Small- medium- Size Enterprises Strategically Moving Forward

A CALL FOR ACTION!!

While studying the effects and results of organizational management from a human resource management perspective, my premise has been to do one simple thing! HELP small- medium- size enterprises grow to their full potential.You must realize that I am growing with you! While I can speak on human resource management policies, practices and procedures, my help comes from YOU! Essentially, that means my premise is not to throw rocks out in hopes of hitting the nail on the head and touching on the issues. While information is the key, communication is the key that unlocks the door. In other words, I can have the key, but the door lays in communication between small- medium-size enterprise owners and HR resources.

What I am saying is Talk to Me! Tell me what HR issue or issues are challenging you and hindering you and/or your employees from achieving optimal growth?

 Employee relations: I have employees. Why are my clients unhappy?

 High employee turnover.

 Labor relations issues

 Ineffective/outdated human resource management policies

I am waiting for your Call!

April D. Halliburton

(313) 523-8090

aprilh@all4hrbiz.biz

Business Strategies

In today’s business the adage one does not plan to fail; one fails to plan is more IMPORTANT than ever!! Business strategies, business plans, human resource management strategies, marketing strategies, marketing plans… While it may sound like a lot, it is not as complicated as one would like to think.

I read somewhere a gentleman indicated you cannot write a business plan if you have never been a business owner. I have to disagree with this gentleman. A business plan is a strategy on paper. It is a road map. It is a guide. It is a map that details the business trip; your company business trip. While a business plan is the map to a successful business, it is important to also develop a strategy. Porter (2008) asserts the job of a strategist is to understand and cope with competition. As an Entrepreneur, the absence of a strategy can be detrimental to the success of an organization. As a small/medium size business owner, one of the most important roles is growing your business.

Porter (2008) also identifies five forces that shape a business strategy: bargaining power of suppliers, threat of substitute products or services, bargaining power of buyers, threat of new entrants, rivalry amount existing competitors. Assessment of these aspects of one’s environment can position a small/medium sized business to be competitively advantageous in its industry. Drucker (1985) identifies these Entrepreneurial Strategies:

 The Futest with the Mostest strategy focuses on building big businesses and dominating a new market or industry. The Futest with the Mostest strategy is applicable to businesses and institutions.

 Creative Imitation – The Creative Imitation is contradictory to “imitation”. In, the creative imitation strategy, the entrepreneur applies their own strategy to another company’s idea. The entrepreneur revises and implements its own innovative ideas, making the product its own. The strategy was utilized successfully by IBM and Proctor & Gamble.

 Entrepreneurial Judo is wherein a company exploits the bad habits of a competitor to get ahead. It is a market-driven strategy and also the less risky strategy. The entrepreneurial strategy was utilized by Xerox.

As an entrepreneur one may also research the niche strategy or changing economic characteristics of product or service. I speak of these strategies simply because as Entrepreneurs, we sometimes have to back up and reassess the current business strategy to assure that it is working effectively in growing your business.

We’ll talk strategy again.

You can email me at aprilh@all4hrbiz.biz to find out more about these and other strategies.

April, All-4-HR & Business Solutions

Small- Medium- Size Enterprise (SMEs) HR Analytics/Metrics

The purpose of HR analytics/metrics is to valuate human capital and human resource measurements to determine how effective your organization is operating. Past practices have involved organizational leaders evaluating finance, always finance. While finance is an intricate portion of HR analytics/metrics, it is the end results. How? Think about it! Finance presents the end result of the where the organization stands. HR analytics/metrics explains how the organization arrived there! As a small- medium-size enterprise (SMEs) owner/founder/manager, the journey to achieving organizational growth and achieving organizational goals is STRATEGY! STRATEGY! STRATEGY!

Plan-do-check-act (PDCA) is a management review process that can help you assess and focus on specific organizational HR needs. Human Resource Analytics are the tools for this process.

List of Reports for assessing and reporting on HR functions

• Ad Source Reports: This report tracks how applicants have heard about your organization, i.e., ERP (Employee Referral Program).

• HR Data Reports: This report covers 4 main areas: Candidates Interviewed; Candidates Hired; Candidates Terminated; and those who are eligible for rehire.>P> • EEOC Reports: This report reflects compliance with current laws surrounding diversity topics and hiring practices.

• Traffic Reports: This report provides results on where people are coming from and the top 5 keywords candidates are typing in the search engines to find your open jobs.

