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  • Group Management Services is a Professional Employer Organization founded by Mike Kahoe in 1996. This summer I was fortunate enough to be one of three interns at the GMS National Headquarters in Richfield, Ohio.

    I absolutely love my job, and if you were to step into our office you’d find 90-plus people that would say the exact same thing! Here are the top five reasons I’m having the best summer ever, and why you would too, at GMS:

    Image of a happy office. Find out five reasons why GMS is a great place for a sales and marketing internship.

    5) The Perks

    This is not your average internship. Just as our sales representatives receive a base salary and commissions, GMS interns earn an hourly wage plus a weekly bonus based off of performance. Not to mention all the other perks that they offer.

    4) The Chickens

    I bet you weren’t expecting to see this on the list! GMS Headquarters has their very own chicken coop stationed right next to a gigantic organic garden in our own backyard! Fresh eggs, fresh fruits, and veggies go hand-in-hand with a company-wide wellness initiative. GMS encourages a healthy and happy lifestyle in more ways than one, which includes our own fitness center, outdoor yoga classes, health screenings, and healthy lunch challenges, all while we compete in the Cleveland Corporate Challenge!

    3) The Energy

    A stimulating, healthy environment doesn’t only create overall wellness and reduce health risks, it also maintains a productive, active workforce. GMS is filled with young professionals with a positive, competitive spirit. It’s a contagious attitude that keeps you motivated throughout the day.

    2) The Experience

    The experience you gain from working in a location, industry, or specific position you’re interested in is the entire purpose of an internship. GMS can offer attractive testaments to all of the above! Our Richfield Headquarters is only 30 minutes from Downtown Cleveland. There are also other GMS locations in Ohio, Virginia, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Nevada.

    No matter which location you’re at, the experience of an industry that works with a variety of different businesses makes for a new and exciting challenge every day. Being a sales and marketing intern has allowed me to gain experience directly related to what I hope to pursue after graduation. I’ve also learned more about internal departments like Risk Management and Benefits to understand just how our company is able to offer the services we do.

    1) The People

    The No. 1 reason you should intern at GMS is because of the people that make up this company. From day one it was clear that everyone is not only willing, but excited, to help in any way they can. GMS has built their culture on a foundation of personable individuals that encourage the success of their peers. I have never felt unwelcome, unappreciated, or undervalued both inside and outside of the workplace since joining the team!

    If you’re interested in applying for a position at GMS, check out our openings and apply today!

  • I’ve never worked in an office before. For so many summers, all I did was work the typical jobs you’d expect from a kid in high school. Swim clubs, gas stations; my summers were reminiscent of Dante’s life from the 1994 movie Clerks, complete with me saying more than just once or twice, “I’m not even supposed to be here today!”

    I grew up in a small town in central Pennsylvania, but was born in Cleveland. Upon graduation, I took a note from LeBron and decided to come home. I’m currently going into my senior year at Cleveland State, and this summer I decided to change things. I figured it was time to leave the lifeguard stands and gas pumps behind in Smallville and get myself an office internship. That’s how I found GMS.

    Image of a gas pump. Learn how one intern went from jobs at gas stations to a summer PEO internship.

    The PEO Internship Experience

    I’d never even heard of a Professional Employer Organization until I found GMS. I had heard of the company before and seen their sales reps and their cars driving around, but never understood what they were or what they did. After doing some research into PEOs, I saw what the industry was about. PEOs are the ultimate asset to any business owner looking to focus on what they excel in instead of dealing with all the administrative paperwork and the headaches that go along with them. Even with that description, I didn’t fully understand just what set GMS apart until my very first day as an intern.

    Everyone here, not just at headquarters but at all locations, is dedicated to the client. It’s something every place says they do, but at GMS they mean it. Sales reps maintain relationships with clients. Risk management experts handle any workers’ compensation and safety issues. Benefits professionals ensure that employees are taken care of and that their company saves money doing it. Payroll specialists make sure employees are paid and that everything is running smoothly. The entire GMS team is working for their clients and going above and beyond what you’d find anywhere else.

