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Ways to Retain the Best Workers

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ahappyemployeeYour employees are the lifeblood of your business.

The right team is the difference between brilliant ideas and lackluster ones; excellent planning and management, and costly failures; great customer service and customer service that get you noticed for all the wrong reasons.

Finding the right employees can be time consuming and costly, so once you find the right people, you’ll want to hang on to them.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that workers in the U.S. stay in a job for around 4.6 years.

What can you do if you want to retain your best employees longer than that?

Start with these steps:

1. Offer Great Benefits

Let’s be blunt. If one of your best employees is offered a similar position with better pay, they’re likely to take it. By the time you make a counter offer it could well be too late. Instead, offer your employees a good remuneration package from the start, paying well for their type of role.

Benefits go beyond wages. From medical and dental to life insurance and pensions, or even small perks like free tickets or discounted gym membership, a good benefits package can make all the difference.

Don’t forget about flexi time, telecommuting or other flexible working to show your team that their work life balance matters to you.

2. Get Real Feedback – And Listen

Happy, fulfilled employees are more likely to stay with you. Set aside regular time to chat with your employees, or ask their direct manager or team leader to do so. Find out what they like about working with you, and what they don’t. Follow up with an action plan you both agree on.

To learn more about how your employees feel about their jobs, foster open communications between employees and management. Make it easy for your team to have a chat with someone, and have their concerns heard and valued.

Consider using “stay interviews”.

Talk to your longstanding employees about why they stay, what they love, what you’re doing right and anything you’re doing wrong,  to gain insight into what you’re doing that encourages people to stay.

3. Encourage Your People to Develop

Keep working life interesting by encouraging your employees to develop within their roles. Start by looking at their daily tasks and offering further training if appropriate to help them learn new skills.

You can also invest in your employees’ education.

By funding a course of study that’s related to their jobs you’ll be helping them to grow their skills, and encouraging loyalty by showing them that you value them enough to invest in them.

If you think one of your team is a great candidate for taking on new responsibilities, talk to them about it. Showing that you want to help your employees grow within your organization is an important part of retaining them.

4. Get Clear on Growth Pathways

As pointed out in the article “5 Ways to Retain Your Best Employees“, if your best people only see stagnation on the horizon, they’ll look elsewhere. Your employees want to know that they have a future with you. Make sure you plan for that future from the start.

Having a growth pathway is particularly important when it comes to retaining the best of the best. Talk to your employees regularly and agree on a growth path that suits you and them – and then stick to it.

Good employees have immeasurable value for your business, helping it to grow, to run effectively, and to increase profits.

Value your employees and support them to grow within your organization – show them that they matter to you and they’ll be more likely to stay loyal and use their skills to benefit your business.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Tristan Anwyn writes on a wide variety of topics, including social media, SEO, benefits packages and employee retention.

Let Software Help Keep You on Schedule

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asoftwareRunning a business takes plenty of time and effort. In fact, most business owners will tell you there is not enough time in the day to get everything done that they want to.

With that in mind, what if your business life could be made just a little bit easier, especially when it comes to keeping your employee schedules in check?

Given all business owners must deal with when it comes to their customers, having a good repertoire with their employees is critical, especially in a day and age when more and more employees are telecommuting. Whether your employees all work under one roof or some are working from home and/or the road, keeping their schedules in sync is crucial to running a smooth operation.

Know When Your Employees Are on the Clock

Whether your company employs only a few people or hundreds of workers, keeping their days running smoothly with the right scheduling software is important for several reasons. Among them:

  • Continuity – Having a business that runs on time is important, especially given the fact that consumers have more and more choices these days with where their dollars will be spent;
  • Production – If you have employees coming and going at all hours of the day and no real schedule in place, your production schedule could suffer. The right scheduling software allows you to coordinate the proper shifts from the minute your business day begins;
  • Fairness – Face it, some offices have to deal with office politics at times. In order to keep everyone relatively happy when it comes to work schedules, having a software program in place dedicated to coordinating shifts can do wonders for your business. Its biggest attribute is it should cut down on any potential complaints from co-workers that so-and-so is not reporting for work on time and/or cutting out too early;
  • Absenteeism – As all too many business owners discover over time, absenteeism can have a profoundly negative impact on their company. Many workers can certainly have legitimate excuses for missing work, ranging from illness to injury involving themselves or a loved one. That said many others will try and milk the system, taking advantage of their bosses in the process. When this happens, not only is the employee ultimately hurting him or herself, but they are negatively impacting their place of employment. More pressure is put on other employees to pick up the slack, thereby making it more difficult for them to do their own jobs. This can also result in lower office morale, something that can ultimately have a significant impact on the company’s ability to meet the needs of customers.

If your company has essentially let employee schedules run on the fly over time, now might be a good time to turn to technology to better enforce worker schedules.

By investing in the right scheduling software, you can schedule and communicate with your hourly workers right from day one of their employment. Keeping them on schedule will ultimately keep your business on schedule with the people who matter most, your customers.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Ambro at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Dave Thomas writes for a variety of websites on topics such as human resources and running a small business.

Are Your Employees Insured Against Disaster?

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adoccFor those who own their own small business, decisions must be made on a daily basis.

One of the big decisions that can weigh on the shoulders of small business owners is the one of whether to offer group health insurance or not.

For those owners trying to decide one way or another, check out the following FAQ’s for some answers:

Group Health Insurance FAQ

  1. Does a small business have to offer health insurance to its employees?

No. Unless a small business has 50 or more employees, group health insurance is completely optional.

  1. Why should small businesses offer health insurance to their employees?

If a small business owner does decide to offer group health insurance, his or her employees may seek health assistance quicker if a health issue arises and less work and time may be missed. Though health insurance is an expense to the employer, the goal is to save money in the long run by providing good health care options to employee so they can stay healthier and miss less work. If a serious illness or health condition arises, they’ll have security in getting the proper care they need.

Also, some employees may have benefits as one of their own job requirements. A small business owner can miss out on an excellent employee if they do not offer group health insurance. Many employees feel that if their employer cannot provide health insurance, the loyalty of the company is lacking and they may choose to go elsewhere, where insurance is covered.

  1. Should employees have a say in deciding on group insurance?

That would really be up to the employer, but usually it is better if the employer just makes these choices.

Employees have enough to choose from within the given plan; it’s probably best for the owner to go ahead and choose the best health insurance company to fit the needs of the small business and then offer the plan to the employees.

  1. How does an employer/small business owner go about choosing the best company to provide coverage?

The best way to narrow down the different providers is to begin with research. Employers should research online, make some phone calls and have a list ready with questions they have and whatever requirements they have for their company and employees.

Yes, it’s tough for a business owner to make so many decisions every day.

Figuring out his or her employee’s health care is not an easy one.

But if it is a possibility to offer the option of group health insurance, it’s a great way for a small business owner to make employees feel well taken care of.

As a small business owner, how have you gone about covering your employees?

Photo credit: Image courtesy of photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Heather Legg is a writer who covers topics on small business, social media and mindful living.

How to Create a Healthy, Successful Work Environment

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asuccess blog 71614

There are plenty of factors to consider when it comes to business success: finances, networking, expansion, etc.

However, while these are important matters, there is one matter that is usually overlooked even though it has the ability to make or break the company—your workplace’s atmosphere.

The health of your company is dependent upon the health of your team, for your business will only go as far as your team promotes it.

Here are a few tips to creating an inviting, successful work environment:

1. Organize

Because there often feels like there is too little time in a day to accomplish everything you need to, you often spread yourself and your employees too thin. Instead of focusing 100 percent of your attention on one task at hand, you spread your focus over too many issues, which leads to disorganization and poor business performance.

Instead, set a schedule and stick to it. Be organized about what needs to be done, when it needs to be, and how it should be done. Set the precedent for your workplace by being organized and delegating tasks efficiently. Do an online company check to see how other business competitors are managing and learn from their actions.

