Employment | Business Management Resource

Hiring Tips

All bosses know what they are looking for in new employees. Once you are actually meeting with the person, you have already seen a resume and have spoken to the prospective employee via telephone. Make sure that by the time you are asking a person to come in to speak with you for an interview you have chosen the right person. Check the resume thoroughly. On line job sites have people post their resumes so that prospective employers can search through them, learning the skills that an employee possesses and seeing if they want to pursue this relationship further. Read through the resume. Make sure that what the person stated is true, and that it can be verified. If references are given, call them. Make sure that the person represented on this application is truly who they say they are.

Continue to get to know the person when you call to set up an interview. Make the call yourself. You can have an impression of the person through their voice and the way they present themselves. Did you like their voice? Were they articulate? Were they able to answer your questions without hesitation and with confidence? The answers to these questions will help you decide if indeed, you want to have the person come in for a face to face interview. If you found anything questionable on the submitted resume, straighten out. Ask the person to clarify any misunderstandings or explain something to you.

When you do see the person face to face, read their body language. All employees on interviews are nervous. This could be the career they have been searching for. Put the person at ease and you will get much more information than if they feel intimidated. Give them the opportunity to ask you questions. You may learn exactly what they are looking for in this business relationship.

Filed Under: Hiring, Human Resources Tagged With: Employment, Résumé

The Termination Crisis

There are many times in your business where you have to let employees go, terminate your relationship with them. Sometimes it is a matter of realizing they are not the right person for the job. There could also be incidences of insubordination. You may have an employee who takes advantage and calls out sick too often. You may have someone whose production is not what it should be, even after many talks and chances to right the wrongs. These are all reasons to terminate an employee. There are definitely more serious infractions and unfortunately they are all too common. Employees have been caught outright stealing from the company. Books have been doctored and accounts are open in names they should not be. These more serious infractions are cause for immediate termination. If not caught, these infractions can and will be traced back to you. You could lose your business or even face criminal charges.

You need to deal with an employee in this situation very carefully. This person may have a personal grudge against you or your business. He may be someone who just needed the money and knew he was good with the books. Whatever the reason, terminating a disgruntled employee can go badly very quickly. Hopefully your business has rules about weapons and/or firearms and is diligent in making sure those rules are followed. You just never know. If you have to confront an employee who is breaking the law, make sure you have legal back up. Call the local law enforcement if you need to. Consult your attorneys on what should be done.

While you know this employee needs to leave, you have other employees and their safety to consider. Take every precaution when terminating someone who has done something illegal. If they are capable of that, you do not know what else they are capable of doing.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: Business, Employment

Terminating An Employee

Every boss hires new employees with the thought that this could be a long-term working relationship. The boss is hoping this is the case, as is, in most cases, the employee. Both parties are willing to work through the rough spots, to get to that place where the employee is comfortable with the work and the boss is confident in the employee. Sometimes this takes longer than other times. Some employees need more training, a little more help to get them started working on their own. If their work is good and you are happy with their performance, this does not seem like such a big investment to you.

There are those employees who just never seem to catch on. You are beginning to think that this may not be the right job for them. You obviously hired this person because you felt they were good for your company. Maybe there is another position they are better suited for. Unfortunately when all avenues have been exhausted it may be time to terminate your relationship with that employee. It may just not have been a good fit. Obviously he or she is not the right person for the job. They may feel the same way. Maybe this is not what they expected this position to be, or it is just too different than what they are used to. They have tried, but nothing seems to be clicking.

It happens. At times like these a boss has to do the one thing he probably enjoys the least, let the person go. Be the consummate professional. Sit the employee down and let him know you feel he or she tried and that you hope he or she realizes that you did too. However, you feel at this time that this is not the right position for him, it is not working out for you and you think he should look elsewhere for employment.

Filed Under: Employee Relationships, Human Resources Tagged With: Employment, Human resources

The Company Car

Finding creative ways to keep your employees happy is a great skill, and one that never becomes more important as when there is a recession. Big company cars for higher level management, along with credit cards to fill those gas guzzling tanks might not be feasible for your company. However, if your employees will be required to travel you will have to find some way to make this happen. Investing in a fleet of eco friendly automobiles may be a very wise investment. While the initial cost would be higher than purchasing cars, in the long run, the money you will save in gas and wear and tear may be substantial. You may come to the point where you cannot offer company cars to employees. Be aware that you will have to find some way to reimburse travel expenses. There are companies out there who keep their own gas pumps on the company grounds in order to provide gas for those who need to travel. Perhaps you can forge a relationship with a local car dealer, thereby garnering better deals for cars that you may need to purchase.