The key here is to make sure that the metrics you decide to use are those that will truly have a business impact on your organization.

List of Human Resource Metrics

• Productivity/Employee Relations: Employees surveys: Be ready for employee feedback; and be prepared to show employees most pertinent results of survey

• Recruiting/Retention: Obtaining statistics - Turnover rate of new hires; Average performance measures on new hires; Time to fill positions; Percentage of diversity in your hiring; and dollar impact on bad hire decisions.

• Benefits/Compensation: Depending on the size of your organization you need to look at those areas as well as the overall feel of how employees view the benefits and compensation.

• Training and Development: Development and growth are important for employee retention.

• Goals: Percentage of goals that were completed (met or exceeded) for the year.

April D. Halliburton, CEO

All-4-HR & Business Solutions, LLC

http://www.all4hrbiz.biz

aprilh@all4hrbiz.biz

Small- Medium- Size Enteprises (SMEs) Evidence-based management (EBMgt) HR Metrics

April D. Halliburton Evidence-based management (EBMgt) establishes the difference between research and practice. It is imperative in the human resource arena that when creating, changing and implementing organizational changes, such decisions are done based on evidence; not speculation and experience. Many HR Practitioners have consistently held the importance of reviewing past and present HR metrics of policies, procedures and practices in the workplace to determine the effectiveness of a particular organizational change.

Evidence-based management (EBMgt) is the systematic use of the best available evidence to improve management practice. Under the Evidence-based theory, management science must arm the manager’s imagination and supply him with the vision needed to make rational decisions in respect to the business enterprise. Management should not serve as a substitute for decision and judgment but should supply methods for making possible more effective decisions and more informed judgment.

As a small- medium- size enterprise owner, a great start is the utilization of human resource metrics in your organization. The fundamental decision every enterprise must make, no matter what stage of maturation, is the allocation of its capital and resources. When choices of strategy, expansion, acquisition, new products, and the like are reviewed, they are supported by detailed financial metrics that show the expected returns. More often than not, only those ventures that demonstrate the highest return are selected. This calculation is referred to a return on investment (ROI). As a small- medium-size enterprise owner-founder-manager, how are you setting, benchmarking and achieving your company’s growth? In 5 years, where will your Company be?

What are your thoughts and views on evidence-based management?

All-4-HR & Business Solutions is committed to helping your organization reach its long-terms goals (HRM).

April D. Halliburton

Biggest threats small- medium- size enterprises should be concerned in 2012…

1. Retaliation is becoming one of the biggest threats in the Workplace to Employers All are forms of employment discrimination that is prohibited under relevant laws, when employees reasonably exercise their rights under the laws.

Employees who cannot win a discrimination, harassment or other suit against you are finding it much easier to win retaliation claims, making retaliation the most frequent and costly case companies lose. Do not be haste, get made and institutionalize a cooling-off period after anyone’s made a charge. Bonus tip: You have a whole new class of potential retaliation “suers” to worry about: those within a “zone of interest” of those making a charge, like significant others or family.

2. Update Harassment Policy Harassment covers a wide range of behaviors of an offensive nature. It is commonly understood as behavior intended to disturb or upset, and it is characteristically repetitive. In the legal sense, it is intentional behavior which is found threatening or disturbing. New types of harassment claims such as workplace bullying are exploding. It is important to be sure your policy is updated and current. Then republish it to remind people. You need to make sure the harassment policy is broad enough to encompass the non-traditional types of harassment that have caused a slew of new claims.

3. Social media can be a new nightmare Companies that already have social media policies have them updated. When implementing a social media policy, you should consider banning employees from discussing wages and other working conditions with co-workers in any forum, including on their Facebook pages.

It is however, not illegal. According to the National Labor Relations Board, its edict applies to all companies, not just union shops. Section 7: RIGHTS OF EMPLOYEES § 157. Employees shall have the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection, and shall also have the right to refrain from any or all such activities except to the extent that such right may be affected by an agreement requiring membership in a labor organization as a condition of employment as authorized in section 8(a)(3) section 158(a)(3) of this title. While social media is not prohibited, it is prohibited in terms of communicating regarding Company business and conduct. Additionally, when utilizing social medias, employees are expected to respect all others and refrain from insult, offensive behavior or language to any other person.

