Starting and developing a new business or managing a small business is no small feat. Many challenges may arise when attempting to accomplish these tasks. Luckily, today’s rapid technological advances make start-up and management not only simple but also cost-effective. We at Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) are here today to tell you why outsourcing can benefit your star-up or small business and how to go about outsourcing tasks to maximize benefits.

Why To Outsource

We know that many entrepreneurs and leaders of small businesses consider themselves Renaissance men or women and while we are not here to question your abilities, we are here to tell you that you simply cannot do it all. Although a small team may be able to cover most of the basics, there will still be tasks out of your teams skill set that require advanced knowledge to perform optimally. This is why we advocate outsourcing.

Outsourcing used to be viewed as a tool used only by big businesses for the mundane or minute tasks. However, in today’s climate technology has made connectivity available no matter where your geographical location and thus nearly any task can be outsourced.

How To Outsource

Tasks should not be outsourced just because you don’t feel like completing them. Choose tasks that are essential yet require too much personal time. This allows you to take a step back and focus on the things that will either grow your business or increase revenue.

When choosing a company to work with, make sure they are top quality or outsourcing will only add to your workload. Delegate tasks and let your team know what they are responsible for and what outside help is going to be working on. This will increase productivity and allow important tasks to be completed at optimal levels.

We know that many of you have great ideas that can help push your company in the right direction. You may have shared these ideas with co-workers or even one of your superiors. You want to be hear but you feel as if your ideas are not being seriously considered because you are not the key decision maker. So how do you get that idea to become reality? Today, Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) shares a few helpful tips on how to gain approval for your ideas.

Sell your idea

• Think of your idea as a product like those that your company offers and sell your idea accordingly.

Pitch your idea as a Critical Success Factor

• According to a study, the number one reasons idea pitch’s get turned down is that they are not key to the stability of the company.

Present you idea to the key decision maker

• Discuss the positives and negatives with co-workers or superiors to gain a third-party perspective but do not hesitate to take your idea to the individual that has the power to put your plan into action.

Own your idea

• Don’t be discouraged by criticism. Take charge of the idea you have come up with an share your point of view, supporting your position with valid and reasonable claims.

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article on how to innovate like a Nobel Prize winner and we at Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) thought we would share some highlights with you.

Times have changed and with the increasing introduction of highly sophisticated technology, so too has the way one innovates changed. Author Holly Finn states that “revision rather than reinvention is the new hallmark of innovation.” In today’s market, innovation is not so much about the creation of a completely new product but the improvement of that product.

Innovation in today’s climate is all about re-inventing the wheel.  For example, Sony does not need to create an alternative to the camera, they simply make an improved version of the already innovative digital camera with more megapixels and increased zoom capabilities.

Still not convinced? Let’s consider Apple as one of the ultimate innovators whose process Finn characterizes as “a tweak, not an overhaul”. Audiences are consistently excited when Apple releases a redesigned version of it’s iPod, an updated model of its infamous iPhone or the newly downsized iPad mini.

The takeaway? Don’t spend all your time and money to create the next big thing. Instead, concentrate the majority of your efforts improving current technology in ways that will interest your target audience.

Creating a campaign can be an enormous task but we at Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) think that managing one can be even more challenging. Today we give you five tips on how to manage a marketing campaign with ease.

1.  Take Time to Identify Goals

Don’t just dive into a project headfirst.  Take time to establish what your campaign is trying to achieve. Identify your target audience, how you will reach them and in what fashion you will be presenting your message.

2. Understand Your Target Audience

Once you identify your goals and know who you will be aiming your message at, it is time to understand that audience. Take the time to research likes, dislikes, interests and trends that apply to your target audience. Understanding your target audience will allow content creation for your campaign to be much easier to manage.          ` 

3. Set Campaign Milestones

A campaign can be a rather time consuming endeavor and many important details can be over-looked if employees are not held responsible. In order to avoid missing key components of your campaign, set milestones with strict due dates. By implementing this strategy, no detail will be forgotten and campaign elements will flow together naturally.

4. Don’t Leave Team Members in the Dark

Hold weekly or milestone meetings where employees can share what they have done, what they are working on and what they are planning for the future. When all team members are up to date with the goings-on of the campaign, work will not be repetitive or lacking.

