Book Buzz: Nine Lies About Work by Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall

Think employee feedback is important?  Think again!  Employees are looking for attention - not feedback!

I love when someone challenges what we believe is true when it comes to HR and leadership. I really love it when that challenge is backed up with DATA - my love language.

Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall have teamed up to give us Nine Lies About Work which will really be with the reading time investment.

There are nine “lies” that this book looks at. While all of them are great to read - I’ll highlight my favorite one:

Lie #5 - People need feedback

For years, we HR people have been telling you that your team (especially your millenials) need feedback to thrive. With that, most people interpret this to mean more traditional sit down employee reviews - where we generally spend 90% of our time telling them the things that they don’t do incredibly well. And our response to needing to give more feedback - we are turning to constant feedback with technology applications as the “performance management” tool for 2020. But is this the best? Does this accomplish what we are trying to get as an outcome?

What do we want?

1. Employees who are engaged (only 17% of employees in the US are engaged)

2. Employees who are productive (if employees are more engaged, they are most productive)

What do the employees want?

They don’t want more feedback. The data shows that what they really want is ATTENTION. Look at these stats:

1. If you pay your team no attention, your team’s engagement will plummet.

2. If you give your team negative feedback (the typical employee review) - this is, at least 40 times for effective than ignoring people.

3. If you give your team mostly positive attention - that is attention to what they did best, and what was working most powerfully for them - the ratio of engaged to disengaged rises to 60 to one.

4. Thus, positive attention is 30X more powerful than negative attention and 1200X more powerful than ignoring the team (no attention).

Some tips:

• Negative feedback creates impairment in learning and improving

• Positive, future focus sets people up to greater learning

Action items to use today:

• Spend your days “alert” to those times when your team members do something easily and effectively - and tell them.

• Tell the person what you experienced when you saw them doing that incredible thing they did.

• If the team member has a problem - first ask them what are three things that are working “right”. By getting him to think about something that is going well, you are opening up his brain chemistry so that the can be open to new solutions. Then ask - “what do you already know you need to do”.

What are all the nine lies?

1. People care what company they work for

2. The best plan wins

3. The best companies cascade goals

4. The best people are well rounded

5. People need feedback

6. People can reliably rate other people

7. People have potential

8. Work-life balance matters most

9. Leadership is a thing

Thumbs Up!
I recommend this book to anyone who has the opportunity to impact people at his/her company and TO CHANGE the way things are done. This book makes you rethink traditional HR people issues - and you will want to augment how you do things. Try just one - and see what happens. The data shows that making any of these changes will create more engaged employees.

How Long?
This book will take 7-10 hours to read - maybe read one lie at a time! You will want to read the whole book. This is way too much to digest well in one sitting

Read This Book!
This book is for leaders of people - and not front line employees. Would be interesting to ready “one lie at a time” with other people leaders and discussing over lunch.

Book Buzz: Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni

Do you even know who in your company are your “ideal team players”? Do you have a company that is stalled in progress and you can’t figure out what’s wrong? Or, do you wonder why your team loves some employees and complains about others? As the owner of a recruiting firm, I can tell you that with almost 100% certainty, that most employers don’t really know what to look for when they try to find employees. They may look for a “skill” but oftentimes have no idea how to assess any “soft skills” that are pivotal to determining a good hire.

The Ideal Team Player book by Patrick Lencioni is an excellent read to give you the skills and vocabulary necessary to hire for these “soft skills”. Spending just a couple of hours reading this easy book is well worth the time and cannot help but have you look at your hires and current staff in a more productive way.

Lencioni starts this book with a fictional story of a company that finds itself in a hard situation due to the sickness of the CEO. It takes this company through a new CEO and the beginning of a discovery period where the managers start to learn why some employees are effective and others are not. They discover three virtues to look for in BOTH current employees and new hires.

The three virtues that all great employees must have are:

• Humble - This is the most important of the three. Humble team players lack excessive ego and concerns about status - they are quick to point out the contributions of others and slow and seek attention for their own. They define success collectively rather than individually.

• Hungry - Hungry team members are always looking for more - more to do, learn. They want to take on more responsibility. They almost never have to be pushed by a manager because they are self-motivated.

