Media Archives - InfinitiHR | Human Resource Consulting & HR Services

Empowering Your Team: Four Steps to Upskilling and Reskilling for Small Businesses

February 12, 2024/in Blog, Media/by Inspiring HR

Take advantage of the start of a new year to reflect on your business goals. This is a great time to focus inward on the people behind your business. As hiring slows, companies are embracing the benefits of upskilling and using this as an opportunity to take advantage of their current workforce. Use the new year to evaluate from within and ensure the right people are in the right roles. Aligning people and positions is a great way to optimize performance and efficiency.

If you ARE hiring, use these recruiting and hiring tips to reach your ideal applicant pool and hire your best-fit candidate.

According to the Entrepreneurial Operating System® model, a successful company has the right people in the right seats. You can reach your best possible results by:

Trusting front-line leaders to know what those seats are
Knowing and emphasizing your company’s values and culture
Taking a collaborative approach to align people and their skills with the work

Interested in maximizing your team’s potential through upskilling and reskilling? Here are four steps you can prioritize to make the most of your current team.

1. Identify the Need for Development

Begin by assessing your team’s skills and pinpointing the gaps. What does your team lack that could enhance their performance and contribute to business growth? Consider tools like Kolbe Assessments to better understand how your team operates in getting tasks done efficiently.

2. Set Clear Goals for Skill Enhancement

Include upskilling and reskilling in your plan for the year and incorporate workforce development into your yearly calendar. A successful 2024 starts with careful planning and consideration. Try these month-by-month tips to set specific skill-related objectives.

Think through these questions as you evaluate professional skill development:

What skills are critical for your evolving business?
Where are the gaps on the team?
What soft skills are equally important to your company and culture?
How can you foster a working environment that celebrates skill development?
In what ways can leadership set an example for the entire organization?

3. Implement Comprehensive Training Programs

Craft a robust training or personal development program. Remember, it’s not just about learning new skills, but also about nurturing talent, especially among leaders. Approaches to leadership can evolve, and coaching and mentoring skills are crucial, especially for the post-Covid workforce who missed critical elements of socialization skill growth.

Leadership skills significantly influence company culture, employee engagement, and overall results. Invest time in cultivating effective leadership traits to help foster a positive work environment and increase employee retention. Leadership shouldn’t view these as one-and-done skills, but as ones that evolve and shift each year.

Training and skill development can be incredibly beneficial when thinking about succession planning. Talk with leadership to determine the necessary skills for certain roles and begin nurturing talent early. This ensures that when the time comes for transitions, your organization is a step ahead and there won’t be a large learning curve.

4. Cultivate a Learning Environment

Foster a culture of continuous learning and professional growth. Allocate dedicated time for learning opportunities, extending this initiative from both top-down and bottom-up. Help team members find appropriate learning experiences or online courses. Embracing a learning mindset ensures everyone remains adept in the ever-evolving professional landscape. Regular one-on-one sessions can help evaluate and support the team’s progress by identifying needs and opportunities.

For small businesses looking to adapt and thrive in 2024, upskilling and reskilling strategies are pivotal in this dynamic market. These initiatives not only bridge skill gaps but also elevate your team’s collective competency and help foster career growth from within.

Interested in other current employment trends? Click the link to view the recent blog: Remote Work Revisited: What Your Business Should Know in 2024 or check back for more on human resources, payroll, insurance, and benefits.

Source of the Wage in Changing Times

March 28, 2021/in Media/by Sarah Frye

Do What You Do Best, Outsource the Rest
BY DANIEL MORMINO, MBA, CFE, CMHS®

The one true constant in franchising is change. The need to cut labor cost and mitigate employer liability can be a diaphanous subject, yet mission-critical for franchisors to adapt to changing times. For example, we can value the hypothesis that employees are your greatest assets. In such hypothesis, franchisors should not lead by example; franchisors should lead by design — empowering employees to innovate by creating the system for them to discover what’s next. This dedication to the things that haven’t happened yet and the people who are about to dream them up continues to ignite innovation across our franchising world. Your HR outsource would concur we honor such talent incessantly. Notwithstanding, we can also value the hypothesis that employees can be your greatest liabilities. In such hypothesis, franchisors ask strategic questions spanning leadership, cost to provide wages, liability innate to source of the wage and supplier fees.

