Beating the Flu

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When flu season strikes, companies don’t want sick workers punching in on the time clock and infecting the rest of the work force. In fact, it is best for ill employees to stay at home when they have the flu or any serious sickness. By taking a structured, organized approach to the flu, your company can be a step ahead, and not have to worry about one person infecting the entire crew.

One very inexpensive way to fight the flu virus is to install brass fixtures. As opposed to plastic and stainless steel, brass and copper actually stop many pathogens from spreading. It has to do with the chemical properties of the metals. Even when infected employees have not yet shown signs of the flu, brass and copper light fixtures and doorknobs will help cut down on the spread of the virus. Brass and copper will cost a bit more than stainless steel or plastic fixtures, but will likely pay for themselves by keeping your workforce healthy.

Giving disinfectant sprays and gels to your workers is much cheaper than losing valuable worker time to the flu virus. When several sick employees are unable to punch time clocks due to the flu, you might wish you had made free disinfectant gels and sprays available sooner. This is perhaps the least expensive way to stop seasonal sicknesses in their tracks.

Staying home when you are sick is the single best way to avoid making the absentee problem worse. Sick workers should not be logging in at time clocks, or anywhere on company property. If someone’s expertise is necessary for a particular project, consider working over the phone or online until the worker is well. It is also a wise policy to encourage all workers to stay away from company grounds when they are ill or think they are about to come down with something.

The flu virus is a serious illness and should be dealt with rapidly and effectively.  Do yourself, and your work force, a favor and be strict about preventing the flu at work.

Why Hire an Older Worker?

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Age discrimination is just as common as race or sex discrimination these days. It is increasingly hard for the older generation to find work. In fact, once a person turns the big 4-0, they are then considered a part of America’s aging workforce. Most people, however, consider this the time when they are in the pinnacle of their working careers.

So, if you are one of those companies that normally hire the tech-savvy hotshot — you may want to rethink your hiring strategy a little. Here are some reasons why you should hire older employees rather than younger ones:

1. You know what you’re getting. With older employees, you know what you are going to get just by checking their work history and background check. You will be able to determine if they are the fit you are looking for, while with an employee right out of college you won’t have that work history to look back on.
2. Older employees will have lower benefits. Yes, lower benefits. When you reach a certain age, you won’t have dependents like children to worry about. Medicare, which starts at 65, will not go on a company’s tab either. In fact, many older employees would rather work part-time rather than full-time which means that benefits are decreased even more so.
3. Flexibility. Older employees have no children and they usually have no extracurricular activities to go to which mean odd shifts and those hard to fill time slots on the time clock get filled easily.
4. Wise beyond their years. This saying tells it all. When you sat down in front of your grandparents and they told you how to do something that seemed farfetched, you listened anyways because you knew that they were wise. This same thinking goes into the business world. Older workers have been around for a while and it can be beneficial to hear what they have to say, especially if they have been in one sector for decades.
5. They are eager. Just because they are older doesn’t mean they don’t want to learn. In fact, they love to learn and older workers are just as capable of learning new techniques just as much so as younger workers.

What Makes a Quality Leader

Every business needs a good leader to thrive. Delegating tasks, keeping employees motivated and setting a great example for the team are among the key qualities for leadership. Check out the following five things that help define a confident and successful leader: 

1.   Articulate Interests. Ensuring harmony and balance in the team is the basic task of a leader. The biggest challenge is to reconcile the different interests that coexist in the same organization, articulating them in a productive way.

2. Maintain Open Channels With Your Team. For employees to assimilate the values and principles that guide the business, it is essential to communicate with clarity and objectivity. Likewise, it is important to be open to hearing what everyone has to say on various topics. This establishes a trust relationship with the group, creating harmony and an encouraging environment.

3.  Establish And Verify Work Patterns. The standardization of work processes is crucial for a company's performance. It is the job of a good leader to establish these processes. It is important also to have effective methods to verify compliance with these processes, whether it be time clocks to ensure hours worked or weekly reports.

4.     Promote A Culture Of Innovation. Creating an environment conducive to innovation is also the task of a leader who wants to see your business take off. It is important to encourage and foster the diversity of ideas in order to make the work environment more creative and innovative.

