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  • When the U.S. Supreme Court revoked the federal right to an abortion, many companies stepped in to support their employees. Companies including Amazon, Apple, Disney, and many others pledged to cover all travel expenses for employees that live in states where the procedure has now been made illegal.

    How Businesses Have Stepped Up For Their Employees

    However, businesses that announced their plan to offer travel benefits did not provide details, and it’s unclear if they will be able to legally. As a business owner, you must protect your employees’ privacy and keep them safe from prosecution. Employers have created supplementary policies that employees can buy to cover the costs of abortion travel. Additionally, businesses are contacting insurers to determine if travel can be added to their current insurance plans and figuring out how to offer a benefit without breaching employees’ privacy.

    Employees are not required to tell their managers they are traveling out of the state to have an abortion. According to Sharona Hoffman, a health law professor at Case Western Reserve University, individuals will most likely have to tell human resources or a similar department that they are pregnant and would like to get an abortion. Depending on the company, the business or its health insurer would provide money upfront or reimbursement.

    Challenges Businesses Could Face

    With these announcements come many potential challenges. Adding travel benefits to a current medical plan carries risk. While the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects sensitive patient information, it can be overruled in cases where a crime has been committed. This could directly impact businesses in states where abortion is now a crime. In contrast, some employees may oppose abortion and get upset that their company pays or reimburses the travel of other employees. Other arguments employees may pose include not paying for travel for fertility treatments or transgender health care.

    Listen To Your Employees!

    At the end of the day, as a business owner, your job is to make sure your employees feel heard and valued. You want what’s best for your employees. We help business owners stay in the know while being their trusted advisors for delicate topics such as abortion. Don’t let these ever-changing laws and regulations prevent you from doing what you do best- growing your business. Contact us today.

  • Implementing sexual harassment training within your business is imperative, as it creates safer workplaces for all employees. Unfortunately, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and a hostile work environment are everyday realities for individuals. Sexual harassment training serves many purposes, including education, compliance with laws, and risk mitigation. More and more state and local jurisdictions require employers to provide training.

    There are currently nine states/cities that mandate sexual harassment training in the workplace, including:

    California

    Any employer with five or more employees must provide sexual harassment training. The following must be trained:

    • All employees
    • Supervisory employees must be trained for at least two hours
    • Non-supervisory employees must be trained for at least one hour

    Within six months of an employee’s hire date, nonsupervisory employees and supervisory employees must be trained. For part-time employees, training is required within the first 30 days of their hire date or within the first 100 hours worked. In addition, every two years, all employees must complete the ongoing training.

    Connecticut

    Employers must provide sexual harassment training to their supervisors, regardless of size. An employer with three or more employees must provide training to all employees within six months of their hire date. Every 10 years, employees must repeat the training for at least two hours.

    Delaware

    Any employer that has 50 employees or more must provide sexual harassment training. All new hires must be trained within their first year of employment. In addition, all employees must be trained every two years.

    Illinois

    All employers with one or more employees must partake in sexual harassment training as soon as they’re employed. This training must recur every year to stay up-to-date with the newest training protocols.

    Chicago

    In Chicago, every employer must also provide their employees with a dedicated hour of bystander sexual harassment training annually. Employers have until June 30, 2023, to begin providing this training. Bystander training should include:

    • Employees recognizing situations of potential sexual harassment
    • Understanding institutional structures and cultural conditions that facilitate sexual harassment
    • Overcoming barriers to intervening
    • Identifying safe and effective intervention options
    • Taking action to intervene

    Maine

    An employer with 15 or more employees must train all employees. Training must be completed within the first year of a new hire or being promoted to a supervisor. There is no requirement on how frequently employers in Maine should partake in sexual harassment training.

    New York State

    In New York, every employee must be trained as soon as they begin employment at your business. Additionally, ongoing training should be completed annually.

    New York City

    For employers with 15 or more employees in New York City, you must provide training to all employees within the first 90 days of their hire date. This training must be completed on an annual basis.