• Smart - This is not the traditional definition of smart. This is not intellectual capacity. This SMART refers to the person’s common sense about people. Smart people tend to know what is happening in a group situation and how to deal with others in the most effective way. They listen to what others are saying and stay engaged in conversations intently. They have good intuition about group dynamics and the impact of their words and actions.

He suggests evaluating all employees and potential hires based on these three criteria in addition to their skills qualifications. He does this in two ways:

For CURRENT EMPLOYEES - he recommends giving an employees a self-assessment which asks them for what their teammates would say about them. A couple of sample questions for humble, hungry and smart.

• My teammates would say I gladly acknowledge my weakneses. (HUMBLE)

• My teammates would say I look for opportunities to contribute outside of my area of responsibility. (HUNGRY)

• My teammates would say I am aware of how my words and actions impact others on my team. (SMART)

For NEW HIRES- he gives great, innovative interview questions to determine if they have these three virtues. Here are some examples:

• How did you handle your greatest career failure or setback (HUMBLE)

• What is i the hardest you’ve ever worked on something in your life. (HUNGRY)

• What are your behavioral strengths and weaknesses? (SMART)

Also, Lencioni provides great guidance and suggestions for employers who find that some of their current employees lack one of more virtues. He helps teach how to develop them in their deficient area and if development fails, what to do next.

Women in the Workplace

Innovative Outsourcing was started by a working mom to help women balance their families and careers.  Cindi started the company 25 years ago and now more than ever, we need to continue to help women maintain that balance.  

The Covid-19 crisis has disrupted corporate America in ways we’ve never seen before. No one is experiencing business as usual, but women—especially mothers, senior-level women and Black women—have faced distinct challenges. One in four women are considering downshifting their careers or leaving the workforce due to Covid-19 according to this report by McKinsey and Company, Women_in_the_Workplace_2020.pdf.

The report indicates that the events of 2020 have turned workplaces upside down. Under the highly challenging circumstances of the Covid-19 crisis, many employees are struggling to do their jobs. Many feel like they’re “always on” now that the boundaries between work and home have blurred. They’re worried about their family’s health and finances. Burnout is a real issue. Women in particular have been negatively impacted. Women—especially women of color—are more likely to have been laid off or furloughed during the Covid-19 crisis, stalling their careers and jeopardizing their financial security. 

Here are some of the challenges cited in the report for working moms:

• Lack of flexibility at work 

• Feeling like they need to be available to work at all hours, i.e., “always on” 

• Housework and caregiving burdens due to Covid-19 

• Worry that their performance is being negatively judged because of caregiving responsibilities during the pandemic 

• Discomfort sharing the challenges they are facing with teammates or managers  

• Feeling blindsided by decisions that affect their day-to-day work  

• Feeling unable to bring their whole self to work

While this report may sound bleak, there are things that companies can do to help women remain in the workplace.  

Here are some ideas:

• Determine if productivity and performance expectations are realistic.  Leaders may need to reset goals, narrow project scopes, or keep the same goals and extend deadlines.

• Find creative ways to give employees extra time off  to make a difference. 

• Look for ways to re-establish work-life boundaries. For many, this may require setting new work norms—for example, establishing set hours for meetings, putting policies in place for responding to emails outside typical business hours, and improving communication about work hours and availability within teams.

• Bringing criteria into line with what employees can reasonably achieve may help to prevent burnout and anxiety—and this may ultimately lead to better performance and higher productivity.

• Take steps to minimize gender bias such as training employees about what women do experience. 

• Adjust policies and programs to better support employees. 

• Share more regular updates on the state of the business and key decisions that affect employees’ work and lives—and directly address what difficult news means for employees.

 If companies make significant investments in building a more flexible and empathetic workplace, they will be able to retain the employees who are most impacted by today’s crises. 

Our niche at Innovative Outsourcing has been to help working moms by providing challenging and rewarding opportunities that are primarily part time (many are virtual) and we will continue to provide this important service.

Growing Through Trauma with Your Staff

Growing Through Trauma

Many of us have experienced some degree of trauma as a result of the pandemic - high levels of stress, economic insecurity and an ongoing sense of fear and uncertainty about the future.  According to Don't Just Lead Your People Through Trauma. Help Them Grow,  studies have shown that survivors of trauma experience increased well-being after trauma.  In the aftermath of shocking events, people often start over and rethink their priorities.  They might change careers to better match their values or reconnect with estranged friends. Many experience greater purpose,  stronger social connections or deepened spirituality.  Psychologists call this “posttraumatic growth,” or PTG, and it’s fairly common: In one meta-study of more than 10,000 trauma survivors, about 50% reported at least some PTG.