5. Measure Success of Campaign

Use tracking and analytics software in order to see how effective your campaign was. This will not only allow you to celebrate the success of your campaign but will also help you to identify areas to focus on in the future.

HROToday.com has published an insightful article on the importance of data analytics in the recruitment industry.  The Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) team thought we’d share the article by author Michael Housman titled “Data for Dollars: Analytics can help determine the value of your workforce.”

Recruiting is big business. U.S. employers collectively spend nearly $124 billion a year on recruiting, and almost $6 trillion on payroll. With that level of spending, small improvements in outcomes can easily be worth billions or tens of billions of dollars.

Yet recruiting has largely been an unmeasured process, wherein recruiters screen candidates by their own criteria, including work experience and academic achievement—historically poor predictors of candidate quality. Once hired, systems are seldom in place to measure or track quality of hire in order to continuously improve the recruiting process.

With quality of workforce becoming increasingly critical as a differentiator and a source of competitive advantage, HR professionals must ensure they deliver the best candidates for the money. The most sure-fire way to do this is by using a data-driven approach that leverages quantitative metrics to measure, analyze, create, and sustain a more productive workforce.

New technologies and rapidly advancing analytics are changing the nature of the contribution that HR can make to an organization. These advances enable companies to predict employee performance, engagement, and retention as a function of various inputs. By doing so, HR is able to quantify the quality of the hourly workforce, then deliver insight and drive action to improve the recruiting process and overall workforce performance. With quantitative metrics and a focus on the strategic impact of a more productive workforce, the recruiting function is sure to become one of the key drivers of organizational success.

HRO Today’s article offers these (and more) insights:

• Data Analysis Matters – The amount of money that can be saved for an organization through the use of data analytics is immense. Small changes on the margin that result in sales or productivity increases of just a few percentage points can be worth significant amounts of money.

• Becoming Data-Driven – Once companies grasp how to use data and analytics to better understand their workforces, they can take a deeper dive into analytics to gain insight into all aspects of their recruiting process, and to drive further changes and improvements.

Taking the Analytics Plunge – Use data to optimize sourcing decisions and budgets, evaluate the effectiveness of recruiters, and understand your applicant shelf life.

The Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) team is sharing a post about job hunting from June Owensboro, a staff researcher and writer for TermLifeInsurance.org.  We’ve held onto this post while we excerpted 14 chapters of  ”A Practical Guide to Human Resources Management,” a 266-page guidebook to the intricacies of the world of employment from Jeff Stinson, founder and president of Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO)

But now we’re ready to go with June’s article – “Job Hunting Requires a License, Too.”  Enjoy.

Thinking about getting a job flipping burgers?  Heads up — you’re competing against a guy with credit card bills, a car payment, mortgage, and four kids who lost his job last year. Though the economy and housing market have seen encouraging signs of improvement, unemployment rates have seen little of the same positive growth.

The Current Population Survey (CPS) released a news report about employment on May 14 of this year. According to the report, the 8.1 percent unemployment rate changed little since April.  In January 2011, that number was marginally worse at nine percent.

The message is clear for all those looking for employment right now: the competition is stiff and things are not getting any easier.

Given the state of today’s economy, people are desperate for employment.  But when it comes to competing with the rest of unemployed America for the limited positions available, it takes more than luck to land a solid job.  Monster.com, a leading expert website in the job advice field, recommends starting your job search with a positive, patient, proactive mindset.

Strategy

The first step in the hunting process is to start with a well-thought-through strategy for approaching your searches. Figure out – based on your experience, education and goals – how to narrow down the field of jobs for which you’re applying.

For starters, jobseekers without degrees are extremely limited in their options. The Chronicle of Higher Education stated last June that an estimated 59 percent of all jobs require at least some amount of post-secondary education.

Next, location.  It may not be the wisest choice to find a job in your city and you may have to adjust your scope to include moving to another city or state for the sake of opportunity.  On the other hand, it might be unrealistic to even consider uprooting your family or losing the support of friends and the community.

Maybe your car can’t handle a long commute or perhaps you are still pursuing your education and need to work abnormal hours. Some people enter college with a dream of what they will do for a living, but compare your degree choice to the current demand for your expertise. No matter what the specifics are, carefully compare the costs to benefits and make a rational choice about what career to aim for.

Resume

Once you have established which kinds of work you want to apply for, you will know how to build your resume accordingly. The Rockport Institute outlines specific ways to construct a resume that effectively and efficiently represent your employment and will set you apart from the competition.