    Washington State

    Every hotel, motel, retail, security guard entity, or property services contractor that employs an “employee” must complete training as soon as they are hired. An “employee” in this case means an individual who spends most of their working hours alone, or whose primary work responsibility involves working without another coworker present, and who is employed by an employer as a janitor, security guard, hotel or motel housekeeper, or room service attendant. There is no requirement on how often the training must occur once the first training is completed.

    Invest In Proper Training To Ensure Workplace Safety

    Without a healthy and efficient workforce, business owners cannot keep operations running and thriving. Our experts will train your employees to ensure they follow safe workplace protocols. In addition, we provide clients with access to an employee learning management system where you can easily send new learning modules to your employees. This is an excellent source to implement ongoing training if your company is in a state that requires frequent training. To learn more about the benefits of implementing a learning management system, read our blog.

  • Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed the Family Bereavement Leave Act (FBLA) into law, amending the Illinois Child Bereavement Leave Act of 2016 (CBLA). Established in 2016, the Child Bereavement Leave Act was adopted giving employees 10 workdays of unpaid leave to grieve the loss of a child. However, the FBLA expands the scope of unpaid bereavement.

    Two Key Amendments

    The adaptation of this law is a result of two major changes:

    • A clear definition of who is eligible for coverage
    • Inclusion of fertility-related loss as an acceptable reason an employee may use leave

    Who Is Eligible

    Under the FBLA, employers must provide up to two weeks of unpaid leave to Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) -eligible employees grieving the loss of a family member or tragic event. The definition of covered family members was clarified including:

    • Spouse
    • Domestic partner
    • Sibling
    • Parent
    • Parent-in-law
    • Grandchild
    • Grandparent
    • Stepparent
    • Child

    Additional Leave

    The FBLA requires that employers now provide additional leave regarding negative fertility events:

    • Miscarriage
    • Still-birth
    • Failed adoption
    • Failed surrogacy
    • Negative fertility diagnosis

    What Employers Need To Know

    Employers are not subject to adding additional unpaid leave other than what is stated under the FMLA. As an employer, you are permitted to request reasonable documentation to accept a leave request. However, you may not ask for details of the event linked to employee leave. If an employee wishes to use the FBLA, there must be a 48-hour notice to the employer. As with FMLA, employees will only become eligible after 12 months of employment or 1,250 hours worked.

    Why GMS

    State laws and regulations are ever-changing. When you partner with GMS, employers gain total administrative support through our HR experts. GMS ensures that through all changes, your business will remain compliant. Contact GMS today to discover how we simplify the administrative duties of your business.

  • The announcement that the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade has prompted employers to revisit their employee benefits. This new court ruling declares that the federal constitutional right to abortion no longer exists. It ends federal protections and leaves the decisions up to each individual US state. Abortions will be rolled back in nearly half of the states immediately, with more restrictions to follow.

    To learn more about handling Roe v. Wade discussions in the workplace, check out our blog.

    Employers’ Responses

    In response, several companies released statements reaffirming their commitment to helping employees access health care services they may not be able to obtain in their state. The following are just some of the companies that have revisited their employee benefits/policies:

    • Starbucks
    • Tesla
    • Dick’s Sporting Goods
    • Patagonia
    • Microsoft
    • JPMorgan Chase
    • Disney

    The companies above, along with others, have created policies covering expenses for travel if an employee were to need an abortion for various reasons.

    Prior to this overturn by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) conducted a survey taken by HR professionals. The following are key findings:

    • 32 percent of employers provide paid time off to access reproductive care.
    • 18 percent allow unpaid time off to attend marches, protests, demonstrations, and similar events to support reproductive rights.
    • 5 percent provide travel expense benefits outside of a health savings account (HSA) for employees to access abortion and reproductive services that aren’t accessible in their state of residence.
    • 4 percent offer company matches for employee donations to groups that support reproductive rights.

    What Impact Will You Have?

