Now that you have a solid framework for your advisory board, there are a few other points to take into consideration to stack the deck in your favor and cinch the success of your board.
What kind of expertise do you want to consider for an advisory board?
Good question! I’m so glad you asked. Based on your intended objective for your board, I’d suggest the following experts to guide your small business growth.
marketing strategist who especially understands the nuances of consumer behavior,
business coach/strategist who has a clear understanding of your long-term vision,
human resources, and
any additional skill or expertise that you desire depending on the nature of your business and your goals.
Additionally, I highly recommend using a skilled facilitator that can keep things moving to your desired outcome for each meeting. This frees you up to fully engage in the meetings.
Finally, remember to have someone with keen listening skills and attention to detail to accurately capture your meetings.
Where can you find experts for your advisory board?
Your immediate network may or may not have the expertise you want on your board. If this is the case, consider asking for referrals from trusted sources.
Be sure to secure at least three potential specialists for each position of expertise you’re looking to fill so you’re not “locked in” to accept someone that may not be a good fit.
Finally, properly vet each consideration for proper fit.
Is it a okay to have “friends” on your board?
In a word, NO! Although I have to say that I have business colleagues with a high level of expertise that have, over time, become good friends. I trust them explicitly and wouldn’t hesitate to ask them to serve on my board.
Friends — or family members — may sound like a great (i.e., easy) idea but without an understanding of, or entrepreneurial experience, they may not be the most objective specialist to have on your advisory board.
How are board members compensated?
Compensation is highly recommended. Whether you pay someone a flat rate per meeting, compensate them with shares in your business, or pony up reimbursement based on their hourly rate, compensation demonstrates your respect for their time and expertise. And, it shows you are serious!
How do you ask someone to serve on your advisory board?
The approach you use to reach out to a potential board member depends on your relationship with the individual. Whether you approach them by email, phone, or over lunch, here’s a three-step approach to consider to avoid wasting their time pouring over information unnecessarily.
Provide a brief statement (one sentence) stating your desire for their participation and ask permission to send more information.
Assuming they say “yes,” send a well-thought out branded document of your board objective, role, responsibilities, and expectations. Include the “next steps” informing them of when — and how — you will follow up to discuss in greater detail.
Assuming another “yes,” proceed to a full conversation about your expectations, and their questions, regarding serving on your board.
Obviously, this is the beginning of your journey to setting up a successful board.
Have you set up an advisory board? What advice would you share?
Running a small business can be a bewildering experience. Besides Siri, the halls of a small business can be a lonely place. To whom do you turn for advice? Share ideas? Hear yourself think? Provide a dose of reality? If you’re not working with a strategic business coach, an advisory board may be desireable.
What is an Advisory Board & Why would I want one?
According to our friends at Wikipedia, an advisory board is a body that provides non-binding strategic advice to the management of a corporation, organization, or foundation. Many new or small businesses choose to have advisory boards in order to benefit from the knowledge of others, without the expense or formality of the Board of Directors.
The primary reason for creating an advisory board is to acquire advice and guidance outside of the business. Depending upon your intention for your board, members may provide “wise business counsel,” act as a resource, monitor performance, furnish objective insights and ideas, as well as provide support and encouragement.
Crossing T’s & Dotting I’s
As with anything business-related, pre-planning is helpful. Considering an advisory board is no exception.
Before making your first board member request, be sure you think through your answers to key questions.
What outcome do you want from your advisory board?
How many members do you want on your board?
What type of expertise are you interested in acquiring for your board?
How often will your board meet? For how long?
Where will meetings occur?
What does a proposed meeting agenda look like?
What will be required beyond regular meeting attendance?
Will you ask for complete confidentiality? What actions will you take if a member violates this agreement?
Now it’s your turn. What other pre-planning questions would you add to this list?
Someone pledges to accomplish a task, project, or goal by a certain time and they actually follow through on their commitment. It’s stunning!
From my vantage point as a strategic business coach, it appears accountability and commitment are as rare as a unicorn. Yet, this is the frustration of many small business owners that arise from the irritation of broken and abandoned promises.
It’s not that simple, Nike!
