The Benefits of Having an In-House HRMS System

by admin on May 13, 2012

Overwhelmed by Paperwork?

Has your HR department become a nightmare of paper, folders and file cabinets?  More importantly, does there seem to be an increase in “lost” documents?  You may have a concerns about a governmental audit or some legal action where you may have to produce various files and forms.  No worries!  There are several types of software and computer systems that will help you automate the process!  Here are a few frequently asked questions relating to an HRIS system.

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Candidates’ Visions and How They Will Affect Small Businesses

by compareHRIS on April 29, 2012

Running a small business, as the saying goes, “ain’t what it used to be”. Government compliance has become more strict (or is rumored to be heading in that direction), the soft economy continues to eat into your profit margin (if not threatening your very survival) and H.R. issues seem to continuously pose new challenges. The fact that it’s an election year further complicates the task of painlessly navigating the small business landscape. Why? Because political candidates, and by extension, their respective parties, vie for your vote by making promises they believe you, the small business owner, want to hear. Of course, only time will tell whether the reality of passing legislation will result in any of those promises coming to fruition.

So what is a SMB owner to do? Well, tempting as it may be to rely on sources you trust in print, on television or on the internet, depending solely on the opinion of others is just not smart business. Perhaps more than ever, now is the time to rely on someone you can trust (i.e., yourself) to do the research into the positions of the candidates/their parties as they relate to and potentially effect small businesses like yours.

You would be well-served to adequately research what each candidate’s vision is for health care, what their regulatory schemes and government compliance priorities are and where they stand on government spending and raising revenue, to name a few. And, by “adequately research” we mean turn to independent, non-partisan sources rather than those from just one side of the political divide who clearly have a partisan agenda. Otherwise, you’re not really informed, you’re simply indoctrinated.

For a list of some non-partisan information sources, read our complete article on the candidates’ views & how you may be affected.

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Employee Incentives – Money Isn’t Everything

by admin on April 24, 2012

It is almost a cliché that employees are not motivated by money. Of course, a solid compensation package is initially necessary to draw in and hire the best and the brightest but other factors are more important in keeping them productive and loyal.

While employee incentives need not be financially based, they must address the underlying factors that motivate a particular employee. That is, different types of people respond well to different types of rewards. For example, the simple recognition by a manager that a valued employee needs some flexibility in their schedule on a short or long term basis will work wonders on that employee’s motivation, morale and productivity.

With these facts in mind, here are some alternative ideas for motivating your employees, keeping costs to a minimum and greatly increasing the bottom line:

Recognition

The standard, go to reward, recognition should not be discounted as a significant motivational influence.  Awards, gift certificates and the like for hitting or surpassing goals is a well-established and effective tool. In fact, its most recent incarnation as “gamification,” has taken the online marketing world by storm.

Responsibility & Leadership

There are people, for good or ill, who want to be in charge. The task is to identify and promote the ones who are psychologically and professionally able to meet the challenge.  For certain people, the simple presentation of a title and the trust it represents will accomplish more than a bonus check. In short, there may be born leaders, but most are cultivated.

Flexibility

As mentioned, the recognition that someone has demands, obligations, and a life outside of work is extremely important to many employees. While, these employees may never rise to executive level, they still play an incredibly important part in the efficient running of your business. Flexible schedules that take into account their other obligations and build incredible loyalty as they are almost impossible to match at other employers.

Educational and Social Opportunities

On site seminars, casual dress day and seasonal or team building activities allow employees and management to interact in a less formal manner. It may seem trite, but each side gets to see how the other half lives.

Time Off & Stress Management

Again, the simple recognition by management that the work place is stressful is a remarkable palliative for “burn out,” reduces interpersonal conflicts and improves overall employee morale. The simple expedient of allowing people to leave early after a particularly stressful or successful day builds confidence that the leader has his hand on the pulse of the organization.

At the End of the Day

Don’t fool yourself, bonuses will always be expected. People rely on them for a variety reasons. Still, most yearly bonuses are forgotten by the end of the next fiscal quarter. It’s a question of, “What have you done for me lately?” The answer need not be monetary, but it must meet the specific needs of each employee.

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HRIS In-House Solutions or SaaS?

by admin on April 12, 2012

Every week, I’m inundated with calls to upgrade my HRIS system. While I recognize the need to stay current on this system as well as keeping it secure, I am still trying to process exactly what my options are.