    A Fulfilling Internship Environment

    Working at GMS has really been a treat. The coworkers and the environment couldn’t be better, with everyone knowing each other and creating such a fun workplace that it feels like I’m not just another intern, but a fellow coworker. The work has been fulfilling with everyday holding something new, whether it be calls, projects, sales rep meetings, or something entirely unexpected.

    There’s a lot going on at GMS, but everyone manages to handle it and succeed. I no longer feel like Dante from Clerks; I’m supposed to be here. Check out GMS openings to join in on the experience.

  • You always hear intern horror stories of Randy the errand runner, Carlin the coffee-getter, solitude Sally, bossy Becky, moody Mandy, lazy Larry, and sob story Serena. But not many have heard or met supportive and studious Sara, reliable and radiant Rafael, or ambitious and adaptable Alexis.

    We are the three interns here at GMS. As a PEO, GMS is not like most companies. A PEO… what is that? Not many have heard of a professional employer organization because it’s unique to the business world, special in a sense that it helps small to mid-size businesses save time and money.

    Image of a happy intern. Learn about the cummer internship experience at GMS.

    Learning from a GMS Internship

    Being an intern at GMS is not like most intern stories you have heard. I’ve gotten real world experience being a sales rep, discovered what it takes to get an appointment, and learned about the industry. Mostly I’ve learned about GMS and why others love it.

    I’ve never worked for any company that I get as excited to come to work for as GMS. I get to learn about new techniques on how to sell or just how to become the best version of myself. It’s truly a humbling experience and an honor to intern for GMS, and I am one of the lucky ones.

    I could not be happier with this internship. I’ve become more comfortable making cold calls, learned how to better communicate with those around me, and enhanced my skills at GMS. I like the challenge and the growth that GMS encourages me to find. People are lucky to work here. If you want to join the GMS team, check out available openings and apply today.

  • It can be hard to seek help when you don’t know who you should ask. Business owners can spend countless hours trying to manage their business’ HR functions. Fortunately, PEOs can help save them time and money while offering professional management services that can strengthen their business. The important part is to find the right PEO partner for your business. Here are some questions that owners should ask when looking for HR help.

    Image of a business owner contacting a PEO. Learn about questions business owners should ask PEOs, including “what is a PEO?”

    What is a PEO and How Does It Work?

    Nobody should jump into something they may not understand, so kick off your search for HR help with a single question: Exactly what is a PEO? A PEO is a Professional Employer Organization that works with your company to make HR functions more efficient and effective for you and your employees.

    According to the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations, “PEOs enable clients to cost-effectively outsource the management of human resources, employee benefits, payroll and workers’ compensation.” PEOs have been around for decades, providing important services for companies big and small. Every business is different, so the key is finding a PEO that can suit your specific needs.

    How Can a PEO Save My Business Time and Money?

    A PEO can make your business more efficient. Let’s face it; the average business owner isn’t the person who should be spending hours dedicated to managing payroll, benefits, and other back office functions. They should be utilizing their time on areas where they can make a greater impact so that their company can grow. Of course, HR functions are a critical part of every company, so you need somebody who can help.

    PEO experts are just those people. A PEO employs specialists in all different areas of HR. This gives you the experts that can professionally manage areas like benefits, payroll, and other HR functions for potentially less than what it would take for the average owner to try and do on their own or to hire someone internally. Also, PEOs have a greater buying power than a small business, allowing your company to receive beneficial rates thanks to the economy of scale.

    Is My Business Big Enough for a PEO?

    You don’t need to run a big business to get quality HR management. As a premier PEO, GMS has helped everything from small, 20-person shops to companies with several hundred employees.

    GMS has been in business for 20 years and has helped over 1,000 clients make their company simpler, safer and stronger. Contact GMS today to see why we’re the right PEO for you and your business.

  • Business jargon is everywhere, but that doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily helping your employees. Jargon is a way to condense interesting ideas into short sound bites so that business people could easily convey messages without lengthy explanations. Unfortunately, using jargon doesn’t always work out that way and can end up negatively affecting your employees.

    Image of bored employees. Read about the problems of business jargon and how a PEO can help keep your employees informed.

    What Does It Mean?

    Not everybody knows what you know and vice versa. When a person speaks in jargon, there’s always a chance that the message can be misunderstood.