As leaders, rather than aiming for a recovery or asking employees to return to normal, we should ask bigger questions about how our organizations can grow through this moment. Here two insights from psychological science can help: affirming values and emphasizing community.

So, how do we affirm values?  Have team members list their most important guiding principles and write about why those values matter to them.  The organization should do the same thing.  By linking words and action, you can help your team focus not just on what they do, but why they’re doing what they do. 

We can emphasize community by reaching out to our employees.  It is vitally important to listen - even though employees may be working remotely be sure to conduct frequent check in’s.  For employees who are onsite, they need to connect with others.  It is important to provide resources such as a list of childcare providers or an employee assistance program depending on what someone needs.   

The choices we make in this moment will shape who we — and our organizations — become. In times of trauma, these strategies can help organizations not merely survive, but build what we wish had been there all along.

Are You Emotionally Fit?

As leaders of organizations, we often believe that we have to be “strong” and put on a good face for others to see.  While I am not suggesting that we have a “melt down” in front of our team, I am suggesting that we consider that we are human.   Perhaps you do not understand why some of your employees are feeling so “stressed” or worried and you believe that you do not have the time to slow down and to check in with your own emotional well being.  

A recent article that I read by Dr. Emily Anhalt addressed this issue so well (Hit the Emotional Gym).  She is a psychologist and has done a lot of work with founders focused on their emotions.  “Founders will go above and beyond to do what’s necessary for their company. But they often stop short when it comes to fulfilling this same commitment to themselves and their mental wellbeing,” 

She goes on to say, “here’s what I mean by emotional fitness: Beyond having good coping mechanisms to deal with anxiety, depression, self-doubt and a series of curveballs that are completely out of your control, a founder must be able to form and maintain good relationships. You must be able to communicate effectively with co-founders, investors and employees,” says Anhalt. “Studies show that 72% of entrepreneurs have mental health concerns — but I very much doubt that a similar proportion of founders are currently in therapy. And far too often we see the consequences of a failure to do that work when startups implode, whether it’s due to a toxic work culture, co-founder conflict, or deep-seated leadership challenges.”

After doing a lot of research, she discovered that the following seven traits create emotional fitness and she provides some great examples for each of these:

• Self Awareness

• Empathy

• Willingness to Play

• Curiosity

• Mindfulness

• Resilience

• Effective Communication

She concludes this article by stating that while it may seem especially urgent to focus on these emotional fitness skills when it feels like the sky is falling, these tips aren’t just valuable in times of crisis. Establishing these healthy founder habits will impact your own success as a founder and your company’s success long beyond the current turmoil.

Hit the Emotional Gym

https://hbr.org/2020/04/empathy-starts-with-curiosity?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=dailyalert_activesubs&utm_content=signinnudge&referral=00563&deliveryName=DM78023

Remote Work: Is It Here To Stay?

So many of us have been forced to work from home for the past two months and have been surprised and delighted to see that our work is getting done (even with distractions such as taking care of children).  In three weeks, the percentage of employees working from home doubled, from 31% to 62% according to Gallup.  Some jobs were already set up to work from home, others were configured to work from remote environments part of the time, and still others had to transition quickly and completely from 0% to 100% remote.

More than half of these workers say they would prefer to continue to work from home as much as possible when restrictions are lifted; however, not everyone can or wants to work remotely and at the same time employers are proceeding with caution to reopen safely.

So  Is there a way to determine which positions are best suited for remote work?  What challenges remain for the remote workforce and how many days of remote work are optimal in terms of employee engagement?

Remote work can work well in certain situations.  For example, according to Gallup, these three conditions create an optimal situation for remote work:

• Employees can perform their duties outside of an on-site workplace

• Most of the role’s tasks and processes are well-defined

• The role does not require highly interdependent work for success

When considering each of these situations, the organization must decide what makes the most sense for their business.  Some companies have had to make quick changes to their model or services to adjust to demand and their customers. Challenges such as the ability to maintain the mission, vision and values of the company as well as encouraging creativity and innovation must be addressed and monitored.  

