Peoplr - HR 101: Tips for Growing Companies

4 Things You Don’t Know About Career Builder & Monster

2021-10-11T10:30:00-04:00

Job boards are expensive and not altogether useful unless you have a lot of experience and know how to effectively use them to “beat the system.” You can get great candidates from job boards, but you may have to pay extra for higher visibility and/or use your tools a little bit differently than they were intended. Here are 4 things you probably don't know about Career Builder and Monster:

#1: The vast majority of people who will apply to a posting on CareerBuilder or Monster are what’s called “active” job seekers. This means that they are either unemployed or actively searching for something new. Many of them will post to EVERY job they see. We have had retail cashiers apply to a CFO job. Wading through “bad” applicants to find the one or two good resumes is a major time commitment. Before you invest in a posting, have a game plan about how you're going to review resumes and determine whether to engage with a candidate. Figure out who you want to pursue and then research them on LinkedIn or Google to determine whether it's worth proceeding.

#2: To post an ad on CareerBuilder costs $419. If you post 5 jobs per month, you can get it down to $350/job. At Monster, a single job ad is $395. If you post 5 jobs per month, you can get that down to $320/job. With costs like these--that often deliver mediocre results--you may want to consider another approach to finding candidates. For example, sponsoring a paid posting on an industry site OR upgrading your LinkedIn account for more access to candidates who aren't actively looking for work.

#3: Smart job board users will skip the postings and go straight for the resume search. Using this tool, you can search for people who meet your specific needs by searching through anyone whose resume was posted anytime in the past several years. Even though these people may have taken other jobs since the recession, you can identify candidates with the skills you need and, if you're lucky, find a good phone number from their resume so that you can connect and sell them on your job. The price can vary from $575/month for Monster’s service that targets people within 100 miles to CareerBuilder’s service for one year at $4,800.

#4: The good news is that the jobs you post on Monster or CareerBuilder will be picked up by what’s called “job search aggregators” such as Indeed. These services crawl the web for any job postings and put them in one place for job seekers to find what they’re looking for. This sounds great until you realize that Indeed makes money from Sponsored Job Ads. This means you’ll often find your job at the bottom of the heap because other firms pay big money to have a featured posting. If you're going with online postings, consider investing in a paid ad on Indeed. Job-seekers are flocking there in droves!

Bottom line? Career Builder and Monster have literally millions of candidates and it is tempting to believe that buying a posting will connect you with elusive people that you could not find otherwise. We think there are better uses of your money, but if you use the job boards, you'll need to budget enough to give you visibility and definitely will need to use the tools differently than intended.

Ask us questions about how to use the job boards and what’s involved by accessing our free expertise, available by using the chat feature or number on the left corner below. We are passionate about helping growth companies hire and love to share what we know!

Next Article…

Lesson Two: How to Balance Budgets vs. Candidate Expectations in Setting Salaries

Fed Up via photopin (license)

Grow as a Leader During COVID

2020-09-30T17:26:42-04:00

We were wrong. COVID isn’t a temporary roadblock for 2020. Weathering the storm has been a journey of discomfort and self-reflection as we figure out how to handle our businesses and support our teams. As leaders, we’ve gained strength and clarity around what matters most and how to move forward. We’ve partnered with long-time client, Chris Haley, CEO of Legacy Shield, to bring you 4 critical things we’ve learned about leading a team through COVID-19:

1. Understanding where your business falls in the “stages of loss” (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance, finding meaning) is a critical part of moving forward successfully.
First, we were in denial over Covid and felt things were over-hyped. We saw companies be reluctant to adapt quickly and instead preferred to keep doing business as normal. When the financial impact started to show and people faced layoffs, cutbacks, isolation, and problems with childcare—we saw business leaders get angry over what was being asked of them (both by employees demanding increased privileges, and by new governmental rules making it harder for companies to function under their usual parameters). Then bargaining started as business owners and employees began to compromise to keep the business running while allowing employees increased flexibility. Then sales started to take a hit again and PPP loan money began to run out. We noticed more talk from business owners who felt defeated again, and we heard stories of mental health struggles as people started to realize the longevity of the situation and the need to cope with harsh realities.

Then something amazing happened. Businesses started showing signs of acceptance and innovation as they realized they could continue to operate as well (or even better) in this new normal. We saw a renewed excitement for doing great work and an open mind to change. Finally, we realized that there was meaning in the chaos that we’d observed. With meaning comes opportunity. Many companies (including ours) realized we’ve come through this stronger and better poised to serve our clients in more effective ways. This has opened up new business opportunities that we might not have discovered.

2. Your people matter more than anything else. Be good to them.
If you hire great people and you do the right thing for them, an experience like COVID-19 can strengthen your team and relationships. Your people must remain mentally and physically strong so you can continue to deliver products and services to clients. Great leaders are using this time to connect more with their teams—through personal phone calls, video updates, Zoom-based team building activities, and more.

Having empathy for your people is critical and you can’t make good decisions and communicate effectively without it. You really can’t check in with people too much these days. Check in with your team when you don’t need something (and when you don’t have a problem that you need their help with). Encourage your managers to do this too.

Be prepared to manage something you weren’t expecting—overworking. Since many people are new to working from home and there aren’t many places to go, we’ve noticed people having a tendency to work during times they normally wouldn’t (like evenings and weekends).

Legacy Shield occasionally allows their team shut down their laptops early on a Friday and take a mental health afternoon. Burnout can be avoided, but you have to make a conscious effort and pay attention to signals from people. Ultimately, if you’ve hired good people don’t worry about them slacking off at home—the exact opposite is probably true.

3. Mental Health is an ongoing problem. Be aware and take action.
It’s easy for people to wrap their heads around anything temporary, but once we start to realize that there is not a clear end to this in sight, we struggle to cope. Be willing to admit when things are hard, bring up mental health often, and encourage people to talk to each other more often. Remind your team that we are dealing with a marathon, not a sprint.

Figure out what your team enjoys most and try to build on that. Legacy Shield held virtual happy hours during the most restrictive part of the quarantine. More recently, they have started weekly activities like online games and trivia competitions led by third party hosts to make things even more fun. This has all been well received by their team. They’ve also started holding a regular Monday morning virtual staff meeting to kick off the week after learning that one of the hardest things for people was the transition from Sunday to Monday. This has been harder in quarantine since there aren’t as many distinguishing factors to separate the weekend from a weekday. This is also something we’ve been doing at Peoplr with our team for several years and we’ve found that it really helps everyone to have to “show up” for work at a specific time and re-engage with their work and one another.

4. Leverage your resources.
Learn from other companies and adopt best practices when you notice them. Many of the things we’ve learned and recommend in this blog have stemmed from personal experience and years of managing HR for businesses of all sizes. But we’ve also taken note of great ideas that we’ve seen from other businesses and leaders that we admire.

Look at companies and people who inspire you, both personally and professionally. Take note of how they are handing Covid-19 and how they are leading their teams during this difficult time. Read, watch, and listen to what people are saying and doing, remaining open to criticism, new ideas, and change. You can’t do this by yourself and now is the worst time to be an island.

Ask us your Human Resources and talent management questions via the online chat tool in the lower left corner of your screen. We love helping companies align their people with their business needs, and we love to share what we know.

A Mental Health Check for Your Team

2020-08-18T16:35:00-04:00

This has been a difficult year for everyone. Change, fear, and isolation are a terrible combination of emotions, and 2020 has been full of all three. We’re hearing a lot of questions and concerns about mental health and how to help employees whether they are visibly struggling or not. Here are 4 ways to improve the mental health of your team:

1. Talk to everyone regularly
When was the last time you spoke to each person on your team and asked them how they are? Asking someone how their work is going does not count! Taking the time to have a conversation that isn’t specifically work related is a step that is often missed by managers. If you can’t feasibly call every person in your company, ask your management team to have these check-in conversations with their team. Ask people how they are doing personally and what their headspace feels like. Opening the door to talking about things like this will make people feel more comfortable about speaking up if they are having a difficult time and it will make you more aware of who needs more support.

2. Monitor engagement
You’re probably already having Zoom meetings and virtual conversations, but make sure to use these not just for business, but also for evaluating the level of engagement from people on your team. Digital meetings are a great way to see who seems engaged and energetic and who seems disconnected and distant. Look at body language, tendency to engage in and contribute to discussions, eagerness to take ownership of tasks, and also look at facial expressions when someone is speaking or being spoken to. These will all provide indications of how connected and mentally strong people are feeling.

3. Encourage time off
One of the biggest initial concerns we heard from managers was the fear that by allowing remote work privileges, productivity would take a hit and people would slack off at home. However, research and our own experience has shown that the exact opposite tends to be true. It can be much harder to separate work and home life when you work remotely, and it’s normal to have a harder time unplugging and switching off your “work brain.” This takes a toll after a while, so encouraging people to use their PTO is important even if it’s just to take a personal day and re-charge. Taking a few days off can really help combat burnout and put someone in a better headspace.

