retention Archives » EffortlessHR Blog

Engagement, Performance, Retention – Where do Your Employees Fit?

Jan 222009

The economic crisis of 2008/2009 has many companies looking at ways to save money and get through the hard times. What this normally means is that they look to lay off people, cut back benefits (which make good employees look at other opportunities), stop training programs, reduce marketing, and basically “hunker” down. I feel like I am in a unique position as both a business owner and a human resource generalist to address this economic drama. Let me explain. As a business owner I am facing choices in doing business. Credit is hard to find and cash flow is tight. Clients still are there, however, and they still want and need my services. Sometimes, they just don’t know what they [...]

The Importance of Employee Management

Business Planning 7 Responses »

Jan 072009

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 [...]

Training Employees in a Tight Economy

Lead Articles, Training & Development 9 Responses »

Aug 052008

Unfortunately, in a tight economy the first item to be slashed on the company budget are training programs, when in actuality training should be increased. One reason you should be looking to increase your training dollars is that you want to retain your star employees and show them that the organization believes in them and is looking to develop their skills to be even more valuable to everyone. Let’s look at the different types of training that may be important to your organization. Job Skills Training – A responsible organization will take steps to provide employees the means to improve their skills. This is especially true with new hires, who are not fully up to speed and may need a [...]

Employee Orientation Process

Employee Hiring 2 Responses »

Jul 292008

One of the most critical aspects of the recruiting process is Orientation. Orientation is a function that allows a new employee to learn about the organization, what the expectations are in the position, who is responsible and accountable, and in general what they need to know to become an integral part of the company. It is sad, however, that many companies not only don’t provide an orientation, but expect the new employee to be able to figure it out themselves. The problem is, if you don’t provide a formal orientation process, the employee will still receive an orientation and it may not be the one that will benefit the employee, their co-workers or the company. As part of the hiring [...]

Are you a Manager or an “Ogre”?

Lead Articles, Management 8 Responses »

Jun 262008

Employee retention is one of the key issues facing businesses of all sizes. We know that turnover is expensive – two and a half times an employee’s annual salary – more for a managerial level employee. Many think money is the key motivated, but it isn’t. People leave their managers, not their companies. Do you conduct yourself in a professional manner or do you: Intimidate your employees – yell at people, throw tantrums in meetings, belittle people Take credit for what others do, never accept blame when things go wrong Micromanage, distrust people Betray confidences, gossip and spread rumors Constantly criticize, fail to praise your employee’s good work Withhold important information or resources for the success of the project, job, [...]

Understanding HR Recordkeeping

Employee Issues No Responses »

Jun 262008

Recordkeeping has been a major obstacle for many companies who don’t know what to save, where to save the files, how long they need to save them, or what to do with them once they are created. More importantly, they don’t know who has access to them or how to destroy them. While there is no federal or state requirement that an employer maintain personnel files, employers are required to keep certain records to comply with various laws and regulations. The overriding concern is to balance employee privacy and the employer’s need to know while still managing to keep good records. According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) standard operating procedures, the following items should be [...]