5.     Train More Leaders. A good leader is one who knows how to identify and encourage other leaders within the business. That means looking for people with innovative and motivating character, exercising a positive influence on the group.

How to Delegate Productively

As a manager or leader in your business, you will find yourself delegating out work at some point or another. While proper delegation makes for a well-run and productive team, improper delegation of tasks can side rail and entire project. There are a few tricks that all managers can use to help make sure that tasks are proportioned out fairly, that hours on the time clock are met, and that work is set out in a way that encourages work instead of inhibits.

To reduce the risk of problems when delegating work, start by issuing smaller, easier tasks first. This limits the damage that can be caused in case someone fails. This also will help build the self-esteem of the person who took that responsibility if they succeed.

You should never limit yourself to just explaining what they should do either. When people realize how their work fits in the process, they can react better when things go wrong or when you are not present. Having a chance to innovate can sometimes bring out the best in employees.

Take a look at these other tips which will help you be a better delegator:

1.     Choose things that you can delegate “up”. This means picking things that are simple enough that you can pass off to an assistant like checking emails, picking up dry cleaning and so on.

2.     Choose things that you can delegate “down”. These are the items that you want professionals handling. For instance, you will want to hire an accountant or bookkeeper to do the numbers.

3.     Provide crystal clear instructions. Being able to delegate successfully starts with getting through to your people clearly. If someone doesn’t understand something, make sure they do by talking things over.

4.     Empower the staff. Give your employees enough responsibility to make them feel special. It goes a long way.

5.     Letting go. Some people can do tasks better than you can. Let go and let those with the strengths in that task do said step.

6.     Invest in long-term success. Choose employees that will stick around for a long time but make sure they are worth having around as well.

Do not forget the reality of the learning curve: the first task delegated does not always run optimally. Do not be tempted to take the matter into your own hands. Give your employees a chance and teach them where they went wrong. You will often be surprised at the improvement rate that shows.

Working With Others

If you share workspace with others, there are quite a few written, and unwritten, rules you should know. Of course, not all common work areas are the same, but in general, it is best that you try to be self-sufficient.

A time clock might be at the entrance and perhaps you need to punch in or just use it for specific jobs. Know the rules about the time clock and who should use it.

It also helps to know how much talking and chatting is tolerated. Some workspaces are silent, but most allow at least a moderate hum. Try to learn the upper limits of noise and adhere to the common rule.

Keep in mind that you should not bother others with questions that pertain to your own work. If you are self-sufficient, moderately quiet, and know about time clock rules, a common work area can be your friend.

The secret to getting along in common work areas has to do with friendliness. Try to stay in the social network and do not abuse the allotted time for work in the area. Often, shared workspace is used for events in the evenings, so you need to know when to make a timely exit. A visible time clock can help with this detail. Networking with the other employees and respecting the space usage policy are two habits that will make you a good neighbor to your comrades.

Finally, remember that the kitchen area is for your use, but the food is not. Unless a food item is specifically marked as a group item, do not touch it. Bring your own food and eat it in the kitchen. If others do the same, everybody will be happy and there will be no bad feelings about ‘stolen’ meals.  

Time Clocks for Business Efficiency

A traditional timesheet allows a company’s employees to record exactly when they start and end work. For a number of employees, this will amount to starting their work at the beginning of their shift and punching out whenever it ends. For the others, this could involve keeping a detailed list of start and stop times for their various projects, activities or jobs during the day. No matter what your business may need, time clock software will allow your employees the ability to record information more easily, objectively and actively.

Time clock software will help lower any operating costs that your business may have by making your payroll processing become more efficient along with making labor costs a lot more visible than they were in the past. It will also ensure attendance compliance and helps automate any invoicing or billing of your clients. Here are a few reasons how time clock software will help your business in today’s rough economy.

It simplifies your payroll

Time clock software will take every punch that your employees have accrued within a certain amount of time and it will generate timecards based on whatever your payroll is set on. Your regular hours, paid leave and overtime are all calculated for you and totaled instantly so you don’t have to do the math yourself.

It ensures compliance

A time clock is going to allow you to fully manage your attendance and employee time, even when it comes to lunch breaks or sick leave. With certain units, employees cannot punch in or out for each other, ensuring that the hours recorded are honest.

