Business Tips Guides

How does an organization know when its time to use HR technology? Generally there are a few simple things to think about when considering buying HR software.

If your organizations main goal is automation, take a week to record how much time of your day is spent on different tasks. For instance, watch your recruiters and try to figure out how many hours they spend sifting through their inbox and estimate how much faster it would be to have only candidate resumes to sift through instead of spam, internal communications and follow up emails. Or, watch your managers during an appraisal cycle fill out a number of forms with roughly the same information and try to estimate time savings if managers had a single place to go and appraisals forms were pre-populated with the right competencies. Then try to put a real dollar value on the estimated time savings. How much value does basic automation provide to you and your company?

If your main goal is to create unified processes to drive efficiency, the same sort of activity applies. Though slightly more difficult, try to estimate a real dollar value for aligning goals and providing clear direction to your employees. We find that efficiency numbers increase within an organization somewhere between 30 to 50 percent depending on the process that the software addresses. Take what you think you will save in hard dollars and compare it to your cost per hire across your organization. If what you will save in dollars is roughly equal to or less than 30 percent of your entire year’s recruiting budget based on cost per hire, then the time to look at HR software is now.

Alternately, your organization could have had an ATS for years, but due to your company growth your vendor isn’t necessarily built to meet your long-term needs. Or your vendor is being acquired by another vendor (a trend we think will be happening much more frequently in the future) and you’re not sure the newly merged vendor will meet your needs either. Making a change is tough because you have many processes that are either built around your current vendor or built in spite of your vendor. However, knowing that you will need to make a change sooner rather than later gives you a chance to really think about what you want to change in your processes and address what you wish you had done the first time around. It can be stressful but it can also be liberating.

At the core of the question is the angst that you may be buying more than you need or can use. If you are asking the question, the need is there. You’ve recognized on some level that you need HR technology that helps you get insight into your people or processes and realize success. That’s usually a good sign that you are ready for whatever the market has to offer whether it’s an OnDemand delivery or a hosted setup.

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Human Resource Management Software
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Top talent management company
talent management software

Motivation energizes our efforts to keep taking the actions that lead to placements. Money has never been a true motivator for me. It’s a nice reward for sure, but once there’s plenty of money around the moment of truth arrives for each Recruiter. What is it that makes us want to do our job well?

A long time ago I put together a little system in my own brain that keeps me on track. I suspect most other Recruiters have done the same although many of those systems remain unvoiced.

I value freedom in both my work and personal life. Recruiting has provided a means for me to maintain my freedom. I’m also fond of efficiency. I set out each day to accomplish two important functions. I try and get those two things done within 4 hours. My commitment to recruiting revolves around this deal I made with myself. Each day I will work until two crucial tasks are completed. If I get those tasks completed within 4.5 hours the rest of the day is free if I so choose.

It’s that simple. My productivity centers around getting 2 or 3 quality send-outs a week (which translates into 1 or 2 placements a week). So each day I either need to recruit a candidate to send out on an interview, or get a job order.

The thought of having an unfulfilled job order drives me crazy. The idea I may let a client down creates great agitation within me and pushes me to act. This tenacity creates momentum. Healthy self-respect and the desire to deliver what was promised is also motivating. Concentrate on your client’s needs.

I focus entirely on whatever task is at hand. If I find a candidate on the sixth phone call of the day, I move on to a few reference checks and a new job order if my wonderful new candidate is not a match for any of my current job orders. I always interview a new candidate twice before scheduling a send out. I’ve found candidates need time for my questions and their responses to germinate. The second interview tends to have more substance.

Recruiting candidates, scheduling send outs, and getting new job orders are critical to any Recruiter’s success. All the other steps involved in a placement are support tasks, in my opinion. I never do support type tasks unless one of the primary tasks are completed in any given day.

There are Recruiters out there who work fifty to seventy hours a week. They may even be making up to a million dollars a year. That is possible. I’m most content when I operate to please myself and in a way that produces balance in my life. I’ve owned businesses that did require me to work 60, 70, even 80 hours a week. Once those businesses started to succeed I was able to put managers in place to smooth out operations. I no longer want to work that hard and don’t. I can no longer sustain 50 to 70 hours week for months at a time.

