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  • While COVID-19 is winding down, employees are returning to work and trying to get back to “normal.” However, employers are still experiencing challenges in attracting new employees and retaining existing employees. During the COVID-19 pandemic, most employees could work from home. Now, employers are trying to bring their employees back into the office, forcing them to contemplate what they truly want from their jobs and commute. For the most part, employees have resorted to finding a new employer as a direct path toward their goals. In January 2022, 4.25 million individuals quit their job.

    Based on the new requirements employees are requesting, employers should consider implementing the following:

    • Providing remote or hybrid working arrangements
    • Expanding employee assistance programs to help with mental health and burnout
    • Increasing compensation and/or bonuses
    • Planning more frequent meetings with managers and employees regarding engagement levels and ways to improve them

    However, there is one solution HR professionals haven’t fully grasped to retain employees – technology. Continue reading to learn strategies in which technology can assist you with retention while providing a more positive employee experience.

    Leveraging Technology To Retain Employees 

    Technology can be utilized to retain employees and reduce turnover. Below are strategies you should begin implementing to provide a more positive employee experience.

    1. Conduct surveys 

    The first question to ask yourself is why your employees are leaving. Turnover, in most cases, results from employees feeling burned out or underappreciated. These feelings from your employee develop from poor relationships, lack of work-life balance, or maybe even from lack of growth opportunities. To combat these feelings, you must ensure you’re checking in on your employees. An excellent tool that helps with this is by conducting surveys. Employee surveys help keep track of and improve team collaboration and ensure that all employees feel valued and heard. Simply asking questions and providing employees the opportunity to make their voices heard can lead to more positive behaviors and, ultimately, lower turnover.

    The following are examples of questions you could ask to get the most out of your employee surveys:

    • How do you feel at work today?
    • Do you feel excited about coming to work?
    • Would you recommend this company to your friends as an employer?
    • Are you satisfied with your current compensation and benefits?
    • Do you enjoy working with your team?

    Once your employees complete the survey, it’s vital that you analyze the results and act to address your employee’s feedback.

    2. Professional development

    When business owners encourage their employees to seek professional development opportunities, they experience increased productivity and job satisfaction. Businesses that don’t offer professional development opportunities see greater turnover than those that do provide resources. While there are various programs out there used for professional development, a learning management system (LMS) has been one of the most common platforms. An LMS is a web-based platform or software application to implement and monitor a learning process. It’s used to deploy learning strategies across the workplace, facilitate experiential and formal learning, manage compliance training, and enhance sales enablement.

    3. Offer competitive pay

    Employee compensation is essential for employee retention as it helps businesses avoid the high costs associated with turnover. Compensation has been one of the main reasons employees change jobs. A study showed that 63% of employees reported low pay as a key reason they left their job in 2021. The loose labor market has given employees more leverage regarding pay and benefits. As the employer, you must determine the most competitive salary or pay for your employees to retain and attract the talent you need. By conducting a salary analysis, you can compare a specific position with similar roles within your industry to determine the proper pay. Perhaps you offer slightly over that number to ensure you stand out from similar organizations.

    4. Reward and recognize good performance 

    When business owners incorporate a reward and recognition program, it helps employee engagement which leads to many benefits for the company, including increased productivity and retention. By focusing on the positives, recognition initiatives convey that what employees do matters and are not unnoticed. When you reward excellent performance with benefits your employees want, it keeps them focused and driven to perform better. Starting a rewards and recognition program will:

    • Increase motivation
    • Show appreciation
    • Encourage friendly competition
    • Improve productivity 
    • Boost employee retention
    • Create a positive workplace

    To incorporate an employee recognition program, you can begin implementing the following: 

    • Weekly shoutout on social media
    • Conduct surveys to determine employee of the quarter, month, or even the year
    • Press releases
    • Newsletters
    • Internal software to acknowledge a job well done

    You can utilize many ideas to ensure you have the appropriate program set in place for your business. 

    5. Work/life balance

    One’s job plays a significant part in their life and takes up a huge chunk of each day. Our jobs ensure that we have a roof over our heads, food on the table, clothes on our bodies, and so much more. As a business owner, your job is to ensure that your employees maintain a healthy work-life balance. Work-life balance is defined as the state of equilibrium where a person equally prioritizes the demands of one’s career and the demands of one’s personal life.

    While showing up at work is essential for your business’s growth, your employees’ well-being is the most important aspect of your business. If your employees are sick or burned out, it will cost you now and in the long run. By creating a workplace culture that doesn’t feel like a chore, your employees will work hard, make fewer mistakes, and are more likely to become advocates for your brand.

    The following are tips you can use to improve work-life balance in your business:

    • Encourage time off
    • Implement short breaks throughout the day
    • Practice what you preach
    • Maintain a regular schedule for working hours
    • Establish a sacred work area
    • Support flexible hours
    • Empathize with and tolerate absenteeism

    Implementing cloud technology with your standard technology platforms allows your employees to access everything from any location. It gives your employees the flexibility of working from home and empowers them to be more productive while also managing their personal lives.

    Why You Should Outsource These Efforts 

    With the loose labor market, you must ensure you are doing everything you can to retain and attract top talent. At GMS, we understand how many tasks you handle day-to-day and know that it can be challenging to increase these efforts. We’re here to tell you not to worry anymore. GMS experts are here to help. From providing you with an LMS and cloud-based technology to creating benefits that will attract and retain the talent you need, we do it all in-house. Kalynn Muha, GMS’ Recruitment Specialist, expressed, “One of the most important aspects of an organization is their success, and employee retention promotes this. Hiring new employees is costly and consumes so much of the employer’s time. In addition, turnover can cause rifts in employee morale and low productivity. In today’s market, hiring is a long and tiring process. It’s more important than ever for business owners to retain their valuable employees before they go elsewhere.”

    Contact us today, so you don’t have to be part of the effects of the Great Resignation.

  • Unfortunately, discrimination in the workforce is still relevant and makes the workplace uncomfortable, unsafe, and unsustainable for those affected. Discrimination in the workplace happens when an individual or a group of people is treated unfairly or unequally because of these specific characteristics:

    • Race
    • Ethnicity
    • Gender identity
    • Age
    • Disability
    • Sexual orientation
    • Religious beliefs
    • National origin

    The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for protecting you from these specific characteristics. The laws enforced by EEOC protect individuals from employment discrimination when it involves the following:

    • Unfair treatment
    • Harassment
    • Denial of a reasonable workplace change
    • Improper questions about or disclosure of your genetic or medical information
    • Retaliation

    While the EEOC is responsible for protecting individuals from these factors, individual states enforce laws that help combat discrimination in the workplace.

    Additional Steps Georgia Is Taking 

    An ordinance passed by the Atlanta City Council amends its existing anti-discrimination law to include protections based on criminal history status and gender identity, which is effective immediately. Gender expression is the way individuals manifest masculinity or femininity through their clothes, hair, makeup, overall appearance, speech, or other behavior or form of personal presentation. The law amends existing law to include gender expression as an additional protected characteristic.

    In addition, the law makes it unlawful to discriminate based on the criminal history of applicants and employees. However, the ordinance allows employment decisions based on criminal records as long as the employer considers specified factors in certain decisions. The ordinance provides an exclusion that states, “Adverse employment decisions based on criminal history status shall not be considered a violation of the law if the criminal history is related to the position’s responsibilities.” This is determined by the following factors:

    • Whether the individual committed the offense
    • The nature and gravity of the offense
    • The amount of time since the offense
    • The nature of the job

    Additional Factors Of The Ordinance

    As stated in the Atlanta ordinance, employers can continue to follow state or federal laws barring employment in certain positions based on criminal convictions or violations. In addition, the ordinance adds gender expression and criminal history status to pre-existing prohibitions on “printing or publication of notices or advertisements indicating prohibited preference, limitation, specification, or discrimination in employment.”

    Stay Compliant With GMS’

    When you partner with GMS, our team of experts ensures you remain compliant. We’ve got you covered regarding anti-discrimination laws in the workplace. You must consider reviewing background check policies and procedures to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local laws. However, we understand how challenging that can be. At GMS, we take on the administrative burdens associated with hiring and recruiting. Contact us today to learn more.

  • In the current economic climate, businesses face major challenges in retaining and attracting top talent. The talent war has made recruiting practices uncertain for all companies, regardless of size or industry. Employees have a wider range of career options than they’ve ever had. With remote and hybrid work options becoming more popular, employees are no longer constrained by where, when, or how they work. You might be wondering, what led to the talent war? Continue reading to learn more.

    Talent War

    The demand for greater workplace flexibility has continued to rise. There are 10 million jobs in the United States; however, only half the talent is qualified for the positions. In conjunction with rising wages, there has been a major talent shortage. The balance of power seems to have shifted away from the employer and toward the employee. Are you ready to combat the talent war?

    Promote Employee Value Proposition 

    Businesses should consider implementing an employee value proposition to win over the employees during the complex job market. An employee value proposition is a statement that shows what an employer or organization is willing to do to support its employees. Your employer brand is what attracts and retains employees for the long term.

    Clarify Recruiting Messages

    As a result of the pandemic, employees realized they needed a job that would not only fulfill them but also accommodate their needs. Employees have begun:

    • Shifting their own priorities
    • Pursuing more desirable salaries, benefits, and flexibility
    • Changing professional or educational paths

    Throughout the hiring process, recruiting is no longer about the job itself. Employees are looking to find a position that fits their specific needs.

    Align Your Marketing

    As a business, sharing a consistent message across all channels and platforms is important. This can begin on the careers page of your company website and reach across all social media sites.

    Social media allows your candidates to dive into your company culture, events, and more, to ensure they are the right fit. The following are major topics to consider when posting:

    • Culture and values
    • Employee spotlights
    • Client interactions or successes
    • Volunteerism and other community or philanthropic initiatives

    Break Geographical Barriers

    Before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were often geographical barriers within the hiring processes. Since hybrid and remote work schedules became increasingly popular, there has been a break in that barrier. The recruiting process is not limited to one local area. This simplifies the process by finding quality candidates nationally or even internationally without expecting candidates to relocate.

    Make Everyone A Recruiter

    Recruiters are still responsible for finding top talent; however, it is no longer the expectation that recruiters are the only ones to engage in the hiring process to find qualified candidates. Push everyone at your company to share their experiences. Anyone can leverage their individual connections to refer to a potential candidate.

    Organizations often fear using platforms such as Glassdoor or Google My Business due to poor reviews with the opportunity to tarnish a company’s brand. Although these websites can cause uncertainty, they can create a major benefit. As an employer, it’s important to consider recruiting efforts that focus on the following:

    • Employee experience 
    • Company culture
    • Organizational values

    Focusing on these three key features will allow employers to feel at ease on review platforms. If the time comes that there is a negative review, be sure to work on addressing candidate or employee concerns. This allows job candidates to see your company’s professionalism while handling adversity.

    Uncertainty And Retention

    Throughout times of uncertainty, recruiting efforts shouldn’t stop. No matter what’s going on, you should still promote your employer brand to potential candidates. Focusing on your employer brand is more critical than ever. Employer branding is how your company is portrayed to potential job seekers. This can be shown through the values your business brings to the table.

    Recruiting is a continuous process. After seeing success, employers must consider employee retention. Unfortunately, not all employees stay for the long haul. To continue in your retention efforts, you must vocalize the following:

    • Why they’re here
    • Why their work matters
    • Potential opportunities
    • What they love about the company

    Don’t fall behind in the talent war, focus your efforts on your employee value proposition. Focus on building an employer brand based on experience, culture, and values. Ensure that your social platforms and website share a glimpse into your company culture. Push your employees to become brand advocates. It’s essential to never give up on these recruiting efforts, even when you’re not hiring.

    Your Hiring Hero 

    What makes your business stand out from others? Partnering with GMS allows you to boost your typical hiring practices and build plans to increase employee retention. If that’s not enough, we will assist you with the recruiting process, from hire to retirement. With GMS, you can say goodbye to the tedious hiring process and focus on your business. Contact us today to learn more.

  • On October 12th, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published the final rule, “Temporary Agricultural Employment of H-2A Nonimmigrants in the United States,” effective on November 14th, 2022. This final rule amends the Department’s regulations governing the H-2A program to improve worker protection and enhance enforcement against fraud. In addition, it modernizes the H-2A application and temporary labor certification process. The final rule ultimately does the following:

    • Strengthens protections for U.S. workers and H-2A workers
    • Enhances program integrity and enforcement capabilities of the Office of Foreign Labor Certification and the Wage and Hour Division
    • Modernizes the prevailing wage determination process
    • Provides clarity to employers and other stakeholders

    Understanding The H-2A Agricultural Program

    Through the H-2A temporary agricultural program, agricultural employers can hire nonimmigrant foreign workers to perform temporary or seasonal agricultural labor or services in the U.S. Employment is determined to be seasonal nature when the job is tied to a specific time of year by an event or pattern such as a short annual growing cycle. Temporary employment is when the employer needs to fill a position with a temporary worker who won’t last longer than one year.

    In addition, the DOL must determine that:

    • There are not sufficient able, willing, and qualified U.S. workers available to perform the temporary and seasonal agricultural employment for which nonimmigrant workers are being requested,
    • Employment of H-2A workers will not adversely affect similarly employed U.S. workers’ wages and working conditions. The statute and Departmental regulations provide worker protections and employer requirements concerning wages and working conditions.

    Deep Dive Into The Provisions

    In the final rule issued by the Biden administration, all provisions intended to improve the program’s flexibility and effectiveness were removed except for the electronic filing requirement. The final rule shows that the DOL focuses on worker treatment, protecting the U.S. workforce, and increasing enforcement, but several measures that would have benefited employers are missing.

    The following are key provisions of the final rule:

    • Mandatory e-filing
    • Joint employment
    • Housing standards and inspections
    • Expanded prevailing wage surveys

    What This Means For Small Business Owners

    When you partner with GMS, we ensure you stay ahead of any legislative changes that may impact your business operations. We understand how challenging it can be to wear multiple hats at once. The last thing you need is to receive a hefty fine for something that could have been avoided. Allow GMS to take on the administrative functions of your business that you don’t have the time or expertise to handle. Contact us today. 

  • There are several issues on the state ballot for the 2022 election that could have significant implications for employers. The ballot considers measures on abortion, marijuana, minimum wage, and unions which were put to vote in 37 states on November 8th, 2022. Keep reading to learn how these issues will affect your business.

    Abortion

    In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling of Roe v. Wade, individual states can now decide whether to prohibit abortion or keep it legal. The court overturned Roe v. Wade, which protected the right to have an abortion throughout the country in the past 49 years. You may be wondering, how does this affect my business? Access to abortion affects employers and HR in crucial areas such as:

    • Health benefits
    • Paid and unpaid leave
    • Recruiting
    • Retention

    Marijuana Legalization

    Throughout the U.S., there are 19 states and the District of Columbia that have legalized marijuana. At the same time, 37 states use marijuana products for medical usage. Voters in Arkansas, Missouri, North Dakota, and South Dakota will have a chance to place their vote on this year’s ballot to permit the recreational use of marijuana. As an employer, it’s essential to consider that marijuana laws vary from state to state. As a result, reviewing the drug and alcohol policies is vital to ensure you remain compliant.

    Unions

    Over the past year, we have seen many companies implement unionization into their business. The ballot measures would create a state’s constitutional right to collective bargaining. In contrast, the ballot may prohibit employers from requiring employee labor unions. Employers would not be able to require membership for employees in their terms of employment.

    Minimum Wage

    Minimum wage reforms can be seen on the ballot for voters in Nebraska, Nevada, and Washington, D.C. These states are looking to increase the minimum wage of hourly workers. If passed, labor costs would increase for employers, making it prominent in industries with many hourly, low-wage workers, such as food service and hospitality.

    Equal Rights

    Equal rights protections have recently become more common at the state level. Currently, 21 states have equal rights amendments, and six have limited gender equality provisions. The ballot measure would prohibit discrimination based on sex, race, color, sexual orientation, religion, gender identity, age, disability, ancestry, and national origin.

    Count On GMS Experts

    As an employer, it is vital to understand the outcomes of election day. Legislative changes may be overwhelming, but you may have to consider them. After all, you probably did not go to school to become an HR specialist. Luckily, you don’t have to worry; GMS has you covered. When you partner with GMS, you gain a reliable team to ensure that your business remains compliant. Contact GMS today to learn more.

  • Congresswoman Elise Stefanik introduced the Advancing Skills-Based Hiring Act. This bill will support employers seeking to adopt skills-based hiring practices that prioritize applicants’ job skills and abilities over college degrees. Skills-based hiring is the practice of screening and hiring new employees based on the skills, capabilities, and talent they bring to the table rather than their educational background or degree.

    Stefanik expresses, “While millions of Americans remain out of the workforce in the midst of a labor shortage, I am committed to helping employers broaden their applicant pool and identify talented workers who have gained skills outside of post-secondary education.” This act ultimately empowers employers to evaluate candidates based on their experience and not on their education. This hiring approach expands economic opportunity for the two-thirds of Americans who don’t have a four-year college degree. To strengthen their workforces, employers should also be able to use skills-based hiring by removing government barriers.

    The Advancing Skills-Based Hiring Act will:

    • Allow employers to voluntarily submit assessment validity evidence to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for proactive review
    • Provide employers a safe harbor if the EEOC determines their use of an assessment satisfies the legal burden of being “job-related”
    • Ensure employers can participate in this voluntary compliance initiative without risk by preventing the EEOC from using an employer’s participation as a basis for future investigation and protecting the information an employer submits from being used against them

    Implementing Skills-Based Hiring

    There are several ways you can begin implementing skills-based hiring within your business. The easiest way is through a skills assessment or job audition. These tests are designed to determine whether the applicants have the skills necessary to perform various essential aspects of the job. Most businesses integrate these tests early in the screening process to ensure that they focus on candidates uniquely qualified to perform.

    You may ask yourself how skills-based hiring is different from typical hiring processes. When business owners or HR professionals implement a traditional hiring process, the screening tools and tactics being utilized search for keywords on an application to verify that the candidate is suitable for the role. Ultimately, the traditional hiring approach uses education and previous job experience as a representation of talent. However, this approach has its disadvantages. Resumes are unreliable and don’t depict the candidate the way they should. Let’s face it, we’ve all revamped our resumes to make ourselves look perfect for the job. In addition, a degree doesn’t necessarily tell you if a candidate is capable of performing well.

    Adopting skills-based hiring practices allows companies to achieve the following:

    • Lowers recruiting costs
    • Enables companies to close skill gaps
    • Improves retention
    • Increases productivity with people who are truly equipped to perform well
    • Improves diversity hiring
    • lowers turnover

    Let’s Start 2023 Strong, Together

    This sounds like an excellent hiring process, right? However, we know what you’re thinking, it might take more effort than you would like. That’s where GMS comes into play. Our HR experts work closely with you to offer guidance on onboarding and training. We simplify the process. We can utilize skills-based hiring practices to attract your desired and needed employees. Julie Petro, GMS’ Recruitment Specialist expresses, “Skills-based hiring is extremely beneficial to all business owners. There are a variety of transferable skills that can be taught and applied to many different positions. Hiring based on skills rather than education can open up a larger and more diverse candidate pool, increasing the chances of a more successful hiring process.” Let’s start 2023 strong and partner with GMS. Contact us today.

  • The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released the new ‘Know Your Rights’ poster on October 19th, 2022. The poster summarizes federal laws prohibiting job discrimination based on the following:

    • Race
    • Color
    • Sec
    • National origin
    • Religion
    • Age (40 and older)
    • Equal pay
    • Disability
    • Genetic information

    In addition, the poster explains how employees and job applicants can file a complaint if they believe they have experienced prohibited discrimination or retaliation. As the poster may share similarities to the previous poster released by the EEOC, the new version includes the following changes:

    • It uses straightforward language and formatting
    • It notes that harassment is a prohibited form of discrimination 
    • It clarifies that sex discrimination includes discrimination based on pregnancy and related conditions, sexual orientation, or gender identity 
    • It adds a QR code for digital access to the “how to file a charge” webpage
    • It provides information about equal pay discrimination for federal contractors

    Ultimately, the new version makes it easier for employers to understand their legal responsibilities and for employees to understand their rights and how to get in touch with the EEOC.

    All covered employers are required by federal law to prominently display the poster at their work sites immediately. It must be placed where the employer and employee can see it. In addition, employers are encouraged to post a notice digitally on their websites. Covered employers are subject to fines for noncompliance.

    Ensure You Comply With Rules And Regulations 

    Complying with ever-changing rules and regulations is vital for the growth of your business. The last thing you need is an expensive fine for not complying with the laws and regulations you must follow as a business owner. When you partner with GMS, we take on that burden, so you don’t have to. Our experts work diligently with you to ensure you and your employees are safe and aware of all rules. Contact us today to learn more.

  • While the COVID-19 pandemic is winding down, the talent shortage is still the number one challenge businesses face. According to a study, 55% of business owners and recruiters struggle to find qualified applicants for open positions. In addition, it’s said that the U.S. is facing one of the most alarming labor crunches it has ever seen.

    Alongside the shortage of quality talent, Glassdoor conducted a study showing that the average cost of hiring an employee is around $4,000. On top of that, the average time it takes to hire a new employee is 42 days. As a business owner, you don’t have time to deal with such challenges and the amount it costs to hire one employee. Continue reading to see what HR professionals say about automated recruiting software.

    The Importance Of Automated Recruiting Software

    Businesses are rapidly adopting recruiting automation tools to help streamline their hiring process. One of the most significant benefits of using recruiting automation software is that it saves you time by automating tedious tasks, which include screening resumes, scheduling and conducting interviews, and engaging with the candidates through the entire hiring process.

    As a business owner, there is only so much time to handle these tasks in one day. Make it easier for yourself and utilize recruiting automation software. Once you have automation tools in place, you can quickly identify top talent, which leads to hiring candidates faster than ever.

    The following are reasons why you should leverage recruiting automation tools:

    • Increases productivity 
    • Improves quality of hire
    • Bias-free hiring
    • Assesses candidate skills effectively 
    • Reduces the time to hire
    • Reduces the cost per hire
    • Enhances the candidate’s experience 
    • Increases diversity 
    • Creates a more straightforward onboarding process

    Recruiting automation tools ultimately help you attract and engage candidates by giving them a positive experience. In today’s competitive market, ensuring you’re providing an excellent candidate experience is essential. While there are many recruiting tools available to you, it’s vital that you conduct your research and understand the goals you want out of the software to make your job easier.

    Let’s Find The Candidates You Want And Need

    While the right candidate is out there, it’s up to you to wow them from start to finish. With GMS as a partner, you can find the candidates you want and need. We understand that between the ongoing training and employee recruitment services, it takes extensive time and effort to find, hire, and develop the right people for your business. GMS provides the necessary tools and resources to take on these responsibilities while improving your recruiting, hiring, and training efforts. We work with you to create enticing job descriptions that will attract top talent, conduct the initial interview with candidates, and provide you with employee training software that will set your employees up from the beginning. Stop wasting valuable time in areas that GMS specializes in. Contact us today!

  • The freight and transportation industry has undergone significant changes over the past years. Managing freight audit and payments (FAP) needs to be rethought in light of the rapid globalization of the world, which means being more efficient and data-driven than ever before. In spite of this, small business owners who manage fleets are provided with many resources that ultimately assist them in focusing on more important aspects of their business.

    Requirements Set By FedEx

    Should you choose to make your life easier and partner with a professional employer organization (PEO), you must partner with a certified professional employer organization (CPEO). A CPEO is a PEO that has met the requirements set by the IRS. Being certified as a CPEO means that we can offer our clients specific financial protections and tax benefits.

    A CPEO is solely liable for federal employment tax payments on wages that are paid to its worksite employees. Therefore, if the CPEO fails to pay payroll taxes, the IRS cannot go after the client to collect employment taxes. The liability falls entirely on the CPEO, not the client.

    Contractors of FedEx must comply with the following requirements: 

    • Use only CPEOs certified by the IRS
    • Ensure that any CPEO used by the service provider is registered and in good standing with the state(s) in which it operates
    • Upon request of FedEx Ground, you must provide proof of CPEO registration with additional related information which includes:
      • Proof of workers’ compensation coverage
      • Unemployment insurance
      • All federal and state payroll taxes were withheld

    As a contractor of FedEx, you take on all liability related to your business. However, FedEx wants to ensure its contractors are complying with all rules and regulations. That’s why when you choose to outsource your business functions including HR, benefits, payroll, and/or risk management, it must be with a CPEO.   

    Get Started Today!

    All small business owners in the transportation industry looking to partner with a CPEO to save them time and money have come to the right place. When you partner with GMS, you are guaranteed a partnership with a CPEO that will ensure you are compliant. Sales representative Danielle Kossman voiced, “Having partnered with many FedEx contractors, we’ve been able to provide a single-source solution for risk management, benefits administration, payroll, HR, and employment practices liability insurance (EPLI). You can rely on GMS to ensure you comply with the ever-changing rules and regulations.”

    We understand that choosing to partner with a PEO is a huge decision. However, it ultimately benefits your business in the short and long term of the partnership. Contact us today to get started.

  • In today’s world, technology is ever-changing. As a business owner, it’s vital to stay on top of these changes to ensure your business runs efficiently. For HR professionals, technology is utilized to attract, hire, retain top talent, support workforce administration, and optimize workforce management. Technology allows individuals to gather, collect, deliver information, and communicate effectively with their employees.

    Continue reading to learn five important steps to simplify your HR technology buying process. 

    Step One: Determine What’s Missing

    If you’re currently utilizing technology, you need to dive deeply into the software and determine what’s not working for you and what is. In addition, is there anything else you wish the software could do to make your job easier?

    If you have no technology system in place, you must start by writing down what you want the technology to assist you with. Do you want it to retain and attract top talent? Perhaps, you want to ensure your job descriptions reach the right candidates. Almost 60% of HR teams state that finding, attracting, and retaining talent is the main reason for using HR technology.

    Step Two: Do Your Research

    As soon as you determine what’s missing and what you’re looking for, it’s time to do your research. There are many types of HR software available to you that will address the specific needs you determined in step one. Whether it’s recruiting or simplifying your automation process, there’s a solution out there for you. Ensure you demo every software presented to determine if it meets all your needs. The goal of HR technology is to make your job simpler.

    Step Three: Involve Employees In The Selection Process

    Business owners make the common mistake of not including their employees in this selection process. Whichever software you decide to choose, your employees will be your change champions, using it daily, so their feedback and buy-in are essential. Have your employees sit in during the demo process, whatever that may look like. When deciding what software features should be implemented, their involvement can be extremely valuable. You want software that’s easy to learn to solve your pain points and aids in the growth of your business. Listen to your employees!

    Step Four: Reach Out To Other Users

    Once you determine what technology you want to begin implementing in your business, reach out to other users who have been utilizing the same software. Hear their success stories. What do they like about it? Is it missing any pain points that you want to be solved? Every software vendor should provide you with a list of references if their product has been valuable to other businesses. If not, that’s your sign to move in another direction.

    Step Five: Determine The Right Price

    Once you’ve completed the above steps, you’ve made it to the most important step, price. As a business owner, the last thing you want to do is our money into your business, while lacking growth. However, the implementation of HR technology is vital for the growth of your business. Reach out to other business owners you know who are utilizing HR technology in their business and ask what they’re paying for it. The size of your business also impacts the price. Doing your research will help determine if you’re paying too much or too little for what you’re looking for.

    GMS’ Technology Drives Your Efficiencies 

    HR technology is an essential aspect of your business as it provides you with a decision-making tool to manage costs and enables you to reduce the time spent on administrative functions. One of the most important value propositions GMS offers our clients is the accessibility to cutting-edge technology. This type of technology is typically out of reach for small to mid-sized businesses. When you partner with GMS, you gain access to GMS Connect, a fully integrated, cloud-based human resources information system (HRIS) that enables your services and drives your efficiencies. Our software enables world-class payroll, benefits, HR, recruiting, performance management, and more – covering the entire HR spectrum from hire to retire. To demo our HRIS, contact us today!