4. Offer bonding opportunities
We’ve often written about the importance of having a strong manager/employee relationship and about the value of having friendships at work. These affect critical things like turnover, resiliency, and overall happiness among your employees. Get creative with teambuilding opportunities that can be done remotely and find ways to encourage bonding between employees over non-work related items. Maybe it’s an at-home scavenger hunt, a surprise lunch delivery (Grub-Hub, Uber Eats, etc.), or even a game of trivia. Think of something fun that will give people the opportunity to connect with each other without the pressure of talking about work projects. The goal is to build a team that feels compassion for each other and to encourages people to get to know one another on a more personal level.

Ask us your Human Resources and talent management questions via the online chat tool in the lower left corner of your screen. We love helping companies align their people with their business needs, and we love to share what we know.

5 Tips to Help Your Team Communicate More Effectively

2020-08-06T16:14:00-04:00

As your business grows and you continue to navigate the ever changing landscape of 2020, we’ve noticed a new set of challenges emerge around communication. With teams spread out, policies changing, and people feeling isolated from one another, it has become more important than ever to talk to each other and communicate effectively. Here are 5 tips to help facilitate better communication and stronger teams:

1. Require regular visual check-ins with your people
There’s something about “seeing” people that just makes everyone feel more connected and accountable. If you’re not already having regular video calls with your team, we recommend adding this to your routine. A weekly visual check-in reminds everyone who they’re working hard for and what their colleagues look like; it also makes the work that people are doing feel like it has more of an impact. If you have some people who are remote and some who are in the office, this is still a great way to close the gap between different groups.

2. Discuss different types of communication and the best uses for each one
It’s easy to get into a routine of back and forth emails these days, instead of making a phone call. But sometimes email, instant message, and text message can drag out a conversation and decrease efficiency. Ensure your team knows when a phone call is a smarter choice. Phone calls are often better for complicated matters and/or sensitive topics—particularly when it comes to client and employee relationship building opportunities. Hearing how someone sounds on the phone and noticing their tone of voice and how they are engaging with you will give you a more accurate read on how they’re doing.

3. Talk about the value of asking questions and having clarifying conversations
Now that so many of us are working remotely it’s easy to fall out of the habit of talking to each other. Remind your team not to make assumptions about how to do things and instead, to talk to each other and ask questions before jumping in and guessing what to do on new projects. Asking questions and clarifying what people want—whether it’s your manager or a client—is particularly important right now.

4. Remind people about the importance of following up with each other
Following up is a crucial step of effective communication. It can be difficult to stay on top of the status of projects and timelines. Coach your team on the importance of circling back to each other to re-visit little details that may have been overlooked. For example, just because a client or colleague didn’t respond to your email doesn’t mean you should put a task or project on hold while you wait for a response. People are busy and often bad at managing little details, so this means emails often get lost. Don’t sit on projects because you didn’t get a response. Keep asking for that response.

5. Clearly delegate tasks
There is a lot to look at during team video calls—it’s like the Brady Bunch and it’s normal for people to be a little distracted looking at their colleagues (and themselves). When you’re discussing projects and tasks, it’s helpful to specifically delegate items to people by name. Verbally acknowledge who will be taking ownership of a particular task because this adds a layer of accountability. When you just make general statements about what needs to happen, no one comes away understanding who is responsible for what. This is when miscommunications about assignments and accountability tend to occur.

Ask us your Human Resources and talent management questions via the online chat tool in the lower left corner of your screen. We love helping companies align their people with their business needs, and we love to share what we know.

Supreme Court History-Making Decision Impacts Employers

2020-07-08T11:55:00-04:00

The Supreme Court made history last month when it ruled that discrimination “on the basis of sex” will now include protections for sexual orientation, transgender, and gender identity. This makes it unlawful to discriminate against people in these new protected classes. For employers, this means it is illegal to discriminate against or terminate an employee for being gay, transgender, or non-binary. As a business owner, here is what you need to do to ensure your business is welcoming and inclusive for everyone:

Speak to your leadership team and re-visit your company’s culture goals
Employing managers who believe in and support your vision for the company is a critical part of your success. It’s important that your team understands what is expected from them regarding hiring and managing their teams—particularly when it comes to the kind of behavior and language they allow. Be very clear about your expectations for company culture and ensure your management team is on board.

Review your employee handbook and update policies, being sure to use fully inclusive language
Your employee handbook should refer to your company as an Equal Opportunity Employer and it should define what that means. You’ll also want to ensure that all of the newly protected classes are mentioned in your handbook, and that it is clear these new classes are welcomed and protected from discrimination.

Examine EPLI and Professional Liability Policies
If you have Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) and/or professional liability insurance, take a look at your policy. These policies are what protect your business should you receive a discrimination, harassment, or unlawful termination suit filed against you. If you already have a policy in place, research the language to ensure it includes the newly protected classes (gay, transgender, and non-binary). If you aren’t sure, reach out to your broker and ask for more clarification. If you don’t have an EPLI or professional liability policy in place, it would be wise to get one as the cost of employment-related lawsuits usually far outweighs the annual premiums.

Offer updated discrimination and harassment training that includes the new protected classes
You should be doing regular training with your team on discrimination and harassment, but many business owners are so busy that training often takes a backseat to revenue generating activity. Make it a priority to provide updated training on harassment and discrimination. Your training should include examples of what can be considered harassment and discrimination. Make it clear that these behaviors are not tolerated and be vocal about the consequences for people who violate company policies.

Ask us your Human Resources and talent management questions via the online chat tool in the lower left corner of your screen. We love helping companies align their people with their business needs, and we love to share what we know.

3 Creative Ways to Keep Your Team Connected

2020-05-01T14:52:00-04:00

If you and your team are working from home, by now you’re probably starting to feel a bit isolated and stir crazy. We certainly are! Staying connected is more important than ever, so if you’re tired of having Zoom meetings as the only time you get to “see” your colleagues, check out these creative ideas to help keep your team close and connected.

1. Trivia Sessions
Send out an invite for a group trivia session. You can specify teams or let everyone play individually. We designate a different person to ask the questions for each session. Awarding prizes for the winner (or winning team) makes it even more fun and competitive. Gift cards for Uber Eats or Amazon have been favorites with our team.

2. Drive Through Lunch Parties
We pulled this idea from a client of ours who had the great idea of setting up a drive through lunch for employees. They paid for catered food from a local restaurant and set up their own drive through window in their office parking lot where employees could put in an order from a safe distance and then drive through and pick up a plate of food—all served by masked and gloved members of the leadership team. Then employees all parked and ate lunch in their cars with the windows rolled down.

3. Happy Hour
Take time out to have a drink and a chat with your team. Encourage everyone to bring their favorite drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) and explain why they love that particular beverage. Make a point not to talk about work related things. We like to take turns choosing a question to ask each other that helps us all get to know people a little better. We might ask things like, “What is one thing you absolutely couldn’t live without?” or “What is the best concert you’ve ever attended?” Questions like these usually spark some great discussions and stories, and they bring out a lot of smiles and team spirit as we learn interesting things about each other.

Ask us your Human Resources and talent management questions via the online chat tool in the lower left corner of your screen. We love helping companies align their people with their business needs, and we love to share what we know.

4 Things to Prepare for as You Reopen Your Business

2020-04-24T10:17:00-04:00

As the climate slowly changes and some semblance of pre-quarantine life returns, it is important to think through what you can expect as you redefine the “new normal” for your business. Covid-19 will have changed most companies at a fundamental level and returning to “normal” exactly as it was before is unlikely for most of us—at least right away. Here are 4 things you should think about now to help your business prepare for the future.

1. The Demand for Continued Remote Work Privileges
The need for flexibility will remain high, particularly for employees who have children at home since most schools will not reopen until the fall. With many summer camps and childcare facilities also expected to remain closed for at least part of the summer, anticipate a continued need for remote work privileges for the foreseeable future. If you have employees who will be affected by continued school, summer camp, and daycare closures, there are a few options you can explore:

Option A: Allow employees to continue working from home if they have school aged kids at home, or if they have childcare/summer camps canceled at the beginning of the summer.

Option B: Allow people to use PTO if it is approved by their manager and will not impact the business.

Option C: Do not allow people to keep working from home, recognizing that you will likely have at least some people who take paid leave for up to 10 weeks under the new FCCRA rules which state you must pay at least 66.7% of their salary (up to $200 per day or $1,000 per week) for 10 weeks while they are not working.

2. A Rush on PTO
We all want to get out and do things after staying home for so long. Expect PTO requests at very high rates as shops and businesses open up and travel restrictions are reduced. Talk to your leadership team now about how you plan to handle an increase in PTO requests, many that will likely overlap. Everyone cannot be off at the same time, so remind your team to be reasonable with their requests and mindful that the needs of the business will come first.

3. The Need to Evaluate Former Policies for Relevancy Post-Quarantine
We have all adjusted to a new normal and this means things that were allowed before Covid-19, may no longer make sense for your business. Former policies like rigid work or travel schedules, education reimbursement, expense accounts, or company sponsored events may no longer be possible. Now is a good time to examine your budget and business needs to determine what policies can remain in effect and which ones need modification. Remember to update your employee handbook too if you make major policy changes.

