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  • Every year, we make resolutions to change bad habits into good ones. The turn of the year is a perfect time for this if you’re looking to kick things up a notch in 2023. These changes are aimed at improving your HR processes and environment. This change is necessary. But how do you know which changes you should make?

    Post-lockdown life has definitely made an impact on the workforce. With new terms like the Great Resignation and quiet-quitting, it can be hard to make sense of this ever-evolving time in history. It’s time for companies to be nimble and fully embrace innovation, or they may get pushed to the back of the crowd. Continue reading to learn how you can make changes to your business to ensure a successful 2023.

    Increased Focus On Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion 

    In the business world, diversity is a buzzword. The term shows up in mission statements, corporate social responsibility reports, and on conference panels. However, the lack of meaningful change in the numbers – and people – offers evidence that talk is cheap. Inclusion in the workplace must start with management and core company values. It’s critical that we find ways to create more inclusive work environments and to encourage diversity in our companies actively. If we don’t, we may lose out on having a diverse workforce. If we do, however, we can make great strides toward empowering employees and promoting acceptance of different backgrounds, genders, cultures, races, and ethnicities in our businesses.

    Diversity can contribute to the bottom line of a business by:

    • Improving employee satisfaction and engagement
    • Developing leadership skills across the organization
    • Creating opportunities to understand different perspectives 
    • Helping you recruit top talent
    • Improving team dynamics 
    • Reducing turnover
    • Increasing market share and connecting with diverse customers

    These are all positive things that contribute to long-term success. 

    Continuation Of Hybrid And Remote Work

    If you haven’t heard yet, hybrid and remote work schedules are here to stay. In fact, they’re desired. Flexible work schedules allow employees to work from home, giving them far more control over which hours they choose to put in. When it comes to small business owners, this means having a greater ability to drive an organization while having the flexibility to take care of family obligations (and vice versa). Other important needs such as exercise, meals with friends and family, and even getting outside for a walk (not just an inside stroll around the block) are all necessary components of a happy life. These are made easily accessible with remote work.

    Overall, a culture of work/life balance helps with employee productivity and engagement. Key benefits include:

    • Lower costs for businesses (leasing a building) and employees (commuting costs)
    • Lower environmental impact and improved sustainability 
    • Control over your office environment 
    • Improved productivity and performance 
    • Happier and healthier life
    • Better work-life balance
    • Easier recruitment and access to a larger talent pool 
    • Increased employee satisfaction and better employee retention

    Boosting Employee Skills

    According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), hiring managers consider soft skills to carry more weight in the hiring process than in previous years. These skills consist of empathy, emotional intelligence, mindfulness, adaptability, self-motivation, and resilience. These skills are seen as an even greater asset compared to hard workforce skills such as technical capabilities. Why? Because it’s harder to teach soft skills versus technical skills.

    Look for candidates that have these soft skills and then teach technical skills. Some ways in which you can boost these technical skills are by having your employees attend courses, seminars, and webinars.

    Wellness-Focused Employee Benefits 

    Since the pandemic, wellness has become a huge focus for most individuals. They’re realizing that work-life balance is a must and that work shouldn’t equate to stress and discomfort. In fact, a 2017 study from the University of California Riverside suggests that corporate wellness programs can boost employee productivity and satisfaction by empowering them to take care of their health in a way that fits their busy lives.

    You can achieve a wellness-focused work environment by providing:

    • Exercise and physical training opportunities 
    • Nutrition coaching and advice
    • Mental health support or mental health days
    • Stress management education
    • Office environment enhancement 
    • Remote or hybrid work 
    • Better PTO policies 

    Improvements In Company Culture And Engagement 

    While many topics we’ve already covered lead to a richer company culture, it’s important to keep in mind that people are the ultimate factor in this. Hiring folks that align with your core company values and are considerate of others leads to less gossip and better team dynamics. Having policies in place to combat these issues is also a priority.

    Another key factor of company culture is regular feedback and recognition. Creating a space where you can inform people about what they’re doing right and how they can improve is crucial. When employees feel valued, it helps create a strong culture of belonging within an organization. And when in doubt, ask employees what they need to be successful. The follow-through will show that you care and lead to employees that are more engaged.

    Embracing New Technology 

    Technology has changed many aspects of our daily lives, not just in computers but also in the area of small businesses. Small businesses don’t just have to use technology to compete with bigger companies. It can help in various ways, such as helping you save money, time, and energy.

    Employee management apps, artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud-based HR technologies are all ways you can add new technology to your business. Sometimes, it doesn’t even have to be to this extreme. You can start by upgrading old laptops and clunky tech gear to sleeker, space-saving designs with a smaller carbon footprint.

    Attract And Retain Talent 

    The average U.S. employer spends $4,000, and it takes 24 days to hire a new employee. That doesn’t even take into account the productivity and expertise a long-serving employee takes with them. Retaining talent saves you in the long run. But how do you get people to stay? These are the details employees consider when deciding whether to stay in their current role:

    • Atmosphere of an organization
    • Training opportunities
    • Working independently 
    • Leadership
    • Acceptable workload

    The ability to retain employees is a critical factor in determining the health of a business. A quality business has a competitive edge when employees have an emotional connection and feel appreciated for their hard work. Unhappy employees tend to churn out quickly and take valuable knowledge with them, which can set your organization back months or even years.

    A Human-Centric Approach

    Employees want to feel seen and heard. If they don’t, that’s usually a good reason to consider leaving an organization. Creating a human-centric work environment means safe self-expression at work, addressing the life needs of their employees instead of merely work needs, and managing tailored, flexible workflows. This could look like flex schedules or working from anywhere. It may even mean allowing people to work earlier in the day or later into the evening. Whatever works best for them!

    At the end of the day, good work and productivity happen when an employee can work the way that best suits them. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to working. Everyone has different needs and priorities, as well as different life circumstances. Supporting your employees in these circumstances goes a long way.

    Let’s Start The Year Off Strong

    As the new year approaches, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with the demand of starting up a new business project or continuing old ones in addition to your daily job. Managing your staff can get tough, and some of us just don’t have the knowledge to do all these tasks by ourselves. That’s where GMS comes in. GMS can take on the administrative burdens associated with managing employees. Contact us to learn more.

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

    Requirements Set By FedEx

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

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

    Contractors of FedEx must comply with the following requirements: 

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

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

    Get Started Today!

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

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

  • As a small business owner, you are responsible for the operations of your business. Whether it’s hiring and recruiting new employees, onboarding, paying your employees, or offering them benefits, your hands are full. How often do you have the chance to sit down and think about how you will grow the revenue-building side of your business?

    Professional employer organizations (PEOs) work diligently with small business owners to provide them with the same buying power as a larger business through a co-employment relationship. Hiring an in-house HR professional consumes too much time and money, especially when you already have a limited number of employees. PEOs have experts in all aspects of your business you need assistance with. Whether you have workers’ compensation or employee benefits questions, our team of experts is there to assist.

    Small business owners who partner with a PEO have streamlined all aspects of their business. Instead of outsourcing payroll, workers’ compensation, employee benefits, unemployment, and risk management to third parties, a PEO consolidates these to work as a one-stop shop. Partnering with a PEO will allow you to reduce certain expenses and liabilities as the employer. Continue reading to see how PEO services can help your business thrive.

    Services A PEO Provides Small Businesses

    Stellar Customer Support From A Designated HR Professional

    As your business continues to grow, you may discover you no longer have the capacity to manage the administrative tasks or keep up with all HR-related duties. A PEO manages a range of responsibilities for your business from payroll to employee benefits. The duties of the PEO in the relationship are to focus on all administrative work so you can focus on what really matters in your business, revenue-building. Partnering with a PEO, like GMS, will save your business in the following ways:

    • Greater buying power
    • Increased employee retention
    • Smoother onboarding process
    • Free up your time
    • HR compliance, portal, and audits
    • Employee recruitment and training 

    Innovative Payroll Processing Technology

    As an experienced small business owner, you know how much time it takes to manage payroll and tax filings. What if there was a way to eliminate this task that would save you time and money? At GMS, we combine our proprietary technology with dedicated HR services and support from our experts to provide you with the absolute best. Questions to ask yourself to determine if partnering with a PEO will benefit your business from a payroll standpoint: 

    • Do you offer your employees a direct deposit option?
    • Are you spending too much time keeping up with taxes and IRS regulations?
    • Do you feel like you’re filling too many roles and don’t have time to grow your business?
    • Do you feel like you use your smartphone for everything and work on the go?

    If you answered yes to any of these questions, GMS is here to help. Our experts work diligently to decrease payroll tax liabilities, keep track of deductions, provide your employees with a web-based payroll system with 24/7 access, and so much more.

    A Dedicated Team To Ensure Compliance

    Many small business owners struggle to stay ahead of the risks that are associated with workers’ compensation and workplace hazards. There are more than 4.1 million workers who suffer a serious job-related injury or illness every year according to OSHA. With the right risk management solution, you’ll create a safer work environment for your employees, resulting in fewer claims and a lower workers’ compensation insurance rate.

    Partnering with GMS gives you access to our risk management services like workers’ compensation, claims management, and workplace safety. Protect your employees and your business now and outsource your risk management services. 

    Provided With Best-In-Class Benefits

    Whether you want to keep or attract quality employees, you must offer a benefits package. If you have an existing benefits package, a PEO will provide additional resources that will gain applicants’ attention. Any business that isn’t leveraging a PEO or an online benefits platform is wasting valuable time and money. At GMS, we understand that managing pay stubs and W-2s, tracking time, or doing job costing and labor distribution can be time-consuming. However, we provide our clients with an online employee self-service portal that gives employees access to costs of medical services, RX pricing, ID cards, detailed EOB and coverage information, claim details, and much more. 

    GMS will offer you and your employees flexibility, control of premiums, access to data and networks, and overall options that you can’t find anywhere else. The following is a list of benefits you can offer your employees once you partner with a PEO:

    • Benefit coverages: medical, dental, and vision
    • Flexible spending account
    • Health savings account
    • Life, accident, and critical illness
    • Short-term and long-term disability insurance
    • Comprehensive 401(k) plan that’s integrated with payroll
    • Pet insurance
    • Pre-paid legal
    • Telemedicine 
    • Diabetic management program

    Make group health coverage less confusing and partner with GMS today. 

    Partner With A PEO Today!

    At GMS, we do it all. GMS can provide any level of support you need, regardless of whether you choose one service or all of them. From payroll management to benefits and anywhere in between, our team of experts is here every step of the way when you choose to partner with GMS. By outsourcing your business, you can reduce liability and increase your efficiency. That way, you can focus on the aspects of your business that will help you grow externally. Make your business simpler, safer, and stronger by partnering with GMS today. Get a quote here. 

  • Human resources plays an important role in the daily operations of any business. As a business owner, you could be handling these tasks – payroll, benefits, and training employees. Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the number of hats you’re wearing at once to keep your business running? If so, HR outsourcing might be your new best friend.

    What Is HR Outsourcing?

    HR outsourcing is the practice in which a third-party organization handles some or all of a business’ internal HR responsibilities. Whether you need assistance with one aspect of your business, such as payroll, or you need assistance with a variety of different departments of your business, HR outsourcing can help. Any company that chooses to outsource its HR department may have the opportunity to enjoy the following benefits:

    • Save money 
    • Improve benefits 
    • Lower hiring costs
    • Ensure compliance 

    Before we continue to get into the benefits of outsourcing your HR functions, learn more here about the different outsourcing options available to you.

    Functions HR Processing Provides Small Businesses 

    Payroll processing 

    Managing payroll and tax filings can be one of the most time-consuming and challenging tasks for a small business owner. Your payroll process should be one of your first priorities as you don’t want to upset your employees by paying them late or incorrectly. Although you may think outsourcing your payroll may be more expensive than doing it in-house, in the long run, there are a variety of benefits. On average, small and mid-sized companies spend $2,000 per employee per year to handle payroll. Outsourcing payroll to a PEO like GMS will guarantee compliance with local laws and ensure that your employees are paid appropriately.

    The access to HR tools and resources allows businesses to enjoy the following benefits when they outsource payroll to GMS:

    • Payroll processing 
    • Payroll software 
    • Payroll tax management 
    • Employee self service 

    According to the National Small Business Association, 30% of small business owners spend more than six hours each week on payroll tax administration alone. Stop holding yourself back from what you do best, growing your business, and outsource your payroll.

    Employee benefits 

    Providing your employees with benefits like health insurance and a retirement plan will give your company a competitive advantage in your recruiting efforts. You want to keep and attract quality employees so you can continue to grow your business.

    You can offer your employees the following through a PEO:

    • Master health plan 
    • 401(k) or profit sharing 
    • Life insurance 
    • Dental 
    • Vision
    • Disability 
    • Supplemental insurance

    Outsourcing your employee benefits will save you time, money, simplify employee management, and allow you to spend less time worrying about benefits packages and more time growing your business. At GMS, we offer flexibility, control of premiums, access to data and networks, and overall options that you can’t find anywhere else.

    Risk management 

    As a small business owner, you might find yourself struggling to stay ahead of the risks associated with workers’ compensation and workplace hazards. You’ll need to comply with more rules than just benefits and tax laws. When it comes to workers’ compensation, you should focus on limiting injuries in the workplace and the rising costs of workers’ compensation insurance.

    Any U.S. employer must take responsibility for dealing with the consequences of workplace injuries. Every workplace injury results in a workers’ compensation claim for the employer, increasing their insurance rates. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employers spend an average of $0.45 per hour worked for workers’ compensation.

    To avoid workplace conflicts, and worst-case scenarios, or lawsuits, you can outsource your risk management efforts to an HR expert like GMS. From cost containment to loss prevention, we do it all. Protect your employees and your business by outsourcing your risk management functions today.

    Human resources 

    Managing HR can be quite challenging and may often be intimidating. When you outsource your HR functions like performance management, recruiting, and training, it allows you to spend more time focusing on growing your business, and less time on human resource management. Should you choose to outsource your HR to a PEO like GMS, you will gain assistance and expertise in the following areas:

    • Employee performance management
    • Employee recruiting and training services
    • Human resource audit
    • Human resources information system (HRIS)
    • Learning management
    • Unemployment claims management

    If you choose to outsource your HR functions, the HR partner of choice will assist in determining your performance goals and disciplinary routes for poor performance. Annual reviews, salary negotiations, and other performance-related conversations are always going to be a vital part of your business operations. It’s difficult to run a small business without much support, which is why more employers have turned to an HR outsourcing business.

    Outsource Your HR Functions Today!

    GMS is here to assist with any aspect of your business you need assistance with. From payroll tax management to hiring and recruiting employees for your business, we have experts in every area. We understand you may have questions about the transition process and where to begin. Contact us to learn more!

  • 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.

  • An ever-changing workplace environment, coupled with the effects of COVID-19, leaves companies with positions to fill and a shortage of qualified candidates. In 2021, more than 47 million Americans had quit their jobs, which was a record for the most resignations in history. The majority of workers who quit a job in 2021 stated that low pay (63%), no opportunities for advancement within their company (63%), and feeling disrespected at work (57%) were the main reasons they quit their jobs.

    The pandemic quickly changed how Americans view the workplace and their expectations of it. As COVID-19 rates are on the decline, offices are starting to enforce employees returning to work in the office as opposed to working remotely. So, how can you make your workplace somewhere employees actually want to come to? Continue reading to see how you can enhance your company culture.

    Evaluate Your Current Company Culture

    The most important step to enhancing your company culture is to evaluate the current state of it. Consider how your employees are working together, the employee engagement, arrival, and departure of your employees, etc. Interview employees or conduct surveys to gather additional information. Once you take all those factors and review them, you need to determine what’s missing in your culture. The most crucial step in this process is actually taking action to improve on the areas needed. This is a long process, but ultimately worthwhile. 

    Core Values

    Core values shape your company culture and impact your overall business strategy. They provide your organization with a shared sense of purpose for achieving common goals. Your core values define how your team operates, behaves, and interacts during day-to-day activities. Once you’ve defined your values, ingraining them into the workplace is the challenging part. You must implement accountability mechanisms so your values can be easily united into a performance management system. Taking the time to recognize employees who have positively demonstrated your company values is a simple way to ensure your employees feel engaged and rewarded. 

    Conduct Performance Reviews

    Providing constructive feedback is vital to your employees’ ongoing development. The feedback you offer them clarifies expectations, helps people learn from their mistakes, and builds confidence. When things are going well, it can be easy to provide feedback. However, providing negative feedback isn’t as simple. The problem compounds if it isn’t addressed right away, meaning you’ll find yourself dealing with a much bigger issue later. If employees choose to leave your company, be sure to take advantage of an exit interview. This allows for your team to receive constructive criticism from former employees as to why they’re leaving and what improvements they may have for your company.   

    Encourage Growth

    It’s important now more than ever to retain your employees. If you’re looking for a new position to fill, consider promoting current employees before looking externally. Making sure your current employees are given opportunities for growth is one of the best ways to keep them. Consider offering personal development programs, attending conferences with your employees, conducting skills assessments, and creating formal opportunities to try out new responsibilities.

    In today’s job market, you must ensure that you’re investing in your employees. By providing detailed career paths, you will do just that and attract talented employees. Candidates will be more interested and engaged from the very beginning of their career if they see a detailed path laid out in front of them showing the options for movement and growth within your company. According to SHRM, only 29% of employees were satisfied with the career advancement opportunities offered to them. These career paths ultimately help your employees envision a long-term career within your business.

    Employee Engagement

    Enhancing employee engagement is the simplest way to decrease employee turnover, boost productivity, increase safety, and improve the employer brand. Organizations rely on the energy, commitment, and engagement within their workforce to succeed. You must involve engagement from the entire leadership team and a lot of planning in this step. Consider volunteering as a team and have other team outings. Participating in team-building activities builds a stronger relationship within your organization while potentially helping your community. Participating in activities with team members provides your employees an environment where relationship building is encouraged. Use your company values to aid in the decision of what activities your organization participates in. 

    Transparency

    Transparency is the practice of being open and honest with your employees. Being transparent within the workplace has many benefits. Implementing an open workplace encourages clear communication, collaboration, and an understanding of others without being afraid to speak up. Your employees want to feel supported and valued. Add transparency to your company policy to ensure all employees follow and respect the order to practice honesty. Ensure you are leading by example when encouraging transparency with your team. You need to be the first to set the standard. In order to enforce transparency effectively, be sure to start in the hiring process. This allows for your employees to know from the very beginning about your culture and policies that must be followed in the workplace.  

    Incentives

    It is a common practice for business owners and managers to find effective ways to help keep their employees motivated and engaged. Offering incentives to your employees motivates them and drives behaviors that ultimately result in improved business outcomes. Incentives also create a culture of high performance and retain top performers. Common incentives can include schedule flexibility, home-office days, stock options, team retreats, and tuition reimbursement. Implementing employee incentives comes with many advantages which include improved sales, boosting the morale of your team, and reducing employee turnover. 

    Recognize Employees

    Recognizing your employees for a job well done helps employees see that their company values them and their contributions to the success of their team and the company overall. When recognizing employees, be sure you’re tying it to a specific accomplishment or business objective which encourages continued strong performance. However, a simple “great work” goes a long way for some employees to keep motivated. You don’t know how your employees like to be rewarded, so make sure you ask.  

    Embrace Technology 

    Technology has become an essential part of our day-to-day lives in the workplace. Implementing technology allows your company to be more competitive, enhances communication and collaboration, increases security, and improves productivity and efficiency. Employees must be able to understand that the workforce constantly changes, and they must be willing to adapt as well. Most organizations that are constantly changing technology platforms realize that employees quickly learn how efficient their job can become with new technology. At GMS, we provide top-notch technology to your business to help with your HR functions.

    How A PEO Can Help Enhance Company Culture 

    As an ever-tightening labor market is still relevant, recruiting employees, retention, and enhancing company culture has never been more challenging for businesses. However, GMS can offer your small to mid-sized company guidance on hiring and training, as well as assist in managing the administrative burdens associated with every aspect of the employee life cycle. Our team of experts works diligently with you to provide benefits to attract top-tier employees. We assist in recruiting top talent and providing access to cutting-edge technology including GMS Connect, Time Clock, expense reporting, and our learning management system. Having been named a Top Workplace for over six years, we understand how important creating a strong company culture is. Contact us today to learn how we can assist your business.

  • Do you enjoy the benefits of partnering with a PEO, but you aren’t sure you’re getting everything you were promised in the beginning? If you currently partner with a PEO, you know there are a wide array of benefits you gain through the partnership. When you partner with GMS, you will receive access to our experts in the fields of payroll, employee benefits, human resources, and risk management.

    Making the switch to a different PEO may seem mundane, but it’s important to ensure the partnership with a new PEO is the right fit. Continue reading to learn how simple it can be to switch from one PEO to another.

    Step 1 – Define Your Reasons For Switching PEOs

    The most important step in switching from one PEO to another is determining the reason why you want to switch. Make a list of pros and cons of your current PEO. The types of services and support you want not only have a direct effect on which PEO is right for you but also impact the transition process. 

    Consider asking yourself the following questions to fully understand your reason(s) for switching.

    • Are you receiving everything you were promised at the beginning of your partnership?
    • What services is your current PEO offering you? 
    • What services do you feel are lacking (if applicable)?
    • How fast do they respond to your correspondence and through what channels are they accessible – email only, phone, fax, and so forth. 
    • What red flags, if any, have you experienced that need to be addressed?
    • How often does your HR account manager facilitate onsite visits?
    • Do your employees have easy access to their payroll information?
    • How flexible is your medical plan for your employees?
    • Are your claims being handled properly and in a timely manner?
    • How often do you review your workers’ compensation rate?

    Step 2 – Find The Right Fit

    If you’re considering switching PEOs, you may ask yourself how beneficial it will be for your business to continue a partnership with a PEO. When determining the right PEO for your business, consider your ever-changing business needs. What are your current challenges? Do you anticipate any changes to your business that could impact which services you need? 

    Not all PEOs are created equal. Some are brand new to the PEO market, while others have been around for quite some time. With that said, every PEO offers different services, and some may be a better fit than others. Do your research and ask questions to grasp a better understanding of each business.

    Step 3 – Cost And Value

    PEOs are dedicated to helping businesses grow, so we understand the commitment involved in a partnership. However, having already worked with a PEO, you understand the value a PEO can offer your business. Most PEOs have an enrollment fee that can run up to a couple of thousand dollars for your company. Consider looking for a PEO that is transparent about pricing. You will most likely have a first meeting with each PEO you are interested in. If they aren’t upfront and honest and can’t give an explanation behind the pricing, that’s a red flag right away. Your costs of doing business may be increased unintentionally due to ineffective HR processes. Decreased productivity, high employee turnover, less impressive employee benefits, and more, are ways your ineffective HR practice could be hurting your bottom line. 

    Step 4 – Partnership Overview

    Since you’ve gathered information about top PEOs you are interested in partnering with, it should be clear which organization you want to work with. It’s important to consider the conversation that will be had with your current PEO about parting ways and switching to another PEO. Your previous PEO may require a written notice of termination – a 30-day notice is typical. Create a plan with your team members to ensure a smooth process for the transition of services.

    Your new PEO will provide you with a documented plan of what the partnership will look like. They will show you how the transition and onboarding process will look and how they will get your employees settled in with the new PEO.

    Step 5 – Onboarding

    While PEOs save companies time in the long run, the process of onboarding with a PEO can be time-consuming in the beginning. You must get through the growing pains first before taking advantage of the amazing benefits. There will be multiple steps in the onboarding process consisting of a pre-launch meeting, HR and benefit meetings, and a conversation about payroll. Depending on the PEO you decide on, you should have the option to sign physical documents or submit them electronically if the company is paperless. Once the documents are completed and filed, the implementation process will begin. At the end of the onboarding process, you will have a faster, smarter, and more efficient HR administration process. 

    Find The Right PEO To Help Your Business

    Finding the right PEO to assist with your administrative functions is vital to the success of your business. Managing the many HR functions is the backbone of your business. Researching a variety of different PEOs and choosing the right one can be time-consuming, but in the long run, will provide you with more free time so you can focus on growing your business. A PEO provides you with the administrative support you deserve.

    At GMS, our team of experts works diligently with you and your employees to make your business simpler, safer, and stronger. To learn more about how GMS can benefit your business, contact us today.  

  • When considering partnering with a professional employer organization (PEO), many questions may cross your mind. If you’re just now learning about a PEO, you’ve taken the first step toward providing your company with more efficient and unique practices for handling your most precious assets: your employees. You may be asking, what exactly is a PEO? A PEO enables companies to cost-effectively outsource the management of human resources, employee benefits, payroll, and workers’ compensation. As a PEO, GMS leverages its collective buying power to act as one large company. A PEO works diligently with small business owners to provide them with the same buying power as a larger business through a co-employment relationship. By working with a PEO, you gain access to more cost-effective options regarding healthcare, dental, vision, and workers’ compensation.

    There are many reasons why employers use a PEO. As a business owner, you’re already aware of the amount of time and energy that goes into each aspect of managing your business. What can a PEO do for your business that will save you time and money? Continue reading to see how GMS can make your business simpler, safer, and stronger.

    Payroll

    Managing payroll and tax filings can be one of the most time-consuming and costly tasks there is within your business. Small and mid-sized companies spend an average of $2,000 per employee per year to handle payroll. When you outsource payroll with us, you gain access to:

    • Taxes & tax filing
    • Electronic onboarding
    • Pay card options
    • Garnishment administration 
    • Customized payroll reports
    • Employee documentation
    • Time clock integration
    • GMS Connect: advanced online payroll system
    • New hire reporting
    • Employee self-service portal and app
    • Compliance advice and assistance 

    Human Resources

    There are many functions when it comes to human resources management – from recruiting and retaining employees to payroll to tracking vacation time. Focusing on your company should be your number one concern. Your employees are the backbone of your business. HR management plays a role in instituting and suggesting strategies for individuals that impact the growth of your business. Creating an environment that encourages employees to do their best increases longevity in the workplace. Below are the advantages of outsourcing your human resource functions to a PEO:

    • HR audit
    • Human resources information system (HRIS)
    • Recruitment services 
    • Onboarding
    • Compliance assistance
    • Training & development programs 
    • Retention strategies
    • Recognition programs 
    • Employee relations guidance 

    Risk Management

    There are many risks associated with workers’ compensation and workplace hazards. The majority of work-related deaths, injuries, illnesses, and consequential workers’ compensation costs are preventable. With the right risk management solution, you’ll be able to create a safer work environment for your employees, which ultimately results in fewer claims and a lower workers’ compensation insurance rate. Below are benefits you gain when outsourcing risk management:

    • Claim(s) management
    • PEO discount programs
    • Drug testing
    • Workers’ compensation management 
    • Claim investigation
    • Hearing representation
    • OSHA walk-throughs
    • Safety programs & audits
    • Trainings, webinars, and more

    Benefits

    Attracting and keeping quality employees is the number one concern in today’s workplace. As many individuals are looking for new jobs, standing out from your competitors is key. One of the best ways to do this is by offering a benefits package. Offering a benefits package to your employees, show them you are invested in not only them but their future with your business. Below are examples of benefits you can offer your employees:

    • PEO benefit program
    • TPA services
    • Claims administration
    • Wellness programs 
    • Supplemental insurance programs
    • ACA compliance
    • ERISA compliance
    • RX specialist & assistance 
    • 401(k) 
    • Benefit plan offerings/administration
    • Benefit compliance reporting
    • Claim audits/case management 

    As the list of services that GMS can offer your business is extensive, our experts are here to help with any area of your business that is struggling. By choosing to partner with us, we can better understand what services will be of benefit to your business. We work with you to create a plan that’s designed specifically for the size and needs of your business. Contact us today to learn more!

  • The Unanticipated Telecommuting Tax  

    Throughout the progression of COVID-19, over half of full-time employees were encouraged to work from home. As a result, some major corporations have permanently implemented the option to telecommute. The drastic change brings along an unexpected tax consequence.  

    Within most states, there is state income tax withholding which is required by the state where employees perform. The state can tax employees’ earnings if they work or live within the state. When it comes to neighboring states, commuters often have reciprocity agreements. These agreements allow withholding to be required within the employee’s home state. However, the tax or withholding is not always enforced to the work state.  

    When an employee works in a different state from their employer, it often creates another complication – Nexus.  Although varying by state, it holds the potential to trigger state income, sales tax, and corporate taxes for the employer. Employees will not be the only ones who are impacted. With an increasing number of employees teleworking from various locations, how to manage where they are to pay income tax has become vastly complicated.   

    Telecommuting is proposed to be the new norm, even after the end of the pandemic. If this occurs, employers must be made aware of the potential tax impacts and how to properly manage their teleworkers.  

    How GMS Can Help:  

    Working with a PEO like GMS will allow you to stay up to date with all the changing regulations. Along with ensuring that as an employer you are covered throughout the complete employee life cycle. Allowing business owners to have additional access to counsel for any questions that may arise.   

    Interested in learning more about all GMS has to offer? Contact us today!