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What Features Should I Consider in a New Applicant Tracking System?
HR Question:
My company is considering purchasing an Applicant Tracking System to help organize and bolster our recruitment process. There are so many options out there in the market! What Applicant Tracking System features should we keep in mind as we go through our search?
HR Answer:
As we roll into 2021, companies are beginning to see an increase in demand and are eagerly preparing for an uptick in business as the push for “normalcy” continues. With an increase in business comes an increase in the need for talent, which can cause a scramble for candidates if companies are unprepared. However, by implementing an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), organizations can be better prepared to tackle their talent needs. The options are endless and easily overwhelming, so it is important to know what key features and functions of an ATS will support your organization’s recruitment goals.
At the beginning of 2020, Strategic HR went through the process of selecting a new Applicant Tracking System and learned several lessons along the way. Through our research and experience, we discovered a myriad of categories to prioritize in our search and have created a go-to list of categories and questions to consider as you navigate your ATS search.
Budget
Just as with any large software purchase, it’s key to identify a range for how much you’re willing to spend before you begin your search. This will determine the level of implementation support you can achieve, the number of technical questions or concerns you can submit post-implementation, and the level of customization you have with the system.
Customization / Setup
Once you have established your budget, evaluate the flexibility of the systems within that budget range. Can you adjust and customize the system to work with your organization’s recruitment workflow and hiring needs? Can this customization be done alone or does it require additional involvement and potential cost from the vendor? How easy is it to configure and update the process flow as your recruitment needs and team structure adjust? What is the implementation and set up timeframe? All of these questions will determine not only the time required to set up and implement the program, but also the time that is taken up later by questions, concerns, and changes that inevitably come about when working with a new system.
Recruitment Flow
How customizable is the workflow? How easy is it to see all of the candidate information from their resume to their LinkedIn profile, past job submissions, notes from other recruiters on the team? How easy is it to see and move candidates through the different steps in the recruitment process? Can you send communications, application forms, and schedule interviews through the ATS? How well does the system automate the recruitment process from auto-populating candidate’s information to scheduled automated messaging for candidates throughout the interview process?
Parsing
Parsing is the process of moving candidates from your job portal or your email into your ATS. How seamless is that process now, and what improvements can the system make to the process as it stands today? Does the system automatically input candidate contact and address information from their resume? Does the ATS recognize and flag duplicate candidates in the system? Does the system automatically parse in candidates who apply through certain job boards? How easy is it to determine if a candidate is submitting a new resume for a job, or one you already have on file? Does the system also parse in any cover letters, references, and certification information for easy review? How well does the ATS track the requisition ID and referral source of a candidate for reporting purposes?
Sourcing / Screening
How fast and accurate are the search capabilities? Can the system search multiple online sources for key skills and easily parse them in as a candidate profile? Can you search, add prospects to your new ATS account, and contact them directly in just one quick submission? Can you create tags for key skills and prospect folders for future recruitment and highlight strong future candidates?
Job Posting / Employer Branding
Your employer brand is one of the most vital (and free!) pieces to a successful recruitment process. It’s important to protect and maintain that brand through any job posting or career portal you use. So, as you begin to explore the system’s career portal capabilities, ask if the career portal allows for employer branding and how customizable it is. How easily can you make changes to the portal and how frequently does the system update? Is the career portal mobile-friendly? How user-friendly is the candidate application process? Does the system easily integrate and push to national job boards? How many job boards does it integrate with?
Integration
You most likely already have several different systems set up to support your recruiting efforts. The more integrations a system might have, the easier the transition may be. Does the system communicate with your email provider to track communications? Does the ATS have a texting platform or integrate with one? Does the system have a calendar integration for scheduling interviews? Does the system have a CRM feature and how well does it coordinate with the ATS? Does the ATS have a video interviewing integration? Does the system integrate with any other systems, like payroll, and how customizable are the integrations?
Data Storage
What is the data storage limit on the system? This is important if you have a large amount of data to import into the ATS.
Mobile Application
If 2020 taught us one thing, it was to be ready to take our work anywhere. Does the system have a mobile application? How user-friendly is the mobile application? What features are not available on the mobile application? Does the mobile application work with Android and iOS?
Training
There’s nothing worse than diving into a new system without sufficient guidance. Ask your salesperson if training is offered as part of the implementation process? Is there an extra cost for training? Does the system offer a Help Center, and how useful is the content? Is there ongoing support and how quick is the response time from the support team?
Reporting / Analytics
Assess your reporting needs, and ask the following questions: How robust are the systems’ reporting and analytics capabilities? Can you build your own reports? Can you create recurring scheduled reports? Can you filter reports and how well is the information displayed for review? Can you easily export or share reports? Even if you don’t currently have an in-depth reporting structure, the data you collect today may help you tomorrow.
Financial Investment
Does the platform allow for unlimited users? If not, what is the cost per user in the system? While preparing for unlimited users may be more expensive at first glance, this package may benefit your organization (depending on the number of members on your team and your expansion plans in the next three to five years). How much will it cost to import/migrate your existing candidate data? Is there an additional cost for training and customer support? Is there a contract length requirement? Is there a cost associated with customization to the system or to integrate features such as text capability?
In the end, you will need to choose which applicant tracking system features mean the most to your organization. In Strategic HR’s case, we used each of these key features to review our top ten ATSs and rated each system by these features to narrow our search to the top four. We then went through multiple in-depth demos and trial runs with the sales and integration team for each system, allowing for multiple potential users to ask questions. By utilizing this step-by-step process, we were able to save time on the selection process, involve multiple team members in the search process, and clearly define those items that were top priority in a new ATS (versus wish list items).
Thank you to Lisa Johnson, CIR for contributing to this edition of our HR Question of the Week.
Need help picking out an Applicant Tracking System of your own? Call Strategic HR today at (513) 697-9855 or email us for a free recruiting consultation. Let us tackle your recruiting challenges so you can have time to do what you do best.
Mental Health Concerns in the Workplace
In today’s chaotic environment, many American workers have been searching for ways to cope with the “new normal.” Between the pandemic, civil unrest, a divisive and contentious election, and frequent changes in their day to day life, it’s no surprise that mental health concerns in the workplace are on the rise. What impact can your employees’ mental health have on your organization?
In a recent study of 12,000 employees conducted by the Boston Consulting Group, individuals with better mental health were about two times more likely to maintain or improve their productivity when compared to those who were experiencing worse mental health during the pandemic. When surveyed about their mental health needs, TELUS International found that roughly 80% of workers would quit their current role if a new position provided more support for their mental health needs.
In this unique moment of increased remote work, additional challenges have presented themselves. In that same study, four out of every five workers indicated that they found it difficult to separate their work life and home life when working remotely due to the pandemic. Between the longer days and later hours resulting from a lack of structure when working from home, the mental strain led to an inability to maintain a positive work-life balance. This trend can be very difficult to sustain on a long-term basis, eventually impacting employee productivity and the quality of their work.
So how can HR and business leaders partner together in this remote/hybrid work environment? The same TELUS survey allowed employees to voice the changes they would most like to see implemented.