    As we continue to learn more about the impacts the overturn will have on individuals, it’s essential to make sure your employees feel heard. What steps will you take as a business owner to ensure your employees feel valued during challenging times? By partnering with GMS, our experts can update your employee handbook with new policies. In addition, we provide businesses with various tools and resources to find a coverage solution tailored to your needs. Interested in learning more about how GMS can be a resource to you? Contact us today.

  • Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, business operations have never been the same, and workplace cultures continue to evolve. Employees transitioned to working from home and having to adapt to a new way of doing business. In fact, many employees working from home claim they feel more productive, maintaining a robust work-life balance.

    However, it might not be as glamorous for the employer. There has been a rise in employee lawsuits demanding reimbursement for expenses acquired while working from home during the pandemic. Remote workers say that their employers have a legal obligation under state law to reimburse them for work-related expenses.

    Employees are requesting reimbursement for the following:

    • Cellphone
    • Internet
    • Supplies
    • Utility bills
    • Home office stipends

    What This Means For The Future

    Finally, after two-plus years in a pandemic, business owners have requested that their employees return to the office. However, hiring new employees is at an all-time high. As a result, keeping and attracting quality talent is essential for the growth of one’s business. Since working from home is popular among employees, offering it as an option for employment will attract top candidates. 1,700 workers were surveyed, and the results showed that 48 percent of the workers said they would seek a remote position for their next job.

    With these lawsuits in many states, it’s vital that you observe what your employees want and how to create a solution that benefits both them and your business.

    Currently, no federal laws require you to reimburse your remote workers unless the expenses drop below the employees’ minimum wage. A 2022 survey showed that 62 percent of organizations currently offer employees reimbursement for at-home office or work equipment. For employers that offer reimbursement for business expenses, utilizing expense management software can help streamline the process. Employees are able to itemize and upload receipts directly into the system for the administrator’s approval.

    Should you choose to reimburse your remote workers, ensure you are clearly defining your reimbursement policy. Keep a file of every expense and reimbursement to avoid disputes in the future. An expense report system is an additional tool that will allow you to track all business-related purchases including travel, gas, meals, hotel and lodging, and more for a simplified expense reporting process.

    Protect Your Business

    In today’s unprecedented times, it’s difficult to stay on top of your daily tasks while wearing multiple hats. How can you be proactive and create future plans at the same time? When you partner with GMS, our experts are there to guide you through challenging times and ensure you stay compliant, all while keeping your employees happy. Our HR experts will work with you to update your employee handbook to ensure there are no discrepancies between what your employees may expect versus what you offer. We take on the administrative burdens, so you don’t have to. Contact us today.

  • Since recruitment is an essential function of the human resources department, it’s important to have a strategic process in place. A recruitment process is a list of steps that gets you from the job description to the offer letter and ultimately, onboarding the new hire. It’s essentially a step-by-step approach to bringing in talented individuals who will help the company grow. The recruitment process not only helps attract the right kind of candidates, but it reflects the company’s values. Being able to understand how to optimize the job recruitment process can shorten the hiring cycle by 60% while also improving the quality of your hires. Continue reading to learn about the steps in the recruiting process.

    Step 1: Identify Your Needs

    Define exactly what you’re looking for in a candidate for each position. It’s essential to sit down with your team to determine the specific hiring needs for your open job positions. Make sure these requirements are precise, specific, and realistic. You may think it’s quite simple to replace a role for someone who just left. However, this step in the recruitment process tends to get more difficult when you’re starting from scratch for a position you’ve never had or you’re changing the responsibilities of a role.

    Step 2: Prepare The Job Description

    Once you determine the candidate’s persona, write down a detailed job description. Creating a compelling and unique description will help you attract the most qualified candidates for your job. The job description summarizes the essential responsibilities, skills, and qualifications for the role. This is a very important step in the recruiting process. Your job description should include:

    • A clearly defined job title
    • The job overview
    • Company overview
    • Benefits
    • A list of responsibilities
    • Required skills
    • Salary for the position

    There are millions of job postings on the internet. Ensure you create a job description that will stand out from the rest. This is the beginning of marketing your company and your job to your future hire.

