Human Resources

In business, you won’t ever be able to find success on your own. Of course, you may become a household name, and your business may be internationally renowned – and that is on you – but it’s not something that you can achieve alone. Because you will always need a team around you to get things done. Even if you’re a great innovator or a great marketer, or you can write really well, you won’t be good at everything. And in business, if you’re going to go far, you have to make sure that every business area is covered off expertly. So, you need people. You need the best people around you to help you create your product or service it, get it in front of your customer, and then keep those customers happy. And if you’re not exactly sure how you’re going to do that just yet, you will by the end of this post. Let’s take a look at the people you need around you to grow your business.

1. An Accountant

We’ve started off with an accountant. But really, this could be any kind of financial expert – maybe a bookkeeper or a finance manager. Either way, you need someone to be keeping an eye on your finances at all time. Yes, this is definitely something that you should be doing, but you won’t want to be doing it at all times, as you’re trying to run your business too. Your accountant should be tracking where you are financially, and can give you the advice you need to ensure that your business is being smart when it comes to revenue and profits.

2. A Sales Person

Next, you need someone in sales. It’s easy to think that you can just handle this, but if you’re not a natural, you may be missing out on valuable sales. Just take a look at what Jozef Opdeweegh says about the factors you need for a successful sales team. You can definitely put this into practice with just one person to start with and the right support system in place. And then, when your business grows, you can expand from there.

3. A Social Media Marketer

From here, you then need to be thinking about how you’re marketing this business. And if you don’t have time to go it yourself, you need to bring in support. Hire someone to execute your marketing strategy so that you always have content heading out on social.

4. Customer Service Support

You know that your customers are the most important part of your business, so you absolutely need to have someone with the best customer service skills in place. If you don’t then, you may find it hard to hold onto any customers that you have.

5. An Admin Assistant

Finally, when you’re busy trying to run the business, the last thing you want is to be worrying about admin or responding to emails. So make sure you hire someone that can help you out with this while you’re looking to push on with growth.

As anyone in the world of business will tell you, one of the most expensive overheads a company can have is the people working for it. In the beginning, these people won’t simply walk into their jobs, and money will need to be spent to find them. This can be very expensive, and a lot of businesses struggle at this early stage. From here, you will have to start paying salaries, taxes, and loads of other little things to make sure that they are safe, secure, and happy in their role. All in all, this will put a lot of pressure on your business, and this is before you even begin to consider the benefits you give them.

In most cases, when you decide to do something nice for your employees, it will often come with loads of little negatives which make it hard to justify. Of course, though, you don’t always get a choice, and providing these things to your employees will be essential if you want to get good work from them. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring the true costs of doing something good for those working for you, while also helping you to make it a little bit cheaper.

Leave/Vacation Time

Nowadays, almost every job you will find will come with some sort of vacation allowance which enables employees to take some time out of work each year to spend on themselves. This is designed to help your employees to stay on their toes, while also ensuring that they are happy. It can be very hard to work for an entire year without a proper break. So, to make sure no one is overworked, you will have to work hard to provide this to them.

The main area which makes this expensive is covering the time when important people are away. There will be employees in your company which perform essential roles every day, and will be missed when they are not around. To make sure things go smoothly during their absence, you will need to cover this time, paying other people to take over for the duration of the vacation. Using freelance staff is a great way to do this, and there are loads of agencies out there with the experience to help you.

Along with the money being spent on their replacement, you will also have to think about the money you pay them while they are on holiday. It is standard for people to get at least a portion of their normal working finances during this time. To make sure that you can cover this, it will be worth factoring it in when you’re deciding what you can pay everyone on the team, taking out the extra you will have to pay them while they are on their breaks.

A Company Car

Jobs which come with cars are often some of the most popular you will find on recruitment sites. This sort of benefit isn’t to be sniffed at, and it can give someone a lot of freedom without having to pay the price. Of course, though, when the employee doesn’t have to pay for something, it will mean that you’re covering the costs, and you will need to consider a couple of different areas when you’re doing this.

