Guides & Articles on Human Resources
Conducting Employee Surveys
In-house surveys can help you harvest talent and boost the bottom line
Employees are the most important asset at any company, and employee surveys are a great way to tap employee ideas and gauge worker satisfaction. Surveys can net you valuable insight on how to plan your growth, and stem small problems before they get big. Employee surveys done right can deliver insight into what needs to be done to make your business better, and they show...
Creating Great Presentations
Focus on content, design and delivery for a winning presentation
An outstanding presentation is much more than a PowerPoint slide show loaded with bells and whistles. A stellar sales pitch engages the listener by connecting what he or she already knows with the new material you wish to share. It's this connection with the audience that transforms a good presentation into a great one. To achieve this connection, your presentation must...
Creating an Employee Manual
A well done employee handbook can protect both you and your workers
When your business is small, making sure workers know all the policies, processes and rules is easy. But as your company grows, you need to put your operational procedures in writing. An employee manual effectively accomplishes this by informing your workers what is expected, and also ensures that your business complies with state and federal employment laws. You can include...
Dress Codes for Small Business
Creating and enforcing a standard of dress is important, but can be tricky
What your employees – at least, the ones who make contact with clients and the public – wear says a lot about your company, and in some cases an employee dress code is a necessity for health or safety reasons. But creating a standard of dress and grooming isn't easy. In order for a dress code to be legally enforceable, it can't restrict gender equality or religious...
Employee Evaluation
How to turn an employee review into a positive, productive tool
Too often, an employee performance evaluation ranks with dental visits as an unpleasant but necessary annual task. Yet when approached strategically, the employee review process can be painless — and profitable, once employees understand how their contribution affects the company's vision, values, and bottom line. Putting an effective evaluation system in place can:...
Employee Incentives
Keep your employees happy and they'll keep your customers happy
Numerous studies have shown that money alone won't fully motivate employees. Sure, moolah is important, but employees respond to recognition and other non-cash perks as well. An occasional pat on the back for a job well done goes a long way. Hiring mistakes cost thousands of dollars, so you can see why keeping your employees happy is key. Rewarding your employees helps you: ...
Employee Stock Purchase Plans
Employees get stock at a discount; you get more motivated workers
An employee stock purchase plan (ESPP) lets employees purchase company stock at a discount of up to 15 percent off of its fair market value. An ESPP isn't a retirement plan — that would be an employee stock ownership program (ESOP), in which your company contributes stock to a retirement fund. Instead, an ESPP allows employees to purchase stock and do what they want with it,...
Equal Employment Opportunity Rules
Train throughout your company to stay on track
Everything you do involving personnel, from advertising a job opening to saying goodbye, is governed by equal employment opportunity laws. It's a big field, including anti-discrimination laws covering race, ethnicity, gender, age, ability and family status. The best approach is prevention of possible violations. To do this, take three key actions: Know the at least the...
Establishing an Employee Internet Policy
Setting some limits can help you combat hackers and slackers
It's a fact: Employees waste about two hours a day at work, much of it on the Internet. By setting reasonable limits on Web access, employees stay focused on the job and your business protects its valuable bandwidth. You'll need a three-part strategy: Conduct an in-depth review of your employees' Internet use Create an acceptable use policy with rules and expectations...
Executive Recruiters and Headhunters
When Monster.com isn't enough, hire a human scout
OK, so nearly everybody who needs a new executive these days starts the same place: Monster.com. That's not always the best option. Enlisting the aid of an executive recruiter offers some important advantages to small companies, including access to top talent that shuns the recruiting sites, expert consultation on defining positions and selecting candidates, an active hunt for...
Finding Home-Business Opportunities
Use technology to add freedom to job life
Technology has made starting a successful home business easier than ever. With a computer equipped with Internet access, an email program and an all-in-one fax-printer-copier, you can launch a home business and serve customers located just about anywhere in the world. When choosing a home-business opportunity, ask yourself: Is there a legitimate need for this product or service?...
Finding and Working with a Business Mentor
Learn from successful business owners with free counseling
Sometimes, as a business owner, you can feel like you have no one to turn to for help. You can't always approach your employees for help with big decisions – and they're not likely to have the experience to help you find the right answers. What you can do is develop a relationship with a business mentor, a successful businessperson who has already been through the...
Hiring Human Resources Management Consultants
Hired guns can troubleshoot sensitive employment issues or train staff
Whether your company is large or small, sometimes an outside perspective from a human resource (HR) consultant is beneficial. Whether you hire a large firm or an independent consultant, you will have the advantage of experts who can assess your current HR processes for compliance. Consultants also can help navigate through delicate labor issues and the potential minefield of...