I’d like to believe Nike’s mantra is enough for commitment, accountability, and outcomes. Just Do It. Oh, if it were so…
We can’t indict others for this seemingly blatant disregard of honoring promises without looking at how we handle commitments. Whether it’s a promise made to a client, an agreement with a business partner, or a pledge to our business coach (Egads!), commitments are slippery.
Someone said,”Commitment is doing the thing you said you were going to do long after the mood you said it in has left you.” —Unknown.
Let’s Keep The Mood Going
A commitment to which one holds him or her self accountable is more than raising your hand to say, “I will.” Whether it’s with another — or oneself — a commitment conversation has several crucial steps including:
Achieve clarification and agreement.
Review specific results and due dates.
Discuss capabilities and concerns, if any, of meeting deliverables on time.
Identify resources and/or tools needed to accomplish the objective.
Establish the measurement of success.
Verify and clarify expectations, results, and timelines.
Although it requires time, presence of mind, and skill, have the conversation. It’s the one discussion that maintains the momentum to deliver on promises made.
Employee hiring is vital in building a desired culture within small businesses and organizations. Having a team that truly understands what your business is trying to accomplish and that works well together to meet common goals is the quickest path to success. But how do you get to that point? It all starts with finding the best HR solutions for the employee hiring process—more specifically, detailed employee applications.
You may think that accepting a resume should be sufficient, but using a comprehensive employee application saves organizations time and money in the long-run by making the hiring process more efficient.
Here are five reasons to develop and use a strategic employee application.
Reason 1: To Weed Out Obvious Wrong Choices The employee application is your first chance to filter out those candidates who simply aren’t a good fit for your company culture. When you include relevant, behavior-driven questions, in addition to the basics, you’re better able to filter through applicants before ever meeting them in person.
Using the employee application form in this manner prevents wasted time on interviews that won’t produce qualified job candidates. It also frees you up to spend more time learning about potential employees in whom you’re genuinely interested.
Reason 2: To Be Prepared for Interviews Scheduling and conducting interviews is a time-consuming process. More often than not, the majority of interview time is spent discussing job history, career and personal goals, and values. Knowing the answers to these types of questions before you begin each interview allows you to dive right in and get straight to the point.
A comprehensive employee application helps you prepare for interviews so that you can truly get to know every interviewee and determine if he or she is a good fit for your organization.
Reason 3: To Remain Legally Compliant In today’s world, inadvertently asking someone the wrong thing can lead to serious legal repercussions. This holds true whether the incident occurs in person, in writing, or otherwise. Unfortunately for business owners and managers, there’s a fine line between getting the information you need and digging too deep.
It’s important to the success of your business that you know as much as is necessary to choose the right person for your team; the engagement of your employees depends on it. On the other hand, being too invasive could get you into trouble. Finding the right balance starts with developing an effective employee application.
Reason 4: To Eliminate Untruthful Candidates When you use employment applications instead of relying on resumes only you have a strong base for rejecting candidates who are untruthful. Applicants can be required to sign an application and state that all information contained in the application is true. Failure to be truthful or omission of relevant information such as a criminal conviction can later be grounds for immediate dismissal. Resumes only give you the information the candidate wants you to have. An application can ask for information you need to evaluate the suitability of the candidate
Reason 5: To Streamline the Employee Hiring Process Last, but certainly not least, developing a comprehensive and strategic employee application helps to streamline the hiring process, making it a more efficient and effective procedure. This relieves some of the stress that naturally accompanies times of transition and growth within organizations.
Now What?
At MJ Management Solutions, Inc. we offer HR solutions to keep your business in compliance while streamlining processes like employee hiring by providing customizable, downloadable forms. Reach out to us today to learn how we can help you customize an employee application, or subscribe to our newsletter to receive one free form each month.
You found the perfect employee. She’s always on time, gets her work done quickly and efficiently, and regularly comes up with innovative ideas. But do you know where she’ll be a year from now? How can you make sure she’ll still be employed at your company?
It’s all about improving employee retention. Here, we’ll discuss the importance of high retention, as well as ways to improve the employee retention in your business.
Why Should You Care About Employee Retention?
For starters, too much turnover leads to chaos within an organization. The most successful businesses have at least a small group of workers who are all invested in the success of their company. They work together well and strive to meet common goals.