It manages the labor costs for you

Whenever you do payroll, your time clock software will figure in everything for you when it calculates the weekly attendance. Whenever you input your employees into the system, you will be asked to put all pertinent information into the software. This will allow the software to figure up everything for you. All you have to do is print out everything and take it to payroll, or even export to payroll software directly.

It automates client billing

Remember that client billing should be summarized by the job or the client so it can be accurately billed. A time clock can help with this process, lowering error by inaccurate recording as well as providing an efficient way to track multiple projects.

Keeping Telecommuters on Track

Almost 30 million American workers can do part of their work from their home or remote locations, according to a recent survey performed by the people at International Telework Association. With 1 in 5 workers telecommuting, getting everyone to punch in on the time clock, together for a meeting, or to check-in can be difficut. Fortunately, the employee time clock is one way that you can keep track of telecommuters.

Managing telecommuting technology is tough, but managing the workers can be even tougher. Telework has a habit of amplifying organizational weaknesses and if the company is already weak in the terms of management, then the policy needs to be updated before the teleworking begins. Teleworking can force a manager to sharpen simple managerial skills, not only to streamline the work force but also to make sure the job gets done when it needs to be.

Here are some ways you can create the best environment for teleworkers, and for your company overall:

Implement a great employee time clock system – A solid web-based, employee time clock will help you keep track of your employees, remotely and in-office.

Identify some tasks that are suitable telecommuting - List positions that aren’t good for telecommuting first, as this will be much easier. Then examine what’s left and decide if telecommuting is viable.

Establish ground rules - Make sure every employee is on the same page. Set rules for telecommuters in terms of what needs to be done.

Be prepared to enforce the rules - If a decision comes up to where you need to make a tough call, make sure you can do it.

Practice effective management - Calling regular meetings is a must. Be sure your telecommuters are aware that just because they are not in the office doesn’t mean they are exempt from team meetings.

Provide effective support - Always support your workers. Just as they reach out to you, reach out to them as well.

Tips to Help Implement a Time Clock

There’s no doubt that employee time management is a critical component of any workplace’s productivity and efficiency. Employee time clocks can be a valuable resource and vehicle when managing employee’s times and making sure those employees are spending their time wisely.

Time clocks help businesses accurately store and track employee time data. Using this data, management can assess whether or not the company is performing as efficiently as possible and if any productivity issues are present in the workplace.

An employee time clock will not work up to its potential if it is not implemented correctly. All employees, not just management, should be familiar with the time clock system and how it works. Your employees will be the ones, after all, using the time clocks to punch in and out and to track payroll and time data.

After selecting and purchasing a time clock system for your workplace, arrange an orientation session for your employees. Consider asking a representative from the time clock company from which you purchased the product to help you with the session. Take time to make sure that all employees understand the details and capabilities associated with the time clock system and answer all questions. Consider distributing users manuals or cheat sheets that detail how to use the time system.

To correctly implement a time clock system, make sure that system can grow with your business. Limited scalability systems will not accommodate company expansion and growth, so go with a system that can last with your company through such changes.

Pitfalls in the Hiring Process

Hiring is the most important function for any business, and if it is not done correctly your firm could end up wasting thousands of dollars and valuable time. People who punch a time clock make the company work, so it is worth your time as a manager to avoid the most common errors that plague the personnel process.

Time clocks are great for measuring hours worked, but when it comes to hiring, it is quite difficult to measure human qualities that match a specific job opening. Quality is not as clear-cut as quantity. These days, nearly every company uses its website to screen job seekers. Be careful not to overdo the use of the internet, as you might just end up with too many candidates. If you are not set up to interview dozens of people for a given position, then go easy on the recruitment efforts, especially online. Too many personnel managers overestimate the ability of the internet to bring in job seekers. So be careful what you wish for, as the old saying goes.

Many studies have pointed to the fact that well over 70 percent of all managerial hires are found through personal contacts. That’s why it is wise to spend a few days each month keeping up your face-to-face contacts, attending trade shows, and speaking with others in your field of endeavor. Never rely solely on impersonal job forum listings unless you are trying to gather together a large number of candidates for a mass screening.

