How Leadership Development and Mentorship Programs Can Change Your Small Business
How Leadership Development and Mentorship Programs Can Change Your Small Business
I know CEOs and Business Owners are tired of hearing that salaries and bonuses across the board are skyrocketing. Running the numbers and realizing the weight that has on your small business is a little overwhelming. However, I do think there are free ways to retain and hire and can dramatically affect your organization.
One way that I have seen to Retain and Hire that costs no money is to develop Leadership Development and Mentorship Programs within your organization. Before you roll your eyes and think this is a huge waste of time and money, watch this 2-minute video where I talk about some ideas that we have advised big companies like Delta Airlines and small businesses. Both have had a ton of success:
You know the saying, "It's the thought that counts." Leadership Programs are about creating a space where your employees know they are being invested in. Creating these programs is not a ton of work, and the program can be as big or small as you want it to be. We have seen some companies go all out and put a lot of time and money into "building the program" as a recruiting strategy that we believe does work. Or we have also seen book studies led by managers every two weeks at lunch also work. I think Book Studies with your team is a great place to start. Books like "The Ideal Team Player" (we give this to all of our clients when they start a search with us: Hungry Humble Smart) by Patrick Lencioni or Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard if you are looking for a Customer service type book are two great suggestions for your first book study.
When it comes to Mentorship Programs, younger people are starving for it. I tell this story about my son, Matt Filer, all the time. When Matt graduated from the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs), he had 3 different job offers. One was a sales role with a very established payroll company and one was at a company who offered a Mentorship Program where Matt would spend 15% of his time being developed by two different managers. Matt chose the job with the mentorship program for 25% less of salary. I will say that again: 25% less salary!
Putting these programs together show you CARE about your teams. Do it and watch your retention rise. If you do not know where to start, I am happy to talk to you about this! Here is my Calendly. I do 30-minute consultations, and I love talking about this subject.
Here are a few more things that can help with the HR side of your business:
1. The HR Quiz: If you have no idea where you are at when it comes to HR in your business, we developed an HR Quiz to get you thinking about some areas that we thing are really important. Should only take you 5 minutes and should be worth that time to see where you stand.
Press on image to go to the quiz
2. Our HR Audit: You know you need help with your HR, but you do not know where to start. This is the tool you are looking for! Starting at $2,500, we do a full examination of your HR practices (compliance, retention, talent, compensation, etc.) Link to that is below or you can message me or email me to get started:
Press on image to go to link and get a quote for an HR Audit
3. We love helping companies hire for their office positions. This will continue to be what were best at: https://www.innovative-outsourcing.com/hiringhome
How to Lead Your Team in Economic Uncertainty
How to Lead Your Team in Economic Uncertainty
In full transparency, I posted this blog before to some of our clients. However, we are seeing some signs of this again and I thought it might be useful as a reminder of how to lead your team when times are uncertain.
I do not have the expertise to talk about cash flow management. However, I can talk about what you can do with your team from a leadership perspective. During the pandemic, I told our clients that decisions they made with their employees then will affect what happens the next two years. I will say the same about right now. Here are 4 ways you can lead your team during these uncertain times (or a 3-minute video if you prefer):
1. Communicate Often - This is when you should communicate more than normal as the CEO or business leader. If everything is fine at your company, let your team know that you are not going out of business. If you need to tighten budgets, tell them that. Do not let them hear through the grapevine what is going on at the company. Be direct, share KPIs, and let them hear from you often.
2. Ensure Job Security - If you are not planning on layoffs, tell your staff that as soon as possible. That looming threat often causes people to look elsewhere if they feel there is a threat to their role. Just telling your people that layoffs aren’t on the table (if that is true), will reassure people, and will encourage productivity without the thought of layoffs looming.
3. Show Empathy - The news is very negative out there. I actually recommend just acknowledging that. Tell your team that you know the news is rough and the markets are concerning. Understanding the concerns they might have will be oddly assuring.