    Step 3: Create A Recruitment Plan

    After writing a detailed job description, sit down with your team to determine what the next best steps are. A recruitment plan will provide your team with an outline of the steps your company will take when filling the position. These strategies help businesses focus their efforts and resources on specific hiring strategies that will provide them with excellent candidates. Create a timeline for each step moving forward so you know exactly what you have to do to reach your end goal, an offer. On average, a new position takes 27 days to fill. Determine when and where you will conduct interviews. Have a deadline in place for when you need the position filled.

    Step 4: Start Searching

    When you start searching for candidates to fill the roles, it will be the most time-consuming step in the recruitment process. It takes time and patience to find the right candidate who is depicted in the first and second steps of the recruitment process. Utilize recruitment tools to cut down on search time. Below are ways in which you can best utilize your search efforts:

    • Create targeted ads (use social media platforms including LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor)
    • Engage with candidates who have applied in the past
    • Attend career fairs within the area
    • Employee referrals
    • Networking events

    Step 5: Recruit Top-tier Talent

    All companies want top talent to be a part of their team. However, these candidates most likely have many options. Your team must be strategic when recruiting these types of individuals. Especially in today’s tough labor market, attracting top talent is more competitive than ever. Companies need to be proactive so they can ensure that they attract the best talent and ultimately, keep them long-term. Below is a list of important factors to consider when looking for top-tier talent:

    • Create a positive workplace culture
    • Treat current employees well
    • Know your best sources for talent
    • Plan your interviews based on the quality of talent
    • Be sure you verify candidates’ credentials
    • Make an offer fast
    • Keep in touch with quality candidates

    You need to ensure you make an offer fast to top-tier talent as they are most likely receiving a handful of other offers from other companies. Top candidates are only available for 10 days before being hired elsewhere. If they decline your offer and decide to go elsewhere, continue to stay in touch with them. It shows the candidate that you had a high interest in them, and you may find another position with your company that might be a better fit in the future.

    Step 6: Conduct A Phone Screen

    Once your team has found a handful of qualified candidates, it’s time to start interviewing. Prior to bringing the candidates in for a formal interview, conduct a phone screening to confirm they will be a good fit for the position. The phone interview step gives you the opportunity to ask preliminary questions and determine which applicants have met the necessary job requirements to move on to the next step, an in-person interview. This allows your team to narrow down the selection process and make sure you want to take the time to interview the candidate in person. Job candidates are interviewing your company the same way you’re interviewing them. Be sure you have a list of the top interview questions to ask before you begin this step. Questions to ask in a phone screen interview:

    • Tell me about yourself
    • Can you tell me about your background?
    • Why are you leaving your current employer?
    • What do you know about our company?
    • What are your salary expectations?
    • How soon would you be able to start?
    • Do you have any questions?

    Step 7: Interview In Person

    Following the phone screening interview and determining qualified candidates, it’s time to bring them in for an interview. These interviews should be conducted quickly after the phone screen interview. This step in the recruiting process should be unique and show the candidate what your company is all about. The cost of a bad hire adds up with the salary, training costs, hiring a replacement, etc. On average, companies lose $14,900 on every bad hire. Consider asking these questions to get the most out of your interview:

    • What type of impact did you make at your most recent job?
    • Tell me about a time you failed to reach a goal or complete a project. What happened, and why were you unsuccessful?
    • How would your colleagues describe you?
    • Name a work accomplishment that makes you proud.
    • What motivates you?
    • Do you like working with a team or working alone?
    • When conflict arises at work, how do you handle it?
    • Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

    Be sure you are communicating with the candidate about where you are in the process and what the next steps are. Be sure to lay out the timeline so they know exactly what to expect.

    Step 8: Offer

    You’ve made it to the final steps where you see all your hard work pay off. You have determined a candidate that possesses the qualities you’re looking for. This is the most important step of the recruitment process. Make sure you present a desirable offer to the candidate that they won’t pass up. You first need to make a verbal job offer. Let the candidate know right away that you’re extending an official offer of employment. Be sure to provide details regarding the position, start date, compensation, bonus structure (if applicable), pay frequency, and when they need to accept or decline the offer.

