How can you take your employee development to the next level? Implement soft skill development to help your employees build stronger relationships and have a positive influence on others. Read on to learn more.
Sex discrimination in the workplace can have a significant impact on an organization. HR professionals need to be proactive to ensure compliance and improve company culture as it relates to sex discrimination. This article will define sex discrimination, laws related to sex discrimination and best practices for employers.
Section 125 Cafeteria Plan is a way in which your organization can offer employees a choice between taxable and nontaxable, without the choice being taxable. In this content we will discuss what a Section 125 plan is, and how your organization could benefit.
How can you share difficult feedback while eliminating the defensiveness of the receiver? SBI is a simple feedback model that can guide you in structuring feedback so that the receiver is more likely to hear and understand your message.
Looking for a change that drives growth and motivates employees? Skill-based pay may be the answer. In this article, get valuable insights and tips for evaluating and possibly implementing this compensation approach.
Like everyone, professionals use social media as an outlet for entertainment, support, connection and expression. How we present ourselves on these platforms, however, may have a direct impact on our employers. A proper social media policy respects that your pages are personal but provides guidance on how one should conduct themselves and the impact on their organization. Read on to learn more.
Are you trying to implement new ideas in your organization and not succeeding? Do you notice that specific initiatives fall flat no matter how hard you try? It’s time for a skills gap analysis! Read on to see how this can fill the gaps in your company and set your organization up for success.
Do you automatically set aside applications from people with criminal records? You might want to reconsider that. Let's take a look at becoming a second-chance employer.
A spousal surcharge is a tool employers can use to help control costs. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a spousal surcharge? How does it work and how can a company implement it? Continue reading to find out the answers to these questions and more.
Payroll processing is one of HR’s necessary evils. Is it better to process payroll just twice a month on set dates? Is a semi-monthly payroll schedule best for your industry? Read on to set your organization up for success with a semi-monthly pay schedule.
Growth matters. But more important than growth is the ability to sustain that growth. Let’s explore the different methods of how we can create sustainable growth not only for our bottom line, but also for our employees and team members.
There is nothing worse than scheduling a number of employees for a shift only to be hit with a massive rush and not have enough employees to cover the customers. Or perhaps you’re sending employees home because you have no customers coming in the door. Welcome to the balancing act of shift scheduling.
Did you know you can streamline how you set up appointments with key stakeholders by utilizing a scheduling software? Whether used externally with job candidates and HR vendors or internally with employees, implementing a calendar scheduling system will make everyone’s life a lot simpler.
An employee leaving a company can be a complicated situation. Severance pay can help. This article explains everything you need to know about severance pay.
When you need to fill open positions, do you simply post jobs to free job boards? Another option is to pay for a sponsored job posting so more candidates see the job opportunity.
Often when “tax talk” is thrown around, you’ll hear things like, “FUTA and FICA percentages are changing this year, so be sure you’re in compliance.” If that alone is enough to make you sweat, you’ve come to the right place.
We all understand the nerve-racking moment in the interview process when the hiring manager asks what your salary range is. This helps the hiring manager understand the budget needed for the position. This article dives into the details surrounding salary range spread to assist in retaining and attracting talent.
When an employee requests a change to health insurance, how do you respond? This article discusses special enrollment periods when an employee is allowed to make changes to a health plan, how long they have to do so, and why special enrollment periods are important.
Finding the right ways to motivate your salespeople can be hard. You want something that will help achieve your company goals while also being beneficial to the employee. A common incentive among sales teams are SPIFFs. SPIFFs can be complicated, so this article dives into their benefits and potential downsides.
You’ve sifted through a mountain of resumes and picked out applicants that meet the bare minimum requirements. How do you best utilize your time to ensure that you interview the top candidates—potential employees that fulfill the demands of the position and match your organizational culture?
Screening interviews allow you to learn more about applicants’ experience and personality without dedicating weeks to formal interviews. Continue reading to find out what a screening interview is, why you should conduct them, and what questions will help determine which candidates pass through to a second interview.
Wondering about the difference between situational and behavioral interviews? Read on to learn more about situational interviews and how they can elevate your interview process.
During a meeting someone mentions the results of a standard deviation analysis and you don’t feel it applies to you. But actually, standard deviation is a great analysis you need to be familiar with. Read on to discover its impact in human resources.
Does your organization need seasonal help? There’s a lot to learn about navigating this type of employment, and it can be challenging. Luckily for you, we’ve done the research. This article will help you determine if it’s a good option for your team.
Quantify, clarify, and share relevant candidate data by using structured interviews. Whether you are assessing candidate ability (skills), alignment (culture, mindset, behavior), or growth potential, you can use structured interviews to guide your interviewers through a less stressful, fairer, and equitable candidate experience. The result: a more confident and defensible hiring decision, every time.
Scrambling year after year during your seasonal onboarding? Continue reading to learn why a successful seasonal onboarding process is important, how to streamline your process and how to have successful seasonal onboarding every season.
Looking for a sustainable pay system? Step-rate compensation may be a step in the right direction—no pun intended. Read on to learn what step-rate compensations are, their pros and cons, and things you should consider prior to implementing.
Employee satisfaction is an important indicator of how pleased a person is with their job and working conditions. A happy employee is generally more engaged, productive, and dedicated to their job, which can lead to enhanced performance and favorable outcomes for the firm.
Is hiring a sourcer worth it? Is a sourcer a must-have on today’s talent acquisition team or just a nice luxury? Read more to understand what a sourcer can bring to your team.
Safety training: what’s required, what isn’t, and what isn’t required but really seems like it should be? The good news is that bridging the gap between your staff and a safe work environment is simple: a proper safety plan with safety training as the framework. To take a closer look, let’s see what makes a safety training effective versus safety training that doubles as paid naptime.
Why would a senior HR professional invest in an advanced certification if they already have an executive position, a PHR, or an advanced degree? Is there a significant benefit to obtaining a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification? Read on to find out why the SPHR certification is an asset worth the investment.
Human Resources not only plays an important administrative role inside a company; you can also play a strategic function. Done right, strategic Human Resources can accelerate results in a company and increase profits. This article will cover some of the basics of this topic and share some ways you can begin to be even more valuable to your organization.
As an HR leader, one of your key responsibilities is creating a safe, comfortable workplace that does not tolerate harassment of any kind. This article addresses how to train your employees on sexual harrasment and how to prevent it from happening.
You are frustrated and angry, and anxiety has settled its thorny grip on you. You want to scream, cry, run, hide, run back and scream more. Stress can be our toughest adversary, and knowing how to manage it is mission-critical for your health. As an HR leader, it's also about the health of your employees. Let’s take a deeper dive into stress management.
Want to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at the office, but aren’t sure where to start? Read on for tips and ideas for how to have a great St. Patrick’s Day office party.
Whether your company is a ski resort or a retail store, certain seasons can make or break your business. In this article, you will learn about seasonal employees, why you should hire them, and how to build a great seasonal employee experience.
You know how important paid sick leave is for yourself and your family. Everyone gets sick, so why not have a helpful sick leave policy for your employees? Read more to find out how you can implement a painless sick leave policy for your company.
The days of “post and pray” are in the past. An effective talent sourcing strategy is no longer a luxury that only mature organizations have, it is an essential for any organization to reach their hiring goals. This article will reveal what it takes to have a high caliber talent sourcing strategy and how to get started developing your own.
Are you familiar with sabbaticals? You may think they are just for university scholars, but more and more, businesses are offering sabbatical leave to valued employees. Sabbaticals allow for a full disconnect from work that paid time off cannot achieve. When they return, individuals are renewed, rejuvenated and have new ideas for innovation.
Does your company have the skills to achieve its goals? Are there skill gaps that your recruiting strategy needs to address? These are big questions, but there is a tool that can help you answer them and many others: the skills inventory. Read on to learn more.
Ever wonder how your company handles payroll planning? An employee’s salary is a large part of your organization's compensation package and budget. In this article you will learn why your organization’s salary budget is important and how to create a salary budget.