Aside from forming a steady and invested group of employees, employee retention is important for the following reasons:
It saves you money. Every business owner realizes the high cost of finding, recruiting, and training a replacement when a valued employee leaves. Focusing on retention helps you avoid those unwanted expenses.
It increases staff morale. According to a recent article in the Houston Chronicle, undesirable employee turnover has a negative impact on morale. But when retention is high, employees feel more secure in their positions and are more engaged in their work.
It boosts productivity. As a result of the sense of security that develops in employees when retention is good, productivity increases.
How to Improve Employee Retention
So now you know why employee retention matters, but how can you improve it? Plenty of HR solutions are available to you for the purpose of increasing retention, but when it comes to small business HR, these four actions make a significant difference in retention rates:
Show gratitude. The best HR management solutions include ways to show appreciation to your employees for all they do. From gift cards to team lunches, there are numerous fun ideas for expressing gratitude.
Be available. Having a boss who’s open to all forms of communication when needed is a sure-fire way to help employees feel valued and important. And when they feel valued and important, they stick around.
Introduce team activities. To increase retention, build up your team. Have them participate in team-building activities on a regular basis. This creates a sense of family within your company and reduces the desire for employees to seek job satisfaction elsewhere.
Reward regularly. Similar to showing gratitude, rewarding employees individually for a job well done leads to better retention. Rewarding differs from showing gratitude, however, in that gratitude can be expressed to all employees on a regular basis, regardless of where they are in meeting goals; rewards are designed to recognize specific employees for completing specific tasks.
When it comes to implementing HR solutions for the betterment of your business, keep employee retention at the top of your priority list. Doing so saves you money, increases staff morale, and boosts productivity.
Implement the four steps we’ve mentioned in this article, and you’ll be well on your way to success through high employee retention. Remember: Gratitude, Availability, Team activities, and Rewards. When you’re ready to learn more, reach out to MJ Management Solutions, Inc.
MJ Management Solutions, Inc., is a human resources consulting firm that provides small businesses with a wide range of virtual and onsite HR solutions to meet their immediate and long-term needs. From ensuring legal compliance to writing customized employee handbooks to conducting sexual harassment training, businesses depend on our expertise and cost-effective human resources services to help them thrive.
Human resources is one of the most important aspects of small business. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most overlooked. Most small business owners don’t have the funds necessary to employ full-time HR staff, and they don’t have the knowledge to properly handle HR challenges alone.
Good news! The technology available today fully supports your human resources needs, without an in-office HR manager. Help is only a phone call or email away with HR Solutions. With us on your side, your small business can soar to new heights.
HR Solutions® helps you avoid costly employee challenges that distract from the productivity of your business. Contact us right now and learn how easy it is to have expert HR advice.
Not convinced yet? Take a look at these four ways HR Solutions helps your company grow.
Streamline the Hiring Process
The effort involved in the hiring process is worth every second when you find the perfect-for-the-job candidate. But what if you don’t find that person? It’s completely possible to waste valuable resources on a hiring and interviewing system that’s inefficient.
HR Solutions coaches you on the right way to streamline your hiring process and find top-notch employees, saving you time and money in the long-run.
Increase Employee Retention
Once you’ve found the right job candidates, you need to know how to retain them. Employee turnover costs businesses thousands of dollars each year. To combat this, it’s crucial to provide effective training for each new hire, as well as an environment that fosters employee engagement.
Don’t know where to start? HR Solutions provides you with practical advice customized to your business, so that you can better engage and retain staff members.
Remain in Compliance
No matter which industry you’re in, chances are, policies and procedures are constantly changing. Keeping up with this change can be overwhelming when you “go it alone.” The professionals at HR Solutions are on top of changing industry regulations. Got a question about policy? Answers are quickly and easily available to you.
Boost Productivity
Taking the pressure of solving human resources issues off your staff gives them a chance to get back to the jobs they were hired for. The time that was previously spent on HR challenges can be devoted to growing your business. Working with HR Solutions is like having your own human resources guru on-demand.
Next Steps
Get the HR assistance you need with HR Solutions. Today’s technology allows us to provide you with a virtual HR expert on-call to help you navigate regulations, coach and manage employees, and to answer employment-related questions—all without breaking the bank.