4. Performance reviews continue to plaintiff attorney’s weapon Performance reviews continue as in the past. It is reiterated the importance of being consistent and truthful process during the performance management process. Make sure performance reviews are held consistently, clear and simple and are truthful.

5. ADA is not about WHO is disabled; but HOW to accommodate The new ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) is no longer regarding WHO is disabled. It is HOW to accommodate. The law expanding the types of disabilities in practice stands for: “Assume Disability: Always Attempt Accommodation.”

6. FMLA/ADA conflicts Once employee’s 12-week FMLA run out, you CANNOT automatically terminate because they roll over into ADA cases. The employer should start the interactive process contacting the employee inquiring about what accommodations need to be made upon return.

7. Discouraging intermittent leave Make it a priority to manage/track employee absences, leaves, etc. Be consistent and up-to-date on ALL required paperwork.

8. Avoid the new overtime trap; smartphones Avoid giving any non-exempt employees company smartphones. After hour utilization can be considered as clocking in and overtime.

9. Self-audits are key to preparing for OSHA inspections OSHA has more resources and got better at targeting inspections are becoming more prevalent and frequent. It is a matter of when. Conducting self-audits before they knock is key.

10. Constantly talk to staff to ward off union organization. Although a recent court decision has postponed the new NLR has postponed “quickie election” rules. Employers should remain vigilant about internal rumblings of union organizing and constantly talk to staff.

April D. Halliburton All-4-HR & Business Solutions aprilh@all4hrbiz.biz http://www.all4hrbiz.biz

HOW CAN I AS A SMALL BUSINESS GROW MY FIRM UTILIZING HRM?

Human resource management practices and procedures have been researched in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Some common human resource management (HRM) functions that reflect operational and pragmatic needs: record keeping, staffing activities (i.e., recruiting and selecting staff), motivation and retention activities (i.e. compensation and reward practices). Although HRM practices are characterized as informal in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), research reveals there are more sophisticated HRM systems in small and medium sized enterprises than expected (Barrett and Mayson, 2007). Strategic HRM allows with an internal capacity to adapt and adjust to their competitive environments by aligning HRM policies and practices (i.e., recruitment and selection and training and development) with business strategies (Barrett and Mayson, 2007).

The resource based view of the firm suggests HRM can be a source of competitive advantage. Writers argue a firm’s ability to develop unique and distinct bundles of inter-linked HRM practices aligned with business strategy are a source of sustainable competitive advantage (Barrett and Mayson, 2007). A strategic approach to managing employees is essential to the growth and development of all organizations, including small ones. This strategic approach is especially important in small growing organizations in wake of the growing complexity associated with a growing workforce. Small firms are known to utilize informal HRM practices for recruitment by word-of-mouth and newspaper ads. However as the workforce of the firm increases, a firm can exhaust its leads making it difficult to locate employees that are reputable and depending and fit within the firm’s culture.

Retention is an area of concern for small firms. HRM tools such as Compensation Salary Surveys are critical when determining competitive salaries http://www.payscale.com.

Performance appraisals are another inexpensive tool that is very important in the growth and development of your firm’s workforce performance appraisal form (pdf) sample/template. Performances appraisals are for the growth and development of your workforce, as opposed to utilizing for monitoring purposes. Aligning your firm’s HRM practices with your business strategy is essential to organizational growth.

We will discuss how to assess your firm’s HRM position as well as align your HRM practices with your business strategy. Until Wednesday, be STRATEGIC in all you do!!!!!!

April,

Information assisting in this Blog was retrieved from:
Barrett, R., & Mayson, S. (2007). Human resource management in growing small firms. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 14(2), 307-307-320. doi:10.1108/14626000710746727

HR challenges and schools small business owners for a new day!

HR challenges and schools small business owners for a new day!

HR challenges facing small business owners can be vast. There are some challenges, not that all challenges are not significant; however some challenges can be detrimental to your business’ growth.

Challenges include accounting for tax and insurance considerations. Small business owners must remember to register for an EIN (Employer Identification Number) as well as register for payroll taxes.

Employers must be critical in hiring staff that are a good fit for the organization. In small businesses, organization members wear many different hats. Accordingly, employers should hire members who are committed to achieving organizational goals and not worried about being expected to do “too much”. Employers must also be careful to acknowledge jobs well-done and appreciate the hard work of all organization members.

All-4-HR & Business Solutions can handle your talent scouting and hiring process.

We Are Here to Help You Deliver Great Human Resource Services!!!!