One of the companies I worked for before cartooning full-time was doing some reorganization. The endless rounds of layoffs had everyone jumpy.
After one round, management must have noticed, so we had a meeting in the break room where, after more explanations of the company’s health and a well rehearsed sigh we heard “you know, it’s never easy letting good employees go.” And then, to his fellow management in the back, “what a day, guys! Who wants to grab some drinks after work?”
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."
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.
All managers occasionally struggle with an employee who is just not measuring up to expected performance. Underachievement can be frustrating, but there are often good reasons for it. Many times those reasons can be addressed with simple changes that can net some big results.
If you have a staff person who is not working up to his potential, start by asking a few simple questions:
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.
Online Request for SBDC Counseling
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.
Online Request for SBDC Counseling
In bigger firms, the practice is common -- It's a hard request to turn down, especially if it comes from a key account: "As a favor, could you have a look at my brother/son/cousin, who really needs a break. . ."
In a big company, even if the prospective new hire is a loser, there are likely enough corners of the company in which to stash him or her until boredom leads to resignation. And company secrets are much harder to find than in small businesses.
Online Request for SBDC Counseling
Creating a strong team of employees can pose a challenge for small business owners, due to the following reasons:
The business owner who starts off his or her business at the dining room table in the evenings and grows it into a multi-staff business is faced with a number of challenges. One of those challenges is the transference of values and ethics from the business owner to the staff.
Outsiders who have never started their own business might naively assume that this transference is very easy and happens naturally. Unfortunately, that is not the case. It is not easy to create a top-down ethical environment. However, a top- down approach is exactly what is needed.
Running a small business can be extremely stressful. If you’re not careful, you could suffer a complete meltdown.
The following tips will help you to overcome stress and get back in the game.
In order to find a solution that lasts, you will need to locate the problem afflicting your mental health.
The FSA (Flexible Spending Account) and HSA (Health Savings Account) are two health-coverage plans for employees.
A brief description of both of these tax-saving methods for covering medical costs is given below, along with brief suggestions for determining which one is good for your company.
FREEHOLD CARTAGE is a waste collection and disposal company with 350 workers in seven states. Sandy Shea visits each site once a year, on employee appreciation day.
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.
Tough times call for tough measures - and you will now have to figure out how to hold on to your employees, while staying on budget at the same time.
The fact is that good employees are the driving force behind your business. Contrary to popular sentiment among some business owners, in a recession, they are NOT expendable.
The problem is, that you either made this career choice or fell into it a while back. Now that you have been working this job for several years, is starting over with a different career really an option for you?
We think that starting over mid-career is something that anyone can do, but you have to go into this major life change with your eyes wide open – and with a lot of preparatory work.
In bad times, however, cash may not be available to spread around. Fortunately, money isn't the only motivational tool at your disposal. In fact, studies have found that non-monetary compensation is an even more important factor for many people.