    Some employees are better than others at keeping up with business jargon. Others may not have a clue or only a slight understanding of what someone is trying to convey when they throw around terms like “mindshare.” Employees aren’t likely to stop someone and ask what they mean for fear of looking uninformed, even if they’re not the only person who’s confused.

    If you think that someone might not be picking up on jargon, it might be best to just explain it in common language. This will keep your employees in the loop and save you from having to explain your message again at a later date.

    Jargon Relatability

    Jargon can lead to more than confusion. Author James Sudakow speculates that too much jargon can make normal work conversations feel inauthentic. Instead, it relies on business clichés to speed up discussions and explanations in place of language that may better connect with employees.

    This doesn’t mean that jargon doesn’t have its place. Succinct explanations can be worthwhile in moderation. However, if a jargon-heavy conversation is leading to some blank stares, it might be time to switch to more simplified language.

    Less Jargon, More Information

    Confused employees are not going to be nearly as effective as they could be with clear communication. Like jargon, human resources can often be a source of confusion for your employees. Unfortunately, you may not have all the answers that your employees are seeking.

    A Professional Employer Organization like Group Management Services can offer HR management that can benefit your company by simplifying complex topics. A PEO can manage important functions like payroll, HR, risk management, and benefits, all while keeping your employees up to date. Contact us today to learn how partnering with a PEO can strengthen your business and keep you and your employees on the same page.

  • A good meeting can help steer a business toward success. Unfortunately, not all meetings turn out to be all that helpful. According to Inc.com, roughly two-thirds of meetings are seen as unproductive, which ends up hurting businesses more than helping them. Effective, efficient meetings are critical, so here are three ways you can help your business succeed in the conference room.

    Image of a business meeting. Read our tips for successful meetings.

    Think Ahead and Be Prepared

    A meeting without a plan is like trying to find a needle in a haystack; you might eventually get to the point, but it can take a while. Impromptu, aimless meetings are likely going to waste people’s time and accomplish little. However, unnecessary meetings are even worse.

    Before you schedule a meeting, always consider if it’s necessary. If a quick phone call or an email will suffice, stick with those options. If a meeting is still the best option, make sure you set some goals. Consider why you need a meeting and arrange it so that you can achieve your objectives, whether it’s to gather information or take action on something.

    Finally, invite only the people who need to be in the meeting. If someone has something important to provide for the meeting, make sure that they’ll be involved. Time is money, so making someone sit through a meeting in which they’ll have little to contribute is a waste of resources.

    Be Timely and Stay on Point

    Like we said before, time is money. This means that overly long, meandering meetings aren’t great for business. Jerry’s vacation sounded like a lot of fun, but having to schedule and go through another meeting because people were too busy talking about Jerry’s mishaps in Mexico is a waste of time.

    A meeting agenda can help you keep the meeting on topic and efficient. Allot specific amounts of time for each subject and keep tangents to a minimum. Send the agenda out to a day before the meeting so that people can properly prepare their points. The people attending the meeting need to stick to the agenda, as well. Multitasking is one of the leading causes of unproductive meetings. Keep those phones, laptops, and tablets away unless there’s a specific reason that it helps the current meeting.

    Also, please make sure that everyone shows up to the meeting on time. It seems like common sense, but lateness can help derail a meeting right away, as well as waste the time of others.

    Sum It Up Into Actionable Info

    Valuable info isn’t very valuable if nobody remembers it. The ideas or decisions made in meetings can’t just stay in the conference room. Meeting recaps can help people remember the important details discussed in meetings and make it more likely that people will follow through on action items. Send out a recap email or create some kind of reminder system so that the meeting can matter after it’s completed.

    Stay Organized and Succeed

    Even efficient and effective meetings take up time that could be spent elsewhere. As a Professional Employer Organization, Group Management Services can help business owners free up their time by taking on administrative burdens.

    Like meetings, payroll administration, human resource management, and other important functions can take up a lot of time. As HR experts, we can manage these functions efficiently and effectively, freeing you up for other important tasks and potentially saving you money in the process. Contact GMS today to schedule an HR audit and see how we can help you steer your business for even more success.

  • The holidays can be a lot of fun, but they can also lead to a lot of stress for business owners and employees. Between the family events and changing schedules, holiday season can be pretty hectic. Here are a few tips to help business owners come out on top.

    Image of a n office during the holidays. Contact GMS about HR management from a Professional Employer Organization.

    Plan for More than the Holiday Party

    Figuring out a time, date, and place for the annual company party is not even close to the most important thing owners need to plan for during the holiday season. Office time may be at a premium thanks to a combination of days off from observed holidays and paid time off (PTO) days used by employees. This means you need to plan ahead and make sure that your business won’t fall behind on anything because of the limited number of work hours in the holiday months.

    Your employees won’t be the only people with fewer work days. Your clients and customers may be less available than usual thanks to the holiday season. Don’t wait until the middle of December to contact people if you can get a hold of them earlier than that.

    Take Advantage of the Holiday Season

    While the holidays mean extra days off, it can also afford some extra opportunities. Depending on your business, there may be marketing opportunities or various trends that you can use to your advantage. Holiday sales or specials can be a nice little incentive for your customers, even if you’re not a toy store or some other retailer. Don’t be afraid to get creative and use the season to your advantage.

    Learn from Past Mistakes

    Those who don’t learn from their past mistakes are doomed to repeat them. Take a look at your performance from the last year or two and note any trends or issues. This can help you identify problem areas and make the necessary adjustments, whether it’s more seasonal help, a better system for keeping track of time off, or any other factors. Plus, there are always the mistakes people can make during the office party. For tips on that, please refer to this helpful post on company parties.

    Treat Your Employees (and Yourself) with a PEO

    Nobody wants to deal with HR headaches. Even without any holiday party issues, managing HR can be a big pain for businesses. A Professional Employer Organization like Group Management Services can help you protect your business from HR issues and offer your employees greater benefits such as paid time off and other perks. Contact us today to learn how partnering with a PEO can strengthen your business this holiday season.

  • Happiness can be very lucrative for a business. Unfortunately, unhappy employees can hurt bottom line and make it harder for businesses to grow. Employee morale can be affected by a number of factors, including work conditions, coworkers, and personal matters, but regardless of the reason, disengaged workers can lead to future issues for business owners.

    Image of an unhappy employee.

    How Unhappy Employees Can Hurt Your Business

    Unhappy employees cost businesses a lot of money. Gallup found that actively disengaged employees cost U.S. businesses roughly half a billion dollars per year, affecting everything from small businesses to large corporations.

    These losses can come from a variety of reasons, ranging from small offenses to serious problems. On the lower end, a disinterested employee can skirt their responsibilities. This can result in a loss of productivity due to a lack of motivation and happiness. In extreme cases, the employee may start to even steal from the company. Either way, your company gets hurt.

    What Happy Employees Can Do

    While unhappy employees can cause serious financial damage, happy employees are a boon to business. Studies have shown that actively engaged, happy employees are more productive than normal workers, making for better results for their bosses. Happy employees also have less incentive to leave their jobs, which can benefit your business since employee replacement can be quite costly.

    What You Can Do About Unhappy Employees

    Sometimes it doesn’t take much to inspire some unhappy employees. Good benefits and opportunities can be enough to support your workforce. It’s also important to hire people who make sense for your company and fit into your company culture. Initiatives like a workplace wellness program can also help your employees improve the quality of their lives – and potentially their happiness.

    These are all services that a Professional Employer Organization can provide for your business to help support your workforce and strengthen your business. Contact us today to talk to an expert at GMS about how improved HR functions and benefits can improve company morale.

  • Vacations are an important tool to help employees take some time off and recharge every once in a while. However, improper planning and coordination before a vacation can leave employees and their employers in a difficult situation.

    Without the right steps, a vacationing employee can lead to missing deadlines, confused customers or clients, and stressed out workers if you don’t take the right steps to prepare for someone’s absence. Here are four things your employees should do before they head out on a well-earned vacation.

    Image of an employee on vacation. Manage PTO requests with the help of a PEO.

    Let People Know

    People shouldn’t be surprised than an employee is gone. Make sure that your company knows that someone will be gone so that they can get what they need from him or her before they leave. There are also plenty of people outside of the company that may need to be informed as well.

