Costly HR Mistakes

 Thanks to Bizsandiego.com here are some really helpful tips when it comes to your HR!

• Hiring the wrong person

• Ignoring government regulations 

• Not having an employee handbook

• Overlooking the importance of training  

• Failing to reward employees

• PEO’s can prevent mistakes

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Posted December 17th, 2008 by Jessica Spinks - Posted in Human Resources | | 0 Comments

The Top Ten Blogs of 2008

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Posted December 16th, 2008 by Jessica Spinks - Posted in Human Resources | | 0 Comments

5 ways to get more out of your employee reviews in the New Year.

Employee reviews are necessary and important to a successful company. Here are some useful tips so you can get the most out of your employee reviews come the new year.

1. Prepare before- have pre-made documents ready to evaluate your employee’s performance. This will provide a good outline and schedule for the meeting as well. In the document have a clear outline of employee performance so they can take a look at what they are doing well and what they need to improve upon.

2. Evaluate your employees more carefully than ever before- with all of us going through hard times, take a close look at your employees’ productivity levels and how you can improve your bottom line through them.

3. Have the employee come prepared- have your employee bring items he or she would like to discuss as so they can get the most out of their time with you as a supervisor. This way you will not loose time.

4. Establish goals for the new year- although reviews should take place more than once a year, have the first review of the year be a time for them to establish long term goals for the year.

5. Make it an ongoing process- come up with a schedule for employee reviews so your employees know what benchmarks they should be hitting to achieve their goals. It is also good to be checking in with your employees on a regular basis.

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Posted December 3rd, 2008 by Jessica Spinks - Posted in Uncategorized | | 0 Comments

Your employees right to vote

Elections 2008

As we all know by now, election day is less than a week away. With this election being one the most important for all generations, it is important that we all vote and do our civic duty. It is also important as an employer and employee to know what rights you have next Tuesday, as it is a  regular work day. There are bound to be very long lines so plan ahead, one might even want to take advantage of early voting opportunites.

 The following are the rights in Arizona: 

Arizona—Arizona Revised Statute § 16-402 provides that an employee is entitled to leave if he or she has fewer than three consecutive hours in which to vote between the opening of the polls and the beginning of his or her work shift or between the end of his or her regular work shift and the closing of the polls. An employee may be absent for a length of time at the beginning or end of his or her work shift that, when added to the time difference between work-shift hours and the opening/closing of the polls, totals three consecutive hours.

• Notice: The employee must apply for leave prior to Election Day.

• Hours: The employer may specify the hours.

• Paid: Leave is paid.

Make sure you clearly display this in your office or email it to your employees..and remember go vote!

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Posted October 30th, 2008 by Jessica Spinks - Posted in Human Resources | | 0 Comments

Five ways to get more out of your PEO…

If you are currently using a PEO and think you are getting the most out of it, think again. There are many untapped resources that your outsourced HR professionals can help with.

1. Website resources Some PEO’s might post additional resources, articles, blog topics, and ideas on their website to help you run your business more effectively.  
2. Get more recognition! Your PEO might be accredited by certain organizations that also might apply to your company. (Best Places to Work etc.) They might be able to help you go through the same application process and you could be recognized in very unique ways that you didn’t think were possible before.
3. Recruiting - many people don’t know that this is a very traditional resource for PEO’s to offer. They are HR people after all. They can help with acquiring, interviewing, and hiring top talent. This resource can be used for all of its worth, and probably wont cost you anything extra.
4. Marketing  it is probable that your PEO will have some form of marketing. That department may be able to help you with your individual marketing needs. Just ask!
5. Recommended Vendors or Businesses - your PEO might have a list of businesses and vendors that they do business with such as printers, lawyers, and design companies. Ask for these recommendations and you could be pleasantly surprised with the good service you receive.

