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  • When you’re entrusting your business’ administrative needs to another company, it’s critical that you find the right partner. A Professional Employer Organization (PEO) provides comprehensive HR solutions, but some may be a better fit for your exact business needs than others.

    There are a variety of reasons why you’d want to switch – additional services, better administrative services, costs, etc.. Whether you want to switch for one major reason or a variety of issues, don’t be afraid to explore your options. Here’s what it takes to make the switch from one PEO to another.

    A small business owner researching a switch from one PEO to another. 

    The Four Steps to Switching PEOs

    There are four main steps you need to take when it’s time to make the switch to a new PEO:

    1. Evaluation
    2. Information gathering
    3. Quote comparison
    4. Implementation

    Evaluation

    There are a variety of ways that you can find potential new partners – online research, recommendations from other business owners, etc. – but it’s important to know exactly what you want out of your new PEO. The types of services and support you want not only has a direct effect on which PEO is right for you but also impacts the transition process. As such, you’ll want to weigh the following factors.

    • The types of services you need
    • Administrative support and technology

    What services do you want to switch?

    When you switch to a new PEO, you’ll want to identify which HR functions you want them to manage. Some PEOs offer a full suite of services, including payroll, worker’s compensation, and a variety of benefits. Others may limit themselves to just payroll and workers’ compensation. If those additional services are important to you, you’ll need to vet each PEO to make sure they can expertly manage the HR functions that are important for your business.

    It’s also crucial to understand that you may need to switch multiple services over at the same time. For example, if your last PEO took care of both payroll and benefits, both of those functions must be switched over together – you can’t have one PEO handle payroll and the other handle benefits. If you have your benefits through a broker, you can switch to a new PEO for payroll without moving the benefits.

    Administrative support and technology

    One big reason to switch to a new PEO is that you’re unsatisfied with the level of support they provide. There are a variety of potential support issues:

    • You need localized support to help with onboarding and other needs.
    • You don’t have dedicated representatives for your administrative needs.
    • You encounter lengthy delays when you or your employees have questions regarding payroll, benefits, and other services.
    • You feel like just another number.

    You and your employees shouldn’t ever feel like you’re stranded. Make sure to ask each potential PEO about their administrative support. A good partner should have a team in place to manage your HR functions and assist you with any potential questions. If they can’t give you details about your contacts and their process, they may not have the means to give you the support you need.

    You should also take technology into account. Features like electronic onboarding, self-service portals, and other technology can make it easy for you to access your administrative needs in one spot and give employees the means to access important details like paystubs, benefits plans, 401(k), and more.

    Information gathering

    Once you weigh your different options, it’s time to get some quotes from viable PEOs. This process typically starts with a meeting so that the PEO can gather some key information. During this meeting, you’ll want to share what you liked about your previous PEO, what you didn’t, and how you’d like to improve on your situation.

    While you can get a lot of useful information during this process, your potential PEO also has a few questions for you regarding the following.

    • Payroll information
    • Benefits information
    • Timing

    Payroll information

    A PEO will require some details and documents in order to evaluate your current situation and provide accurate quotes for your needs. For payroll, that includes the following:

    • Your first invoice of the year.
    • Your most recent invoice.
    • A third invoice from the same year that highlights a typical payroll period.
    • A rate determination sheet for state unemployment.

    These documents will allow your PEO to conduct financial analysis for your business to extrapolate and forecast your projected payroll for the full year. It will also help the PEO identify opportunities, whether that means uncovering savings related to workers’ compensation, unemployment rates, or more.

    Benefits information

    If you plan to switch health insurance as well, your PEO will need to gather some information from the employees on your group health plan. This information includes:

    • Your most recent insurance bill.
    • Your renewal packet.
    • Your plan designs.

    The PEO will also need to conduct some form of group application to accurately underwrite your group. The exact process depends on how many employees are on your plan. If you have fewer than 28 employees – this does not include dependents – the PEO would need each participating employee to complete a two-page personal health questionnaire. If you have 28 or more employees on your plan, the PEO can conduct a census quote. This process simply requires a list of the participating employees to generate a quote instead of individual applications.

    Timing

    It’s important to consider more than just who you want to manage your HR functions. You’ll want to identify when this transition will need to take place. 

    In general, it makes sense to try and time up a transition with the beginning of a new quarter (or even year depending on the size of your company). Once you change PEOs, you switch federal IDs in the middle of a payroll season, which can lead to multiple W2s and potential confusion for you and your employees. 

    By timing the transition at the beginning of a year or quarter, you can streamline the transition for tax purposes. This transition process can take a good four to six weeks, but it’s heavily dependent on each situation. As such, you’ll want to give yourself enough time to switch to a new PEO when it best suits your company.

    Quote comparison

    Once you’ve received quotes from your potential new PEOs, it’s time to evaluate each one to find which company offers the most value to your business. You’ll want to find a PEO that is not only competitively priced, but also offers you all the services and the support necessary to streamline running your business.

    It’s also important to factor in how your PEO plans to bill your company. Some PEOs have bundle billing where they tie administrative fees and various rates (ex. social security, unemployment, etc.) into a single line item. This can make parsing out each cost confusing. For example, you might not be sure whether you’ve capped your unemployment costs. State unemployment caps once employees earn $9,000, while federal unemployment caps at $7,000. This change can be hard to see with a bundled bill, which means you may be paying more than what you should.

    Instead, look for PEOs that are willing to break out each line item. This way you can see what you’re being charged for social security, Medicare, federal unemployment, state unemployment, workers’ compensation, health insurance, and administrative fees.

    Implementation

    When you’ve finally picked out your next PEO, it’s time to officially switch over to your new partner. As you may expect, you’ll need to complete some paperwork in order to start the process. This includes:

    • A service agreement.
    • An AC-2 form (Request to Add/Change or Terminate Permanent Authorization).
    • A UA-3 form (Professional Employer Organization Client Relationship Notification).

    Depending on the PEO, you can either sign physical documents or submit these items electronically if the company is paperless. Once the initial paperwork is filed, your PEO would begin the implementation process. The implementation process can differ for each PEO. At GMS, a dedicated account representative would assist you throughout the implementation process. This person would also set up training sessions to make sure you’re comfortable with internal systems for payroll, benefits, etc.

    For payroll, you would receive an electronic onboarding spreadsheet to complete. Once the spreadsheet is done, an email will go out to the employees to have them fill out forms (I-9, W-4,), set up direct deposit, and enter into our system. If you sign on for benefits, you would also have a dedicated benefits representative as well. This person can go on-site or arrange virtual meetings to meet with employees, roll out your benefits, go over plans, and educate everyone on how their benefits work so that everyone is on the same page.

    During this whole process, we would also send your previous PEO a termination notice. Your past PEO may require a written notice of termination – 30-day notice is typical. We would also detail any remaining tax obligations over other final items in the termination letter so that the former PEO will comply with their responsibilities.

