How many times do we run into a situation at work where we look at it as a management team and immediately look to develop a policy to prevent it from happening again?  It happens all the time.  We see it in our world regularly, and you can see that there were good intentions however, it is not necessary.  It isn’t necessary to make a policy every time something goes wrong in the office or someone’s conduct or behaviour is not as we would expect.  Sure, there are situations that indicate that we need a policy, however for many, it would be better dealt with by confronting the individuals involved, setting expectations going forward, consequences and a timeframe for improvement.

Be careful you don’t catch this syndrome….it is all too present and can make your employee handbook look like a good plot for a comedy routine. 

I felt compelled to write a note to say how pleased I am to see employers really supporting their employees.  In a world where we tend to only see or hear about someone suing an employer for wrongful dismissal, or individuals recounting terrible employment experiences, it really is nice to see and be a part of employers that care and work hard to not only ensure that the bottom line and business goals are met, but also that their people are their priority as well.

To the employer who supported a new employee – only there for less than 3 months –  through a short and and long term leave –  not only abiding by the law but going over and above in terms of supplying benefits when they didn’t have to, providing encouragement, being over the top supportive and holding a position all that time for their return.

To the employer who is concerned about the health of one of their employees and has supported them through years and years of debilitating issues and instead of looking for a way to terminate the employee (as we often hear about), they have gone over and above by not only accommodating but also to keep them in a job that the company no longer needs because they feel an ethical responsibility and know that finances are a concern for this individual.

There are very good companies to work for in this world and I feel fortunate to be able to work with a great group of them!

Have you been looking to make a change?  Have you been job searching but you have found yourself in a slump?  Here are some tips and tricks to get yourself prepped for a new year, new opportunities and New You!!!!

1.  Make a plan.  Where would you like to see yourself a year from now?  How about 5 years from now?  Once you have an idea…draw a roadmap.  What are the things you need to do to get there.  Make the plan one that is SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and has a Time Line to it.

2.  Review your resume.  If you have been using the same resume with minimal results – there is something wrong.  Re-vamp it, or get a professional to do it. If you are just starting to look as part of your New Year’s resolution, get your resume prepped now.   Make sure it “Speaks” what you are looking for, highlights your qualifications and shows an absolute match to the type of role you would be applying to.

3.  Be prepared to make your job search your new job!  There is a lot of competition out there, be prepared to be in it for the long haul.  Don’t give up – stay positive, keep your head held high…you have skills, now go get ’em!  If you are currently working, you will need to set aside time each day to push and continue embarking on your quest for your new role.  If you are not currently working – set aside specific  hours that are geared to execute on your plan.

4.  Brush up on your interview skills.  How do you interview?  Are you polished?  Are you confident in your interviewing skills?  If not – enlist a professional to assist you in your preparation.  It is worth the investment in your future.

5.  Look for motivation.  A job search can be time consuming and can be a long tough road.  Look for things to motivate you.  Create and celebrate milestones whether it is an interview, steps to get you closer to your goal, or…  What are the things that help motivate you during tough times?  Going to the gym?  Hanging with friends?  Inspirational Quotes?  I have printed off inspirational quotes and put them on the mirror so that I see them each day…do what makes sense to keep you motivated.

Get all of this in line and be prepared to make this year the one that counts!  Surround yourself with people that are positive and network with those that can help you propel your career forward.  You can do it!

This is YOUR year!  Good luck!

Here is a example of one of the articles coming in our next newsletter – are you signed up?  If not, go to our home page and sign up.  

As a general rule of thumb, it is a good practice to review your HR systems, policies and practices each year.  This is important to ensure you are current with compliance, remain competitive and for recruitment, selection and retention purposes.  So what do we suggest? 

1.  Policy Manual.  Review your current policy manual, if you don’t have one, consider implementing one and or seeking assistance through a reputable HR company to assist you with this.  Review to ensure policies are current, comprehensive and conducive to good business practice.  Don’t create a policy for the sake of making a policy, ensure there is good reason to document.

2.  Recruitment and Selection.  Take a look at your current recruitment and selection process.  Is it a documented, detailed process that is designed to bring in quality candidates that want to stay and grow with your company?  Are your staff competent and productive workers?  If you are having turnover or performance issues, you will want to re-examine this process.  Do you have documented, detailed interview questions for each stage of the interview process and for each position? If you don’t have this documented, you should.

3.  Job descriptions.  Do you have them?  Have they been reviewed and updated?  Have your employees reviewed them and signed off on any updates?  A word of caution here…if you are making significant job description changes, ensure you consult an HR professional so you don’t run into constructive dismissal claims.

4.  Vacation Schedule.  Have you reviewed your current vacation schedule lately?  Is it competitive?  What are your competitors offering?

5.  Rewards, Recognition and Team Building.  Are you doing enough to recognize your people?  This doesn’t have to cost a lot of money if budget is tight – you can be creative.  How about team building, what are you doing to promote, encourage and build your teams?

6.  Strategic HR.  Are your staff aligned with the business objectives of your company?  Do you measure this?  How are they aligned?  Are your business objectives woven throughout  your HR practices and performance measures?

Need help – let us know, we are ready to jump in!  www.1stophrconsulting.com

Per Diem Budgeting

Believe it or not budgeting can be fun.  Especially when you see the results such as an increased bank account or paying down a credit card or line of credit.

My wife and I have been recently trying out a new budgeting method we created ourselves that I have called per diem budgeting.  It works like this.

Step 1 – Set your monthly budget for the most influential budgeting category or categories that you have control over. In our case we wanted to focus on our grocery budget, our Meat budget and our gluten free budget. (My wife can’t eat Gluten)

Step 2 – In Excel create a chart that breaks down your individual budgets into three columns.  Per Diem, Amount Spent, and Balance.  Then make enough rows for each day of the month.  Ex. August has 31 days, so there will be 31 rows.

Step 3 – In each day of the per diem column put your per diem amount.  If your budget is $500 and the month is August then you would divide $500 by 31 days to get a per diem amount of  $16.13 rounded.

Step 4 – Post the chart somewhere very visible in your home like your fridge so you can update it daily.

Step 5 – Fill it out daily by adding the new daily per diem amount to the balance and subtracting the amount spent.  See my example below as to how to fill it out.

Step 6 – Save Money for more important things like paying off your house or saving for retirement!

Here is my excel sheet for those nerds like me. Grocery Limiter Tool

Randy Moore
http://www.rcmbooks.com