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Posted September 22nd, 2008 by Jessica Spinks - Posted in Human Resources | | 1 Comments

PRODUCTIVITY

As a new employee here at CBR, I have experienced a company like no other, highly productive and a truly enjoyable place to work. We touched upon this topic in our newsletter, but I think it deserves a little bit more attention. (http://www.cbri.com/newsletter-0908.html)

Productivity is the best way to maximize profits and make your company a more successful place. It is the only way to make your business grow. From my own personal experience, here are a few suggestions to increase your productivity, for both business owners and their employees.

1. Hiring right the first time. This will cut out the time it would take if you hired the wrong person, trained them and then they left. Using a company like Predix (www.pdpworks.com), and having the right hiring processes will really help your company stay productive even when a new person starts.  
2. Don’t leave all your work until Friday. Get the busy, boring, and bulky stuff done at the beginning of the week because Fridays tend not to be as productive as Mondays, as we are thinking about the weekend to come.
3. Make your space your own. You would be surprised how much your personal space affects your productivity levels. Keep your space clean and put your own personal touches on it (plants, fountains, candles etc).
4. Get along with the people you work with and find out what makes them happy and more importantly not happy.
5. Take short breaks and get away from your desk for 30 minutes during lunch to rest your brain.
6. Lastly, having a job you care about will raise your productivity an immense amount.

Do you have any tips on how you stay productive?

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Posted September 12th, 2008 by Jessica Spinks - Posted in Human Resources | | 0 Comments

A BIGGER Salary is not always a good thing

Everyone always thinks a bigger salary equals a better life, more security, and that one will just be all around happier. Unfortunately this might not be true anymore. According to a recent article on CareerBuilder.com this is an idea that one should think about a little more closely. The article gives four clear points to back up this theory. First off, if after some negotiation you actually get a raise, in the case of downsizing you could be the first one to be laid off because your pay might not match your talent or skill level. Secondly, you will lose more money at a higher salary when you get placed in a higher tax bracket. In addition, your salary could price you out of the market. Eventually at your next job, your salary could definitely outweigh your skill set and when you move jobs no one is going to pay you as much as you were earning before. Lastly, many people say that if they earned more they would be that much happier, but truthfully the time when you will be happier will be when you don’t care anymore about how much you are earning. So the next time you don’t think you earn enough sit back and enjoy the life you currently lead, it’s not so bad after all.

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Posted August 25th, 2008 by Jessica Spinks - Posted in Wages | | 0 Comments

Tips for Trade Shows: You might not know everything

As the new marketing coordinator here at CBR, one of my initiatives or goals has been trying to think of new and creative ways to make us stand out at trade shows. Aside from my own ideas, I came across a very interesting article in the Phoenix Business Journal about how to do just this. Although these were good tips, some might be a little too obvious and in the end not work out to your benefit.  In business ROI is very important, so to make sure you get a return on investing your time and money into a trade show, don’t be lazy and do your homework when it comes to preparing for trade shows. Do what is best for you and your company’s overall goals. Take a second the think about these five questions.

Should you follow up immediately? Whether it’s someone that requested a full blown proposal or just gave you their business card, the natural thing to do would be to follow up right away. This is so you don’t forget the context of the conversation and so they don’t forget you. Although this is true, don’t come across as pushy. If the client is not a right fit for you and your company you should recognize that and move on. You want to be honest with them and yourself.

Should you have a give away or prize? At first look, this idea might seem like it would add a fun element to your trade show experience, and may make you more memorable against your competitors. Aside from this fact, you may get bombarded with inadequate leads and unreliable sources of business. This move might be pointless in the end.

Is knowing who is attending a good thing?  One can actually purchase a list of vendors and participants so you know who you are up against, and who you might want to visit. On this one I don’t see much harm unless you feel like it is cheating a bit. The element of surprise might be more fun!

How do you know that your message is clear and succinct?  Your company’s message should clearly communicate what you want them to believe about your company. Your messaging should be legible and obvious to everyone walking by. This is definitely true and necessary, but if you and the people in your company are the only ones to have seen this messaging their view might be jaded. Have someone from the outside of your company walk by your booth/messaging and have them give you their first impression.