I know of recruiters who interview 18 to 20 people a week and make 4 to 8 placements a week. More power to them. Recruiter know thyself I say. March to your inner drummer and take pleasure in the ample rewards that accompany impacting the futures of businesses, candidates, and your personal circle of friends and family who interact with you everyday.

One final point. If there are parts of the recruiting process that you avoid…find someone else to complete those tasks. Don’t fight with yourself. Know your strengths. Do ’splits’ with other recruiters and you’ll be able to maintain your motivation, keep cruising, and enjoy everything this great profession has to offer.

Kimberly Schenk has over 25 years experience in business. For 17 of those years she has been an Executive Recruiter and Trainer. She shares her success secrets with Recruiters in her eBook,
Top Recruiter Secrets

Outsourcing occurs when a business secures (purchases) products and/or services from a third party, as opposed to producing them in-house. There are several advantages and disadvantages to outsourcing.

Advantages of Outsourcing
One of the biggest advantages can be lower personnel costs. By outsourcing job duties to non-employees, a business does not have to pay consistent wages or offer additional employee benefits. The company may pay lower taxes because independent contractors, the people who complete the outsourced projects, pay their own withholding, social security, and other taxes. This can add up to substantial savings.

Some businesses choose to take their outsourcing one step further by choosing a vendor, located in another part of the world. Doing so typically saves them more money because they end up paying a much lower wage than would be necessary in their home country. The disadvantage is that these vendors may not understand English and communication is more difficult.

Many times, outsourcing speeds up production time. Since the third-party vendor will only be concentrating on one specific task, instead of numerous office duties, actual production time can be greatly increased.

Outsourcing gives a business the flexibility to change third-party vendors whenever necessary. This process is not as time-consuming as the normal employee hiring process, because they are not screening individuals, they are considering established companies with proven track records.

An excellent example of this is customer service. When a business outsources its customer service department, it does not have to hire and oversee thirty individual operators. Instead, it can hire one call center, which will perform all needed tasks.

Recent studies show that information technology-related tasks are outsourced more than anything else. Other common department functions that are outsourced include: human relations, training, accounting and supply management.

Whether a business chooses to outsource on a temporary basis or permanently, the advantages are well worth the decision to do so. Most businesses, which set out to outsource temporarily end up making an ongoing commitment.

Disadvantages of Outsourcing

One of the biggest disadvantages of outsourcing is undesirable results. This is especially true when a company hires a third-party vendor to mass produce a product. In the event that the finished products do not meet quality standards, the manufacturing process must be repeated by a different vendor.

Not only is this a waste of time and materials, it can also be very costly for the company who outsourced the project. They are essentially paying twice for the same job. In addition there is always the possibility that the company may lose sales, during this same period because of the lack of available product.

Another disadvantage of outsourcing is a loss of jobs. Many times work is outsourced simply as a means to save money. Outsourcing to a foreign country typically saves a company a great deal in wages. So, the choice is made to reduce their local workforce, at the expense of the laid-off employees.

In turn, it can cause community uproar and even a decrease in business and profits. This happens when local consumers make the decision to shop elsewhere, as a way to voice their disdain.

Outsourcing customer service jobs, to foreign countries, is on the rise. Many large corporations including credit card companies, shopping networks and computer manufacturers are making this change.

The problem with this is a lack of communication. It can be very frustrating for a consumer who is calling in with a customer service issue. When this individual cannot understand the customer service representative they are speaking with, it just causes more frustration and does little to solve the problem.

Find more about outsourcing. Dee Power is the author of several nonfiction books and the novel “Over Time.” More professional expert resources

Employers often hire workers and categorize them as independent contractors to avoid paying overtime, taxes, and complying with other federal and state labor and employment related laws. In overtime cases the courts and the administrative agencies do not automatically accept the idea that a worker is not entitled to overtime rights by simply categorizing the worker as an independent contractor. The workers are more often than not still employees and can file overtime claims.

