Keeping Your Valuable Talent From Leaving

With low unemployment and a growing economy, how do you keep the talent in your office from leaving your organization and finding greener pastures elsewhere?

Employees are an investment, plain and simple! Here are some of the ways an employee cost an organization money:

·         Recruiting the employee

·         Hiring the employee

·         On-boarding the employee

·         Paid time off (vacation, sick, etc.)

·         Compensation (wage, benefits, bonuses, etc.)

·         Turnover

When the country was going through a tough economy, the above list would be enough to keep most employees. However, things have changed. With low unemployment, the competition for talented and skilled employees is heating up! Employers are beginning to feel the pain in the quality and quantity of productivity as their talented and skilled employees are lured away by another organization who is offering some enticements are that too hard to pass up.

What can your organization do to keep from losing your valuable talent? Here is a list of the four main ways to keep your talent from leaving:

1. Increase Wage – Employees are not volunteers! This is important to keep in mind when considering a wage increase for an employee. This is one of the main ways your competition is able to lure amazing talent to their organization. Stay ahead of your competition and pay an employee based on the worth they are to your organization. In addition, increasing an employee’s wage demonstrates your commitment to them and an appreciation for the work they do.
2. Improved Management – This is the number one reason an employee leaves their current employer. Poor management will de-motivate an employee and make their work environment terrible to be a part of. Improve the skill level of your current managers or replace them with leaders who know how to build and strengthen a working relationship with your employees.
3. Better Benefits – Investing in a better healthcare plan, offering a more flexible schedule option, and other such ideas are ways to entice employees to stay with your organization.
4. Employee Development – One of the determining factors for employees to look for employment at another organization is the lack of professional development at their current job. Good employees want to learn new skills and develop weaker ones so that they can be more effective in their job. They also feel that developing their skills gives them an increased chance at a future promotion. When organizations do not take time to develop their employees, they are at great risk of losing their hard working employees who care about their job and the organization while only keeping the employees who are mediocre and don’t really care about much anyway.

Hiring a good employee is only the first step. In order to keep that good employee a part of your organization, it is important to invest time and resources . . . continuously. Having lesser talent within your organization will save money, but you will notice a drop in productivity, morale, and cohesiveness. As this occurs, more and more of your valuable talent will leave. You will eventually notice a big difference within your organization . . . and your customers will as well.

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How a Search Committee Could Benefit Your Organization

Understanding when to use a search committee enables it to become a valuable part of your recruiting efforts.

Steve has been very busy in his efforts to hire somebody for a high profile position within his organization. After spending endless hours sifting through resumes, conducting initial phone interviews, doing on-site interviews, and making the final hiring decision, Steve has finally hired a qualified candidate named Jeff. There was no argument that Jeff was qualified for the position, but Steve was only one opinion and only one view point. Within a few weeks of hiring Jeff, it was apparent to everyone around that Steve had missed something. Although qualified, Jeff was not a cultural fit for the organization. In fact, Jeff was pushing all the wrong buttons and going in all the wrong directions. Jeff was not a fit for the organization and Steve had to let him go. It was now time for Steve to begin the time consuming and costly hiring process all over again.

Could the above situation have been avoided? Maybe not entirely, but the likelihood of it happening could have been greatly reduced if Steve had utilized a search committee in his recruiting efforts.

What is a search committee?

A search committee is a group of individuals gathered together for the purpose of assisting an administrator or hiring manager in recruiting and screening candidates for a vacant position.

Why would I use a search committee?

By forming a search committee, the hiring manager is able to harness the large amount of work that comes with reviewing resumes, conducting initial interviews, and doing on-site interviews. In addition, a search committee provides consistency in reviewing each candidate and the entire hiring process benefits from having multiple perspectives.

When should I use a search committee?

It is best to utilize a search committee when hiring for senior level administrative positions and positions that will have a high public relations impact on your organization.

Who should be a part of a search committee?

Search committee's should be formed with the idea of having a diversity of ideas, opinions, and perceptions. Members of a search committee should include:

1. People who have valued knowledge about the vacant position
2. People who are respected
3. Representatives from areas that the new hire will impact
4. Representative from both genders
5. People of different races and cultural backgrounds

How many members should be on the search committee?