The first will be the car itself. In most cases, you will handle this on a lease agreement, instead of buying the car to give to your employee. This will already make things a little cheaper, while also giving you upgrades as they come out. Of course, though, it won’t be cheap, and the contract you will have to sign could last for a couple of years. This makes it very important that you only give this to people who are very serious about the prospect of working for you into the future.

Along with paying for the car itself, you will also have some other areas to think about. Insurance will be one of the biggest, as you will need something special for this sort of arrangement, sparking the need for some research. A lot of employers will also want to get the help of a lawyer like https://www.robinettelaw.com/west-virginia/morgantown-car-accident-injury-attorney/, just in case they ever need to cover an accident caused by their workers. While this isn’t essential, it can provide you with a great line of defense when you’re working on a company car.

Breaks And Their Environment

Over the last couple of decades, it has become increasingly popular for modern workplaces to take on elements of comfort which have never been seen before. Stocked drinks fridges, lounge areas, and entertainment can all improve your employee’s breaks by a huge margin, as covered by http://www.health.com/home/workday-breaks-help-employees-reboot-researchers-say. Along with this, longer and more frequent breaks are becoming standard throughout the world of work. Of course, while these things are good for employees, they can cost the business a huge amount.

While having good breaks will always improve their work, it also has the chance to distract your employees. If they have too much time for playing games during their work day, it will be impossible to switch to work mode, and you could lose a huge amount of money thanks to poor productivity. There is a fine line to walk when you’re trying to achieve the goals in the paragraph above. To help you out with this, there are loads of blogs around the web covering modern offices and workspaces, giving you the chance to see what has worked for others.

With all of this in mind, it should start to get a lot easier to assess the costs of providing benefits to your employees. As time goes on, more and more jobs are coming with perks which can’t be ignored by those looking for work. With the best people going to the companies offering the most, this sort of investment could have a huge positive impact on your business. Of course, though, you will need to do some research to make it work.

If your business involves managing a call center, this can be a very challenging environment to manage. Your job revolves around keeping your agents properly motivated while also ensuring that they hit the goals and deadlines that you lay out for them. In this article, we will be discussing the habits that you can adopt to ensure that you stand out from the crowd and lead your team to success.

Communicate with Your Agents

Your agents are the ones who are at the forefront of your business, so it is vital that you keep them on side with effective communication. Listen to them and they will tell you what your clients think is most important, as well as their common causes of complaint. This way, you will be better placed to improve your current processes and practices, and you will also make sure that your agents feel listened to and that they play an important role in the success of your company.

Keep Up with Call Center Technology

Technological advances continue coming thick and fast, and you need to ensure that your business is at the forefront of embracing these changes. There is so much great field service software out there that can improve your business practices and efficiency levels. Ultimately, you need to keep a competitive advantage over your nearest rivals, and technology is one of the ways that you can stay one step ahead of the curve.

Retain Your Agents

There is no doubt that agent retention is one of the biggest challenges facing every call center manager. Call centers are renowned as being difficult places to work, so when you have high-quality agents, you need to keep hold of them in any way that you can. Try to implement agent engagement programs and reward systems which are designed to help do this, as well as encouraging them to do better in customer service.

Put Yourself in Your Agent’s Shoes

How often do you pick up a headset yourself to see what it is like acting as an agent? If the answer is a long time ago or never, the time has come to give it a go. You will get a much better idea of the challenges that your agents face on a regular basis, and this may even lead to you refining and updating your strategic thinking and approach. You may also help to gain the respect and appreciation of your team.

Provide Regular Training Sessions

Continual improvement is one of the hallmarks of a great call center, so provide the training sessions that your staff need to improve and develop their skills. Demonstrate how things should be done and what you would like to be changed, as well as the reasons why.

Getting into these five habits should give you the basics that you need to manage a call center successfully. Ultimately, you need to keep your agents on side, improve your processes and embrace the latest technology.

You have finally started up your own business after months of planning, working hard and setting everything up. You are ready to conquer the market with brilliant customer service, a second-to-none product and a fantastic attitude… but you feel like you’ve forgotten something.