Encouraging the Use of PTO
Roughly 97% of those surveyed believed that taking vacation days is important to their mental health. In fact, over half of those surveyed have taken a “mental health day” since the pandemic began. Without the ability to travel or get away for vacation, employees may find themselves hesitant to take time off. Leaders should encourage the use of available PTO to disconnect, recharge, and relax – even if it’s within their own backyard.
Creating Flexible Scheduling (Without the Extra Hours)
Nearly nine out of every ten respondents agreed that a flexible work schedule would positively impact their mental health. This would allow employees to take mental breaks during the day, catering to children’s school schedules and family needs while reducing the guilt associated with “not being available.” When implemented correctly, this gives employees a feeling of control, reduces turnover, and boosts morale.
Provide Professional and Personal Interaction
Many employees would benefit from additional coaching or “reach outs” through the week from their managers or leaders. By connecting up and down the ladder and across departments, these unstructured check-ins can allow employees to fill the social gaps they lack from the isolation that naturally comes with remote work. In fact, many businesses have also implemented virtual “happy hours” to have their team gather for social interaction. Be sure to strike a careful balance here to avoid “Zoom Fatigue” by bombarding each other with video calls and check-ins.
Implement Telehealth Initiatives
There has been an increased demand for remote counselors or therapy sessions. In fact, the American Psychology Association has indicated that telehealth counseling can be just as effective as in-person counseling especially for younger generations that are used to using technology. It also allows for easier scheduling, lower costs, and a more private environment than the traditional face-to-face setting. Connecting employees to resources that provide this kind of remote support can allow individuals to work through their stress and develop coping mechanisms with trained professionals.
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the ongoing conversation around mental health and highlighted the importance of taking care of ourselves, both in mind and in body. HR professionals and business leaders have an opportunity to make a positive impact on their lives and the health of their employees by building bridges for interaction, implementing mental health initiatives, and guiding employees to utilize the resources they have at hand. Strategic HR created this extensive compilation of mental health resources as an easy-to-use reference for employers to support the mental wellbeing of their employees. By encouraging frequent conversations, utilizing available resources without attaching stigma, and establishing positive practices surrounding mental health, businesses can see themselves and their employees through these uncertain times with success.
Special thanks to Mike Coltrane, Talent Acquisition Consultant, for contributing to the Emerging Issues in HR!
Your employees face challenges every day. We can help you to ensure that your company policies and benefits best support your employees’ overall well-being. Visit our Benefits and Compensation page or our Health, Safety, & Security page to learn more. Or, better yet, contact us.
Systemic Changes HR Can Make Against Systemic Racism
As HR professionals and business leaders, we are often seen as the guardians of our organization’s culture and tasked with leading change in the work environment. That said, molding a culture into one that embraces and encourages Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) is not necessarily an easy task. There is no switch to flip, and every organization is different. Yet in order for our organization to reach its fullest potential, we need to foster diversity within our workforce and create a true sense of belonging where employees feel valued, respected, and treated fairly.
As Gallup points out, diversity in the workplace can be viewed broadly representing “the full spectrum of human demographic differences — race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status or physical disability. A lot of companies consider lifestyles, personality characteristics, perspectives, opinions, family composition, education level or tenure elements of diversity, too.” However, as our nation continues to struggle with systemic racism and racial injustice and inequities, we want to focus this discussion on how HR can continue to play a pivotal role in short and long-term change in these specific areas.
Recently, Matt Baker, President and Founder of KNK Recruiting, posted a conversation on social media highlighting the established social and economic systems within our country and communities that he believes are in need of changes in policies that discriminate against people of color. Those systems being:
- Health
- Education
- Employment
- Community
- Housing
- Criminal Justice
We were inspired by Baker’s open dialogue and frank conversation on these issues. Given his 20 plus years’ experience as a senior HR and talent management leader and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion experience, we reached out to dive further into Baker’s insights and recommended actions that HR professionals can take to address systemic racism and improve the systems he highlighted in his post.
Baker said as he continues to see and hear how communities are dealing with systemic racism and inequities, acknowledgment is the first step toward positive progress for all parties. “This is more than just a difference in perception. This is actually going on.” Baker impressed the importance of having both the organization and its leaders “understand what systemic racism is, and understanding implicit bias that we all have, and its impact on race relations.” Once that understanding is in place, then companies as a whole can begin to have greater effects on the systems built around them.
Healthcare
For example, healthcare is an important area for HR to address. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the disparity in our healthcare system. Baker indicated that he has had conversations with other company leaders on how this can be addressed, such as providing additional education on the benefits available to employees and how to use them. Yes, this is done through open enrollment, but providing ongoing dialog and assistance so employees understand coverages and can ask questions can be integral to keeping these options top of mind.
Education
Educational training opportunities can present barriers for employees who are people of color that many employers may often fail to realize. Beyond the cost and accessibility of higher education, additional training, or other non-traditional educational opportunities, these training opportunities can be a challenge to take advantage of if they are not located in an easily-accessible location (i.e., normal work location or at a location accessible by public transportation) or if they take place outside of regular work hours (as childcare can then become an issue). To address this, employers can consider bringing learning on-site, or providing transportation, ride-sharing or other options to make it easier for employees to attend. Also, could group childcare opportunities be available? These are some considerations companies can make in order to have educational training more accessible to all.
Housing
While it may be difficult to imagine how HR can impact employee housing, there are opportunities to eliminate potential discrimination based on an individual’s living situation. Baker pointed out that many managers have been known to search the address to see where a candidate lives, potentially giving hints to the predominant race of a neighborhood. HR has an opportunity, and frankly – a responsibility – to educate recruiters and talent acquisition leaders to not ask for a candidates’ address or limit the application to city and zip code only until further in the process.
Employment
HR’s role in following fair and nondiscriminatory hiring practices may seem obvious, but an important question to ask is “are we really doing everything we can to pursue a diverse candidate pool”? A critical step toward increasing the diversity of a company’s workforce starts with defining the specific requirements, skills, and experience that are needed to succeed in a position. Be sure to take a critical look at what’s truly needed for a position, particularly if your criteria could unnecessarily exclude a more diverse candidate pool. Then, rather than just posting on the basic go-to job boards, actively pursue a diverse candidate pool in your posting process. Companies need to ask themselves if they post positions in ways to purposely reach diverse candidates. Are they specifically sharing positions with black and other minority professional organizations or networking groups?
In the end, HR has an abundance of opportunities to weave Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into the fabric of an organizations’ culture. It starts with leadership at the highest level being open to having what can feel like difficult conversations with an approach and desire to “help me understand.” A common mistake leadership can make is remaining silent. In conclusion, Baker said that leaders must be willing to have uncomfortable conversations to gain perspective and start to define a path forward.
Human Resources professionals have a unique opportunity to guide our organizations in finding ways to end systemic racism and creating racial equality. First, you need to assess where your organization currently is in order to see where it needs to go. For some, next steps can involve creating ways to start what may feel like difficult conversations and helping employees to understand the value they will provide. For others, the opportunity is in building on conversations, lessons learned, and actions that have already been taken to continue to foster diversity and inclusion. As guardians of the company’s culture, HR can help guide their company toward the recognition that our experiences have given us different perspectives, opinions, and lenses through which we see the world, and that we are all better off when we have a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment to have open dialog and to learn from one another.