    Find the Right PEO for Your Business

    When you run a business, it’s imperative to find the right administrative solution for your business. Managing HR functions is a critical part of any company, but it also puts a massive burden on your shoulders. The right PEO can free you up to focus on growing your business while giving you the administrative support you deserve.

    At GMS we strive to make your business simpler, safer, and stronger. Contact GMS today to talk to one of our experts about how we can help you take control of your HR functions.

  • The hiring process is already difficult enough. The time, money, and energy it takes to conduct a thorough search for the right people is a serious commitment. Unfortunately, unconscious bias adds yet another hurdle for both your company and potential job candidates.

    The goal of hiring is to find the right person for your company. Unconscious bias can cause your company to eliminate or overvalue prospects based on first impressions, preconceived notions, and other factors that aren’t true indicators of talent. Regardless of why and how they occur, it’s important to mitigate the impact of unconscious bias so that you can focus on what matters: hiring the best talent for your business.

    A job interview conducted with practices that help eliminate unconscious bias from the hiring process.

    What Can Unconscious Bias Affect in the Hiring Process?

    First and foremost, unconscious bias can cost you the best candidate. In a pool of prospects, you may unwittingly eliminate a top candidate because of certain predispositions or unintended consequences from certain hiring practices. By updating your hiring process, you can increase your odds of identifying the perfect people for open positions. 

    It’s important to note that bias extends beyond practices deemed discriminatory. In addition to explicit bias against race, gender, disability, and more, there are many other implicit biases. These unconscious biases may seem harmless at first, but can cause people to eliminate certain candidates or overvalue others. For example, certain hiring practices may not intend to exclude certain groups of people. However, these actions may cause companies to unknowingly make decisions based on secondary or tertiary factors instead of identifying who is right for your company. 

    8 Ways to Help Prevent Unconscious Bias in the Hiring Process

    It can be difficult to eliminate unconscious bias – it’s called unconscious bias, after all. However, there are some actions you can take throughout the hiring process to help remove these involuntary actions as you focus on finding the best possible candidate for your business.

    Evaluate word choice in job descriptions

    Words matter. Job descriptions play a critical role in attracting top talent. However, certain language can dissuade certain applicants from applying if you’re not careful. 

    For example, using words like “guys” or “journeyman” in a job description can act as a red flags to female prospects. There are also less obvious gender-biased language that may deter qualified candidates. According to social role theory, certain word choices can reflect unconscious biases based on stereotypical roles and behaviors. As such, terms like “competitive” are typically geared to appeal to men, whereas words like “collaborative” attract more women than men.

    The best way to avoid accidental bias in job descriptions is to carefully examine how they’re written. Once you spot a potential issue, experiment with wording to find an acceptable replacement that appeals to a wider audience. While certain terms are easier to identify than others, there are tools available to help in this endeavor. Both Gender Decoder and Textio can evaluate text to help spot questionable words to prepare your job descriptions for everyone. 

    Find new talent sources

    When it comes time to hire a new employee, many companies use the same methods that have worked in the past. This process makes sense to a degree – don’t fix what isn’t broken. However, this mindset also prevents you from potentially opening up your recruitment and sourcing efforts to a more diverse audience.

    If you’ve turned to the same sources for years, odds are you’ll get more of the same pool of applicants in the future. By widening your search, you can open your company up to a more diverse group of talent than before. In addition, research shows that diversity is good for business. A McKinsey study analyzed 366 public companies and discovered that the organizations were “more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians.”

    This doesn’t mean you should abandon past sourcing methods – LinkedIn and referrals are tried and true for a reason. Instead, consider increasing the visibility of your openings by utilizing new resources, whether that means listing jobs on a career advancement platform like Jopwell, partnering with different colleges, and identifying other ways to diversify your applicant pool.

    Consider “blind” resume reviews

    It doesn’t take much to develop a preconceived notion about a candidate. In fact, unconscious bias can start as soon as you spot some basic information. 

    Names, educational backgrounds, and locations can all trigger hidden biases that can both favor and disfavor candidates for a multitude of reasons. These justifications can be as silly as a candidate went to a rival college – you never know when the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry will rear its ugly head. Research also indicates that people with foreign-sounding names are 28 percent less likely to land an interview than those with more “Anglo”-sounding names. 

    To avoid these issues, take a blind approach to reviewing resumes and block out any surface demographic characteristics that don’t directly impact the quality of a potential employee. Removing details like names can help you focus on what matters – is this person qualified for this job? This way you and anyone else reviewing resumes can concentrate on important details instead of adding false value to secondary criteria.

    Standardize interviews

    Not only can establishing a set list for every candidate speed up the hiring process, it can also help you avoid any accidental bias.

    Unstructured interviews without any defined questions can put candidates on different playing fields. One interviewee may provide a great answer to one question, but you can’t compare those responses if you ask different questions or present them in a different manner. Standardized interviews allow you to minimize bias by focusing on important factors and being able to analyze each candidate as evenly as possible.

    Avoid snap judgments

    According to Monster, “job applicants have on average just 6 minutes and 25 seconds during the first meeting to impress interviewers.” Other studies suggest that some interviewers made hiring decisions after just 15 seconds. First impressions are important, but banking on initial observations is quick path to unconscious bias.

    Simply put, it’s easy to judge people at first glance. The problem is that interviewers shouldn’t let superficial factors cloud the entire interview. It’s crucial to focus on factors that will directly impact job performance instead of personal details. For example, visible tattoos, hair color, and body weight can all play into a person’s first impression, but shouldn’t affect a candidate’s standing unless it’s a direct negative for the position. 

    Snap judgments also go both ways. There can be situations where an interview may be unconsciously biased toward a candidate because of a first impression. Even something as simple as going to the same high school or being proud Corgi owners can add a sense of “likability” that may color your perception of a candidate’s answers. Instead be hyper-aware that the quality of the interview should focus on a candidate’s qualifications and fit for the company, not some secondary factor.

    Don’t ask for salary history

    While you may be curious to know what candidates earned in the past, that information may do more harm than good. First, certain states have made it illegal to ask applicants about their salary history. Even if you’re in a state that still allows the practice, that information can lead to incorrect misconceptions about certain candidates.

    One reason for this is that it can be easy to try and relate people’s current and past salaries to their abilities and level of responsibility. However, that’s not necessarily the case. Every company approaches compensation differently, so it’s impossible to truly know if a lower salary is an indication of lesser talent or if employees are applying because it’s a better opportunity.

    For example, the presence of unconscious gender bias plays a part in why women’s median annual earnings are $9,766 less than men’s. In the end, it can be close to impossible to definitively use salary history to judge a candidate’s ability. Instead, it’s best to avoid the question and remove any possibility of unconscious bias based on the results.

    Provide a salary range

    While asking for salary history can prove problematic, providing a salary range is a good way to keep everyone on the same page. Salary ranges provide a few distinct benefits. Notably, they allow you to set a salary expectation upfront and streamline or even eliminate salary negotiations from the hiring process. An added benefit of this tactic is that it can help eliminate some unexpected biases as well.