Wages tend to move one way — upward. Let’s examine three FAQ’s to enrich the level of discourse in changing times.

1. Joint-Employer Liability

Q: Do franchisors prevent joint-employer liability by assuming liability as source of the wage?

A: No. Source of the wage is employer of the record — the entity responsible to provide wages to employees, liable to comply with employment regulations. When franchisors lead by example, one unintended consequence is joint-employer liability. Franchisors must adapt to changing times and think different. Franchisors cannot directly (or indirectly) guide the employer-employee relationship of franchisees. Franchisors must cease from mandating “payroll” suppliers. Franchisors must desist from providing in-house HR “leadership” to franchisees. The franchisor is not the employer of franchisees nor is the franchisor source of the wage for franchisees.

2. Expansion

Q: Do franchisors gain a strategic advantage to increase revenue, decrease labor cost, or mitigate any employer liability by assuming liability as source of the wage?

A: No. If a franchisor is 100% efficient in managing source of the wage in-house or through a payroll supplier, the result is you earned 0% increase in revenue and if a franchisor is non-compliant, the result is you are 100% liable. Franchisors may have a supplier processing payroll and providing valued HR services, but such supplier is not liable source of the wage. Franchisors can gain a strategic advantage and create more revenue-generating jobs by not exposing their asset as source of the wage.

3. Strategy

Q: What strategic advantage do franchisors gain when they utilize a payroll supplier instead of a PEO and hire an employee to manage employer obligations in-house?

A: Quantifiably speaking, nothing. Franchisors do not gain any strategic advantage by assuming liability as source of the wage nor would I argue it is innovative or most affordable to absorb such excess cost (and risk). Pay wages, taxes, insurance, and HR software for non-revenue generating work in-house, and be liable source of the wage? What does that cost your business each year compared to outsourcing to INFINITI HR? How does assuming liability as source of the wage grow your brand, empower your culture, or enforce brand standard? Franchisors may argue, payroll suppliers formed before the advent of the personal computer may create as much strategic advantage to increase your profitability in changing times as paying wages for in-house HR to lead by example at Blockbuster Video. We don’t win tomorrow’s war with yesterday’s army. Franchisors may not outperform their competition by utilizing payroll suppliers who don’t have any skin in the infinite game. Change can promote not just something different but, something better. Start with why you are a franchisor.

Do What You Do Best, Outsource the Rest

Learn more: INFINITIHR.COM/IFA2021

To see the full article, here.

BisVue Interview with Mark Schwaiger, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of INFINITI HR

December 17, 2020/in Media/by Sarah Frye

Our friends at BisVue interviewed Mark Schwaiger, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of INFINITI HR who shares his insights on the keys to growth. The original interview can be found here.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your company and your role?

A: We started INFINITI HR in 2008. When we started, there was a niche that needed to be met when it came to outsourcing firms and offering customizable solutions. You can either be a full professional employer organization (PEO) or be a firm that does payroll or HR. We combined everything and made it a “super” company. INFINITI HR is truly the only totally customizable PEO. We are one of a kind because we give our customers the options to choose what solutions make sense for their business. If you want your payroll as a standalone service, we can do that. If you want standalone HR support, we can do that, too. This presents an opportunity for small businesses to scale with us whereas some other PEOs require x number of employees in order to be covered, etc. INFINITI HR gives small companies the ability to choose anything they want from an HR outsourcing platform.

