by: Dan Cozzi



Elite HR Team's Core Value Monthly Spotlight: Leadership

This month we explore our value of Leadership. Elite HR Team values Leadership and we express its importance by using it in one of our vision statements, “Lead with passion and integrity,” and in our core values honeycomb matrix. We define leadership as, “Demonstrating the courage to be a leader and to better other leaders.”

We include courage in our expression of leadership because it critically supports a leaders effectiveness. Courage is not being fearless, but having the ability to recognize fear and act anyway.  We spent the last week thinking about our personal definitions of Leadership and this is what we came up with. 

“A person with leadership abilities has the incredible gift of shaping the future. A leader can guide their supporters to increase their knowledge and skills; making those supporters the new leaders of the future.”
- Kristy, HR Assistant

“Leadership requires leaders to risk action, based upon the leader's vision of what the future could be and by accepting some unknowns for the sake of the betterment of their followers and to accomplish their objectives.” -Dan, Excellence Manager

“Leadership is encouraging others to work together toward a common goal, making the sum greater than the parts. A true leader inspires you to want to do your best, to impress them, to live up to the potential they see in you.” - Jodi, Business Assistant

“You cannot lead without followers. Leaders must possess the unique ability to attract and retain followers, communicate the mission of the group, and to motivate the group into action. A good leader knows their limits and builds a team that compliments their weaknesses. Effective leaders develop their followers into leaders.” - Kandi, Owner & Founder

“A true leader's goals and dreams are to help others achieve their goals and dreams.”
- Michelle, HR Consultant

Leadership involves the ability to motivate others to do something extraordinary, something they would not normally do; thereby, learning something and becoming a better version of themselves.  Whether you lead by example, by motivating, by directing, or by influencing, it takes the courage to risk rejection and accept responsibility for not only your own failure, but quite possibly the failures of those you lead.

Finally, the negative formulation of risk-taking is “With great risk comes great loss.”  However, good leaders recognize and internalize the positive formulation, “With great risk comes great reward.” They have developed their ability to discount false fears and courageously accept real ones in order to act decisively for the betterment of something or someone.

How does your organization view leadership?  Are you leading in a productive way?  We want to learn from you. Let us know what your definition of leadership is by commenting below.

"Show me the money!" What do you do when your employees start asking for raises? 

The Department of Labor recently released their 2013 average salary list along with statistics compiled from the 2013 tax season. Employees have access to  median salary information for the U.S., the median salary in their industry, and even the median salary in a long list of standard job descriptions. So, how do you handle employee requests to discuss or bargain their pay?

1. Use That Number as a Starting Point. Median doesn't mean "average." Median is the number in the exact center of the list of data. That means half of the people in that position or industry in the US make less than that amount and half make more. This information can be important to have, and if you are way off, you may need to rethink how you compensate your workers. However, you can also do some homework and research salaries in your area for more relevant numbers.

2. Cost of Living Comparisons. Someone living in West Virginia is not going to make the same amount as a worker performing the same job in California and even adjacent states like Missouri and Illinois have very different minimum wages (MO is $7.35 and IL is $8.25). The trade-off for living in a cheaper state is making slightly lower wages.

3. Provide a Benefits Summary. One of our top recommendations is that businesses provide employees with a benefits summary annually. This statement shows the employee exactly how much is being spent to employ them. In addition to their salary, it would include things like health insurance, life insurance, worker's compensation, short and long term disability, and even the costs to provide coffee and sodas in the breakroom. Essentially it is an "adjusted" salary that shows not only what the business pays them in terms of salary, but the total of what the company pays to employ them.

4. Create and Distribute a Career Map. Millennials are leaving school feeling entitled to a career. They want to start out with five weeks of vacation and fully paid benefits. If you can show them their career path within your organization and possible tracks they can follow for growth and advancement, they may be more likely to stay. It can also be a helpful tool to use with more experienced workers who may not want to start from scratch in their new position.

5. Added Value with Free and Low-Cost Benefits. We are always encouraging business owners to do more for their employees, without affecting their bottom line. There are tons of strategies you can use. Find other businesses you can partner with to offer discounts. Provide the opportunity for employees to enroll in additional supplemental benefits--they assume all the cost. Offer low-cost perks like gift cards, car washes, exercise classes--anything that will help them to fit their busy life into their work schedule. Some businesses even offer concierge services to help workers get their to-do list done!