There will be hybrid situations where you have employees who will return to a physical location, work remotely and do a combination of both.  The optimal engagement boost occurs when employees spend 60% to 80% of their time working off-site or three to four days in a five-day workweek (Is Working Remotely Effective?). This simply means that leaders will have to fine tune their people skills.  Managers are accountable for up to 70% of the variance in their employees' engagement, and employees want coaches, not bosses. 

What to Consider for Re-Opening?

What to Consider for Re-Opening?

Governor Kemp of Georgia has made the decision to reopen several types of businesses and other states will soon follow.  While there has been both opposition and support for this decision, there is a lot to consider before re-opening your business and you need to be ready.  Safety must always come first.  

The CDC and White House have established guidelines about the steps that each business needs to take before opening. On a local level states are also establishing guidelines for re-opening. In addition to following these guidelines, we also strongly recommend you consider the following HR topics as it relates to re-opening: 

• Revising and/or creating new policies for a myriad of topics, such as: social distancing, hosting meetings, remote work, taking temperatures and even testing (the EEOC just provided guidelines for this).  Will these actions be required and if so, you will need to describe how they will work at your location(s).   

• How will you decide who can work remotely and who must physically be at your office? Will employees return in phases?  What does that look like?  How will you handle vulnerable employees (those over 65 or with underlying medical conditions)?

• Not everyone may decide to return to work.  They may choose to stay home for a number of reasons such as child care.  How will you prepare to get work done if some employees choose to not return to their specific jobs?

• Will you provide your employees with PPE, such as face coverings? Or, will they be encouraged/allowed to bring their own?   

• What will you do about furloughed employees?  How will you determine who to call back and when? 

• With employees returning to a physical location, there may be cases of COVID-19 impacting your workforce and their families.  Do you understand the benefits of paid sick leave and extended family leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act?  Define the steps you will take if employees do test positive.  What steps will you take to conduct contact tracing?

• How will you handle instances of workers contracting COVID-19 if the worker contracts the virus while on the job?  If the case is work related and meets certain other criteria, it must be recorded on your OSHA log.  

• How will you handle compensation and benefits with employees returning? 

• Do you have a business continuity plan?  

Resources

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-small-business.html

https://www.georgia.org/sites/default/files/2020-04/executive-order-04.23.20.pdf

Focusing on Mental Health

Focusing on mental health is now more important than ever.  During normal times, many workers are often “stressed” for a number of reasons - balancing work and personal life is usually at the top of the list.  Today we find ourselves facing a new threat - a pandemic which has turned our lives upside down.  There is a great deal of uncertainty - how long will this go on?  Will there be therapies before a vaccine?  Will my family stay well?  When can we go back to work?  Will my company or business survive and if so, how will it look?  Will I be able to take care of my family?  Will we be able to live as we did before?  The list goes on and on.  

As leaders, we sometimes struggle with the need to get into our employees’ personal lives; however, this is the time to have those discussions with your employees and to listen.  We are not suggesting that you become a therapist, but you do need to ask questions to find out how your employees are coping with all of the uncertainty and to point them in the right direction.   Some of the signs of a problem could be not participating on zoom calls, lack of enthusiasm, mistakes, frustration, and work not getting done.  Also understand that a certain level of trust must exist between you and your employees.  It does not happen overnight.  It takes time and your employees must feel safe to discuss how they really feel.  

In a recent Gallup poll taken during the week of April 6 - 12, Americans state that COVID-19 is hurting their mental health the most. 

Here is the link:  https://news.gallup.com/poll/308420/americans-say-covid-hurting-mental-health.aspx

So, as leaders, how can we help?  Here are a few suggestions:

• Conduct regular wellness check-ins with each employee

• Make sure that employees understand what is expected of them

• Show your appreciation and encourage others to do the same (practicing gratitude allows us to help others and it feels good)

• Communicate about how this pandemic is impacting the company and the plans for moving forward

• Encourage employees to take care of themselves (exercise, sleep, nutrition, mindfulness)

• If you do not have an Employee Assistance Program, find resources in your community for mental health and make that available to employees

• Encourage employees to talk to each other and share their ideas for coping

Resources

https://www.gallup.com/workplace/288722/keep-remote-worker-wellbeing-high.aspx

Motivating the Millennial Workforce

The workplace has become a psychological battlefield and the millennials have the upper hand, because they are tech savvy, with every gadget imaginable almost becoming an extension of their bodies. They multitask, talk, walk, listen and type, and text. And their priorities are simple: they come first.
– Morley Safer


Motivating the Millennial Workforce

Millennials now comprise the largest demographic group of the American workforce. So whether you’re a business owner or a manager, it’s to your advantage to understand and know how to work well with this growing segment of the employment population.

