Documentation Excuses that Cost Employers

“I don’t have time” and/or “It’s not that big of a deal” are excuses that cost employers in the long run.

Have you found yourself in any of the following situations? 

Situation A: You find yourself considering letting an employee go due to poor performance and/or behavior. You haven’t formally addressed their performance issues with them, but surely they know they haven’t been performing up to company standards. You’re ready to terminate their employment today OR maybe you decide to wait until the end of the week because you’re too busy to terminate them today.  Come Thursday or maybe even next Monday, you finally terminate the employee.  

Major Mistakes:

• Employee wasn’t counseled on issues as they happened.
• Failed to address the performance / behavior issues with the employee before deciding to terminate their employment.
• Zero documentation exists on the employee regarding their poor performance. 
• What are the possible results from the mistakes? 

1. Terminated employee had no idea that they were going to be terminated and react poorly.
2. Terminated employee could file suit for wrongful termination because they were never formally addressed about the issues and ZERO documentation exists.
3. Terminated employee may file for unemployment benefits and will likely win because employee wasn’t counseled at least 2 -3 times and documentation doesn’t exist. Employer may end up having to pay their unemployment benefits.    

Situation B: You find yourself at the end of your rope with an employee after you’ve tried and tried to provide them with tools to be successful, but they’re just not performing up to the company’s standards. Maybe it’s due to their poor behavior, insubordination, unreliability or even a combination of many factors. You’ve verbally counseled/warned the employee about needing to step up but you never thought it was necessary to document the counsels/warnings because the issues were too small. Now the "small issues"  have added up to be a consistent problem so you’re now ready to terminate their employment.

Major Mistakes:

• Employee was counseled as the issues happened but the counsels/warnings were not documented.  

What are the possible results from the mistakes?

1. Terminated employee could file for unemployment and win because you can’t provide proof of the counsels/warnings even though you and the employee know they occurred. Termed employee could deny ever being counseled and would win unemployment.
2. Terminated employee could file suit for wrongful termination claiming that they were never counseled because you have no proof to support valid reason/s for termination.

Determining if Behavior is "Real Serious" or "Real Important"

If an observed behavior is either “real” serious or “real” important then it must be addressed.

The importance or seriousness of certain behaviors will vary from employer to employer due to industry differences.  

Examples of typical “real” important behavior problems:

• Tardiness or absence problems
• Late submissions of work
• Dirty, messy, unorganized work stations or vehicles
• Incomplete work

Examples of typical “real” serious behavior problems:

• Harassment
• Insubordination
• Unacceptable job performance
• Damage to company property or equipment

Behavior that is either real important or real serious should have some type of documentation associated with it that you can place in the employees file.

The date the verbal was given or any written counsels that you completed on the behavior should exist and be readily available should the behavior repeat itself.

If you have an employee who behaves in such a way that you wish to not deal with in the future you really need to complete a simple counseling form.

What are the benefits from using Counseling Forms? 

• Provides employee with steps to achieve success
• Provides a consistent process for addressing behavioral problems
• Documents employee behavior
• May protect employer from having to pay unemployment
• May protect employer from wrongful termination lawsuits

Counseling forms can be simple one page documents that allow you to place the date the behavior occurred, description of what happened and what you expect moving forward. Its very simple but several employers fail to follow a consistent counseling processing that includes documentation.

Our next HR Tip of the Week will cover why documentation is important and why you should adopt a consistent process TODAY.

If you have questions or concerns about your employees behavior and your not sure how to address the situation, please feel free to contact TrendHR @ 214-553-5505.

Employee Behavior Management

The process of employee management helps companies achieve desired results and continued success. Productivity, employee morale and customer satisfaction depend on how well employees are being managed.

Initially, employees are trained so that their behavior falls inline with company standards when performing given job duties and responsibilities. Unfortunately, deviation from company standards and procedures will occur and managers must take action to address them appropriately and effectively. Employees may just need counseling from their supervisor to correct the problem. 

The key to managing employees is to understand that you can only manage behaviors not attitudes. Stating that an employee was terminated because their attitude was “careless, lazy, rude, etc…” is not sufficient for terminating an individual’s employment. Terminating based on attitudes can lead to a number of legal issues including having to pay unemployment or possible discrimination lawsuits. 

There are three fundamental steps in the process of managing employees that this series will cover to provide you with tools to be an active and effective manager.  

Step 1.  Behavior Management

Step 2.  Using S.M.A.R.T. Goals for Desired Results

Step 3.  Counseling Forms for Behavior Management

S.M.A.R.T. Goals and Counseling Forms are great tools for managing behavior, putting action plans in place to achieve desired results and to formally address problems with employees.  Contact TrendHR today @ 214-553-5505 for our short training series on Behavior management and S.M.A.R.T

Questions You Can & Cannot Ask Applicants!

Questions you may ask during an interview include the following:

• Please tell me of a major accomplishment or project that you are most proud?
• What has been your biggest frustration or disappointment in your previous (or current) job?
• What skills and experience from past jobs do you think will help you succeed in this position?
• What would you consider your three greatest strengths? Three greatest weaknesses?
• Describe specific job duties and tasks that you completed in your past (or current) job?
• How do you spend a typical workday in your current (or previous) position?
• What are your expectations from this job?
• Please describe your career goals for the next one to two years? Three to five years? How about the next five to ten years?
• How will being employed here help you achieve your goals?
• Tell me why we should hire you? How will you be an asset to our organization and team?