Health and safety is boring and, frankly, no-one ever wants to talk about it. However, it is incredibly important for every business to set out some clear guidelines for their staff to ensure that everyone is safe, healthy and happy in the workplace. You might be used to working as a lone entrepreneur, but now that you have a staff, you need to shift your focus and look after them too.

Purchasing the Right Equipment

Most aspects of health and safety won’t come with a financial implication but ensuring that your purchase the correct equipment for your staff to work safely is vital from the outset. You need to make sure that any risk is carefully managed and that you are within industry regulations for every piece of equipment.

The best equipment isn’t always the most expensive, though. You can – and should – still aim to get the best for your money. For example, if you run a business that includes welding as a service, you could look at sales from weldingoutfitter.com to get the best welding helmets for your workers.

Fire Safety Procedures

We tend not to think about fires since they are so rare, but fire safety is absolutely paramount in any setting. This means that you need to ensure that all your staff are made familiar with evacuation procedures and that fire doors are clear of any obstacles. It’s also a good idea to have a poster detailing the procedure in an obvious position in your office or on site to act as a reminder.

Office Rules and Regulations

As well as fire safety procedures, you should also have a more general code of conduct that every member of staff is aware of. Your code of conduct should contain guidance for all your staff on how to handle everything from bullying to ethical working. Think of it as a promise everyone makes when they join the company about how they agree to behave.

This is an overlooked area of health and safety because a lot of people assume that colleagues will behave properly without prompting. Unfortunately, the workplace is rife with potential issues from sexual harassment complaints to accusations of bullying. Having a document that outlines exactly what the rules are, how to go about raising an issue and how an issue will be handled should make dealing with any social problem much more clear-cut. If nothing else, your code of conduct will ensure consistency in how matters are handled.

The reality is that you probably won’t have to worry about health and safety until a problem comes up. But, when health and safety is taken seriously and measures are put into place, you and your staff can work much more happily together, knowing that there are rules and procedures for every eventuality.  

There isn’t a person in the world who doesn’t worry about something, although some might worry more than others. If you run a business, you might not hear much about the things that worry your employees, but you can guarantee that they are there. While you might encourage keeping personal and work lives separate, people’s personal problems can unfortunately affect their performance at work. If you want to be a compassionate employer, while also making sure your employees do their best work, you should be aware of what these problems might be and how you can help with them.

Illness

Being ill or sustaining an injury is something everyone has to deal with sometimes. While a broken leg or a cold might not impact your business hugely, more long-term issues can. And it’s not just your employees’ own health that could affect them at work, but the health of their friends and family too. To help tackle this issue, you need to consider how you can accommodate people dealing with chronic illnesses or a family member who is ill. One thing that can help is to allow flexible working schedules and even remote working, which makes it easier to handle doctor’s appointments and the like. Adequate medical coverage is also important.

Money Worries

Money is one of the top things that people worry about. It keeps people awake at night and can always be in the back of their mind. If an employee is worrying about money, they could be stressed and distracted while at work. Assistance with managing finances is one of the employee financial perks you could offer, which can help employees deal with their money worries. Better financial education and access to support when they need it can give your staff members what they need to be more confident managing their money.

Relationships

Personal relationships can also have a huge impact on how people are at work. Whether it’s a relationship with a spouse, a child or a friend, when people are struggling with personal relationships, it can affect them greatly. Often, someone might need to talk or feel that they have the support they need. Some businesses have HR departments that might be equipped to provide assistance with personal problems such as these. Others might use employee assistance programs, which are designed to provide counseling and support to people who might need it.

Job Security

The issue of job security is a concern for many people, and it concerns into money worries too. Some people might be worried if they’re unsure of the future of the company or their position in the company. You can try to be transparent with your employees about what’s happening with your business, but it’s also important not to be too open. There’s no need to mention people losing their jobs unless you have good reason too. When people do leave the company, it’s wise to meet with the remaining employees to provide reassurance.

Personal concerns can affect your employees at work, which has a knock-on effect on your business. If you want them to be happy and work hard, you should take care of them.

It is predicted that in the US, in two years time, the number of businesses employing contractors and freelancers will rise to 40%. And it is easy to see why; there are many benefits to hiring contractors and freelancers. But if a company only hires one or the other (contractors or full-time employees), then are they missing out on anything? If you’re starting out in business then this is a really valid question to think about. In order to understand which will benefit your business more, then you need to understand how both of them work and the pros and cons of each of them individually. So here is some more background information about them both, to help you make a more informed decision for your business.

Legal Framework

Understanding the legal framework behind both types of working will help you to make a decision, for sure. If you need someone all of the time, then you could end up paying less in hourly wage, but not in other benefits that are accountable to you as an employee. A full-time employee doesn’t typically set their work hours. You would tell them when to work and there isn’t too much flexibility around it. A contractor would set the times that they are able to work, and that is that really.

As an employer of full-time employees, you are also responsible for things like training your team to be able to do the work that you want them to do. But if you hire contractors and freelance, then you don’t need to train them to do the job. If you needed a web designer, then you’d assign a contractor to do it in the way that you want and that is that. So it can be quicker if you don’t have employees that know how to do it. The same goes for things like construction. If you click here, for example, you may be able to see that you can hire construction workers to get something specific done and then that is all. Hiring a team full-time to do the same job would mean paying them even when they’re done and are waiting for the next work assignment.

As an employer, you would decide the workday for your team of employees and set what needs to be done and when. But with contractors and freelancers, they will work with the tie that they have and organize their own work day. As long as deadlines are set, then they can do whatever hours to get it done for that time. So for freelancers and contractors, that does offer greater flexibility. As an employer, you will also be responsible for the wellbeing of your team and providing somewhere safe for them to be. Contractors and freelancers will often be responsible for their own workplace or office, unless they come on to your premises.

Deciding which type of employer you will be can be key to your business success. You don’t want to hire a full-time assistant if you’re not yet at the point of needing one all day every day. So it may change as your business progresses. But getting it right can save you time and money.

Employee gossip is often seen as nothing but a negative. In some regards, that is absolutely accurate. If employees are spending their time talking to one another rather than completing the work required of them, then your business is going to find itself suffering from lost productivity issues. If this gossip is pernicious and even nasty, then it can disrupt the entire working environment. So it’s fair to say that workplace gossip is often fairly maligned, and should be considered a threat to your business.

However, this is not always the case. Sometimes, employees talking among themselves and engaging in gossip can actually be beneficial. Here’s how.

1) Highlighting underperforming staff members

Your employees will have a decent idea of one another when they have been working together for awhile. They will have figured out who is a go-getter, who can be relied on to deliver work on time, and — most importantly — who is something of a slacker.

As a business owner, it’s genuinely beneficial to you to know who has a reputation for laziness and underperforming in the tasks they are given. While employees are unlikely to approach you directly to complain of a colleague, by keeping your ear to the ground, you should be able to pick up the general feeling that staff members have towards one another. If your employees have recognized, en masse, that one of their number is not contributing as they should, then you need to know about the situation so you can take remedial action.

2) Safety concerns

Any business owner knows they have to dedicate their time to ensuring that all the necessary health and safety requirements are met in their workplace. This means engaging safety consultants and implementing their suggestions on a regular basis, but it also means listening to your employees.

If your employees feel something about your workplace is not safe, they are far more likely to highlight these concerns to one another than take them directly to you. You may find that a certain section of your office has a bad reputation among your staff, or there’s a general consensus that the air quality in your office isn’t what it should be. Sometimes, listening to office gossip is the only way to discover these important pieces of information, as no employee likes to take complaints directly to the boss. If you listen out for these generally-accepted and discussed complaints, you could identify areas of concern in your workplace before they become genuinely hazardous.

3) Workload stresses

Managing the workload that you place on your employees is vital for the health of your business. If employees become overworked, they are unlikely to mention this to you– no employee wants to put their head above the parapet and complain about what is being required of them.

However, employees are likely to discuss strenuous workloads with one another. If you listen out for this kind of talk, or hear rumors swirling of people struggling to cope with demands on their time, it will stand you in good stead if you examine the issue and take remedial action where required.

In conclusion

While office gossip can be problematic, it can also be a useful insight into what’s really happening in your business. Listening and paying attention to the rumor mill can benefit your business, and allow you to implement changes that can ultimately be useful to all.