    As with asking for a salary history, the salary negotiation process can create some unconscious preconceptions that aren’t a true indicator of a candidate’s ability or fit. For example, some interviewers may find it odd if talented candidates ask for notably less than what you expect to pay them. A possible reaction would be to assume that these candidates aren’t as good as they seem in an interview and on paper. They may simply come from a business that paid them notably less – especially if their salaries are impacted by the aforementioned pay gap. By setting a salary range, you can avoid these questions altogether and build trust with candidates who appreciate transparency. 

    Use skill assessments and work sample tests

    If you’re trying to find the best possible person for a certain role, it may be best to test out their skills first. Resumes, interviews, and other sources can provide great insight. Unfortunately, it’s no secret that some candidates will exaggerate their abilities. However, you may be more likely to believe them based on a snap judgment or some other preconceived notion. Work sample tests and skill assessments can give you additional evidence of just how well a candidate can perform a job or if they have what it takes to succeed.

    If you want an indicator of whether an employee has what it takes, skill assessments can give you extra insight into that person’s capabilities. From personality tests to situational judgment assessments, these examinations can help you confirm or deny any initial suspicions so that your company isn’t banking on gut decisions alone. The exact skill assessments you choose can vary greatly. To help, TalentLyft provides a comprehensive list of different skill assessment tools available.

    Work sample tests offer extra insight in that you’ll get to see how a candidate may do with a real project or task. These tests are different than requesting past work samples – you have full control over what is assigned. In addition, the test you use for an opening should be the same for every candidate who makes it to that point in the process. This will allow you to compare each candidate based on the quality of their work instead of outside factors.

    Identify the Perfect Candidates for Your Company

    The hiring process is complicated. While it may seem simple – find and hire the best candidate – there are a multitude of factors that impact every step of the process. However, all the time and effort spent is worth it when you find that perfect person to fill a position.

    Of course, there are always ways to help streamline and improve the hiring process. GMS can help you create a new, more efficient hiring process to not only help you find the right people for your business, but also help you use your time to focus on growing your business in other ways. Contact GMS today to talk about employee recruitment and onboarding management.

  • As an employer, it can be difficult to balance the desire to return to business and maintain a safe operation. Unfortunately, there’s not necessarily an exact answer as to how to approach reopening your business during a pandemic. While there are some rules and regulations, many details can be unclear or depend on your location, the nature of your business, and a plethora of other reasons. To help, we broke down some key factors you should consider when it’s time to reopen your business or expand operations.

    A man with a face covering after his small business returned to work. 

    Is My Region Ready for My Business to Reopen?

    It’s important to identify if your community is in a good position before you attempt to reopen your business. The White House’s Guidelines for Opening Up America Again recommends a phased approach to reopening businesses to help slow the spread of COVID-19. These guidelines suggest a few general state or regional criteria for relaxing restrictions based on certain factors within your community.

    • There should be a downward trajectory of both influenza-like illnesses (ILI) and COVID-like syndromic cases reported within a 14-day period.
    • There should be either a downward trajectory of documented cases within a 14-day period or a downward trajectory of positive tests as a percent of total tests within a 14-day period (flat or increasing volume of tests).
    • Regional hospitals should be able to treat all patients without crisis care
    • There should be a robust testing program in place for at-risk healthcare workers, including emerging antibody testing.

    While the factors listed above are solid guidelines for a safer return, it’s important to note that these are not mandates. Each state is able to independently manage COVID-19 regulations, so you’ll need to double-check local laws and rulings for any specific regulations. 

    The Three Phases for Reopening Your Business

    If your state does allow for your business to reopen, consider taking a multi-phase approach to resuming operations. This method can help you reopen your business in different stages to help keep you, your employees, and your clientele safe while you get back to business.

    Phase one

    The first phase focuses on making telework available to any employees who do not need to be onsite to complete their duties. If you maintain a regular place of business, you should close off any common areas to prevent anyone other than employees who must be on location. In addition to allowing for remote work, businesses in phase one should also minimize nonessential travel.

    Phase two

    After going through phase one long enough for another two-week decline in cases, guidelines indicate that businesses can shift to phase two. Businesses should have an accommodation plan for vulnerable employees in place at this point. 

    Employees who cannot work from home are allowed to return to the workplace as long as they follow proper safety protocol. Social distancing measures must be enforced, but businesses can ease limitations on the number of people in a space.

    Phase three

    Advancement to phase three requires another two-week decline in cases at the previous stage. Once in phase three, employers can resume unrestricted staffing of worksites. However, businesses in this phase should maintain social distancing guidelines where possible and are recommended to approach public interaction very carefully.

    What to Address When Reopening Your Business

    When it’s time to return to work, it’s important to weigh many factors that can impact you and your employees. According to the CDC, any plan to reopen your business should meet the following criteria:

    • Be specific to your workplace.
    • Identify all areas and job tasks with potential exposures to COVID-19.
    • Include control measures to eliminate or reduce such exposures.

    To meet these standards, you’ll need to address some key elements before you reopen your business.

    Hazard assessment

    As you plan for a return to work, it’s critical to assess potential hazards to you and your employees and take measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. The following practices can help you identify potential risk factors and keep your workforce safe.

    A thorough hazard assessment should be completed before any employees return to work on company premises. Various locations and job duties can create hazards specific to your business. It’s imperative to pinpoint potential problem areas and determine what can be done to protect people in those positions. The CDC suggests using the following hierarchy of controls to implement feasible and effective control solutions.

    1. Elimination – Physically remove the hazard
    2. Substitution – Replace the hazard
    3. Engineering controls – Isolate people from the hazard
    4. Administrative controls – Change the way people work
    5. PPE – Protect the worker with Personal Protective Equipment

    This hierarchy represents the most to least effective means of eliminating exposure risks in the workplace. For example, if a specific hazard forced employees to work in close quarters, the removal of that hazard is the most effective way to eliminate the risk. Of course, elimination or substitution isn’t always practical or even feasible. Instead, use the hierarchy to identify the best, most realistic method to lessen exposure risks and enact those preventative measures.

    Social distancing measures

    One effective control solution is to enable practices that help employees and potential clientele to maintain a safe distance during work. Six-foot spacing is the expected standard, so consider the following steps to promote social distancing standards in the workplace.

    • Post signage that everyone – employees, customers, and visitors included – should maintain at least a six-foot distance from each other.
    • Add directional signs for hallways and other spaces where six-foot spacing restricts movement.
    • Mark floors, counters, and more with tape or signs to create clear spaces for where employees and/or customers should stand to maintain social distancing.
    • Limit occupancy to help provide additional space for employees, customers, and visitors to prevent overcrowding and improper distancing.
    • Implement teleworking capabilities to allow people to work from home
    • Modify the work area to create more physical space between employees.
    • Close certain spaces – such as common areas – where people congregate or are too small for social distancing measures.