MJ Management Solutions, Inc., is a human resources consulting firm that provides small businesses with a wide range of virtual and onsite HR solutions to meet their immediate and long-term needs. From ensuring legal compliance to writing customized employee handbooks to conducting sexual harassment training, businesses depend on our expertise and cost-effective human resources services to help them thrive.
One aspect of small business HR that’s often overlooked is employee engagement. But getting your team members to invest emotionally in your company is a huge part of the equation for success. The benefits of employee engagement are numerous, and the strategies for achieving it are just as abundant.
career opportunities in your industry to a junior or senior high class?
If you have a retail business, how about a “buy one/give one” campaign where customers buy a particular product, like books or blankets or a specific toy, and you give the same product to a local children’s hospital, family shelter or inner-city school?
If you have a coffee shop, pizzeria or sandwich shop, how about holding a fundraising event and donating the proceeds for the day to a local homeless shelter or a local college scholarship fund or a charity close to the hearts of your employees?
Sponsor Organized Volunteer Days, that provide an experience with a low time commitment (1 day a year or a few hours every couple months) like a Habitat for Humanity build. Not every employee will want to take on big community investment projects, but many will want to feel a part of a corporate culture that values service.
Winning the Employee Engagement Challenge
When it comes to HR for small business, managers often neglect the philanthropic aspect of the job. Maybe you thought giving back only benefits the community—maybe you never realized it encourages employee engagement, thus boosting your business growth. Or perhaps you were under the impression that giving back and volunteering aren’t effective HR solutions. But science doesn’t lie. So if you’re not fostering prosocial behavior at your office, now’s the time to start.
At MJ Management Solutions, Inc., we know exactly what it takes to push your business toward success. We have the HR solutions to help you significantly increase your employee engagement. When you’re ready to learn more, give us a call.
Did you know that providing a chance for your employees to give back to the community boosts engagement? It may come as a surprise to you, but this theory is actually backed by science. It’s all about the concept of prosocial behavior, or doing something for the benefit of someone else. Prosocial behavior positively affects the individuals participating in it, and in return, their workplaces.
Creating an Environment Conducive to Employee Engagement
Of all the methods for increasing employee engagement preached about from business coaches nationwide, workplace philanthropy is possibly the least common. But it shouldn’t be. According to the 2011 Deloitte Volunteer IMPACT Survey of employed adults ages 21–35, millennials who frequently participate in workplace volunteer activities are nearly twice as likely to be very satisfied with the progression of their career. In a report from Network for Good, “Employee engagement through cause is a vital means by which to strengthen employee relationships, enhance employee morale and even build critical skill sets and expertise. Plus, employees are hungry for ways to get involved in cause.”
Here are four ways that prosocial behavior through workplace giving and volunteering impacts employee engagement.
1. Productivity
Productivity increases when employees work together toward a common goal. This creates the sense that each worker is an integral part of a bigger team. As a result, every employee feels empowered and inspired to do their part, to not let the team down.
Workplace giving and volunteering is an effective method for fostering that desired team environment and the resulting productivity. Through this sort of prosocial behavior, employees strive to meet a common goal for their community—the community in which they all live and/or work. A common community equals a common interest.
2. Pride
Understandably, corporate pride is directly related to employee engagement. If an employee is ashamed of her company for whatever reason—whether it’s the culture, the lack of values, or management’s philosophy—she’s not going to hang around for long.
People desire to be a part of something bigger than themselves—now more than ever. In fact, last year the Huffington Post reported that Millennials care more about giving back than those who came before them. What better way to cultivate company pride and build employee engagement than by providing philanthropic opportunities for this social-conscious generation?
3. Gratitude
Gratitude is a strong emotion. It can change a person’s outlook on just about any situation, including a work environment. Employees who feel gratitude toward their employers are more likely to build a strong emotional connection with their workplace—and less likely to leave it.
We mentioned the desire of today’s worker to give back to her community. If you’re offering that as part of your company culture, she’ll be forever grateful to you for providing an outlet for her prosocial thirst.
4. Ethics
Philanthropic activity often results in a personal attitude that identifies with more ethical behavior. Think of it as do good, be good. Ethical behavior leads to ethical thoughts. Ethical thoughts lead to ethical people. And finally, ethical people lead to ethical businesses.
