What is evidence-based HR? All too often, professionals today make important business decisions mostly by “winging it”. Their decisions are fueled less by facts and more by factors like time (a fast decision is more important than a considered one), by gut instinct (it feels right), by hearsay (after hearing a decision worked another time[…]
Once you’ve identified HR-related risks as described in our first article in this series, it’s time for the next step: creating a plan to (1) reduce or eliminate the probability of that risk turning into an actual problem and (2) to minimize the damage done by the risk if it manifests anyway. The good news[…]
Risk is intrinsic to business (and life). Even if you closed your business down today, you wouldn’t totally escape the risks; your former risks would simply morph into new ones. At heart, a risk is anything that can go wrong, and many businesses underestimate their HR-related risks. According to consultancy group EY: “HR risks continue[…]
Turnover is a serious problem for many organizations. Losing employees means employers must search for, find, hire, onboard, and train a replacement – all tasks that cost money and time. In the meantime, productivity and possibly revenue may suffer. Turnover can also affect morale and engagement among remaining workers, which in turn can affect their[…]
What are emerging skills? The world of work is in constant flux. As technology evolves and new trends develop, employers in all industries can find that their continued success relies on new and emerging skillsets. For example, Uber and other ride-sharing services may not have “killed” the traditional taxi market – despite steep falls in[…]
Human resources (HR) refers to far more than just one function. Your HR people handle a huge array of tasks and duties; that’s partly why HR can easily overwhelm small teams. Fortunately, it’s possible to outsource only individual pieces of your HR needs, when appropriate. Here are the most common HR functions that you can[…]
Are you staying competitive in the employment marketplace by offering the benefits everyone else does? Do you stand out? Can you still attract top talent even if you drop an expensive benefits program? The process of comparing your benefits programs to other employers in your field is called benchmarking, and it’s a hugely important and[…]
A satisfied, engaged employee is a productive one. One study found that an increase in job satisfaction was directly related to a 6.6% increase in hourly productivity. Other research has found that satisfied employees enjoy 31% greater productivity overall and 37% higher sales. Sometimes the effects of engagement and job satisfaction can even have unexpected[…]
Drug abuse can be a costly problem for employers. According to the National Safety Council, absenteeism, workplace injuries, workplace violence, and workers’ compensation claims are all more common among employees who abuse prescription drugs. However, drug testing is also a compliance minefield, subject to a host of laws and regulations. Here are the most pertinent[…]
How much time do you spend on non-core tasks? The answer is too much. Running a small business (and especially starting one) is becoming increasingly laborious. Nearly two-thirds of small business owners work more than 40 hours a week (and one-third work more than 50), according to the 2017 Bank of America Small Business Owner[…]
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