Are you a Small Business Owner? CYB Human Resources is a Tulsa Human Resources Company that specializes in helping small business just like yours with their HR function. We are a company built on the understanding that many small business and start-ups do not have an in-house employee doing the Human Resources function. We believe that businesses of every size should have access to the Human Resources expertise that our coaches provide!
Here are 14 Human Resources Tips for Small Business to get you started!
1) Avoid overtime violations.
The Fair Labor Standards Act, which governs overtime and other aspects of employee’s compensation, is one of the only Labor Laws that applies to virtually all businesses. Even very small businesses must comply with this law. Make sure you are classifying your employees (as exempt or non-exempt) correctly and that overtime is calculated correctly. Overtime penalties can be very expensive, and employees are usually quick to determine any issues with their paycheck.
2) Have a clear anti-harassment policy in place.
As a business owner, there are steps you can put in place to protect your organization from harassment lawsuits. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), US Companies have paid out over $295 million in sexual harassment claims over the last 7 years. In addition to money, these lawsuits lead to decreased productivity, damage to an organization’s reputation, and increased turnover. Make sure your policy includes a clear complaint procedure with multiple possible points-of-contact. Employees need to feel comfortable reporting their complaint to someone. Also, your policy should include a statement letting employees know that retaliation is illegal.
3) Document, Document, Document!
For employee relations issues, documentation is key! You absolutely cannot have too much documentation of performance, behavior, and attendance issues. When an issue arises, even at the verbal warning stage, be sure to jot down the conversation with a date and any pertinent details. These documents will be crucial if you ever need to fight unemployment claims, wrongful termination lawsuits, or other workplace disputes.
4) Invest in Training for your Employees
Make sure that your employees are setting goals during your annual review process and that employees know what they are working toward in your organization. Investing in training is a great way to show employees that you care about their future ambitions while also strengthening the skills of your workforce. Consider calling a Tulsa Human Resources Company to help conduct these optional customized pieces of training.
5) Make sure you have a process for feedback
Feedback is extremely important to both an individual employee’s growth and your company’s growth. Make sure that regular, constructive feedback is encouraged by all managers and included in your regular manager training. Also, make sure to train managers on how to give negative feedback. Negative feedback should be done promptly, constructively, and in private. Feedback should not be given only once a year during the annual performance review. To enhance learning, improvement, and, ultimately, success, you need real-time feedback.
6) Keep your handbook up to date.
Labor laws change constantly and your requirements as a small business owner change with them. One of the most valuable tools you have as a business owner is your employee handbook. A handbook outlines legal requirements and your organization’s policies for everything. It also serves as a valuable resource for fighting lawsuits, EEOC complaints, and unemployment claims. If you do not have a record of your policies, courts will not even consider them. Thus, making sure your handbook is complete and up to date is invaluable! CYB offers annual handbook updates and sends out monthly legal updates to all of our current clients.
7) Always Be Recruiting
So often, small businesses wait to recruit for a position until an employee leaves or is terminated. At this point, it is too late. You are losing money and productivity while you recruit. A good tip is to have a job advertisement for your jobs with the highest turnover, running regularly, so that you can start to develop a file of potential applicants. This is something that CYB, a Tulsa Human Resources Company, does for many of our clients.
8) Don’t Wait to Fire a Poor Performing Employee
One of the biggest mistakes small businesses make is waiting to fire an employee that they know they should fire. If someone is not working out, don’t wait! It is not kind to the employee to lead them on and it is bad for business. Your high-performing A-players will notice that you are letting other employees get away with sub-par work. This could lead to decreased morale and tension among your staff. (Note – Of course, you want to make sure that you are not firing an employee for an illegal reason, such as discrimination or retaliation. If you are considering terminating an employee, we always recommend contacting your legal counsel or a Human Resources consultant to make sure you are clear. CYB is an excellent resource for consultations regarding these issues.)
9) Make Sure All Employees Understand their Role in the Business
Employees want and need to understand how their specific role or job fits into your business as a whole. Make sure each employee sees their place within your organization. Additionally, make sure each employee can see future opportunities for themselves within your organization. You want your best-performing employees to be able to fulfill their ambitions with your business!
10) Promote Diversity in the Workplace
Diverse workplaces are proven to have increased productivity, creativity, and profit! There are small changes you can make to help your organization move in this direction. Ask CYB for tips on this!
11) Implement a True Onboarding Process
Turnover is most common during the first few months of employment. This is a critical time to make sure your new employees understand their job, feel at ease in their new role and begin to understand the mission and goals of your organization. To ensure this, a one-day orientation program will not be sufficient. Try implementing a true onboarding program complete with regular monthly check-ins, a buddy or mentor system, and specific outlined onboarding tasks. We love to help companies set up an onboarding program. Call a Tulsa Human Resources Company for help with this.
12) Consider Outsourcing Payroll
Many excellent payroll companies can help streamline this process so that you can focus on more important issues. As a Tulsa Human Resources Company, we typically recommend that our clients consider outsourcing this process as it typically makes their organization more efficient at a minimal cost.
13) Conduct an Employee Engagement Survey
Do you know what your employees think of your organization’s communication? Do you know how engaged your employees are in their position? A great way to take a pulse on your company is to conduct a simple employee engagement survey. Employees will appreciate the ability to give feedback anonymously and you will walk away with valuable insights into your strengths and weaknesses as an employer. As a Tulsa Human Resources Company, we highly recommend this process and can make it easy and painless for you as a business owner.
14) Hire an Outside HR Consultant
Lastly, if all of this is overwhelming to you, consider outsourcing your HR function to an outside consultant. CYB specializes in all things HR and can save you time and money. When you transfer your messy HR issues to us, you can focus on your top priorities as a busy business owner. Whether it is only for a short time or a more permanent arrangement, CYB would be honored to help handle your organization’s HR! Remember we are the top-rated Tulsa Human Resources Company!
Call us today at 1-833-CYB-ASAP for a FREE assessment or chat with us now real-time via www.cybhumanresources.com! We are looking forward to hearing from you!