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  • 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!

  • 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!

  • On October 13th, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) will publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. This will assist employers and workers to determine whether a worker is classified as an employee or an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The FLSA established minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards that affect employees in the private sector and Federal, State, and local governments.

    An independent contractor is a self-employed individual or entity contracted to perform work for or provides services to, another entity as a non-employee. Independent contractors are not entitled to such benefits because they typically have more flexibility to create their own schedules and work for several different companies at once.

    The proposed rule will provide guidance on classifying workers, and seeks to combat employee misclassification. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), employee misclassification is the practice of labeling workers as independent contractors, rather than employees. It allows employers to avoid paying unemployment and additional taxes on workers, and from covering them on workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance. Misclassifying a worker can cause the following issues:

    • Denies workers’ rights and protections under federal labor standards
    • Promotes wage theft
    • Allows certain employers to gain an unfair advantage over law-abiding businesses
    • Hurts the economy as a whole

    Understanding The Proposed Rule

    The new rule will ultimately preserve essential worker rights and provide consistency for regulated entities. In addition, employers are directed to consider exclusivity under the permanent factor, but it acknowledges that simply having multiple jobs does not necessarily make you an independent contractor. The following are factors that could be considered:

    • The amount of skill required for the job
    • The degree of performance associated with the working relationship
    • The worker’s investment in equipment or material required for daily tasks
    • Service rendered is integral to the employer’s operations

    The Impact A PEO Has On Your Business

    Are you wondering whether your employees are considered independent contractors or not? When you outsource HR functions to a PEO like GMS, you gain resources that help you figure out these decisions. HR outsourcing companies can manage a whole range of responsibilities for your business including payroll, benefits, risk management, and HR. At GMS, we have HR experts to ensure you are staying compliant with the Department of Labor. Contact us today to learn more.

  • California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law on September 27th, 2022, stating that all businesses with 15 or more employees must include pay ranges in all their job postings. This bill will take effect on January 1st, 2023. Other states have implemented similar laws including Washington, Colorado, and Connecticut.

    A Deeper Understanding Of California’s New Bill

    In addition to providing applicants with the pay range on the job posting, employers with 100 or more employees must submit a pay data report to the state’s Department of Fair Employment and Housing. The report must include the number of employees in the following job categories based on race, ethnicity, and gender:

    • Executive or senior-level officials and managers
    • First of mid-level officials and managers
    • Professionals
    • Technicians
    • Sales workers
    • Administrative support workers
    • Craft workers
    • Operatives
    • Laborers and helpers
    • Service workers

    Failure to provide a report each year could result in a fine of $100 per employee. The purpose of record-keeping is to prevent discrimination.

    The Benefits Of Including Salary Range On Job Postings

    HR professionals often question whether they should include the salary range on a job posting. A vast majority of employers advocate for leaving the salary range off a job application. However, salary information is important to the applicant. So, sharing salary ranges can help attract workers. A survey conducted by LinkedIn showed that 70% of professionals want to hear about salary in the first conversation with the recruiter. So, cut out the middleman, and include it in the job posting. It ultimately saves you time while simultaneously giving vital information to potential candidates.

    Did you know that only 12% of postings from U.S. online job sites include salary ranges? While more and more businesses are beginning to add job pay on their postings, the number of businesses that don’t provide the pay range is still significantly higher than those that already do it. Stand out from your competition. Being upfront and honest about your positions, which means including the compensation, ultimately gives you a competitive advantage in a saturated market.

    Outsource Human Resources Today!

    With ever-changing rules and regulations, it’s vital to ensure you stay compliant. When you partner with GMS, we keep you up to date to ensure compliance. In addition, our HR experts work with you to write eye-catching job descriptions that set you apart from your competition. We conduct market analyses to provide the best pay range for your open positions. Focus on what you do best and allow GMS to handle the rest. Partner with us today!

  • The California legislature passed Assembly Bill (AB) 2188, which prohibits employers from discriminating against a person in hiring, termination, or any term or condition of employment based on the individual’s use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace. This bill passed the Senate in late August, gave a concurrence vote in the Assembly, and was finally approved by California Governor Gavin Newsom on September 18th. Governor Newsom signed this bill to strengthen California’s cannabis law, expand the legal cannabis market, and redress the harms of cannabis prohibition. This law will take effect in January 2024.

    Marijuana Laws In California

    California was the first state to allow medicinal cannabis use when voters passed the Compassionate Use Act in 1996. Medical marijuana refers to using marijuana to treat certain medical conditions, including:

    • Easing pain
    • Controlling nausea and vomiting
    • Making a person feel like eating
    • Relieving symptoms in people who have multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and epilepsy

    Today, cannabis is legal in California for medicinal and adult recreational use. Recreational marijuana refers to marijuana that is grown and sold recreationally to adults over the age of 21. The cannabis industry is strictly regulated to ensure:

    • Businesses operate safely
    • Products are contaminant-free and labeled to inform purchasers
    • Cannabis is kept away from children

    Although California has made significant progress since the legalization of cannabis, local opposition, rigid bureaucracy, and federal prohibition continue to pose challenges to the industry and consumers.