The most important thing to remember when writing and submitting your resume to a potential employer is to customize it every time. Granted, it takes a little more time to adapt each resume to each position you’re applying for, but the results are much more effective than the one-size-fits-all approach.

Consider the fact that for every position offered right now about 100 to 1,000 resumes are submitted. Imagine being the poor soul trying to wade through all of those and decide on a handful to investigate further. Impact Hiring Solutions suggests the average time spent glancing over a resume at 10 to 20 seconds.

Part of the reason so little time is spent evaluating resumes is that most employers have a checklist of “must-haves” and if after a 10-second scan the resume does not include these qualifications, the resume is discarded. Given this knowledge, a wise resume writer will start with a strategy that gives the reader the details they need to know first. This is why it’s important to customize your resume to each specific position and highlight only the most relevant experience.

Searching

Once you have established which kinds of work you want to apply for and have your job-specific resumes ready, you can begin searching.

Aside from the well-known search engines like indeed.com, monster.com, and careerbuilder.com, a few innovative sources are available for hunting that are not as widely known.

Reuters recently highlighted the effectiveness of social media as a rising force in job hunting. Facebook and Twitter provide a unique outlet for discovering potential career openings primarily because of the networking opportunities they create. The more you advertise yourself, the more likely you are to find the jobs that most apply to you.

Craigslist is another great option, especially for those looking for entry-level positions or part-time employment. You can search for employment opportunities by city and type, or post an advertisement for yourself with your resume attached.

Networking

Quintessential Careers, a site dedicated since 1996 to helping job-seekers, asserts that networking is one of the most crucial ways you can be successful in your employment hunting. The more you put out your information to potential employers and organizations that can help direct you to possible job matches, the more likely you will be to find something that is an optimal fit for you.

Compiling a list of people you can talk to about all things job related will give you a broader realm of possibilities as well. They can critique your resume, suggest places that might be looking for your skills, or refer you to head-hunters who can share your information even more.

June Owensboro is a Staff Researcher/Writer for TermLifeInsurance.org.  She can be reached at juneowensboro@gmail.com.

The Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) team is sharing some hard-won business insights directly from the source.

 ”A Practical Guide to Human Resources Management” is a 266-page guidebook to the intricacies of the world of employment from Jeff Stinson, founder and president of Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO).

Chapter 10 – How to Discipline and Fire Them

In many ways, this was the most challenging chapter to write for this book (and most interesting, which is why we decided to skip ahead one chapter and get to this topic right away, saving Chapter 9 – “How to Train Them” – for next week).

After thirty years in human resources, I have more stories to tell than I can possibly cram into this little volume.

For example, I mentioned in the opening about my customer whose employee staged a hunger strike.  Ultimately, he had to be fired for reasons that had nothing to do with his hunger strike.  Guess what?  He claimed retaliation.  Four years later, we settled this gentleman’s case for very little money and all kinds of aggravation.

Then there was the employee running a business out of her office.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t our business.  She was indignant when she was fired.  She didn’t understand the concept of “stealing time.”

Then, of course, there are the employees who threaten their supervisors and co-workers.  Or the ones who refuse to follow simple policies and procedures.  And let’s not forget the ones who are intoxicated or on drugs at work.

All in all, though, these are the easy ones.

This is a most difficult chapter to write because of the angst that goes into every disciplinary situation.  It is not easy, not pleasing and often doesn’t end well for you and certainly not for the employee.

So, for the purposes of this chapter, let’s look at two different activities that require discipline: performance-related issues vs. dysfunctional behavior.

I separate these two because your approach to them will be very different.

Some employer-employee relationships call for you to perform guidance activities like:

• Coaching: you point out the things the employee is doing well and the things that he or she is not doing so well.
• Counseling: used when coaching fails–it’s a form of communication that gives the employee the information needed to change unproductive behavior.

Then there’s progressive discipline, an escalating process of dealing with failure to perform to expectations or to change behavior.  The sequence:

1.     Coaching Conversation

2.     Counseling Session

3.     Written Warning

4.     Day of Reflection

5.     Termination (the end of the road)

Finally, there are simply layoffs and reductions in work force.  There are a number of ways to determine whom to reduce.  Get the details when you read the chapter.