The size of the search committee should reflect the importance of the vacant position. With that being said, a search committee should not exceed 11 members nor have no fewer than three members. Keep in mind that the larger the search committee is, the more time it takes to complete the hiring process.

What are the duties of the search committee?

Search committee's should be active in:

• Determining a timeline for the hiring process
• Identifying where to advertise for the vacant position
• Conduct initial interviews
• Participate in on-site interviews
• Help determine which candidates will advance to each stage of the hiring process
• Help determine the final candidate selected to fill the vacant position

When utilizing a search committee to become part of the hiring process for a vacant position, you are opening a door to new ideas and perspectives. These different and sometimes new thoughts should be encouraged and discussed. It is the objective of the search committee to find and hire the candidate who no only can do the job, but would be the best fit for the organization and the culture within.

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New Overtime Rule and You

New overtime rule could very likely affect your job directly or even indirectly

The United States Department of Labor has released the final rule on changes being made to overtime pay. This rule will be effective December 1, 2016.

Previous Rule:

If you were considered an exempt employee and got paid an annual salary of at least $23,660, you were not eligible for overtime pay if you worked more than 40 hours in a work week.

New Rule:

If you are considered an exempt employee and get paid an annual salary below $47,476 and above $23,660, you could now be eligible for overtime pay if you work more than 40 hours in a work week.

Options for the Employer:

Employers could respond to this new overtime rule in a variety of ways:

1. Employers could begin paying overtime pay to the employees who now fit the new criteria. This could lead to a raise in cost of the organizations products/services.
2. Employers could raise salaried employees pay to the new minimum of $47,476. This could lead to a raise in cost of the organizations products/services.
3. Employers could reclassify the exempt salaried positions to full-time hourly positions. This would limit the ability of employee being able to work additional hours to accomplish their assigned duties.
4. Employers could eliminate the affected positions that would otherwise be considered eligible for overtime pay. This would require the employer to redistribute those job duties to other employees within the organization.
5. Employers could eliminate the affected positions and replace each of those positions with two part-time employee positions. This would also enable the organization to save on paying full-time benefits.

In order for a worker to be exempt from overtime, they must meet the criteria. For example, performing "executive" duties means supervising the work of two or more employees and "administrative" duties requires the exercise of discretion and independent judgment. For more information, please review the Department of Labors fact sheet on overtime exemption.

If you feel that you work in a position that could fall under these new overtime rules, please consult your Human Resource department or immediate supervisor. As always, be sure to review your state specific overtime rules.

These new overtime rules will have effect an estimated 4.5 million workers and have a residual effect on their co-workers and products/services.

Here is the new overtime rule as stated by the Department of Labor:

Key Provisions of the Final Rule

The Final Rule focuses primarily on updating the salary and compensation levels needed for Executive, Administrative and Professional workers to be exempt. Specifically, the Final Rule:

1.    Sets the standard salary level at the 40th percentile of earnings of full-time salaried workers in the lowest-wage Census Region, currently the South ($913 per week; $47,476 annually for a full-year worker);

2.    Sets the total annual compensation requirement for highly compensated employees (HCE) subject to a minimal duties test to the annual equivalent of the 90th percentile of full-time salaried workers nationally ($134,004); and

3.    Establishes a mechanism for automatically updating the salary and compensation levels every three years to maintain the levels at the above percentiles and to ensure that they continue to provide useful and effective tests for exemption.

Additionally, the Final Rule amends the salary basis test to allow employers to use nondiscretionary bonuses and incentive payments (including commissions) to satisfy up to 10 percent of the new standard salary level.

The effective date of the final rule is December 1, 2016. The initial increases to the standard salary level (from $455 to $913 per week) and HCE total annual compensation requirement (from $100,000 to $134,004 per year) will be effective on that date. Future automatic updates to those thresholds will occur every three years, beginning on January 1, 2020.

https://www.dol.gov/whd/overtime/final2016/

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Afraid of Improving Your Employees

Are you afraid of improving your employees skills out of fear that they might leave?

The above question is one that has been pondered by many organizations. Some organizations have minimized training all together in order to keep their employees skill sets limited and thus minimizing their potential to leave for greener pastures. While other organizations have maximized training and the development of their employees while understanding the risks.