For instance, my current system is still eminently usable but is reaching the limit of its capacity. Can I simply upgrade it or do I need to completely replace it?  Also, can I get a system that is accessible from all of our locations?  Currently, HR communicates are via email and the process is laborious.

Check out our article, Human Resource Information Systems: In-House Solutions vs. SaaS.  I think it will help you better understand the pros and cons of the different options available.

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4 Ways to Increase Productivity

by compareHRIS on April 1, 2012

Have you ever had one of those days at work where all you did was reorganized icons on your desktop…10 times? Where your biggest accomplishment for the day was replacing the filter on the coffee machine? Keeping your team on task on a daily basis can be difficult without proper direction and guidance. When running a business, an employer’s top priority is maximizing productivity. While there are many important factors to be considered in doing so, it is absolutely vital that an employer:

1. Defines clear expectations and associated repercussions for the company
2. Take advantage of HR Software Systems
3. Keep your employees healthy and happy
4. Foster good team relations

For more information on how to approach these tips, check out our article, 4 Ways to Increase Productivity.

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The Basics of SaaS

by compareHRIS on March 25, 2012

The complexity of Human Resource tasks can be very time-consuming, especially with an outdated or inefficient HRMS (human resource management service). With a wide variety of software available to streamline HR, managing and distributing software to employees of a large company or even to customers individually can be very difficult.  However, if companies are connected by a network, communication and operation can be optimized using SaaS (software as a service) models. Eliminating the need to install software on individual computers, SaaS models are available at a central server or location (such as the internet), where others may access and use the software as needed.

There are numerous sources that provide SaaS models, such as Bamboo HR and Triton HR. Vendors create, sell, and update the service to their customers, and normally charge a subscription fee in order to use their services. Under a license with the vendor, a company may choose from different packages to best suit their needs as a whole. SaaS models provide numerous benefits to a company or business as they are inexpensive, efficient methods of reducing time spent on managing tasks, thereby allowing for more time to be spent on developing the business. Less staff is needed to install and maintain the software on individual computers, and updates are very easy to acquire and distribute over a network.

SaaS models optimize the way a company can run; they can provide the necessary tools to any number of people in a simple, timely manner, and give companies peace of mind when it comes to technology.

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Decision 2012: The Best Candidate for Your Small Business

by compareHRIS on March 23, 2012

It’s election season! As the media inundates the public with analysis and opinion, it’s hard to find what is actually important to many small business owners: how will the new president affect their bottom-line. Even though all the candidates echo each other in one form or another (i.e. tax cuts), there are still some subtle differences in between their policies. However, there are two major areas in which the candidates differ.

1. Experience
Romney worked at Bain Capital, where he turned around failing businesses and amassed a personal fortune. Santorum and Gingrich can’t match up to Romney’s personal business experience, although Gingrich often refers to his time in Congress during the boom of the 90’s. All in all, Romney takes this aspect.

2. Tax Policy
All candidates are proposing cutting the corporate tax, maintaining income tax cuts, and ridding the estate tax. Romney plans on cutting the corporate rate to 25% from 35%; Santorum goes even further, cutting it to 17.5%; Gingrich poses the largest cut, slashing the rate down to 12.5%. However, Ron Paul has said that he would do away with all income, capital-gains, and estate taxes- the most radical stance of any of the candidates. So, who takes tax policy? Paul would, but his plan seems unfeasible- so it goes to Gingrich, who proposes the largest cut to corporate tax, benefitting businesses directly.
When you head to polls in the coming months, make sure to keep in mind how the candidate you’re voting for will affect your bottom-line. Not every candidate will fit each business, so do your research and make your vote count!

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New Year, New Potential; No Jobs

by compareHRIS on March 19, 2012

As the bells of 2011 have just now enjoyed their last few clangs, we are caught looking back on the successes and failures of the past year, warily preparing for the challenges and opportunities of 2012. In the past twelve months, we have seen the unearthing of a spring of democracy in the Middle East, the end of major US military involvement in Iraq, and the rising popularity of a boy named Bieber. We have endured a dismal employment market, all the while skeptically acknowledging and appreciating the few positive turns in our taxing domestic economy.