Studies have shown that compensation is not the most important thing when it comes to retaining employees. They would rather feel valued, respected, and integral to your business. Showing them their worth will help them appreciate what you do for them.

 We don't like to scare people. Unfortunately, what you don't know can hurt you in the form of costly lawsuits and government fines when it comes to operating your business without competent HR function.
 
Some of the top fines that businesses can face are obvious.
 
For example, when it comes to wrongful termination, the average defense costs are $85,000, and juries typically award $500,000. Since most states practice "at-will" employment, employers think they can let an employee for any, or no, reason. And they're right, to an extent. Unfortunately, they have to be able to prove that they didn't terminate the employee for an illegal reason, which is why proper recordkeeping procedures are so important. 
 
Sexual harassment is another hot topic that's often featured in news headlines, and payouts can rise into the millions, depending on the severity of the harassment. Even though employers may encourage their staff to treat each other with respect, they are responsible for that one employee who many think it's ok to give his female employees a pat on the back(side) for a job well done. Holding Sexual Harassment & Diversity Awareness training annually can not only train staff to avoid such issues, but reflects favorably on the company in front of a judge if an issue should arise.
 
There are other fines that may not seem so obvious. You may not realize it, but if your filing system isn't compliant, you could be facing thousands of dollars in fines. In fact, the I-9 form alone, which is required for every employee, has fines of $110 to $16,000 for improperly filling out the information.
 
Negligent hiring fines can also reach into the millions. After a deliveryman attacked a customer, the employer was held liable for $2.5 million for negligently hiring and retaining the deliveryman. No job interview was conducted; no references were requested; and he was not asked to fill out a job application. It was discovered that the deliveryman had an extensive arrest record that should have raised red flags.
 
Click here to read more about non-compliance issues. Also, sign up for our FREE 5 Costly HR Mistakes to Avoid webinar on April 16. Our passion is protecting small businesses, giving them the tools they need to protect their bottom line from costly lawsuits and government fines. Click here to sign up.

Just the other day, Kandi met a gentleman in his eighties (at least!) and he expounded to her his ideas on “this younger generation.” Apparently, we don’t take as much pride in ourselves or our work because we’re allowed to wear jeans. Gone are the days when men put on a three-piece suit—or even own one! Gone too are the days when women wore pantyhose and high heels every day.

There are two schools of thoughts on dress codes: 1) Employees are more productive when they’re comfortable so they should be allowed to dress casual, and 2) Requiring a more formal dress creates a professional environment, which keeps employees more productive and communicates the right message to customers and clients.

First, you should have an outlined policy on your dress code that is communicated to your employees. Even if it’s just to address safety concerns, such as banning flip-flops and open-toed shoes in the plant, or spelling out that short skirts, ripped jeans, and T-shirts with profanity on them are unacceptable, your dress code spells out how you want your employees to look as they represent your business. Some industries are able to spell out their requirements in black and white, since employees are required to wear a branded shirt and black pants (ex., restaurants), while others still encourage suits and ties (banks, lawyers, CEOS). You need to ask yourself how much interaction your employees have with the public, and what image you want the office/work environment to present to visitors. A major restaurant chain recently changed its dress code to allow visible tattoos, as long as they aren’t offensive or on the neck/face, showing how far public perception has come.

My husband always requires khakis and polo shirts as a minimum for his employees, because to him, "business casual” is casual! To him, there’s no difference in comfort between khakis and jeans, but to many employees, jeans represent a sort of freedom.

Even if you decide to allow employees to go casual on days they won’t be meeting with anyone, you can’t leave “casual” up to the imagination unless you want to see Crocs and sweatpants with words written on the rear. Jeans can look nicer paired with a button-up shirt or blouse than wrinkled khakis and a stretched-out sweater. Here are some tips to maximize your dress code:

1. Differentiate when more casual dress will be allowed. Whether it’s dress-down Fridays, on days when a local sports team has a home game, or when employees are not meeting with clients, allowing them some freedom in their clothing (within bounds) can improve employee morale.
2. Spell out the things that are definitely not allowed and have a procedure to follow if someone violates the dress code (being sent home without pay to change, for example).
3. Be consistent in your enforcement. If you let one department slide, or one person in the department slide, other employees could become resentful of the “favoritism” treatment. What we wear is a very personal thing, and seeing someone flaunt a violation of the dress code can make other workers very emotional.
4. Encourage professionalism, even when employees are dressed down. Address violations and employees who use dress-down days as an excuse to socialize without pointing fingers or getting emotional. Simply point out the policy, which should spell out what is appropriate and that casual dress is a privilege extended because employees are able to remain professional and get their word done.
5. Come up with a plan that works for your business. You know your work environment and your employees best. Make the dress code work for you.

