workers’ compensation insurance or other similar business insurances you need to be aware to be comfortable outsourcing work to them.
  • If paying the vendor (1099) more than $600 per year, ask them to provide a signed W9.  This will contain their Federal Tax ID number so you can properly process that 1099 at year end, so income earned by that business entity (1099) is correctly reported to the IRS.

Once you begin working with this vendor, some do’s and don’ts:

  • Do NOT set their hours. You tell them what needs to be done and they do it according to their own proposed terms, their schedule and their own staffing decisions.
  • Do NOT evaluate the vendor or providers performance like you would an employee.  If they violate the terms of the agreement or contractor, end it in accordance with the terms you agreed to.
  • DO allow them to use their own tools, their own equipment. They are a professional business entity with their own supplies.
  • Do NOT pay for their benefits or attempt to put them on any of your group benefit plans.
  • Do NOT require them to be at your workplace or attempt to integrate them into your primary operations.
  • DO require a copy of a business license and proof of insurances.
  • If happy with services rendered DO keep renewing an agreement.  Perhaps every couple of years.  An ongoing relationship with a 1099 should never be written or implied.
  • DO treat a 1099 as business owner and NOT an employee.

Why do all this?  Because the last thing you or your business wants or needs is the state unemployment office or worse, the IRS auditing you for failure to pay payroll taxes.  AND you don’t want a “contractor” injured while working for your company trying to collect workers’ compensation benefits under your policy.

Be inspired to minimize risk! It will protect your P&L and maybe even help you sleep better at night.

Click the link to view our recent blog: The Value of Performance Reviews or check back for more on human resources, payroll, insurance and benefits.

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Ready to Hire HR Support? Traits to Consider Before Making a Choice

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The definition of an effective human resource employee or representative has evolved over many years. HR management functions, once just an extension of payroll, had been viewed as having little value. As business owners took a hard look at cost of employment law liability and turnover, HR transformed from “non-essential” to a valuable strategic tool that directly contributes to business growth and success.

On average, a small business is not in need of a full time HR associate until around 100 employees. But even organizations with as few as five employees needs HR services; particularly for recruitment and labor law compliance. Whether you are ready to hire full-time, delegate HR duties to an administrator or have realized the value of outsourcing, it helps to consider the characteristics discussed below when evaluating your choices.

It is the job of an HR department or function to create and maintain an environment of peak performance and maximum motivation. Any business owner that is ready to implement full or part-time HR support that adds value to the company, should ask two important questions:

  • “Does this person have the ability to uphold the understood standards of our profession or industry?”
  • “Is this person an asset or liability to our culture?”

Since the company’s most important goals, philosophies and policies are authored and implemented by the HR department, it is only reasonable to expect that HR staff members can effectively execute them and lead by example. The most basic of traits to look for when hiring in HR include but aren’t limited to:

Ethics and Professional Conduct

Successful business operations are built upon the principles of professional, fair and ethical conduct of employees. A professional image requires you to treat others as you would like to be treated, use appropriate language, be sensitive to cultural diversity, appreciate everyone’s contribution to the success of the business, respect others’ opinions and maintain a positive attitude. HR associates at any level should pride themselves in being an enthusiastic and personable team player.

Credibility

An effective HR representative must be respected in order to be taken seriously. Those who seek assistance or guidance from HR must always feel as though the person they are dealing with has the experience and knowledge to “relate”. Employees are the HR department’s customers and should always feel they are being treated professionally and with dignity.

Discretion

HR departments must be comprised of people who can always preserve confidentiality and be trusted to always exercise sound judgment as to when and how private or sensitive information is divulged. Particularly with the passing of recent HIPAA laws and regulations, companies can face serious legal consequences and costs if protected information is improperly released.

Human resource management can be a valuable tool company wide, when representatives use their skills to bridge gaps that exist between employees and supervisors. In summary, a good HR hire is someone who is trusted at all levels, regarded as an employee advocate and is viewed by executive management as a strategic resource able to generate a return on investment of the company’s most expensive asset: its employees.

Click the link to view our recent blog: The Value of Performance Reviews or check back for more on human resources, payroll, insurance and benefits.