    After you offer the candidate a verbal offer over the phone, it’s time to move on to the written offer. Provide all the information mentioned in the verbal offer along with their future manager’s contact information, and any steps they might have to take so they can come in ready to go for their first day of work. Make sure you get the written offer letter over to the candidate as soon as possible, via email. Provide a deadline for them to get the offer letter back to you to keep the momentum going. Once you’ve sent the offer over email, follow up via phone or email to ensure they received the offer letter. Anticipate this step to take slightly longer and be ready to negotiate salary and benefits.

    If they accept the offer, ensure you are following up with them once a week between the acceptance date and their first day. If not, you could run into the chance of the candidate backing out.

    Step 9: Onboarding

    Onboarding the new hire is your final step in the recruitment process and lends a hand to their success within their new role. Although there will be a plethora of forms during the onboarding process, it’s also important to include processes and resources that will help them transition into your company successfully. Consider having one-on-one meetings with them weekly or bi-weekly to check in with the new employee.

    The Benefits Of Outsourcing HR

    As you’ve noticed, it takes a lot of time and money to implement a recruitment process successfully. From creating a job ad to finding the right candidate to providing opportunities for employee development, the cost of hiring and training adds up. Professional employer organizations (PEOs) like GMS provide guidance on hiring and training as well as manage the administrative burdens associated with all aspects of the employee life cycle.

    Melanie Bahr, Recruitment Specialist Manager at GMS, provides her insights on hiring. “In this ever-changing and challenging hiring environment, finding the right candidate can feel like finding a needle in a haystack. Below are three important issues to consider in making a better hiring decision:

    1. Experience versus potential: experience is the most important and valued factor when evaluating a candidate. It’s important to remember experience is not everything, do not prioritize it over everything else. You may interview people who seem promising but don’t have much of a track record. While these candidates have not proven themselves at work yet, they have obvious potential.
    2. Skill set: determine what the must-have skills are and look at which skills you can train the candidate in. Many soft skills can make a candidate a great option and with little training, could be the right fit.
    3. Culture fit: consider thinking about how a candidate will fit in with your company’s culture. When employees are a good fit culturally, they will be happier at work allowing for enhanced productivity and reduced turnover.

    As a premier human resources company, we give our clients access to state-of-the-art HR software and other resources necessary to grow their business. GMS can help strengthen your business through our employee training and recruitment services. Contact us today to learn more.

  • An employee handbook compiles all your company policies, procedures, working conditions, and behavioral expectations that guide employee actions within the workplace. It provides your employees with direction on how they can access your promotion policy, open-door policy, Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), PTO, and any other important information your employees should know.

    Employee handbooks also include information about your company, a welcome letter from the president or CEO, the company’s mission and vision statements, purpose, values, and much more. Additionally, within an employee handbook, there is an area that shows your employee benefits and payment procedures.

    With a well-written handbook, employees will always know what is expected of them within the workplace. They will understand how their employer will address and apply the policies and procedures of their business. Employees will know that any employee in a similar situation to them will receive similar treatment.

    The Challenge Of Keeping Employee Handbooks Up To Date

    It takes a significant amount of time and effort to keep your employee handbook up to date. For small businesses that don’t have an HR professional, it’s even more challenging. However, it is vital for your business to have an employee handbook that’s up to date. It’s important to know that a handbook that’s outdated can ultimately cause more harm than good, especially if the policies aren’t compliant with the law. With that said, it’s important to know that you are not legally obliged to have an employee handbook. To learn how an employee handbook will benefit your business and the importance of updating it frequently, continue reading.

    Why It’s Important To Update Your Employee Handbook

    Employee handbooks have a variety of essential functions. Typically, handbooks are the first piece of information your new hires see during the onboarding process. It’s the introduction to your company. Employee handbooks also act as a reference point for your new hires. If you are a small business owner and don’t have a full-time human resources representative to answer questions, this is an excellent resource for your employees to utilize.