Bringing in a candidate for an interview means that you were impressed with their skills and background and you think they might be a good fit with your company. The first thing that you do is make small talk to get to know them and make them feel comfortable. But what many interviewers don’t realize is that the innocent questions they’re asking may be illegal!

According to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, any questions that reveal protected classes, such as age, race, national origin, gender, religion, marital status, or sexual orientation, are off-limits. Now, obviously things like age, gender and sometimes race may seem fairly obvious, but hiring decisions cannot be based on these qualities. Below is a list of example questions to avoid:

1.     Are you married? This can reveal marital status and sexual orientation, both of which aren’t allowed.

2.     Do you have children? You also can’t ask if the person is planning to have children in the future. Even if the woman is visibly pregnant, you can’t refer to it. Instead, ask questions such as, “Do you have responsibilities that will interfere with specific job requirements, such as travelling?” or “Do you have anything planned in the next six months that will interfere with your availability?”

3.     What religious holidays do you practice? Instead, ask, “Are you available to work on Saturdays or Sundays.”

4.     What country are you from?  

5.     Is English your first language? Instead, you can ask “What languages do you read, speak, or write fluently?”

6.     Do you have any outstanding debt? Credit checks are allowed for positions where money is handled, as long as you check the credit of all the candidates you’re considering. You must also have their permission first.

7.     Do you drink? Likewise, asking about past drug use is protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

8.     How long have you been working? This questions allows employers to calculate age, which is unlawful. Similarly, they can’t ask what year you graduated high school or college, or your birthday. However, they can ask how many years’ experience you have working in a certain industry.

9.     What kind of discharge from the military did you receive? You can ask about the skills and experience that the applicant acquired during their service.

10.   Have you been arrested? Instead, you can ask if they have been convicted of a crime, but the crime may not disqualify the applicant from the job, unless the conviction directly relates to the job at hand. For example, you don’t want to hire someone who has embezzled money from an accounting position.

Knowing the questions to ask are important in finding the right candidate for the job.

By: Jodi Tahsler
Time theft costs American businesses billions of dollars each year. What constitutes time theft? Minor things like these can add up quickly:

• Late arrival or early departure, requesting paid sick days for inappropriate reasons
• Excessive socializing and personal phone calls
• Using company time and facilities to operate a second business
• Taking long lunch hours and breaks
• Slowing down the work place to create overtime
• Handling personal business at work

You want your employees to find a balance between home life and work, but if they "steal" 1 hour a day, that adds up to 5 hours a week, and over six full workweeks a year!

Not surprising, full-time workers are more likely to slack off than temporary workers, and the greater an employee’s seniority, the greater the chance they will be lax about an eight-hour workday. Employees under thirty years old also tend to steal more time than older employees.

What can you do to protect yourself? First, if you aren’t using some kind of system to track hours, you should consider putting one in place. Time cards are better than nothing, and a time clock is better than a time card, which can be easily “fudged” a few minutes.

While you should allow employees to take 15-minute breaks, and may be required to do so by law, depending on the length of their shift, you must also ensure that breaks are not taken advantage of. Time clocks can actually make flexible schedules work better, as they ensure that employees are actually putting in a 40-hour week. They also eliminate “favoritism” among employees—face it, every department has one employee whose life is 15 minutes late.

Restricting time-sucking websites, including personal email and Facebook, or making it clear that personal use of the internet is prohibited or restricted to breaks, can also make a big difference. Not allowing employees to use their cell phones at their desks can also prevent “quick” checks of email, social media, or “one more level” in that addictive game. These are especially important as younger workers come into the workforce—cell phones are a major part of their culture and communication.

Despite initial pushback from employees who resent being monitored after having previously had “more freedom,” time-keeping procedures are a win-win for everyone. They eliminate disputes regarding pay, accelerate payroll preparation, provide legal records of hours worked that are honored in any court of law, establish respect for time, enforce the work schedule, and enable calculation of product or service costs.