What happens when companies make a habit of practicing good ethical behavior as a whole? Employees begin to feel pride in their work, gratitude for their employers, and show a boosted level of productivity. See how it all comes full circle?
4 Ideas for Volunteer/Giving Opportunities
So you are convinced that volunteer or giving opportunities are a good idea for your business, but wondering what a small business can do? Your company’s cause initiative should be integrated into your employee engagement goals, workforce diversity initiatives, employee interests, and your investment commitment in your community. Here are 4 ideas, but you can come up with better ideas if you and your team put your heads together:
How about connecting with a neighborhood school and giving employees paid time to volunteer in primary grade classrooms, tutor in afterschool programs, or talk about career opportunities in your industry to a junior or senior high class?
If you have a retail business, how about a “buy one/give one” campaign where customers buy a particular product, like books or blankets or a specific toy, and you give the same product to a local children’s hospital, family shelter or inner-city school?
If you have a coffee shop, pizzeria or sandwich shop, how about holding a fundraising event and donating the proceeds for the day to a local homeless shelter or a local college scholarship fund or a charity close to the hearts of your employees?
Sponsor Organized Volunteer Days, that provide an experience with a low time commitment (1 day a year or a few hours every couple months) like a Habitat for Humanity build. Not every employee will want to take on big community investment projects, but many will want to feel a part of a corporate culture that values service.
Winning the Employee Engagement Challenge
When it comes to HR for small business, managers often neglect the philanthropic aspect of the job. Maybe you thought giving back only benefits the community—maybe you never realized it encourages employee engagement, thus boosting your business growth. Or perhaps you were under the impression that giving back and volunteering aren’t effective HR solutions. But science doesn’t lie. So if you’re not fostering prosocial behavior at your office, now’s the time to start.
Did you know that providing a chance for your employees to give back to the community boosts engagement? It may come as a surprise to you, but this theory is actually backed by science. It’s all about the concept of prosocial behavior, or doing something for the benefit of someone else. Prosocial behavior positively affects the individuals participating in it, and in return, their workplaces.
Creating an Environment Conducive to Employee Engagement
Of all the methods for increasing employee engagement preached about from business coaches nationwide, workplace philanthropy is possibly the least common. But it shouldn’t be. According to the 2011 Deloitte Volunteer IMPACT Survey of employed adults ages 21–35, millennials who frequently participate in workplace volunteer activities are nearly twice as likely to be very satisfied with the progression of their career. In a report from Network for Good, “Employee engagement through cause is a vital means by which to strengthen employee relationships, enhance employee morale and even build critical skill sets and expertise. Plus, employees are hungry for ways to get involved in cause.”
Not sure how to integrate cause into your company’s
employee engagement strategy? We’re here to help.
Here are four ways that prosocial behavior through workplace giving and volunteering impacts employee engagement.
1. Productivity
Productivity increases when employees work together toward a common goal. This creates the sense that each worker is an integral part of a bigger team. As a result, every employee feels empowered and inspired to do their part, to not let the team down.
Workplace giving and volunteering is an effective method for fostering that desired team environment and the resulting productivity. Through this sort of prosocial behavior, employees strive to meet a common goal for their community—the community in which they all live and/or work. A common community equals a common interest.
2. Pride
Understandably, corporate pride is directly related to employee engagement. If an employee is ashamed of her company for whatever reason—whether it’s the culture, the lack of values, or management’s philosophy—she’s not going to hang around for long.
People desire to be a part of something bigger than themselves—now more than ever. In fact, last year the Huffington Post reported that Millennials care more about giving back than those who came before them. What better way to cultivate company pride and build employee engagement than by providing philanthropic opportunities for this social-conscious generation?
3. Gratitude
Gratitude is a strong emotion. It can change a person’s outlook on just about any situation, including a work environment. Employees who feel gratitude toward their employers are more likely to build a strong emotional connection with their workplace—and less likely to leave it.
We mentioned the desire of today’s worker to give back to her community. If you’re offering that as part of your company culture, she’ll be forever grateful to you for providing an outlet for her prosocial thirst.
4. Ethics
Philanthropic activity often results in a personal attitude that identifies with more ethical behavior. Think of it as do good, be good. Ethical behavior leads to ethical thoughts. Ethical thoughts lead to ethical people. And finally, ethical people lead to ethical businesses.
