Posts Tagged ‘human resources’
Creating a Successful Company Team Environment
Thursday, February 21st, 2008
Many business experts believe that a team-based organizational structure is the most effective design for accomplishing overall objectives. If managed properly, a team environment allows each employee to contribute to the company’s success while working alongside fellow teammates to generate these results.
However, not all employee teams are successful. If members don’t fully understand the team’s importance, or are not recognized for their efforts, then motivation and devotion will be lacking, leading to the inevitable collapse of the team and its objectives. In order for a team to be successful, it’s important that certain basic guidelines are followed.
Team importance - Before employees can feel enthusiastic about their role as team members, they first need to understand the importance of the team and the power of teamwork. Employees should understand how working as a team allows for different skills, thought processes and creative thinking to come together to work towards a specific goal. Employees should feel excitement and motivation about working alongside others and making a significant contribution to the company as a whole. They need to understand the importance of their role and how valuable they are as an employee to the success of the organization. Without this groundwork, employees may not feel committed to the project or even feel that the team’s role is meaningful.
Objectives - Employees should be clear as to the objectives of not only the team, but of the organization as well. Employees need to understand how the contribution of the team fits in with the overall mission of the company. Even the roles of each team member should be understood by everyone on the team, so they know how team members fit in, what their skills are and how they will contribute to the team’s goals.
Authority - In order for a team to be successful, the members need to feel that they have enough control and decision-making power to achieve their goals. If employees feel that they are being micromanaged by having to get approval over even the smallest of decisions, you can bet motivation and commitment will be almost nonexistent. Employees need to feel that they were chosen for this team because they are important, intelligent and valued. Team members need to have some authority over certain decisions, timelines and budgets, or at least have the opportunity to make recommendations to management.
Communication - Obviously for a team to meet its goals, its members need to be able to communicate clearly, honestly and effectively, without being critical of each other’s ideas. Having even one team member who is negative and harsh with comments can hurt the productivity of the entire team. Teammates need to understand how to brainstorm and communicate effectively with others, even if they don’t agree with the ideas that are put forward.
Recognition - It’s human nature; people like to be recognized and rewarded for their efforts, especially when goals and deadlines are met. If your company doesn’t have a rewards program in place already, one should be created in order for team members to feel that their hard work is appreciated. Rewards should be given to everyone on the team, as it was the combined efforts of the team that allowed the goals to be reached.
Having a team-based company can increase employee productivity, loyalty and motivation. However, for a company new to the horizontal structure, it would be wise for the owners or managers to attend at least one seminar about team building. They can then bring their knowledge to the company and set up an effective design of company teams.
Tags: advice, Carrie Hinkel, company morale, Hiring and Human Resources, HR, human resources, management, tips
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Company Wikis taking off
Friday, February 15th, 2008
I don’t know about you, but whether when I have a question about a person, a process, a product, a band, etc. my first stop on my road to discovery is usually Wikipedia, one of the most popular online information resources. And for the first time in history, the editors are the readers!
But the point of this post is not to sing the praises of Wikipedia, rather sing the praises of the concept of the Wiki. Did you know that small businesses are using Wikis to better organize and present information? Did you know that you could be doing the same thing?
More and more businesses are doing this because they claim it is far easier and more effective in communicating information throughout the company. Employees can create, manage and edit pages and keep each other informed and updated. Many companies use wikis strictly for internal use, but more are opening them up to customers as well.
Tags: E-Commerce and E-Business, HR, human resources, Marketing Your Business, Rebecca Button, Wiki, wikis
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The Health Care Debate - What It Means For Your Small Business
Monday, October 1st, 2007
As usual, documentary film maker Michael Moore has chosen the right opportunity to release his latest effort at riling up the public. This time around, the film in question is Sicko, a look at the current healthcare dilemma in the United States, released just in time to receive a lot of exposure due to the fact that both major parties are now looking to elect the person who will represent them in the 2008 Presidential Elections.
As usual, the focus of the film seeks to blame government or some ambiguous "rich person" (usually a business) for the state of America today. Celebrities who make enough money to provide health care for several dozen families each year (and that includes Moore, whose well fed appearance is not exactly the picture of health) are touting the work and trying to get the government to provide some sort of universal health care plan such as that used in Canada and other countries in the G8.
The current debate itself will have no impact on small businesses, as it is discussion and nothing more. However, small business owners would do well to pay attention to what it is that different candidates are proposing as a solution to the health care dilemma, as if elected the solutions could have an impact on small businesses on several levels. Let’s take a look at a couple of them.
Provision of healthcare for employees
Currently, the government allows a tax break for businesses, big and small, which provide a health plan for their employees. The problem with this approach is that most of the time employees must go with the plan that the business chooses for them, and that can mean some large gaps in the healthcare services that they need.
To overcome this problem, some candidates are proposing that a universal plan be used that applies to all people, and small businesses can work from there if they wish to budget the same amount of money each year to their employees’ health. On this level, the solution seems fairly straightforward, as it will not cost a business more money, at least not on the books.