    Understanding AB 2188

    Bill AB 2188 prevents employers from discriminating against an applicant or employee who fails a drug test that detects non-psychoactive cannabis metabolites in their urine, blood, hair, or bodily fluids. It’s vital for employers to understand the new law and what the test is evaluating at a high level. Tests that are currently available don’t accurately indicate a level of intoxication from marijuana as they would for alcohol. It can be challenging for employers to determine whether someone is impaired and when the substance might have been consumed when a test returns positive.

    As an employer, you can begin implementing practices under the new law, including:

    • Ensuring you have updated policies for drug testing
    • Focusing on the person’s conduct while performing their job duties to determine if they have reasonable suspicion
    • Using the proper drug tests

    How GMS Comes Into Play

    With ever-changing rules and regulations, it’s vital as the business owner to stay up to date with changes. When you partner with GMS, our experts ensure you stay on top of the evolving legislation, so your business remains compliant with state laws. Although marijuana has been legal in California, implementing new rules and policies in the workplace can still be challenging. We work with you to create a simpler, safer, and stronger workplace for you and your employees. Contact us today to start your partnership with GMS.

  • Employee work-life balance has significantly changed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. As priorities have shifted, employees have become captivated by the idea of quiet quitting. Due to this trending phenomenon, employers have responded with quiet firing practices. By implementing this idea, employers create a hostile work environment to push employees to quit.

    Understanding The Term Quiet Firing

    Quiet firing is defined as a workplace that fails to reward an employee for their contributions to an organization, forcing them to leave their jobs. As managers react to quiet quitting, methods are being used to combat this detachment. According to a recent survey, one in three managers implements passive-aggressive tactics to make work uncomfortable for an employee in hopes that the quiet quitter will choose to leave the company. A workplace that fails to reward employees for their contributions to an organization is forcing them to leave their jobs.

    Employers that implement quiet firing are creating a culture of uncertainty. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) explained four signs of quiet firing:

    • Passing over an employee for promotions or raises despite high productivity and a strong work ethic
    • Withholding feedback from workers on submitted projects
    • Assigning projects that are beneath an employee’s skill set or job description
    • Regularly canceling one-on-one and progress meetings

    Signs Of Quiet Quitting

    Many managers and business owners notice when employees begin to disconnect from the workplace. According to Forbes, attributes of employee disengagement can be viewed as:

    • Showing up to work on time, not earlier
    • Taking a lunch break, not eating at their desk
    • Leaving exactly when the day ends
    • Turning off emails and calls outside of work hours
    • Not participating in extra activities
    • Not volunteering for work events
    • Not helping with other’s workloads

    What Is The Cost?

    Quiet firing can be costly for your business. Employees will leave when they believe their career growth is stunted. Quiet quitting and quiet firing often go together. When employers and employees are not in sync, neither party receives any benefit.

    Support From GMS

    When an employee disengages, knowing the proper steps to follow can be challenging. GMS simplifies the process. As quiet quitting has gained traction, employers may face major consequences, including losing quality talent if not handled properly. Our HR specialists are there to step in when you need them the most. They can create policies to manage problems and protect your business. Contact us today!

  • The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission has issued guidance for workplaces, as an initial step toward formulating and approving standards for Workplace Impairment Recognition Expert certifications. The Commission establishes and enforces rules and regulations governing the licensing, cultivation, testing, selling, and purchasing of cannabis in New Jersey. According to the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission, “employees cannot be acted against solely due to the presence of cannabis in their body. However, employers have the right to drug test on reasonable suspicion of impairment.”

    Implementing Drug Tests In The Workplace

    While drug tests are still evolving and becoming more accurate, there are ways to enforce drug tests within the workplace. The beginning of recreational marijuana sales in New Jersey started earlier this year. However, before April, New Jersey only allowed cannabis for medical reasons. Employers should establish evidence-based protocols to document behaviors and physical signs of impairment. Then, if there is a reasonable cause or suspicion, utilizing a drug test to verify would be the next step.

    The new guidelines are intended as the first step toward regulations for certification standards for workplace impairment recognition experts. For the time being, employers can use their established protocols to maintain a drug-free workplace policy.

    Guidelines For Employers As States Legalize Marijuana

    Employers face complex state laws legalizing marijuana along with conflicting federal laws when developing and implementing workplace drug policies. As more and more states legalize marijuana, a business owner needs to establish drug policies within the workplace while staying compliant. When you partner with GMS, our team helps you create an employee handbook that provides your employees with the policies and guidelines they need to adhere to. In addition, our online HR portal makes it easy for you to measure, track, and review documents. Contact us today to get started.

  • A nationwide survey found that 50 percent of workers experience the “Sunday Scaries” before returning to work after time off. In comparison, another 40 percent say they struggle with “Imposter Syndrome.” The Sunday scaries are feelings of intense anxiety and dread that routinely occur every Sunday. Imposter syndrome is an internal experience of believing you are not as competent as others perceive you to be.

    What Will You Do As The Employer?

    If you’re an employer and you find that your employees feel anxiety when returning to work, what will you do to combat their feelings? Approximately seven million individuals in the U.S. have been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, making it the most common mental illness. Employees who participated in the isolved’s survey stated that their employer could help reduce symptoms of Imposter Syndrome and the anxiety of returning to work by meeting with supervisors regularly and providing resources to minimize burnout.

    The following are steps you can take to reduce anxiety amongst your employees:

    • Set reasonable expectations
    • Communicate frequently
    • Let employees know they’re appreciated, especially in high-stress times
    • Keep your personal life personal
    • Avoid discussing politics or incendiary topics
    • Break up the normal routine
    • Consider hiring an occupational therapist for your team or provide outside resources for counseling/therapy

    Ask your employees what you can do to help ease their anxiety or how you can reduce burnout. Individuals may want to meet one-on-one with their supervisor, while others may want to meet with an outside resource, such as a therapist. You won’t know the answers until you ask.

    Where GMS Comes Into Play

    At GMS, our experts work diligently with you and your team to make your business run simpler, safer, and stronger. While we can’t ultimately take away the anxiety your employees may be feeling; we can certainly provide you with resources that will be able to help. When you partner with GMS, we assist you in conducting performance reviews. You need to communicate with your team to understand where they’re at, how you can help, and answer any questions your employees have. In addition, we have a 24/7 nurse triage hotline your employees can utilize if they are feeling anxious and need to speak with a professional. We are a one-stop shop providing you with risk management, payroll, HR, and benefits assistance. Contact us today.

  • In the wake of the pandemic, employees’ views of work-life balance have significantly changed. As a result, the term “quiet quitting” was established. While there is not one specific definition, the term rejects the notion that employees should go beyond their job description without additional benefits.

    According to NPR, “supporters argue that quiet quitting is a way to safeguard your mental health, prioritize your family, friends, and passions, and avoid burnout.” However, the term has nothing to do with quitting, completing the bare minimum, or slacking at work. When it comes to quiet quitting, Americans are working to integrate their personal lives with their work lives.

    How It Works

    According to Forbes, the following are attributes of quiet quitting:

    • Showing up to work on time, no earlier
    • Taking a lunch break, not eating at their desk
    • Leaving on time
    • Turning off emails and calls outside of work hours
    • No extra activities
    • Not volunteering for work events
    • Helping eas other’s workloads

    Is It Effective?

    Despite the popularity of the quiet quitting trend, disengaging entirely from the workplace may not be the best option. As an employer, begin taking note of situations when employees become distant. If you notice that an employee is less driven when completing everyday tasks, communicate with them. By communicating with your employees, you can establish a plan that best works to suit their needs.

    Many believe that by setting boundaries at work, they are less likely to experience burnout. However, addressing the challenges head-on can help employers regain control. If the employee is not completing their everyday tasks, it might be time to part ways.

    GMS’ Support

    When you partner with GMS (Group Management Services), you gain immediate access to an HR Account Manager. This support can guide you in the best way to manage a disengaged employee, who may be taking part in the phenomenon of quiet quitting. Communication is key to managing quiet quitting. Employees want to know their efforts are being recognized. Contact GMS today to learn more.

  • The NorthShore University HealthSystem agreed to pay more than $10.3 million to resolve allegations over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Liberty Counsel, a Christian organization, filed a lawsuit on behalf of employees who were denied a religious exemption from the health system’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

    The class action settlement against NorthShore University HealthSystem is on behalf of more than 500 health care workers. Among those workers, half became compliant with the vaccine policy, and the other half were fired or resigned based upon their religious objection to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. This is the first-of-its-kind class action settlement against a private employer who unlawfully denied hundreds of religious exemption requests for COVID-19 vaccines.

    What The Agreement Means

    As part of the agreement, Liberty Counsel stated that NorthShore will change its policy to allow unvaccinated employees to work if they have an approved religious exemption. All religious exemptions are now considered on a case-by-case basis rather than denied to all employees.

    Employees who are unvaccinated and were let go because they claimed a religious exemption now have the opportunity to take their jobs back. In addition, employees who quit or were fired will receive about $25,000 each. The original 13 plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit will get $20,000 more. Employees who agreed to get vaccinated despite their religious objections could potentially receive up to $3,000.

    How This Impacts Businesses

    If you’re a business owner and want to mandate the COVID-19 vaccination, you must consider all religious exemptions, you must notify employees of the exemption process, and what forms should be utilized. Employers can mandate that all employees receive the COVID-19 vaccine. However, the policy must be job-related and consistent with business needs. It’s the employer’s responsibility to show that an unvaccinated employee will pose a direct threat to the health or safety of other employees.

    What Next?

    As an employer, listening to your employees’ needs is vital. When it comes to mandating the COVID-19 vaccine within the workplace, it can stir up issues among employees. Ultimately, you want to do what’s best for your employees. When you partner with GMS, we work with you to provide an employee handbook that will provide your employees with all the information they need to know about rules and regulations. Contact GMS to learn how we can help you and your business.