And The Winners Are...

Today we feature Christopher Baginski's blog entry. Christopher is a Junior Accounting Major from Wallington, NJ.

I am quite sure that we all know about the devastating economic recession that has recently plagued our country. The stock market has taken a tremendous tumble, at one point falling 50% below its previous peak. This has caused terrible problems throughout the world. These problems extend to each and every one of us personally. In addition, this downturn has greatly affected businesses, especially in the areas of management and human resourcs.

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Wanted: Top-Notch Employees

Improve your interviewing skills; distinguish the duds from the studs

Hiring a great employee shouldn't just be a matter of luck. "It's no secret that the most successful business owners in the future will be those who can identify quality job candidates in this hectic, revolving-door job market," said Roger Herman, author of "Keeping Good People."

"The ability to hire quality employees will be crucial to a company's success."

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How Can I Retain Good Employees?

Question: "As a small business owner, how can I retain good employees? What are the most important benefits employees look for in an employer?"

Holding on to talent in your business is always a challenge, especially when unemployment figures are extremely low. Of course, pay, good insurance and a 401k plan are all components of keeping employees happy. However, it has been proven time and again that none of these benefits are the most important benefit in retaining employees. Mary Kay Ash of Mary Kay Cosmetic's fame says it best when she stated, "There are two things people want more than sex and money and that is recognition and praise."

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The Problem of Employee Theft

Although it's not a pleasant topic to discuss, the fact is that theft by employees of small businesses totals nearly $40 billion in this country each year.

As hard as it is to believe that someone you hire to fill a trusted position in your company would actually take from you, it happens every day in all kinds of businesses and in a variety of ways. And it is estimated that up to 75 percent of all employee theft goes unnoticed.

Some security experts predict that up to 30 percent of the nation's workers will steal at some time in their career. Difficult economic times, lack of salary increases and the threats of downsizing and cutbacks make it even more tempting for employees to help themselves.

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Letting Your Team and Successor Know You’re Moving On

When you reach that time of moving on to another company or even starting your own business, many people ponder the thought of how to tell their successor as well as the team that work’s directly under them. If you have worked with these people for say 20 year’s, it can be difficult to find the right way to let them know you have to go.

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Employee Recognition Ideas

Some small business owners underestimate the power and importance of employee recognition.

Such recognition does not have to include a raise or other monetary awards. Instead, just knowing that their good work is recognized is all many employees need in order to feel appreciated.

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

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How to Find Employees Without Spending a Fortune

Finding employees can be an expensive undertaking. Job fairs and newspaper and online ads can be pricey.

But if you need to find employees on a tight budget, there are options for you.

Craig’s List

Many are still a bit leery about posting a position on Craig’s List, but it is a free service and many businesses have found the perfect employee through the site.

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Employee benefits

Today with so many down spirals in the economy and work force, it’s no wonder that many employers feel it is too costly to offer employee benefits packages. However, it can actually cost your company more in the long run to not offer a benefits package to good employees.

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Managing Part-Timers

n today’s economy, managers are sometimes forced to cut down on their head count and then in turn start relying on their part time employees and some freelancers to fill in the gaps. Below are some helpful tips on managing your part time employees.

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Tips for Hiring New Employees

For your small business to run successfully, it is important that you have the right combination of employees to run the show.

Hiring the wrong employees is enough to sink the ship — but hiring the right ones will definitely mean more profits.

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Increasing employee commitment

Managers often ask the number one question that is sometime’s hard to answer depending on the company, how do we get our employees to become more committed and involved in the company?

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Upside of Hiring Now

A lot of highly qualified and talented people have been laid off or fired with it being no fault of their own. While a lot of companies may find it to be a risky move right now to hire new people, now is actually the time to hire employees provided your company can afford it

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Increase Your Employee Satisfaction

It is important to keep employees satisfied in their jobs. Taking a little care can go a long way in the effort to keep them at your company.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that every employee who leaves one job for another did so to earn a higher salary. Job satisfaction ranks high on the list of reasons why people leave their jobs.

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Cutting Payroll Guidelines

Entrepreneurs everywhere are facing the difficult task of needing to start cutting pay roll. But many of them wonder which ones should be cut, how much should they cut and how can they make these necessary changes without too much damage in the work place. Below are a few guidelines to follow if your faced with the difficult task of cutting your pay roll.

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Employee Team Building: Making a Successful Team

If you have a small business and have hired employees, then it is important for everyone to work together as a cohesive unit to achieve success.

Specify Employee Roles

All employees should be clear as to the roles they are playing and what is expected of them. Along with that, you need to teach all of your employees to keep the larger picture in mind. This makes it possible for you to explain to them what effects their actions will have on the overall success or failure of the company.

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Outsource HR and Let the Experts Handle the Details

Outsourcing human resources functions saves valuable time and money and ensures that the job is done right. HR outsourcing companies are the experts and your business may benefit from their specific knowledge.

HR outsourcing companies are experts in dealing with people. Using feedback from your company, outsourcing firms establish rules for compensation, bonuses, disciplinary actions, and other work-related processes. HR firms are in constant contact with compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists, occupational analysts, employee benefits managers, and specialists for strategic planning and program launch. This holistic approach to HR function means well-rounded decisions that benefit both employees and management.

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How to keep everyone working at peak performance

by: Rieva Lesonsky

Are you getting the most from all of your employees? With a soaring unemployment rate, many entrepreneurs who do have jobs to fill, think it will be oh so easy to gobble up some solid, skilled new workers. And while there are some really talented and skilled people out there looking for a job, don’t think all you have to do is hire them. The key is working with your staff now, your old and new employees, to make sure you’re maximizing their productivity. And yes, notice I said you. After all, you’re the boss and if any of your employees aren’t pulling their weight, ultimately, it’s your responsibility.

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Employees love their jobs, but not their companies. Here's what to do about it.

Posted by: Rieva Lesonsky

Despite the fact that most U.S. employees are dealing with pay cuts, increased workloads, and fewer perks and resources, the vast majority of people still love their jobs as much as—or more than—they did a year ago, according to Adecco Group North America’s recent American Workplace Insights Survey, as reported by ManageSmarter.

But while Americans love their jobs, they’re not as happy with their employers, the same survey found. Ninety percent of respondents said their confidence in their company’s management has been negatively affected by the down economy.

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Gaining Customer and Employee Loyalty Now

Dear Dan: Business is off, and my employees are dragging. Any ideas on keeping both my customers and my employees engaged and interested? - Dragging

Dear Dragging: For millions of business owners, conditions today aren’t really so different from any other time. You’re scrambling to find new customers and keep the ones you have. You’re hustling to handle the hundred-and-one day-to-day tasks required to run a business, and perhaps manage a team of employees or independent contractors as well.

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An Open Book

By LAURA LORBER

The installation technicians at Pool Covers Inc. could literally see the writing on the wall. At the company's monthly meeting in September, employees reviewed financials together, projecting the numbers on the wall.

One figure stood out to pool-cover installer Christopher Darling: Sales of pool covers for new construction plunged 49% in September from August, two months ahead of the typical seasonal dropoff and much steeper. What's more, employees learned that the company's bank turned down the loan request that the company needed to get through its slow season. Managers asked employees for alternatives to layoffs.

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