Thank you to Matt Baker, SHRM-SCP, CHHR for sharing his insights with Cathleen Snyder, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Director, Human Resources & Development with Strategic HR
HR Strategy in Diversity & Inclusion not only plays a critical role in your company culture, but it will impact the company’s bottom line. After all, the experience your employees, suppliers/partners, and customers have, in addition to how they perceive your company’s reputation can directly impact their interest in working with your organization or willingness to purchase your products/services. If your organization is struggling to attract, develop, or retain a diverse workforce, contact us to discuss how we can help with your Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy.
How Can I Prevent Tension Between My Remote Team and On-Site Team?
HR Question:
Due to COVID-19, some of my team members are able to work from home. However, I have other team members that I need to be present in the office. This has understandably caused some frustration for those that need to be on-site, as they may feel that the situation is unfair. How can I prevent tension between my remote team and my on-site team members?
HR Answer:
While telework can have many benefits (both actual and perceived), the fact is that it doesn’t work for every type of role. What may be possible for a designer, accountant, sales member, or marketer may not be possible for the office’s receptionist, the engineering team for the building, or essential workers on the front line. This can cause the perception of inequities between the “work-from-home-haves” and the “work-from-home-have-nots,” leading to tension, friction, and frustration. If your work environment is a blend of remote and on-site employees, consider these key actions that an employer can take to help prevent tension between their remote and on-site team.
Prevent Tension By Communicating
First, communication is critical. For employees whose roles may not allow them to work from home, it’s important they understand why the opportunity cannot be afforded. Equally as important, managers and leaders should make it clear that their willingness to work these essential roles is more than appreciated. This can be done through ongoing communication, manager and leaders going out of their way to recognize team members on a daily basis, or even having those that are working remotely create thank you messages to the essential on-site staff.
Say Thank You
Small acts of gratitude could go a long way as well. For those who are on-site, show your appreciation by providing an occasional lunch or donuts (allowing for social distancing and COVID-19 safety measures) and letting the on-site workers know they are valued. Consider the approach a local Cincinnati waste removal company took to thank their essential workers for working throughout the pandemic. Ensure that managers and leaders are present and actively thanking team members for stepping up.
Educate Your Team
Finally, be sure that you are educating your staff – no matter their role. Educating the essential, on-site workers on how their role contributes to the overall success of the company. It is also important that any concerns that essential workers may have are addressed to the extent possible. Where there are safety concerns, ensure essential workers and anyone coming on the premises have a clear understanding of the measures that have been put in place to keep them safe. The need for communication and education cannot be overstated.
For those employees who are working from home, educate them on why this opportunity is available. Yes, there are personal benefits, but there are also business reasons that are key to understand as well. Remote employees need to understand that this privilege is not available to everyone. Often, it’s the work that essential workers do, manufacturing, healthcare, grocery workers, etc. that helps make the remote work possible. Take the opportunity to share the expectations of your remote team, and how their actions will directly contribute to the health of the business, particularly during this trying time.
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges very few ever expected. With the varying levels of risk that come with working on-site, it’s easy for potential frustrations to occur when some employees are expected in the office while others are not. Prevent tension between your remote and on-site teams with frequent communication, saying thank you often, and educating everyone on the team as the situation develops.
Communication often seems like a “no-brainer.” HOW you communicate is often as important as WHAT you communicate when it comes to getting results! Strategic HR has years of experience preparing communications for a variety of audiences and topics. Visit our Communications page to learn how we can assist you with various communication-based projects.
Ten Steps to Optimize Your Recruitment Process
HR Question
We’re having a hard time finding the right candidates and filling our open positions. I know we need to evaluate our recruiting processes, and I don’t want to overlook any critical parts. What are the key areas to assess to optimize our recruitment process?
HR Answer
We continue to navigate through a “candidate-driven” market where the number of job opportunities far exceeds the number of job seekers to fill the roles. This gives top-tier candidates the most leverage for the best opportunities. It is critical for an organization to stay ahead of recruiting trends to have competitive access to a new generation of talent.
We have identified the following questions to evaluate the most critical parts of any recruitment process. The following ten areas should be routinely assessed to ensure an organization’s effectiveness in competing for talent.
Top 10 Areas to Analyze and Optimize Your Recruitment Process
1. Employment Brand and Candidate Experience
Do we have a strong employment brand and do we provide a positive candidate experience? These are two separate concepts but are dependent upon each other to give you a competitive edge to attract and hire top-tier talent.
The success of all of your recruitment processes is dependent upon the strength of your employment brand and the experience that candidates have interacting with your organization during the recruitment and hiring process. Check out our suggestions for how you can improve your candidate experience.
2. Careers Page
Does our Careers page include mission/values, employment news, testimonials, benefits/perks, and videos? Your Careers page should be the landing spot for job seekers as they navigate through job boards and social media pages that you have created. You’ve got one chance to make a great first impression, so make it count!
Candidates want to see a realistic picture of what it’s like to work at your company. They want to know about the culture and how it is lived every day. They also want to see what role your organization has in its connection and commitment to the local or broader community. For more, see our 9 tips to optimize your career page.
3. Social Media and Online Reviews
Do we have a strong social media presence? Are there reviews of our organization posted online? With the average time Americans spend on social media increasing year over year, it makes good business sense to ensure your social media presence is as up-to-date and robust as possible.
Social media can provide an online networking opportunity to raise awareness about your organization and to showcase your products and/or expertise. Why not take advantage of this free opportunity to drive traffic back to your carefully crafted website and your exciting careers page?
Part of having an online presence should also involve managing reviews to protect your company’s reputation from outwardly harsh or inaccurate comments. Reviews by current and past employees can often make or break a candidate’s interest in moving through the application process.
Candidates can find reviews in several different locations, whether it’s Indeed, Glassdoor, Google, or Facebook. While you can’t control exactly what your current or past employees post, you can control how you respond. It’s important to respond to both positive and negative reviews. For example, check out these do’s and don’ts of responding to social media reviews.
4. Job Posting Templates
Are we using best practices when creating job postings? It is important to not confuse a job posting with a job description as those are distinctly different documents serving different purposes. The goal of the job posting (also known as a job ad) is to create a post that is engaging and accurately reflects the company culture while sharing key highlights of the job duties and requirements. You should also include the values and perks of working for your organization. Job ads should include links to your career page or other social media to promote your employment brand. Keep in mind if you plan to post your job on social media, you will need to format the ad to best fit the type of social media being used.
Also, some sites, such as ZipRecruiter and Indeed, boast a percentage increase in the number of views and applications a position can receive if salary information is included. In this tight market, it makes sense that more and more employers are including those numbers in their posts to attract the right talent.
5. Job Posting and Sourcing Resources
Are we utilizing the best posting and sourcing resources for our positions? It is always important to have a strong workbench of resources to promote and post your positions. Do not rely on just one resource to post or source for your positions!
Depending on the type of position and industry, there are thousands of resources that are often free to post your position and/or to create a network of candidates.
Want to hear more? Download our free on-demand webinar: “The Secrets to Optimizing Your Recruitment Process.“
6. Application Process
Do we have a quick and easy way for candidates to apply for positions in our organization? Can candidates easily apply using mobile devices? A recent Candidate Experience Report from Greenhouse found that a majority (66%) of job seekers determine whether they will apply for a job based on the length of an application. And over 70% of job seekers abandon an application if it takes more than 15 minutes to complete. From our experience, depending on the nature of the job and your industry, even a 5-minute application could be pushing it.