Next: Chapter 9 – How to Train Them

The Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) team is sharing some hard-won business insights directly from the source.

 ”A Practical Guide to Human Resources Management” is a 266-page guidebook to the intricacies of the world of employment from Jeff Stinson, founder and president of Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO).

Chapter 8 – How to Stay Out of Court

There was a time we could resolve employment problems internally, and utilizing the court system was rarely an option.  This began to change 20 or so years ago, and today just about any employee issue should be viewed as a potential lawsuit.

What would you do if one of your employees lied on his application for promotion and told you he had a degree when he didn’t?  Some of you might fire him, some might not.  What if he did it again and again, and finally a fourth time?  No kidding, this really happened.  At some point he lost his job and sued.  Did my customer “win” the case?  Of course he did – at the cost of $100,000.

It is not always unavoidable and sometimes even preferable to allow a case to go to court.  There have been times when a certain plaintiff’s attorney had decided to send his kids to college by representing my client’s ex-employees.  The case I shared earlier was the first of three this attorney would file.  The first case needed to go to court to show them that my customer would not roll over and settle.

An employee’s perception of a claim is his or her reality, and there is no shortage of plaintiff attorneys to take these cases.  If there was a legal area in this country that I would consider legalized extortion, this would be it.  Many of these cases are filed hoping and knowing that a company will quickly settle to avoid the cost.

I am not an attorney and would never offer legal advice.  What I do know, though, is that life at work is complicated and if you don’t believe me, consider the many federal laws with which employers must comply.

I believe the key to all of these laws is understanding the basic concept that you cannot treat one group of people differently from others for reasons like:

• Age
• Physical or mental disability
• Medical condition
• Height/weight
• Marital status
• Sex
• Sexual orientation
• Pregnancy
• Religion
• Race/color
• National origin
• Veteran status
• Language

Please remember that this list is constantly evolving, and your state may have additional protected groups.

Unfortunately, you may be discriminating without even knowing you are doing it.  There are two concepts in this area with which you should be familiar.

Disparate Impact

Disparate impact is the result of policies that appear neutral on their face but have an adverse impact on a protected group.

Disparate Treatment

Disparate Treatment involves treating similarly situated employees differently because of some prohibited factor.  Ever seen Tootsie?

Another thought is to not rely on the concept of “at-will” employment.  Under this theory, employees can be terminated at will.  There are so many exceptions to this concept that it will rarely keep you out of court.

And then there’s arbitration, the advantages of which are many.  This chapter has a detailed section on this topic.

Next: Chapter 9 – How to Train Them 

The Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) team is sharing some hard-won business insights directly from the source.

 ”A Practical Guide to Human Resources Management” is a 266-page guidebook to the intricacies of the world of employment from Jeff Stinson, founder and president of Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO).

Chapter 7 – How to Deal with Their Issues

Let’s face it — everyone has issues.  Rarely a day goes by that I don’t spend some time on a problem between an employee and his or her boss, subordinate or peer.  The real trick is understanding which of these is just normal griping and complaining and which is real and requires action.  Unfortunately, there is no real way to know until you investigate further.  As a result, treat every complaint seriously.  While John may be one of those “complainers,” at some point he may actually have a real issue, and if you didn’t take it seriously… well, see Chapter 8 (How to Stay Out of Court).

I would also set up a procedure that allows employees to keep their grievances internal rather than take them to an outside source, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or equivalent state agency.  I would suggest a dispute-resolution process similar to the one included in this chapter of the book.

“Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Policy” includes sections on Application, Purpose, Policy, Definitions, Procedure, Forms and Counsel.

Other Things to Consider

Promote diversity in the workplace and treat everyone equally and with respect.  Will this resolve all of your employee issues?  Of course not, but it will go a long way toward making your employees believe you are fair and that you encourage them to share their issues with you.

So what are the latest and greatest things you should watch out for?

Retaliation

Have you ever played the game of Whack-a-Mole?  Plaintiff attorneys are a bit like this in that as soon as you “whack” them with a defense to one issue, they find another one and up they pop.  Today, that issue is retaliation.  Fighting accusations of retaliation against an employee for sanctions of certain behaviors is difficult because it will often survive a summary judgment motion, which means you will have a jury trial unless you implement an arbitration policy (see Chapter 8).

Sexual Harassment

Today, with proper training and policies, you see much less of this type of case.  Take complaints seriously, as they can proceed to court very quickly and be very expensive.