The test to determine if a worker is an independent contractor is based primarily on the principal’s right to direct and control the manner and means by which the work is performed. It does not mean the employer has to exercise these rights. If the principal has the right to control then the worker will be an employee, even if the employer never actually exercises the control. When the principal does not have the right of direction and control over the worker, then the worker is independent contractor. The question in most cases is what does the right to control mean.

1. Do you instruct or supervise the worker while the worker is working ?
Independent contractors are free to jobs in any way they see fit. It is the end result that matters for independent contractors. If there are company procedures or if the worker is given specific instructions on how to do the work, then chances are that the worker is an employee.

2. Can you fire the worker at any time or can the worker quit at any time without notice ?
If you have the right to fire the worker without notice, it strongly shows that you have the right to control the worker. Independent contractors are hired for specific jobs and cannot be fired until the job is complete. Independent contractors are not free to quit with little or no notice.

3. Is the work performed part of your regular business?
Work which is a necessary part of the regular trade or business is normally done by employees and not something that would be subcontracted. Something that is done occasionally would be considered work done by independent contractor. Regularly answering the phone to take orders would not be done by an independent contractor.

4. Does the worker have a separately established business?
Independent contractors hold themselves out to the general public as available to perform services similar to those performed for the principal, this is evidence that the individuals are operating separately established businesses and would normally be
independent contractor. Independent contractors are also free to hire employees and assign the work to others in any way they choose and fire their employees fire their employees without your knowledge consent. Independent contractors normally advertise their services and seek new customers through the use of business cards.

5. Is the worker free to make business decisions which affect the worker’s ability to profit from the work?
An individual is normally an independent contractor when he or she is free to make business decisions which impact his or her ability to profit or suffer a loss. This involves real economic risk, not just the risk of not getting paid.

6. Does the individual have a substantial investment which would subject him or her to a financial risk of loss?
Independent contractors furnish the tools, equipment, and supplies needed to perform the work. Independent contractors normally have an investment in the items needed to complete their tasks.

7. Do you have employees who do the same type of work?
If the work being done is basically the same as work that is normally done by your employees, it indicates that the worker is an employee.

8. Do you furnish the tools, equipment, or supplies used to perform the work?
Independent business people furnish the tools, equipment, and supplies needed to perform the work.

9. Is the work considered unskilled or semi-skilled labor?
The courts and the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board have held unskilled or semi-skilled are the type of workers the law is meant to protect and are generally employees.

10. Do you provide training for the worker?
When training is required to do the task, it is an indication that the worker is an employee.

11. Is the worker paid a fixed salary, an hourly wage, or based on a piece rate basis?
Independent contractors agree to do a job and get paid for the job.

12. Did the worker previously perform the same or similar services for you as an employee?
If the worker previously performed the same or similar services as an employee, then the worker is probably still an employee.

13. Does the worker believe that he or she is an employee?
When both the principal and the worker believe they have and agreement where the worker is an independent contractor, an argument exists to support an independent contractor relationship between the parties.

Learn About your Rights At
Labor Overtime

An employee recognition ceremony can be a big, elaborate gala or a small company picnic. An employee recognition ceremony can even be a surprise team meeting where the team leader is recognized by the team and his or her supervisor. It’s not really the employee recognition ceremony that counts, it’s the fact that the employee is being recognized that matters the most.

When planning an employee recognition ceremony the first thing you should do is look at your budget. How much do you have to spend on this ceremony and how many people do you need to accommodate? Your budget will have the biggest impact on the venue and theme of your employee recognition ceremony.

When looking at your budget, you will need to know how many employees are being recognized. Are you planning an employee recognition ceremony for the CEO of the company to be recognized by all of his employees, or is the employee recognition ceremony for a group of employees to be recognized by the CEO?

What kind of gifts will you hand out at the employee recognition ceremony? Expensive gifts will reduce your venue budget. Do you think the employees being recognized will appreciate a gala event with smaller gifts or will they get more satisfaction from a company picnic with more expensive gifts? These decisions are probably going to be determined by the size and type of company you have.