4. A New Wave of Candidates in the Job Market
If you have jobs to fill, get ready. With unemployment rising, you will likely have access to candidate pools that were not available before. As your business begins to resume a more normal workflow and you are ready to hire, move quickly. Post your jobs now if you know you will need to hire. Highlight what you have to offer potential employees, particularly highly sought after things like job stability, competitive pay, benefits, and work-from-home privileges.

Ask us your Human Resources and talent management questions via the online chat tool in the lower left corner of your screen. We love helping companies align their people with their business needs, and we love to share what we know.

Want to Make Sure the Government Repays You for Leave Taken Under the FFCRA?

2020-04-06T16:50:00-04:00

We’ve had a lot of questions from our clients regarding how to help employees request time off under the covered guidelines of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). To make sure you get paid back by the government for time off given to employees, we've created a generic form that offers a quick overview of the information that employees must provide as documentation in order to be eligible for FFCRA leave. Share this worksheet with your employees and use it to help them determine if they qualify. You can customize it further based on your company’s brand and individual circumstances.

FFCRA Request Form

We’ve also included a new poster from the Department of Labor (DOL) which outlines the entitlements and benefits available to employees under the FFCRA. The DOL has mandated that all employers must have this poster placed in the workplace as of April 1, 2020. The poster should be located where you keep all of your other DOL posters and if you have employees working remotely, it should be sent out via email or posted to a site that everyone can access.

DOL Poster

Disclaimer
Peoplr and its employees are not lawyers, so nothing contained in this post should be interpreted as legal advice and you cannot rely solely on the information that we’ve shared nor hold us liable for anything we say that negatively impacts you and/or your employees. We’re sending this out early on, so please don’t be surprised if people smarter than us revise these interpretations or provide more detailed information. If you have questions or disagree with what we’ve written, please let us know! This is a crazy time and our goal is to provide the best information we understand—collaboration is always welcome!

Should You Stop Recruiting During the Covid-19 Crisis?

2020-03-30T10:09:00-04:00

Covid-19 has woven its way into everything – restaurants, transportation, parks, and businesses. There are small businesses loans being offered to help keep companies afloat during this crisis, and the government has promised us help is on the way. However, for many small businesses, help may not arrive before difficult decisions have to be made. While hiring may naturally have to be paused for some small businesses, what about recruiting? Should you stop recruiting during the Covid-19 pandemic?

The short answer is 'no.' If you've already allocated for a position in your budget and your core business is stable, don't change course. Recruiting is a process that takes a lot of time and effort to build and retain a pipeline of qualified candidates. It could take a little longer to land your perfect employee because people may be wary of changing jobs right now. But, this is a perfect reason to keep your search moving forward, and you may even find that if you keep your momentum going, you may eventually draw interest from people who might not have considered job role before. Similarly, if you love hiring people from industries that are struggling right now (restaurants, hospitality, call centers, transportation) then now is the time to snatch them up! With many companies being forced to lay off hourly workers, you can use that to your advantage by offering a stable role.

While this is clearly a very uncertain time for everyone, it won't last forever and it could end up being one of the best opportunities to attract and engage potential employees and find some great people. Many are now newly working from home and will have a bit more flexibility to talk, consider new opportunities, and even schedule virtual interviews.

As the old saying goes, “this too shall pass.” While we're all a bit unsure of what the future holds, what we do know is that our current restricted status won't last forever. The markets will turn up again, the virus will scale back, people will begin to travel again and go to restaurants again, and things will get back to a new 'normal.' The hope is that we'll all come out of this wiser and better positioned for future success than we were before.

What Does the 'Families First Coronavirus Response Act' (FFCRA) Mean for Employers?

2020-03-19T12:08:00-04:00

Last night, the FFCRA was passed into law and President Trump signed it. Many of the details of this new legislation are being analyzed by experts and additional guidance will be provided as the legislation becomes more broadly understood. However, our clients are asking questions now, so here is a general outline of the impact to employers. As we have more information, we’ll share it!

The new rules apply to employers with fewer than 500 employees. Those employers with fewer than 50 employees may opt out if they can demonstrate that compliance would put the overall business in jeopardy.

Paid Sick Leave

If an employer already offers more than 2 weeks of paid sick leave, this part of the new rules won’t change things a lot. However, if an employer does not offer this leave—to part-time or full-time employees—they now must offer it.

Part-time workers will be paid based on the number of hours they typically work in a 2-week period
Sick leave must be available to employees who:

Have been exposed to Coronavirus
Exhibit symptoms and are seeking diagnosis
Have been quarantined by the government or a healthcare provider and cannot work from home
Are providing care to a family member who was exposed to the Coronavirus or who exhibits symptoms
Have a child(ren) whose school or childcare service is closed due to the pandemic

Sick leave must be provided to workers based on their salary or what they normally earn in a 2-week period, up to a maximum of $511/day for the employee's own care and a cap of $200/day when the employee is caring for someone else

Additional Job-Protected Leave

In addition to the paid sick leave, the bill requires employers to provide up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave to care for a child under 18 who is impacted by Coronavirus because his/her school or daycare is closed, or his/her childcare provider is unavailable due to the pandemic; this applies to employees who are unable to work or telework.

Employees are eligible if they have worked for the employer for at least 30 days
The leave requires employers to pay employees at least 2/3 of their pay, up to a cap of $200/day or $10,000 for the entire leave period; the first 2 weeks (14 days) of the leave may be unpaid

How is an Employer Going to Afford These New Rules?

Employers are expected to be reimbursed for the expense of FFCRA within 3 months by a tax credit that will be "counted" against payroll tax deposits and are what's called "fully refundable;" this means that if the amount employers must pay workers is larger than the total of what's owed in payroll taxes, the Federal Government will send the employer a check for the remainder

Senate Majority Leader McConnell and other Washington leaders are promising that there will be additional financial relief for employers in what is being called “phase three” legislation that is currently being negotiated. McConnell has committed publicly that Senators will not be allowed to return home until this third phase is enacted; stay tuned

How Long is All of This in Effect?

The provisions of the FFCRA end on December 31, 2020.

Disclaimer

Peoplr and its employees are not lawyers, so nothing contained in this post should be interpreted as legal advice and you cannot rely solely on the information we’ve shared nor hold us liable for anything we say that negatively impacts you and/or your employees. We’re sending this out early on, so please don’t be surprised if people smarter than us revise these interpretations or provide more detailed information. If you have questions or disagree with what we’ve written, please let us know! This is a crazy time and our goal is to provide the best information we understand—collaboration is always welcome!

Coronavirus Response Policy

2020-03-17T10:45:00-04:00

In light of recent developments with Coronavirus (Covid-19), we’ve put this policy together for several of our clients and wanted to share it in the event that it can be helpful to other business owners.

Company Coronavirus Response Policy

Effective 3/16/20 until further notice

While most of our employees are generally healthy and don’t meet the profile of people who are vulnerable to the virus, we want to help slow the spread of the disease to those in our broader community who are most at risk. To that end, we are implementing the following temporary policy:

1. All employees who can do their work with a computer, video conferencing and/or telephone, and Acceptable Childcare (the “Work-from-Home Eligible Employees”) are expected to work from home the week of 3/16.

2. Work-from-Home Eligible Employees who already have the necessary phone and computing equipment (including VPN access to COMPANY’s systems) should not come into the office until further notice.

3. Work-from-Home Eligible Employees who do not have the necessary phone and computing equipment will need to come into the office to pick up their computers and/or telephones on Monday 3/16 according to the “Office Schedule” below:

• Last Names A through F 8:30-9:15
• Last Names G through M 9:30-10:15
• Last Names N through S 10:30-11:15
• Last Names T through Z 11:30-12:15

4. Senior Leaders have worked with [CONTACT NAME] to set up the necessary equipment for all Work-from-Home Eligible Employees who do not already have remote access. If you have any problems with your technology during this period, please submit a request to [CONTACT NAME]. [CONTACT NAME] will be working with TECH SUPPORT to prioritize tickets and make sure all Work-from-Home Eligible Employees have what they need as quickly as possible.

5. We recognize the some otherwise Eligible Employees will have childcare needs due to school and daycare closings and will need to have Acceptable Childcare. Acceptable Childcare is defined as “adult supervision of any children in the home who are younger than 10 years old, provided by someone other than the Work-from-Home Eligible Employee during the Work-from-Home Eligible Employee’s working hours. If an otherwise Eligible Employee does not have Acceptable Childcare, that employee must use PTO for time during which Acceptable Childcare is not available.

6. Work-from-Home Eligible Employees who are working from home are expected to work as needed to meet customer and internal needs, but no less than the COMPANY’s Normal Business Hours of 8:30-5:30 with an hour for lunch.

7. Flexible Schedules are suspended during this period of time in order to ensure that we all can support one another during the same core work hours for right now.