Wage and Hour

This (along with retaliation) is the latest Whack-a-Mole issue.  While wage and hour laws have been with us since the 1930s, it is only recently that plaintiff attorneys have figured out that these can be great class-action cases.  For example, ever see hourly employees eating lunch at their desks?  If so, you may have a problem.  In some states, they can go back as far as three years for willful violations.

Facebook

Can you decide against hiring someone because of what you see written by or about them on Facebook?  Can you fire someone for what you see?  What if they call you a jerk on Twitter?  Here is the answer: I don’t know…yet.  Here comes another round of Whack-a-Mole.

Religion

This is one of the protected areas of law that require you to accommodate the employee’s needs.  What is a religion?  What about a Wiccan?  Stay tuned.

Disabilities

The American with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires accommodations for disabilities as long as they don’t cause undue hardship for the organization.

The list of potential issues is endless and will continue to develop over time.  My advice is that, if you are unsure, call your HR consultant or an employment attorney.

Next: Chapter 8 – How to Stay Out of Court 

The Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO) team is sharing some hard-won business insights directly from the source.

 ”A Practical Guide to Human Resources Management” is a 266-page guidebook to the intricacies of the world of employment from Jeff Stinson, founder and president of Global Human Resources Outsourcing (GHRO).

Chapter 6 — How to Keep Them Safe

Employee safety is one of the most important items that you will have to deal with on a day-to-day basis.  Not only can this be a huge cost item in the form of workers’ compensation, but the morale and health of the workforce is key as well.  In this chapter, we will examine the following items:

Commitment from the top – No safety program will be effective without a commitment from the top of the organization.  Safety is an integral core value, requiring leadership’s full participation, cooperation, and support in making a company safe and secure place to work, visit and live.

What a safety manual should look like – A safety manual is intended to provide everyone in the organization with the information and procedures needed to drive an accident-prevention program.

How to administer the plan with both management and employee responsibilities – Everyone in the company has a role to play in successfully implementing an accident-prevention plan.  If you have any cleaning supplies, chemicals, spray cans or other materials that qualify as hazardous, you must maintain a copy of the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) on file for reference in an emergency and for safety training.

Motivation and counseling – A successful safety program needs two elements with respect to employees.  I refer to these as the carrot and stick.  In reality, safety can be fun.  But the stick has to go along with the carrot because, unfortunately, employees can do very stupid, unsafe acts, and there needs to be consequences for this behavior.

Communication – One of the keys to implementing a safety program is communication.  A method should be in place to communicate both up and down the organization structure. The communication system needs to be readily understandable by all employees.

Hazard identification – Naturally, in order to prevent injuries, you need to identify hazards in the workplace.  This generally involves inspections, which should be done on a regular basis.  Read the Self-Inspection Checklist in this chapter.

Hazard correction and follow up – Identifying hazards is one thing, fixing the problems that exist is another.  Normally, hazards are prioritized by the severity of the issue.  And there should always be a procedure in place to ensure that hazards are eliminated.

Accident investigation – The purpose of accident investigations is to identify the root cause of the accident to prevent recurrence.  Read the recommended Accident Investigation Report in this chapter.

Training – Training is perhaps the most important element of a safety program.  Each employee must receive training relevant to his or her particular job, and records of this training should be kept and distributed for employees to read and sign off on.  Read the recommended Employee Safety Training Record in this chapter.

Employee Safe-Work Practices – Regardless of your industry, there are basic safe work practices that need to be shared with your employees.  Read the recommended General Safety Guidelines in this chapter.

Return-to-Work Programs – Research has shown that employees who are able to return to work even with modified duty are quicker to heal than those who sit at home watching attorney ads on the TV.  Implement the early return-to-work program consistently.  Procedures and time limits should be followed in every lost-time case.

Alcohol and drug policies – Drug testing has proven to be effective in reducing injuries and lowering workers’ compensation claims.  This is particularly true of post-accident drug testing in which you test employees after an accident or incident.  Read an example of a recommended Alcohol and Drug Policy in this chapter.

Keeping your employees safe is not only the right thing to do for the business, it is simply the right thing to do, period.  The area of safety can be very technical and I would always advise getting further advice from your HR or safety professionals.

Next: Chapter 7 – How to Deal with Their Issues