Human Resource Basics
for
Your Business

 

You’re in business, starting a new one, or buying an existing business. You may have taken care of these basic business necessities already:

• Chosen and registered your business
• Decided on the legal structure (LLC, S-Corp,  Corporation, Partnership, Sole Proprietorship)
• Written strategic business and marketing plans and mission statement
• Established relationships with relevant professionals (e.g., banker, lawyer/s, CPA)
• Met the legal requirements for operating a business and obtained required licenses and permits
• Set pricing for your products/services
• Determined your financing needs and source/s
• Obtained office space, equipment, and supplies
• Planned for risk and insurance
• Set up recordkeeping systems, including a financial management system
• Identified staffing needs
• Developed a day-to-day managerial plan

But, have you considered the last thing on the mind of the typical business owner – namely, managing Human Resources and all that it entails?

Let HRalacarte serve as your outsourced HR department – by the hour, day, or
project; in person, by email, or by phone. By outsourcing vs. hiring,
you get only what you need and you control your spending!

We’ll help you with all of it, including:
LEGAL & EFFECTIVE EMPLOYEE SELECTION & HIRING
&
MANAGING, DEVELOPING, & RETAINING EMPLOYEES

Some of the critical things you should think about and the reasons why – related to hiring, training and developing, managing, and communicating with your employees – follow, along with how HRalacarte can help you:

LEGAL & EFFECTIVE EMPLOYEE SELECTION & HIRING

• Hire Legally

Sound hiring practices dictate that you have a legally compliant employment application form, and to protect yourself from “negligent hiring” you should conduct background screenings of all individuals you wish to hire. If you want to establish and maintain a drug-free workplace you should also ensure that drug screening is part of your hiring process. Your offer letter can get you into trouble if it is written in such a way as to imply a contract of employment or if compensation is worded in such a way as to commit you to a full year’s salary. Did you know, for example, that every employee should complete an I-9 form to establish that they can legally work in the U.S.? We’ll tell you about the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and how it applies. And, have you considered whether you need full-time, part-time, temporary, seasonal employees – or some combination thereof? Remember, too, that new hire reporting is required by federal law.

How we can help…
HRalacarte can provide you with a legally compliant employment application and advise you on state and federal new employee reporting requirements. We can also provide you with I-9 forms and explain how they should be completed and filed in case of an audit. We will work with you on your labor needs to help you determine how many and what types of employees best fit your needs and budget. And, we have strategic relationships with background screening firms.

• Job Descriptions

Job descriptions are foundational for much that follows. They establish your business needs and lay out general expectations for job candidates to help them (and you) decide if the job is the right fit. If you can’t clearly articulate your needs in a job description, then it’s likely you don’t need the role within your organization. When the time comes to provide performance feedback to your employee, the job description provides a reference point to help in that discussion, particularly if you have included competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities) in the description at the outset. Competencies offer common and objective language for subsequent coaching for performance.

How we can help…
HRalacarte professionals have libraries of competencies as well as job descriptions that we can easily customize and provide you, after just a brief discussion about your position needs. If you already have job descriptions, we can review them for thoroughness and accuracy. In either case, we will make them legally compliant with the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).

• Recruiting, Interviewing & Selection

There’s a saying in HR – “Be slow to hire and quick to fire.” Glib as it may sound, there is a lot of truth in this adage. Recruiting and interviewing can be painful, time-consuming, and expensive; but it is critical that you get it right and find the best employees who fit not just their job roles but also your culture. Employee turnover can cost you in real dollars (experts say up to five times the former employee’s annual base pay) and in decreased morale of those left behind to pick up the slack.

How we can help…
HRalacarte provides clients with access to an online application process that you can use to either have us simply forward the applications to you (while keeping your identity private) or to have us screen based on your requirements. It saves you time and money. We can also provide effective and legal interview questions for those on your staff who will be doing internal interviewing When you are ready to hire, we will ensure that your offer letter protects you and your business by clearly establishing the terms of employment and pay, thereby reducing the risk of later claims should the employment relationship not work.

DEVELOPING & RETAINING EMPLOYEES

• Establish HR Systems & Processes

Did you know, for example, that you should not keep any medically related documentation in the same employee file as performance reviews because of HIPAA laws? There are proper methods for setting up and maintaining HR records and paperwork that, should you ever get audited by OSHA or any other government agency, can make the difference between passing the audit and receiving fines or penalties.

How we can help…
HRalacarte can set up your HR filing system and processes and provide guidelines for what you should and shouldn’t do to remain legally compliant. If you wish, we can maintain those systems for you on a retainer basis, or we can train one of your staff to do so. Should you choose, we can come in on an annual basis to audit your systems and processes and make recommendations for improvements. And, we can provide you with forms to make hiring and managing people a lot easier and efficient.

• Policies & Procedures / Employee Handbook

Every organization should have legally defensible policies and procedures to protect itself from liability. There are standards of conduct to which you will want all workers to comply. Some of the most common policies you will need to determine and articulate include vacation, anti-harassment, attendance and work hours, and so on. It is critical that you have every employee acknowledge receipt and understanding of your policies and procedures. And, you want to establish employment as “at will.”

How we can help…
HRalacarte already has basic policies and procedures in the form of employee handbooks that can be customized to meet your business needs, and can provide you with one at a cost-effective price; or we can review your existing employee handbook and make necessary additions, deletions, and modifications to keep you current with the latest laws and regulations and best practices.

• Performance Review Process

Providing timely and constructive feedback to employees on a regular basis will help them to be more productive and you to be more profitable. Taking a bit of time on a quarterly basis, at minimum, to review performance with your employees is in your best interests.

How we can help…
HRalacarte can train you and your supervisors and managers on how to provide effective performance feedback and how to involve employees in self-assessment. We can also supply you with a straightforward, easy-to-use performance feedback system and forms. (Also see Training & Development).

• Training & Development

One of the ways to motivate and retain employees – which ultimately leads to a knowledgeable, experienced, and productive workforce and improved profitability for your company – is to offer relevant training and development opportunities. Individuals are frequently promoted to supervisory and managerial level positions without any experience or training in how to lead others. Situations like this can lead to a myriad of problems, both with morale and performance of the individuals involved as well as quality and productivity issues. Training and development opportunities can also help prepare employees to take on greater responsibilities or different roles as your organization grows.

How we can help…
HRalacarte can provide training and development opportunities for individuals or teams in a number of topics, including:  effective and legal interview questions and technique; union awareness; supervisory and managerial skills; how to identify and deal with harassment of all types; teambuilding; employee motivation; business ethics; and performance management. And, we offer a variety of Safety & Health training classes.

• Compensation & Benefits Strategy

To be competitive with regard to compensation and benefits, you must know what comparable types and sizes of companies in your geographic area provide their employees; otherwise, you will not be able to attract and retain employees. And turnover is expensive (estimates are between 2 to 5 times annual compensation to replace an employee). Have you determined how you will handle payroll (internally or outsourced) and do you have all the appropriate forms employees need to complete for tax purposes, etc.?

How we can help…
HRalacarte has access to existing, or can conduct industry-specific, compensation studies to help ensure that your organization pays competitively. Further, we can help establish salary ranges for each role within your company to help you plan expenditures for the foreseeable future. We have strategic relationships with both payroll and benefits providers who can prepare quotes for your consideration, and we can help manage that process. And, we can help ensure that appropriate COBRA notices are sent in a timely manner.

CALL NOW FOR A COMPLIMENTARY ONE-HOUR MEETING TO
DISCUSS YOUR NEEDS, QUESTIONS, AND CONCERNS – 937.416.7066