Your employees are the most powerful tool in your business’s arsenal. Their importance for the overall success of your business really cannot be overstated. Sure, there are a lot of things that go into making a business successful, but your employees are the ones who are able to take your ambitions for your business and actually put them into practice. Without your employees, your business could never be the success that you want it to be. Which is what makes it that much more of a shame that so many business owners simply aren’t taking the right level of care of their employees. If you’re not able to provide the support that your employees need, you’re never going to be able to get the best out of them. With that in mind, here are some of the most important ways that you need to be supporting your employees.

Professional

Employee development is one of the most important things that you need to think about as a business owner. Your employees aren’t just cogs in the mechanism of your business; they’re also professionals who want to improve and develop their skills. You need to be able to provide them with the tools to do that. Things like employee training and sending them on outside courses to improve and learn new things are crucial to their development. Not only will this help them but it will also be a huge benefit to you as well since they’ll bring those skills back into their work.

Financial

Of course, it shouldn’t come as much of surprise that your employees are going to be somewhat financially dependent on you. After all, the salary that you pay them allows them to afford everything from a roof over their head to any luxuries that they want. However, you need to be sure that you’re taking the right financial care of your employees. This can mean everything from a fair, living wage to employee financial perks. By being able to support your employees on a financial level, you can be sure that they’re able to focus and aren’t spending their days worrying about their bank balance.

Personal

It’s crucial that you remember that your employees are not just a tool for your business to use. They’re people. People with individual needs, desires, and emotions. If you’re pushing your employees too hard, then they could end up burning out which is bad news for everyone. It’s incredibly important that you never forget that your employees are individuals who you should support on a personal and emotional level just as much as you do on any other level. If you don’t, you could end up with employees who come to resent your business and even quit.

It might seem as though doing all of this is going to be a lot of work, but the truth is that you need to put in this amount of effort if you really want to get the most out of your employees. Remember, if you support them and put effort into their well-being, your employees are going to be far more likely to return the favor.

Every business relies on the people it employs to be successful. Your employees are assets, and each has a significant value that you can measure. Of course, every company strives to find or develop the most talented members of staff. Creativity, drive, and loyalty are part of the package they expect. But what is the best way for a small up-and-coming business to attract such people? Is it the impossible dream, or is it really possible for your company to pluck the best from the best?

Company Culture

Your company culture needs to be able to stand out from the crowd. The culture you nurture and develop should aim to attract the type of people you want to have come to work for you. This can take quite some time to do. And it will depend a great deal on the people you already have contributing to your business. You’ll need their buy-in to any new ideas you have. Most importantly, you need them to lead the way and actively contribute to the cultural identity you’re trying to forge.

One of the biggest defining areas of company culture is your structure. Do you want a formal tiered management structure? Or would you prefer a lateral, team-based and collaborative approach to each project? There is no right or wrong answer here. But you need to consider the best personality for the company that will attract the personality types you’re hoping will work for you.

Your employees are more likely to enjoy their work if they can relate to and contribute to the company culture. This will help them to become more productive, and less likely to suffer from workplace anxiety or stress. If you want creative people, you need to create a creative office. You need a group dynamic that promotes creativity, and a working ethos that allows for that type of personality to flourish.

Budget

One of the biggest barriers to hiring experienced and talented people is the lack of a budget to pay what they ask. You have to remember that money isn’t everything to employees. The hours of work, flexibility in the environment, and the benefits package are just as important. Then, of course, is the company culture, the atmosphere in the office, and the ‘perks’ of the job.

Where you spend your money is up to you. It’s always worth putting a value on each person you hire. How much do they need to contribute to your company’s bottom line to justify their salary? What do you expect from them? Of course, hiring people with a proven track record and work history helps you to define and clarify this instantly.

There is another element of your budget you need to consider. Training and development are important for employees. They improve their efficiency and add to their skillset. Training can also help your workers unleash their talents and produce more of the standard of work you’re looking for. Consider what training your existing workforce could do for them and your business.

