The Thriving Small Business

9 Duties of an Human Resource Assistant

by

Successful small businesses grow.  And with that growth comes the need to incorporate the HR function.

The human resource function is a vital role that helps to ensure legal compliance and supports the employee experience.

The human resource assistant is the person who deals with the day-to-day HR responsibilities and is the liaison between the organization, employees and benefit vendors. Read the Full Article →

6 Ways to Demonstrate Ethics and Integrity in Your Business

by

The success of an organization is built off of the trust of customers, employees and the general public.

The best way to gain that trust is to demonstrate ethics and integrity in business practices.

Not because of legal requirements – but because it is the right thing to do.

A great example is the infamous Enron Collapse and Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme stories. Read the Full Article →

Example Business Goals and Objectives

by

Part of the business planning process is writing business objectives that are translated into actionable goals.

Goals should support the strategic plan, which is a written document that articulates an organization’s strategy for achieving its mission and vision. The goal development process looks at this strategy and determines the necessary steps to get there. Read the Full Article →

5 Steps to Dealing with Negative Employee Behaviors

by

Most of us who have managed people, have had the unpleasant experience of dealing with negative employee behaviors.

It’s one of those things that just drains the energy out of you and makes being a manager an unpopular job.

While confronting employees is never fun, it can be done with diplomacy and result in changed behaviors. Read the Full Article →

Example Customer Service Standards

by

Every organization should have a basic expectation for employees to provide good customer service.  Many businesses will define their standards of service and train employees on how they are expected to behave when interacting with customers.

But before we can discuss customer service standards, we first need to identify and understand the different customer groups. Read the Full Article →

7 Keys to Planning Effective Meetings

by

There are two types of people in the world.  People who love meetings and people who hate them. Much of this is due to the fact that people spend hours in meetings and very often have nothing to show for it.

Meetings come in all shapes and sizes but one thing is for sure, they are either a great experience for all attendees and perceived as time well spent, or they can be a mental drain and a complete waste of time.  Read the Full Article →

What Should Merit Raises Be Based On?

by

I was recently asked what merit raises should be based on – which is a great question!  Justification for a merit increase is important because of the financial investment the pay increase represents.  Merit increases can have a significant impact on an organization’s payroll cost over the span of perhaps decades that an employee works for an organization. Read the Full Article →

5 Employee Benefits Required by Law

by

When businesses are birthed, it is typically the owner who gets things started.  Once a business experiences a measure of success, all of a sudden the employer is forced to figure out how to manage the small business and how the human resource aspect should be run.

This can be an exciting, yet painful, process to try and figure out all the legalities of hiring employees.  Read the Full Article →

13 Characteristics of an Employee Empowered Culture

by

Empowerment is a buzz term that we hear a lot about in leadership.

Empowerment is defined as “the giving or delegation of power or authority; authorization; the giving of an ability; enablement or permission.”

Empowerment is based on the belief that employees have the ability – and want to take on more responsibility.  Read the Full Article →

Job Description Template

by

Successful organizations put systems in place to help manage employees. The job description is part of that system.

Employees need to know what is expected of them and who to go to with questions or concerns.

Job descriptions lay out reporting relationships, daily tasks, job responsibilities and help guide employee performance. Read the Full Article →

3 Tips To Make Managing Employees Easier

by

Managing employee performance can be one of the most challenging aspects of a supervisor’s job. But when done strategically, and with an end in mind, it can be a positive, and even rewarding, experience for both parties.

When I speak to managers, I try to help them understand that managing employees and administering performance appraisals should be a part of how things are done and ingrained into the culture of the organization. Read the Full Article →