Where healthcare will cost extra
What will be costly when it comes to the implementation of this healthcare solution will be the extra taxes that will be needed to pay for the system (i.e., those who cannot afford to pay already). You will not have contact with these people, but a pool of public dollars will be created to tend to their medical needs. The money will come under the broad umbrella of taxes, both business and personal.
Business taxes, of course, are what will concern small businesses the most when it comes to the implementation of any country-wide healthcare plan. Big businesses will pay the most into the plan, but usually these costs are easily absorbed. Individuals will pay the least, and that sounds just great for celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Michael Moore, and others who think something should be done, just not with their money. Small businesses, of course, will certainly feel the pinch from extra taxes, so the monetary burden of such a system will be felt in that sector first.
In the end, what the healthcare debate is really about is a moral issue. No one will argue that every American deserves a chance at decent healthcare, but the problem certainly arises when the issue of who will pay for any of the plans comes up. As a small business owner, it is up to you to make the choice after weighing all the considerations.
It might also be time for small businesses to ensure that a representative voice is heard; one that points the finger right back at the many millionaires in the country who trumpet causes without footing the bill.
Tags: advice, health care, Hiring and Human Resources, human resources, Leeia Ladipoh, Rebecca Button, small business
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Minimum Wage Increase
Tuesday, August 14th, 2007
Q: I know that the federal minimum wage is set to go up soon, but does it apply to me? I have three employees. Is there anything else I should know about the minimum wage?
Jesse
A: You are right that the minimum wage is due to increase. The schedule for the increase is as follows:
- July 24, 2007: from $5.15 an hour to $5.85 per hour
- July 24, 2008: From $5.85 to $6.55
- July 24, 2009: From $6.55 to $7.25
Does the increase apply to your business? Well, it depends.
First it depends upon what state you are in. Because it has been a decade since the federal minimum wage was last increased, many states have since passed minimum wage law increases that exceed the federal standard. For example, in California, the minimum wage is $7.50 an hour. In Washington D.C. it is $7.00. When your state’s minimum wage is higher than that of the feds, you must go with your state’s law. Therefore, if your state has a higher minimum wage than $5.85 an hour, the increase in the federal minimum wage does not affect you. (You can find out what your state’s minimum wage rules are here .)
Conversely, if your state has a minimum wage equal to the federal minimum wage (such as Texas, Kentucky, or North Dakota for instance) then the federal wage increase potentially applies to your business and your employees.
If that is the case, then the next consideration is whether your business is the type to which the minimum wage applies. According to the Department of Labor, "The minimum wage law applies to employees of enterprises that do at least $500,000 in business a year. It also applies to employees of smaller firms if the employees are engaged in interstate commerce or in the production of goods for commerce."
Next, to see whether the increase is applicable to you, you have to determine if your employees are the type to which the minimum wage applies or whether they would be considered "exempt".
Exemptions are as follows:
- Salaried executives and managers who make not less than $455 a week.
- Administrative employees doing non-manual work who make at least that same amount.
- Professionals with advanced knowledge making that same amount.
- Creative professionals who use imagination and creativity, and who make at least that $455 figure.
- Computer professionals making that amount of money.
- Outside sales people.
The minimum wage rules are also a bit different for younger employees. Workers under the age of 20 must get at least $4.25 an hour for the first 90 consecutive days of employment. After that, they are due the minimum wage. Similarly, full-time students who work in retail or service stores, agriculture, or colleges must earn at least 85% of the minimum wage.
Finally, special note needs to be taken with employees who receive tips. The federal rule is that a tipped employee is only required to receive $2.13 an hour in wages if the amount of tips received, in addition to their base pay, at least matches the federal minimum wage and the employee retains all tips and that amount is at least $30 a month. If the employee’s tips and the employer $2.13 an hour do not equal the new minimum wage, the employer must make up the difference.
Note again that many states have specific rules for tipped employees, and if the state law mandates a higher payment, that state law trumps the federal one.
For more information, you can visit this site .
Today’s Tip: Do we need this minimum wage increase? I say we sure do. A full-time worker making $5.15 an hour earns $10,712 a year. The federal poverty line is $17,170. Even when you add in programs such as food stamps, that figure is well below the poverty line. The good news is that an increase to $7.25 an hour by 2009, along with food stamps etc., raises the figure to $19,796, which would be 15% above the national poverty line (figures courtesy of the Economic Policy Institute.)
Steven D. Strauss is one of the world’s leading small business experts. His latest book is the Small Business Bible. A lawyer, author, and public speaker, Steve has spoken around the world about entrepreneurship, including at the United Nations, and he has been on CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, The O’Reilly Factor, and many other television and radio shows. If you would like Steve to speak to your group, help your business grow, or if you would like to sign up for his free newsletter, "Small Business Success Secrets!" please visit his website - www.MrAllBiz.com .
Tags: expert advice, hiring, Hiring and Human Resources, human resources, minimum wage, MrAllBiz.com, small business expert, Steve Strauss
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