8. Communication with Work-from-Home Eligible Employees will likely be easiest via mobile phone, Skype or conference call. Attached is a list of cell phone numbers for all employees that may be used for company business only. This list is confidential property of the company and may not be used for non-business purposes without permission from the employee and may not be shared with anyone outside of the company without prior written approval by [APPROVER NAME].

9. Any employees who come into the COMPANY office in order to do their jobs are expected to remain vigilant about reducing the risk of “community spread” by doing the following:

• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds no less often than hourly
• Remain at least six feet from one another at all times
• Avoid touching your face
• If you have to sneeze or cough, please do so into your elbow and not your hands
• Disinfect high traffic areas multiple times per day with the disinfecting wipes provided throughout the building
• Do not share food or drinks
• Do not come into work if you or a member of your household is sick or has traveled to a “hot spot”
• Do not travel via airplane or to large gatherings on company business until further notice

Self-Quarantine
All Employees who themselves are—or who have members of their households who are—ill or who have visited “hot spots” within the past 14 days are required to stay home under self-quarantine for the 14 days following the later of (a) return from travel or (b) 48 hours following fever cessation of the Employee or household member.

Return to Work Following Illness
Any employee who ceases work due to illness must provide a doctor’s note clearing the employee to return to work. Without the doctor’s approval, no employee will be allowed to work.

PTO and Possible Shortfalls
Employees are expected to record PTO for non-working time during this Policy’s effective date. However, if an Employee does not have sufficient PTO available to cover non-working time for illness or time without Acceptable Childcare, the COMPANY will provide such employee with sufficient PTO to cover the otherwise unpaid period. This PTO will result in a negative balance for the employee which will be offset from future PTO accruals or deducted from the Employee’s final paycheck should the Employee leave the COMPANY’s employment prior to earning to a positive PTO balance. This portion of the policy may be adjusted at a future time depending on the length of the Policy’s effective time as well as the availability of various government programs that may apply.

Policy Effective Date
This policy is in place from 3/16/20 through 3/20/20 and may be extended beyond that based on the circumstances surrounding the Coronavirus at the end of this period. Employees will be promptly notified of any modifications or extensions to the Policy.

Company Policy on Working from Home
Outside of the Coronavirus Pandemic, the COMPANY generally does not believe the Working from Home supports the Company’s long-term business interests. Nothing in this Policy is intended to provide Employees with Work-from-Home approval beyond the Policy Effective Date.

Questions
If you have questions or concerns, please address them to [CONTACT INFO].

Thank you for doing your part to keep one another and our larger community safe and healthy.

4 Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Talent Pool

2020-01-31T10:27:00-05:00

With more job openings than there are unemployed people in America, employers are struggling to find and entice the right talent to join their team. Remaining competitive is more important than ever these days. How your company is perceived online and, in the community, makes a big difference in your ability to attract great talent. Here are four ways to elevate your company’s image and increase the quality of your recruiting results:

1. Boost Your Company's Website

Your company's website is one of the most crucial components of any marketing strategy today. Chances are the first thing interested applicants will do is head to your website to look at job openings and see if your company is the right fit for them. This is why it's important to not only have a section for job opportunities on the site, but to also design it in a way that reflects your company's mission, values, and accomplishments. Apart from a sleek design, what's on your website is more valuable. As our HR consultant Pamela Owens previously pointed out, you need to show what makes you stand out from the sea of competitors. You can do this by highlighting your company's activities with updates on your latest news and projects, or by providing a chat-bot so you don't keep potential recruits waiting.

2. Create an Engaging Social Media Strategy

Gone are the days when people would look through the newspaper for job openings or go door-to-door in corporate buildings to submit their resumes. Technology has changed every aspect of our lives. Now people turn to social media when they're on the job hunt, and recruiters are aggressively pushing their job openings onto people's feeds. Maryville University claims digital marketing spending is predicted to grow to a whopping $335 billion by next year, and jumping on this digital bandwagon now, especially for recruitment, is more important than ever. A stellar example of a social media marketing strategy is to upload a recruitment video that gives potential applicants a quick look at how your company functions. It’s critical that you have video on your website and on your social media accounts, and don't forget to add a hashtag or two to your post so you can extend your reach further online.

3. Create a LinkedIn Profile for Your Company

Speaking of social media, one of the most popular job search and recruiting platforms today is LinkedIn. In fact, Business Insider reports that there around 500 million users on the social network, which is home to about 10 million posts. This is why creating a good LinkedIn profile for your company can help boost your image and visibility. It's important to curate an interesting and appealing page to attract more followers and prospective hires. To strike the right balance between professionalism and personality for your company page, you should regularly post content that's tailored to candidates who are in fields that you’re targeting or content that will be appealing to any job seeker (like enticing perks or benefits your company offers).

4. Build an Enticing Referral Program

Lastly, it's important to keep in mind the rising generation of employees: Gen Z. Born between 1997 and 2012, the oldest Gen Z members have begun entering the workforce, and you need to be prepared to tap into this new and exciting talent pool. Quartz reveals that it's important for 90% of Gen Z employees to have a human element in their work environment. So, how can you engage with this digital generation while avoiding appearing too robotic? A great way to do this is to build a brand ambassador program in which your charismatic and tech-competent employees act as representatives to share your company's message online. Forming this internal program will give your recruitment process a head start for tomorrow's best candidates, as it shows them that you're a company that values its people.

Guest Blogger: Jemie Brooks
Bio: Jemie Brooks is a Portland-based blogger who is captivated with how businesses operate in the ever-growing digital world. When she isn't caught up writing, you can find Jemie going out for a run with her cocker spaniel, Milo.

*Written solely for peoplr.co by Jemie Brooks, 2020

New Overtime Rules Starting 1.1.20. Are Any of Your Employees Affected?

2019-11-20T10:28:00-05:00

There’s a new sheriff in town…known as the updated Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) of 2020. The minimum salary for exempt employees will officially be raised to a minimum of $684 per week or $35,568 per year effective January 1st. FLSA regulations are complicated. There are many other angles to examine when evaluating FLSA status and the implications of errors are ugly. Here’s what you need to know right now:

1. Minimum pay for employees classified as ‘Exempt’ is changing.
It is increasing from a minimum of $455 per week or $23,600 annually in 2019 to $684 per week or $35,568 annually on January 1st, 2020. Exempt employees do not qualify for overtime pay; so, if you have exempt employees who are earning less than $35,568, you’ll either need to raise their pay to the new minimum or review, and potentially update, their job responsibilities and change their classification to Non-Exempt.

2. Reviewing job duties is a ‘Best Practice’ that should go along with evaluating salary and FLSA status.
Talk to your employees to find out what they are actually doing and how that compares to what is listed in their formal job description. These two things don’t always align and FLSA rules consider both factors when determining if classifications are correct.

3. The minimum salary for Exempt employees is not the only thing changing.
The threshold has also gone up for Highly Compensated Employees (HCE) who meet the HCE salary test to be classified as exempt. The new threshold is $107,432. In addition, there are expected to be changes to what is included when calculating salary for exempt employees. Employers will now reportedly be able to consider bonuses and incentive payments in some situations.

FLSA laws are notoriously confusing and leave room for interpretation—and there can be fines involved for improper classifications. If you don’t understand it, don’t worry. Just give us a call or reach out to us via the online chat tool in the lower left corner of your screen. We love helping companies grow and align their people with their business strategies, and we love to share what we know.

How Can I Predict Turnover Before It Happens?

2019-10-17T15:49:00-04:00

Wish you could see employee turnover coming so that you can address problems before things have gone too far? With unemployment at a 50-year low, replacing valuable employees is something we all want to avoid. You can more accurately predict pending turnover by…

…asking important questions—regularly—that can offer insight into whether you have an employee who is a flight risk. If you think about an employee and answer “yes” to one or more of the following questions, take action to turn things around and/or create a solid backup plan:

1. Has your employee had a recent professional disappointment like being passed over for a raise or promotion?

2. Has there been a noticeable decrease in new ideas, contributions, or enthusiasm for solving problems?

3. Is there more negativity than usual from a normally positive employee or has a typically negative employee suddenly started acting much happier?

4. Have you gotten strange or reluctant reactions to long-term deadlines?

5. Have you seen an increase in unplanned absences?

If you ask yourself these questions about every employee at 6-month intervals, you may get ahead of some turnover that is looming in your company. These five questions are part of our more in-depth turnover assessment that you can use to raise awareness in your managers, ultimately holding them responsible to regularly evaluate their team and report their findings to you.

To learn more about how you can identify signs of turnover, or for help in addressing those warning signs, give us a call or reach out to us using the online chat tool in the lower left corner of your screen.

Can CBD Oil Affect Employment Related Drug Tests?