This is a discussion that needs to be had within every organization. What is the correct answer? There are four key points that will help any organization formulate the answer for their own situation.

Not All Employees Are the Same

When an employee is hired, nobody knows that employees true potential. When additional responsibilities are given to that employee, an organization is able to begin to see what the employee can offer. When an employee develops new skills through training and professional development, an employer is able to observe the true character and potential of that employee. When some employees are given new skills, they rise to the challenge and embrace the exciting change. These employees are looking to utilize their new found skills. While other employees who are given new skills do nothing with them and go right back to where they were before the new skills were learned. Giving employees new skills is an opportunity for an organization to identify employees with potential and possible future leaders. Not all employees will react to receiving new skills the same way. In regards to their potential, each employee is an individual and should be treated as such.

Resources or Cogs?

Every organization has a different mindset when it comes to their employees. Neither mindset is good or bad. Each mindset is derived from the business goals of the organization.

• Resource - Your employees are the greatest resource within the organization. Identifying, guiding, and developing employees with great potential and placing those employees into the areas of the organization where they can have the biggest impact. This is a process that takes time and some serious investment from the organization. As a resource to the organization, employees are developed and given new skills. Once those new skills are fully utilized, then that employee becomes more valuable to the organization.
• Cog - Your employees have been hired to do a job and it is expect that they will do that job well. Minimal amount of training or investment will be made by the organization as the employee only needs to know what is required for their particular job. Each employee is a cog working within a larger machine. If that cog is no longer effective and productive, then it will be quickly replaced by a new cog. All cogs are replaceable and are expected to burnout after a given amount of time.

Some people may object to employees being treated as a cog in a machine while others may object to investing too much into an expendable resource. As stated earlier, neither mindset is good or bad, but rather how a particular business operates.

Employee Value

Jack has just completed a week long training course. He is excited to begin implementing what he has learned into his job. There is a lack of enthusiasm from his supervisor about Jack's newly acquired skills. Nevertheless, Jack begins utilizing his newly learned skills and sees an increase in his productivity. Jack's confidence grows as he becomes a bigger contributor to the organization. However, as time passes, nothing changes with his job, responsibilities and perceived value. His supervisor did not appear to value the additional training Jack received nor the increased value of Jack himself. By this point, Jack has begun to feel frustrated and under valued. He got hired at a different company where Jack feels they value his skills, talents, and true value. After receiving Jack's two-week-notice, Jack's supervisor says to him, "I don't understand what happened. I thought everything was going as it always has." Jack then turned and said to his supervisor, "if that is what you think, then you don't know me."

When an employee receives training that adds to their professional skill set, they perceive that they become more valuable to the organization. If the organization sees that the added skill set did indeed make the employee more valuable, then that perceived value has become a reality and must be recognized. Recognition could come in many forms, including, but not limited to, increased responsibility of a leadership nature, monetary bonus, raise in salary, or a promotion. If the employee perceives their increased value, but the organization does not, then that employee-employer relationship will sour quickly and the employee will look for value validation elsewhere.

Succession Plan

What are your organizations future plans for leadership roles? Will those roles be filled with new employees outside of the organization or will those future roles be filled by developing talent within the organization? If an organization plans on filling future leadership roles with in-house talent, then giving employees new skills and knowledge is a critical component. As stated earlier, when you give employees new skills and knowledge through training and professional development, the true character and potential of that employee begins to surface. Once those potential future leaders are identified, then they must be valued and placed on a track of continued development. An organization's in-house talent will already have an understanding of your organization's culture and will be an example to other employees. There is a risk to developing in-house talent as some of that talent the organization has invested in will leave for another opportunity elsewhere. Should an organization only develop in-house talent? No, this tends to create group think and does not lead to new ideas or a fresh approach. It is important to fill some of the leadership roles with outside talent.

Conclusion

Deciding weather to give employees professional development and add to their skill set is a business decision that needs to be made by every organization. This decision should be based on the organizations' business goals and expected outcomes. There is no right or wrong answer to this question. Take a moment to think about this and ask yourself, "am I afraid of improving my employees?"

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I Quit . . . It Began With a Toxic Employee

This is my personal example of how toxic employees hurt organizations.