4. Be Large and In Charge - Employees want to see their CEO be a leader worth following. People want a leader that has a vision and a plan, and who is not easily rattled by what is coming. They want to feel secure and know that their CEO is in control of the ship. We, as leaders, do not always have all the answers. However, when we are in front of our team, it is time to be confident and lead.
Strategies to Consider:
1. It is a great time to hire - If you are a company that sees no signs of slowing down, now might be one of the absolute best times to find great talent that we have seen in years. The clients we have worked with in the last month are seeing exceptional candidates! Shameless plug - we help small businesses hire. Email me at cfiler@innovative-outsourcing.com
2. Start the preparation for the worst - If you must, figure out a plan with your leadership team around what positions might need to be eliminated if a downturn turns worse. We learned in 2008 that you don’t want to wait on these decisions too long. Have a list of possible jobs that could be eliminated first (and the lowest performers listed), which could be a huge help if we get to that point.
Two Ways We Can Help:
1. There are always HR questions that come up when things are shaky - so please don’t hesitate to call me (30 minutes is always free). Email me to set up a time!
2. The HR Audit is a tool designed for small businesses in any industry to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their HR function.
We evaluate the 14 areas of HR from compliance to retention. We develop an HR strategy to make your employees proud of where they work. Watch the video to the right for more information or visit our HR Audit Page on our website.
Hope this helps and I will talk to you next week!
How to Lead Teams in Economic Uncertainty
HR Strategy: Leading Teams in Economic Uncertainty
I am hearing from our clients daily about the state of the economy, and the uncertainty in the market. CEOs see some of the signs of 2008, but do not know how to prepare if a recession is looming.
Although I do not have the expertise to talk about cash flow management, I can talk about what you can do with your team from a leadership perspective. During the pandemic, I told our clients that decisions they made with their employees then will affect what happens the next two years. I will say the same about right now. Here are 4 ways you can lead your team during these uncertain times (or a 3-minute video if you prefer):
1. Communicate Often - This is when you should communicate more than normal as the CEO or business leader. If everything is fine at your company, let your team know that you are not going out of business. If you need to tighten budgets, tell them that. Do not let them hear through the grapevine what is going on at the company. Be direct, share KPIs, and let them hear from you often.
2. Ensure Job Security - If you are not planning on layoffs, tell your staff that as soon as possible. That looming threat often causes people to look elsewhere if they feel there is a threat to their role. Just telling your people that layoffs aren’t on the table (if that is true), will reassure people, and will encourage productivity without the thought of layoffs looming.
3. Show Empathy - The news is very negative out there. I actually recommend just acknowledging that. Tell your team that you know the news is rough and the markets are concerning. Understanding the concerns they might have will be oddly assuring.
4. Be Large and In Charge - Employees want to see their CEO be a leader worth following. People want a leader that has a vision and a plan, and who is not easily rattled by what is coming. They want to feel secure and know that their CEO is in control of the ship. We, as leaders, do not always have all the answers. However, when we are in front of our team, it is time to be confident and lead.
Strategies to Consider:
1. It is a great time to hire - If you are a company that sees no signs of slowing down, now might be one of the absolute best times to find great talent that we have seen in years. The clients we have worked with in the last month are seeing exceptional candidates!
2. Start the preparation for the worst - If you must, figure out a plan with your leadership team around what positions might need to be eliminated if a downturn turns worse. We learned in 2008 that you don’t want to wait on these decisions too long. Have a list of possible jobs that could be eliminated first (and the lowest performers listed), which could be a huge help if we get to that point.
Two Ways We Can Help:
1. There are always HR questions that come up when things are shaky - so please don’t hesitate to call me (30 minutes is always free). Email me to set up a time!
2. For the first time in two years, we are having a hiring sale. We are lowering our recruiting fees for the month of April to help small business that might need help during these times. Now’s a good time to get a deal with our fees! Email us if you are interested.
Sales Pitch of the Day:
The HR Audit is a tool designed for small businesses in any industry to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their HR function.
We evaluate the 14 areas of HR from compliance to retention. We develop an HR strategy to make your employees proud of where they work. Watch the video to the right for more information or visit our HR Audit Page on our website.