Hiring People with Disabilities
Accommodation allows good employees to maximize their abilities and skills
Many working people have disabilities, some of which are more visible or disabling than others. An employee who wears bifocals and enlarges computer type to see better is someone overcoming a disability. So is someone who uses a wheelchair and adjusts his desk accordingly. When hiring someone with a disability, focus on these areas: Education: Find out about the disability and...
Interviewing Prospective Employees
Ask the right questions to make the right hire
When looking to hire new team members to help your business grow, the interview process is key to making the right decisions. With careful planning, well-crafted questions and a candidate evaluation system, you can find the best people to join your staff. By mastering the art of the interview, you can: Differentiate between equally qualified candidates. Determine if someone would...
Managing Employee Conflicts
Pump up productivity by keeping peace in the workplace
Peace on earth may not be attainable, but peace in the workplace is a must if you want your small business to thrive. Avoiding conflicts entirely is impossible, but a good manager can resolve conflicts and keep them to a minimum. All you need is to put a plan in place to help prevent conflicts from arising in the first place and to resolve them when they do crop up. Keeping a...
New Employee Orientation
Get your hires up to speed faster with "onboarding".
With all the demands of running a small business, new employee orientation often falls by the wayside, and new hires are left to sink or swim. But neglecting onboarding – the latest term for getting a new employee acclimated – prevents new hires from reaching productivity quickly and can make them feel unwelcome. That adds up to a frustrating experience for new hires...
Office Romance
A well-crafted policy defining sexual harassment helps prevent lawsuits
It starts with a glance, a compliment, a smile. Flirting over the water cooler leads to lunches, provocative e-mails and before long, you're in the middle of a hot romance. Or perhaps two of your employees are dancing with Cupid. Before you turn a blind eye and ignore the lovebirds – or before you indulge in dating an employee or subordinate yourself - remember these...
Overtime Pay, Policies and Rules
Small business owners should know under what circumstances they must pay it.
With lean staffs, deadline pressures and sudden requests from clients, it is not surprising that a small business owner, from time to time, will have to ask his or her employees to work extra hours. But in the last-minute rush, don't forget this: The federal Fair Labor Standards Act covers more than 80 million American workers and guarantees the right to overtime pay, also...
Paying Employee Bonuses
Used correctly, they'll help grow your small business
Bonuses act as motivators, rewards and nice ways to thank employees for helping you build your company. Even if you can afford only small bonuses, they let employees know you appreciate their work. Include these ideas in your approach: Bonuses should be linked to performance of the team, unit or individual against specific and measurable goals that are attainable Year-end is not...
Preparing for a Disaster
Expect the unexpected and you'll be better off in the long run
What's better: preparing for a disaster that never comes or blowing off the chances of an emergency and losing your business when one occurs? According to the American Red Cross, as many as 40 percent of small businesses fail to reopen after natural catastrophes such as earthquakes and floods. Don't let this happen to your business. By taking action ahead of time, you can...
Productivity Improvement Strategies
More productive workers mean more time and energy for improving the bottom line.
What are your biggest barriers to productivity? Low morale and sluggish motivation? A lack of focus? Or clutter, procrastination and time eaten up by small, repetitive tasks? When it comes to improving your organization's overall productivity, small things can count as much as the big things. Wasted seconds add up over time, and what looks like minimal disorganization can create...
Properly Firing an Employee
Handle a termination graciously and stay out of legal trouble
Few things you will do in the process of running a business are as unpleasant as firing an employee. But as much as you may want to avoid the situation, firing an employee may be the best option in certain instances. When that time comes, you need to: Decide when to terminate Avoid discrimination and wrongful termination lawsuits. Treat the employee with respect and understanding....
Setting Employee Pay Levels and Salaries
How to zero in on appropriate employee compensation in a small business
To attract and keep talented, productive employees, you need to compensate employees fairly. Coming up with specific salary figures for job positions requires a lot more than guesswork. Each employee's salary must be appropriate for the duties and expectations of the position, the size of your business and the competitiveness of your local market and your industry. Your...
Setting up a Keogh Plan
Self-employed? Consider a Keogh plan for retirement savings.
Back in 1962, when there were limited alternatives for self-employed individuals interested in starting their own pension funds, Congress created the Keogh plan as a new type of self-directed retirement program. A lot has changed in the world of retirement plans since then, but the Keogh is still around. The Keogh provided greater flexibility for small businesses than other...