A: Fast forward 11 years, and INFINITI HR is a disruptor in the industry. We now have 65,000 co-employes in 50 states. In total, we provide solutions to more than 800 customers. Walking the halls of our office (pre-COVID and even now that many are back in) you’ll feel the boundless energy of our employees and the desire to be there, doing good in the world, while supporting one another. Our employees are encouraged to innovate in a safe space — where risk-taking is not looked at as failure. Many come up with new ideas that enhance our PEO service offerings and are deployed to customers. Most importantly, INFINITI HR creates great leaders.

A: In terms of my role, I founded the company with Scott Smrkovski and now serve as managing partner. My passion is around starting up other entities that support INFINITI HR (i.e. recruitment process outsourcing, benefits, the OpenAxess insurance platform, etc.). I am dedicated to establishing key partnerships in the market and then designing additional pillars that support INFINITI HR. I work to make us a more powerful engine and more successful entity. What’s also near and dear to my heart is making sure employees are excited about being here. We have a Dream Exchange program in place that is helping our employees and their families. And now in COVID, it is more important than ever to make sure all employees are well, staying engaged, and know that we have their back.

Q: What can keep a company from growing?

A: A limited vision by the executive team and the owners. Most owners aren’t sales guys/gals by nature. I feel strongly that neglecting sales can quickly become the number one mistake made by many companies. Everyone focuses on cutting costs, and what we are doing is really selling the heck out of our service. We have been closing an additional 10-20 deals a month in COVID. We just continue to sell and focus on sales. That is what will help us get us out of this and thrive in 2021.

Q: How can a company overcome those challenges to growth?

A: I think the importance is to have a strategy that markets what differentiates you from everyone else. And then make the platform and user experience easy. Our sales team has a system in place that allows companies to sign up, without making this big, drawn out decision around it. We make it really easy to say yes — make it a layup strategy. That is really the concept of outsourcing co-employment. Then we follow up with stellar customer service.

Q: Can you share something that has surprised you or a lesson you have learned that goes against conventional wisdom?

A: I’m a guy that even if I don’t have money I’m always spending it. I dream big and live big. I am confident. I am always over exerting my capacity — some call it leverage in real estate. You need to have that mentality of success even if you don’t have it. Some of it is the ability to recognize when to put on that smile and have a positive attitude to give others hope and inspiration in a time of need.

Q: Do you have one piece of advice to share with startups who are looking to grow?

A: This really goes back to the sales conversation. Just sell. Nothing else can take place unless you have a buyer. Everything else falls into place when you have money in your hand.

————————————————————————————————————-

Thank you Mark for your time! Go big, dream big, don’t be afraid to fail, be confident…these are the messages that we need to hear in these times. As marketers, we love to talk about sales and marketing alignment, metrics, channels, etc…but sometimes it is good to remember to just go out there and make it happen.

If your business is looking for a PEO or HR support, make sure to check out INFINITI HR.

The Professional Employer Organization for Franchises®, INFINITI HR, Sponsors #IFA2020 February 7-11, 2020 in Orlando, Florida

January 25, 2020/in Press Releases, Media/by Sarah Frye

ORLANDO, FL – The power of brands leveraging the power in numbers. See INFINITI HR, The Professional Employer Organization for Franchises®, sponsor the 2020 IFA Annual Convention. #IFA2020 will take place at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Florida February 7 – February 11, 2020. Meet with INFINITI HR professionals at Booth #2216 to learn more about the new programs designed to protect franchisors and franchisees from employer liability. As the Premier PEO Supplier to the IFA and sponsor of franchising’s premier annual event, INFINITI HR will offer innovative solutions to reduce total labor cost and mitigate employer liability for franchise units of any size, located in any of the 50 states.