What happens when companies make a habit of practicing good ethical behavior as a whole? Employees begin to feel pride in their work, gratitude for their employers, and show a boosted level of productivity. See how it all comes full circle?
4 Ideas for Volunteer/Giving Opportunities
So you are convinced that volunteer or giving opportunities are a good idea for your business, but wondering what a small business can do? Your company’s cause initiative should be integrated into your employee engagement goals, workforce diversity initiatives, employee interests, and your investment commitment in your community. Here are 4 ideas, but you can come up with better ideas if you and your team put your heads together:
How about connecting with a neighborhood school and giving employees paid time to volunteer in primary grade classrooms, tutor in afterschool programs, or talk about .
– See more at: http://www.mjms.net/blog/4-ways-workplace-givingvolunteering-can-drive-employee-engagement/#sthash.mN8kVHfb.dpuf
MJ Management Solutions, Inc., is a human resources consulting firm that provides small businesses with a wide range of virtual and onsite HR solutions to meet their immediate and long-term needs. From ensuring legal compliance to writing customized employee handbooks to conducting sexual harassment training, businesses depend on our expertise and cost-effective human resources services to help them thrive.
Many small businesses still manage human resources (HR) information manually—that is, paper records are kept either in file folders or in some cases, scanned and retained in a file on someone’s computer. When it is time to look for some information on a particular employee, or gather some data to support an initiative or set salaries for the coming year, there is no easy way to find the data.
Additionally, the person responsible for HR (generally the business owner or an “Accidental HR Manager”) finds that they are spending way too much time doing the paperwork involved in the routine, day-to-day activities instead of finding ways to save on employee-related costs, finding and hiring good talent and developing the workforce through training activities.
According to recent research by Ed Lawler and John Boudreau (Center of Effective Organizations), over 50% of an HR department’s time is spent processing information and answering employee questions.
Business challenges escalate the time and energy required by HR managers:
Limited staff and resources: Many small enterprises have one person responsible for benefits administration, payroll and routine HR administration.
Managing risk of litigation and compliance: How does one person stay on top of the ever-changing landscape of employment law and ensure that the business is in compliance and protected?
Managing payroll in an accurate and timely manner: When paychecks are late or have errors, employee morale is damaged and the company bottom line is impacted. HR’s credibility is damaged as well.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) news release for June 2015 data states that private employers spent an average of $31.39 per hour worked for employee compensation. Salaries and wages account for 69.5 percent of the costs, and benefits added another 30.5 percent—this amounts to over 30 percent of the operating costs in a typical organization. It is necessary, then to identify ways to improve results, increase efficiency and lower costs.
Want to explore how an HRMS can help your small business, but don’t know where to begin? Contact us for HR Solutions that are customized for your business.
HRMS Technology
Human Resource Management Systems (HRMS) can help manage the time spent on routine HR tasks and mitigate exposure risks. This article is not to tout any particular HRMS system, but to inform the reader of the benefits of at least exploring the possibility of integrating such a system into the management of a business’s human resource function.
HRMS can eliminate much of the routine paperwork, automate many of the manual and time-consuming HR functions and free up the valuable time of those charged with the HR responsibilities.
For example, HRMS can impact your bottom line by:
Providing standard processes for key HR activities, organizing all employee benefits, payroll, attendance, training and recruiting information to prevent having to spend time searching for data.
Reducing the time necessary for data entry, creating reports and resulting in a more efficient operation
Eliminating duplicate data entry since the information will flow across the system, thereby making you more efficient and productive.
Helping to avoid fines, penalties and lawsuit threats by ensuring thorough recordkeeping and centralized data.
Assisting employees to manage their own benefits and make routine changes to contact information and changes to dependent status. It also answers many of an employee’s routine questions about payroll, time off and benefits.
Adaptability of HRMS
Begin with a system that fits your company today and be sure that it will grow with your business. It’s generally easy to expand today’s systems to add functions such as Employee Self Service and benefits enrollment capabilities. Employees appreciate the ability to make choices about benefits packages by comparing costs and coverage among the plans offered. HR can monitor the status of enrollment in real time.