2019-09-17T13:56:00-04:00

The use of Cannabidiol (CBD) oil is on the rise and it seems like a new CBD store is popping up in every shopping center these days. Just how closely is it related to marijuana, and will it cause employment related drug tests to pop positive?
Read on to find out:

CBD oil is derived from cannabis and can include percentages of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the chemical that creates the typical “high” associated with marijuana. According to a recent article by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), regulation is ambiguous on the exact percentage of THC that constitutes the “legal” limit in CBD oil. This means that CBD oil can definitely affect employment related drug tests.

Because the regulation is vague, it can be difficult to determine whether a positive drug test stemmed from someone using CBD oil with a higher percentage of THC, or whether it came from someone who is regularly using (or abusing) marijuana. This creates a lot of gray area for employers—particularly regarding hiring and workplace injuries when it is common to send employees for drug tests.

If you live in a state where marijuana is legal recreationally or medically, and you want to demonstrate compassion for those who genuinely need to use it, you should implement a formal company policy to be clear who is eligible and how much leeway employees have. Your policy should address whether using marijuana or CBD oil is permitted on company property, and it should also stipulate that employees are required to carry a valid medical marijuana card and/or provide a doctor’s note supporting their need to use it to treat a particular condition.

It’s also good to know that you may choose to follow federal law which prohibits the use of marijuana all together—and this can include CBD products with higher concentrations of THC. If you have offices operating in multiple states, or even international locations, it is wiser to follow federal law to avoid confusion resulting from having policies that vary by location.

You can also choose to follow federal law even if you have an office in a state where marijuana is legal. This is often the safest option from a risk standpoint.

The bottom line for employers is that you should have a policy on marijuana and related substances like CBD oil. This gives you the most protection when navigating hiring decisions, workplace accidents, and performance issues among employees.

Ask us your HR and hiring questions via the online chat tool in the lower left corner of your screen. We love helping companies hire and retain top talent, and we love to share what we know.

5 Modern Perks Your Employees Will Love

2019-07-25T13:00:00-04:00

The benefits landscape is changing and while things like health benefits, retirement savings, and equal pay are more important than ever, there are some enticing new perks on the scene. As the first round of millennials begin to enter the mid-phase of their career and companies prepare to look at hiring their first Generation Z employees, we are seeing a shift in what appeals to these newer generations. Are your benefits evolving along with your employees?

Paid Family Leave
Paid time off in the form of parental leave or leave to care for a close family member, is on the rise with more companies offering expanded family leave benefits. A recent poll of over 1200 working professionals ranked this as the number one most valued benefit among employees after health insurance.

Remote Work Privileges
Flexibility and autonomy are great ways to attract and retain employees. With anxiety and depression affecting people at unprecedented rates, the ability to retain control over your schedule is a great way to combat some of the daily stresses at work. And it’s the number two most valued benefit on the list.

Professional Development
We interview a lot of candidates and professional development is a top reason people give when we ask them why they’re in the market for a new position. Everyone is looking for growth. If you can help your employees reach professional milestones they’ll be more likely to stay with you long term.

Paid Sabbaticals
Companies are always trying to do more with less. Employers must determine how far they can push employees while still retaining them, and employees must figure out where to draw the work/life balance line. Everyone needs a real break though, and most of us would agree that a week spent on holiday with your family is anything but a vacation! Sabbaticals aren't just for tenured professors anymore! Burnout affects everyone and more companies are starting to offer the unconventional benefit of a longer period of paid leave to let loyal employees have a more substantial break every few years.

Student Loan Assistance
Student loan debt is at a record high, particularly among millennials and this is a major stressor during the first half of their career. Some companies are shouldering that burden by either offering loan assistance, or in some cases by assuming the loan on behalf of the employee so long as the employee remains on their payroll.

Have questions about how you can attract and retain new talent? Ask us your HR questions via the online chat function in the lower left corner of your screen. We love helping companies grow and empower their people, and we love to share what we know.

Hiring Friends & Family: The Risks & Rewards

2019-06-27T11:55:00-04:00

Basic HR training tells us not to hire friends and relatives. Avoiding this is considered a best practice designed to help businesses avoid a long list of grievances. Most business owners know it’s a bad idea, but we still see it happen with surprising regularity. If you’ve hired or are considering hiring a friend or family member, here are the rewards you can expect and the risks you should prepare for:

Risks:

1. Accusations of Favoritism/Nepotism
Employees tend to resent managers and business owners who hire their friends and family members because they assume those people will be given special treatment, will have more leniency from management, will be given promotions faster, and will be paid more than others who are doing the same job. This adds additional tension and scrutiny, and it usually leads to higher turnover among your employees.

2. Issues with Entitlement
When you hire friends or relatives, they often expect things from you personally that your regular employees will not. Many see themselves as “un-fireable” and are more inclined to take additional liberties like arriving late, leaving early, asking for raises that haven’t been earned, and turning in work that is poor quality or incomplete.

3. Conflict Resolution & Performance Management
Telling your best friend or your aunt that there is a problem with their job performance is a difficult conversation to have and it adds a strain on the personal side of the relationship that isn’t as complicated with a traditional employee. Similarly, conflict between your friend and a fellow employee is also notoriously challenging to navigate. Feelings always end up getting hurt and it’s very hard to resolve to the satisfaction of both parties.

4. Being Left “High & Dry”
Sometimes you may be inclined to hire the friend or relative of someone else on your staff—but proceed with equal caution here too. We’ve seen many cases where spouses or best friends were hired to work on the same team and if something happens that causes one of them to resign, the other may be more inclined to leave too. This can put the business in a difficult place—and small businesses are especially vulnerable to this.

Rewards:

1. Loyalty & Investment in Your Business
It’s an employee market right now and business owners are struggling with retention. Instilling a sense of loyalty in employees is increasingly hard in this environment when people are job-hopping at unprecedented rates. This is one area where hiring friends and family can work in your favor because they have a pre-existing sense of loyalty to you, so they tend to be more invested in the work you’re doing, both personally and professionally. They’re more likely to stick around long term if things go well.

2. No Surprises
How well can you really vet a potential employee these days? Aside from promoting from within, it’s hard to know what you’re getting when you hire. Sure, you can request personality tests and samples of prior work, but ultimately you really don’t know how someone is going to integrate with your team and your clients, and it’s hard to know if their work style and communication methods will be a fit. When you hire a friend, you usually know exactly what you’re getting, and this can be a good way to fulfill a specific need that you’ve struggled to find.

Do we recommend hiring friends and relatives? No. Ultimately the risks outweigh the rewards, but it can work in certain environments. Before you agree to hire someone you’re close with, look carefully at what you stand to gain, and what you stand to lose.

Ask us your Human Resources and hiring questions via the online chat function in the lower left hand corner of your screen. We love helping business owners hire and retain top talent and we love to share what we know.

The Nitty Gritty on Raises & Performance Reviews

2019-05-09T12:47:00-04:00

Do you dread performance reviews? Your employees may dread them too, but also really want to know where they stand with you. “How” to handle them is the topic of great debate for business leaders and HR professionals alike. Should you lump performance and raise discussions? How often do you have to do an evaluation? And what format should you use? Our advice is to simplify, simplify, simplify…

How often should I be giving performance reviews to employees?
In a perfect world, your employees would have feedback on at least a weekly basis, coupled with periodic discussions where you synthesize that “on the spot” feedback into a handful of themes. However, we live in a practical world. So, the important thing is to decide what you can commit to and communicate that clearly. If the reality is that you’re not going to do a regular review, simply acknowledge that and know that employees will be disappointed but won’t have false hopes. If you can commit to an annual “sit down,” let them know.

When is the most common time to give a performance review?
Most reviews fall under one of five categories: quarterly, bi-annually, annually, “you’ll know it in your pay,” or “I’ll let you know if you screw up.” Various leaders are steadfast advocates for one or the other for different reasons.

Quarterly reviews offer employees the ability to receive and incorporate feedback fast, especially in nimble organizations that have to change quickly.

Bi-annual reviews can be a happy medium, especially at larger companies when raises are often part of an annual review process. This approach helps manage accountability and expectations and allows for course corrections prior to a salary or bonus.

Annual reviews are most common in larger organizations where performance is measured against yearly goals and metrics—and there is a mature HR function managing the process.

While a bit tongue in cheek, the “you’ll know it in your pay” review is very common in founder-led companies where feedback is informal, and employees work side-by-side with the owner/CEO. It’s not great, but it’s certainly common. If you find this is your approach, you can get more bang for your (salary) buck if you combine a raise with a lunch or coffee meeting to explain your thinking about the pay change you’ve slipped into the employee’s check.

And finally, the “I’ll let you know if you screw up” model, which is more typical than you’d think and tends to show up in very early stage companies; the downside is that it can promote a culture of fear. This is probably the biggest clash of generations as we have Silent Generation owners who were born before 1945 working with Millennials or GenZ employees who are accustomed to regular praise and encouragement.

If I don’t give formal reviews and an employee asks for one, what do I do?
If you have a clear understanding of the five possible review models, you can rely on that communication to respond. It’s also a good idea to understand why you’re getting the request—is the employee feeling insecure? Does she want a raise? Did something happen recently that has not been discussed? If you muster the courage to give a review, make it informal, but keep notes or send a recap email. Think carefully about the precedent you want to set. If you give one person a review and not others, you potentially create some risk if you later terminate an employee who says he/she was not given feedback while others were.

