Is an On-boarding Policy Necessary?

Is an On-boarding Policy Necessary?

A poorly-designed or ill-executed onboarding process will quickly erode employee/client confidence and satisfaction, as well as increase service delivery difficulty and cost.

Onboarding is the process through which new employees and/ or new customers acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and behaviors to become effective organizational members and insiders. Onboarding includes formal meetings, lectures, videos, printed materials or computer-based orientations to introduce newcomers to their new jobs and organization. The process for employee onboarding orientation, which a lot of companies no longer recognize its importance incudes new hire orientation. New hiring orientation, however, is the company’s initial opportunity to make a formal introduction of the company, departments and the new employee’s job.  

Customer onboarding involves technology assessment, infrastructure modifications, updates and upgrades.  Also customer onboarding includes setting up the client account and configuring, testing and confirming the client’s ability to generate properly formatted service requests with all required information via email and the service desk portal. 

Onboarding is essential to developing and growing a lasting employee/employer relationship.  Although some companies do not utilize them, new hire orientations are very important in showing your new hire that your organization exhibits an open policy and asserting that the new hire has all of the tools needed to become a productive, happy employee of their new workplace.  As a HR professional you want to make sure your new hire is comfortable and most importantly engaging with the company’s culture from the start.  It is a sure way to ensure a positive employee/employer relationship. 

Your Company Should Absolutely Have an Onboarding Policy that includes: 

New Hire Orientation: Your new hire orientation should not inundate employees with too much information. Information such as company’s 100 year anniversary can wait. New hire orientation information should include benefit information, company’s expectations, start time/lunch time, end of work day schedule, parking, mentor/new hire buddy. Do not rush through important information, as it will make it difficult for your new hire to remember all of the information if moving too quickly. 

Before Your New Hire Arrives:  Be sure to notify co-workers in the department of the new-hire’s arrival.  Ask the co-workers to welcome your new hire and offer their support and assistance. 

• Prepare a tasks list for the new hire to accomplish during the first couple of days.
• Schedule the new employee for applicable training(s).
• Ensure the employee’s work area is available, clean, and has the necessary tools,    supplies and equipment.
• Set up email accounts, computer logins, etc.
• Obtain any door keys, passes, parking permits, etc., the employee will need.
• Gather information that the employee will be given (handbook, policies, benefits, etc.)
• If possible, assign the employee a mentor (recommended).
• Arrange for the employee    to meet key people in the organization.

When Policies are in place, i.e., onboarding policy, it assures consistency and commitment in the Company. 

An Onboarding Policy is essential to building and maintaining a Positive Organizational Culture. It’s Fun Too!

 Until Tomorrow! 

 

April D. Halliburton Founder/CEO, All-4-HR & Business Solutions p:313-580-6999 | e:all4hrbiz@gmail.com | w:http://www.all4hr.net | a: 26310 Norfolk Street, Inkster, MI 48141

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GET EMPLOYEE ENGAGED!

We are continuing on our Quest to get your Organization engaged – to inform you of the benefits of getting and being engaged. If you, as an organization, are not already engaged, you have to understand it is a process.  If you an organization, are already engaging your employees, then you are well on your way.  Perhaps you should evaluate your company’s employee engagement level.  For those organizations who don’t have an employee engagement system in place the process consist of assessing the organization’s currently employee engagement number [level]; developing an employee engagement action plan; implementing the plan; and assessing the employee engagement outcomes.   

All employee engagement plans differ.  It is also important to note, there is no one size fits all employee engagement plan.  Plans differ according to the organization and the desired outcomes. A manufacturing company may be working toward engaging employees to increase productivity, while a service organization may be working toward engaging employees to increase customer service.

While there are several employee engagement programs, such as programs and training material offered by Dale Carnegie, it is important have your organization's present employee engagement level assessed.  

There are some ways to assess your employee engagement yourself. One method is utilizing the EAGER Factor.  EAGER stands for Escape, Avoid, Get Even, Riveted.  

ESCAPE refers to escape behaviors, which can be very costly. Escape costs are seen in high turnover and loss of key talent and malingering worker's compensation. 

AVOID refers to activities that take up the work day and are not work-related such as socializing, conducting personal business, taking long lunches.  The number 1 reason for avoidance behaviors is unsatisfied with work. 

GET EVEN refers to the opposite of feeling powerless in the workplace resulting in angry workers that want to inflict damage on the organization. 