Maybe van pooling is the way to go. This became very popular during the gas crunch and is not a bad idea. This type of transportation saves wear and tear on the employees automobile, and the ride to work can be a mini meeting in and of itself. Many good ideas have come out of the ride to work. When employees are in a group they are most likely going to talk about the job.

If you cannot offer company cars, perhaps you can share the expense of a car, its maintenance and gas with the employee. Offering to help defray the costs of the transportation is certainly better than requiring the employee to absorb the entire cost, and is an important way for your company to trim the budget.

Filed Under: Employee Relationships Tagged With: Automobile, Employment

Making The Interview Count

You already know you are interested in an employee. You have seen his resume and are impressed with his qualifications. You have made the phone call and you have spoken to him. You liked the way he handled himself on the phone and you have decided to meet with him face to face, that final step to see if he is the employee you are looking for, the all important member of your team.

While there are certain things you can count on, he will be nervous, he may stumble a little, but you will get to know him a little better. You can overlook the awkwardness that comes with nerves. You realize that putting him at ease will make this interview a lot easier on both of you. Making him nervous will only cause him to lose confidence and you will not get to know exactly what he has to offer. As well, you will come off as a rigid boss, and perhaps one he would rather not work for.

The face to face interview is the last piece of the puzzle. If all goes well, you will offer him a position with your company. If it does not go well, he will leave and you will feel as though you have wasted valuable times. If you have interviewed dozens of people for positions you probably have a good routine. You know the obvious, he has the qualifications you require, you liked the way he looked on paper and you have spoken to him. During the face to face interview, make sure you cover everything you will require of your future employee. Make your business practices well known. Converse about how he will be an asset to your company. Remember, as much as you are learning about him, he is also making his final decision, and if he is what you are looking for, let him know it.

Filed Under: Hiring, Human Resources Tagged With: Employment, Interview

Negotiating The Contract

Not all businesses require their employees to sign contracts. Whether or not you actually have a signed contract between you and your boss, there is an implied contract. If you have been hired to do a certain job, you must do that job to the best of your availability. You need to show up when you are supposed to, use your benefits properly and live up to your end of the contract. The implication is that if you do not stick to your end of the bargain, the boss then has the right to take action up to and including letting you go. This is a straight forward contract, with both parties being aware of the rights and consequences of keeping and/or breaking the contract.

Then there are those positions which require a signed contract, an agreement between boss and employee on different points of the job. Most contracts state what is required of the employee, what will be done if those requirements are not met, as well as any bonuses or extras if the job requirements are met regularly. When you are hired, your boss or your Human Resource representative will approach you with the actual contract. This is most likely something you discussed with your employer at the time you were hired. You may have even negotiated some of the terms of the contract, for example giving up some paid time off for a little more in the paycheck. All of these things should be listed in your contract.

Just remember not to sign a contract that does not clearly state exactly what was agreed upon between you and the boss. It is the duty of the Human Resource department to make sure that you understand every aspect of the contract, making sure that both boss and employee are well represented and have agreed on all points of interest in the contract.

Filed Under: Human Resources Tagged With: Employment, Human resources

Employee Morale

Every good business is a good business because of the people who worked to make it that, from the CEO of the company, down to the janitor who keeps the business looking clean and neat. Every good boss knows this. Keeping the employees happy has never been more important. Disgruntled employees can make for a difficult work place. On the other hand, happy employees keep a work place happy, and happy work places are considerably more productive than unhappy work places. During fat times, when the money is flowing it is easy to keep the employees happy. Employees who are appreciated with monthly or quarterly production bonuses, delivered lunches, or some extra time off feel appreciated. When an employee feels appreciated, he is more likely to keep production up and the cash flow continues.

It is difficult during a recession to keep the bonuses and free lunches coming. This may be one of the first things that needs to be trimmed from your budget. If this is the case, make sure that management are not still continuing to collect fat bonuses while the lesser employees are working hard and not seeing the bonuses. Let your employees know that you appreciate everything they are doing to keep the business going strong during a recession. Make sure that management and higher paid employees are proportionately taking the same cuts. It is not good for the employees to see management padding the expense accounts with lavish lunches and overnight trips to nowhere. Let your management team know that you appreciate them as well, and that everyone has to give a little across the board.

