Our Opinions and Tips » Recruiting and Retention

Employee Retention Tools for the Organization

Ian Flintoff — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 14:23:38 +0000

Almost every company is focusing only on increasing their turn over, but is forgetting the loss caused by the resignation of an employee. Generally to recruit and train a new employee costs around 35% or more of the average employee salary for the company and it also costs time of the organization. So to avoid all these losses the companies should focus on retaining the employees and below are few tools to retain employees:

Employee Reward Program:
The companies can make a provision of Monthly or Quarterly Award for the best employees. They can be given given gifts or money in the form of awards.

Career Development Program:
Companies can provide conditional assistance for certain courses in such a way that they are beneficial for the organization and for the individual employee.

Loyalty Bonus:
Loyalty bonus can be introduced in the organization in which the employees who have successfully completed a certain period of time in the organization are rewarded. The reward can be in the form of money or position and this encourages the other employees.

Employee Recreation:
It is better for the companies to provide recreational programs to the employees such as taking the employees to a trip or for an outing every year.

Gifts:
Companies can give gifts to their employees on special occasions and this makes them feel good and understand that the management is concerned about them.

Accountability:
The employees should be made accountable, so that he/she can also feel that he is an important part of the organization.

Employee Referral Plan:
Introducing employee referral program reduces the costs of hiring a new employee and on every successful referral, employee can be given a referral bonus after 6 or 9 months of continuous working of the new employee as well as the existing employee.

Surveys:
Conducting regular surveys for feed backs about superiors as well as other issues like food, development plans and other suggestions from employee make them feel of their importance and the caring nature of the company.

Retaining an employee has many benefits for an organization. By following the above procedures, an organization can retain its employee easily.

Different Sources of Recruitment

Ian Flintoff — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 14:22:17 +0000

Recruitment helps an organization to select the candidate with right skills required by the employers. Recruitment sources are the sources which supplies right candidates for the organizations. There are two types of recruitment sources available for an organization and they are internal sources and the external sources.

Internal sources:
Internal recruitment sources are very important for the organization but they can’t fill every vacancy in the organization. Internal recruitment has two processes: internal recruitment and promotions. Internal recruitment sources for the organization are present permanent employees, present temporary employees and retired employees.

Present Permanent Employees:
Candidates from this source are considered for the higher level of jobs due to the availability of most suitable candidates for jobs.

Present Temporary Employees:
Candidates from this source are used to fill the lower level jobs owing to the availability of suitable candidates.

External Sources:
External sources brings the candidates from external environment using different techniques. In this process the human resource department in the organization screen resumes of candidates that applied, and select resumes that are qualified for the position.

Employment at Factory Level:
In this kind of external recruitment the applications for vacancies are presented on bulletin boards outside the Factory or at the gate. This kind of recruitment is suitable for employing factory workers.

Employment Agencies:
These are the professional private organizations that supply man power for the companies in return of some fee.

Advertisement:
In this type of recruitment companies generally advertise the vacancies in the news papers or televisions. Advantage of this type is it covers a wide area of market and scattered applicants can get information from advertisements.

Educational Institutions:
There are certain professional institutions which serve as an external source for recruiting fresh graduates and it is generally called as campus recruitment.

Employment Exchanges:
Employment Exchanges are run by the Government and most of the government undertakings and concerns, employ people through such exchanges.

Factors to be Considered Before Making a Job Offer

Ian Flintoff — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:20:05 +0000

Employees are the most valuable assets for any organization. Their performance increases the value and success of an organization. Recruitment strategies provide competitive advantage for a company, so the hiring should be done carefully, methodically and strategically. There are some important factors to be considered before offering a job and those factors are given below:

It is important to review the feedback information from the members of the interview panel because it is very difficult for 10-12 people to sit at the table to make the final decision.
It is better to get the feedback from the former employer of the applicant and if you get positive responses from them it is better to hire those candidates.
Companies need to assess the potential employee with appropriate training and mentoring, and they also should consider the candidates experience in the relevant job. Rarely is a new job an exact match with what an employee did in another organization.
The candidates that the company wants to offer a job should have the potentials to fit with the organization’s culture.
It is also very important to consider before offering a job, if the candidate has the potential to learn and continue to grow his skills in the organization.
It is also important to think about whether the potential employee has the capabilities of progressing in the organization.
Finally companies need to assess which candidate will add overall strategic and personal value to the workplace.

As every employee plays a valuable role in achieving organizations goals, it id very important to consider all the required factors in the candidate, which benefit the organization.

Related Links:
Career options

Necessity of Background Checks while Hiring a Nanny

Ian Flintoff — Sun, 20 Mar 2011 11:32:49 +0000

It has become common these days for both the parents to go for work. They employ a nanny for taking care of their children. Most of us face this problem and therefore should be very careful while hiring a nanny. Once you select a nanny with good qualities and characteristics, before signing a contract, background checks have to be conducted.