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The Value of Performance Reviews

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A Low Cost Way To Motivate

Have you committed to completing annual reviews, but failed to follow through? This could be a big mistake, particularly if you wish to retain above average performers. Failure to officially review the performance of your employees sends a message that you don’t care about their contributions.

Costing you and your employees only a brief amount of time, performance appraisals can be an effective tool to motivate your valuable employees and weed out those who are underperforming.  For below average employees, negative feedback on an annual review should not come as a surprise.  A good performance management system is an ongoing process with regular communication that includes goal setting, coaching and receiving feedback.

Not sure where to start?

  • Create or review the job description so you know what to measure.
  • Have the employee complete a self assessment to uncover how they view their work.
  • Define performance objectives – what the employee should be accomplishing.
  • Define performance factors – how the employee accomplishes their tasks.

Benefits of conducting an annual performance appraisal include: increasing the employee’s level of engagement with the company and their position; providing a sense of job security; improving the employee’s view of the relationship with their manager; contributes to an employee’s sense of accomplishment.

Build an appreciative culture! Annual performance appraisals are a low cost method of motivating your workforce.

Click the link to view our recent blog: Managing 101 or check back for more on human resources, payroll, insurance and benefits.

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Managing 101

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Recent surveys indicate that 70% of employees say the worst thing about their job is their boss. That means 70% of employees are far less productive than they could be, which directly affects a company’s P&L.

How are you filling open management positions? Do your job descriptions define what you are looking for? The section marked “Knowledge, Skills and Abilities” should include “proven ability to lead and motivate others” and “skilled at change management, while fostering a positive work culture”.

What should you expect from a “good manager”? They should, at a minimum, be viewed as a reasonable person, who can be trusted to: 1) limit liability (do they understand employment law basics?), 2) handle issues fairly and consistently, 3) counsel poor performers privately, 4) offer praise publicly and 5) lead by example. Ultimately, how effective a manager is depends on their commitment, training and how well they are managed. It all rolls down from top leadership.

  1. Are your managers making these common workforce management mistakes?
  2. Hiring without a job description
  3. Asking inappropriate, potentially discriminatory interview questions
  4. Hiring the “wrong” employees, resulting in high turnover costs
  5. Allowing new employees to “sink”
  6. Failing to pay overtime to those who are eligible (non-exempt)
  7. Taking unauthorized payroll deductions
  8. Failing to document policy violations and poor job performance
  9. Auto-deducting for meals
  10. Missing 90 day and annual performance review dates
  11. Holding final paychecks until property is returned

If the answer is yes to any of the above, you may want to consider some basic employment law and best practice training. The return on investment is a minimized risk of violations/fines and a more productive workforce!

What type of leader and manager are you or do you hope to be? Do you think they are lucky to have a job, or are you lucky to have them? Positive leadership directly affects your businesses ability to get a return on investment from your employees.

Recruit the best, motivate the new, coach the existing and INSPIRE productivity from top to bottom.

Click the link to view our recent blog: Think Before You Speak, Words Can Hurt or check back for more on human resources, payroll, insurance and benefits.

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Think Before You Speak, Words Can Hurt

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Client Relations Manager Julie; she is having a rough day.  A year ago she inherited a motivated staff that had a reputation for delivery quality service.  But her fifth employee has just resigned, sales are down and client retention is sliding.  The president of the company is not pleased.  Julie is beginning to realize that ‘sticks and stones… and words CAN hurt’.  They can damage your company’s culture and reputation, which hinders good hiring.  They can demotivate your employees, which ultimately cuts into profits.

Her missteps were common, but over time, caused damage.  Julie wasn’t given a ‘how to say it’ manual that addresses the employee management challenges she would face.  At one time she believed that because she was ‘the boss’, she could say what she wanted to get the job done, without giving much thought to the consequences.  Negative interactions with employees will take a toll.

First time and long time supervisors have difficulty finding the right way to deliver information. The biggest mistake? Texting and email!  The downside of technology is allowing poor communicators to hide.  Why a supervisor would email an employee about an performance deficiency when they are sitting in the cubicle beside them is baffling!  And texting a nasty message to an employee after hours is worse.

If you want to a good leader, you have to have difficult conversations, period.  These conversations should be verbal whenever possible and should take place on the business day of or the business day closest to the infraction, challenge or problem.

If you or your supervisors are like Julie, and are at a loss on what to say during a first time or difficult conversation, here are some suggestions on how to address the most common situations.

Interviewing – Watch out for landmines!

  • Replace “What daycare do you use?” with “Are you able to begin work at X AM?”.

  • Replace “Do you have any disabilities?” with “Are you able to perform the essential duties of this job?”.

  • Replace “When did you graduate from high school?” with “Are you over the age of 18?”.

New Hires – Demotivating them will waste all your recruiting efforts.

  • Replace “Do not, do not , do not” with “This is a great place to work; here’s why”.

  • Replace “I know you may be overwhelmed, but….” with “This is a lot of information to take on at once, so here is a schedule to follow and reference material”.

  • Replace “A 90 day review will be scheduled later on…” with “90 day reviews are important; yours has already been scheduled for X day at Y time”.

Performance Management –  Try not to turn an above average employee into disgruntled and unproductive.

  • Replace “I’m tired of you being late” with “Has ability to report to work on time changed?”

  • Replace “I’m not paying for that overtime” with “I appreciate you working late.  Please remember that our policy requires pre-approval”.

  • Replace “It’s just a joke, get over it” with “This is concerning and I am happy to assist you.  Let’s review company policy and decide on how to best proceed”.

  • Replace “This is not up for discussion!” with “Our company has an open door policy.  Please review those guidelines and schedule a time with me to discuss your suggestions.”

No one is perfect and no one has all the answers.  The best leaders in the world can trip themselves up from time to time.  But reasonable judgment, strong company values and thinking before you speak should help.  Don’t let constant negativity damage culture, productivity or profits.  Before you say it, put yourselves in the other person shoes first.

Click the link to view our recent blog: Three Reasons You Must Take Corrective, Not Disciplinary Action or check back for more on human resources, payroll, insurance and benefits.

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Three Reasons You Must Take Corrective, Not Disciplinary Action

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Fear! It is what constrains us the most. And it is definitely what prevents supervisors, managers and leaders from fulfilling their responsibility to counsel (take corrective action) against employees who are underperforming or violating workplace rules.

 

What do I say? How do I prepare? When should I do this? Who should be present? How do I get rid of this knot in my stomach?  Maybe I’ll just avoid it and hope it gets better. Sound familiar?

 

Counseling is corrective action; formerly known as disciplinary action. If you haven’t already, PLEASE get rid of disciplinary action in your workplace.  It makes the supervisor, manager or company sound like a parent.  If you want to create a professional environment that employs adults, then treat your employees like adults.  Coach and counseling them to “correct” their behavior, instead of punishing them like a child.

 

With corrective action you are going on record, in a verbal or written format, to make an employee aware of what must be improved to remain in good standing; to remain employed. Why must you go through this agony?  Three reasons why:

  1. The employee wants you to. Employees want their leaders, to lead, to coach. Dedicated and motivated employees (the ones you should have hired) want your feedback, even when it is something that might be hard to hear.  It is easy for an employee to go through the motions so many times they lose their way. Maybe the didn’t even realize that their tone of voice had deteriorated when talking to customers or other employees. You won’t know how to diagnose and fix the problem without having the conversation.  Do I still have to go on record and write down that verbal counseling took place? YES! Why? Because it might happen again and then what will you do?  What will you refer to?

  2. It’s your responsibility to protect the company. When you fail to take some form of action (in a timely manner) to combat instances of policy violations or poor job performance you are unnecessarily exposing the company and co-workers to risk.  What risk?  Lower productivity, lost sales, decreased revenue. How? What do the other above average employees think when they see a co-worker being allowed to break rules or slack off without consequence? What happens when you are at your wits end and want to fire the employee? Your ability to defend your actions through an unemployment claim (or worse) rests in your corrective action documentation trail; those papers that the employee hopefully signed, acknowledging they were told what they were doing wrong and that it must be fixed.  Don’t let your fear bring morale down or hinder your company’s ability to defend itself.