#IFA2020 is filled with content specifically designed for franchisors, franchisees, and the organizations that support the franchise industry. The convention keeps attendees abreast of challenges facing the franchise industry and new opportunities that will help lead to growth trends. #IFA2020 delivers real-world positive messages through high quality content that will propel franchising forward and further unify such great community. This year’s convention will provide attendees with new, exciting and inspirational sessions with programming identified by area of focus to include panel discussions, case studies, and audience exercises. Hear from the world’s leading franchise executives about mitigating employer liability, developing a solid operations infrastructure, and gaining the critical tools needed control total labor cost.

Franchising has been appropriately described as a three-legged stool: Franchisor, Franchisee, and Supplier Partners. Franchisors must constantly work on keeping balance in their system. Accordingly, this year the International Franchise Association will host its newest and much anticipated session entitled, “Enhancing Brand Growth By Leveraging Effective Partners.” This session is presented by INFINITI HR Senior Vice President Daniel Mormino and has been named “a must attend educational session, relevant to systems of all sizes throughout franchising.” Given the interest in such program, the IFA has reserved seating for the event and encourages attendees to register early. “Enhancing Brand Growth By Leveraging Effective Partners” begins at 10:15am on Monday February 10, 2020 at #IFA2020.

Throughout #IFA2020, INFINITI HR will be represented by Mormino. With two decades of leadership in the franchise industry, Mormino is awarded the highest honors for professional excellence and is recognized as one of the world’s leading franchise executives. As a Certified Franchise Executive and Certified Master Hotel Supplier, Mormino is the first PEO executive to sit on the Supplier Forum Advisory Board of the IFA. He also serves as an ambassador to emerging franchisors and is recognized as the leading change agent in the PEO industry. He co-founded The Professional Employer Organization for Franchises® to help franchisors and franchisees prevent the pitfalls of employer liability and the obstacles to organic growth by leveraging the economies of scale of a large enterprise into a competitive advantage. Mormino’s leadership, by design, empowers a diverse cohort of franchisors and franchisees to innovate and to create opportunities for their talent to discover what is next. As IFA Ambassador, Mormino is a featured speaker at #IFA2020.

“The power of brands leveraging the power in numbers: INFINITI HR is proud to serve a most diverse cohort of franchises, inclusive of established franchisors, multi-unit franchisees, and leading suppliers located throughout all 50 states,” Mormino said. “As the leading Master Aggregator designed specifically for franchises, we are committed to providing continuous education and the proper infrastructure required to leverage the power of brands. By seeking the expertise of INFINITI HR, franchisors can protect the integrity of their brands, while franchisees can gain a mission-critical strategic advantage in their respective territories. Together we protect, enhance, and promote franchises. Together, we are franchising.”

Mormino is a graduate in Franchise Management from Georgetown University and is an Alumnus of Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

About IFA
The IFA is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA’s mission is to protect, enhance, and promote franchising through government relations, public relations, and educational programs. The IFA Annual Convention is the largest annual event in franchising.

About INFINITI HR
INFINITI HR is the home for industry leading top talent and proud to be The Professional Employer Organization for Franchises®. This customizable PEO by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, is the first of its kind, providing industry-leading, state-specific HR through an on-demand one point of contact, full federal and state regulatory compliance management, True-Group Master Polices for all mandatory and voluntary employer insurance (including Fortune 500® Level Custom Employee Benefits, Workers’ Compensation Insurance, EPLI, Joint-Employer Liability Insurance), recruitment process outsourcing, working capital funding, POS/time clock integration, tax filing and payroll services for franchises of all sizes, located in all 50 states.

Click here for the latest press releases and up-to-date news on human resources outsourcing. To learn more about how your business can save time, reduce labor cost and mitigate employer liability, call INFINITI HR at 623-455-6234 or email info@infinitihr.com.

Trends in Marijuana and Employment

January 25, 2020/in Blog, Media/by Lisa Porro

Employers, Take Note:

More states have passed laws related to the purchase, possession, and use of marijuana and its impact on hiring and employment than not. Meaning most employers in the U.S. may have obligations for policies and practices that address this issue appropriately in their respective states.

Legislative Highlights in 2019

Most recently, Nevada and New York City have made it unlawful to test for marijuana use prior to starting employment in most positions that do not have a safety or security component (e.g. drivers of vehicles, emergency personnel) and Oklahoma has amended its medical marijuana laws to specify that employees in safety-sensitive positions may not be eligible for accommodation for its use.

New Jersey passed CUMCA (Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act), which prohibits discrimination in hiring and/or conditions of employment against individuals who are registered medical marijuana users and joins eight other states with similar prohibitions.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, roughly 33 states (and Washington D.C.) have legalized medical or recreational marijuana – or both. What does this mean for business owners?

What Business Leaders Should Be Prepared to Do

While as of this posting no states have passed laws expressly allowing employees to use marijuana at work (or report to work impaired due to pre-shift use), we recommend the following:

Check your handbook policies to ensure that drug free and smoke free workplace policies properly address use of marijuana in states where it is a legal substance.
Ensure that your pre and post-employment drug testing is compliant with state law requirements.
Review your hiring and interviewing policies and practices to ensure there is no discrimination of registered medical marijuana users.
Educate and train your managers on the proper application of your testing policies and how to properly route accommodation requests related to marijuana use and test results.
Last but not least, consult counsel to determine if your business has any positions where safety and security would override accommodations for employees who test positive for medical marijuana on the job.

trends in marijuana and employment

Click the link to view the recent blog: Top Five HR Trends to Expect in 2020 or check back for more on human resources, payroll, insurance, and benefits.

This article does not constitute legal advice and there are subtle variations in employment law as it pertains to this topic, depending on where your business operates. It is strongly suggested that you seek consultation or legal counsel before making decisions about policies.

Top Five HR Trends to Expect in 2020

January 10, 2020/in Blog, Media/by Inspiring HR

As the workplace dynamics change, so does HR, and 2020 will be full of change that requires a paradigm shift in how we communicate and partner. Join us and Inspiring HR as we break down the changes we anticipate for small business and how business leaders can prepare for the new year:

HR Outsourcing Takes Over –HR professionals are seeing a major shift from employing internal HR professionals to outsourcing all or most HR functions. The expense to employ HR professionals is much greater than outsourcing HR responsibilities to HR consultants who specialize in learning, interpreting, and developing policies and procedures in accordance with new and updated federal and state employment laws and regulations. Businesses are creating business partners or strategic partnerships with qualified HR specialists to assist with day-to-day HR issues.
Flexible and Remote Work Becomes Permanent – The workforce is starting to require more flexible work weeks and remote work options that are in alignment with more modern work trends. Business owners are finding success in making more roles within their business flexible and/or remote-based. As a result, more employees are working flexible work weeks, such as working three to four days per week instead of the typical five day standard and/or working 30 hours a week versus the standard 40-hour work week as we’ve seen in the past. Working a flexible schedule and/or remotely has proven to be successful and more cost effective for many business owners. As we move into the new year, business owners will begin to shift more traditional office roles to remote roles.
Employee Engagement is More Important – A popular trend in 2019 will continue to develop into 2020, which is employee engagement. By engaging employees within the workplace, business owners are finding that employees are more willing to work harder for the success of the business. When employees are engaged, they feel important and valued to the business. As a result, employers are finding that engaged employees are easier to retain; therefore, reducing turnover.
Social Media and Artificial Intelligence Drives Several HR Functions – Since the inception of social media platforms, business owners have seen a major change in how they handle recruiting, marketing, branding, etc. Social media platforms are driving the success of each of these functions, especially in recruiting where everything is now digitized from the job posting to presenting an offer of employment. Many recruiters and potential candidates now regularly communicate electronically throughout the recruiting process. Social media is also a great resource for businesses to develop and communicate company brand standards and reputation to potential clients and employees. The evolution of social media in business will continue to change how you operate and interact with employees and customers.
Ongoing Performance Management –Business owners have been moving away from the “annual review” process and instead benefiting from ongoing performance feedback to employees. This may look like weekly or bi-weekly one-to-ones to discuss successes, obstacles, achievements, deficiencies, etc. Not only do these frequent feedback sessions do a better job of staying ahead of any major performance issues by addressing them immediately, they also promote greater employee retention and increased performance for incoming generations that are accustomed to more open and immediate data electronically, through social media and in gaming platforms.

HOW CAN SMALL BUSINESSES KEEP UP?

Assess your current HR function and how it relates to organizational needs. Is the internal HR function(s) necessary or could an outsourced HR strategic partnership provide greater value to the business? Would an outsourced strategic partnership free up financial resources and day-to-day administration to allow for expansion and growth? If your Internal HR function is effective and delivering value – keep it! If not, be open to options.
Review and compare your company core values, mission statement and vision against upcoming workplace trends. Do they align? Or do they require a different perspective such as moving from a standard work schedule to a flex schedule or remote work?
Identify and implement new approaches to employee engagement and ongoing performance management where possible and necessary. If you want increased engagement and open communication, you can’t be reactive or stagnant.
Don’t be afraid to test and implement new social media platforms to drive recruiting, branding, and marketing efforts. So many options exist, you WILL find an option that best suits your individual company for a cost that meets your budget.

Click the link to view the recent blog: Another Update to the Definition of “Joint Employment” or check back for more on human resources, payroll, insurance and benefits.

Inspiring HR employs a group of certified HR professionals with experience ranging from specialization in Labor Union contracts to more traditional corporate culture. Their HR professionals strive to balance, simplify, understand, empower and ensure relevance by instilling an “HR Done Differently” approach.

Another Update to the Definition of “Joint Employment”

December 18, 2019/in Blog, Media/by Lisa Porro

A food franchise’s employees are confused.

While they understand their location has its own owners, they were interviewed at least once by the corporate office during the hiring process and the handbook they were given appears to be from corporate as well. While most of the content seems to apply, it also contains operational and procedural information that is contrary to what they were told during at their worksite during orientation and did not mention the name of the separate entity that employs them.

A second location, also run by the same owners, lends employees to the original location when they are short-staffed and vice versa. While the total employee count does not normally matter to the workers, one employee noticed that minimum wage in their city differed based on employee count. When she approached the owners, they let her know that the count was per location as they were separate business entities, so they didn’t qualify for the higher minimum wage. The employee reached out to corporate and was told they did not have control over how the franchise owner paid.

Joint employment… or not?

Joint employment, put simply (and explained in a previous blog post), is found to exist where two separate legal entities share the ability to control or determine essential terms and conditions of employment including hiring, firing, disciplining, supervising, scheduling, and directing employees. And per the FLSA, “A determination of whether the employment by the employers is to be considered joint employment or separate and distinct employment for purposes of the act depends upon all the facts in the particular case”.

The Browning-Ferris joint employment standard, that came into effect during President Obama’s administration, expanded the definition to include companies that have “indirect control” over employees which could include a franchisor relationship with its franchisees or a distant parent company with one of its entity companies, even if they are not involved in the day-to-day operations of the business. It was briefly overturned in 2017, however, another reversal in February of 2018 has brought it back into effect. This means that employers are once again subject to the expanded definition of what it means to be a joint employer, that of direct or indirect control over an entity and its employees.

What’s next?

The Save Local Business Act, which has been in the Senate since late 2017, seeks to solidify the definition of joint employment to limit it only to companies who have “direct control” over their employees. This would limit liability for wage and hour and other internal decisions and workplace issues to the direct employer alone. In the meantime, the current expanded definition stands.

What should employers do?

Companies with franchises or far-removed entities should continue to monitor and carefully examine their employment practices and the amount of involvement and control they have in staffing, scheduling, and wage and hour decisions of their day-to-day operations. It may be advisable to seek the opinion of legal counsel as to whether a particular relationship should be considered joint employment under the expanded definition.