You're NOT ALLOWED to ask questions about an applicants:

• Age
• Birthday
• Marital Status
• Familial Status
• Pregnancy or plans for pregnancy
• Childcare arrangements
• Disability or impairment
• Health history (past or present)
• Illness (past or present)
• Birthplace or ancestry
• Native Language
• Relegion
• Racial Group
• Relegious holiday or practices

Never use these prohibited questions in any written or verbal form.  You're to focus only on the candidates experience and skill sets in regards to the position they're applying for. Nothing else is  in the Laws eyes. If you ask an applicant about anything listed above then you are violating the law putting yourself and your company in jeopardy.

How to Deliver Bad News Effectively

No one feels comfortable delivering bad news to anyone. But sometimes its part of the job and something has to be said. So what can you do to get the message across in the best possible manner? Well if you take the right approach the news will be accepted even if its not welcomed.

TIPS:

• Be direct because bad news should always be given in a straightforward manner. Confront the situation dead on and be honest. Do not "sugar coat" the news because it can interfer with the message you need to send. 
• Act Immediately or time lapse will make it more difficult to address and harder to explain.
• Deliver bad news face-to-face when possible because you'll have an opportunity to show your concern and answer questions immediately.
• Explain why the news is considered "bad". Telling people "bad news" is one thing but you must couple the news with why and how its affected people, places and/or things negatively. This will allow you to educate your audience on what to avoid and why which will result in a more positive reception of the message.
• Highlight any upsides that the bad news generated to minimize the overwhelmning feeling of disappointment.

Communicating to others in the most effective way possible is key to everyone's success both personally and professionaly.

Don't forget to check out all the great Quick Trains & Quick Tips onwww.trendhr.com under "Online Training"!

Recruiting Great Talent As the Economy Improves

Great News! The economy  looks to be making a turn for the better for 2011!    As the economy begins the recovery process it  is only natural that business will start to notice the need to recruit talent.

One of the most important business tasks is ensuring proper talent exists  at every position in your company .    Much of your time should be spent on the screening process to help aid in making the best choice for the position.  Here are some great tips that will help you find the right candidate:

1. Begin by writing a realistic job description.
2. Telephone screen all applicants.
3. Solicit referrals from your social and business networks.
4. Check references and education credentials.
5. Review job history and dates.  Pay close attention to all details.
6. Perform background checks.
7. Conduct personality testing.
8. Be prepared for an interview.  Have a list of questions that are essential to determine if candidate would be a great fit.
9. Be willing to offer part-time or job-sharing if necessary.
10. Consider using a staffing agency for a temp to perm position.

TrendHR can assist you with all these important hiring steps.  Examples of some of the services we can provide clients with are:

Job Descriptions, Interviewing, Background Checks, Personality Testing and more!

Please contact our HR department at 469-402-1542 for more information on how we can help you recruit the best talent for your company!

OSHA and DOT Speak Out on Texting and Driving

Many or all of your workers drive to work every day, and some may be required by their jobs to spend part or all of their workday driving. Any of them could be at risk of being injured or killed in a distracted driving accident.


"Distracted driving has become an epidemic in the United States, and its often fatal consequences are a threat to your workers, your business, and the public," according to OSHA.


One of the biggest problems is texting and driving. In fact, texting while driving has become such a prominent hazard that 30 states now ban text messaging while driving.


Some employers have also taken action to prohibit texting while driving. For those who haven't, OSHA has this warning: "Companies are in violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act if, by policy or practice, they require texting while driving, or create incentives that encourage or condone it, or they structure work so that texting is a practical necessity for workers to carry out their job."


What Is Distracted Driving?


DOT defines distracted driving as "any non-driving activity a person engages in that has the potential to distract him or her from the primary task of driving and increase the risk of crashing."


DOT identifies three main types of distraction:

• Visual—taking your eyes off the road
• Manual—taking your hands off the wheel
• Cognitive—taking your mind off what you're doing

While any distraction can endanger drivers' safety, texting is the most alarming because it involves all three types of distraction.


Other distracting activities include:

• Using a cell phone
• Eating and drinking
• Talking to passengers
• Grooming
• Reading, including maps
• Using a PDA or navigation system
• Watching a video
• Changing the radio station, CD, or Mp3 player.

What Should You Do?


"Send a clear message to workers and supervisors that your company neither requires nor condones texting while driving," says OSHA.

• Prohibit texting while driving. OSHA encourages employers to declare their vehicles "text-free zones" and to emphasize that commitment to their workers, customers, and communities.
• Establish work procedures and rules that do not make it necessary for workers to text while driving in order to carry out their duties.
• Set up clear procedures, times, and places for drivers' safe use of texting and other technologies for communicating with managers, customers, and others.
• Incorporate safe communications practices into worker orientation and training.
• Eliminate financial and other incentive systems that encourage workers to text while driving.

---Safety Daily Advisor – BLR.com

New Employee Goals

If you haven’t already created goals for the New Year it’s likely that you have it on your “to-do” list! Make sure to keep the following in mind when you’re setting new goals for your employees:

1. Don’t be too specific
2. Make sure to include all critical information (quantity & quality)
3. Create challenging, realistic and achievable goals: unrealistic goals could promote unethical behavior
4. Consider getting the employees input: this could be far more motivating for the employees to achieve goals they helped create for themselves
5. Create deadlines for each goal
6. Consider how you will measure overall success of the set goal/s
7. Establish the overall purpose/s of the goal with the employee: is it to achieve profitability? Build customer relations? Improve processes? Etc..
8. Make sure the employee understands the importance in achieving the set goals: employees’ who understand and realize the importance in achieving their goal successfully helps motivate them towards success.