  3. For your own credibility. Maybe you always wanted to be a manager. Or maybe you got lucky and were given a chance to manage because your productivity was so high. Regardless, no one wants to be seen as a bad manager. Some may joke or make light of it. But is that a good strategy?  Especially when years of research tell us that the most talented employees leave because they hate their bosses, not because they don’t like their job.  If turnover is costly, and all your best sources of creativity and initiative leave, what will become of the company and of your future?  If you want to be credible as a manager, and as a leader, then face your fears of hard conversations head on.  Managers that can have the hard conversations, in a manner that coaches employees to success, well, they will be running the department with all the talent.  What happens next?  How does job satisfaction, a thriving career and promotions sound?

Click the link to view our recent blog: The Three Most Common Job Offer Mistakes or check back for more on human resources, payroll, insurance and benefits.

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How the Creation of Jobs, As Opposed to the Loss of Jobs, Affects Your UI Tax Rates

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In June the number of full-time jobs in the United States finally got back to the same level as the beginning of 2008. It has taken a long time.

Since full-time jobs are now back to ground zero and increasing, this is a good time to consider how job creation impacts your exposure to UI taxes.

The immediate first year result of your company creating a job is an increase in your UI taxes because of the increase in taxable payroll. In all states except four (NH, NJ, TN, VT), UI tax rates are assigned for a calendar year, so any new hires this year could not affect your UI tax rate calculation until 2015 at the earliest. However, the computation date for 2015 tax rates is June 30 in most states, in which case new hires in the second half of the year will not influence your tax rate until 2016.

In reserve ratio states, the second year impact of creating a job can also be adverse. A reserve ratio is simply a company’s reserve account balance divided by a measure of its taxable payroll. A higher reserve account balance, in relation to payroll, results in a lower tax rate. For a company with a positive reserve account balance creating a job often dilutes the reserve ratio (the reserve account balance grows at a slower pace than the taxable payroll). This can keep the tax rate elevated for an extended period when a company is growing rapidly because the increased taxable payroll makes your reserve ratio a smaller fraction (assuming you have a positive reserve account balance).

The reverse is true in benefit ratio states and benefit wage ratio states. A benefit ratio is a measure of benefit charges resulting from approved claims (usually three to five years of charges) divided by a measure of taxable payroll for the same time period. Creation of jobs translates into a smaller, more favorable benefit ratio or benefit wage ratio, because taxable payroll is the denominator of the ratio, and a lower UI tax rate is assigned, all other factors remaining unchanged. UI tax rates in benefit ratio states and benefit wage ratio states generally respond more quickly (for better or for worse) to changes in taxable payroll.

Regardless of the state, your company will benefit from other companies creating jobs as well. As jobs are created, UI claimants are able to find a new job sooner, and the average duration of a UI claim decreases. Your UI benefit charges will be reduced when another company hires your former employee sooner.

The average duration of a UI claim peaked at 20.1 weeks in the first quarter of 2010. The duration has decreased for sixteen straight quarters, to 16.7 weeks for the first quarter of 2014 (a 16.9% reduction in duration). This means that your benefit charges (on average) are more likely to be reduced, even if your company experiences the same number of unemployment claims.

SUI tax rates in most states remain elevated today. However, the state unemployment trust funds are growing, in part because of the increased revenue generated by elevated tax rates. As more jobs are created, the elevated tax rates are applied to more taxable payroll, thereby accelerating the improvement in trust fund solvency (at your expense, of course).

It is our expectation that the slow but relentless upward slope of the jobs graph will finally begin to have a more noticeable impact on tax rates next year. Simultaneously, the decrease in the duration of claims and the reduction in the number of claims as the labor market improves are slowing the drawdown from state trust funds. The combination of these tailwinds causes us to be optimistic about 2015 UI tax rates for most states – particularly the benefit ratio and benefit-wage ratio states. California is a notable exception. Barring any unanticipated legislation, we see no near-term UI tax relief for California employers.