You can even add on-boarding capabilities as your workforce grows and eliminate the tedious and time-consuming task of processing hiring paperwork. When these functions can be handled on-line, applicants, employees and HR are happier. Add to this the elimination of all that paper and you are on your way to being “green.”
Bottom Line
Implementation of an HRMS can have a huge impact on your bottom line, improve your organization’s efficiency and productivity, and bring consistency to your HR processes. This can positively impact employee engagement and morale.
I mentioned earlier that this was not to tout a specific system, but I do want to direct your attention to a few platforms I find work well for small to medium size businesses—take a look at these and decide for yourself:
Improving your bottom line and making your HR processes more streamlined isn’t difficult, and it doesn’t take a lot of money either. If you find your HR processes bogged down and a drain on your time and resources and you are beginning to think about how to use technology to fix this but don’t know where to start, we may have some HR solutions that will get you thinking and moving in the right direction. Contact us to begin the conversation.
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MJ Management Solutions, Inc., is a human resources consulting firm that provides small businesses with a wide range of virtual and onsite HR solutions to meet their immediate and long-term needs. From ensuring legal compliance to writing customized employee handbooks to conducting sexual harassment training, businesses depend on our expertise and cost-effective human resources services to help them thrive.
When you run a small business, managing employees is a time-consuming part of your job. From schedules to vacation time, there’s a lot to think about when it comes to dealing with human resources within your business. Among the many concerns you face daily is employee satisfaction.
Don’t want to deal with these issues?
Want some professional help without breaking the bank? Contact HR Solutions now.
Common sense tells you that engaged employees are more productive, so you strive to keep the peace. But in the midst of making everyone happy, you may be doing things that could land you in court or cost you in penalties. Even the most innocent-looking office policies can cause problems. Take a look below for five legal issues to be aware of when dealing with small business HR.
1. Exemptions
An “exempt” employee is paid a predetermined amount of money, regardless of hours worked. According to federal and state laws, salaried employees are sometimes exempt from mandatory breaks and overtime pay. This classification is often easier for employers to manage since there are no timesheets to track, meal breaks to deal with, or overtime to pay.
The problem with this arises when some disgruntled nonexempt employees are misclassified as exempt, and sue their former employers for overtime they were not paid. In order to prevent this from happening to you, check with the Department of Labor, as well as your own state labor office, and learn about what qualifies employees as exempt. Or consult an expert in human resources or an employment law attorney.
2. Independent Contractor vs. Employee
There’s more to hiring someone under the term “independent contractor” than simply not providing the new employee with benefits. This tricky subject can quickly get you into trouble with the IRS or lead to disgruntled workers. Sure, Sally Mae is more than happy to work as an independent contractor—until an accident happens and she doesn’t qualify for worker’s comp. If the case goes to court and the employee is found to have been incorrectly classified as an independent contractor, you may be forced to pay the worker’s comp benefits, unpaid overtime, penalties and more.
To avoid these costly repercussions, take into consideration these distinctions and make sure you’re in compliance with the law—before hiring someone under the wrong classification. Unlike an employee, an independent contractor minimally:
Advertises his or her services,
Works for more than one client,
Sends client an invoice for work completed,
Keeps his or her own records,
Sets his or her own hours and terms.
Is responsible for his or her own business gains or losses
3. Flexibility With Schedules
You think you’re being nice by giving employees a bit of freedom with their schedules, and they likely thank you for it. But this kind of flexibility often comes with a whole set of problems. For example, if you allow employees to work longer days but fewer of them each week, you may be breaking overtime laws.
Some states only allow workers to be on the job for a certain number of hours each day without incurring overtime, so the best way to counter this issue is to familiarize yourself with your state’s specific requirements. Otherwise, you may be held responsible for lost overtime pay.
4. “Use It or Lose It” Vacation Time
Many employers seek HR solutions for small business that include a policy stating that if paid vacation time isn’t used within a year, the employee loses it. This is an effective policy for saving employers money, but may actually break the law in your state.
Some states require all earned but unused vacation time to be paid upon termination of the working relationship. So before enforcing the “use it or lose it” rule, find out what the legal requirements are in your area.