A nanny background check is considered as a type of search intended to check for the criminal history of a nanny to be hired. It is necessary to ensure that no information is hidden from the nanny’s side before you hire her. Background checks are conducted to build trust on the person with whom you have to leave your children.

A nanny background check includes checking of criminal records, child-abuse records, and also driving records. Criminal background checks are conducted these days easily through accessing some online databases. You can get information regarding criminal records, sex offenses, law suits, and address history through these databases. You can check if the person is arrested for theft, drug usage, or child endangerment. A criminal background check can provide you a peace of mind and ensure that no mistake is made while hiring a nanny. Driving records of the person are also checked for finding if the nanny had a history of unsafe driving.

It is not wise to take a decision in without conducting a background check. You should confirm that you are not deceived by the person in any terms. A background check helps you to take right decisions in hiring a nanny.

Interview Questions to be asked while Hiring a Nanny

Ian Flintoff — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 11:30:40 +0000

Most of the parents these days require a nanny for taking care of their child on a consistent basis. A nanny is the person who remains close to the child in the absence of the parents. In the process of getting nanny parents need to hire a nanny based on the requirements. Interviewing is a very crucial step for hiring your nanny. Plan your interview in advance. You should conduct a formal interview which ensures that all the points you want to discuss are covered. Some of the topics that need to be asked in the interview are listed here.

Ask the nanny about the need for choosing the profession of nanny.
Find the details of experience of the nanny. Ask her about the ages of children that she has taken care earlier.
You also need to check for the details like training in CPR and first aid.
Know whether she enjoys working with children. You can get the positive and negative points of the person.
You can ask about her personal strengths when working with children.
Ask if the nanny can drive and take the child for an outing.
It is also important to know about the salary expectations.
Also ask her about the educational qualifications and background.
Know whether she is aware of the developmental stages of infants and children. This can help you know if she can handle the child growth properly or not.
Ask her to give some examples of the problems she faced while handling kids. Also ask the ways how she handled those problems.
Find for how much period can she sign a contract with the family.

These are some of the issues to be covered while interviewing a nanny. In addition, you can also ask the personal needs that she would require if you want her to be at home as a live-in nanny.

Related Links:
Nanny San Diego
orange county senior care

Know the Steps Involved in Hiring a Nanny

Ian Flintoff — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:30:23 +0000

Most of the parents are preferring to hire a nanny for their child care. The basic care provided by a nanny includes watching, feeding and bathing a child in the home. Parents feel it difficult to find a nanny suiting their requirements. Here are some steps you need to follow for hiring a nanny.

Envision the role and responsibilities of your nanny based on the requirements. Make clear expectations on the experience and characteristics your nanny should have. Also, decide the budget that you can afford for paying the nanny.
Once you finish your planning, then you can search for a nanny through nanny referral agencies or online nanny services. You can advertise posts online, or in newsletters, or in local agency bulletin boards. Take help from your relatives, friends, and neighbors.
Once you a get a list of nannies, pre-screen them by evaluating the prospective candidates through a phone call or e-mail. You can determine their level of interest and suitability by this initial contact.
The next step, interviewing, is a crucial one. You can conduct a formal interview for about 3-5 candidates you feel good about. Some people also opt for a telephonic interview. But, it is better to conduct a personal interview which creates a chance to meet the candidate in person before hiring. Ask all the questions you need to ask without any hesitation. Find the experience and personal details of the person.
Once you select a nanny, conduct a background check to find the information of the nanny. It can include checking criminal background, driving record, and so on. You can also check for the past-employment record.
A contract can be signed if everything is clear. The details of compensation, pay frequency, benefits, holiday, sick and vacation day policies, tax treatment and so on are to be included in the contract.

One must ensure that all these steps are to be followed without any negligence to hire a good nanny for your child.

Necessity of Pre-employment Drug Testing

Robert — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 09:10:23 +0000

Drug testing in the workplace is becoming a necessary requirement for most of the companies. Employee background checks are conducted by various companies while hiring new employees. Pre-employment drug testing is conducted on job applicants to avoid problems caused by drug abusers at workplaces. It also helps in increasing productivity and profitability of companies. Let us know why a pre-employment drug testing is necessary for employers.

Necessity of Pre-employment Drug Testing:

It is necessary for employers to ensure safety at workplace environment. Any workplace injuries, accidents and crimes can be avoided by pre-employment drug screening.
Lot of money is being spent by companies for health insurance and workers’ compensation costs due to drug abuse at workplace. In order to avoid these problems, it is better to avoid hiring such employees. So pre-employment drug testing is performed to enhance effective hiring decision making.
Loss of productivity, decreased quality of work, unprofessional behavior, and corrupt workplace environment are some of the problems caused by drug abused employees. In order to avoid these issues, it is essential for employers to conduct pre-employment drug testing.
Certain disciplinary actions are taken against current drug addicted employees. Sometimes they are terminated from employment. They have to be replaced by hiring new employees. This would waste a lot of time and money. So it is better to conduct drug testing before hiring a new employee.