Some of the things that can be recognized at an employee recognition ceremony are outstanding performance, excellent evaluation, high safety standards, meeting productivity goals, and much more. Sometimes an employee recognition ceremony will be held just for the purpose of improving the attitude of the employees when they seem to begin to go sour.

A fun attitude improving employee recognition ceremony is an employee roast. Find some funny gifts or recognition certificates that are meant to tease the employees for things like: the messiest desk or most likely to marry a co-worker or the employee who needs the most frequent evaluations. You get the idea. This kind of employee recognition ceremony will lift the spirits of employees in a rut and improve morale. Be sure to roast someone in upper management in order for the employees to have the most fun.

For the most part, an employee recognition ceremony is one of the best ways to hand out recognition awards and gifts to deserving employees. There are times when an employee recognition ceremony is inappropriate, too. You probably won’t want to host an employee recognition ceremony when handing out compensation awards. An employee’s compensation, even bonus amounts, are a very private matter and should not be discussed or displayed among their peers.

Other than that, the benefits of planning and hosting an employee recognition ceremony are improved morale, an invigorated team, higher creativity, better attendance, and better retention of good employees. Heck, even the bad employees will want to stay around longer in hopes of earning recognition at your next employee recognition ceremony. The ceremony might just be enough to turn your bad employees into good ones.

Patricia Stevens owns and operates http://www.employeerecognitionpoint.com Employee Recognition

Work can be stressful at the best of times, so longer hours on the job often mean more stress and, as a result, more work-related injuries. These can include muscle and joint pain resulting from long hours sitting in the same position, repetitive strain injuries from performing (as the name suggests) repetitive tasks, work errors due to stress and fatigue, and illnesses aggravated by stress, including physical problems such as colds and flus and mental health problems like depression and anxiety.

Health-care professionals report most of their patient visits are stress-related - some estimates are as high as 80 percent.

A March 2004 Ipsos-Reid study indicated that the most preventable reasons for employee absenteeism were:
1. depression/anxiety/other mental health disorders
stress
2. negative relationships with supervisor
3. co-worker conflict in the workplace

Employee Assistance Programs: The Rescue Plan
Over 10 years of research on employee health and wellness programs support these programs as a cost-effective solution. Employee absenteeism is reduced, Worker’s Compensation Board claims are fewer, health insurance costs go down, and companies experience increased productivity and performance from their employees. For example:

Coca Cola reported saving $500 each year for every employee who participated in a company fitness program.
Coors Brewing Co. reported a 550% return for every dollar invested in their corporate wellness program, and absenteeism among participating employees decreased by 18%.

Prudential Insurance Company reported that the cost of benefits per employee who participated in their program was $312. For those who didn’t, the cost was $574.

Where Do I Sign Up?
If your company does not have an employee wellness program already set up, you may be in the position to lead the way. If not, contact your human resources department or, if you have access, go straight to the top, your president or Chief Executive Officer. This could be the big idea that gets you that big promotion!

Bear in mind that quality wellness programs should educate employees on proper ergonomics, nutrition, stress management, and chronic pain management. In other words, they should cover all the bases of health and wellness.

Employee wellness provider Exan Wellness, has been studying wellness programs for years, designing the most cost-effective and results-effective employee health programming. Exan’s combined approach of health promotion, health risk assessment, web portal, wellness literature, tele-workshops, cell groups and email and telephone access to a variety of health professionals, produces measurable changes in health risks and productivity. This is an approach that has been used around the world.

In a study published by the National Institute of Health, employees in a multinational corporation headquartered in the United Kingdom were presented with a multi-component health promotion program incorporating a health risk appraisal questionnaire, access to a tailored health improvement web portal, wellness literature, and seminars and workshops focused upon identified wellness issues. Improvements in all areas were measured.

“Mean excess reductions of 0.45 health risk factors and 0.36 monthly absenteeism days and a mean increase of 0.79 on the work performance scale were observed in the intervention group compared with the control group. The intervention yielded a positive return on investment, even using conservative assumptions about effect size estimation,” reports the study.

Exan Wellness, Inc. is a provider of corporate wellness programs that maximize the efficiency of internet tools with personal health coaching and worksite programs. http://www.exanwellness.com