5. Harassment and Discrimination Training
Not all states mandate harassment and discrimination training (although some, like California, do), but training your first-line supervisors on what to do in certain situations can save you from lawsuits. If you’re not sure what to do or where to start with this training, check with the EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunities Commission) for resources. Also, consider human resources management solutions outside your office.
HR for small business can be overwhelming at times. Knowing what the law says about everyday activities is crucial to your success. To make sure you’re in compliance and to eliminate the risk of repercussions, reach out to an HR solutions professional today. Schedule a consultation online or call 480.924.6101 to learn more about safeguarding your business from legal troubles today.
MJ Management Solutions, Inc., is a human resources consulting firm that provides small businesses with a wide range of virtual and onsite HR solutions to meet their immediate and long-term needs. From ensuring legal compliance to writing customized employee handbooks to conducting sexual harassment training, businesses depend on our expertise and cost-effective human resources services to help them thrive.
When you run a small business, human resources can often be the bane of your existence. And HR paperwork? Forget it! There go hours and hours of valuable time and resources. What you need is a simple, cost-effective solution. Enter: HR WebForms®.
The Solution to HR Documentation
HR WebForms help to effectively manage the day-to-day needs of your company, keeps all necessary human resources information organized, and ensures your organization remains compliant with state and federal regulations.
Ready to save time and money? Head over to HR Webforms
for all your HR document needs in both English and Spanish.
Not convinced? Here are three ways they save you time and money:
Pre-Designed and Professionally Crafted. HR WebForms already include all the info you need for managing the HR side of your business. There’s no time spent researching what to include in each form, and no money spent hiring someone to carefully design forms from scratch. Everything is there—created by human resources professionals who know the ins and outs of all things HR.
Conveniently Customizable and Easy to Use. Although pre-made, they are easily customized to meet the needs of your organization. And customization is simple. Just fill in a few blanks, add your logo, and print. And, voila! You’re done. No formatting, no writing, no designing—no hassle.
Legally Compliant to Save You from Penalty Fees. Legal requirements must be considered for various forms. Our webforms are inspected for compliance and updated as laws change. It’s one less thing you have to worry about, giving you peace of mind so you can sleep better at night.
If you’re overwhelmed and drowning in human resources paperwork, HR WebForms is your new best friend. Cost-effective, comprehensive, and simple—these documents offer everything you need to efficiently manage your company’s HR.
Choose from eight different packages, or select individual HR WebForms, based on your needs. Each document is available in both English and Spanish for your convenience.
Give us a call to learn more—and simplify your work life.
MJ Management Solutions, Inc., is a human resources consulting firm that provides small businesses with a wide range of virtual and onsite HR solutions to meet their immediate and long-term needs. From ensuring legal compliance to writing customized employee handbooks to conducting sexual harassment training, businesses depend on our expertise and cost-effective human resources services to help them thrive.
Synnovatia is a strategic coaching firm that is detailed and knowledgeable about business. i have a small business that grew from $150K to $750K because of the goal setting and resources that Synnovatia provided. It saves me years of learning on my own.
According to our friends at Wikipedia, an advisory board is a body that provides non-binding strategic advice to the management of a corporation, organization, or foundation. Many new or small businesses choose to have advisory boards in order to benefit from the knowledge of others, without the expense or formality of the Board of Directors.
You may think that accepting a resume should be sufficient, but using a comprehensive employee application saves organizations time and money in the long-run by making the hiring process more efficient.
How to Improve Employee Retention
Human resources is one of the most important aspects of small business. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most overlooked. Most small business owners don’t have the funds necessary to employ full-time HR staff, and they don’t have the knowledge to properly handle HR challenges alone.
So you are convinced that volunteer or giving opportunities are a good idea for your business, but wondering what a small business can do? Your company’s cause initiative should be integrated into your employee engagement goals, workforce diversity initiatives, employee interests, and your investment commitment in your community. Here are 4 ideas, but you can come up with better ideas if you and your team put your heads together:
So you are convinced that volunteer or giving opportunities are a good idea for your business, but wondering what a small business can do? Your company’s cause initiative should be integrated into your employee engagement goals, workforce diversity initiatives, employee interests, and your investment commitment in your community. Here are 4 ideas, but you can come up with better ideas if you and your team put your heads together:
For example, HRMS can impact your bottom line by:
