EffortlessHR Blog » employee management

EffortlessHR Announces Free Trial for Web-based Small Business HRIS / HRMS Software

Aaron Queen — Fri, 28 May 2010 21:08:29 +0000

That’s right!

We are bringing back our very popular free trial for our EffortlessHR Online HR Software system.

Just in case you read the blog, and have never visited our main site ( http://www.effortlesshr.com/ ) , We’ll list some of our exciting existing and new features below:

Online Employee & Personnel Management
Employee Portal
New! Custom Reports
HR Forms
Labor Laws
Labor Law Posters
HR Guide
Calendar & Reminders
New! Powerful Import & Export Capabilities
New! Multi-Layer Access Levels
Online File Storage
Company Property Tracking
Benefits Management
Company Data Management
Labor Law Updates

Be sure to check out everything we offer, and we’d love to hear your feedback. Click here to visit EffortlessHR.com

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Source: Effortless HR Software's HR Blog | EffortlessHR Announces Free Trial for Web-based Small Business HRIS / HRMS Software

Employee Handbooks – Yes or No

Aaron Queen — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:08:39 +0000

Over the years, as I consulted with small businesses, I was often asked if an employee handbook was necessary. The questions usually amounted to:

- the cost of having an employee handbook written,

- the number of employees (I only have one employee),

- the idea that having written policies would cause more problems than not having written policies, and

- I tell the employee everything they need to know and if they have a question they can come and ask me.

Handbooks are not required as a regulation or law. However, some laws and regulations require posting in the place of business – for example Minimum Wage. The way handbooks are written could be a deterrent, i.e. if it is too legal no one will read it or care to read it and it then is a waste of time. If it is too simple, it gives the impression of “fluff” and is not taken seriously and is then a waste of time.

I tell clients that Handbooks are a guide for both the company and the employees. It helps define the way the organization does business and how they treat one another. It gives the employee a sense of fairness and consistency because it says that everyone is treated the same way. It tells the court (if there is litigation) that policies are in place and they are followed.

Does it matter how big or how small the company is? If you only have one employee, you probably don’t need a full blown handbook. That being said, however, as you start growing your business and you hire your first employee, you start to develop policies – sometimes without even realizing it. So, having a simple handbook from the very beginning helps keep you focused and consistent.

For example, you have one employee and that employee seems to always have a question. “What are our holidays?” “When do I get paid?” “Do I get vacation or sick time?” “Do I have to wear a uniform or can I wear jeans?” “Mr. Smith made a pass at me, what should I do?”

These questions may not come all at the same time but over a period of time. Your answer becomes the policy of the company and as you add more employees, you need to give them the same information you gave your first employee. Sometimes it is hard for me to remember what I did last week, much less having to remember what I told an employee three months ago. That is why a handbook is helpful.

Another reason is that employees are going to learn what is accepted and what is not within the company whether you have a handbook or not. You have to determine how you want them to learn about the company. Do they learn from a disgruntled employee, an irate customer, an easy going supervisor, or do they learn from the written policy that you have put in place?

Remember, however, if you have a policy you must follow it. Do not put policies in your handbook that you cannot or will not follow. You should review your handbook on a regular basis and you have the right and obligation to up-date the handbook to comply with state and federal laws and to address issues as they arise.

Finally, the cost is minimal compared to what a lawsuit might be. Handbooks help minimize the liability associated with having employees as it indicates consistent management styles, fairness to all employees, and compliance with the laws.

If you have a handbook, good for you! If you don’t, you might want to look at putting a simple handbook together.

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Employee Handbooks – Yes or No

The Importance of Employee Management

Lola Kakes — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:09:42 +0000

A 2006 study conducted by Cornell University associate professor Christopher Collins, Ph.D., in effect showed that small businesses could grow if they are more effective in managing their employees. As a small business owner and a Human Resource Generalist, I agree completely. That is one of the reasons I have been so actively supportive of strong employee management programs for small businesses, and why I developed EffortlessHR.

Professor Collins’ study showed that compared to companies who do not practice employee management strategies, those companies who do can experience:

22% higher revenue growth
23% higher profit growth
Over 66% reduction in employee turnover

Why is employee management so important? I will give you my thoughts, from my perspective.

I started out as a single person operation, a consultant. Many entrepreneurs start out as a single person business entity and many never want to change. They do not want to grow to the point where they need to hire employees. They do not want the bother. That is a whole other issue that we can discuss at a different time. For now, I want to concentrate on why I think have a strong employee management program is important and why I incorporated that type of philosophy into EffortlessHR.

Effective employee management understands what the job is, the type of individual that would fit the job and the company, empowering the employee to do the job, and treating employees with respect. You cannot be effective, however, if you are not organized. Therefore, the first step is to get your office in order.

Many business owners are so busy they put off filing (I know I have), or they put things in piles or in drawers, thinking they will get to it later. Later never comes and before you know it, the employee you thought was going to be a wonderful addition to your business opportunities is not really working out, but you can’t seem to find all the information on him or her. You have misfiled the application (if you even have one) or the resume. You may not have completed the paperwork on the reference checking so you may not remember what you discovered.