When hiring millennials, it’s helpful to understand what they want and how you can potentially adapt your company culture accordingly.

Flexibility
Several business surveys have consistently shown that millennials place great value on workplace flexibility. One such survey found that of those that planned to remain at their job for at least 5 years, 55% of them said it was because the company had become more flexible in recent years. Fortunately, in the digital age, offering flexible work schedules and partially virtual options can be easily implemented because most jobs have at least some components that can be done remotely.
We dedicated a previous blog to creating that flexible workplace, and you can see it again here.

Community
Having come of age in the era of social media which allows for the connection of people without regard to geographic boundaries, many millennials have a strong longing for a sense of community. This is a desire that can be easily fulfilled by allowing them to participate in projects that require working as part of a team or in partnership with other employees towards achievement of a common goal.

Transparency
Millennials have been raised in an era where most people have instant 24/7 access to the vast information and resources of the world wide web. They are used to being able to find out just about anything about any situation and they greatly value transparency. Leaders need to be open and transparent in their dealings and communication with their workforce to attract this generation.

Professional Growth
Millenials see having access to professional growth and learning opportunities as a top job benefit. They are tech savvy and anxious to learn more skills. Because of a general bent toward ongoing learning, training is often cited as one of their top reasons for initiating the search for a new job. If you seek ideas about implementing training solutions that are cost effective for small business, see our prior blogpost that addresses that topic here.

Recognition
Millennials are accustomed to most of their activities being public, and to being immediately recognized on social media with likes, retweets, and shares. You can easily replicate this type of open recognition by setting measurable goals and targets and then publicly displaying and celebrating accomplishments.

These are a few basic steps that can be easily incorporated into most any work environment. The added bonus to adopting some of these practices, is that they don’t just benefit millennials---they actually benefit all.

IO can come alongside you in these areas and help relieve some of the struggles you’re experiencing. Reach out to me if you’d like to learn more.

Results from Vistage Survey of Small Business CEOs

I have had the pleasure of being a Vistage member for over 10 years now. What a great organization it has been for me both personally and professionally.

Each year, Vistage surveys small to medium-sized business owners to find out their projections for the coming year, what concerns they may have, and how they are approaching important decisions for their organizations. The link below will take you to this year’s survey results:

This survey is incredibly interesting as it goes over multiple topics from the economy to upcoming HR concerns. It is also amazing when you realize that most of the things that you are thinking and feeling about your own company concern other CEOs as well.

These questions really caught my eye because of my time in the HR world:

Question 8 – Rate the importance of the following in relation to your talent management challenges.

Result #1 - Employee retention was ranked the most important challenge with 70% of the CEOs selecting that factor as a major concern.

Our solution: Our HR service offering, tHRiving, can come in and assess where you might have gaps in your retention strategy, and we work with you to fix those gaps.

Result #2 - Attracting Qualified Talent was listed by 67% of the CEOs as a major concern.

Our solution: Innovative Outsourcing’s customized recruiting process. 80% of the current talent pool is not looking for a job. It takes a recruiter like us to know where they are and to actively RECRUIT them to your company. We’ll also work with you to create your story – the “why would someone want to work for your company”. This will help you differentiate yourself from other companies and make you a coveted employer.

Question 10 – If retaining existing talent has become more difficult, what are you doing in response?

Result #1 - Improving Company Culture was listed by 68% of CEOs as a desired strategy

Our solution: We can perform a tHRiving Company Culture Audit where we will let you know what is working and what is not within your current organization. The results of this audit can be the important baseline from which you can build a better culture and climate.

Question 12 – Which do you use to measure employee engagement?

Result #1 - One to One meetings was listed by 79% of CEOS as the best way to measure employee engagement.