Assuming the Mayans were wrong, the upcoming year holds great promise – especially in the realm of technological advancement. But with the recent passing of Steve Jobs, it is unclear what path the new wave of gadgets and gismos will follow. In a recent article out of The Sydney Morning Herald profiling the relatively new Apple CEO Tim Cook, it is revealed that the company’s year was still extraordinarily fruitful, despite the tragic passing of its guru. Mr. Cook alone raked in almost $400 million, which is one of the biggest pay packages to date.

But I wonder if Apple can sustain its position as the hegemon of the technological industry. Jobs was a one-in-a-million type of guy, who guided his company from near-bankruptcy to the pedestal of success that it rests on today. As the old saying goes, ‘time will [most definitely] tell,’ as we apprehensively clamor to our seats: what is in store for Apple in 2012?

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Three Easy Tips to Help You Build the Perfect Job Description

by compareHRIS on March 19, 2012

1. More is NOT better; be concise!

A potential employee does not need an unabridged list of all the possible tasks he or she may be assigned. If you actually took the list into consideration, you would probably realize that an effective employee wouldn’t even be able to adhere to the tasks verbatim. Stop wasting ink. An over-sized job description may intimidate job seekers and act as a turn-off from applying to your company.

When you’re creating a job description ask yourself one simple question: what are the most important characteristics for succeeding at this job?

2. Avoid the classic ‘bloated’ job description.

LIST THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES.

Construct your job description by listing (in order), the primary responsibilities of the new employee. Focus on the five to eight most important duties.

WORK OUT THE TIME REQUIREMENTS FOR EACH RESPONSIBILITY.

This will give both you and your potential employee a better idea of the job requirements for a given position.

The following table might serve as an example template for a project manager:

With this simple technique, you have placed a logical cap on the responsibilities for the new employee. There’s no point listing 10 other responsibilities if there’s no time available in the workweek to fit them in.

3. Use your job description as a reference tool.

By presenting less, more important questions, you will be able to thoroughly assess a potential employees aptitude for the position. You will be able to frame your interview questions to see if he or she possesses the necessary skills to succeed in your company.

This will also help you identify the wrong candidates for the job. This is equally as valuable as finding the candidate that best fits the mold of your job description.  An HRIS system can better help you identify qualified applicants as well as search prior job applicants that might not have been a fit at the time, however now you seem to have the perfect match available.

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Zappos CEO Discusses the Importance of “Company Culture”

by admin on March 9, 2012

Last summer’s conference for the Society of Human Resource Management featured a keynote address by Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh. His comments stressed the importance of “Company Culture” in delivering business success. It also just so happened that the conference was being held in Las Vegas, where Zappos is headquartered, and afforded the opportunity for conference goers to tour the quirky online shoe seller’s facilities. What visitors found during their tour sent many business leaders home on mission to change their businesses.

The following are a few items that Hsieh pointed out during his address:

Keep It Original – Zappos is known for innovating tools that assist their employees with delivering exceptional service. Many other business leaders have attempted to copy some of the company’s tools and methods, but the author and CEO warns against that. Many of their ideas are spawned out of their unusual business culture and don’t transfer well to other business climates. Hsieh stressed, before significant changes or new ideas can be implemented in any business organization, leaders must first sit down and define their businesses’ values. Armed with those values, leaders can then set out to build new processes and systems that will deliver new rewards.

Take Risks – Zappos continues to take risks with their business model and methods. Right from the beginning Zappos flips things around by training new employees to view the company as a “customer service business” first and a “shoe seller” second. That thought process bleeds right into another one of their strong beliefs; that call times should not be measured. This is the exact opposite of most traditional call centers and again is an example of a cultural item that would fail in most other businesses.

Create A Cultural Image – Zappos is famous for not having offices (even CEO Hsieh works alongside his employees without an office) and for encouraging the staff to decorate their work space in any crazy fashion they like. The entire company owns this image.

Seek Employees That Fit – This is a key element to Zappos success. As soon as an employee completes his or her 4 week training, the company offers them a $3000 bonus to quit. Yes! They sit down with their newly trained associate and discuss the option of this person not continuing to work for their company. The company’s thought process here is to weed out people who are all about the money. It is the final test to ensure that they are hiring a person who wants to be a part of a great team.

Honestly, we all want to build organizations that attain the successful heights of Zappos but we can’t do it by copying their blue print. No, that path would lead to doom for most businesses. What is valuable from watching Zappos, is the understanding that discovering your organization’s own values is the starting point to designing a successful business culture.  It doesn’t have to be as quirky as Zappos, but a little fun never hurt anyone.

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