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If you think it’s hard to find good talent these days, you’re not alone. The Society for Human Resource Management conducted a survey of more than 3,300 HR professionals and found that “more than two-thirds of surveyed organizations hiring full-time staff indicate[d] they are having a difficult time recruiting for job openings.”

Thanks to a combination of factors, hiring employees that truly fit your requirements can be a tricky process. SHRM’s Jennifer Schramm cites “a low number of applicants, lack of needed work experience among those that do apply, competition from other employers, and a lack of technical skills among job applicants” as obstacles that employers face these days.

When it comes to finding the right applicant for the job, it’s important to know where to look. Here's where you should consider looking to find the quality talent your business needs to grow.

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Every few years, Ohio business owners may notice unexpected increases in their unemployment insurance rates. At first, they may think that this is an error, but it’s actually part of regularly-scheduled increases called mutualized rates that apply to businesses across the state.

If you’re one of those Ohio business owners, you probably have a few questions, such as “what is a mutualized rate” and “why is Ohio charging me extra every few years?” Those are both very valid questions, so here’s a quick rundown on extra mutualized rates in the Buckeye State.

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Paper has played a huge role for businesses. Legal documents and contracts can be found in offices around the country. Business cards and print ads helped to seal deals for decades. Even money is printed on paper. Thanks to technology, however, the times have been a changin’.

In this digital age, businesses can cut down on paper usage in favor of online documents and processes. It’s become so popular that, according to a study on document-creation site Nitro, 49 percent of CEOs name sustainability as a top three initiative for their organization. A paperless workplace is a great way to achieve that goal.

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Employees handbooks are more than just a stack of papers you hand to new hires. An employee handbook can be key part of informing your workers about several items, including:

• Company philosophy
• Conditions of employment
• Company policies and procedures
• Compensation and benefits

Handbooks are great at introducing a new hire to your business, but it’s not the only role it plays. A handbook also serves as an important compliance document that shares the rights and obligations for both employees and their employers. Including certain criteria about these legal obligations and having your employees sign off that they received a copy of the handbook, can help protect your business in case there’s ever a labor dispute.

Of course, things change. Your company can grow, opening you up to new legal requirements. Legislative changes can affect several of your policies. Over time, you’ll need to update your handbook to address these changes if you want to avoid any potential issues. 

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There are growing signs that the economy is improving. Perhaps the most notable marker is that more people are starting to come back to the workforce. The unemployment rate is continuing a downward trend, meaning that more employers are starting to hire again.

Of course, finding good employees is important to a company’s growth, but keeping their best employees is vital to an employer’s productivity. Keeping your best employees ensures a smoother transition for newer employees and keeps the job environment stable with their most seasoned employees.

Of course, with a growing job market, sometimes a company’s best employees begin looking at this as an opportunity to “test the waters” of their own value and see if there are better options. How does a small business owner retain good employees while attracting qualified candidates? By offering benefits.

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Administrative professionals can be the gears that keep your business machine moving forward. Administrative Professionals Day is April 26, so we’d like to highlight a few high-profile assistants, secretaries, and other notable administrative workers throughout history.

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Employee training is an effective way to teach new employees and develop existing workers. However, employers may be concerned about related expenses, as employee training has been estimated to cost around $1,888 per employee for companies with fewer than 500 workers. 

That’s quite a bit of money, but the cost of training can be well worth the investment. Here are three big reasons why a commitment to employee training is a great financial decision for your business.

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Immigration has been a hot topic ever since President Donald Trump was elected. New changes have put a focus on new and potential laws that will impact employers all over the country, including the update to the I-9 form and potential expansion of the E-Verify program.

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A company can offer the best product or service around, but if no one knows about it, they will never succeed. In today’s consumer market, it is more important than ever to get the word out about your business. Here are a couple ideas to get you started.

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Safety management is something we all constantly contend and grapple with in our approach to do business the right way. how do we know if our aim is true? How can we measure our success? How do we know when we strike the mark? The answers to these questions are not always evident, and the difference between striking the mark and missing the target altogether can look very similar on the surface. 

To plot a course through the fog, we need to ask ourselves these two simple questions. Are we managing for safety to gain compliance? Or are we leading toward safety to develop a culture? 

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