Our solution: Another HR tHRiving service offering is our One-on-One Employee Meetings. We confidentially conduct one-on-one meetings with 10-15 of your employees. By the end of a short two-day period, you have a clear picture of your current level of employee engagement. We have been doing these for 10 years with HR professionals with over 30 years of experience.

IO can come alongside you in these areas and help relieve some of the struggles you’re experiencing. Reach out to me if you’d like to learn more.

Provide Training and Development

"47 percent of people actively looking for new positions say company culture is the main reason" -- Hays.com

Does this make you wonder if you might have some work to do around your office?

A couple of weeks ago, we started a series about simple strategies to improve your work culture.  I’m going to share some of my experiences with the companies who are finding success in creating a great culture. 
 
#1 – Providing Feedback
If you missed it, check out the link HERE

#2 – Providing a Flexible Work Environment
If you missed it, check out the link HERE

#3 – Provide “Better-Than-Market” Total Compensation 
If you missed it, check out the link HERE

#4 – Provide Training and Development 

“The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave, is NOT training them and having them stay.” –Henry Ford 

Employing a team of well-trained employees is crucial to the success of businesses, regardless of size. Large corporations often budget substantial dollars for this expense. But what about you as a small business owner without comparable financial resources to devote to training and development?

Good News! The inability to match the training budget of a larger company does NOT mean you don’t have any good options for developing a culture of learning. With a bit of resourcefulness and innovation, implementing cost effective training solutions is not as daunting a task as you may imagine.

You may be thinking, “I hear you, but my plate is already full juggling all that’s required to keep my business running efficiently. Is it REALLY important for me to devote time and resources to this?”

The answer – “YES! It is important!" Here are a few reasons why:

Employees want to feel that you are INVESTING in them – We know that employees who feel that their employer is helping them develop will tend to stay at that company longer. Employees who receive ongoing opportunities for development perceive that as a show of commitment and loyalty from the employer – so then they tend to commit longer and be “all in” as well.

• Happier, more engaged staff – Happy employees create more positive experiences for customers, which impacts client retention, repeat business, and the bottom line.

• Lower Turnover – An engaged work force that feels well trained and sees themselves as co-partners in the company’s success is more likely to stay long term, thus minimizing employee turnover and its associated costs.

• Increased Productivity – Even resourceful employees willing to figure things out on their own perform less efficiently absent proper training. Employees with a strong grounding in the skills and knowledge essential to their job performance, execute more efficiently which can measurably increase productivity.

• Uniformity and Consistency – If one of your aims is for customers to enjoy a uniform experience regardless of which employee services their needs, good training is an effective tool to ensure that all employees are on the same page.

Now that you know WHY training is important, let’s look at HOW it can be economically implemented.

• Learn, then Teach – If your budget doesn’t accommodate the cost of having your entire team receive professional training on a topic, a prudent cost saving option is designating one effective communicator to learn a new skill or technique and then train their peers with the newly acquired knowledge.

• Online Training – There are online training resources to address a variety of business learning needs ranging from the highly technical to soft skills. Options run the gamut from brief online tutorials to full blown video courses.

Links to a few good options are found below:

• LinkedIn Learning

• Leadership development and self awareness from Giant Worldwide

• Creative Live

• Udemy

• Coursera

• Industry Associations - As part of their member benefits, many trade groups and professional associations offer training and certification options via seminars, webinars, and online courses. The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and the Project Management Institute are two of many examples. If there’s an association applicable to your industry, it could be an invaluable resource in this regard

• Lunch and Learn Sessions – Coordinating “one-to-many” training over lunch is an excellent way to concurrently build team cohesion and train on a relevant work topic. It’s also an opportunity to share industry news or raise awareness about trends that impact the business.

As these examples illustrate, a workable, cost-effective employee training solution is readily attainable, regardless of an organization’s size.

Take some time this month to determine what training is needed for your different team members – even if you are swamped. Then ask one of your staff to investigate possible options and sources for those needs. I might even be able to help with some of your management or “soft skills” concerns. I lead sessions on Myers Briggs 16 Personalities, which is a tool that can help your employees better understand each other and work together more effectively. I have also done sessions on conflict resolution and conducting effective performance reviews. Whatever your staff’s needs, there are affordable options out there that could make a world of difference to your team.

Provide "Better-Than-Market" Total Compensation

"47 percent of people actively looking for new positions say company culture is the main reason" -- Hays.com

Does this make you wonder if you might have some work to do around your office?