You may not even remember what job duties you discussed, training that may have been agreed to, or any number of important details. You know you did all this, but – where is the documentation? If you filed it, is it in compliance with state and federal guidelines? Can you easily put your hands on what you need, when you need it?

If you take the time to organize your files and keep information current and easily accessed, you have the start of an effective employee management system.

Small businesses especially must be more effective, because the affect a single person has on a small company is greater than the affect a single person may have on a larger company. For example, if a small business owner hires incorrectly, the time and training and effect on who handles the job is much more pronounced than in a larger company who have possible employees who can fill in until replacements are found.

In addition, by being better organized, you have a better understanding of the skills needed to do the job. If you understand the job, and you have hired correctly, then you can empower the individual to do the job without you standing there holding his/her hand. This frees you up to do other things. This also shows the employee that you trust them, which goes a long way in retaining good employees.

One of the reasons I designed EffortlessHR was to have a place small business owners could capture certain information about their employees in a simple and effective manner. It is like building a personnel file on line. All the information you need is there, you just have to enter it and use it. If you do, you will be a more effective manager and you will have an Employee Management System.

Being better organized will allow you to work on your business, not in your business.

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Source: Effortless HR Software's HR Blog | The Importance of Employee Management

Starting a New Business in a Recession

Ellen Kirton — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:00:54 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Is this the time to start a new business?

Having been a banker for over 35 years, I can tell you that some of the best companies were started during a recession because they addressed a need during an economic downturn that continued to be successful even as the economy rebounded. One such type company is the employee placement companies. When companies have to downsize and cannot keep on skilled individuals on a full time basis or pay them benefits, then employment agencies are an ideal answer to meeting the needs of completing a job without their having to have a full time employee. When the job is done, the temporary employee is returned to the agency until needed again.

When I would lend money to businesses, one of the areas I would review is the company’s ability to withstand a recession. What was especially effective was a company’s ability to expand and contract according to impending business. Another would be if they were in a commodity market where they sold a high priced product that was discretionary and therefore would have difficult times during an economic crisis.

If you are starting a new business like Lola Kakes did with EffortlessHR, have you considered it’s relevance in a recessionary market Is your product affordable, does it fill an important niche such as being an alternative to a higher priced product or service out there. In the case of EffortlessHR, timing works because it is an affordable product, internet based, starting at as little as $24.95 a month.

Why does this work Because it helps small business owners to replace what some business owners are spending hundreds of dollars for in HR processing and employment management and retention. That makes sense.

A very good example of an existing company taking advantage of the difficulties of one of the kind of companies that has a high priced product, is McDonalds coming out with a premium coffee that is half the price of Starbucks. Brilliant timing! Many are saying, I’ll have McDonalds during the week and treat myself on the weekend to Starbucks so I can put gas in my tank.

What is your idea?

Considering how much you’re spending for gas and food right now, would you spend money on what you’re proposing to sell?

Would it work now and when we have an upward turn?

It is especially compelling if you were in corporate America and was laid off and said to yourself, this is the time to go out on my own. While that is true and the majority of businesses being started today are small businesses, be sure you have the right ingredients for success in this economic environment.

Also see our friend Chris Brogan’s article on how being a small business is a weapon and Seth Godin’s great article on why small businesses should not whine.

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Source: Effortless HR Software's HR Blog | Starting a New Business in a Recession

Payroll Expense Management

Ellen Kirton — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:36:49 +0000

An important element of a company’s profitability is their payroll expense. It is vital that a business owner realize the full cost of an employee, especially when considering adding to staff. Some examples of these costs, in addition to regular pay and any any potential overtime, are: benefits such as health and/or life insurance, holiday and/or vacation pay, training, hiring costs, etc. These are just a few of the additional costs that should be factored in when budgeting, whether it be with current staff or for the addition of new staff. Each employee should be calculated and matched to their value to the company.

The best way to ensure this is in the budget process. List all costs associated with an employee so that these costs can be accumulated. Often, on a Profit & Loss Statement, costs can be designated in different areas such as Labor is seen in Cost of Goods Sold, Payroll Taxes and Training in Sales & Adminsitration Costs. This does not allow an owner to see a complete picture of employee costs. Understanding the true cost of an employee should be a critical component of the decision to retain or hire employees. This review of employee costs will really will open the eyes of a business owner. And just as importantly, employee retention will lower the cost of employees because it can cost between 1to 5 times the annual pay of an employee to replace them. Wow, that is significant!

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Source: Effortless HR Software's HR Blog | Payroll Expense Management

EffortlessHR Blog » employee management

EffortlessHR Announces Free Trial for Web-based Small Business HRIS / HRMS Software

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Employee Handbooks – Yes or No

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The Importance of Employee Management

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Starting a New Business in a Recession

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Payroll Expense Management

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