RIVETED refers to employees that are ENGAGED! Engaged employees feel emotionally connected to the company's success. Engaged employees are enthusiastic and feel they have a voice and receive respect in their workplace. 

The EAGER Factor is a system by Rivetmaker Consulting, Inc. 

On Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 7:00 EST we are going to show you how to assess your organization's employee engagement level.  

On Thursday, February 26, 2015, at 7:00 p.m. EST we are going to cover Complete Employee Engagement Assessment, Planning, Implementing and Assessing Again process.  

These are Two Free Interactive Webinars you do NOT want to miss!  

If you are not familiar with or are familiar employee engagement, you do not want to miss these Webinars.  

Assess Your Employee Engagement Webinar

See You there!!! 

April D. Halliburton Founder/CEO, All-4-HR & Business Solutions p:313-580-6999 | e:all4hrbiz@gmail.com | w:http://www.all4hr.net | a: 26310 Norfolk Street, Inkster, MI 48141

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Who's Engaged?

The traditional concept of Employee Engagement has been around for many years, more than 30 years. Employee Engagement has been around for years. It has been recognized by HR practitioners and professionals in recent years as "Employee Engagement".

Surveys as early as the 1800’s when Frederick Taylor studied how people’s attitudes impacted productivity. There are many more studies validating bench-marking tools for assessing employee engagement levels. Employee Engagement Studies.

The general consensus seems to be companies are not engaging employees enough.  I believe larger organizations are engaging employees more than smaller organizations.  While companies scream employee engagement, the action and implementation process is often not conducive to the desired end results.  Let’s not forget also that once implementing any new procedure, program, regimen, etc., you must benchmark to ensure that the plan is either yielding the results the company is expecting or whether adjustments need to be made.  It is extremely ineffective to implement new policy or programs and STOP right there without assessment. It is a sure way to lose the trust of the employees you were trying to engage. 

So, clearly the actions of employee engagement are not meeting the outcomes of employee engagement. Some where in developing the plan, executing and assessing the employee engagement strategies -- the execution and bench-marking, the achieved results are getting lost. If there is no accountability for the success of the implementation, its as if it never happened or worse.

A plan for to engage employees includes steps outlined below:

• select and identify a business team 
• limit a small number of lower-performing units to focus
• Identify high-performing units and identify what lessons can be learned 
• Work w/your business leaders to draw up an action plan that identifies priorities, steps and key issues
• Elicit your employees where ever possible to come up w/solutions. 

The Ivey Business Journal shares the 10 C's 10's To Employee Engagement to Employee Engagement:

Connect	Contribute
Career	Control
Clarity	Collaborate
Convey	Credibility
Congratulate	Confidence

You have to assess your current employee engagement level to determine where and what direction to partner with your employees and increase the employee engagement level.  

Thursday, February 12, 2015 @ 7 pm we are going to find  your Number -- Your Employee Engagement Number. Join Us! It will be Enlightening! 

Click Here Find Employee Engagement Number Webinar

April D. Halliburton Founder/CEO, All-4-HR & Business Solutions p:313-580-6999 | e:all4hrbiz@gmail.com | w:http://www.all4hr.net | a: 26310 Norfolk Street, Inkster, MI 48141

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Employee Engagement IS What They Say It Is!

Employee engagement is on the rise! Maybe not as quickly as some would like, but on the rise nonetheless.  You have to realize the concept of "employee engagement" was developed in 2002.  One of the reasons the take-off for employee engagement has been slow is it is only recently in the last few years been recognized as a tangible concept by HR practitioners and HR professionals.

Business Consultant former Geico Jack Welch Jack Welch @jack_welch cites employee engagement is the most crucial measure of a company's health, more important than customer satisfaction and cash flow. Who said that? I am in total agree with Mr. Jack Welch. 

Employee engagement is defined in Human Resource Development as the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral energy an employee directs toward positive organizational outcomes. Let me tell you that employee engagement operates in three energies (all positive): intellectual energies (education, knowledge and expertise), emotional energies (renewable, expressive, vigorous) and behavioral energies (actions, thoughts, mannerisms. Simply put concepts associated with employee engagement are work-life balance, high productivity/performance, employee commitment, job satisfaction, better ideas and innovations, again all positive. I believe the list goes on!

            Although there are several definitions for employee engagement, including the definition given above, in all of the many definitions, common elements are:

• Feeling satisfaction with their work.
• Taking pride in their organization.
• Enjoying and believe in their work.
• Understanding the link between their job and he organization's mission.
• Feeling valued by their employer.
• Fully committed to their employer and their role.
• Exerting extra effort to contribute to business success.

Although there is still research to be done on employee engagement, it is definitely worth reviewing and perhaps adopting this concept into your organization.

You see, employee engagement plays a significant role in productivity and increased performance in an organization. It is simply because with committed employee engagement, you are putting your employees FIRST -- yes FIRST!  You see fully engaged employees bring increased interest to their work each day that will be directly tied to both unified workplace culture in the extra efforts, best ideas and innovations that make an organization successful. 

Reaping Business Results at Caterpillar

Construction-equipment maker Caterpillar has garnered impressive results from its employee engagement and commitment initiatives, including:

•  $8.8 million annual savings from decreased attrition, absenteeism and overtime (European plant)
• a 70% increase in output in less than four months (Asia Pacific plant)
• a decrease in the break-even point by almost 50% in units/day, and a decrease in grievances by 80% (unionized plant)
• a $2 million increase in profit and a 34% increase in highly satisfied customers (start-up plant)

I will Say It Again -- When an organization focuses on increasing employee engagement first, customer satisfaction and increased bottom line is sure to follow! LinkedIn is Buzzzzzzzzing about the greatness Employee Engagement! 

            Again this month is "Employee Engagement" month at All-4-HR & Business Solutions. Join us next Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. at  for a 30-minute Google Hangout and discuss Employee Engagement. We'd like to know do you have an employee engagement process or program in place, if so what is it and how is it works for you?

            We will also host an 1-hour Webinar "8 Strategies to Engage Employees!"  I Can't Wait.  Thursday, February 26, 2015 at 7:00 p.m.

All-4-HR & Business Solutions

April D. Halliburton Founder/CEO, All-4-HR & Business Solutions p:313-580-6999 | e:all4hrbiz@gmail.com | w:http://www.all4hr.net | a: 26310 Norfolk Street, Inkster, MI 48141

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Reflecting on the Old and New at

All-4-HR & Business Solutions

2015 is Well Under Way – 1 Week and Counting!  At All-4-HR & Business Solutions, we have reviewed and assessed 2014 thoroughly.  You may say well…. 2014 is gone; why worry about it? It is important to acknowledge that you can only go forward if you know where you’ve been – true? 

In the World of HR, 2014 was an exciting and challenging year that is for sure. Many, many, many HR issues….

Bad Bosses.  We were still challenged by bad bosses as HR managers and the effects of same, especially long-term.  These types of lawsuit are still everywhere.  Although companies may not think sensitivity trainings are relevant or that sensitivity trainings have fallen by the wayside, nothing is further from the truth.  It is CRITICAL that all employees, from owners on down the line attend sensitivity trainings. I can’t say how much these preventative measures alleviate and protect companies and employees.  Sensitivity Training should be Mandatory yearly. 

Improving Workplace Culture and/or Toxic Workplaces.  I have discussed this several times in 2014.  Listen! Let me say this the First Week of 2015 -- Toxic workplace environments do NOT go away by themselves.  Toxic employees breed more toxic employees.  It is up to you as a HR Professional or Personnel to address these types of environments.  The funny thing is your company loses good, quality employees – the toxic employee(s) are the one that do not go away.  One miserable employee destroys good employees! 

Employee Engagement.  Practitioners on both sides of the aisle have mixed views about the term “employee engagement” from being ambiguous to a “notion” that “employee engagement” has been marketed by HR consulting firms. Let me say this, firms that practice employee engagement as a culture; a method of leadership and employee development are doing a lot better than those firms or organizations that downplay its significance to achieving and retaining great employees.  Employee engagement must be practiced at all levels within the organization from top-to-bottom or left-to- right, however your management is aligned. Quite simply put, I believe if you do no engage your employees, another organization will!

Performance Reviews Again!  It is no secret how performance reviews can be painful.  They are however essential to improving your company’s workforce.  One thing to keep in mind is that your progressive discipline policies go hand-in-hand with your performance reviews.  Often times a simple warning can make a big difference in an employee’s behavior, which in turn yields favorable performance reviews in the coming New Year.  If you however, are not administering a consistent and effective progressive discipline policy, it will reflect your performance reviews. A lack of consistency and diligence in administration of your progressive discipline policy and performance review policy will have long-term negative effects on good and not so good employees.