If you’re not sure how long your application takes or whether it’s mobile-friendly – try it out! If it takes too long to complete, remove anything that’s not truly needed at that stage and can’t be easily gathered later in your process.
7. Interview Process
Do we have a well-organized interview process? Are interviewers and candidates provided with the information they need to have a positive experience? Once a candidate has met your initial screening criteria, it can be helpful to have them progress through an interview process – whether that is by phone, virtual/video, in-person, or a combination of these.
It is best practice to prepare specific questions ahead of time to help assess the candidate’s relevant skills, abilities, and fit for the position. Using behavior-based questions that are tied to key competencies of the position are the most beneficial.
It’s important to prepare any staff member who is involved in the interview process. This includes providing them with the candidate’s resume, interview guide and schedule, and ensuring they have been trained on how to conduct legally compliant interviews. They should also be prepared to be excellent hosts throughout the experience keeping in mind that candidates are assessing your organization as much as you are determining their fit.
8. Applicant Tracking System
Does our applicant tracking system (ATS) meet the hiring needs of our organization? There is a wide range of ATS systems on the market today that can be customized to suit the needs of any organization. An effective ATS system can provide a way to automate communications and steps in the recruiting process which can be critical to delivering a high-quality candidate experience.
9. Other Automation Tools
Is it difficult to manage our time to communicate timely and effectively with candidates? Short of having an expensive applicant tracking system to automate communications with candidates, there are several inexpensive, stand-alone tools that can still provide automation to your recruiting process, such as texting and scheduling platforms/applications. These are great tools to reach job seekers (especially mobile device users) efficiently and effectively.
10. Onboarding
Do we have an effective offer and onboarding process for our new employees? In this market, candidates will often continue to have other employers contacting them with other opportunities. It is important to stay engaged with your candidates throughout the entire recruiting and hiring process.
A strong onboarding program will: keep candidates engaged, promote better communication, improve job satisfaction, and promote commitment to your organizational goals. After all, a great resource for finding new employees is referrals from your existing employees! If your employees believe in your goals and have had a strong employment experience themselves, they will be more likely to share opportunities with their own networks.
As you can see from the list above, there are many factors to consider as you look to optimize your recruitment process. By ensuring that you have the best processes, tools, and resources in place, your organization will be well-positioned to attract and retain the best talent.
Compensating Employees for Travel Time
Question:
We have employees who occasionally have to travel from one of our offices to another during their work day. Are we required to pay them for their travel time?
Answer:
This is a very common situation, and the quick answer is it depends. Exempt employees generally are not entitled to additional compensation for travel time, so when evaluating whether or not to compensate for travel time you should focus only on your non-exempt staff. Work-related travel time NOT connected to the employee’s regular commute to and from work should generally be compensated and count toward an employee’s hours worked for the purposes of calculating overtime.
You should also have your travel time pay practices and policies reviewed by your legal counsel for the states and localities in which your employees are working to ensure compliance with applicable laws, and to ensure that your policies and practices are appropriate to your particular situation.
If an employee is commuting from home to their usual work site, it is not counted as compensable work hours; however, non-exempt employees who travel as part of their principal working duties should be compensated. Examples might include an office administrator traveling between multiple offices for meetings or a repairman going from one assignment to the next.
Another example of compensable travel time is if the employee is traveling from home to a non-typical work location and back home in the same day. The amount of time that the employee spends traveling to and from the non-typical work location that exceeds the employee’s normal commute is considered compensable travel time.
Generally, employees should be compensated for all time spent traveling during regular business hours.
Please bear in mind that laws exist in numerous states that provide expanded definitions of travel time or impose additional requirements for travel time pay. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) addresses this issue specifically in Section 29 CFR § 785.38 (Portal-to-Portal Act).
Strategic HR knows that keeping abreast of HR Compliance issues can be daunting, especially when the laws keep changing. We can help you stay compliant by fielding your questions and offering resources to help you identify and mitigate compliance issues. Visit our HR Compliance and Recordkeeping page to learn about our auditing services which can help you identify trouble spots in your HR function.
What is a Certificate of Qualification for Employment?
HR Question:
This week a hiring manager was excited about a candidate but learned during an interview that the candidate has had a Felony for theft. The candidate mentioned having an Ohio Certificate of Qualification for Employment that they could provide. Although we are not a bank and the role does not handle money, we need to make sure our organization will not be put at risk by making a careless hire. Alternatively, we do not want to be discriminatory or lose an otherwise qualified individual that could make a great fit for the role. So what is a Certificate of Qualification of Employment and how can it help our company?
HR Answer:
Ohio law provides for a certificate to be available that removes criminal-record-based barriers to employment, without erasing or hiding the criminal record itself. The “Certificate of Qualification for Employment” (CQE) will allow persons who have a previous felony or misdemeanor conviction to apply to the court to lift the collateral sanction that bars them from being considered for employment in a particular field. A CQE is only given if an individual has been through an extensive application and investigation process and deemed, by both the Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (DRC) and the Court, to be rehabilitated. A Certificate of Qualification for Employment may be revoked if the offender is convicted of or pleads guilty to a felony offense committed subsequent to the issuance of the certificate.
Employer Benefits of a Certificate of Qualification for Employment
A CQE can benefit an employer by removing mandatory rules that prohibit licensure or employment of individuals with certain criminal records. The Certificate may be used for general employment opportunities as well. If an employer knowingly hires a CQE holder, the Certificate offers the employer legal protection from a potential negligent-hiring lawsuit. (However, if the employer fails to take action if dangerous or criminal behavior is exhibited after hiring and retains the employee after such behavior, the employer can then be held liable.)
The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction provides information to learn more about the certificate and a link where you can assure the authenticity of a CQE. You can also contact The Ohio Justice and Policy Center or directly review Ohio Revised Code 2953.25.
Banning the Box
There are many states and cities with laws making it illegal to exclude an otherwise qualified applicant who has had a misdemeanor or felony. At least 16 states have already passed legislation, “banning the box”, which prevents employers from inquiring about a criminal background at initial application. Federal EEO laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibit employers from discrimination by using criminal history information in their employment decisions because they can significantly disadvantage protected individuals such as African Americans and Hispanics.
The EEOC also has written the following guidance you may refer to:
- What You Should Know About the EEOC and Arrest and Conviction Records
- Enforcement Guidance on Consideration of Arrest and Conviction Records in Employment Decisions Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
This candidate’s Certificate of Qualification for Employment could prove to be a win-win. An applicant who has the qualifications you need and is looking for that long-deserved break may prove to be one of your most grateful and loyal employees if given the opportunity. Remember whether hiring or declining, before making a potentially costly decision, it is important to educate yourself on related federal, state, and local laws and/or seek legal counsel.
Struggling with hiring the right person and figuring out how and where to find candidates? Wondering how to do drug screens, background checks, physicals, references, and assessments? We can help you make sense of it all. Whether you need a complete recruitment solution or just help with pieces of the process, Strategic HR can assist you. Visit our Recruitment page to learn how we can provide you with top-notch outsourced recruitment solutions.