Many years ago I worked for a new company that was growing fast! It had amazing potential and was just beginning to develop its own unique culture that was different from similar companies within the same industry. My stock in the company was rising quickly. Within six months of being hired, I was being considered for promotion. I loved my job and the people I worked with!

One of my co-workers was rewarded with the promotion that I was seeking. This only helped me work harder and really focused me on being even more productive at my job. My co-worker who was promoted became my supervisor, but we were still close friends. One day, my supervisor came to me and told me that one of my other co-workers came to him and told him various things about me that he knew were not true. He could not figure out why one of my co-workers would try to discredit me so badly.

It was a couple of weeks later that things became more clear. My supervisor came to me and told me that the came co-worker who attempted to discredit me, had just done the same thing to another of his co-workers. It had become obvious that this co-worker was a toxic employee. He was upset that he was not considered for the promotion, so his goal was to discredit all of the co-workers he viewed as competition.

All of the signs of a toxic employee were there:

• He spread gossip about other co-workers
• Did not care about his co-workers
• Only worked hard when somebody was looking
• He was over-confident
• Said, "that's their problem", "this is stupid", and "that's not my job"
• Pushed his work on other co-workers
• He bullied other co-workers

How companies deal with toxic employees says a lot about the company itself, but it also has a huge effect on its culture. After many complaints about this toxic employee, the company finally responded . . . they promoted him. This toxic employee was promoted into a newly created position and given the chance to work from home 50% of the time.

It turned out that this type of decision making was taking place throughout the company. Toxic employee were being rewarded for their "efforts" in multiple departments. Promoting and rewarding this type of behavior had a ripple effect throughout the company. It was the change to the culture of the company that was most noticeable. Rather than being unique, in a positive way, within their industry, the company earned the reputation as being one of the worst organizations to work for.

If the company would have tried to correct the behavior of these toxic employees or simply terminated their employment with the organization, things might have turned out different. However, as the situation was, during the next few months, many of the effective and productive employees found new places for employment, including myself.

Good and productive employees don't want to work with toxic employees who suck the life out of a company. If there are toxic employees within your company, it is vital that you act quickly to correct the situation. Otherwise, they will have a negative effect on the culture of your company and your best employees will leave.

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5 Steps to an Effective Performance Management Program

Annual appraisals are only one aspect of effective performance management

Jackie walked apprehensively into her supervisors office. They were meeting to discuss her annual appraisal. She was nervous about what her supervisor would discuss with her. During their meeting, Jackie and her supervisor discussed things that occurred during the past year that had effected Jackie's' overall performance. Often, Jackie would try to recall the various instances, but so much time had passed that she could not remember the exact details the same way her supervisor did. As the meeting went on, Jackie began to feel defensive and irritated. Finally, the meeting was drawing to a close and Jackie had already checked-out mentally. She was done with this meeting and just wanted to get back to work. Here supervisor handed her a list of areas Jackie was to work on improving in her assigned position at the company. Jackie took the list, shook her supervisors hand, and walked back to her desk feeling a bit flustered by the whole experience. She put the list of areas to improve in her drawer and never looked at it again. She went back to work, relived that she would not have to go through that again for another year.

What is performance management?
Performance management is about establishing a shared understanding, between the employee and employer, about what is to be achieved at an organizational level. It is about aligning the organizations objectives and expectations with the employees skills, competency requirements, and resources in order to achieve a desired result. With performance management, the emphasis is on improvement, learning, development, and reaching set goals in order to create a highly productive workforce.

Annual appraisals
It is important to understand that annual appraisals are only a part of a overall performance management strategy. However, far too often, many organizations hold these annual meetings as their entire performance management process. Annual appraisals are often perceived as a painful process, by both participants, that result in no real change or improvement in employee performance. By only having annual appraisals, results in unintentional outcomes:

• Too painful, emotionally charged
• Poor understanding of expectations
• Misdirected bonuses (favorable review, but organizational goals not met)
• Poorly timed
• Subjective supervisor opinion
• Missed development opportunities

Effective performance management

Performance management, when done correctly, effectively links the organizations plans and goals with the employees individual performance. When an employees individual performance helps an organization achieve its goals, that employee would then be rewarded with favorable reviews and possible bonuses that are in-line with the employees performance and contribution. Here is a basic outline of a performance management program:

1. Initial Meeting - Face-to-face planning meeting between the supervisor and the employee. During this meeting, the supervisor and the employee will work together to establish objectives, development plan, and a competency review for the next 365 days.
2. Continuous focus - During the next six months, both the supervisor and the employee should be taking notes independently documenting performance milestones, progression, and set-backs.
3. Interim review - An abbreviated meeting should be held between the supervisor and the employee to measure progression toward the objectives as discussed in the initial meeting. This is also an opportunity to discuss any updates or changes to the objectives based on any change of the overall organizational goal. In addition, this is the time to discuss any additional resources or training the employee might need in order to reach the objective within the next six months.
4. Continuous focus - During the next six months, both the supervisor and the employee should be taking notes independently documenting performance milestones, progression, and set-backs.
5. Final review - At the end of the 365 day period, the supervisor and the employee will meet to determine if the objectives set during the initial meeting were met. If the objectives were met, then the supervisor would have some form of recognition for the employee upon meeting their objective. If the objectives were not met, then the supervisor and the employee would discuss the nature of the objective and if it was obtainable. In addition, a discussion about available resources and training would also take place at this time. This is not a meeting where only the supervisor does the talking. The determination of meeting the objective should be discussed and decided upon by both the supervisor and the employee. If the supervisor does not feel that the objective was met, but the employee does, then their was a communication gap during the initial meeting and the interim review.

Outcomes of an effective performance management program

There are clear signs of an effective performance management program within an organization:

• Communication improves
• Everyone knows the objectives and expectations
• Improved documentation
• Reduction of stress
• Final review (appraisal) becomes relevant and effective
• Learning and development becomes part of the organizational culture

The difference between a standalone annual appraisal and a performance management program is striking. Improving employee morale, reduced turnover, promoting the right people into the right positions, earned job performance recognition, and growing employee skill sets are but a few of the results that will occur when an organization has an effective performance management program in place.

For more information, please feel free to email support@hcsiinc.com

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Economic Growth Fuels High Employee Turnover

With the economy on the upturn, talent retention is coming to the forefront for employers

A New York Times article cites the 2015 Deloitte survey of more than 3,300 business and HR leaders in 106 countries that found retaining talent was seen as the most important challenge, edging out developing leadership, which has been a long-time top concern.

Also, a study from Spherion of 225 HR managers mentioned in the Times article said far fewer employers were concerned about employee costs in 2015 compared to 2014. One-third of managers, however, said that after finding skilled workers, which is the #1 concern, came turnover and retention. Last year, only 25% had the same concern.

“It’s the No. 1 issue for H.R. professionals,” Chason Hecht, president of Retensa, an employee retention consulting firm, told the Times. Hecht said the problem was “pervasive across industries, but some are hit harder than others”, like healthcare. For healthcare, the main challenge is sourcing and keeping workers to serve an increasingly aging population, who have more health-related issues.

“In my experience, doing this for 15 years, this is the first time it has scored this high,” Josh Bersin, founder of the research firm Bersin by Deloitte and one of the report’s authors, told the Times.

Hayes MacArthur, an HR executive from EisnerAmper, an accounting firm with a workforce of more than 1,300, told the Times that apart from strategies such as reinventing performance reviews and doing exit interviews, one effective strategy is following up with departed talent months later to try to see if they will return to the fold. “When someone returns, it sends a great message to the rest of the firm,” he told the Times.

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Leaches in the Workplace: Discrimination

Discrimination within a workforce, sucks the lifeblood out of the organization

Discrimination: the practice of unfairly treating a person or group of people differently from other people or groups of people

Leaches: bloodsucking parasites

Dan was excited about his new job. However, that excitement quickly dissipated as he experienced some situations that made him feel like he was being treated differently. It was not only how some people talked to him, but also how they looked at him, gave extra space while walking around him, and at times, made an effort to avoid him all together. Dan decided to put all of this aside and earn his way through the company using his talents, experience, and amazing work ethic. His quality of work was at a high level, but the strange treatment remained the same. No matter what he did, Dan felt that his hard work and determination would never pay-off. Less than a year after starting this new job with excitement and enthusiasm, Dan resigned. The company has now lost a valuable and contributing member of its organization. A little more information about Dan; he is a war veteran of African descent who had lost his arm fighting in Iraq.