How much of a raise is “typical” in most cases?
Regardless of the review model you adopt, pay increases in 2018 averaged about 3%. The labor market has tightened, however, and raises are creeping up as competition for great talent heats up. We strongly encourage you to spend your raise dollars on your best performers and avoid the temptation to give everyone the same raise. Your best people have choices.

Ask us your performance review and raise/salary questions using the chat function in the lower left-hand corner of your screen. We love helping companies grow and keep their people happy, and we’re always happy to share what we know.

Top 10 Areas of Focus for Your HR Manager

2019-04-04T16:25:00-04:00

Human Resources (HR) can seem overwhelming to business owners who are typically “ideas” people and often aren’t excited about policies, benefits, and employee management. But HR plays a big role in helping your business thrive. Whether you have an HR manager, or you’re handling things on your own—here are 10 areas you need to be managing effectively to keep your employees happy and your business secure:

1. Hiring—including Recruiting & Onboarding
Whether you have jobs open or not, hiring is something that should be on your radar year-round. From writing job descriptions to determining what your screening and onboarding process will look like, hiring is something that requires regular attention, cultivation, and planning in order to be done well.

2. Training & Professional Development
Develop people who show potential by helping them gain additional skills and continue to grow in their careers. Organizing regular training is an important part of retaining a talented, connected, and high-performing team.

3. Goal Setting & Performance Evaluation
What are you working toward as a business and how will your team’s performance help you get there? Communicating expectations around performance metrics is a key part of growing your business and HR will help you define and communicate these goals.

4. Compensation—including Incentives & Benefits
Monitoring health and/or retirement benefits for affordability and value is critical as the needs of your team will change. Compensation decisions take market research, budget savviness, and a lot of time to pinpoint. These are complex conversations to have and can be “deal breakers” for both current and potential employees.

5. Leadership Development
Management training is different from professional development among employees. Leading people with varying personalities, backgrounds, and skillsets is challenging. Executive retreats are a great way to help your leaders recalibrate and become better at making key business and people management decisions.

6. Compliance—including Policies, Handbooks, & Documentation
HR communicates company policies (typically through an employee handbook) and also maintains compliance with things like short-term disability and frequently changing employment laws. Not exciting stuff, but very necessary.

7. HR Technology
This includes everything from tracking and processing payroll to gathering and storing employee information both during and after employment. There are tons of different HRIS platforms to choose from and identifying the one that best meets your needs takes a lot of business savviness.

8. Culture Definition & Nurturing
Articulating your company culture while cultivating and communicating it to your employees is what makes building your dream team possible. As your business grows, your culture and key values will change.

9. Company-wide Communication
Communicating company-wide information usually falls to HR. Whether it’s planning for bad weather and office closures, or communicating policy changes and updates about the business, this is an important responsibility.

10. Employee Relations
Managing conflict, documenting grievances, having difficult conversations, and reacting the right way during sensitive employee relations issues is the cornerstone of Human Resources.

Ask us your HR and employee relations questions via the online chat tool in the lower left corner of your screen. We love helping businesses solve their people problems and we love to share what we know!

Closing a Top Candidate with Multiple Offers

2019-03-13T14:49:00-04:00

The war for top talent is real and selling your company to a Rockstar candidate who has multiple offers on the table takes a little finesse. How should you approach this and what do you need to do to seal the deal and beat out your competition? Read on to find out:

1. Find out the real reason they’re in the market.
In order to get to the heart of the situation, you need to uncover your candidate’s real pain points. Are they bored? Are they having conflict with a manager or team member? Is the work/life balance terrible? Have their benefits or commission plans been cut? Is the company going through a period of instability? Whatever the reason, many candidates won’t completely level with you up front, and it takes some work to uncover what is really important to them. That’s why it’s helpful to ask this question in several different ways as you move through the interview process—you may find that the answer changes or that more specifics are divulged once your candidate feels more comfortable with you. Once you get to the bottom of why they are looking to leave, you can use that as leverage to convince them to join your team—especially if you can offer them what they are missing in their current job.

2. Ask about the benefits and compensation package.
Money matters, but as most candidates will tell you—it isn’t everything. Most people still care about doing work that they feel connected to and work that is interesting and meaningful. However, a great job with expensive benefits and a weak compensation plan is never going to be an easy sell. If you know you’re paying below market value, or if your benefits are expensive and deductibles are high, you have your work cut out for you. In this case, you’ll need to demonstrate other unique selling points that set your company apart. Do you offer a shorter commute with more family time? Do you have work-from-home privileges? Are you able to offer the ability to work on a specific project that resonates with your candidate? You have to strategically think about other selling points that can offset sub-par benefits and compensation, otherwise you won’t stand a chance of closing your top candidate.

3. Treat counter offers cautiously.
When someone mentions they are considering a counter offer, look back at your notes to see why they originally told you they were interested in leaving. Remind them of some of these reasons and ask them what’s changed. Some people will say they have a counter offer just to negotiate a higher salary or additional perks, so tread cautiously here. Many people who accept counter offers find themselves back in the job market within a year, sometimes even sooner, so really getting to the heart of why they would want to stay is important for both of you.

4. Highlight your best-selling perks.
We’ve often heard candidates tell us that management and company culture play the biggest role in sealing the deal for them. These days many companies offer perks like free food, flex time, and onsite gyms or game rooms. While these are definitely nice additions, they don’t carry quite as much weight as you’d think. Instead of these superficial perks, think about what you really have going for you that your competition can’t duplicate. Dig a little deeper here to find perks that really do matter. Talk to your existing team to find out what keeps them around and what they love about working for you. And remember that you, as the manager are quite possibly the biggest selling point!

Ask us your hiring questions via the online chat tool in the lower left-hand corner of your screen. We love talking about hiring and all things HR related. And if you need more help with how to handle a candidate who has received multiple offers, and or a counter offer from their current employer, check out a previous blog we wrote specifically on that topic.

When Cupid Strikes in the Workplace...

2019-02-21T11:03:00-05:00

The percentage of people who have engaged in an office romance at some point in their career might surprise you—most surveys place that number at around 50%, but as high as 70%. It’s safe to say that a large portion of your staff has, is, or will become romantically involved with someone else on your team at some point. These relationships can naturally cause trouble when they don’t end well. As a business owner, here are some things you should do to minimize risk and fallout from inevitable inter-office romances:

1. Don’t ban office romances all together.
They’re going to happen whether you ban them or not, so we think it’s better to encourage an environment that fosters trust and accountability among employees. Banning them entirely can actually have a more negative impact because it forces people to be secretive, and this ultimately carries more risk for the employees and the business.

2. Talk openly (and regularly) about the benefits of disclosing office romances.
Whether you have 15 employees or 500, the benefits of disclosing office romances to management and HR are significant. Disclosing them lets both parties formally address that they are in a consensual relationship and this is important from many angles including protection from future conflicts of interest and potential sexual harassment, discrimination, or favoritism claims.

3. Communicate the risks and realities of office romances.
Data doesn’t lie—when office romances don’t end well, typical ramifications include one person being transferred to another department, or in many cases, one person being terminated (or quitting) all together. One recent survey claims that about 1 in 3 workplace relationships will end with at least one person being let go, and CareerBuilder recently took a survey that determined 70% of office romances do not end in marriage. So, for people in smaller businesses, the risk of losing your job or feeling the need to quit your job after a failed workplace relationship is especially high since there may not be options to transfer to other departments or minimize contact with an ex.

Have a specific question about inter-office relationships? Ask us your HR and employee relations questions via the online chat tool in the lower left corner of your screen. We love helping businesses solve their people problems and we love to share what we know!

An Alternative Approach to Filling Hard Jobs

2019-01-24T11:18:00-05:00

The job market has changed a lot over the past few years and what was once an employer’s market is now an employee’s market. With tech job openings quickly surpassing the number of employees who possess the necessary skills, business owners are often frustrated at the lack of talent available to them. Instead of spending excessive amounts of time and money searching through vast pools of underwhelming talent, there is an alternative…

As a business owner, your people are your biggest asset. When you can’t get the right people to apply to your job—or if the right people don’t really even exist—consider taking matters into you own hands and train your own employees. If you can’t find what you need, create what you need.

Building an effective training program is a creative way to help you attract smart, hardworking candidates who may not have found fulfillment in their initial careers. Many people flounder in college and either don’t end up graduating or they graduate with a degree in a field that doesn’t have a direct path to a job. People like this, who never found a career niche they are passionate about, are a great option because they often have a desire to break into a new field but find the prospect of doing so either intimidating or too expensive. By creating a training program that caters to smart, enthusiastic people who are willing to start out at the entry-level, you can tap into a new group of potential employees who would not typically consider a career with your company an option.