Understanding the Importance of Organizational Analysis
HR Question:
Our business needs and demands have grown dramatically as a result of the pandemic, and this is putting a strain on our employees. I want to make sure that we approach the growing and changing needs strategically rather than using a band-aid approach for quick fixes. What do I need to do to make sure we have the right people in the right places to continue our success?
HR Answer:
You are not alone in navigating through a changing business environment as more businesses reopen or ramp up at the same time consumer confidence and demand increases. While having a business that’s growing gives reason for celebration, it often comes with challenges as well. The changes you are navigating can bring about strategic challenges that you hadn’t anticipated, so being thoughtful about how to address them and determining the necessary steps to best manage your growth and achieve your desired business results is key.
A simple framework to think about change is “Strategy > Structure > People”. These are sequential steps, since the first informs the other, and often helps you get to root causes versus putting band-aids on problems. A very effective tool you can use to assess and understand your business and staffing needs holistically is an Organizational Analysis. An Organizational Analysis can help you to determine how your current organization structure is supporting the business results. It will also help you to further identify if your structures, processes, and people strategy are optimal as you move forward.
How to conduct an organizational analysis
An Organizational Analysis begins with an in-depth review of your high-level organization initiatives and structure, including:
- Vision
- Mission
- Strategic goals
- Financial goals & metrics
- Business operations
- Organization values
- Organization chart
How employee surveys and focus groups can help
To ensure a comprehensive perspective, it can be beneficial to conduct employee surveys and/or focus groups with key team members to get to a deeper understanding of what’s driving your organization, in addition to identifying barriers or inefficiencies. Those closest to the work can often tell you where pain points are, provide suggestions for improvements, or tell you the work that is value add versus not.
Identify gaps and take action
By reviewing all of the data mentioned above, it will present a complete picture of what your organization is doing right and shine a light on gaps or areas that could be improved. From there, specific actions can be identified to create complete alignment throughout your organization and to ensure that you are able to not only maintain but expand upon your current success.
Your organizational analysis could reveal necessary actions such as:
- Realignment of your organizational structure
- Redefining operating norms, processes, and procedures
- Addressing potential root causes which can help improve operations
- Redesigning job functions and descriptions
The Institute of Organizational Development gives 7 reasons why organizational development is of critical importance to grow business, and an Organizational Analysis is a powerful tool to keep you focused on the big picture and making smart strategic decisions while building your organization from the inside out.
HR Strategy often involves thinking ahead to the future and making plans for the growth and development of key players. Strategic HR understands the balance between company strategy and people strategy and can assist you with both needs. Not only do we have the expertise to help you develop a strategic plan for your company, but we also have resources to help you develop your people leaders. Visit our HR Strategy page to learn how we can assist you with your company strategy.
Can you be an Employee and Independent Contractor for the Same Company?
HR Question:
Can an individual that is working for us be both an employee AND an independent contractor?
HR Answer:
According to IRS guidelines, it is possible to have a W-2 employee who also performs work as a 1099 independent contractor. For example, it is possible that an individual could work part of the year as an employee and part of the year as an independent contractor due to a layoff or even a resignation. Another way this could occur would be if the individual is performing completely different services or duties for a company that would qualify them as an independent contractor.
Examples of Employee and Independent Contractor Dual Classification
- A production worker is laid off due to a slow down in the warehouse. The individual begins doing janitorial work for a few local companies and provides services to the same company from which they had been laid off. In this situation, the individual would receive a W-2 for the time they worked as an employee and a 1099 for the janitorial work.
- An Executive Assistant who also owns a cleaning service business can have dual classification if their employer contracts with their cleaning company to clean the offices in the evenings.
- An IT Help Desk Associate who performs graphic design work as a side gig can have dual classification if their employer contracts with the individual to create a new logo for the company.
- An Electrician who also does handy work after hours in the community can have dual classification if the individual contracts with their employer to replace the company’s roof.
- A custodian who works for a county public school and also owns and operates his own snow plowing service on nights and weekends can be classified as an employee and issued a Form W-2 for his custodian position. At the same time, when the county contracts with the individual for snow plowing services, he is an independent contractor as well.
How to Determine if Someone is an Employee or Independent Contractor
To determine if this dual classification applies to your situation, you must first verify if your current (or previous) employee’s secondary work qualifies as an independent contractor. The IRS provides specific guidance surrounding the Independent Contractor Definition.
As an alternative to making the determination yourself, you can choose to have the IRS review your situation and make the determination for you, but it will take some time. You would need to submit your position information to the IRS directly by completing IRS Form SS-8. In doing this, the IRS will determine the proper job classification and even guide you on dual classification. Although you will be confident in using the correct classification by following this route, know that the average response time is estimated to be six months.
If you (or the IRS) determine that the extra work being completed meets the Independent Contractor guidelines, you can pay them as both an employee and an independent contractor. If you elect to do this, be sure to keep accurate records. Companies should maintain a W-4 for employees and a W-9 for those working as a contractor. In addition, be sure to clearly and accurately document the hours worked in each category and the duties that were performed. It is widely believed that having a worker receive both a W-2 and a 1099 increases the likelihood of an audit by both the IRS and the DOL. Therefore, maintaining detailed records will be essential for your defense.
What Happens if you Misclassify Employees
Criminal penalties and liability for backpay may be imposed against organizations and leaders if Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) laws are violated. The DOL has recently increased its focus and scrutiny on employer misclassification of independent contractors. It is important to be aware that additional auditors have been engaged to direct their attention toward this area of compliance. Therefore, be sure that you have followed all relevant guidelines and maintain proper recordkeeping to protect your organization and remain compliant.
Thank you to Patti Dunham, MBA, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP for updating this HR Question of the Week.
Strategic HR knows that keeping abreast of HR Compliance issues can be daunting, especially when the laws keep changing. We can help you stay compliant by fielding your questions regarding properly classifying your employees and other HR matters. We offer resources to help you identify and mitigate compliance issues. Visit our HR Compliance & Recordkeeping page to learn about our auditing services which can help you identify trouble spots in your HR function.
Do I Have To Pay Employees for the Company Holiday Party?
HR Question:
Our organization is hosting our annual holiday party, and we’re trying to answer a question – do we have to pay our employees to attend?
HR Answer:
It’s that time of year again – the holiday season is here! And with this season come parties and events designed to celebrate this festive time of year, show appreciation for employees and their contributions, and build team camaraderie by gathering together. Plus, in a labor market where employee retention is a primary concern, holiday parties can be a way to provide levity to a stressful time, show an organization’s thanks and commitment, and engage employees (and potentially, their families). But just because it’s a work-sponsored event, does that mean employers have to compensate their employees for time spent at the party?
Do I Have to Pay Employees for the Holiday Party?
In general, employers are not required to pay employees if the company holiday party is considered voluntary and takes place outside of regular working hours. Holiday parties scheduled during the regular workday should be compensated. If the employer requires all employees to attend an event outside of regular working hours, then it may be considered work time and employees should be compensated for attendance. Be sure to follow applicable FLSA requirements as well as any internal policies that you have established.
How Should I Pay Employees for the Company Holiday Party?
If an employee is exempt, their salary covers all work obligations. Non-exempt employees, however, need to be paid for attending in the following situations:
- If attendance is mandatory, non-exempt employees should be paid for the extra time and travel to and from the party (if it’s not held at the regular work location).
