Colchester, VT – HRSentry, has announced the release of their new mobile app, “HR Audit”. This mobile HR Audit is available for free on both Apple and Android devices. “This new app provides an essential assessment tool for managers to determine if their organizations are in compliance with federal employment laws and best practices,” says Dean Haller, HRSentry’s CEO, noting that “this 60-question process quickly helps identify those areas that may pose a significant risk of fines or lawsuits.”
To download HRSentry’s “HR Audit” visit the Apple App Store or Android Market and search for “HR Audit”. In addition to the HR Audit, HRSentry’s first app “HR At Your Fingertips” for the iPhone and iPad, continues to rank as one of the top business apps in the Apple store.
About HRSentry:
Since being founded in 2003, HRSentry’s mission has been to create, deliver, and support services and training that empower the organization to be self-sufficient in administration of its Human Resource policies, practices, and procedures. HRSentry’s services enable the user to access Human Resource forms, policies, and procedures; link to federal and state laws, regulations, and resources and expand their knowledge of HR through state-of-the-art training mediums. For more information visit www.hrsentry.com.
Join us on Thursday July 21, 2011 from 2:00 – 3:00p.m. for a webinar titled The Fair Labor Standards Act. The FLSA affects and needs to be understood by every employer. This webinar will visit the most important facets including exemptions, overtime calculations and some recent additions to the law. Avoid hassles and fines by making sure you are in compliance!
Join us on Thursday April 21, 2011 from 2:00 – 3:00p.m. for a webinar titled Creating Employee Handb00ks. Learn how to create a handbook that will help your organization stay in compliance with various state and federal regulations while being a useful tool for your staff.
The following is the second of a three part series provided by Erik Thompson via the Journal of Accountancy:
Skill 2: Building Connections
Great mentors have a person-to-person connection with those they are helping to develop. They let people inside their heads, sharing their visions and passions but also their strategic concerns and dilemmas. Those around them feel “in touch” with the person behind the suit. They tell stories about their own professional development, making it clear that growth is expected.
When Corcoran’s organization started delivering more vigorous mentoring/ coaching to the next level of staff members, he allowed himself to be coached by one of his direct reports in front of his entire finance team. It was not rehearsed. The direct report “went down a path of asking some pointed questions about a position that I had taken. I put myself out there in front of a lot of people who work for me. It was a very powerful teaching and learning experience. It would be very difficult for me to subscribe to mentoring if I’m not willing to do it myself,” Corcoran said. “After that experience, mentoring became an important part of our team’s operating culture.”
Effective mentors are on a mission to know more about their people. They make the most of time spent traveling or lunching together by asking questions like “What are your most challenging business relationships?” and “What projects are you most excited about?” They foster innovation by asking “What skills do you have to offer our firm that we aren’t currently tapping?” Thinking out loud with a mentor allows strategic thinking to emerge.
A mentor’s job is not to “fix” frustrations and concerns, but it is absolutely his or her job to find out about them. “From a coaching view, you are more curiosity-driven; you’re going to encourage the coachee to think for themselves instead of follow. The conversation should be about the person who is being mentored and encouraging them to think imaginatively and creatively about other possibilities or about their role in a situation or problem,” Corcoran said.
Strong mentors are free of the illusion that they must have all the answers. They know that self-confidence grows when people overcome obstacles themselves, not from extra support. Mentors expect discipline, but foster an atmosphere of adventure and creativity.
With the economy continuing on a downward trend, many employers have grabbed hold of the notion that their employees will do anything to keep their current jobs. With this in mind, many employers have lost sight of what they need to do to create loyalty from their employees and to ensure employee retention even after the economy recovers. In a time when competition is fierce, employers should recognize that employees are becoming part of the competitive advantage for business in the modern world. Bad employees can cause a business to fail; mediocre employees can cause a business to break even; but good employees can make even a so-so business soar.
The key to having good employees is, of course, to hire right. At least half of the personnel problems organization’s face with employees today are caused by poor hiring practices and policies. Just as important as hiring good employees is keeping good employees. It is important to remember the idea that the satisfied employee is less likely to search for greener pastures than the unsatisfied employee who feels underappreciated and overworked. Here are some tips on how to keep your best employees.
Salary. Pay might not always be the most important thing, but it definitely ranks right at the top. Pay is only a non-issue when an employee is not dependent on the paycheck or has another source of income. A general rule is that you must offer a competitive salary/wage for that position. If you are offering below market rate, you may only attract the worst of the prospective employee pool.
Benefits. Similar to salary, if other like businesses are paying certain benefits your company will also have to in order to attract top talent. Health and dental insurance are benefits that better employees are demanding. Your company can also offer additional benefits, such as life insurance, 401k plans, and sick and vacation days, to attract better employees.
Training. Good employees know that they must be continually learning and improving their skills. They will search for an organization that not only encourages, but provides regular training and opportunities to expand and improve their skills. In addition to this, think about offering cross training so your employees can learn to do other functions in the business, which will benefit everyone involved.
Recognize Good Work with financial and non-financial recognition. Employees often feel management only addresses them when there are problems. Good employees expect to be told when they do good work.
Good Working Conditions are a must. Good employees expect their employer to be making constant improvements so the workplace is not only safe but pleasant.
Finally, Have Fun. Good, loyal employees do not want boring, drudgery-filled work. There are many ways employers can make work fun and many of these techniques cost little or nothing. This is not the same kind of fun one has on vacation. But it does add excitement and keeps attitude high and motivation up.
For more tips, and ideas on how to attract and create loyal employees, HR Made Simple users should log in and search employee retention.