    You should review your employee handbook every calendar year to include any necessary updates. These updates could be changes to company policies, procedures, organizational structure, and more. If you plan to have any changes in the future, that is also something to consider when reviewing your current handbook.

    Laws change frequently. It’s your responsibility that your company follows all laws that apply to your business. This includes minimum wage, family leave laws, gender pay gaps, equal employment, and overtime regulations.

    Information could be missing. Perhaps you were reviewing your handbook and noticed you were missing information. You could have forgotten employee classification, unemployment, termination policies, etc. Whatever the situation is, be sure to add the missing information.

    Technology changes. Since technology constantly changes, there will always be something that needs to be addressed. Topics such as data privacy, social media, cell phone/computer usage, and others, must be addressed.  

    How To Update Your Employee Handbook

    Depending on the size and tenure of your business will determine when you should be updating your employee handbook. You must review the document, compile any updates, write, or revise content, and update any legal documents that have been changed in order to stay compliant with the law. 

    Sit with your HR professionals (if applicable) and determine the major changes that need to be addressed within your handbook. This can include but is not limited to state and federal laws, paid time off policies, equal employment, and other areas.

    Consider adding the following topics to your handbook if you haven’t done so already:

    • Safety of employees
    • Employee benefits
    • Paid time off and vacation
    • Relationships expected in the workplace
    • Use of drugs
    • Discrimination policies
    • Inclusion and diversity
    • Remote and hybrid work policies
    • Family medical leave act (FMLA)
    • COVID-19 policies
    • Time and attendance
    • Personal appearance and dress code

    When You Should Update Your Employee Handbook

    As an employer, you should be reviewing your handbook at least once a year. Depending on the size of your business, you may want to consider reviewing it every six months. It’s common practice for an employer to review new case rulings and regulations to ensure the handbook is up to date. If you’ve had recent incidents like harassment and/or discrimination cases, those specific sections should be reviewed and updated.

    Partner With GMS Today!

    As you can see, a lot of work goes into creating an employee handbook for your business. If you are a business owner and don’t already have a handbook, the benefits it has for your business are extensive. Small business owners juggle a lot at once. Let us take on the administrative burdens while you focus on more important aspects of your business. Contact us today!

  • Early this month, Politico released that the U.S. Supreme Court has voted to overturn abortion rights. Since then, discussions and debates regarding abortion rights have been the center of attention throughout social platforms. If the ruling is reversed, access to abortion will most likely be banned or severely restricted in most states.

    Let’s take a step back and recall the origin of Roe v. Wade. In 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled out a law in a case called Roe v. Wade. This is the case that legalized abortion in the United States. When the case began in 1970, Jane Roe, a name used to protect the identity of Norma McCorvey, instituted federal action against Henry Wade, the district attorney of Dallas County, Texas, where Roe resided. However, the U.S. Supreme Court disagreed with Roe’s statement of the right to terminate pregnancy in any way and time. They then attempted to balance a woman’s right to privacy with a state’s interest in regulating abortion.

    Ever since the ruling established the right to abortion, politicians have enacted dangerous restrictions that make getting an abortion nearly impossible for many people. Cases since then have included Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey (1992), Gonzales v. Carhart (2007), Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt (2016), June Medical Services L.L.C. v. Russo (2020).

    As a business owner, you may have questions as to how you should handle conversations about political issues in the workplace. Research shows that 92 percent of workers have witnessed or have been a part of unthinkable conversations. It is your job as a business owner to ensure a civil work environment where all employees feel safe. You should provide support on how employees can have conversations about politics in a respectable manner. No matter what you may think of a particular topic, a good starting place is to reach a common ground. Below is a list of ways you can restore peace and ensure a civil environment in the workplace:

    • Focus on company values
    • Practice the skill of active listening
    • Address expectations
    • Hold training sessions
    • Provide resources to employees
    • Lead by example

    How A PEO Can Assist With The Training Of Your Employees

    Working onsite is more complex than ever before. Business owners and HR professionals must be more strategic in their approach to ensuring a safe place for their employees. Political discussions are a complex topic but taking proactive steps to help facilitate a respectful environment is encouraged. Partnering with GMS will provide you and your business resources to facilitate a safe workplace for your employees. GMS offers online employee training programs that can assist in handling controversial conversations in the workplace. Contact us today!

