The Thriving Small Business

5 Steps To Help You Prepare to Interview a Job Candidate

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Hiring a new employee can be an exciting yet stressful time for a small business owner.

The reason being – no one wants to make the costly mistake of hiring the wrong person.

There are many steps to the hiring process – articulating the need, creating a job description, budgeting for salary, advertising and reviewing applications to select a handful of candidates to interview. Read the Full Article →

7 Steps Your Small Business Should Take Before Hiring That New Employee

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When a small business is formed, it is often difficult to imagine the time when there is a need to hire employees.

When that day comes, it is important to understand what needs to be done to hire a new employee.

There are several steps that need to be considered before entering into an employment arrangement. Read the Full Article →

3 Things Top Companies to Work For Do Well

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Any of us who have been around for a while understand that the work place is changing.

Employees are changing and with this change comes a necessity for organizations to change how they practice and manage employees.

This is important if they want to recruit top talent but more importantly if the goal is to retain those valuable employees. Read the Full Article →

5 Benefits of Training Employees

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Employee training is something that many organizations struggle with.

There are issues with adequate resources for curriculum development, facilitating the training and the down time associated with pulling employees out of their job for a period of time to learn new skills.

I worked for a large nonprofit who communicated to employees that they “could not guarantee employment, but could guarantee employability”. Read the Full Article →

Sample New Employee Orientation Checklist

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When employees are new to a job, the organization should do everything it can to make the employee’s transition as smooth as possible. A new employee orientation checklist can help!

Starting a job means that there are many new things to learn, many people to get to know and lots of new information that needs to be absorbed in a very short period of time. Read the Full Article →

7 Tips For Managing Remote Workers

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More and more organizations are offering employees the option to telecommute – at least occasionally.

This number has inched up the past several years.

Some organizations offer the option to telecommute it in an attempt to support a healthy work-life balance, while others do so in an effort to control increasing costs. Read the Full Article →

6 Things Managers Can Do to Encourage Work-Life Balance

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Employees go to work with the intention of doing a good job.

However, the challenges of life can take its toll on even the best employees.

Life happens and it simply takes a lot to juggle the responsibilities of home, family and a job.  And quite frankly some people are better at keeping the balls in the air than others. Read the Full Article →

10 Secrets to Creating a Culture That Fosters Engaged Employees

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Successful organizations understand the importance of developing employees who are engaged and share a common goal.

They recognize that engaged employees put their heart and soul into their job and have the energy and excitement to give more than is required of them.

However, when employees are not engaged, it can have a negative effect on the work environment and ultimately the customer experience. Read the Full Article →

8 Traits To Look for in a Mentor

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We’ve all heard the term ‘mentor’ but we need to acknowledge the importance of mentoring for professional development.

Mentoring has been around for a long time, specifically in academic environments where teaching is a part of the business model.

So what is a mentor?

According to dictionary.com a mentor is “a wise and trusted counselor or teacher – an influential senior sponsor or supporter.”

A mentor is someone who understands the work environment and offers advice to employees coming up the ladder. Read the Full Article →

 7 Tips to Make The Employee Survey Process Successful

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Every business owner understands that customers pay the bills.

And, to keep those customers coming back they need to provide a great service experience.

However, many organizations don’t pay as much attention to those people who care for their customers – the employees.

Employees are often on the front-line and interact with customers either in person, on the phone or delivering the product or service. Read the Full Article →

6 Areas of HR That Every Organization Should Manage

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Let’s be real – managing people is not why an entrepreneur goes into business.

Small business owners often lack the interest or skill-set to manage their most valuable asset – their human resources.

This art of managing people is complex and a science of its own.

There are entire degree and certification programs to teach the experts how to deal with the often complex issues that come with managing a work force. Read the Full Article →

4 Tip for Improving Productivity and Decreasing Employee Errors

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I am a firm believer that employees come to work and want to do a good job.

However, it is the organization’s responsibility to ensure the work environment is one that inspires creative thinking and allows employees to do their job without any barriers or distractions to slow them down.

Apple is getting ready to open its new Spaceship Campus or Apple Park. Read the Full Article →