Research has shown that people don’t leave companies, they leave managers. The best way to retain top employees is to show them they matter to you. Having a leadership team that actively works to create an environment that makes employees feel secure and valued is a great way to keep them around—especially if you trained them in the first place! Is there a risk that you’ll train people and they’ll leave you to go to a competitor? Yes. However, you always have this risk whether you realize it or not.

Ask us your hiring and training questions via the online chat tool in the lower left-hand corner of your screen. We love talking about hiring and all things HR related. And if you need help figuring out how to attract smart entry-level candidates, we’d love to talk to you!

How Do I Verify Employment Eligibility During the Shutdown?

2019-01-10T15:04:00-05:00

Verifying employment eligibility is a critical step that each employer must take before officially hiring anyone in the U.S. Making errors in your verification process or failing to do it can result in heavy fines from the Department of Homeland Security. With the current government shutdown, we’ve received some questions from clients asking about E-Verify and here are our answers to the most commonly asked questions:

How is E-Verify affected by the government shut down?
E-Verify is not working and won’t be funded during the shutdown. You won’t be able to run new reports, access records, or view the status of any cases.

Can I hire someone if we can’t verify their employment eligibility?
The short answer is yes. However, once the shutdown ends, you’ll still be held liable for verifications of any employees who were hired during the shutdown period. We suggest setting a reminder on your calendar to enter all new hire information into E-Verify as soon as it is possible to do so. You will be responsible for checking to see when the system is up and running again.

What changes are there to E-Verify’s requirements during the government shut down?
There are no changes to E-Verify’s requirements. Employers are still required to obtain completed I-9’s from all employees and complete the employer section of the form. What has changed, is the 3-day time limit that employers have in which to run an employee’s information through E-Verify; this time limit has been extended because employers cannot access the system during the shutdown.

How long can we employ someone without verifying their employment eligibility?
You can employ someone during the length of the shutdown, or more specifically, during the length of E-Verify’s shutdown. This will likely (but not unquestionably) coincide with the length of the government shutdown. When the last shutdown ended, it took some time for E-Verify to be available for use. As a result, employers were given a grace period during which they were able to enter all of their new hires into the E-Verify system after it came back online. Watch the E-Verify platform for updates and further instructions around this.

Have more questions or need help figuring out how to work through a unique hiring situation? Ask us your questions via the online chat tool in the lower left-hand corner of your screen. We’d love to help.

Are You Late to the January Hiring Party?

2018-11-14T18:32:00-05:00

New data from LinkedIn shows that more people change jobs in January than any other month. With the average hiring process taking between 30 to 45 days, it’s time to join the hiring party! This is prime time for applications from candidates who are serious about making a change. If you’re planning to hire for the new year, here are 5 tips to get job seekers’ attention and hire the best people in 2019:

1. Update your website
An outdated website sends a message that you’re not one of the cool kids on the block and everyone wants to play (and work) with the cool kids. Websites with photos and video get more views and more online engagement, so if you haven’t updated your site in a while, this is a great place to start—especially if you’re preparing to hire.

2. Make your jobs matter
To avoid overwhelming potential candidates, avoid advertising a laundry list of tasks (yawn!) and instead focus on selling the role by highlighting 5-6 major functions and showing how a candidate can make an impact and be part of your company’s success.

3. Be active on social media
Social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and even Glassdoor really make an impact in how potential applicants perceive you. Stale accounts, bad reviews, or even a lack of accounts will make candidates second guess whether they want to work for you. Take an afternoon show up and make a great impression on social media.

4. Profile your leadership team
Who are your fearless leaders and what makes them great? We receive regular feedback from candidates who say that companies who share photos and bios of their leadership team on their website really help to hook them and get them interested in joining the team.

5. Re-establish what makes you a great place to work
When you talk to a candidate, be clear about the reasons your best and brightest stick around. Talk about what you’re you doing that’s different from your competition. Ask your current employees to help you—they’ll come up with great points you hadn’t thought about. To attract top talent, make sure you’re able to tell them why you’re awesome.

Have more questions or need help figuring out how to develop a pro-active hiring strategy? Ask us your hiring and recruiting questions via the online chat tool in the lower left-hand corner of your screen. Hiring is hard and we’d love to help!

The Biggest Hiring Mistake You Can Make

2018-11-08T15:01:00-05:00

Unemployment is low and the pre-recession mentality you may still have about hiring can really hurt your current process. The days where you’d get 100 qualified applicants who would jump through tons of hoops are in the past. The current employment landscape has the ball in the employee’s court, not the employer’s. When you’re ready to hire, we beg you not to make this cardinal mistake:

….do not drag your feet when you have an excellent candidate who is interested in your job!

People have more options these days and getting a highly qualified candidate who is also a culture fit interested in your job takes some work. The worst thing you can do is put in the work to get someone excited about an opportunity and then drag your feet on following up. It’s incredibly counterproductive to start the hiring process if you’re not serious about moving quickly and making someone an offer.

Employers cannot make the kinds of up-front demands that they could make in 2008—and they cannot expect great candidates to remain interested and available for a lengthy period of time. If you’re preparing to hire, we recommend that you speak with the decision-making team ahead of time to confirm their commitment to filling the role and identify firm requirements and salary parameters. It’s also important to reiterate the importance of moving excellent candidates through your process quickly.

If you interview someone who is amazing, make them an offer! Don’t assume that person will still be available and interested after you go through the motions of scheduling interviews with several other candidates—and don’t let your team’s busy schedule prevent you from making a timely offer to a great person. This is especially true for passive candidates who may not have been formally in the job market to begin with. Time kills all deals!

Have more questions? Ask us anything related to human resources and hiring via the online chat tool in the lower left corner of your screen. We’d love to talk to you!

Should You Serve Alcohol at Upcoming Holiday Parties?

2018-10-25T11:29:00-04:00

Holiday season is here and that means your office party is right around the corner. With many businesses also celebrating Halloween and Thanksgiving, it’s a good time to set some ground rules for holiday appropriate behavior—and the one thing that tends to lead to regrettable behavior is alcohol. Office happy hours are common, but is it wise to serve alcohol at official company events? Two members of our HR team weigh in with some advice:

Amy McGeorge, Managing Partner
It’s great if you can have a holiday party with “cheer,” but it requires some extra diligence from the management team to ensure that things are balanced. I love it when management teams agree that they will keep their own drinking to a minimum and keep an eye out for problems. To avoid embarrassment, HR can be “on the spot” to help redirect anyone whose celebrations are getting out of hand. Other good practices include hiring a bartender with the necessary insurance to minimize liability. Parties at management homes are always an employee favorite, so make sure that the bartender’s insurance AND the company’s insurance are appropriate to cover the host from any liability. Here are a few other good practices to adopt:

• Provide drink tickets to keep the volume of drinking under control
• Have designated drivers available for anyone who needs them
• Keep the party lively and have some sort of entertainment to keep guests occupied—at our annual party, we plan white elephant swaps, award superlatives, and review favorite quotes from our year-round “Heckle Jar”…these distractions are a lot of fun for everyone

Jeremy Smith, HR Consultant & SHRM-CP
Serving alcohol at company sponsored events is completely acceptable so long as leadership genuinely understands their employees and believes they will be able to exercise good judgement to remain self-aware, professional, and responsible. If you employ a lot of younger employees, particularly millennials, they may need a little guidance since they are new to the business world and may need coaching on what is and is not appropriate. We know alcohol lowers our inhibitions, so it's a good idea to remind employees about the importance of having a "filter." Here are a few additional tips that will promote both cheer and safety at your next holiday party:

• Don’t make alcohol the focus of the event
• Avoid serving hard liquor and mixed drinks; instead, offer a select beer and wine list
• Hire a professional bartender and never allow employees to serve coworkers
• Have a designated person responsible for evaluating people when they leave to determine if a company sponsored taxi/uber is needed

An office holiday party gives employees a chance to relax and have fun, and alcohol can be a festive addition. However, without proper planning and safeguards, management may need to call on Dwight Schrute to put out a “fire” or two… Happy Holidays!

Open Enrollment Checklist for 2018 & 2019

2018-10-11T11:41:00-04:00

Open enrollment is officially here! Get your team set up for success and make the most of your time by reviewing our open enrollment checklist:

1. Survey Your Employees
Before you make plan changes, survey employees to see what they do and don’t like about their benefits. Are certain providers or prescriptions not covered under your current plan? Do you need more affordable options or more extensive coverage? How satisfied are people with ancillary benefits like dental, vision, 401(k), or life insurance?

2. Start Early
Start making decisions as soon as you get a renewal. The sooner you submit everything to the carrier, the quicker and more likely your employees are to receive their ID cards by the new start date.

3. Reevaluate Employer Contributions
Do a bit of research to find out what similar companies are contributing to employee benefits. You could be at risk of losing a great employee because your benefits contributions aren’t as rich as a competitor. Similarly, it’s important to be aware of what you’re required to contribute in order to remain compliant. For example, with medical you must contribute 50% of the employee only base rate. Take care when evaluating other things like spousal carve-outs. Consult a broker if you’re not sure if your policies are compliant.

4. Encourage Employee Engagement
Share open enrollment information early and give employees ample time to review plan information and come up with questions—before and after benefits meetings. Plan for one-on-one Q&A time with your HR representative(s) and broker after meetings because employees will likely not be comfortable asking specific health related questions in front of their co-workers. And remember, HIPPA regulations require you to keep personal health questions and disclosures private.

5. Keep Enrollment Details & Plan Information in a Central Location
Distribute benefit summaries and enrollment forms at open enrollment meetings if you don’t have an online portal. If you are using an online portal, ensure all benefit documents are included and easy to access. A Statement of Benefits Coverage (SBC) must be distributed to all employees per Affordable Care Act (ACA) regulations.

6. Highlight Additional Options & Perks
Remind employees about additional things like company sponsored gym memberships, fitness credits, well visits, free flu shots, Tele-Doc options, HSA contributions, and more.

7. Be Clear on Deadlines & Due Dates
Most carriers require that enrollment documents be submitted at least 2 weeks prior to the new effective date. To abide by this, you’ll need to set your own deadline even earlier to ensure you have enrollment paperwork back from employees. Allow a few extra days to fill in missing information before forms are due to the carrier. If you turn in documents late, a carrier can’t guarantee everything will be processed and distributed by the effective date. While your employees will ultimately still be covered, a physician may not be able to verify coverage while late information is being processed.

8. Audit for Accuracy
Once employees are enrolled, circle back to make sure everything is set up correctly. Check that employees, spouses, and dependents are enrolled in the right plan, and that personal information (like birthdates and names) is listed correctly. Distribute relevant notices like HIPPA, Medicare Part D, COBRA, etc. Update important Premium Only Plan (POP), Wrap, and Section-125 documents.

Need help addressing a specific aspect of your benefits or open enrollment? Ask us your specific questions via the online chat tool in the lower left corner of your screen. We’d love to talk to you!

Guest Blogger: Kim Kent
Bio: Kim delivers successful outcomes to clients who engage her expertise for a variety of Human Resources projects. Early in her career, she earned her 2-15 license and served as a benefits consultant for mid-market companies. Kim later joined Peoplr where she delivers recruiting, compensation, benefits, HRIS, and talent management services. Originally from North Dakota, Kim fled the snow to earn a Bachelor’s in Communication from the University of North Florida (UNF). In her spare time, she loves anything Disney or Star Wars related.

Equal Pay Best Practices in the #MeToo Era

2018-10-04T15:32:00-04:00

We recently participated in a panel discussion with other business, legal, and HR professionals that outlined how to talk about salary in the #MeToo Era, and how to evaluate employee compensation to look for areas of potential risk. Here are some interesting questions we received from the audience:

Do you have to pay men and women the same salary?
Yes. Under the Equal Pay Act (EPA) of 1963, pay scale should be tied to a job description. Employees who have the same responsibilities and similar levels of skill, experience, education, and training should be paid the same.

How do I justify promoting one person and not another?
Raises and promotions should be awarded based on merit and the justification for awarding a promotion should be well documented over a length of time. Things to evaluate when considering someone for a promotion can include experience, skill set, seniority, accolades, client/colleague feedback, and metrics. The EPA is clear that pay variables must be based on factors other than gender.

Do we need to audit staff salaries to look for discrepancies?
Yes. Salaries should be audited every year and compared to external market surveys. Enlisting help from a 3rd party organization helps ensure an unbiased outcome. When reviewing employee salaries, pay special attention to trends like gender, race, age, etc. If you notice one particular group is unbalanced, consider implementing policies and training programs to develop and bolster the pay of minority groups.

What is a safe way to ask about salary when hiring a new employee?
The most important thing to know is that in many states, you can’t base your offer upon a candidate’s current or previous salary—and to be safe, you shouldn’t even ask about it. While each state mandates this individually, avoiding these questions is a new best practice. Before you have a salary discussion, do some market research to determine the going rate for your job in your area. Once you have an idea of what you should be paying, you can ask the candidate what he or she is looking to earn and then let the candidate take it from there.

Need help with a salary audit or compensation report? Ask us your compensation related questions via the online chat tool in the lower left corner of your screen. We’d love to talk to you!

Guest Blogger: Amanda Guzman
Bio: Amanda serves as an HR Generalist for a variety of Peoplr's clients handling employee relations, employment verifications, payroll, hiring and onboarding, compensation analysis, and performance management. She has a degree in Psychology and Women's Studies from the University of Florida, and is active in HR, Non-Profit, and Entrepreneurial Groups in Jacksonville.

Is ZipRecruiter the Magic Pill the Ads Say it is?

2018-09-13T13:38:00-04:00

With a record number of jobs open, employers are struggling to fill positions and are naturally turning to the job boards to advertise and target qualified employees. ZipRecruiter is one of the new kids on the block and it’s giving older, more established boards like Monster and CareerBuilder a run for their money. But is all of the hype true? To determine if this platform is a good fit for your hiring needs, here are some pros and cons you may encounter with ZipRecruiter:

• While ZipRecruiter does a great job of blasting your job to hundreds (even thousands) of people it thinks are qualified, we still see the same issues that are common on other job boards like Monster and CareerBuilder—namely, there is still a small pool of applicants that actually end up being a strong match for your job.

• ZipRecruiter’s algorithm is designed to become more refined over time. This sounds great in theory, but in practice it means you have to do the work to refine their search tool. You’ll see a massive number of resumes from candidates that Zip thinks may be a fit, but their algorithm requires someone on your team to take the time to look at all of those resumes and effectively rate them as “qualified” or “not qualified.” Then, the next batch of resumes you receive is supposedly composed of candidates who are a closer match to what you’re looking for. This sounds nice, but if you don’t have someone on your team with hours to spend scanning 1,000+ resumes and sorting them into “good” and “bad” piles—you’re not going to see resumes with the skills and work experience that you want.

• ZipRecruiter promises you can post a job for free, but that is a tad misleading. The real deal is that you can post a job for free for 4 days—and that’s if you give them a credit card number. Then you have to remember to cancel your subscription if you don’t want to continue it.

• There are a few pros to Zip though, and the biggest one is that you don’t have to sign a contract. This is a pretty big deal when you consider the cost and commitment involved in signing a contract with LinkedIn, Monster, or CareerBuilder.

• Another pro is that if you’re looking to fill an entry level role or one that doesn’t require experience and job stability, ZipRecruiter has one of the largest resume pools we’ve seen—so it’s a great way to get your job seen by literally hundreds of people.

• Connecting with highly skilled candidates who have relevant experience and a stable work history is hard—and the job boards don’t generally yield great results for job descriptions that have a lot of boxes to check. For these roles, we think LinkedIn’s recruiter platform continues to be the best source for professional, highly skilled employees. It’s pricy, but we always say, “You get what you pay for.”

Want to know more? Ask us your HR, Recruiting, and Hiring questions via the online chat tool in the lower left corner of your screen.

Keep Your Best Employees from Quitting

2018-08-23T14:36:00-04:00

The average cost to replace someone in a skilled role is higher than you'd think. New research indicates that it costs more than 2x’s one year’s salary to replace a departing employee in the same role. With research also indicating that 50 to 70% of employees are open to leaving or are actively looking for a new job, a leadership team that doesn’t regularly think about retention is opening itself up to risk. What should you be doing to combat this issue? Here are 4 tips to help you retain your top people:

1. Tell them how valuable they are to you—and why.
Words of affirmation are a powerful thing. When you show gratitude and appreciation two things usually happen: employees gain renewed momentum to tackle tough projects and they gain confidence in their role. Specific compliments are best, so telling someone, “I really value your ability to problem solve and communicate effectively with our clients,” carries more weight than saying, “I really value you as a member of this team.”

2. Ask about their stressors and pain points.
Stress is a top reason people leave jobs; they feel overwhelmed and no one notices. So ask, “what are you finding stressful and how can I help?” When you understand what triggers stress in your top performers, you can address topics or projects that are likely to worry them. Then you can discuss ways you can help and other solutions to reduce the impact of that stress.

3. Know what motivates your people and have regular conversations about it.
What drives each member of your team personally and professionally? Motivation needs to be re-addressed as time goes by because it will change as people enter different phases of life. Getting your best employees to stick around involves understanding what matters most to them—from paychecks to future promotions, to work/life balance. This will look different for each person you manage.

4. Reaffirm job stability when you can.
As someone who interviews a LOT of people, I can say from experience that instability is a textbook response when I ask someone why they’re looking to leave their current job. Whether you’ve lost a big client, fallen short on your fiscal goals, gone through a round of layoffs, or lost a bid for a job—employees are hyper-sensitive to things like this and they will worry. Don’t assume that people know that a loss or a change will not affect them. You have to tell them.

Want more ideas or need help addressing a specific aspect of managing your people? Ask us your HR questions via the online chat tool in the lower left corner of your screen. We’d love to talk to you!