  • Advancements in technology have redefined the way businesses communicate, collaborate, and operate. The constant innovation of technology has forced businesses to rapidly adapt to new technology in order to thrive in today’s competitive marketplace. Since the beginning of the global pandemic in 2020, businesses have found new ways to operate, in turn, requiring HR leaders to also champion an attitude of technology adoption.

    Knowing that an HR leader’s success requires marrying great employees with solid technology, you understand the significant impact the right human resources technology can have. Implementing the right technology can have a significant impact on your business. The key to an HR leader’s success requires great employees and technology. The options are endless when it comes to choosing which HR technology solution matches what you’re looking for. You’ll need to determine the benefits and drawbacks of each technology platform and then compare the cost and value.

    Below is a list of tips for HR professionals to help determine which HR technology solution is the right fit:

    Capabilities For Faster Hiring

    As the effects of the global pandemic are still affecting the supply and demand for employees in the workplace, integrating technology to help with these efforts is vital for growth. Businesses have been suffering from the lack of employees and the number of jobs that need to be filled. By utilizing an applicant tracking system (ATS), the hiring process will track every step of the way. ATS programs allow companies to input specific parameters for job openings and use the systems’ automated algorithms to search through incoming resumes. Recruiting and hiring managers can search resumes stored in an ATS with keywords – plus, some systems will rank applicants based on how well they match your job description. It’s fast, easy, and it allows you to focus on growing your business.

    More Efficient Onboarding Processes

    As soon as you hire your new employees, it’s time to take them through the onboarding process. The initial step is important as it adapts employees to their new role and the company’s culture. Utilizing technology in the onboarding process increases accessibility, improves candidates’ overall experience, and speeds up the entire process. With GMS Connect, our clients utilize a paperless onboarding process, benefits enrollment, payroll, and employee training that will help your new employees get acclimated and set up for success in their new roles.

    Pay Rules And Ensuring Compliance

    With the right technology solution, you can set up customized alerts for specific needs which automates the entire process. Whether you are utilizing a cloud-based solution or a manual process, you need a system in place to track employee hours, understand deductions, and issue payments to your workers. If you choose to partner with a PEO like GMS, you will have access to our proprietary technology with dedicated HR service and support. Your employees can access their paystubs, update personal information, and complete other tasks from anywhere they have access to the internet.

    Creates Opportunity For Growth

    Technology that improves your employees’ growth will assist your business in growing as well. The options are endless when it comes to technology platforms for your business. Learning is essential in the modern workplace for your employees to grow over time. One of the most popular HR technology platforms is a learning management system (LMS) – which is a web-based platform or software used to implement and monitor a learning process. An LMS is used to deploy learning strategies across the workplace, facilitate experiential and formal learning, manage compliance training, and enhance sales enablement. Essentially, it is beneficial for both the employer and employees as it reduces learning and development costs, enables a more streamlined onboarding process, improves employee performance, tracks performance, and helps employees upskill or reskill.

    Secure Data Access

    You may ask yourself, if my employees onboard electronically, how will their confidential information be secure? Great question. Our clients can rest assured that their information is protected by the highest standards. GMS is proud to be SOC 1 certified, a true testament to our stringent policies and procedures. By having our client’s information in a cloud-based HRIS, you don’t have to worry about your employees’ information getting lost or stolen.

    Partner With GMS To Learn More!

    When you work with GMS, you gain access to cutting-edge technology that lends a hand in rapidly growing your business while saving you time and money. Through GMS Connect, your employees will be able to onboard more efficiently, gain access to their information without disrupting your daily tasks, and ultimately, help them grow within their organization more effectively. Learn more about our technology by clicking here.