Find some inexpensive ways to let the employees know that they are appreciated. Have contests with prizes for good production, positive attitudes or other employee positive situations. Keep the communication open, giving everyone the opportunity to air grievance, as well as share ideas on how to make it through the recession.

Filed Under: Employee Relationships Tagged With: Business, Employment

Working On Your People Skills

Everyone knows the story of the horrible, demanding boss, the boss that never has anything good to say and makes everyone work tons of overtime for very little compensation. The boss who never says, “thank you”, the boss who never acknowledges the hard work of the people who make his business run so smoothly. This boss had better change his tune if he wishes to make his employees work longer and harder for less money. This boss, with this attitude, will not survive difficult times. His employees will learn very quickly that their skills would be much more appreciated elsewhere. This boss will also have to work on his attitude in dealing with customers. During difficult financial times the consumer needs to feel as though the businesses he is spending his hard earned money on understand just how hard he works for every dollar.

Honing good people skills is a good idea for any person in management. Being able to speak to the employees, as well as the customers, is an important skill, and one that has never been so important. Having the right words, as well as the right mannerisms to assure your customers that you are still providing a quality product or service is a very marketable skill. On the flip side, the boss who can speak to his employees, from management right down to the guys in the mail room, will be able to gather the troops and instill trust and camaraderie in his work force. A loyal staff, one willing to go the extra mile during difficult times, can mean the difference between going under during a recession and actually surviving or even flourishing during a recession. Knowing and acknowledging that your staff is that important will keep your head clear, keep you focused on getting your service or product out there, knowing that the people behind you are going to be there, working harder than ever.

Filed Under: Training Tagged With: Employment, People skills

The Best Ways To Recruit

You need more employees. You need employees who have a special skill. What is the best way to go about accomplishing this? There are many, many websites today that will advertise for you. You can post the position and its requirements and allow people to contact you or send in resumes. If you choose to go this way, be very specific about what it is you are looking for. Make it clearly known if you require secondary education or a degree. There are a lot of people out there looking for work, and many people are applying for anything and everything. In order to save yourself and your company time and expense, make sure you are getting the applicants you are seeking.

Entry level positions are obviously the easiest to fill. The salary is not as high and the requirements are not as extensive. Entry level positions are great ways to train people on how your company works, start at the bottom and learn the ropes, work your way up.

Another great way to recruit employees is to go to technical schools and vocational high schools. These schools have their students divided by the occupation they are seeking. You can forge a relationship with the head of the department of the type of employee you are looking for, and this will help you get quality employees who are trained and schooled in the area of expertise you are looking for.

You can also recruit at the colleges in your area, contacting the head of the department of the area of expertise you are hiring for. A student fresh out of college has the latest in education, as well as the drive to succeed, along with a willingness to start at a lesser salary in order to gain badly needed experience. There are good quality employees out there, and they are probably looking just as hard for you as you are for them.

Filed Under: Hiring Tagged With: Employment, Vocational school

Recruiting Your Team

Your business is running quite smoothly. You find yourself in the position that you need to recruit some new employees. Maybe you are expanding, maybe a new position has been created. Whatever the reason, proper recruiting can save you a lot of time and money. There will also not be the need to turn down so many people. Narrowing your search as much as possible will give you a legitimate pool of the right candidates for what you need.

Start with defining exactly what the need is. What exactly do you need from this employee? Is manpower the main motivation, or is there a certain expertise required? These are all things that need to be considered. Once you have narrowed the field, you can begin to search for the right people. There are many, many ways to do that. The three line ad run in the local paper is not going to attract the person you need. We do have the Internet, with literally the power to reach thousands of interested applicants. There are job websites that you can utilize, where you can define the job description, have prospective employees submit resumes and you can choose from there. There are also technical schools, if there is a certain area of expertise you are looking for. A lot of these schools have school-to-work programs that will allow the students to work part of the school day. This is a great way to see if a young student is the right fit for your company, and they may work for free or less of a salary, as they are getting course credits. Once graduation comes, you may be in a position to offer that person a full time position.

Defining exactly what it is you are looking for is more than half the battle of hiring the right person for your company. This process can be beneficial for boss as well as employee.

Filed Under: Hiring, Human Resources Tagged With: Employment, Job description