Federal law states that all employees are considered eligible for overtime pay unless they meet certain requirements for exemption. Continue reading to learn more about the qualifications and requirements for exemption.
Deciding on the right recruiting approach can be challenging for any HR department and company. In many instances we simply don’t have the time to invest in a traditional recruiting approach. That’s where staffing and staffing firms come in.
Recruiting is a tough gig, particularly in challenging labor markets and niche expertise. If you are eyeing social media as a resource but feeling uncertain how to get started, you are not alone. Here are the fundamentals on using social media for recruiting. Jump in—the water is fine, and the results can be near-immediate.
State employment agencies are beneficial for both employees and employers. They offer many kinds of services to the public, as well as play a role in helping mediate employment and labor issues. Read on to learn more.
You’re amazed by your current leadership team and the results they are able to obtain month after month. At times you wonder what would happen to your company if they decided to take another offer or retire. Is there something you should be doing to prepare for this? This article will cover what a succession plan is, how to start a succession plan, and examples of a company's succession plan.
As the fight for talent continues, more employers are offering sign-on bonuses to get employees through the door — even those companies that traditionally didn’t before. Signing bonuses are a way to help your organization incentivize against competing offers to a candidate. Let’s explore why a signing bonus may work for your organization.
Your superstar employee—whom you worked so hard to recruit, hire, and onboard!—informs you that they are leaving the company. They make a huge impact and help raise the bar for everyone else around them. The news is devastating, but there is still something you can do besides let them walk out the door.
So, you’ve hired your prime candidate and they can’t wait to get started—congratulations! But how do you pick the right day for them to start work? Read on to learn how to plan ahead and set a new-hire start date.
Salary negotiations can be hard. It can be intimidating to try to find a number that works for the company and the candidate, but it is vital in keeping the candidate aboard for the long haul if you hire them, and it plays a big role in creating a company culture where employees feel valued and important. You always want to make your employees feel valuable to your company, and that all starts in the hiring process. Read on to learn how to navigate your candidate's salary expectations to ensure success.
When you interview a candidate, do you get the information you need to make a good decision? Using structured interviews can help keep you on track and avoid the candidate giving you their life story when all you want is to fill a certain role.
The STAR Interview Method allows you to stay on schedule with your candidates, easily identify the candidates' past behavior, and see their potential to fulfill job expectations. This article covers what is the STAR Interview method, why you should use it, how to conduct the STAR interview, and examples of interview questions.
Naturally, salary is a huge part of recruiting top talent. How to define and communicate a position's salary to candidates can be challenging. Most companies advertise open positions with a salary range. It defines the lowest and highest base salary you will pay for a specific position or group of jobs.
Continue reading to learn what a salary range is, factors that affect salary ranges, how to determine salary ranges for your positions, and tips on how to communicate about salary expectations with candidates.
In every industry, companies have to decide whether to pay their employees a salary or hourly wage and how much to pay them. In reality, there are both advantages and disadvantages to paying employees on a salary. In this article, we’ll help you understand what a salary is, and what paying employees a salary will mean for your company.
How do you know the right salary range for a position? HR struggles with this all the time because industry standards change as the job market changes. One of the most helpful tools for setting salary ranges are salary surveys. In this article, we’ll help you understand what a salary survey is, where to get them, and how to use them.
The cost of salaries, benefits, and unnecessary attrition is a significant expenditure for organizations. Add variable pay to the mix and sales compensation can be the most expensive, complex, and detailed of all compensation plans.
Creating a strong sales compensation plan ensures that the organization is able to plan for and manage a successful sales strategy as well as attract and retain motivated sales professionals who directly contribute to the profitability of the company.
Finding the best fit for a position you’re hiring for is intense. It requires critical thought and can be draining. While reviewing resumes and screening applicants will give you a pool of qualified candidates, how can you ensure you make the right hire at the end of the day?
Second interviews are a crucial component of the hiring process that ultimately leads to a hiring decision. Continue reading to learn what a second interview is, why it’s important, how to conduct a second interview and what questions to ask!