The testing is conducted by various methods including urine drug testing, hair drug testing, and saliva drug testing. Most commonly urine drug testing is implemented by many companies. Many multi-panel drug test kits are available which can detect multiple drugs at a time. Pre-employment drug testing results in increased productivity, quality of work, and profits for organization.

Related Links:
drug testing kits
drug test kits

All You Need to Know About THC Drug Testing

Henry Blodget — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 13:00:08 +0000

THC is a dangerous chemical present in Marijuana. THC passes through the lungs into blood stream, which carries the chemicals to the brain and other parts of the body, when user smokes Marijuana. It causes many negative effects on the brain and other organs of the body.

User feels “high” within a short span of time after taking Marijuana. In the long run Marijuana effects the short-term memory of the user, making it difficult for him to do complex tasks. Concentration and memory power can be reduced by abusing Marijuana. It also effects the immune system of the body, which results in many diseases.

Immediate signs of the Marijuana use include ‘high’, loud talking and laughter, sleepiness, distorted sense of time intervals and forgetfulness.

The THC drug test can detect the presence of the THC ingredient in the body. This test is beneficial for parents, school authorities and employers to detect the drug abusers. THC drug test can be conducted by using some drug testing kits – they are generally easy to conduct. There are many THC drug testing kits available in the market. Parents can find out whether their children are taking drug or not by using this kits at home. Then they can take any precautions. This is also useful to the organizations, in order to prevent the hiring the drug abusers as employees and also to detect the current drug abusing employees.

Related Links:
thc drug test
home drug test
marijuana testing

Employee Retention Techniques

Henry Blodget — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 11:39:52 +0000

Employees are a valuable asset to any organization. It is essential to protect this vital resource as talented and motivated employees play a crucial role in overall growth and success of the organization. Focusing on employee retention techniques can positively impact the organization as it increases employee productivity, performance, quality of work, profits, and reduces turnover and absenteeism. Effectively creating an engaging environment, recognizing good performance, giving benefits and rewards, promoting mutual respect are some of the ways for effective employee retention.

Increase Employee Engagement
Effectively implementing employee retention program by increasing employee engagement ensures that the employees are satisfied with their work, take pride in their work, report to duty on time, feel responsible for their job, feel valued for their contributions, and have high job satisfaction. As employees actively focus on their work, it increases the productivity levels in the organization and leads to improvement in several associated areas. Employee engagement ensures that the employees have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities in the organization. Increasing employee engagement helps to develop emotional connection, enthusiasm among the employees that promotes teamwork and healthy environment at the workplace.

Motivate Employees
Motivating employees by offering them better opportunities for career development can help in employee retention. Giving rewards, recognitions, promotions, and appreciation to employees can motivate them to increase their productivity, commitment to work, and loyalty to the organization. They feel that their contributions are valued in the organization. Giving incentives, pay hikes, bonuses can also help to motivate employees. Recognizing employee’s contributions and aspirations motivates employee to work productively and increases his confidence that helps in employee retention.

Focus On Team Building
Promoting team culture helps to actively involve all employees in achieving the goals and in overall success of the organization. Promoting team building imbibes a sense of belongingness among the employees that they are a part of larger goals or objectives of the organization. Team building promotes team work and team effort that help employees to tackle work pressure and thus provide a competitive advantage to organization. Focusing on team building activities can help to reduce workplace conflicts between team members as they work in a team. Organizing team building games, seminars, outdoor events help to promote team spirit, unity, and reduce stress.

Recognition of Performance
Recognition of performance of employees is an effective method of employee retention. Although monetary compensation can act as a motivating factor, openly recognizing the performance, initiative, and good work increases the morale and motivates the employee to work more productively. Appreciating the performance motivates the employee and they feel valuable within the organization. This helps in employee engagement and to increase the productivity levels.

Following effective employee retention techniques help to leverage the most valuable asset, the employees, to achieve growth of the company and increase the bottom line profits. Various employee retention techniques increase the employee productivity levels in the organization leading to reduction in cost per item or services produced.

Source: www.peopleconnectstaffing.com

Tips For Better Recruitment

Ian Flintoff — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:35:22 +0000

Recruitment is one of the important tools for any business. The better recruitment process will help to improve your business. The following tips will improve the recruitment process.

The tips for better recruitment are:

Build a searchable database: It is better to gather all the resumes and applications and maintain a database. Maintain the database based on area code, education level, specialized skills, or any field. And contact the entire database periodically.
Contact references: Ask the candidates to mention the references. And contact those references and ask few questions about candidate.
Recruit in line with your business values: Recruit the candidates based on your business values. The personal job interviews allow you to get an idea of how such candidates will fit into a team and in the organization.
Go for what works: While recruiting a candidate look at your existing employees and identify the characteristics and threats. It is better to find a highly rated recruitment agency. And the agency is capable of listening your particular requirements, and filtering out candidates based on the requirements.
Extends your search: Extend your search by using Internet. Internet is the best tool for the improvement of recruitment procedure. By using Internet you can communicate with recruitment agencies, consultants, and job seekers.