How do you know if your sales team is ready for the masses? Although I am sure your sales staff is just as great as ours, double check that your staff knows what your goals are as a business owner, and that they are not slacking off and looking unprofessional at the event. Make sure you do a run through with them, so they know how to deal with all possible situations.

In conclusion, just have fun and treat the whole experience as a great way to network, market yourself, and bring in more business.

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Posted August 11th, 2008 by Jessica Spinks - Posted in Human Resources | | 0 Comments

Pro vs. Con of Wellness Programs

Pro vs. Con of Wellness Programs

Although we have blogged about wellness programs before, over the last few weeks I have seen numerous articles and statistics about these programs in the workplace. It seems to be a new trend that HR professionals should start to take note of, or should they? I would like to present both sides of this topic.

SHRM (Society for Human Resources Management) has published multiple articles on this topic. In their latest article, according to Helen Darling, the president of The National Business Group on Health “Chronic illnesses account for 75 percent of health care spending, according to the NGBH, and employers are putting a much higher priority on wellness and lifestyle improvement programs than ever before.” In other words, the more health tips and simple practices that an employer can implement the lower health costs the company will have to pay in the end. It is a lot less selfish than it sounds. It truly could be a win-win for both employer and employee. Since 2006, health coaching and advice have gone up dramatically. From 2007 to 2008 the amount of employers implementing wellness programs has increased threefold. Also according to the article, “Initiatives as simple as providing healthy alternatives in workplace vending machines and promoting walks around an organization’s facility can be effective in their own way for changing lifestyle habits” says Dr. Don Bradley from North Carolina.

On the other hand, some say that these programs are so hard to measure with numbers that there is no direct correlation between employees being healthier because of them, and health costs for employers going down. How can a company say that just by changing the food in the vending machines or offering exercise classes that they have prevented someone from getting sick? That person might have become sick anyway. If a company is putting a considerable amount of money into this program, some employers might feel it is not worth their investment in the long run, due to the fact that there are no measurable statistics supporting it.

After all is said and done, your HR department just has to decide if a wellness program is something ones employees could benefit from.  I would put the cost portion aside and think about the affects it could have on morale and productivity, which could make you more money anyway.

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Posted July 22nd, 2008 by Jessica Spinks - Posted in Health, Human Resources | | 0 Comments

Employers adopt 4-hour workweeks amidst rising gas prices

As we all know by now, gas prices are on the rise. As they are not declining any time soon, many companies are converting to the “4 day work week.” Whether companies decide to allow their employees to telecommute once a week, or fit their employees 40 hour work week into 4 days (10 hours a day), many business owners are trying to help their employees during this time. ABC News released a news report explaining that Birmingham, Alabama is one of the first cities adapting to this trend. Four thousand employees in the area are taking advantage of this four day work week. Other services businesses are offering include money for public transport, providing carpool arrangements, and the option of telecommuting. ABC News did a calculation as follows:

• Average commute: 30 miles round trip
• Average car gets: 17 miles/gallon
• Average gallon of gas: 4.10
• Result: 7.24 a day, 377.52 a year  

This shows the estimated amount that people could save. Imagine if a whole town, state, or even the whole country did this. A lot of money could be saved, not to mention we would cut down on the amount of gas demanded and the amount of pollution we output everyday. Everyone would be better off. Utah is one of the first states converting all of their state officials to this system next month, and Arizona has been talking about doing the same for their state employees.  

Time magazine recently reported about the four day work week, explaining that Brevard College in Florida went to a four day week for summer session and saved $268,000. In addition, sick leave dropped by 50%, and turnover among the staff decreased by 44%. Here at Creative Business Resources, an HR outsourcing firm we deal with lots of different clients and business owners on a daily basis. We have had to alter our processes such as dates of payroll because one of our own personal clients here in Arizona has converted to the four day work week in direct response to higher gas prices. If you are a business owner and you want to boost the morale of your employees you could implement this new trend. In addition, stay tuned for our newsletters in July and August that gives more tips on how businesses can survive and prosper in this economic downturn.

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Posted July 9th, 2008 by Jessica Spinks - Posted in Human Resources, Productivity | | 1 Comments