Click the link to view the recent blog: The Possibilities of Commission Pay or check back for more on human resources, payroll, insurance and benefits.

Why Small Businesses Need a Competency-Based Hiring Strategy

December 2, 2019/in Media, Blog/by Inspiring HR

Gather a group of small business owners in a room and you’ll hear this common complaint, “it’s hard to find good people.”

This phrase breaks my heart because there are plenty of skilled people dying to find a job in a company like yours. However, many small businesses miss the mark when they fail to consider competency-based hiring strategy.

Great candidates are highly selective. They want a job where the culture fits their personality and they can excel. As a small business owner, you share this goal: a high performer who fits your company culture. A competency-based hiring strategy lets you attract the right people and makes hiring easier.

Let’s start by defining competency. There are two types: (1) skills, knowledge, and technical qualifications, and (2) personality traits, behaviors, and attitudes. The first group is pretty straightforward. Most of us can easily identify the skills, knowledge, and experience needed. The second set of competencies is trickier for most of us.

Why? Because behaviors are hard to define. As humans, we tend to put difficult tasks at the bottom of our list. And we rarely get to the last items. That is a mistake when you are hiring people.

If you were buying a pricey piece of equipment, you would spend time looking at key features and how you could use them to make your processes faster, more efficient, or more productive.

Yet, when it comes to hiring people, we fail to spend time thinking about the most important behaviors of a successful employee. That can be the most expensive mistake you make. Especially when the result is often a bad hiring decision.

Defining behavioral competencies is surprisingly simple. However, it does take some careful thought.

Start by studying your high-performers. If you don’t have any, use someone from another company who you want to work for you. Think about their attitudes, behaviors, and personality traits and how those traits contribute to their success. Then create a pie chart with the top three to five attitudes and behaviors. Your chart is a snapshot of your company culture.

Now do the same for your low performing employees. This gives you a range of performance from low to high.

But you have a little more work to do. This is where things get tricky. Your task is to take these behaviors and turn them into daily work activities.

Your next step is to specifically define those attitudes and behaviors in your company. Words mean different things to different people so it is critical that everyone has a common understanding. Use clear, concise, and easily understood language. Remember you are writing for your audience, who may have a different definition than you. You want two strangers to understand these behaviors and rate them in the same way.

Is this starting to sound like a performance review? It should because defining these behaviors is at the heart of effective performance standards.

Do this for each key behavior or attitude. You might include examples of words and phrases that your employees use. Go deep here. The more specific the better.

This worthwhile exercise unlocks powerful insights you can use to attract high-performing employees. It gives you a solid foundation to craft strategic interview questions to ensure your candidates possess these competencies.

Clearly defined competencies continue to pay dividends after you hire as well because they can be used for setting goals, creating career paths, professional development opportunities, and so much more. Plus, an added bonus is reduced turnover and increased employee engagement and retention.

A competency-based hiring strategy does require time on the front end. However, you’ll find the investment is one of the best you can make for your business.

– Contributed by Rebecca Barnes-Hogg, guest blogger from our preferred partner, YOLO Insights®

Take the First Step.

If you still have some work to do, no worries. The important thing is you are ready to learn. Reach out to your Inspiring HR consultant for a free consultation and help.

You may also want to grab a copy of Rebecca’s book, The YOLO Principle: The Ultimate Hiring Guide for Small Business, available on Amazon.– A handy resource packed with tools, templates, and step-by-step instructions.

Click the link to view the recent blog: Make Delegation a Win-Win Experience or check back for more on human resources, payroll, insurance and benefits.

Empowering Your Team: Four Steps to Upskilling and Reskilling for Small Businesses

1. Identify the Need for Development

2. Set Clear Goals for Skill Enhancement

3. Implement Comprehensive Training Programs

4. Cultivate a Learning Environment