Laws in 2014!  New laws are protecting convicted applicants and adding preventative measures against discrimination in hiring practices.  Laws are also in place, to a certain degree, for medical marijuana users.  Laws also went into effect for workers’ private social media accounts. News State legislation took effect in 2014. http://bit.ly/140qOG0. 

These are just a few of the topics that trended in 2014.  Whatever your HR challenge(s) was in 2014, I encourage you to review it; assess it; and learn from it.  Whatever your accomplishment(s) were in 2014, I encourage you to review it; assess and learn from it.  Assessing where your organization was in 2014 will determine where your organization will be in 2015!  Cheers to a Phenomenal HR 2015!. 

All-4-HR & Business Solutions is Committed to Helping Our Clients Get There in 2015! How Can We Help You?

All-4-HR & Business Solutions! 

See Ya Soon!

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Don’t Overlook Your Top Talent!!

So How Many Times have you seen the SCARY scene in your Company? You know what scene I’m referring to? You get the dreaded call from one of your Top employees.…

HR Manager: Hello there Top Employee. How are you?

Top Employee:      I am GREAT!  Can I speak with you for a moment?

HR Manager:         Sure, come on down.  [There is a huge pit in the bottom of your  stomach]

Top Employee:      Okay, on my way.

HR Manager:           Hi Top Employee, have a seat.

Top Employee:      Thanks.

HR Manager:           What can I do for you?

Top Employee:      Well…..  I want to hand you this [top employee hands you a letter in  

an envelope and you know what it is]

HR Manager:           NOOOOOOO…….[You scream in your head!]

Top Employee:      I’ve found another position and I will be leaving.

HR Manager:         [As you congratulate one of your Top Employees] Well, congratulations on
your new position. We are so sorry to see you go, but wish you the best.

NOT ANOTHER ONE!!!!!!!!!

Managers are looking for new top talent always. But what happens when you are so focused on acquiring new talent, while steadily losing the top talent you have. Why? What is going on? It is important to utilize and more importantly RECOGNIZE the Top Talent you have. Otherwise you will lose your top talent. 10 Ways to Show Appreciation http://humanresources.about.com/cs/rewardrecognition/a/appreciation.htm

Getting the best out your employees requires you investing in your employees. The Ole’ Adage “You Get out what you put in” reigns supreme if you want to grow your workforce. Making the best out of your workforce is not as difficult as you think. Imagine treating your employees the way you want to be treated! Taking the time to know your employees and appreciate their worth will make a huge difference in the dedication and responsibility given to the Company from your employees. Employee engagement is a workplace approach designed to ensure that employees are committed to the organization’s goals and values, motivated to contribute to organizational success, and are able, at the same time, to enhance their own sense of well-being. 

More importantly, investing in the proper training for your employees to effectuate their jobs to the best of their ability is a big problem in the workplace. While employers want to get more for their money, lack of training boils does to ineffective, inefficient work-product. Simple! Utilizing 2 over-worked employees when clearly the process REQUIRES 3 employees. Some processes simply must be broken down in order to prevent work errors, overworked employees, unhappy employees, unhappy clients.... Do I need to go any further? You get my point.

Instilling a culture that encourages strong and authentic values, with clear evidence of trust and fairness based on mutual respect, where two way promises and commitments -- between employers and staff -- are understood, and are fulfilled. At the center of engagement is improved performance and productivity. Rest assured engagement cannot be achieved via mechanistic approach which attempts to extract discretionary effort by manipulating employees’ commitment and emotions.  

Today, we are not just speaking to engaging. We are speaking about respect and appreciation for the great gems your organization currently has! It is important to realize your current employees’ values and the talent they contribute to the organization. Don’t get caught up in the hype of never having enough employees. It is good dependable, dedicated employees that you want in your organization. Be careful, you may find yourself losing your top employees because you are too focused on getting new talent. 101 Ways to Reward Employees (Without Giving Them Cash) | OPEN Forum http://amex.co/1BUyKox. Do not confuse appreciation with rewards. We are talking about a culture where employees are respected given the opportunity to grow within the organization.  This is the a true Win-Win Situation.  It is a culture where employees are happy to come to work and tell others about the great company they work with. It is also a culture where employees are more than happy to join and give 150%.

The Time is Now to Appreciate Who is in your Corner! 

Thanks for visiting!! 
April D. Halliburton, CEO

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