  • Have you ever considered partnering with an HR outsourcing company but have many questions about where you should start? Whether you have a full-time HR team within your business or run a one-person show, there are many processes and regulations that have costly consequences if they are unmastered. There are several outsourcing options that your business can utilize, which include a professional employer organization (PEO), administrative services organization (ASO), human resources organization (HRO), and a human resources information system (HRIS) – amongst many others. Continue reading to better understand the value and capabilities of the different HR outsourcing options available.

    Professional Employer Organization (PEO)

    A professional employer organization (PEO) is an all-inclusive outsourcing option for your most time-consuming HR tasks and employer liabilities – including payroll, benefits, human resources, and workers’ compensation. There are currently more than 700 PEOs in the country, as it’s been around for over 30 years.

    If you choose to partner with a PEO, you gain access to more cost-effective options regarding healthcare, ancillary benefits, and workers’ compensation. PEOs work diligently with small business owners to provide them with the same buying power as a larger business through a co-employment relationship. This means your business and the PEO divides your employer’s responsibilities. Your company’s employees are employed by your company and the PEO. You may think this means that you’re going to lose control of your company. However, the reality is that you will never lose control of your business when you hire a PEO. A PEO will assist with more informed HR decisions that will make your business stronger.

    Administrative Services Organization (ASO)

    Administrative services organizations (ASO) are similar to a PEO in that they offer services including payroll, human resources, tax compliance, workers’ compensation, and benefits. The main differentiator is that an ASO doesn’t fall under a co-employment agreement. As a business owner, this means that you retain the employer of record status. All payroll taxes are reported and filed using your client’s FEIN. These types of companies ultimately assist in selecting and securing benefits for their client’s employees which allows you to carve out your own benefits plan. An ASO is designed to minimize your risks and liabilities through outsourcing essential employment-related tasks and responsibilities, allowing for easier management. However, clients don’t have access to the competitive pricing that a PEO offers.

    Human Resources Organization (HRO)

    Human resources organizations (HRO) are typically favored by larger companies that have already developed internal staff and technology that are able to manage the HR tasks. HROs provide a selection of services for business owners to choose from instead of managing all your HR functions. Companies interested in outsourcing to an HRO may have a need that’s outside of their internal expertise. There is no co-employment relationship, and the client organization remains the employer of record. As a business owner, there are a handful of laws and regulations that you face. However, managing them on a day-to-day basis is complicated. The main difference between an HRO and an ASO is that an HRO only handles the “human” aspects of human resources. Typically, HROs manage benefits, tax, or payroll-related issues.

    Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)

    Recruitment process outsourcing is when you outsource your internal recruitment function to a specialist that assumes the responsibility of owning and managing the entire recruiting process. They work with your internal team to transform how you approach obtaining talent when you need it. An RPO differs from staffing agencies as they assume ownership of the design and management of the recruitment process along with the responsibility for results. Finding quality talent and retaining them is quite the challenge in a complex recruiting environment. If you’re looking specifically for external recruiting help, partnering with an RPO is the right fit.

    Human Resources Information System (HRIS)

    When your business utilizes a human resources information system (HRIS), it will help your business use technology to enhance your people processes and improve HR functions. HRIS software provides personalized HR tools and solutions to tackle business challenges. Ultimately, HRIS software helps companies organize and manage people-related data in one location. The data that is organized and managed include:

    • Demographic information of employees (date of birth, gender, contact information)
    • Job information (position, department, pay rates, etc.)
    • Benefits provided
    • Time-off balances

    The list of benefits of an HRIS is extensive. When utilizing an HRIS system, you have capabilities of the organization, compliance, time savings, HR strategy, employee experience, and convenience.

    Which Is The Right Fit For Your Company?

    While the above HR outsourcing companies offer valuable resources, you need to determine what level of service your business needs. Whether you are looking for external guidance for one specific HR function, like recruiting, to every aspect of your business, a PEO can help. Growing small to mid-sized businesses with little HR experience may benefit from a PEO like GMS. Partnering with a PEO will reduce the cost of doing business and free your management team from administrative work that slows productivity within your business. You will no longer have to be an expert at everything. Get in touch with our experts today to learn how we can help you.