- If the holiday party includes work-related activities, such as a meeting and/or team-building exercises, non-exempt employees should be compensated.
- If a non-exempt employee is working at the event including set-up, clean-up, serving, and/or representing the company (i.e., wearing a mascot costume), they should be paid, even if they are working voluntarily. Want to keep internal costs down and avoid placing additional stress on your team? Don’t ask or permit non-exempt employees to work the holiday party.
It’s important to note some employment contracts or collective bargaining agreements may have provisions that require employers to pay employees for attending certain events, including holiday parties. Be sure to keep those agreements in mind when scheduling or factoring in potential costs for a holiday party.
What Else Should I Consider?
As always, whenever there’s alcohol involved, it’s important to keep some of the legal considerations in mind. For example, do you have a plan for handling alcohol? Will there be drink tickets or a cash bar? Do you plan to enforce a drink limit to help avoid DUIs and other potential risks? These and several others are good questions to ask to determine ways to limit the organization’s liability for this event.
In the end, it’s important for employers to communicate clearly about whether attendance is voluntary, and whether employees will be compensated for their time. The goal of a holiday party is to celebrate, relieve some stress, and enjoy spending time with your team – not to force people to gather if it’s not how they want to spend their time.
Thank you to Becky Foster, Senior HR Business Strategist, and Samantha Kelly, Senior Sales and Marketing Strategist, for contributing to this HR Question of the Week.
Do you find yourself without answers to tough Benefits and Compensation questions? Whether you need an analysis of your current benefit offerings, a review of your salary structure, or outsourced payroll/benefits administration, Strategic HR Business Advisors can do the job. Please visit our Benefits & Compensation page for more information or Contact Us.
Federal Employment Poster Requirements for On-Site and Remote Workers
HR Question:
I keep receiving notices that I need to order new posters to meet federal employment poster requirements. Many of my employees aren’t in the office regularly and those that are don’t look at the posters or any of the compliance documents we are required to distribute. What’s the risk if we don’t post these posters or distribute the annual notifications to employees? Eliminating this task would save me and the company a lot of time and money.
HR Answer:
Even if you feel employees are not reviewing the posters, there’s still a compelling reason to provide them. The Department of Labor (DOL), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) require these employment postings and notices. And organizations that don’t comply with the requirements can be fined.
To save time, you can purchase a package of posters from a reputable vendor. This can be an easy, but potentially costly, way to fulfill the necessary poster requirements. However, if you would like a more cost-conscious solution, the DOL has a great option. Their Workplace Posters Overview provides a list of the necessary posters, along with links to downloadable posters in multiple languages.
Did you know that poster requirements can vary by company size and industry? If you’re not sure what federal posters your organization is required to provide, the DOL created the FirstStep Poster Advisor as an interactive, step-by-step guide to help you with poster compliance.
How to Meet Remote Employee Poster Requirements
As many employers have shifted their workforce to a remote or hybrid work model, these employers have to shift their typical in-office practices to meet the Department of Labor’s requirements for their remote employees. To remain in compliance, the DOL requires employers to post labor posters electronically in a file that is accessible by everyone. Also, the file should not be password protected.
Employees must be able to find employment posters for their organization regardless of their work location. So if employers have a hybrid work model, a best practice is to have posters physically posted at the worksite while also including the electronic version of the posters on an accessible intranet.
Penalties For Not Following Federal Employment Poster Requirements
If you are still asking yourself if it’s worth the hassle and expense, consider the potential penalties for non-compliance. In January 2022, the penalties for failure to post and/or provide notifications increased. Although some of the fines may not seem significant, they can add up quickly. According to the Federal Register, here is a sampling of the new maximum penalties for violating the following posting requirements:
- $189 — Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
- $14,502 — Job Safety and Health: It’s the Law (OSHA)
- $23,011 — Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA)
For notifications, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) has significant fines for:
- Failure to provide the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) Plan Description ($1,362 per failure)
- Failure to provide an automatic enrollment notice for your 401(k) plan ($2,046 per day per person)
The Federal Register Poster Fine Reference provides details for all the fines you can incur for failure to comply.
Don’t Forget About State-Mandated Posters
In addition to federal posters, you may also be required to provide state posters. Here are links to posters required by Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and all other states. We recommend consulting with your legal counsel to ensure that you provide all of the posters that are appropriate for your organization.
As you can see, there could be several employment posters that your organization is required to post. So, if you think you are going to save time and money by not posting these materials, you may want to reconsider the potential fines and penalties that could result from non-compliance. Is it worth the risk?
Thank you to Patti Dunham, MBA, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Director of HR Solutions for contributing to this HR Question of the Week.
Recordkeeping is one of the more mundane tasks associated with Human Resources, but it is extremely important and can get you into hot water if not done properly. Learn how Clark Schaefer Strategic HR can help with your HR Compliance and Recordkeeping needs. Feel free to Contact Us with any specific questions you may have.
What is the Value of Job Descriptions?
HR Question:
Do I really need job descriptions for my employees? Are they legally required? We have a small staff and everyone has to be willing to do everything. What is the value of having job descriptions?
HR Answer:
No, job descriptions are not legally required documents, however, they can help your employees (and their supervisors) to understand their responsibilities and how their roles contribute to the mission of your organization. They are also an important part of compliance and, when written well, can help to protect your organization should you face employment law disputes.
To achieve optimal performance, it’s important that your employees understand the scope of their responsibilities. Job descriptions help to define a job by determining and documenting the responsibilities of the position and the physical requirements of the job. This document is not a “how-to” or a procedure outline (which can change frequently), but rather it should capture what individuals are accountable for in their job.
Job descriptions add value because they:
- Provide a clear picture of the job to applicants applying for the position
- Help current employees to understand what they are accountable for
- Serve as a helpful tool for supervisors to coach employees on how to improve performance
- Help to determine appropriate salary levels for a position based on the expectations, education, and experience requirements for the role
- Allow individuals to evaluate the physical requirements necessary for the position and what the work environment is like (i.e., Does it require heavy lifting? Is it a “desk job”? Does it involve frequent travel, evenings, or on-call availability, etc.)
- Allow organizations to determine if an employee can perform the physical functions of a job or if an accommodation could be made for those applying for a job (or coming back from a medical leave or workers’ compensation leave, for example)
Getting Started: What to Include in a Job Description
If you’re beginning the process of creating job descriptions, it can be helpful to conduct a job analysis to understand the necessary tasks and responsibilities for the position and how the job is performed by employees at your organization.
Common components of a job description include:
- Job Title
- Reporting Structure: Role the position reports to and role(s) the position supervises, if applicable
- FLSA Classification
- Date of Job Description Creation / Revision
- Job Summary: It is helpful to provide a brief, general overview of the position.
- Essential Job Duties/Function: Describe the duties that must be performed in the job. Focus on the function of the job rather than the means used to achieve that function. It helps to identify the required outcomes of the job tasks rather than describing the tasks themselves.
- Physical Demands/Requirements
- Work Environment
- Minimum and Preferred Requirements
- Disclaimer: Explains the job description isn’t designed to list every responsibility and is subject to change.