Discrimination comes in many forms including, age, disability, gender, race, national origin, religious, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and weight. When discrimination is part of a workforce, it sucks the lifeblood out of that organization and all of the people who are a part of it. Productivity is less, morale is lower, and there is an increase in turnover. On many occasions, companies loose valuable members of their workforce who have greatly contributed to its success. Discrimination is a behavior that has a negative effect on everyone involved.

Here are some signs that discrimination may be a part of your workplace:

Odd hiring practices – Failing to hire or refusing to hire a potential employee based on one of the discrimination classifications. Typically, an organization is not even aware that this is happening, because the recruiters have complete control over the initial screening process.

Missed promotions – Promotions are wonderful opportunities for employees to move their careers ahead, but sometimes the most qualified employee is not the one who receives the promotion. When a company promotes an employees, there should be extensive documentation that justifies that promotion. Employees know who the most qualified person is for a promotion, and when that person gets looked over, everybody takes notice and remembers.

Unequal pay – All employees should be paid based on the value that individual brings to the organization in a particular position. Paying people differently for doing the same job is a slippery slope. If employees have similar experience, education, and skills and they are doing a similar job, then their pay should reflect that.

Unequal discipline – It is vital for an organization to have documented discipline procedures and to follow those procedures. Disciplining employees differently could be a demonstration of favoritism or discrimination.

In order to help avoid these unfair practices, organizations need to teach employees what their expectations are in the area of discrimination. They need to be clear, blunt, and they need to teach by example by quickly handling any discrimination practices or situations that may arise. Leading by example begins with management. Companies must demonstrate the type of behavior they expect from their employees. Discrimination will suck the lifeblood out of any organization. Eliminating discrimination will help your employees be more productive, increase morale, and reduce turnover. Discrimination has no place within the workforce of an organization.

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Blending Talent Into Your Organization

Effectively blending or integrating new talent into your organization will help give you a competitive advantage.

Sue has completed the hiring process (Hire the Right Employee - http://bit.ly/1G30e1I) and felt that she has hired a person who will do the job well. She has followed all of the steps to ensure a successful onboarding process (Importance of New Hire Orientation - http://bit.ly/1PdccbP) and is happy with the results. At this point the employee is doing okay, but something is not right. The new employee appears to be a fit, but things are not working as smoothly as she had hoped they would, but she cannot figure out why.

This situation that Sue is having, is one that many organizations find themselves in quite often. Yes, a good candidate was hired and the on-boarding process went well. However, this new employee has not yet been integrated into the organization. There is a difference between onboarding and integrating. Both the on-boarding and integrating processes should be done when a new hire is brought into the organization, somebody is promoted into a management position, or an employee takes a job into a different department then where they were previously.

Where on-boarding is intended to help new employees gain the necessary knowledge, skills, and behaviors to become effective members of your organization. This process is typically more mechanical and routine than a true process of personal and social integration with a development approach. Talent integration involves a more formal, developmentally focused transition plan to help the employee integrate into the organization. This process usually covers the first six months in the employees’ new role and is intended to reduce the time for those new to their roles to become productive contributors and shorten the learning curve in order to quickly secure them to the organization.

The four core elements of an effective talent integration include, but are not limited to:

• A purposeful discussion between the new staff and their immediate supervisor within the first few days of hire to define clear expectations regarding job performance and key expected results, and to discuss how best to establish a working relationship.
• Coaching for new managers, best done with an external/neutral executive/performance coach, to support the transition, especially if new skills are needed.
• Identify the new employees’ competencies, strengths, and talents so that they may be integrated and best utilized for the success of the organization.
• Regular feedback meetings, monthly at a minimum, focusing on what is going well, where the person is challenged, what their ideas are, what they could use for help, etc. These discussions are dialogues and interactive in nature, verses a monologue from the supervisor.

These methods will help develop strong relationships, support, and loyalty, talent integration helps retain employees, in addition to helping attract talent to your organization. Hiring the right employee and having a successful on-boarding process are very important, but so is knowing how to integrate that new talent into your organization.

