Make Every Conversation Count

Everyone could use a little help with communications skills from time to time.  And since we all have limited time to communicate, we should try to make the best of it.  When you talk with people, you define your relationship with them.  Choose your words carefully and you will build trust and a positive reputation.  Try using these principals to steer conversations.

Respond, don’t react – Weigh your words before you speak. Don’t assume that you know everything about a situation before you respond.  Ask questions and listen.

See the influences –  Many factors outside the conversation can affect how you and the other person speak. Recognize if, for example, you are ready to snap at someone because you are stressed about another situation. Analyze what may be influencing the other person too.

Create the right first impression - The first words you speak will set the tone for the conversation and how the other person views you.

Seize the opportunity - Choose the response that will leave the other person with the impression that you want to make. Remember also that others may be watching the conversation, or the other party may talk about your conversation with them later. One conversation can influence the way many people see you.

Close the conversation - Always end with a positive comment. Follow up after an important conversation. Check in to clarify any possible misunderstandings, by asking questions or reinforcing your message. Thank the other person with whom you had a positive encounter. Send a note of apology if you didn’t handle the encounter well.

Approach each conversation with the right attitude and it will be easier to choose the best words and convey the right tone.

September is our Employee Recognition Month

“If businesses are to grow their way out of the current economic malaise, they will have to get more productivity out of their people—not by cutting and slashing, but by nurturing, engaging, and recognizing.” – John A. Bryne, editor-in-chief, Fast Company magazine

In a down economy, a manager’s first instinct is to cut back. And the “soft side” of business—including recognition programs— is often the first to be slashed. But when you cut recognition, you are sacrificing the future. As Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton describe it in the book, “A Carrot a Day”, recognition is the lifeblood of innovation, retention and productivity. It’s what keeps employees motivated in the tough times. (And it’s why they’ll still be devoted when things improve.)

Managers and employees are constantly looking for the secret of “motivating their people.” Therein lies the problem. You can’t motivate people- But you can set an example and create an environment where they will motivate themselves. As a leader, the secret to creating a successful work environment is to first create an atmosphere in which success can occur. This means a continuous positive attitude on your part and continuous positive reinforcement from your employees. It means recognizing and rewarding great performance.

The tone for the company is set by creating the right work environment (and the right boss environment). Word of mouth is just as powerful from your employees as it is from your customers. If you treat your customers great and your employees lousy, that mixed message is devastating at the cash register.

So many leaders fail to realize that their employees go home and talk about their day with you, just like customers go home and talk about their purchases and experiences with you. And the internal customer is just as powerful as the external one. When you have a great, productive, high-earning team the word gets out. The “law of attraction” kicks in. Great talent will call and want to work for you. What a great dilemma to have!

At Star Staffing, we treat our customers just the same as our employees. We understand that our employees and internal staff are the ones who make us the premier staffing firm we are today. We believe in recognizing our employees for positive behavior and performance. One of our employee recognition programs is our Star of the Month where we recognize an individual in each office that demonstrates the following:

•  Performance –meeting and exceeding work load expectations, completing tasks early, taking on additional tasks when requested.
• Safety – adheres to all safety rules, makes suggestions for keeping the workplace and others safe.
• Perfect Attendance – always on time and ready to work, returns on time from breaks.
• Attitude – maintaining a positive attitude, being willing, going above and beyond.

We value and appreciate each and every one of our employees. Although we recognize them through numerous programs, we thought we would dedicate an entire month tailored to them. We will be providing them with thank you notes, cupcakes and goodies, gifts, and in the last week of September, they will have a chance to win a 32 inch plasma TV! We are excited to take the month of September to recognize each individual on a specific attribute that contributes to our success. Together, we make the difference!

Why YOU should consider hiring contingent staff…

It’s that time! The work has piled up and you cannot continue to manage it all on your own. You’re thinking about hiring, but where do you begin? You need someone immediately, but how do you find them? Are you able to spend time finding someone without letting your day to day business operations suffer? What if the work does not continue to flow in? I have 3 words for you, Hire Contingent Staff.

As a staffing owner, I can confidently say working with a temporary agency is your best bet for a multitude of reasons; mitigating rising costs as well as risk, improving performance, saving time, and/or increasing flexibility. Employees are your biggest expense and greatest asset. Employment costs such as insurance, healthcare, taxes, and benefits are soaring. Partnering with a staffing company can save you time in several ways. They advertise, screen, interview, test, and reference check to attract the most viable candidate for your open position. Each candidate must go through the staffing firm’s rigorous screening process which weeds people who are prone to drugs, theft, violence, workers compensation fraud, etc. They also administer skill assessments to pinpoint extraordinary performers with the right skills and expertise so you get a qualified candidate from day one. This means less training on your behalf. The staffing firm can also conduct background and drug screening as well as credit reports.

In addition to saving you time, working with a staffing firm can mitigate rising costs and risk. Healthcare costs, workers compensation, unemployment insurance, social security and other staffing costs continue to rise each year. Staffing firms handle all these responsibilities so that you just pay a flat fee. In addition, they take care of the temporary employees’ payroll and benefits administration. They consume general liability as well as managing those employees. Yes, you heard me correctly. The staffing firm will end their assignment, counsel them if needed, and handle any issues pertaining to the employee.

And if those weren’t enough, you can hire as needed which allows your company to respond to market demands quickly without adding full-time staff. You can utilize the services of a temporary only as long as the work or peak period lasts. When the job is complete, the temporary is no longer a burden on your labor costs.

Staffing firms are a great resource and mostly likely, you’re best. With one call, they will do the rest. You can focus on what you do best and let the recruiters do what they do best. You will receive the most qualified resumes for your open position. From there, you can choose to phone screen or conduct an in person interview. Once you have selected the best candidate for the position, the agency will pay the employee on a weekly basis. All you need to do is verify and sign off that the hours are correct. Sounds like a piece of cake, right? That’s because it is! Staffing firms give you peace of mind throughout the process. So, what are you waiting for?

Safety First!

Safety is always a top priority at Star Staffing.  June is National Safety Month so  why not dedicate this month’s blogs to safety!  I would have to write a blog every hour of every day to even cover half of the topics I would like to get too so I’m sure we won’t get to everything.  But hopefully the information provided will be beneficial. Please contact Star Staffing for any additional information

Most importantly, safety in the workplace is important for the worker but it is also important for the company.

Many workers spend most of their day in the workplace and expect it to be as safe and free from potential hazards as possible. To be most productive employees need to know they are working in a safe environment. They need to feel confident in their safety training and know that their fellow employees are also trained in safety issues and procedures. When workers feel they are in a safe work environment they are more motivated to do a good job.

Companies want to keep their workers safe and free from potential dangers. Naturally, personal safety is important however management also must consider the financial costs of workplace accidents. When a worker is injured on the job, the company can be affected in many ways including the following possibilities:

• Medical expenses for the employee
• Increased insurance premiums
• Increased premiums to workers compensation
• Lost man hours of work
• Legal costs

The morale and productivity of employees is also often affected when a workplace injury occurs. This usually happens whether or not the injured worker was following specified safety procedures or not.

One of the duties of an employer is keeping his workers safe from illness and injury in the workplace. One way to accomplish this is to follow the regulations set by OSHA for the specific industry. Companies should also have a program of health and safety training for their employees that focuses on general safety as well as the specific hazards of the industry. In addition to setting forth specific industry regulations, OSHA also works with employers to achieve compliance of the regulations at the company’s request.

In addition to regular safety training meetings, here are many things management can do to help keep workers safe on the job.

• Include employees in discussions on policies involving safety issues and in identifying existing and potential workplace hazards. By doing this, workers are more apt to be compliant and accountable.
• Encourage workers to report any workplace hazards they encounter.
• Post a copy of the company’s health and safety policy in a place that is visible for everyone to see.
• Make certain an employee is properly trained on any new equipment, or on a piece of equipment that is new to that employee.
• Post workplace safety slogans, signs and posters that reinforce safe work habits.
• Form employee safety teams or committees and have them take part in safety inspections.
• Make certain that all managers and supervisors are trained to recognize potential workplace hazards.
• Safety issues may change over time and need to be reevaluated periodically.

Star Staffing is a member of the National Safety Council.  Not only does this keep us at the top  of our safety game but it allows us to provide our employees, clients and communities with some of the best safety information.  Check out this link for more information about National Safety Month. http://www.nsc.org/nsc_events/Nat_Safe_Month/Pages/home.aspx

Don’t Mess with Payroll Taxes!

In recent news, the collapse of a major employment company in California due to nonpayment of unemployment taxes should open all employers’ eyes to the necessity to pay payroll taxes in a timely manner.  The EDD, Franchise Tax Board, and IRS are not very forgiving agencies.

Most payroll taxes are due within 3 business days of a check/payroll date.  Penalties for late payments accrue rapidly.  The IRS charges 2% penalties for deposits made 1-5 days late, 5% for deposits made 6-15 days late, 10% for deposits made 16+ days late, and 15% on amounts still unpaid more than 10 days after the first notice the IRS sends asking for the tax due. EDD penalty rates are slightly more forgiving than the IRS, but still hefty http://www.edd.ca.gov/payroll_taxes/Interest_Rate.htm.

Furthermore the EDD, IRS and Franchise Tax Board all have the ability to levy assets as a result of unpaid employer taxes, penalties, and interest. As the case in the employment agency mentioned above, these levies can be so cumbersome that they can easily force the closure of a business.

Lesson to be learned…..don’t mess with payroll taxes!  The monetary and even business operations penalties are too big.

For more information about employers tax responsibilities, filing/payment requirements, penalties & more visit http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15.pdf and http://www.edd.ca.gov/payroll_taxes/