Do you care?

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Communicating expectations is a regular part of every manager’s quest to increase and maintain employee efficiency.  Surely, you have set some type of expectation for your employees.  But how recently have you checked to see if they have met your expectations?  If it is worth expecting, it is worth checking.  Here’s why…

One of our clients runs a preschool.  At her preschool, it is the expectation that teachers put things away in the closets in a standard, uniform, and organized manner so when another teacher is seeking the stored supplies, he/she does not waste valuable teaching time looking all over the school for necessary teaching materials.  Makes sense, huh?  However, when do you think the last time the cleanliness and organization of the closets were checked?  Until recently, it had been months.  When first rolled out, this procedure was clearly defined, well communicated and stated as “THE way” to keep supplies in order.  However, when no one in management checked the closets, the teachers stopped maintaining the organization.  They started throwing materials where they landed and began wasting time searching for materials.  Guess what happened next?  Management became frustrated that teachers were wasting time looking for materials.  Crazy!  Had management simply kept up with a consistent schedule of checking the closets, everyone would have won – the teachers would have put stuff where it went, other teachers would have found the stuff where they expected it to be, and management would have seen efficient procedures working!

Understanding that most managers do not feel they should babysit their employees, I am not suggesting that you create an expectation and micromanage it. Rather, I am suggesting that you set an expectation and then let your employees know that you meant business - you didn’t create a rule just to create a rule.  You asked them to follow a procedure because you know that it will increase efficiency or alleviate unnecessary stress or, simply, is just the most effective way to get work done.  When you check back, you will tell your employees that you care about them following protocol.  Then, most importantly, you gain productivity from your staff and in turn, a higher profitability.

Dr. Laina Molaski

Why is an employee manual important?

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3314687312_356fb05189Did you know that millions of dollars are paid out in awards for harassment and other legal claims against employers each year? Here’s a way to avoid being a part of that statistic: have a foundation of rules and guidelines with your employees. It can take many forms but the simplest is an employee manual.

An employee manual is a written or electronic document containing summaries of the employer’s policies and benefits, designed to familiarize employees with various matters affecting the employment relationship.

If you only have one or two employees you might be asking yourself if you really need to go to the trouble of defining a tardy policy or cell phone usage policy. The answer is an emphatic yes. From a legal perspective you must to adhere to several labor laws even if you only have one employee.

First, ensure that all your basic state and federal laws are incorporated in to your document. For example: ADA, EEOC, harassment laws and regulations need to be addressed.

Then take the basic policies every business should have such as attendance, vacation/sick/PTO, and an internet policy and incorporate them in to your manual. Make sure that your policies are clear, easy to follow and measurable.

You may be nervous enforcing a policy for the first time with your employees but you will find that most employees appreciate clear expectations and it will be much less confusing in the long run.

Laina Molaski

Guerilla Marketing – "It's on like Donkey Kong"

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What is the first thing that pops into your head when you think of guerilla marketing? I think of giant hairy beasts (gorillas) beating on their chests and then throwing things (just like Donkey Kong). Or strategically planned warfare by a smaller, weaker military unit. Well guerilla marketing is a mixture of both.

Guerilla marketing is strategic and is a good “weapon” for businesses with a smaller cash flow. I am not saying that you will be able to topple giant corporations in one swift motion, but I am saying that you can become a competitive force with the “big boys”. Guerilla marketing provides businesses a way to “beat their chest” and get noticed.

One super simple tactic you can use that falls into the category of guerilla marketing is the email signature. Most people tend to have a fancy little signature that is always added to the end of their message. Well harness that email signature and make it work for you. Contact info is all well and good but add other things that help sell your business. You could add info about your next seminar/workshop or announcements about new pricing and services. Get people interested in what you can do for them. It all can be just as simple as customizing your email signature.

So get out there and play on the next level!

Would Your Employee Manual Pass the Test?

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What does your employee manual say? Having an inaccurate manual is almost as bad, if not worse, than no manual at all. If you have policies that are not accurate to your business you may be holding your business accountable to things that you will have a hard time fulfilling and at very least may cause you unnecessary financial hardship. For example:

“The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that an Indianapolis worker who was deemed ineligible for leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) may sue his former employer under state law for either breach of contract or promissory estoppels. According to the federal appellate court, statement in the employee handbook and two letters received by the employee that promised him 12 weeks leave may have been sufficient to create an enforceable contract under Indiana Law. Alternatively, the court held that the worker may be able to prove his claim for promissory estoppels because he relied to his detriment on the company’s promises.” (http://www.elinfonet.com/starticles/15)

 Dr. Laina Molaski

Problems with employee manuals have arisen from court decisions in recent years which have found employee manuals in some circumstances to be binding employment contracts. Most often, the difficulties in these cases were created by the employers themselves, who made promises in their employee handbooks which were not kept. Courts throughout the country have held that employee manual statements, improperly drafted, can create exceptions to the traditional “at will” doctrine of employment.

You want to have an employee manual that sets forth the expectations that are valid for your business and ones that being set in place work to make your place of business more cohesive while also being compliant with the necessary laws.

How does your stack up?

Dr. Laina Molaski

www.candsconsulting.biz

Job Decriptions Revisited

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Last week we talked about job descriptions and I told you how important they are. To add to your list here are a few more things you should keep in mind:

Do you have job descriptions for each position?

Are the descriptions consistent in format and content?

Are descriptions accessible to all employees?

Do your job titles make sense?

Are main functions and qualifications included and current?

Are you in violation of any compliance requirements?

Even if you only have 1 employee you should have a description. To get started on creating one, complete a job analysis sheet (found at butitsmybusiness.com). This form will help you identify the important aspects of the position so you can write up a comprehensive job description.

Laina

Do what you do best – outsource the rest.

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As a business owner you get bogged down by the minutia of every day tasks. But what you need to do is sit back and really look at if what you are doing is really worth your time. For example if you are spending 10 hours a month invoicing and reconciling your QuickBooks wouldn’t it be more cost effective to pay a professional in accounting to do that in half the time, which would free you up to focus those 10 hours on sales?

Something to think about.

Questions on outsourcing contact us.

Laina

Will Your Job Description Stand up?

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Many business owners don’t worry much about keeping their job descriptions up to date, if they even have the. However, it is very important to have up-to-date job descriptions as they are crucial hiring, compensation, performance appraisal, and let’s not forget avoiding lawsuits.

As yourself this…

Why are job descriptions necessary?

What is wrong with the existing job descriptions?

What is the cost of developing good job descriptions and the cost of not?

You want to set that expectation with your employees so they are clear on what to do.

If certain elements are missing from the job description, its effectiveness suffers. You want the job description to contain the following:

Job summary or purpose—A brief overview of what the job entails

Essential functions and additional responsibilities—Those duties that must be performed in the job

End Result—What the outcome will be when job is performed to the expectations

Legal Compliance- is your job description compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Equal Pay Act, and

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (which prohibits discrimination lawsuits based on performance)

If this seems overwhelming or unclear please go to the website at www.candsconsulting.biz and sign up for the online educational site But It’s My Business. There are templates and instructions on this site that will walk you through how to write that effective job description. Or contact me at lmolaski@candsconsulting.biz.

 Laina