2. Reduce Stress

Whether your business is a brand new start-up or a well-oiled machine, it is crucial to alleviate employee stress. A chaotic atmosphere is overwhelming, which can lead to severe stress. When you and your team are under duress, you are more susceptible to sickness, to financial errors, and business mistakes, among others. According to a Harvard Medical School study of stress, stress can often harm a person “physically, emotionally, and psychologically.”

Getting a handle on stress is the first step. Find a technique or activity that relaxes you and work that into both your routine and your team’s routine. Even in a high-pressure work environment, make sure you emphasize the importance of taking breaks during the workday and relaxing.

3. Goal Oriented

Establish goals and deadlines for you company. You can easily track your company’s success when you have goals that are measurable. Moreover, goals and deadlines help to keep you and your team focused on the tasks at hand. Begin by establishing (on paper) goals you want to accomplish six months or a year from now. Create incentives for your team to keep them working hard and focused. For example, offer your team a bonus if you reach your financial goal. It will keep both you and your team motivated while furthering your business’s success.

4. Comfortable Environment

An environment conducive to success will motivate you and your team. The workplace should be efficient and comfortable—emotionally and physically. Keep the office space at a comfortable temperature and at a comfortable mood. Stress the importance of being a team, which will hopefully dispel any negativity or competition amongst co-workers. Additionally, try to make the office space relaxing by making it as bright and airy as possible and having a designated area as a break room.

Image Source: www.wgal.com

About the Author: Ted Levin is a freelance journalist covering business topics for a variety of websites. He enjoys writing about startup challenges and company culture. 

Making a Healthy Choice When It Comes to Insurance Plans

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ahealthcheckSmall business owners wrestling with the decision of whether to offer group health coverage to their employees have several more months before Obamacare’s small business insurance marketplace is fully operational.

Under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, businesses with 50 or fewer full-time equivalent employees, or FTEs, are not obligated to provide such coverage for their workers.

However, many companies, both large and small, find they can better attract — and keep — top-quality employees if they offer health coverage as a benefit.

SHOP Postponed

The multiple problems following last fall’s launch of open enrollment for individual health coverage prompted the federal government to postpone for a year the opening of SHOP, known officially as the Small Business Health Options Program.

In the meantime, small businesses that want to move ahead with group health coverage can continue to purchase health plans that meet Obamacare standards from insurance brokers.

Also, businesses in states that have their own Obamacare exchanges can buy coverage in those marketplaces.

Guidelines for Eligibility

If you’re among the small business owners who are opting to wait until SHOP is fully operational, here’s what you need to know about the qualifications necessary for participation in the marketplace:

  • You must have a principal business address within the state where you’re seeking to buy coverage or have an eligible employee with a primary worksite within the state where you’re buying coverage;
  • You must have at least one common-law employee on your payroll other than the business owner, sole proprietor, or their spouses. A common-law employee is defined as anyone who performs services for you wherein you can control what will be done and how it will be done;
  • Your business must have 50 or fewer FTEs, including part-time employees, in order to be eligible to purchase health plans within the small business marketplace. Two part-time employees are equal to one FTE. A couple of years down the road, SHOP eligibility will be expanded to include businesses with 100 or fewer FTEs.

Pay o to 100% of Premium

Interestingly, small businesses that purchase health insurance plans through SHOP are not required to pay any of the premiums for such coverage, according to a Forbes analysis of small business options under Obamacare.

Employers can pay anywhere from 0 to 100 percent of the plan’s premium, and employees must pay the rest. This rule applies only to health insurance plans purchased through SHOP, which is the federal marketplace for small businesses, and is not necessarily applicable to coverage purchased through state-operated exchanges.

For example, employers purchasing coverage through California’s state-operated exchange must pay at least 50 percent of the premiums for such coverage.

No matter whether you plan to pay 100 percent, 50 percent, or none of the premiums for health coverage offered to your employees, there’s a significant tax benefit to buying through SHOP.

Premiums for all such plans are paid with pre-tax dollars. This means that whoever pays the premium — employer, employees, or both — gets a nice tax break.