A couple of weeks ago, we started a series about simple strategies to improve your work culture.  I’m going to share some of my experiences with the companies who are finding success in creating a great culture. 
 
#1 – Providing Feedback
(If you missed it, check out the link HERE)

#2 – Providing a Flexible Work Environment
If you missed it, check out the link HERE

#3 – Provide “Better-Than-Market” Total Compensation   

Most people tend to think of compensation as something totally separate from company culture. However, compensation is one of the ways that you express how much you value your employees. And as you know, employees who feel valued look forward to coming into work, have higher morale and productivity, and stay longer. So it’s important to periodically take a fresh look at how you stand compared to the market related to total compensation.

Do you know what total compensation is? The elements are listed below.  We like to think of these as levers. Each are important, but if you are able to offer more compared to what is common in companies in your industry in one area, it will allow you to sometimes offer less in another. 

1. Salary

2. Bonuses

3. Health Benefits

4. 401K

5. Vacation and Sick Pay (also now referred to as PTO - paid time off)

Let’s look at each of these individually.

Salary

In times of low unemployment as we are in right now, we suggest that you pay at least 10% over the market rate for all your positions, and up to 30% over market for positions that are “low talent availability – meaning those job candidates are HARD to find”.  For now, some of those candidates in Atlanta are experienced bookkeepers, controllers, paralegals, and sales people. For these positions, if you aren’t at 30% over market, you have a large chance of losing people even if you have an incredible culture.  Salary.com is a great place to start your research. If you want a professional analysis of the market rate for the jobs in your company, we can help you with that! 

Bonuses

As you know, bonuses, profit sharing, etc. are great ways to recognize employees for their work.  These can be a big motivator for employees to work harder and cut costs in order to increase profitability.  However, bonus opportunities need to be clearly defined and fairly implemented or they will become a de-motivator and greatly increase employee dissatisfaction.

When you’re working hard to build a certain culture within your company, bonus plans can be a great tool in helping to do that.  Tie in specific behaviors and work habits, etc. that you want to reward on top of results that you want achieved.  This shows your employees that you are serious about creating the culture you talk about and that you are wiling to put money against it to back it up.

Health Benefits

Only about 35% of today’s employees are covered by a spouse’s plan and don’t need health benefits. We know that offering benefits is expensive and can be very difficult for a small business to afford. But with the high cost of an individual getting his/her own plan, benefits comparisons are becoming a huge factor in how candidates evaluate different job opportunities. To make yourself an attractive employer, you may need to find an affordable plan, offer to cover the out of pocket costs for an individual to get their own, or at least offer a stipend toward those costs. 

401K

Most employees feel that this is definitely a “nice to have” and not a necessity.  Note that if you offer a 401k or IRA, that DOES NOT replace the need to pay properly.

PTO

Here is where you, as a small business, can make up for not having the highest pay!  Offer more vacation.  Employees are valuing time off, flexible work options (like we talked about in the last post), etc. as much as pay during some seasons of life. Most companies are starting their professional employees at 3 weeks vacation now.  And clients that give 4-5 weeks a year report high work satisfaction and longer tenure.  Although there is an opportunity cost in giving more vacation, it may be more doable for you than offering higher salaries.

A CEO told me the other day that he felt that they had such an awesome culture that people didn’t care if he paid below market and didn’t offer benefits.  I’m concerned about this CEO’s strategy.  This could work for the short-term. But even people working in a great corporate culture need to pay their bills. As the difference between what you pay and what your competitors pay gets larger, your favorite employees might surprise you with a letter of resignation. Don’t let that happen. 

Why don’t you take the next 30 days to evaluate where you are as it relates to Total Comp and take a few steps towards confidence in this area?  I think it will be a great use of your time and perhaps even save your favorite employee. 

Thinking of Hiring a Virtual Executive Assistant?

Consider Hiring Laura!

Ever wish you had an extra set of hands?  If yes, Laura could be the extra resource you need! 

• 9 years’ experience

• Project management

• Event planning

• Social media management

• Appointment setting

• Executive assistant support

• Detail oriented

• Skilled at meeting deadlines

• Delightful at handling tasks with perfection

Laura is a flexible “jack of all trades” who loves to help those she supports be successful. She has recently spent 7 years working with a large employer in the Marietta area, with the last 4 years providing project and admin support to the CEO and EVP of Sales.