Never, the experts tell us, rely on your gut to make a final decision about a candidate. This can lead to a really disastrous situation, where a hire drains significant resources during a training period, which ultimately goes to waste. Hiring based upon charisma, personality, or looks is an accident waiting to happen. Better to use quantifiable parameters to measure skills, interests, and background experience.

In addition, before you bring in that new person, who will eventually be punching the company time clock, have a specialist do some of the interviewing. That way, a person who truly knows what the job requires will get a chance to sit down with the applicant and get a feel for his or her abilities. Time clocks are a great way to measure hours, but sometimes it takes a professional, even a specialist, to ferret out the best job candidates for a particularly demanding position. Avoid the pitfalls of the hiring process, and you will have a healthy company.

Steps To Hiring Quality Employees

Hiring employees is a skill and an art. As an employer you need to ask some basic questions and here are some to consider: What skills do you bring to the table? Do you feel your training meshes with what we’re looking for? Are you committed to a long term working relationship? What are your salary and benefit expectations? Carefully screen employees and to assure you don’t have to keep hiring as it is a pricey proposition for any company. There is no magic cure for hiring but as a business owner you probably have good instincts and you should let that carry you through the hiring process.

You need to hire employee that have the best skills but you need to be able to afford their payroll. The art of hiring is more than having bodies to punch a time clock. Keeping payroll as little of a variable as possible is a goal of business owners – you need to make payroll regardless of the ebb and flow of receivables. It’s a difficult balancing act.

Company owners need to focus on long term hiring goals. Don’t hire out of panic because you have a sudden influx of work. It’s a more efficient business model to hire employees that will stay long term – unless you have a purely seasonal business model. Ask potential employees their long term goals for employment and what skills they bring to the position. 

Track customer trends and business income and expenses and look at the work flow of your current staff. Turn to them for input on whether they’d like to take on additional roles at the company and whether they may have hidden talents you’d never considered tapping into. You may find you have employees with skills you’d not utilized and their skills could help get you through without needing to hire.

The idea of hiring employees and having an additional person punching the time clock is something that strikes fear into the hearts of many a business owner. It is something that you need to look at seriously and also find a new employee who has the personality to fit in with your company culture. While you can’t learn everything about an employee in the brief span of an interview, you can certainly get a feeling for how they may fit. If you have a very rigid business structure or a very laid back one, see how the potential employee interacts with you and if you feel they will be a good fit with the rest of your staff.

How to Simplify Your Business

Running a business can overtake your life. Every waking moment can be ruled by your business and entrepreneurs can easily become overwhelmed by daily management issues involving employees and company aspects. Effective tools to simplify your business as much as possible are key to avoiding this scenario.

The first place to focus is on management. Set specific criteria you are looking for in the hiring process, consider education level, pay and schedule needed. Have an online application form. This way you will be able to quickly weed out applicants who do not fit, saving you time. Another management time and money saver is to strengthen your supply relationships by using as few providers as possible. This will increase your purchasing power, offering you better leverage.

One more idea is to arrange for your human resource functions to be outsourced. Research shows such issues take up one-third of entrepreneurs' time. A huge benefit to outsourcing is the responsibility for missing tax payment deadlines or misfiling will fall on the shoulders of the outsourced company rather than your own. Finally, reduce the number of staff meetings you hold. Make meetings effective and concise to save your own time, as well as, getting your employees back to work.

Make use of technology. Scheduling is often the most time consuming issue for most business owners. To save time, use available software in order to assist you in scheduling employees. Some of these software packages will also assist in making payroll easier. Additionally, rather than micromanaging employees, many business owners are thankful to invest in time clocks. A time clock takes the babysitting out of employees, respecting their scheduled hours along with providing useful documentation.

Another overall area to simplify is your marketing. The first step in this is to find out how you are doing. Have comment cards or online surveys available to your customers for feedback. Then, utilize local business to build partnerships. Start with your own customers, suppliers and vendors who are also business owners. Another idea is to cut out the middle men and meet your consumers directly.

Finally, ensure that you allow yourself personal time. Make decisions on what you are comfortable outsourcing and what you only feel comfortable doing yourself. Set boundaries for yourself which will limit how much work time you allow yourself to attend to personal matters. This way, when you are not at work, you will be able to really focus on family or friends.