Where To Look

LinkedIn has become a firm favorite for businesses looking to hire. It’s easy to browse profiles and find the people that are actively looking for a new role. Best of all, you can find the people that your contacts have already worked with. Endorsements and recommendations are important when you’re about to invest a lot of money in a new recruit.

You should also check your trade magazines and journals. You can often find interviews and soundbites from the most talented people in your industry. Approaching them might be a challenge, though. You might need to offer more money than you were initially planning to spend.

Finally, consider using a recruitment agency with a specialism for the types of roles you’re hoping to fill. These agencies actively headhunt on your behalf. They might already have the details of a candidate that is looking to leave their active role. You will be charged a finders fee, but much of the stress and headache of writing up the role and hunting for candidates yourself has been eliminated.

How To Advertise

If you’re keen to find fresh talent with limited experience, then why not advertise yourself locally? Sometimes people just need a chance to shine. With a little nurturing and training, you might find someone that brings a lot of money into the company. Advertising in the right way is essential.

Don’t limit yourself to small ads, but don’t feel you have to go to extremes to be spotted in the local press. You might run a radio campaign as well, but bear in mind these can have a limited response. If you can figure out where people are that might be interested in the type of work you’re providing, you’re set. Reaching out is easy from that point.

Be wary of specifying the type of person you’re looking for. Instead, list essential skills and experience. Detail the role and briefly discuss the office culture and environment. It’s up to you if you want to put a salary on that. This can encourage some people and put others off. Of course, some candidates will ignore an ad that doesn’t specify the wage. This figure is a good marker for the seniority of the role and recompense for the responsibilities.

How To Look Good As A Small Business

Small businesses often operate from small offices. That doesn’t mean your office can’t look good! To attract talented recruits, you need to give your office the wow factor. Everything from the office cabinets to the desks should appeal to the type of people you think should be working for you. Think outside the box here. What about standing desks and collaborative working smartboards?

You might have a small canteen or dining area. What can you bring into this space that helps workers meet, converse, and relax? Are there formal meeting rooms, or do you have communal areas that can be used? It’s worth brightening up the place to promote creativity and to energize the workers. Think about the colors, the lighting, and the flow of the spaces you provide.

Of course, flexible working is really important too. Just how flexible can you be? Are you in a position to have workers at home as well as in the office? Is your tech good enough and secure enough to allow for this? Depending on the work you do, you might be able to encourage pets and kids to come to the workplace too.

How do you promote good health and fitness? Can you provide free fruit and vegetable snacks? What about exercise equipment or massage therapies? The more you expect of your workforce, the more you need to give back. This doesn’t have to be monetary, but it should be something your most talented employees will value. Show you care to attract the very best.

Be proud of your achievements and make sure you’re actively shouting about them. Enter for awards as often as you can. This might be people awards, business awards, or industry awards. Post copies of certificates and awards on the walls, and make sure your website brags about them too. This shows you’re working hard to achieve a lot and that you’re recognised for that. It doesn’t matter how small you are if you have recognition! This can be enormously attractive for any future employee.

Let Your Management Style Shine Through

Regardless of your preferred management style, do let it shine through from the very beginning. One of the biggest tests at the interview for a candidate is you. They want to get to know you enough to make a judgement! Ultimately, they need to work out if they can spend eight hours a day in your company or not. Nobody wants to work for someone they don’t like or respect.

You don’t have to be the most charming person on the planet. But you do have to prove that you’re keen to hear ideas and willing to listen carefully to them. Make sure your candidates know whether you’re hands-on or off when it comes to their workload. Ensure your recruits can relate to you and find you approachable. Finally, be certain you have clearly described the structure of the business. They need to know where they sit in the pecking order, who they report to, and what other roles they will work closely with.

There are a lot of considerations for a candidate. And it’s hard for you to show your business in the very best light all the time. Still, a general idea and feel for the place can be made by an interviewee in just a few minutes. Have you been welcoming and engaged? Is the building light, airy, energetic, and informal? Are the hours on offer comfortable and reasonable for the pay you’re offering?

The best way to attract the very best in your business is to put yourself in their shoes. What will be their first impression of you and your company? Do you like what you see?