    Employees should set up autoreply email messages and voicemails to let people know that they’re away and who to contact during their absence. Higher priority customers or other outside parties can be told a week or two in advance.

    Prioritize Important Tasks

    Depending on the employee, there may be certain tasks that can’t be done by other workers. Make sure that your employee prioritizes these tasks if they need to be done before he or she leaves. That way you don’t have to worry about them while your employee is gone.

    Delegate Other Duties That Can’t Wait

    According to a 2014 study, 41 percent of American workers don’t actually plan on using their vacation days. Why, you ask? The most common reason is that employees are afraid of dealing with all of the work that wasn’t handled while they were away.

    Make the return to work easier on your employee by having some other people pick up some of the slack. That will help them get back into a regular work flow without feeling like they need another vacation after dealing with a mountain of work after their vacation.

    Set Communication Rules

    Employees should try to stay offline during vacations, but you may need to reach out to them in case of emergency. Set rules for communication to make sure there are guidelines.

    If an employee is completely off limits, make sure they let people know. Other employees may actively check emails or accept calls. If that’s the case, let them set guidelines for how and when they can be reached. That way you can minimize interruptions in their vacation.

    Enjoy Their Vacation

    Once an employee has prepared for vacation, they can go ahead and relax. Of course, vacation time can be tricky without having a solid PTO plan set in place. If you need to set up a PTO process for your business, contact GMS today to talk to one of our experts about how our HR management services can help.

  • Too many emails per day keeps productivity away. Email is a great communication tool, but too many business owners and employees get bogged down and frustrated by endless messages that eat away at productivity.

    Forbes reported that “office workers spend 2.6 hours per day reading and answering emails.” That’s almost a third of your work day! It’s time to take back your time so that you can limit the amount of your day you spend dealing with your email and limiting distractions. That way your business can benefit and you’ll feel a lot better about dealing with your inbox on your terms. Here are three email time-management tips that can benefit you and your company.

    Image of a man frustrated with emails. Read our email management tips.

    Schedule Times to Check Your Email

    Stop answering an email as soon as you see a notification. It’s rare that you’ll ever need to respond within minutes of an incoming message and the distraction can really hurt your productivity. According to Atlassian, a company that develops software and management tools, it can take around 16 minutes to truly refocus after being interrupted by an incoming email, meaning that emails can take up a lot of time and make you less efficient at other tasks.

    One way to address this problem is to set a couple of regularly scheduled times to review and answer your emails. That way you can focus on whatever task you’re working on and give it your full attention. You can then check on that email – and any others – at 2 p.m., or whatever the next time you have set in your calendar. Plus, it’s more efficient to handle emails in bulk anyway!

    SaneBox, an online email efficiency tool, estimates that “62% of emails in the average inbox are not important and can be processed in bulk.” By setting up regular times to check your inbox, you can more efficiently address each message.

    Turn Off Email Notifications

    If you really like our last suggestion, but just can’t stop getting distracted when an email notification pops up on your screen, feel free to turn off those notifications. Notifications are designed to get your attention, so removing them will effectively remove the impulse to check your inbox.

    Of course, not everybody will be willing – or even able – to turn off notifications. However, that simple act can make it easier to break bad email habits and save you and your company time in the long run.

    Think Before You Send

    A quick consideration of who should receive an email can help limit the amount of time your company spends dealing with emails. The Wall Street Journal reported on a company that began telling their executives to reconsider cc’ing extra people on an email or forwarding items to them to keep them in the loop.

    What they found was that these emails ended up being more of a time suck that a help. By limiting the number of people on forwards, cc’s, or bcc’s, the company cut the total number of emails – and the number of potential distractions – sent out by half.

    Save Time for Other Work Functions

    Good time management is a crucial way to help save your business money. Retooling email habits can help eliminate unnecessarily wasted time so that you and your employees can spend that time elsewhere.

    Emails aren’t the only thing that can take away from productivity. HR functions can take hours of time away from other important tasks, especially if you aren’t trained properly. If you need to free your time up, contact GMS to see how our HR experts can help.