    Improve workplace hygiene

    Once you’ve taken steps to assess potential exposure risks and enact social distancing measures, it’s time to identify ways to implement improved hygiene standards. There are a variety of practices that employers can enact to help maintain a healthy environment and keep workspaces clean.

    • Keep soap, water, hand wipes, and paper towels available for employees, customers, and visitors to wash their hands.
    • Encourage frequent hand washing and post instructions on how to properly wash hands at all sinks or other washing stations.
    • Provide hand sanitizer – ideally with touchless dispensers – with at least 60 percent alcohol and stress to employees the importance of using it.
    • Educate employees about proper CDC sneezing and coughing practices.
    • Place no-touch trash cans and other receptacles around the premises.
    • Prohibit handshaking.
    • Discourage workers from using other employees’ desks, phones, supplies, and any other work tools and equipment.
    • Identify high-traffic areas and commonly touched surfaces that require regular cleaning and disinfection.
    • Routinely clean surfaces and higher-traffic areas in the workplace with an EPA-approved disinfectant.

    Create practices to identify and address exposed or ill employees

    Another key step toward reopening is to create a plan for employees affected by COVID-19. These policies should cover workers who may currently be sick or who show symptoms while at work.

    Have sick employees stay home

    If an employee may be sick – or live with someone who is sick – play it safe and have them stay away from work. Stress to employees that they should remain at home and notify their supervisor if they feel sick or have noticed any symptoms for COVID-19. Have employees evaluate themselves for potential symptoms before heading to work. In addition, provide them with a link to the CDC’s steps for individuals who may have COVID-19. These employees should stay away from work until they or their family members meet the CDC’s guidelines to discontinue home isolation and are cleared by a healthcare professional. 

    Consider conducting daily in-person or virtual health checks

    One way to help limit potential exposure is to conduct site temperature checks, symptom questionnaires, or other forms of health screening while at work. Neither the OSH Act nor OSHA standards prevent employers from testing employees for COVID-19 as long as this testing is done in a transparent, non-retaliatory manner.

    Personnel who conduct these screenings should wear PPE or some other level of protection. It is also not necessary to make a record of temperature checks and other details – screeners can simply acknowledge readings then and there. If you choose to document these records, you’ll want to retain them and keep them confidential as you would any other document covered under the Access to Employee Exposure and Medical Records standard.

    Separate sick employees and send them home

    It’s critical to have a policy in place for any employees who fail a screening or become ill while in the workplace. This protocol should include details about how and where to isolate sick employees if they are unable to leave immediately. For employees who use public transportation or are otherwise unable to take themselves home or to a healthcare facility, have a procedure in place to provide them with safe transport. 

    Once the affected individual leaves, all spaces that person has touched or otherwise occupied should be cleaned and disinfected to prevent possible exposure to others. Use the CDC’s cleaning and disinfection recommendations to prepare areas for future use.

    • Clean dirty surfaces with soap and water before disinfecting them.
    • Disinfect surfaces with products that meet EPA criteria for use against SARS-Cov-2 and are appropriate for the surface.
    • Always wear gloves and gowns appropriate for the chemicals being used when you are cleaning and disinfecting.
    • Wear additional PPE depending on the setting and disinfectant product you are using. For each product you use, consult and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use.

    Create a return to work policy for workers who dealt with illness or exposure

    Make sure to have some guidelines in place before an employee returns to company premises after isolation. To start, employees should use the following CDC recommendations to know when to discontinue isolation.

    • At least 10 days have passed since symptom onset.
    • At least 24 hours have passed since resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications.
    • Other symptoms have improved.

    Once the affected employee is ready to return, have that employee routinely perform self-monitoring in addition to any workplace screenings required.

    List and install various controls and safe work practices

    Before you open back up for business, you should document and implement the different measures taken to protect employees from exposure in the workplace. These measures should include different engineering and administrative controls, safe work practices, PPEs, and other regulations.

    Engineering controls for COVID-19

    There are multiple engineering controls that can help isolate employees from potential work-related hazards. These controls typically involve improving or altering worksites to reduce the chances of exposure. Certain engineering controls are more feasible than others, but the following options can help you improve the overall safety of your business.

    • Improve ventilation rates in working environments and disable demand-controlled ventilation (DCV).
    • Install high-efficiency air filters.
    • Keep ventilation systems running longer hours, perhaps even all day, to enhance air exchanges in the building space.
    • Mount physical barriers such as clear plastic guard walls and sneeze guards between work stations, places with employee/customer interaction, and other spaces.
    • Add a drive-through window or some other means of distancing for customer service.
    • Move electronic payment reader away from cashier.
    • Remove or rearrange furniture and other items to increase space and maneuverability.
    • Review the safety of your building water system and devices after a prolonged shutdown.

    Administrative controls

    While engineering controls alter your work spaces, administrative controls are changes to work policies that impact employees. Adjusting certain procedures can help limit the odds of exposure and give employees not only a safer work environment, but also some peace of mind to allow them to focus on their jobs and personal lives. Consider instituting some of the following administrative controls when it’s time to return to work.

    • Create communication plans and invest in online teleconferencing or chat platforms to give employees the means to communicate away from the office and address any concerns.
    • Evaluate existing policies and, if needed, implement new ones that provide additional flexibility and use of telework, types of leave, and other options to help employees minimize exposure risks.
    • Replace in-person meetings with virtual communications to minimize contact among employees, clients, and customers.
    • Offer work hour flexibility, alternating days, or staggered shifts to limit the number of employees in the same location at the same time.
    • Limit, or even discontinue, nonessential travel.
    • Limit capacity for break rooms.
    • Mandate employees wear cloth face masks and other appropriate face coverings if PPE is not required.
    • Provide employees with up-to-date education on COVID-19 risk factors and training for protective behaviors, such as how to wear protective clothing, proper care, etc.

    PPEs

    As an employer, you are obligated to provide employees with the proper PPE required to keep them safe as they complete their duties. Gloves, goggles, face shields, face masks, and respiratory protection are all forms of PPE that may be required depending on an employee’s duties. Before you reopen your business, you should assess which PPE is required for every employee based on specific job duties and the hazards faced in that role. In addition, PPE should be provided at no cost to the employees. According to OSHA, the PPE supplied to your employees should be:

    • Selected based upon the hazard to the worker.
    • Properly fitted and periodically refitted, as applicable (e.g., respirators).
    • Consistently and properly worn when required.
    • Regularly inspected, maintained, and replaced, as necessary.
    • Properly removed, cleaned, and stored or disposed of, as applicable, to avoid contamination of self, others, or the environment.

    Don’t Prepare for the Future Alone

    Running a successful business isn’t easy during normal times – figuring out how to safely reopen during a pandemic is a different challenge altogether. There are multiple factors that impact the ability to reopen your business in a safe and compliant manner, and only so much time for you and your team to determine the right course of action for your company.

    While reopening your business is a frenzied experience, you don’t have to go through the process by yourself. At GMS, our experts can help guide you through difficult decisions and take the administrative burden off your shoulders as you lead your business through a critical endeavor. Contact GMS today to find out how we can help you make your business simpler, safer, and stronger.

  • When you can’t meet face-to-face, video interviews are a great way to assess a potential candidate. When in-person meetings aren’t feasible, video interviews allow you to visually interact with applicants regardless of their location.

    Of course, there are some additional hurdles with video interviews. Technical difficulties with video conferencing technology or unfamiliarity with video interviews can derail a promising conversation. To help, we’ve put together some tips you can follow to streamline your video interview process and quickly hire the right employees.

    A job candidate going through a video interview with a small business owner. 

    Set Up Your Interview Space

    Your face isn’t the only thing candidates will see during a video interview. Your background can say a lot about your organization, both good and bad. Regardless of whether you’re operating in an office or at home, take the time to ensure that your interview space is set up for a video interview. 

    Proper lighting is critical for video presentations. A room that’s too dark will muddle your appearance and look dreary. On the flip side, direct sunlight will create strange shadows or blow out your features. Try experimenting with adding lights, closing shades, or repositioning your space to see which works best for you. When in doubt, have someone take a picture of you from another computer so that you have an idea of what candidates will see ahead of time. 

    The physical presentation of your space also sends a message to the interviewees. It should come as no surprise that your space should be clean – dirty mugs or marks on the wall aren’t going to send a great message to prospective employees. However, your space doesn’t need to be devoid of items. Awards, personal knickknacks, and photos are perfectly acceptable and can even add some character to the interview process as long as they’re workplace appropriate. A good rule of thumb is that if you wouldn’t want your employees to see something, keep it out of the camera’s view.

    Dress Appropriately

    After you’ve dressed up your space for a video interview, it’s time to think about how you should dress. If you’re at the office, you’re probably already in appropriate apparel. However, conducting video interviews at home can lead to some loose definitions of professional garb. Your outfit communicates a lot about your company culture, so you’ll want to make sure what you wear is right for your business.

    While you may only be visible from the waist up on camera, you should take the time and effort to dress appropriately from head to toe. Your exact outfit depends on you and your company. For some, that may mean a full suit and tie while others may embrace a much more casual appearance. Regardless, your clothes should always be clean and presentable – a stained shirt is certainly not going to help anyone out during an interview.

    Remove Potential Distractions

    It can be easy to forget about something until it announces it’s presence during a video interview. Do a quick scan of your interview space and identify if there are any objects that will create noise, flash, or somehow distract you or the interviewee. You should also silence your phone ahead of time – your next call or text can wait until the interview is over. If you’re working from home, let your family know when you have an interview and find a quiet spot in the house away from pets and kids.

    Distractions also extend to your computer as well. Everything from email to messaging platforms can pop up messages or make noise throughout your video interview. Even if you aren’t sharing your screen, these popups and sounds can distract you and your interviewee from the task at hand. Make sure to close out these applications ahead of the video interview to put a stop to these issues.

    Of course, some distractions are unavoidable. If you’re working from home, there’s not much you can do if your neighbor decides to mow the lawn or your dog barks at a squirrel in the front yard. If you think background noise is a possibility, be upfront with your interviewee that he or she may hear some sound on your end. Acknowledging potential noise will at least take the surprise out of the situation and make the occasional disruptive neighbor less awkward.

    Get Comfortable in Front of a Camera

    In general, how you act and speak during a video interview shouldn’t be different than a face-to-face meeting. The issue with video interviews is that you may not be quite as comfortable in front of a camera. It can be more difficult to pick up on body language or certain speaking cues when your candidate is on a screen in front of you, so you’ll want to focus on a few practices to keep you and the interviewee at ease.

    To start, try to maintain positive body language on screen. Some people have a tendency to fidget or sway during video calls, especially if the meeting starts to go long. Even if unintentional, moving back and forth is not only distracting to candidates, it’s also a visual sign that you may just be that into them. Even if that’s true, better posture and body language can help make for a better interviewing experience for both parties.

    Eye contact is also important. Whether you’re glancing at yourself onscreen or referring to a candidate’s resume or other documents, you want to try and keep the candidate at ease. Look at the camera occasionally to establish eye contact and try to limit wayward glances to show that you’re interested in what the candidate is saying. You should also be careful not to interrupt candidates as they speak. It can be trickier to tell when someone has finished a point in video calls, so take an extra pause to ensure a candidate finished his or her response before stepping in to speak.

    Do Some Test Runs Before Your Video Interviews

    Not sure exactly how the video interview process is going to work? Test out the process with someone else instead of winging it with your next potential employee. Practice interviews with current employees, family members, or other test subjects will help you iron out the process and identify any technical issues before they become an embarrassing problem. This will give you an opportunity to troubleshoot any difficulties with your video conferencing platform or equipment.

    Test runs also give you a chance to practice everything else that’s on this list. Not sure how your workspace translates to interview? Your test partner can let you know if you need better lighting or if you’re glancing off camera too much. Once you’ve highlighted these issues, you can solve existing problems or take what you’ve learned and apply them to the interviews that count.

    Give Detailed Instructions to Job Candidates

    If you had some issues with your video conferencing platform, it’s fair to say that some of your job candidates may as well. Whether you use Zoom, WebEx, or any other video conferencing platform, you’ll want to be as thorough with video interview instructions as possible.

    To start, you should let candidates know what platform you’re using and if they need to download any software, create an account, or anything else to use the platform. After that, you should lay out step-by-step instructions for accessing the platform, whether it’s as simple as clicking a link in an email or something more complicated. Don’t be afraid to include screenshots as well for visual assistance. Not only will this help them successfully join the interview, it’ll also cut out potential delays by giving them this information days ahead of time instead of forcing them to figure it out at the last minute.

    Of course, there are some situations where technical difficulties may foil even the best of plans. Provide candidates with a backup phone number (and ask them for one as well) on the off chance of user error or an issue with your video conferencing platform. You’ll also want to schedule out extra time for video interviews. Not only will this allot some buffer time in case of technical difficulties, but it can also be valuable if you need to conduct back-to-back video calls. Just don’t use the same meeting room and access code for multiple interviews – the last thing you want is to have one candidate join early on another prospect’s call.

    Find the Right Employees for Your Company

    Whether you’re interviewing people in person, via video, or on the phone, it’s critical to identify the right people for your business. A Professional Employer Organization can help you streamline this time-consuming process through employee recruiting services that help you find top talent and build your business for the future. Contact GMS today to talk to one of our experts about how we can help your simplify your hiring process. 

  • Hiring talented, committed employees is a crucial part of running any business. Identifying those key employees is especially important when you need to lean on those individuals during a recession. Even during tough times, you may find yourself in a position where you need to grow your team. Between financial concerns and a growing pool of potential candidates, it’s important to weigh a few factors to ensure you make the right hiring decision for your business.

    An employer finding the right new employee during a recession.

    Scrutinize Each Open Position

    In a recession, you may not have quite as much flexibility to add to your payroll. This impact on your bottom line means that it’s additionally important to review your hiring needs and estimate timelines and costs. If you’re looking to add employees, you’ll need to examine short- and long-term needs and see how adding people will impact your business. 

    To start, analyze every opening. Is this a role that’s absolutely essential or will help generate business, even during a recession? You’ll want to determine the importance of each potential position and fill the most crucial roles first if you need to be picky. You’ll also need to try and forecast how the recession will affect your business – if there’s a fair chance you’ll need to furlough or let people go in the near future, you should hold off on adding employees. You can also get creative with certain openings. Freelance or temp workers are a short-term solution that can help when money is tight.

    Evaluate Your Current Staff

    If you’re looking to fill certain positions, you should also look inward for hiring opportunities. There may be a talented employee ready to make the jump and take on more responsibilities instead of having to hire another person. This scenario is hugely beneficial during a recession for a couple of reasons. 

    First, internal hires tend to cost less than external ones. Not only can promoting from within take less time and effort than a lengthy interview process, the starting salary for external hires is roughly 18 to 20 percent higher on average than internal candidates. Second, you already know how an internal candidate fits into your company culture. This familiarity is extremely important, especially when you consider that external hires are 61 percent more likely to be fired from new positions than people who are promoted from within.

    There’s also a chance that after evaluation, you may realize that you don’t need more employees – or that you may need to fill more holes than you expected. It’s good to take a critical look at your organizational structure and current staff. To do this, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) suggests asking yourself a few questions:

    • Do we have the right leaders, and are they in the right positions? 
    • Is our staff aligned to meet organizational goals?
    • What opportunities do we have to improve or grow the business? 
    • How can we best structure our work groups to achieve optimal results? 
    • How can we reduce costs without compromising the quality of our product or service? 
    • Can we automate or outsource any functions or processes to drive internal efficiency?

    The answers to these questions can help inform key decisions, which is especially important during a recession. An in-depth review of your team will help you identify ways to make your workforce more efficient or gaps that can be filled by existing employees. You may also learn that you need to fill a different role than originally planned. Regardless, looking inward can help you get the team you need in place so that you can stay strong during a recession.

    Market Your Business, Not Just the Job Opening

    A recession is an unsettling time for both employers and employees. Seeing friends, family, and coworkers get furloughed or laid off can make a once promising job candidate less likely to look for a new job. There are also a few other reasons why potential prospects would refrain from job hunting:

    When talented prospects are hesitant to move, it’s time to approach recruiting with a marketing mindset. Make it clear to candidates exactly why your business is a great landing spot. If you know that your business is financially secure, make it clear to concerned candidates that the new position is a safe landing spot for talented, innovative people. 

    Showcase the aspects of your business that make your brand an attractive one to work for, whether that’s an attractive benefits plan, quality of life perks, or any other differentiators. It’s also important to listen to desirable candidates about what they want in a job. These details can help you understand what it takes to attract top talents in trying times and adjust your recruiting approach accordingly.

    Be Selective, But Don’t Drag Your Feet

    With layoffs and furloughs, the hiring pool is larger than usual during a recession. These factors may give you a wider group of potential prospects, it can also mean that there are more unqualified people eyeing your positions. As such, it’s crucial that you work to find the right candidate for the job. If you have specific requirements, make them clearly known on job descriptions to narrow your candidate pool to the proper people. Don’t be afraid to be picky – hiring a new employee is a major investment, so finding the best fit is key.

    Once you identify someone as a top target, it’s time to act. You’re not the only company looking to hire in a recession, so top talent can disappear quickly once other companies recognize their worth. If you feel great about a candidate after going through the interview process and the background check comes back clean, don’t hesitate to make an offer before another business does.

    Get the Right Team in Place for Your Business

    A recession is a challenge for just about every business, but having the right people in the right seats can help keep your business stable during difficult financial times. Do you need help recruiting the right employees for your business? Contact GMS today to talk to one of our experts about employee recruiting services and employee benefits administration to attract top talent to your team.

  • Working from home creates a few challenges – more distractions, an inability to work in the same room as your coworkers, etc. Each of these realities can have a direct impact on productivity. With more employees working from home than ever before, it’s important to take steps to set telecommuting employees up for success. Here are four ways that you can help your employees stay productive when working from home.

    A remote emplyee using video conferencing technology to stay productive. 

    Set Regular Check-ins

    Just because you’re not in the same place as your employees doesn’t mean you can’t connect with them. While emails and group chat platforms are helpful for regular communication, regular face time is still very important. As such, consider scheduling regular check-ins that can help you or appropriate managers set work priorities and build a rapport with the team.

    In terms of facilitating these check-ins, phone calls and video chats can help employees hear other people’s voices and even see faces to help create a sense of normalcy. Depending on the size of your company or specific departments within your company, you can hold group check-ins and sprinkle in some one-on-one meetings as well. You’ll also want to figure out a frequency that makes sense for you and your employees. For some groups, you may want to consider daily check-ins. That may sound like a lot, but a 10-minute video chat every morning can mean a lot if it helps employees set priorities and feel less separated from their coworkers.

    Use Technology and Productivity Tools to Your Advantage

    Speaking of group chat platforms and video conferencing technology, you should consider investing in some tools to help everyone stay connected. These tools can take on a few different forms, including:

    • Group chat
    • Video conferencing
    • Project management platforms

    Group chat tools like Slack and HipChat are a great way for people to quickly connect with each other in a way that’s more convenient than an email chain. Whether someone has a quick question or needs to pose a question to a group, these tools can help people communicate in a more natural and immediate way. Similarly, video chat platforms like Zoom or Microsoft Teams add an even greater level of connection – when someone is stuck at home, seeing a friendly face can help increase engagement between coworkers and even clients during meetings. 

    Finally, project management platforms like Trello and Asana allow people to track tasks, share details, and set deadlines and priorities in a place where multiple people can see them. That level of transparency can be very helpful when you or a manager needs to identify which tasks are falling behind or need more attention.

    Help Establish Dedicated Workspaces

    Not only are dedicated workspaces a good safety measure, they can make a big difference in terms of productivity. Working from home offers a lot of advantages for employees – no need to commute to work, more time with your family, etc. Those same advantages can also tank employee productivity if they’re not careful.

    While you can’t completely cut out the normal distractions of home life, dedicated workspaces can help mitigate their impact on your employees. If you haven’t already, encourage your employees to create some form of home office that helps separate them from communal spaces and potential disruptions. You can also give them some pointers as to how they can help improve at-home work life. For example, you can share these tips from Fast Company with your remote workers.

    • Follow ergonomic rules to create a healthy working space
    • Embrace natural light when possible and use lamps to provide ample lighting when necessary
    • Set up a storage system to make sure you have papers and files on hand when you need them
    • Create some comfy space for occasional breaks or if you need to work in a different position
    • Personalize your space and rotate items to add some spark to your environment
    • Hide items you don’t want to look at, such as bulky power cable or items that will distract you 
    • Overstock on items you may need so that you don’t need to leave your workspace every time you need something

    Provide Ongoing Support

    While working from home has its advantages, it’s a much less social experience than being in the same space as coworkers. It’s not uncommon for remote employees to feel lonely or more detached. As such, it’s important to provide emotional support to employees as they’re separated from everyone else. 

    One way to offer this support is through frequent, clear communication. Regular emails, company messages, and check-in meetings can help ease concerns and restore some sense of normalcy. You also want to make employees aware that you and appropriate managers are readily available for employees. Consider setting up regular “office hours” for any employees who have questions or concerns, or share preferred ways that workers can contact you if necessary. 

    Another method of support is to encourage employees to take time to de-stress and take time to get away from work. It can be easy for remote employees to develop bad working habits when they live where they work. Take some time to stress that quality sleep, exercise, and mental health breaks are an important part of every work day. 

    Give Employees Non-Work Socialization Opportunities

    You can also help break up some of the telecommuting monotony by embracing team building events and other non-work interactions. Video happy hours, game nights, and other social interactions can help employees relieve stress and connect, so consider adding in a few regular events to give workers a chance to decompress together.

    Put Your Business in the Position to Succeed

    No matter where your employees work, it’s important to have procedures in place to help your employees succeed. Want to find out other ways you can set your business up for success? Contact GMS today to talk to one of our experts about how human resource outsourcing can help you free up more time to focus on your business and prepare for the future.

  • As a small business owner, you’re always trying to find new ways to make your business simpler, safer, and stronger. Co-employment is one way that employers can not only accomplish these goals, but also save time by leaving HR tasks to the experts.

    A co-employment relationship with a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) allows small business owners to outsource key HR functions like payroll and employee benefits. While co-employment can help employers free up their responsibilities, it’s not always clear exactly how this relationship impacts a business. Let’s break down what co-employment means and why it may make sense for your organization.

    What is Co-Employment?

    The term co-employment refers to the relationship between your company, your employees, and your PEO of choice. The National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO) offers a good co-employment definition to describe this affiliation: “The PEO relationship involves a contractual allocation and sharing of certain employer responsibilities between the PEO and the client, as delineated in a contract typically called a client service agreement (CSA).”

    In short, businesses partner with PEOs to split up employer responsibilities between the two. This agreement extends far beyond simply helping out the business with HR decisions – a co-employment agreement means that your employees are technically employed by both your company and the PEO. 

    While both you and your PEO employ your workers, you still remain in command. Some people avoid co-employment because of misconceptions that you’ll lose control of your business. That’s simply not true. You get to set the co-employment arrangements in your CSA. While your PEO may be viewed by the state as the employer of record, you have the final call when it comes to critical business decisions. 

    Reasons Why Businesses Choose Co-Employment

    As we said before, the co-employment relationship opens businesses up to a variety of benefits. The main reason for sharing employer status is that it opens your business up to tools and HR services that you wouldn’t have access to as a small company. Here are five big ways that co-employment adds value to your business.

    Greater buying power for benefits

    As a small business, you simply don’t have the same buying power that big companies enjoy. Co-employment helps you level the playing field.

    The co-employment relationship allows your business to take advantage of economies of scale. PEOs can leverage the collective buying power of all their group health clients. This large employee base means that your PEO can give you a lot more bang for your buck when purchasing quality group health plans on your behalf. 

    Co-employment doesn’t necessarily mean that your business’ group is pooled together with all the employees from other companies. Some PEOs build their own plan designs to keep your group separate from the others. That means your company is rated for your own group and you won’t have to settle for less. In turn, you can focus on getting quality, cost-effective plans that are competitive with bigger companies.

    Simpler, less time-consuming payroll

    In a co-employment relationship, your PEO takes on the responsibility of paying your employees. Every business needs to apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) in order to manage their own payroll. Companies in a co-employment relationship agree to have the PEO assume this responsibility under its own EIN.

    Changing out the EIN may not sound all that exciting, but it allows you to offload a lot of complicated, time-consuming tasks off your plate. By allowing the PEO to use its own EIN, that PEO is now responsible for more than just passing out paychecks. These other payroll administrative tasks include:

    That’s a whole lot of time (and math) that’s no longer your main responsibility. The other benefits of having your PEO handle these tasks is that it can help ensure that all your calculations and filings are both accurate and compliant with payroll guidelines. With a PEO, you know your payroll is being handled by people who were trained to handle these tasks.

    Better risk management and workers’ compensation practices

    Another way that businesses can benefit from a co-employment relationship is through improved workplace safety and risk management. A PEO can help your company qualify for workers’ compensation discounts and keep unemployment tax rates down, saving you plenty of money and headaches in the future. 

    As a co-employer, a PEO may even be able to assume the financial risk of providing workers’ compensation benefits to employees for you. For example, GMS is self-insured in the state of Ohio and can offer potential discounts that still comply with state regulations.

    Even outside of monopolistic states, a PEO can help you through means like safety culture and claims management. These processes not only help you create a safer environment for your employees, they also help you save money on workers’ compensation costs. Risk management measures include:

    • Safety training
    • Risk assessments
    • Timely reporting
    • Post-accident investigations
    • Return-to-work programs

    Better business alignment

    When you enter a co-employment agreement, your PEO acts as more than just a vendor. This relationship means that your PEO is a true partner that is invested in the growth of your company. In turn, a good PEO should do everything it can to drive good, sustainable growth for your business. 

    As your company grows, you may need more than just payroll administration or benefits help. The co-employment relationship gives PEOs more reason to care about your business goals and work with you to find ways to grow. A PEO can help you identify ways that you can enable that growth and retain talented employees, including: 

    • Employee recruiting and training
    • Performance management
    • Unemployment claims
    • Human resource audits
    • Wellness programs
    • Telemedicine

    In addition to helping you grow when you need to, being co-employed by a PEO also means you have access to experts when you need them. This breadth of resources can help you stay on top of any trends or regulatory changes that can impact your business.

    Find the Right Co-Employment Partner for Your Business

    Running a small business is no simple task. Small business owners have to maintain a delicate balance between trying to grow their business and manage a litany of critical HR responsibilities. Co-employment gives them the means to delegate those time-consuming tasks to professionals who are invested in the success of your business.

    Ready to make your business simpler, safer, and stronger? Contact GMS today about how we can save you plenty of time and headaches through a mutually beneficial co-employment relationship.

  • The employee performance review has been a standard business practice for decades. However, not all organizations recognize that there’s a fine line between a valuable performance review and an unhelpful one. 

    When done well, performance reviews are an incredibly powerful tool for driving employee success. When done poorly, they simply waste time and leave employees frustrated. The downsides of bad performance reviews have led some companies to shift away from performance reviews in recent years. However, it’s better to solve these issues than avoid them altogether.

    There is immense value to developing an open, honest avenue for managers to discuss an employee’s performance and opportunities for growth. Let’s break down employee appraisal tips that your business can do to create positive appraisal experiences that drive your employees to succeed.

    A small business owner conducting an employee performance review with appropriate best practices. 

    The True Goals of Employee Performance Reviews

    Simply put, employee performance reviews are conversations where a manager and an employee openly discuss that employee’s performance, development, and growth. This conversation is a key way to identify ways for both personal and company improvement. The word “conversation” is critical here – these appraisals should be a two-way conversation. 

    The reason why it’s important to have a conversation is that the employee should be just as engaged as the manager. Employee performance reviews are not designed for immediate fixes. If there’s a problem that requires immediate resolution, you shouldn’t wait for an appraisal. 

    Instead, performance reviews are meant to create regular opportunities for managers and employees to align their efforts and determine how they can maximize performance. As such, performance reviews give you an opportunity to work with your employees and achieve the following goals.

    • Create and review expectations, standards, and rules.
    • Educate employees about any behaviors they need improvement or modification.
    • Identify any strengths and weaknesses that weren’t already known.
    • Chart a course for the employee’s future.
    • Learn more about the employee.
    • Send a message that you care about the employee, both personally and professionally.

    7 Performance Review Tips for Managers

    By focusing on the appropriate goals, your performance reviews can help motivate team members and improve performance levels. However, those ideal goals will only go so far without proper execution.

    It’s essential to make the employee performance review process as positive of an experience as possible. The following tips can help you learn how to conduct performance reviews and build a culture of continuous improvement for your employees.

    Prepare ahead of time

    The first step toward any successful employee appraisal is preparation. Both you and your employees should come prepared to performance reviews with notes and talking points. The following items and information can also help.

    • A copy of the employee’s personnel file.
    • Documentation from past reviews, including previously set goals, objectives, and notes of interest from prior conversations.
    • Feedback and notes from supervisors or coworkers.
    • Relevant performance data and customer feedback.
    • SWOT analysis.

    A shared agenda will also help set a positive, constructive tone for the meeting. Some employees will go into a review expecting an interrogation that will directly impact their future compensation. Giving them an agenda and questions to think about will help them be in a mindset for growth instead of being tightlipped and careful about the information they share. 

    You can also prepare by asking employees up for review to share any topics they want to discuss. This gesture not only allows the employee to change the agenda to be more valuable for them, but also shows that you’re ready to listen. That two-way connection will encourage employees to contribute more to the review and own their path for professional improvement.

    Speak carefully and ask the right questions

    Your choice of words make a big difference. The right words and tone can help motivate your employees. Meanwhile, less friendly phrases will only make them dread these occasions in the future. 

    In terms of your message, try to focus on specific language that makes employees think in positive terms. For example, emphasize that the goal of each review is to solve problems and identify ways to help both the employee and the company grow. This constructive approach can keep employees engaged and look forward to the future. 

    The questions you ask are a major part of this process as well. These queries should mirror the same positive approach. The following questions are great ways to emphasize the future and and create steps for improvement.

    • What goals do you have for the next quarter, year, or other period of time?
    • What accomplishments are you most proud of from your work?
    • What goals do you want to set for your own development?
    • Are there any hurdles that we need to solve together?
    • What can I do to improve as your manager?

    Listen as much as you speak

    Even if you know that performance reviews should be a two-way conversation, it can be easy to end up talking most of the review. A two-way conversation should never feel like an interrogation or like only one party is talking. Employees may be hesitant to share too much information out of fear of saying something wrong. 

    It’s important to make sure that everyone being reviewed not only feels comfortable enough to share genuine thoughts, but also know that you’re actively interested in what they’re saying. Make sure to ask them about topics where they can lead the conversation. When an employee has interesting feedback, ask a follow up question to delve into the topic even further. You should also repeat back what you heard from them to confirm that you listened to their points and can clarify if there’s any misunderstanding. These practices will help you gather more critical information and show employees that the reviews are an ongoing conversation and not a one-sided affair.

    Give specific examples for both good work and areas of improvement

    Vague or generic criticism doled out during performance appraisals is only going to frustrate and disenchant employees. The best way to provide genuine critical feedback is to have concrete examples for good achievements and areas of improvement.

    One major benefit of using specific examples is that they provide very clear examples of exemplary or subpar work. Exact examples provide teachable moments of what can be done to improve that provide more weight than general feedback. 

    Examples also have the benefit of showing that you and your management team are paying attention. Whether you’re identifying ways for the employee to improve or providing accolades for good work, it shows the employee that his or her work hasn’t gone unnoticed. That level of attention gives your feedback more weight and helps your workers feel like they aren’t invisible. These employee performance tips ensure that your input leads to a good outcome for both the employee and the individual when giving feedback.

    Track employee progress

    In order to maximize the benefit of performance meetings, it’s essential to track that your efforts make a difference. You should do your best to find measurable goals and evaluate your employees’ progress over time. When you review these goals, try to answer the following questions

    • Do you see positive progression for measurable goals?
    • Has employee performance improved, declined, or stayed steady?
    • Has employee morale increased, decreased, or stayed steady?
    • Is the employee more confident than they were in past reviews?

    Over time, you should see employees continue to grow in their roles. If you’re not seeing positive results, you may want to change the goals or try a different approach toward maintaining professional growth. 

    Have next steps for after the meeting

    The performance review is just one step in a long process. Once the appraisal concludes, you and your employee should review everything that was discussed and complete the following:

    • Review notes from what was discussed during the meeting
    • Determine and define next steps 

    A performance conversation shouldn’t end when the meeting is over. After the conversation concludes, managers and employees should review notes, define next steps, and follow up with shared comments and feedback. Without these items, performance conversations feel unresolved. If you want your review to actually improve performance, it’s vital to create an action plan and follow through on that plan.

    Make performance reviews a regular exercise

    The conversation between management and employees doesn’t need to be an infrequent occasion. Performance conversations should be a regular event to help encourage improvement. Why wait another 12 months to try and focus on growth when regular feedback can help improve your company even sooner?

    Once you finish a performance review, try and schedule the next conversation as soon as possible. The cadence of these meetings will differ depending on your organization, but quarterly or monthly appraisals are good places to start. These regular meetings will not only keep the conversation going, but also show your employees that you care about their development.

    It’s also important to note that conversations shouldn’t be limited to just performance reviews. Constructive discussions can happen outside of scheduled appraisals. An open-door policy can help employees feel more comfortable talking about potential issues or paths to improvement at other times. This level of openness can help you make continuous performance a part of your culture instead of an unhelpful annual event.

    Set Up Your Employees for Success

    Your employees are your greatest asset. However, ongoing employee management is a major challenge, especially when there’s only so much time in the day. That’s why GMS works with businesses to help employers with everything from performance management to payroll administration.

    As a PEO, we help small businesses take control of critical HR management functions so that they can spend their time on other key business tasks. Contact GMS today about how we can save you time, money, and plenty of headaches by helping you take control of critical HR functions.