- Acknowledgement/Signatures of Incumbent and Supervisor
For additional components to consider, see this step-by-step guide provided by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). We also recommend that you consult your legal counsel for guidance to ensure your job descriptions are appropriate for your organization and legally compliant.
Out of Date Job Descriptions Pose a Risk
It is important for your job descriptions to be kept up to date, otherwise they can potentially cause more harm than good when it comes to providing HR Compliance support. However, when written well, the positive aspects of a job description outweigh the negatives and can provide you with documentation on the job requirements and support actions that you may have taken. Therefore, whenever your organization goes through significant changes or the nature of your work or specific jobs shift, be sure to revisit and revise your job descriptions accordingly.
An Easy Way to Keep Job Descriptions Updated
If finding the time to revise your team’s job descriptions feels like a daunting task in and of itself, consider addressing them one at a time. An easy way to work updates into your routine is to have supervisors take a few minutes during the performance review process to work with each employee to make any necessary updates their job descriptions. Approaching the updates one at a time during your reviews can help to make the process more manageable.
Job descriptions are too important to fall to the bottom of the “wish list.” When done correctly, they serve a multitude of functions. However, we understand busy workloads often relegate job descriptions to a “when time permits” activity. If you are putting off creating or revising your job descriptions due to a lack of time or staff, contact us. Dare we say it’s “in our job description” to help!
How to Handle Background Checks for Temporary Employees
HR Question:
We had a fabulous individual working for us through a temporary agency. We decided to hire the individual and ran them through our process, including conducting a background check. The results were shocking – we thought the temporary agency had already verified their background. How should I handle background checks for temporary employees going forward to ensure this doesn’t happen again?
HR Answer:
Many companies treat temporary employees differently when it comes to background checks and only realize it when it’s too late – when they try to hire the individual. The staffing company said they ran a “background check” before they placed the individual with you. However, when you compare the results of your own verification versus the staffing company’s, it hits you: If you had run your own background check first, instead of relying on the staffing company’s, you would never have considered the individual in the first place. So, now what do you do?
Unfortunately, this situation is all too common. Many employers allow temporary workers into their organization without knowing anything about the “background check” the staffing company performed before those individuals started working for their organization.
Did they only run a database search? Maybe they just entered the employee’s name in a local county records website or simply Googled the person. Or, even more disturbing, maybe they didn’t research the person’s background at all!
The term “background check” is very broad. When working with temporary employees, it is best practice to confirm that your staffing company is running quality courthouse background research before you let them place temporary personnel with your organization.
Background Check Tips for Temporary Employees:
- Connect with your attorney to discuss whether or not you should include background check requirements in your Master Service Agreement (MSA), as well as how they are to be conducted. Many times that might include the last seven years of residence, county, state, social security number, aliases/previous last names, etc. You may want to consider using a third party rather than an internal database search.
- Ask to see the reports for individuals who have a criminal record. It is a good HR practice to apply your evaluation approach consistently to both temporary and permanent employees.
- Consider including county criminal research. Many organizations have found county research to be a helpful source in finding if a felony or misdemeanor charge exists for an individual, and it can help to support HR Compliance with the Federal Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
- Don’t be fooled by a “federal” search. This check certainly has its value, however, it can be misleading. While it may sound all-encompassing, it only includes federal crimes. Pre-employment screening companies have found the majority of crimes committed are state crimes. Therefore, most people with a criminal past would come back clean on a federal search.
Managing the hiring process can be tricky. If you currently run pre-employment screenings before you bring someone on board, you already understand the importance of this verification process. To help protect your organization and your employees, follow the best practice of having employees from staffing companies meet the same expectations as direct hires.
A special thank you to Matt Messersmith, President/CEO, Signet Screening, and Amy Turner, Senior HR Business Advisor, for sharing their expertise in this HR Question of the Week.
Does the thought of hiring someone make your head spin? Full-time, temporary, temp-to-perm, intern…pre-employment assessments, references, background checks, drug screens – we can help you manage it all. Whether you need a complete recruitment solution or just help with pieces of the process, Clark Schaefer Strategic HR can assist you. Visit our Recruitment page to learn how we can provide you with top-notch recruitment solutions.
How to Develop a Strategic Plan for Your Business
Updated February 2021
Creating a strategic plan for your business or new division is like creating a map for an exciting, but unfamiliar, journey. This map will help to keep you on course if you start going in the wrong direction, but it isn’t so stringent that you can’t check out different roads along the way. As a business owner, I use this process each year during my strategic planning sessions: I map out where I am, where I want to go, and how I think I can get there. During the year, my map is both a guide for what I should be focusing on, as well as a resource to help me “check where I am” whenever I am tempted by something new and different. Sometimes, I rewrite my plan based on unforeseen changes (i.e., technology, COVID, economy, emerging trends), but many times it has helped me realize what is most important for the business and make the right decisions with various opportunities and threats to ensure my long-term goals are met.
There are many formulas or formats used for strategic planning, but for the most part, they cover the same points and reach the same goals. Below is an overview of the process that I use personally, as well as what we use with many of our clients.
How to Complete Internal and External Analysis
Part of mapping out your journey requires you to take a strategic look at your business. Your first step will be to determine where you are in the market by doing a “SWOT” analysis — identifying your internal Strengths and Weaknesses as well as external Opportunities and Threats.
Internally, this includes assessing both the strengths and weaknesses of your human, financial and technological resources, as well as the culture and values of the organization. The best way to do this is by brainstorming. Create two columns — one for strengths and one for weaknesses — and begin writing down anything that comes to mind as a strength or weakness to your business. For example, one of Strategic HR’s strengths is the “ability to be a change agent — very flexible and adaptable as needed” while a challenge is “managing our team’s growth.”
An external analysis requires you to evaluate what’s going on “outside” your business and how it may affect you. As discussed in Christine Keen’s book, Effective Strategic Planning: A Handbook for Human Resources Professionals, you should consider issues in the following four categories: economic (i.e., unemployment, interest rates, recession), political (i.e., current or pending legislation or court cases), social (i.e., values, lifestyles, and demographics) and technological. For example, from my external analysis, an opportunity was “Volunteer opportunities with complementary organizations” and a potential threat was “Growth of individuals starting to do human resources consulting.”
Gathering this internal and external information will give you a snapshot of where you are now — the starting point on your journey. However, a starting point, by itself, will not enable you to achieve your goals. Like going on a trip, you need both a starting point and a destination. This reminds me of my favorite quote from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland:
“I just wanted to ask you which way I ought to go?”
“Well, that depends on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
“It really doesn’t matter…” said Alice.
“Then it really doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.
Developing Your Vision and Mission
Next, you’ll need to determine your destination — in other words, your Vision or preferred future. A Vision can be summarized in a short statement that is quickly and easily understood by anyone; it describes something different for the organization. As a sample, below is Teach for America’s Vision statement (at one point in time):
“One day, all children in this nation will have the opportunity to attain an excellent education!”