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Six Steps to Improve New Employee Onboarding

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Have you ever seen a new employee leave after just one day of work? What was your first thought when that happened? Probably somewhere along the lines of “Wow, it must have been bad”.

Unless there was some type of unexpected challenge or emergency, this is not a good sign for a company. And it must be addressed because the result is unnecessary monetary loss. Turnover is costly, but new employee turnover is particularly troubling, because you have just wasted all the time and money you spent to hire them.

Don’t give up right away! Feedback is critical. A quick phone call and some soft questions to this former employee may help you identify key areas for improvement, repair your company’s image and set the stage for changes to current processes.

New job opportunities, family emergencies or changes in personal circumstances are not always the reasons why new employees don’t return. Generally, they leave because they did not like the way they were treated. They would rather go home and look for another job than to work in an environment where they know they will not be happy, appreciated or productive.

How can you make sure your new hires return to work feeling comfortable or, better yet, enthusiastic about returning to work after their first date of employment? How can the company improve new hire onboarding? (a.k.a. new hire orientation and the probationary or introductory periods)

According to an online source, “Onboarding, (organizational socialization), refers to the mechanism through which new employees acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and behaviors to become effective organizational members and insiders.”

Here are six simple steps to improve your company onboarding process.

1. Organization

Prepare, right away. This includes preparing and mailing new hire orientation packages, or referring them to your intranet system to obtain necessary forms, policies, procedures and other paperwork, and request that they return this information to you no later than their first date of hire. Coordinate a company tour, order business cards, organize their work station, order supplies and make sure their equipment (including their computer and other technology) is working properly.  Is training material current and relevant? Has a comfortable and productive location for training been secured?

2. Communication

Greet new hires on time; be confident, professional and friendly. Communicate with new employees by name. Answer their questions and follow up with them to make sure they do not need further assistance. Make sure they have contact information for various personnel and departments within and outside of your company. In other words, provide outstanding customer service to them while they get acclimated to the company, practices and procedures. Remember to demonstrate this same service throughout the new hire’s tenure with the company.

3. Appreciation

After accepting the offer, have the hiring manager place a welcome call. Make the new employee feel appreciated by inviting him or her to lunch on their first day. Introduce the new hire to their team, customers and others. Answer any questions he or she may have about the unit, department or the company.

4. Education

Use your employee handbook! Teach them about the company’s history, mission, and vision as well as the accomplishments and challenges, and goals and objectives. Explain how their skills and their role will help the company meet and exceed department and/or company goals and objectives. Inquire about personal goals and objectives. Give the new hire information about the company’s training and development offerings, such as webinars, offsite seminars, certification classes, etc. Review an education assistance benefit program if one exists.

5. Dedication

Do not give into “sink or swim”. Schedule follow up meetings! Hiring managers or mentors should be meeting daily during the first week of employment and at LEAST weekly after week one through first 90 days. You should also consider having the employee meet with and be accepting of feedback from one or two top performers and/or long term employees. Schedule some time for the new employee to meet with the president and/or one of the executive team members to learn more about the company from their perspective. Make sure the executive team is also interested about the employee’s career path, goals and expectations.

6. Expectations

Use the job description! Does the employee know what is expected? When conducting employee development meetings during the new hire period, the manager should be reviewing and discussing the job description. It should be clear how the job description fits with individual, team and company goals. Regularly discuss individual goals and objectives. Be open to feedback regarding work related challenges and obstacles. Schedule regular employee development meetings; emphasizing an open door policy. The new employee should always feel that the can easily access their manager when questions or concerns arise. Lastly, the manager should make sure the employee is aware of the standard steps to be followed for a 90 day and annual review.

After three months, the company should send a survey to the employee to obtain feedback about the organization’s customer service, quality of service and processes, and request any suggestions for improvement. The company should address any problems or concerns immediately so they are able to attract and retain top performers and continuously improve the company’s image, performance, processes and reputation.

Are you prepared to cut the cost of unnecessary turnover and obtain a greater ROI on your new hires?

Click the link to view our recent blog: The Three Most Common Job Offer Mistakes or check back for more on human resources, payroll, insurance and benefits.

 

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