For more information on this and other topics related to HR, HIPAA, OSHA, and Medicare, please emailsupport@hcsiinc.com or visit our website at http://www.hcsiinc.com

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Improve Employee Morale, Increase Productivity

The effects of employee morale on an organization are far reaching and long lasting

Employee morale is the cornerstone of all businesses. Employees with a high level of job satisfaction, a good outlook, positive attitude, and a feeling of well-being in their workplace, have a high level of morale. It is the level of morale that has a direct correlation to the level of productivity. While skills, resources, and knowledge are also important aspects of productivity, it is the level of morale of the skilled worker that greatly affects his or her level of productivity.

There are many factors in a workplace that can affect employee morale. Examples include: work hours, work load, pay, incentives, and perceived value. An employee who has low performance may not be a lazy or bad worker, but rather they may have low morale. When evaluating an employee’s performance, it is important to look at all factors that could have a direct effect on the employee. If an employee has a poor work/life balance, is working for a low wage, has little to no incentives, or is perceived to not be of a value to the organization, then their overall performance will be greatly affected.

With employee morale having such a large impact on any organization, how do you raise or maintain a high level of morale within your office? Here are five suggestions for raising or maintaining a high level of employee morale:

• Vision – Your employees are part of something bigger, but do they know that? Employees need to understand and share in the vision of what the organization is trying to accomplish. That vision will motivate and inspire all employees within the organization.
• Show You Care – Each of your employees is an individual person and they liked to be recognized as such. Be involved in your employees’ lives by identifying and celebrating their birthday, when a child is born, or a wedding. It is important that your employees feel loved and valued by the organization.
• Look For The Awesome – When an employee is doing good work, recognize it and celebrate it! Recognizing an employee’s good work helps motivate the employee while showing other employees the quality of work you are looking for.
• Promote From Within - When employees see that there is room to advance their career within your organization, it speaks volumes. Find out what skills and talents the each employee possess and find ways to develop those skills for future use in your organization. When you have an all-star employee, help invest in the training they need to advance as your company grows.
• Have Fun – Doing business and being professional does not mean that you cannot have some fun along the way. Organizations that encourage and facilitate fun employee activities often keep those employees happy. Activities such as bowling, summer parties, paintball or laser tag, and going to the movies all encourage the employees to enjoy their time at work while bonding them closer together. The common these in all of these ideas is caring recognition, rewards, and appreciation. These small steps can go far.

Keeping your employees motivated and engaged is the best way to promote increased performance and reduce turnover within your organization.

For more information on this and other topics related to HR, HIPAA, OSHA, and Medicare, please email support@hcsiinc.com or visit our website at http://www.hcsiinc.com

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Poor Management Cost Your Business Money

9 Signs of Poor Managers in Your Healthcare Office

When employees are dissatisfied at work, one of their most common complaints is about poor management. Dissatisfaction at work causes an increase in turnover and that costs your business money! For employers interested in improving employee morale and workplace culture, the idea of “poor management” is too general. What causes the perception of poor management? What exactly are the most common complaints about poor or ineffective managers?

The Harvard Business Review actually did a survey on this topic, and it created a list of the most common complaints about ineffective managers. The Harvard study labeled these items as “The Communication Issues That Prevent Effective Leadership,” and it’s easy to see why: these items clearly would hinder a good working environment.

Here’s what the study found, ranked by frequency:

1.      Not recognizing employee achievements
2.      Not giving clear directions
3.      Not having time to meet with employees
4.      Refusing to talk to subordinates
5.      Taking credit for others’ ideas
6.      Not offering constructive criticism
7.      Not knowing employees’ names
8.      Refusing to talk to people on the phone/in person
9.      Not asking about employees’ lives outside work

Some of them may be surprising to many of us, such as not knowing employees’ names. Such things seem like they would fall under basic courtesy—and when basic courtesy and good management are lacking, employee morale can easily be lacking as well.

In order to help prevent your business from wasting money, it is important to have effective leadership. By having effective leadership, you will notice an increase in employee satisfaction, and thus a decrease in turnover. Having a decrease in turnover alone will lead to you saving your business money!

(BLR website)