Control the Coverage

Choosing a health insurance plan from SHOP allows the small business owner to control the coverage that is offered to employees and, as we’ve already seen, to decide how much, if any, to pay toward employee premiums.

If your small business has 25 or fewer FTEs and you decide to pay 50 percent or more of the premiums for health plans purchased from SHOP, you may be eligible for a small business tax credit for the premiums paid.

In order to be eligible for this tax credit, your employees must average less than $50,000 per year in annual wages. Forbes reports that many employers that are eligible for this tax credit are forgoing it because the calculations involved are “slightly cumbersome.”

4 Levels of Coverage

As a small business owner, you can select the level of coverage that will be available to your employees.

As for individual health plans, the four main levels of coverage are Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

According to HealthCare.gov, these categories have nothing to do with quality of care but rather describe “the way your employees and the plan can expect to share costs for health care.” In other words, bronze plan coverage would require a higher copay for health services than would be charged under the other metal categories.

HealthCare.gov points out, however, that all plans available through SHOP must provide a set of essential health benefits.

Such benefits include ambulatory patient services, emergency services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, mental health and substance use disorder services, prescription drugs, rehabilitative services, laboratory services, preventive and wellness services, and pediatric services.

When evaluating health insurance plans in SHOP, you can compare side by side what services are available under the four levels of coverage.

As noted above, all must provide for the essential health benefits, but higher level plans are likely to have additional benefits.

And, of course, higher level plans cover more of the costs of services and thus have lower copays, if any.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Don Amerman is a freelance author who writes extensively about a wide array of business and personal finance topics.

Should You Give Out Raises?

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araiseIn 2013, the average company gave out a 3 percent pay raise. That average is expected in 2014, as well.

As a business owner, how do you know how much to give and who to give it to? And how can you keep everyone happy in the process?

The job market is tough, and fortunately your employees are aware of your company’s overall circumstances.

New graduates learned in college that one of the challenges they would face after school would be answering how to position yourself for best paying careers, so they, too, know what it’s like to be out in the real world.

How to determine who deserves a raise

As a small business owner, giving out raises at the right time to the right candidates is an important aspect of your job.

Employees like to know they’re doing a good job and they like to be recognized for their hard work, most likely in terms of more money.

Employees that may potentially deserve a raise are those that:

  • Consistently work hard – Do you have an employee that is willing to stay late or work overtime when needed? Does this employee do so with a smile on their face? Employees that go above and beyond their normal job responsibilities are the first that should be recognized. They care about your company and want to see it succeed. Hard workers almost always deserve raises, assuming your company can afford it.
  • Offer something unique to your company – Maybe this particular employee isn’t the hardest worker, but maybe he or she does something valuable and irreplaceable for your business. For example, if you run a small construction business and have one drywall specialist who consistently gets rave reviews from customers, offering a raise to keep the employee around is worth it. It shows you value their work and know it would be hard to find a replacement.
  • Meet or exceed their goals – If an employee regularly meets or exceeds sales goals, for example, they are most likely deserving of a raise. Without good, hard-working employees who sell your product or service, you wouldn’t have a business. Reward them.

How to keep everyone happy

When it comes time to give out raises, employees may start to gossip on who did or didn’t get a raise. This can cause tension and jealousy in the workplace, and may cause some valued employees to leave if they feel underappreciated.

To keep everyone happy, hold a one-on-one meeting with each employee, if possible.

Go over their position in the company, why they are or aren’t getting a raise, their strong points and what they can do to improve. Explain your position as a business owner and what your goals are long-term.

By making the employee feel like a part of a team (which they are), employee gossip should be decreased whether or not you offered them a raise.

For those that didn’t receive a raise, you could consider offering additional incentives.

These can include a few extra paid vacation days per year, allowing them to work from home one day per week or offering a more flexible schedule in the office.

Some employees would rather work four 10-hour days, for example, than five 8-hour days.

See what would be valuable to those employees and offer it to them, especially if you wanted to give them a raise but simply could not afford it.

Photo credit: businessnewsdaily.com

About the Author: Sarah Brooks is a freelance writer living in Glendale, AZ. She writes on personal finances, small businesses and travel.