• Work preferences: Laura is currently looking for a remote opportunity, working 10+ hours per week.

• Pay rate preferences: Her rate is in the $25-30/hour range, not including IO fees.

And remember that IO takes the risk out of hiring by offering you the choice to hire directly or to keep an employee on the IO payroll. Let us eliminate your hiring risk! We pay the insurances and employer taxes. This is a huge benefit of using Innovative Outsourcing for your flexible staffing needs.

If you’re interested in exploring all the ways a great employee like Laura could be an asset to you and your team, CLICK HERE to learn more about the tasks a virtual assistant can handle.

To start the conversation about how Laura might be a perfect fit for your company, contact Sue Blanchet at sblanchet@innovative-outsourcing.com.

Don't delay, as Laura is a candidate that will be placed quickly.

The Power of a Flexible Workplace

“47 percent of people actively looking for new positions say company culture is the main reason” — Hays.com

Does this make you wonder if you might have some work to do around your office?

A couple of weeks ago, we started a series about simple strategies to improve your work culture.  I’m going to share some of my experiences with the companies who are finding success in creating a great culture. 
 
#1 – Providing Feedback
(If you missed it, check out the link HERE)

#2 – Providing a Flexible Work Environment
33% of employees would change jobs for one that allowed them to work WHERE they want at least part of the time.  Gallup Survey, It’s the Manager   

So, flexibility is KEY!  What does it mean to have a flexible work environment?  Two things…

• Flexible Time – Time is the new bargaining chip. People are as interested in more free time as they are in money – especially our millenials! Do you offer a way for your team to work 7am-3pm or 9:30am – 5:30pm? Work 4 ten-hour days instead of 5 days per week? Just allowing this flexibility – and allowing them to shift it when their life changes (not every week – but once in a while) – will make you a valued and appreciated employer and put you ahead of almost every large company in town.

• Flexible Location – While 100% virtual teams are very difficult, allowing team members to work from home 1-3 days per week has been proven to IMPROVE productivity. People will also actually stay in their jobs totally engaged for longer (and today this means something). From Gallup’s book, "It’s the Manager," “the highest engagement falls in a sweet spot of working remotely three to four days a week." Yes, it is important for managers to be trained on how to manage workers when they are remote, (this needs training and is not easy). It is also important to set expectations for employees and only allow this for employees that have proven to be trustworthy. But for great employees who have a good track record, this can be a win-win scenario. The company gets greater productivity and an engaged worker, and the employee gets to have a day or two without traffic – working in their pajamas with coffee.

Owners who think “I can’t trust my employees. They will be at the movies,” might need to realize that this new way to work is coming – whether you choose to adopt it or not! The old school mentality of requiring everyone to be onsite during the same hours will soon mean that your workplace is dated. “Currently, 60% of companies offer their employees telecommuting opportunities.”  2016 SHRM Benefits Survey.

And, if you choose to be Inflexible, you will have a hard time hiring and retaining top talent. You will be able to get employees, just probably not the BEST ones. Many large companies are still not embracing flexibility, so small employers can beat big employers in the race for great hires just by marketing their FLEXIBILITY!
 
Maybe you and your management team need to take 15 minutes in the next couple of weeks to determine how you could employ a more flexible work strategy. 

Shorthanded, but Reluctant to Hire?

Do you need help from an additional staff member but do not want to take a financial risk?  Reading this recent AJC article, it is understandable why small businesses are sitting on their needs for more staff, and choosing not to hire. 

“A hoped-for boom in small-company hiring never happened because owners haven't wanted to take on the added risk and expense of more staffers.”  

Has this happened at your company? We understand. We are a small business too! 

A great solution for you may be to hire ON THE INNOVATIVE OUTSOURCING PAYROLL. That is right – we can hire your extra set of hands, and we take on the risk. You just pay hourly for the hours worked. You get the help you need without the long-term risk.  Part time is where this works best, but full time might also be an option depending on the job description. 

For example: 

• Controller - 10 hours/week

• HR person - 8 hours/week

• Bookkeeper - 25 hours/week

• Executive Assistant to CEO - 20 hours a week

Do any of these sound like something you need?  If so, now is the time! Contact us to get started.