Next, you need to develop your Mission statement or a statement explaining why you exist. Like the Vision, the Mission is also a short statement. But, a Mission statement describes what the organization does which will help it progress toward its ultimate future, the Vision. For example, Tesla’s Mission statement is
“To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”
As you begin to develop your Vision and Mission, you will find it easier if you brainstorm again. This time, think about what’s important to you and to your business — who are your customers, what makes you different, how would your clients describe you, what can you contribute or offer to others, what would you like to do or be tomorrow? Developing the Vision and Mission are the most difficult. Initially, this may take a number of rewrites with input from others. For additional examples, check out HubSpot’s 17 Truly Inspiring Vision and Mission Statement Examples. Once you have both the Vision and Mission clearly defined the rest of your plan will fall right into place.
Create Specific and Measurable Objectives
Now to answer Alice’s question to the Cat… Once you know where you are and where you want to go, you can then map the directions for getting there. In other words, you can identify the key objectives that must be met after this planning period to progress toward your Mission and Vision. Generally, your objectives should be specific and measurable. In addition, they need to be ambitious but realistic, and only focused on what needs to be done rather than how. For example, an objective may be:
“Develop a partner program to help grow business referrals.”
Your list of objectives will quickly grow but you have to narrow down the top four or five that help advance your business toward meeting your Vision and provide you with a competitive advantage. If the list is too long, your plan will quickly become a “dead” document rather than a “living” document that you can use and refer to throughout the year.
Develop an Action Plan for How to Meet Each Objective
For each of your objectives, you will then need to create a detailed action plan identifying “how” you will meet the objective. I’ve had the most success with this by completing the following formula for each objective:
Desired Results
- What are you hoping will happen or your desired result if the objective is met?
- How will you benefit?
Potential Obstacles / Barriers
- What might prevent you from completing this objective?
Supports
- What resources, people, or tools are available to help you with this objective?
Process
- What steps must we take to achieve this objective?
- Be specific on each step indicating who will do what and when.
Evaluation
- How will we know when we’ve successfully met this objective?
This may seem like a lot of work for each objective, but if you map out the answer to all five of these steps, you will have a very clear and unquestioned plan for how your objectives will be met.
Implementation and Evaluation of Your Business Strategic Plan
The hardest step in this process is the next one — implementation! Don’t let yourself do all of this planning and throw the end product on the shelf until next year. If you do, where will you be at the same time the following year? Will you be any closer to your preferred future? (Hint — the answer is no!)
To help ensure that you are proactively working toward these goals, you need to check back on your business plan often — at least quarterly or when anything significant happens to change your plan (i.e., pandemic, economic shift). Has anything changed? Are you on target? Do you need to modify any of the plans? The strategic plan for your business is a living document, so it may change; this is okay as long as you are aware of the changes and make them yourself rather than them being made for you.
Developing a strategic plan for your business isn’t an easy process and can be extremely exhausting. But, if you create an effective and realistic strategic plan for your business, you will begin to focus resources today toward meeting your goals for tomorrow. Plus, you will have a tool to help you minimize the threats and maximize the opportunities. One of the most important benefits of effective strategic planning is that it provides you with a fresh start by clarifying where you are, where you are going, and how you are going to get there. You should re-evaluate your strategic plan on an annual basis using a planning horizon between 2-5 years. Each year, you may find that a great deal changes but your preferred future will stay status-quo until you reach it – and you will!
Author: Robin Throckmorton, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, President of Strategic HR If this article inspired questions for you, Robin can be reached at Robin@strategicHRinc.com.
Need help tackling your HR Strategy for the rest of the year? Let our team of HR experts assist in laying out your road map. Please visit our HR Strategy page, or simply contact us – we’d love to hear from you.
What Is a Safety Audit and How Can Job Hazard Analysis Help?
HR Question:
My manager is concerned about our company’s ability to pass a safety inspection and wants us to do an audit. Can you explain what a safety audit is and how to conduct one?
HR Answer:
A Safety Audit (known more formally as a Health and Safety Audit) is a routine, comprehensive review of the efficiency, effectiveness, and compliance of a company’s safety management programs. Although ensuring the safety and well-being of employees should always be a top priority, it is also critical to comply with local, state, and federal regulations.
For example, OSHA’s General Duty Clause requires that employers provide a work environment “free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm.” By conducting Safety Audits, the company is keeping a safety culture in the forefront of the business while doing its due diligence to increase the likelihood of complying with this clause.
What to Include in Safety Audits
A Safety Audit is similar to a comprehensive health check-up for an organization’s safety framework. The audit should include an in-depth review of safety protocols, recordkeeping, policies, procedures, and physical facilities. The main objective is to identify potential hazards, assess regulatory compliance, and recommend measures that improve and strengthen workplace safety.
It’s important to note that there isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Audits must be customized to the type of industry, size of the company or location being audited, applicable local, state, and federal laws, and any other company-specific factors that might affect the safety and health of your workforce.
How to Use Job Hazard Analysis in the Audit
Embedded within Safety Audits is the practice of conducting a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA). A JHA is an important component that dissects every job or task into steps, pinpointing potential hazards associated with each. You can leverage JHA to gain insights into the risks employees encounter during their daily responsibilities. This analysis forms the cornerstone of proactive risk management, facilitating the development of targeted training programs and safety initiatives tailored to address specific vulnerabilities.
The Advantages of Job Hazard Analysis:
- Informed Decision-Making: Armed with insights from JHA, the company can make data-driven decisions on resource allocation, training priorities, and safety measures thereby optimizing the impact of its initiatives.
- Tailored Training Programs: JHA results enable the company to design training programs that are finely tuned to address skill gaps and safety concerns, fostering a well-informed and competent workforce.
- Regulatory Adherence: JHA aligns with regulatory requirements that mandate hazard assessments, helping organizations increase their chances of being compliant.
- Employee Engagement: Involving employees in the JHA process cultivates a sense of ownership over safety, fostering engagement, camaraderie, and proactive participation in safety initiatives.
Turn Safety Audit Findings into Action
Once the Safety Audit findings and JHA insights are gathered, the company should take the following steps:
- Strategic Recommendations and Action Plan: Develop an action plan that translates audit and JHA insights into actionable recommendations. Assign responsibilities, set timelines, and establish priorities to support efficient implementation.
- Tailored Training Initiatives: Harness the power of JHA to craft training programs that align with identified skill gaps and safety needs. Equip employees with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate their roles safely.
- Continuous Monitoring and Adaptation: Regularly track the progress of the action plan and evaluate its impact on overall safety. Adapt strategies as needed in response to evolving risks and changing circumstances.
- Transparent Communication: Maintain open channels of communication with employees, fostering a culture of dialogue and receptiveness. Involving employees in safety initiatives empowers them and contributes to a safer workplace.
Safety Audits and Job Hazard Analysis are pivotal tools in cultivating an environment of trust, productivity, and well-being. By proactively addressing risks, strengthening and reinforcing safety measures, and nurturing a culture of safety first, the company not only strives to meet regulatory obligations but also underscores its commitment to employee welfare.
As industries evolve and challenges transform, the dedication to safety remains unwavering. Through regular audits, analyzing results, and responsive measures, the company can continue to pave the way for a safer work environment.
Thank you to Sherry Hume, SHRM-CP, HR Business Advisor for contributing to this HR Question of the Week.
Have you had a safety audit recently? Do you know which OSHA forms you are required to complete? Strategic HR has the expertise to develop/review your policies and practices to support the safety of your workers, customers, and visitors. Visit our Health, Safety & Security services to learn more about how we can assist you with workplace safety.
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