At the federal minimum wage of $7.25, each minute is worth around 12 cents. Taking 20 minutes a day, that’s $604 a year (with 250 days worked). Multiply that by your number of employees, and it quickly compounds. Saving time does equal saving money!

As the below info-graphic illustrates, harassment & discrimination is a very serious issues for businesses, and can be very costly. Businesses should avoid discrimination by training their employees and managers on appropriate workplace behavior. Attorneys suggest that workplaces have at least a bi-annual session of Sexual Harassment & Diversity Awareness Training and then also have every new-hire go through this training. It has been proven that businesses who conduct this training regularly are given a break in litigation because they're able to prove that they do not condone discrimination and harassment in the workplace, but rather take preventative measures to avoid this behavior in the workplace. 

Learn more about our Sexual Harassment & Diversity Awareness Training here.

We have 3 options for you when it comes to this training. 

1. We can come on-site and conduct this training for you and it includes the training presentation, handouts, and quizzes. 

2. We have online capabilities where your employees can watch a training video remotely. The handouts are populated on the page below the training and they are prompted to complete the quiz online as well.

3. You can purchase our DIY training kit and conduct the training yourself. The disc includes the PowerPoint training, the movie, the handouts, the quizzes, and the answer key.  

We also offer this training quarterly for you to send your new-hires to, if you so desire. 

Learn more about our Sexual Harassment & Diversity Awareness Training here.

Group Interviews Explained Have you ever been in or conducted a group interview? Group interviews involve having an interview with a range of 5-15 candidates at the same time. The interview can be conducted by asking the same question to the whole group and allowing each individual to answer among the group. Or, the group may also be divided into subgroups for group activities and assignments. Group interviews can save an employer a lot of time in the interview process. For example, a manager is more likely to have time for a 1-hour group interview with 10 people but making time for 10 one hour interviews may not be possible. Group interviews can aid in identifying those candidates with leadership skills as they stand out in the crowd and take the lead in the group. 

Group interviews are a great idea for certain types of positions, but for other positions should not be utilized. A group interview should not be conducted for mid-level management positions or higher. Upper management is an integral part of any company. It's important that their interview time is spent one-on-one to really get to know them. Plus, it can be perceived by the applicant as demeaning and degrading for an executive to be interviewed in this way. Let's be honest, it is difficult to find good managers. You want to spend one-on-one time with them for your own sake and for the sake of showing them respect in the recruiting process. Group interviews are a great tool for lower level positions, to entry-level management positions. These positions often have a lot more applicants than management positions, so you can really maximize your interview time with group interviews. Plus, as mentioned above, you can see what applicants show strength, confidence, and leadership. 

Would you consider a group interview situation? What roles would you put through a group interview? Leave your comment below. 

By: Dan Cozzi

Veracity is one of our core values at Elite HR Team. We define Veracity as, "extending permission to embrace unique qualities and serve genuinely."

Passion means to have a strong, almost uncontrollable emotion about something.  Where do such emotions come from?  They aren't logical, but they are tied to something deep within us; extremely personal.  One of the great philosophers in western history, Thomas Aquinas, held that temperance binds our passions.  In the realm of morality and justice temperance protects society, but the absence of it can turn an individual into a sociopath.  However, when related to the health of your workforce, encouraging certain passions is a goal of the highest order.  Passionate people greatly engage in the things they are passionate about, and here is where veracity is important. 

Companies that don't embrace veracity find it difficult to promote passionate workforces. Without it managers, executives and company leaders risk tempering their worker's passion for their work. Think about it, how passionate can someone be where her/his unique qualities are suppressed in an effort to force compliance to tasks and exercises which are counter to their strengths or individuality. 

At Elite HR team, we embrace veracity as one of our values to avoid tempering our team members’ passion for their work.  In whatever we are working on, for our clients or for our business goals, we give ourselves and our partners permission to embrace their unique qualities and strengths and live them in their work. These unique qualities determine our strengths which we welcome and encourage to strengthen our team and yours.

We've shared why we feel veracity is key to our vision for our future, please share how or if veracity plays a role in your company, team, or work group.  We look forward to learning from you! Comment below or join the conversation on our Facebook page.

You can also watch our video about Veracity where Dan interviews Kandi on Elite HR Team's core Value Veracity here: