Category: Blogs

Leadership + Management | By Scott Schulte,

Is it Time to Fire Someone?

Firing people isn’t fun.

And because of that simple fact, company leaders, owners, and managers will often allow certain employees to hang around way longer than they should. Even when it is completely obvious to everyone that they are no longer a good fit.

Why does this happen?

In many cases, it’s simply a matter of weak leadership, and not wanting to own up to the toughest, most unpleasant parts of the job. But sometimes it’s more than that. Sometimes it’s personal.

As team leaders, we can become so connected to our employees that we develop a sense of obligation. We know them as people. More than that, we like them as people. So we choose to keep them on staff, despite their poor performance. We fail to take action. We look the other way. We sigh and hope for the best.

While this kind of empathy may seem like a good thing, it can also be bad for your business.

Doing the right thing

As a company leader, your first obligation has to be keeping the organization healthy, and a healthy organization requires everyone on the team to be contributing.

If, as an employer, you aren’t taking care of your business, it will only be a matter of time before you are unable to take care of the people who work there. And that’s not good for anyone.

You have a responsibility to every individual on the team. The success of your company is tied to the success of your employees. And vice-versa.

You must hold everyone accountable. Including yourself. Your responsibilities include:

Communicating the company culture, values, and direction

Setting clear expectations for every individual to contribute

Giving meaningful feedback and managing employee performance

Providing the training, coaching, and resources to allow everyone to contribute successfully

And when you have an individual who isn’t willing or able to contribute to the team, you have a responsibility to either find that person another position within the organization or terminate his/her employment.

Yes, it’s tough

No one said it was easy. But keeping underperforming or toxic employees around isn’t good for anyone. It’s a frustration for leadership, a headache for HR, and a morale-buster for staff. At the end of the day, the cost of not firing someone can be very high. And the longer you let things go, the more expensive it gets.

So how do you know when it’s time?  Here are three ways to help you determine if someone needs to go.

  1. It should always be difficult to fire someone. If it isn’t, you waited too long.
  2. Other employees should always be a little surprised when someone is let go. If they aren’t, you waited too long.
  3. You should never be in a position to badmouth an employee who has left. If you are, you waited too long.

Not firing an employee might seem like the nice thing to do or the easy way out. But when you wait too long, not only do you allow poor employee performance to slow you down, you damage your own credibility with everyone on the team.

Your employees are counting on you to keep the company healthy, and that responsibility extends to your team, your company, and yourself. Sometimes, it includes sending some very nice, but very unproductive, people out the door.

It might not be easy, but it’s important.

 

At Sonus Benefits, we build cost-effective, long-lasting benefits strategies to keep your business and your employees in optimum health. Located in Sunset Hills, MO, we help clients throughout Missouri and Illinois to identify and manage complex employee benefits challenges. If you would like help managing your employee programs, we may be the insurance consultant and business partner you need.

 

Leadership + Management | By Tom Murphy,

The Myth of Constant Availability

One of the best things about technology is how easy it is for people to get in touch.

If your daughter is studying abroad in Spain, you’re going to love the instant communication options technology allows. You’ll be able to hear her voice, see her face, and check out her awesome food pics.

But what if you’re off visiting your daughter in Spain and your phone is blowing up with texts and emails about work? You’re probably going to be pretty darn frustrated about the easy accessibility that modern technology provides.

Being constantly accessible is definitely a double-edged sword.

The importance of powering down

Sure, you could leave your lights on 24 hours a day. But you don’t.

Because you know what’s going to happen. They’ll run hot and burn out fast. It will cost you time and money to replace them more frequently. And, deep down inside, you know it’s not really necessary to have them burning all day and night. It’s a waste of perfectly good energy.

But light bulbs are pretty cheap and easy to come by. So maybe you get a little lazy about leaving them on more than you should.

Now imagine you just bought yourself a new car. You did a lot of research until you found one with all of the right features. The process was time-consuming and the cost was significant, but it’s just what you need, so you feel good about the investment. It runs great, it’s reliable, and you’re confident it will get you where you want to go.

So now that you have this awesome new piece of machinery at your disposal, you’re going to leave it running 24/7, right?

Of course not! That would be ridiculous. It’s bad for the engine, it’s a waste of fuel, and it will shorten your vehicle’s lifespan. Plus, leaving your car running makes it much easier for someone to steal it out from under you.

Let’s be real. You don’t leave things running all the time because it just doesn’t make any sense.

And yet we’ve bought into the myth

Somehow, we’ve convinced ourselves that, unlike our lights and vehicles, we need to be on (and available!) all the time. That our company does. That our employees do.

But this doesn’t make sense either.

Let’s say you get a package delivered to your door at 10:00 pm. Did you really expect it to arrive that late or are you feeling a little perplexed? Are you wondering how long that delivery person been working? How tired are they? If this is really the best use of resources? It’s late. And dark. And potentially unsafe. What if the driver falls asleep at the wheel? When it comes right down to it, would you be just as happy receiving your stuff in the morning?

Companies, please take note: Many customers will actually choose to do business with a corporation that’s known for being good to their employees over one that isn’t. Research also shows that customer service, retention, and overall profitably numbers are higher in organizations that take care of their people.

Taking care of your people means encouraging them to take breaks. And we’re not just talking about mandated shift breaks here. We’re talking about time away from work, and without 24-hour accessibility.  

Does your team need a vacation? Do you?

PTO shouldn’t stand for Paid Time On. You and your employees need a break.

Just like that sweet Tesla in the driveway, people can only go so long before they need to re-charge. If you don’t allow them to do it, you’re not going to get the performance you want.

And yes, this includes you. Even if you’re the all-knowing top dog, you need time off in order to be your best. And you shouldn’t be racked with guilt for taking it.

So, turn off the lights, park your car, and give up the idea that you and your employees need to be available at all times.

Or just keep on working… until all your lights burn out.

 

At Sonus Benefits, we build cost-effective, long-lasting benefits strategies to keep your business and your employees in optimum health. Located in Sunset Hills, MO, we help clients throughout the Missouri and Illinois area to identify and manage complex employee benefits challenges. If you would like help managing your employee programs, we may be the insurance consultant and business partner you need.

 

HR Strategy | By Scott Schulte,

It’s Time to Talk Compensation

When you hire for an open position, you’re making an important business decision that affects your bottom line. Because of this, it can be tempting to hold back information about compensation until you’ve had a chance to evaluate one or more candidates.

But this common employer mistake could be causing you to miss out on some great talent.

How so?

Many employers get so wrapped up in their own numbers and desires they forget the simple fact that every job seeker is also making a very important business decision. And one that drastically affects his or her bottom line.

Expecting candidates to be able to do this without providing adequate information about compensation packages is asking an awful lot. In fact, many of today’s talented applicants won’t even try. Because it just doesn’t make sense.

  • According to a Career Builder survey, 74% of job seekers said they expect to see salary information in a job posting, and 61% expected to see information on total benefits.
  • Research by Jobvite found that money is still the number one factor in a job seeker’s decision to leave or accept a position.

Put that shoe on the other foot

Think about it. Would you agree to hire someone to fix your car without getting an estimate? No way! You need to know what the potential cost is so you can decide if you want to have the work done there, if you can afford to have the work done there, or if you need to keep on looking.

The same is true for those you are looking to hire. They may be interested in your company, but they also need to determine if they want to work for you, if they can afford to work for you, or if they need to keep on looking.

Help them make that decision

If you’re an employer or hiring manager who’s still afraid to talk openly about compensation early in the recruiting process, you’re living in the past. And that isn’t where today’s top talent wants to be.

Time is money. And as a busy business owner or HR professional, you’ve got limited amounts of both. Don’t waste a single minute (or dollar!) dancing around the topic of compensation.

You’ve set a salary range for the position or you wouldn’t be hiring. Be upfront from the beginning and let people know what it is.

Get over the fear

Many employers worry that if they reveal specific compensation numbers, they will be giving away some or all of their power. This fear is a big concern and a big stumbling block.

It’s true that talking about salary early in the recruitment process will take away your “I’m withholding information from you.” power. But you’re still the employer. You’re still the one in the hiring seat. A little extra transparency won’t change that.

In fact, being transparent about your salary and benefits packages could earn you some additional respect. Not only are you being upfront and honest, but now you have to negotiate pay based on REAL factors like job-related skills and relevant experience.

And honestly, isn’t that a much more interesting and critical conversation?

Put it out there

If you want to hire the best and brightest employees, don’t keep them in the dark.

At the end of the day, you and your potential new hire are both making a very important business decision. In order for it to work out well, it’s got to meet both of your needs. It’s got to be a good fit culturally, professionally, and yes— financially. On both sides.

Providing key compensation information will allow you and your future employees to make decisions in the most effective way.

Now that’s real power.  

Recruiting and retaining employees is easier when you can proudly offer a comprehensive benefits plan that makes your team members feel as valuable as they are. At Sonus Benefits, we build cost-effective, long-lasting employee benefits strategies to keep your business and your employees in optimum health. Get in touch with Sonus to see how we can help your organization become a local employer of choice.

Leadership + Management | By Tom Murphy,

Stop Wasting Your Time in Meetings!

It’s been estimated that 15% of an organization’s collective time is spent in meetings. Worse yet, it’s also been estimated that over 37 BILLION dollars per year are spent on unproductive meetings.

That’s enough to make any business person’s head hurt.

If you’re frustrated with the lack of preparation, organization, progress, and productivity happening in your meetings, you’re not alone. And yet you probably find yourself suffering through these sessions on a regular basis.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Not all meetings are a waste of time

Some of them are necessary. And productive. But far too many of them aren’t. This is unfortunate because it really doesn’t take that much to make your meetings less painful and more productive.

In fact, you can vastly improve your meetings by following these three principles:

  1. Stop meeting just because

Just because a meeting is on the schedule doesn’t mean it needs to happen.

Don’t waste everyone’s time by holding meetings out of obligation or without a defined purpose. Having a meeting simply because it’s the second Friday of the month is ridiculous. Even if there are snacks involved.

Reasons to have a meeting:

  • Your team is working collectively to achieve a specific, defined objective
  • There are important updates to communicate, and it can’t easily be done via email
  • The meeting content is educational and will better prepare each attendee to be more successful in his/her role

Reasons not to have a meeting:

  • It’s Monday, and you always meet on Mondays
  • You like getting everyone together just to “touch base”
  • Someone brought doughnuts

If you are going to take your people away from their work, you’ve got to make it count.

  • Define the specific objectives to be achieved in the meeting
  • Communicate those objectives when the meeting is scheduled and remind everyone of the objective when (or before) the meeting starts
  • Once you’ve achieved your objectives, end your meeting. No need to hang around just because you have the time blocked out.

Scheduling tip: Meetings don’t automatically need default to an hour. If you’ve got 20 minutes of material to cover, schedule 20 minutes.

  1. Commit to an agenda

Never ask people to come to a meeting without explaining in reasonable detail why they need to be there and what will happen when they arrive.

Having a clear agenda not only assures there is an objective for the meeting, it forces the facilitator to prepare and lets each attendee know what they need to do in order to contribute and benefit from the meeting.

Planning tip: The agenda doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as simple as a few bullet points. However, those bullet points must be specific, relevant, and distinct. Going around the room and letting everyone talk for 5 or 10 minutes is NOT an agenda. And if you’re using the same agenda every week, you’re not accomplishing anything significant.

  1. Confirm attendance and outcomes

First things first. Get confirmation of who will be attending the meeting before it happens.

Unless you’re still meeting for the sake of meeting, everyone on the invite list should be critical to the defined objectives. If one key person is missing, your meeting could easily turn unproductive. If you know ahead of time that critical participants, facilitators, and/or decision-makers can’t be there, don’t waste everyone else’s time. Cancel and reschedule.

At the end of your meeting, you’ll also want to confirm tasks and takeaways. Before everyone gets up and walks out the door, make sure everyone understands and commits to doing whatever is required of them to further the objectives of the meeting.

Productivity tip: Your meeting attendees aren’t there to be entertained. They are there to participate and contribute. Ask them if they got what they expected out of the meeting, and confirm what they will do as a result.

Make your meetings count

Adhering to these three meeting principles will significantly improve meeting attitudes and outcomes.

Once you start consistently having efficient and productive meetings, your colleagues, prospects, and clients will be more much more willing to attend. And they’ll be better prepared afterward.

Great meetings aren’t about quantity, they’re about quality. Get rid of unproductive meetings and you’ll be a workplace hero! Bring coffee and you just might reach sainthood.

Is your benefits broker also a compliance consultant? How about a trusted business partner? Are you confident your policies and processes are doing what they need to ensure that your company—and your employees— are healthy and productive?

 

Leadership + Management | By Tom Murphy,

Are You Leading By (Bad) Example?

When you look around a company and see a common set of behaviors, you can usually tie it back to the behaviors of the leaders.

Positive, focused, driven behaviors by leaders set an example for the team, and it’s very common for the team to generally behave in the same way and have similar attitudes. It’s contagious. And people tend to rise to the level of expectation or standard.

The same holds true for the negative behaviors displayed by leaders. When the team regularly sees poor behavior, they begin to see it as acceptable and respond accordingly. People also tend to lower their output to the level of expectation or standard.

Poor behaviors that are demonstrated and tolerated are morale busters. Lack of effort, inspiration, courage, and follow-through by a leader can deflate even the most positive of people. Here are some poor leadership behaviors that can be detrimental to your team:

  • Not making decisions, avoiding commitments, not implementing scheduled changes
  • Lack of responsiveness to communications
  • Putting in minimum effort to achieve minimum expectations
  • Not meeting deadlines and goals
  • Not following through on commitments
  • Canceling and not showing up for meetings or appointments
  • Playing favorites based on relationships and not results
  • Making excuses for these behaviors rather than owning up to the real Why

If this sounds all too familiar, then it’s time to do some evaluation to understand the real cause for these behaviors. Is it just an individual or two in the company behaving like this (performance issue)? Or is it pervasive throughout (cultural & leadership issue)?

Either way, you’ll need to do some work to make sure these bad behaviors don’t spread throughout the rest of the organization.

Turning the ship

If your leadership is displaying bad behaviors, the only way to turn the organization around is to acknowledge the problem and address it.

If you’re part of the leadership team, ask for an honest assessment from your staff and colleagues. Once you’ve identified the issues, you ask for the help and accountability you need to get yourself and everyone else back on track. If you’re not the leader but you’ve spotted a leadership problem, it’s going to require a potentially difficult conversation on your part. It may not be enough to point out the behaviors themselves. You might also need to detail the impacts they are having on individuals and the organization.

If you’re in a position where you can’t be the person directly influencing leadership behavior, you have a few choices, depending on your role.

  • You can do nothing.
  • You can talk to a person who has the power to influence company leaders, help them see the situation, and encourage them to take on that conversation.
  • You can work to create your own set of values and an alternate sub-culture within your group or department.
  • You can choose to leave.

None of these things are easy for anyone, but if an environment isn’t healthy and doesn’t provide a beneficial situation for you, your team, and your organization, someone should try to change it. Whether that person is you, your CEO, your HR Department, your Board of Directors, or other key influencers, it needs to be done. Breaking poor behavior patterns is the best course of action to get your leadership and your company moving in the right direction.

If this isn’t happening, you should be prepared for continued problems and an exodus of your best talent. You should also consider that your best career decision may be to follow them out the door.

We help clients all throughout the Midwest identify organizational challenges and put customized solutions in place. From tailored benefit programs to human resource management services, we’ve got you covered. If you’re looking for a corporate employee benefits consultant who is a true business partner, Sonus is here for you.

Leadership + Management | By Scott Schulte,

Unlocking 5 Keys to Motivation

If you’re introducing a new initiative in your company, you understand the significance of getting your team onboard. After all, the success of the initiative is largely dependent on the levels of team motivation and support.

Unfortunately, when we introduce something new, we often focus only on why it’s important for the business that the initiative is successful. And we leave out other possible motivational factors.

Sure, your team has a tangible stake in the success of your organization. But the company is only one of several areas of motivation for the various individuals on your team. The other four areas include society, customer, team and, of course, self.

Breaking it down

If you were to divide everyone on your team up by their primary motivating forces, you’d likely end up with a pretty even number of people in each category. If you want your entire team to get behind your cause, you’ll need to communicate the potential impacts that new initiative will have based on each key area of motivation.

For example, let’s say you’re going to invest in a new sales technology. To make sure you’re hitting for the cycle, you’ll need to address each of the five motivational factors as you approach and communicate the change.

1.) You may start with the fact that increased sales are necessary due to poor organizational growth over the past X number of months or years. To get the company back on a positive track, there is a need to invest in, and commit to, this new technology. This will speak to your company motivated individuals.

2.) Having made that point, you might go on to explain how, because of low (or no) growth, company profitability has suffered, and you will no longer able to contribute generously to the community and/or causes your employees care about. This will resonate with those motivated by society.

3.) You could also talk about how the new technology platform will provide a much more customer-focused process, ensuring your ability to acquire great customers and keep them happy with enhanced customer service and experience. Your customer motivated people will relate to this.

4.) Of course you’ll want to explain how departments and teams will benefit from the new technology, which will allow everyone to work more efficiently and build more effective team processes and structures. Those motivated by team will see the beauty in this.

5.) Finally, you could appeal to individuals in your organization by clarifying how the results of this new technology will lead to increased financial incentives and/or career growth opportunities for everyone involved. And now you’ve got your self-motivated folks on board.

Rounding it out

For any organizational initiative to be successful, you have to ensure the broadest level of support possible. If you aren’t taking the time to tap into the various motivational forces as they appeal to everyone in your company, you’re missing opportunities to get everyone on board.

Increase motivations and you will increase buy-in, enthusiasm, and ultimately – success.

Need a better ROI on your corporate employee benefits? At Sonus Benefits, we’re not interested in just finding you a policy for this year. We provide strategic employee benefits and human resource management services to help you build a better future.

Culture & Community | By Tom Murphy,

Is Working From Home Bad For Business?

Work from home options are becoming more and more popular with employees, but are these arrangements good for employers?

According to some research, the answer isn’t yes. It’s “Heck, yes!”

One study by TinyPulse revealed that 91% of telecommuters said they were more productive working remotely than in the office. Given this information, it may be tempting take the telecommuting idea and run with it.

But before you shut down the office and send everybody packing, there are some key things to consider.

The Pros

Today’s employees love being able to make choices about when, where, and how they work. Offering work from home options may give you the edge when it comes to recruiting and retention. In addition to feeling more productive, remote workers also felt more valued, had higher levels of job satisfaction, and said they were more likely to stick around than their in-office counterparts.

Allowing for remote employees can also open up your hiring pool significantly. Have a great candidate who isn’t interested in commuting, relocating, or sticking to a rigid schedule? These things are no longer automatic deal breakers.

Working from home allows your employees to be productive without physically being in the office. Major snow storm? No problem. Make some cocoa and work in front of the fire. Systems down in the office? Grab your laptop and head to a cafe. A little under the weather? Instead of taking a sick day, now employees can choose to log their hours from home— without exposing everyone to the crud.

Employers with telecommuting programs in place have reported lower levels of absenteeism, fewer employee sick days, increased hiring flexibility, lower turnover, and reduced overhead costs. Those are some pretty great benefits.

The Cons

Before you decide to go all in here, it’s important to note that survey responses differed when remote workers were broken out by those who chose to work from home vs. those who were forced to work from home.

Not surprisingly, employees who chose to telecommute were happier, felt more valued, and were more likely to see themselves staying with the company than those who were mandated to work remotely.

The lesson here? Today’s job seekers value choice and flexibility, and are taking these things consideration when making career moves and decisions.

A word of caution regarding choice: If you do plan to offer telecommuting benefits, make sure to standardize the program as much as possible. If only a few select groups or individuals are offered work at home benefits, it can cause friction and resentment on the team.

And since we’re on the topic of team dynamics, it’s also worth noting that remote employees scored lower than their in-office mates when it came to rating the overall quality of their relationships at work.

The Balance

Obviously, it’s harder for remote teams to feel and stay connected, but that doesn’t mean you need to toss your telecommuting plans out the window. Instead, you can use this opportunity to design programs that address these issues from the get-go.

Work from home success relies largely on three key foundations:

  1. Communication

Communication is important for every organization, but even more so when you have remote workers. The good news is that there are a million technology tools to help your team stay connected and on track.

Programs that facilitate video conferencing and screen sharing like Zoom and Skype help coworkers collaborate from different offices, time zones, and even countries. Instant messaging apps like Slack and Teams allow people to communicate and “hang out” in real time. Project management programs like Asana and Trello let everyone follow and contribute to the projects they are involved in.

  1. Connection

Just because everyone isn’t in the same place doesn’t mean they can’t be on the same page. If you hire primarily for cultural fit, you’ll end up with a group of people who are likely to work well together, even if it’s primarily online.

That said, you’ll want to take some of that money you’re saving on office space and furniture and invest it in making sure your team gets together in person from time to time. Tech solutions are fantastic, but nothing beats real, live interaction every now and then. Preferably with delicious food and a little fun thrown in.

  1. Culture

If your company culture is crappy, it doesn’t matter where your employees work. No one is going to be inspired to give their all. The same goes for companies who have fantastic cultures. Dedicated employees will be even more devoted when they are given high levels of trust and flexibility, even if they rarely step foot in the office.

If you’ve got a strong, positive culture and trusted employees, you’re more than halfway there. Put together a telecommuting program and give it a try. You may be surprised at the positivity (and productivity!) it brings.

If you’re looking for a corporate employee benefits consultant who is a true business partner, and not just a once a year policy peddler, Sonus is here for you. We help clients all throughout the Midwest identify organizational challenges and put customized solutions in place. From tailored benefit programs to human resource management services, we’ve got you covered.

HR Strategy | By Scott Schulte,

2 Ways to Win the Talent War

It’s not enough that you need to worry about how to find great talent. In today’s business environment, you also have to worry about how to keep that talent from walking out the door.

Check out these not-so-fun facts from Jobvite:

  • 45% of workers will jump ship for a new job— even if they are happy in their current position
  • 50% of employed job seekers view their current positions as only temporary
  • Employed job seekers reported searching for new positions during their commute (38%), on the job (30%) and even in the bathroom (18%)

In other words, your employees are looking for work. Maybe even on company time.

And even if they aren’t looking for work, other companies or recruiters could be looking for them. A quick LinkedIn search by industry, company, or experience can provide all kinds of potential job “candidates” who didn’t even think they were on the market.

Wondering how you can protect yourself from a mass employee exodus?

Here are two things that will help you build an organization where people want to work. And stay.

1.) Competitive compensation

Like it or not, compensation is still the number one factor for job seekers when choosing whether or not to accept a new position. Today’s employees don’t just want living wages, they expect them. And if they aren’t receiving them, they’ll move along.

Make sure your wages are in line with your industry, positions, and the cost of living in your area. Do your research on this one. A lot can change in a relatively short time.

No matter how much your employees love you, if they can’t pay the rent, they won’t be able to stay. Make sure your compensation structure is in alignment with the wider business market and the local housing market. Businesses who aren’t offering adequate salaries will be receiving a lot of resignation letters. And companies committed to offering attractive compensation packages will see an influx of incoming talent.

2.) Kickin’ culture

So we just said that money was a primary factor involved in employee decision making. But it’s a little more complicated than that. Yes, wages are a big part of the picture, but more and more, employees are looking for things you can’t put a price on. Health. Flexibility. Balance. Opportunity. Acceptance.

High salaries will get talented people in your door, but if they’re not happy once they’re there, you might as well install a revolving one.

Are you giving employees what they need to be healthy and productive team members? Here are some key things they value.

Health – What kind of health plan do you provide? Is it a bare bones, high deductible number so complicated even a rocket scientist couldn’t figure it out? If so, it’s not going to do much for longevity. Work with your benefits consultant to come up with a plan that offers maximum coverage for minimal cost. Don’t be afraid to get creative. Sometimes the best solutions are ones you haven’t heard yet.

Flexibility – Gone are the days when Mr. Cleaver went to work and Mrs. Cleaver tended to the house, kids, and everything else. We’ve got news for you. Life doesn’t stop between 8 and 5. Employees have kids, parents, pets, and many other things to take care of. Offering flexible schedules and remote work options can help employees take care of business while they take care of life.

Balance – Despite the glorification of the 24 hour hustle, most people don’t want to sleep when they’re dead. They want to sleep tonight. And tomorrow night. And the night after that. A high-strung, stressed-out, overworked team may deliver results in the short-term, but not in the long run. Keep workloads and staffing levels manageable. Offer paid time off that allows for vacation, sick time, and personal days.

Acceptance – No one wants to feel like they can’t be who they are. And yet so many workplaces have rules or cultures that keep employees from bringing their whole selves to work. Whether it’s rigid appearance standards or a culture that’s rife with harassment and discrimination, these things will chase away good talent at lightning speed. Don’t just have an EEO policy… Live it. Better yet, celebrate it.

Opportunity – Do you offer employee education, development, and career paths? Your best talent isn’t interested in staying stagnant. They want new challenges, new skills, and new responsibilities. If you want to keep these people around, you need to help them grow with the company, not out of it.

The happiest, most loyal employees feel valued, appreciated, and taken care of. If you want to win the talent war, design your compensation and culture in a way that leaves no room for doubt.

Recruiting and retaining employees is easier when you can proudly offer a comprehensive benefits plan that makes your team members feel as valuable as they are. At Sonus Benefits, we build cost effective, long-lasting employee benefits strategies to keep your business and your employees in optimum health.

Employee Benefits | By Tom Murphy,

What Benefits Do Your Employees Want

To be a successful business, you need to be able to get and keep great talent. And one way to do that is through great employee benefits and perks.

But depending on who you’re looking to hire and what your competition has to offer, your current approach to group benefits may not be giving you the employee recruitment and retention advantage you need.

In a highly competitive market, one size does not fit all. Organizations who put time and effort into their benefits strategy will be the talent winners.

It’s complicated

It used to be that employees were pretty happy with the standard health and retirement benefits offered by their employers. But today’s work/life reality is very different, and both healthcare and retirement have become exponentially complex and expensive.

Gone are the days of 100% coverage and employer pensions. Hindered by the exploding cost of providing these things, many employers have cut back on their offerings. And employees are feeling the pinch— or the punch.

As financial realities and workplace expectations continue to evolve, employees are re-defining what benefits are most important to them, and using these priorities to guide them when making career decisions. Employers who want to give themselves an edge in recruitment and retention should take note.

Employees are worried

According to the Global Benefits Attitudes Survey by Towers Watson, employees have big concerns, many of which are financial. Survey respondents reported being worried about short-term and long-term finances, as well as the viability of retirement.

Data from US workers provided a stark look into this new reality:

  •      36% of employees reported being concerned about the level of debt they face
  •      52% of employees said they were experiencing short or long-term financial worries and/or were currently struggling financially
  •      66% of those who were struggling financially reported higher levels of stress
  •      76% of employees believed they’d be worse off in retirement than their parents

This study also backed up the obvious: Employees with financial worries have higher levels of stress, and higher levels of stress lead to poor health outcomes for employees and reduced productivity for employers.

You don’t need a doctor to tell you that high stress and poor health will also lead to higher claims on your health plan.

Long story short: Having stressed out employees isn’t just unhealthy. It’s expensive.

But you can make a difference

As an employer, you have the power to attract great talent and help alleviate financial anxiety, all at the same time.

Here are some ways you can make a difference, both for your workforce and your organization.

Offer medical benefits at a low cost to your employees can relieve a considerable amount of emotional and financial stress, especially when those benefits extend to partners and family members. They can also improve the overall health and wellbeing of your team.

Paid time off policies also encourage employee wellness. As technology allows work to creep into your employees’ personal time and personal lives, it’s important to give people time off to rest and recharge. Offering sick time is important, but only granting time off when people are sick isn’t a good wellness strategy. Flexible PTO policies will be much more appealing to current staff and potential employees.

Dental and vision plans are often seen as “extras” by insurance providers and employers, but if you’ve ever suffered through a midnight toothache, dental care sure doesn’t feel superfluous. Being able to see seems pretty critical, too. Research shows that employees value dental and vision coverage, and will take these benefits into consideration when making employment choices.

Retirement plans and contribution matching can help ease worries about long-term finances and provide a sense of security. These programs are also an effective way to for employers to demonstrate that they are willing to invest in their employees over the long term, which could make them more likely to hang around.

But far too many energetic, young employees can’t even think about retirement, much less contributing to a retirement plan, because they are still so buried in student debt.

Student loan repayment programs are quickly becoming a coveted employee benefit. According to SHRM, only 4% of employers are offering help with student loans.

Meanwhile, in a survey conducted by American Student Assistance, 76% of respondents said that if a prospective employer offered a student loan repayment benefit, it would be a deciding or contributing factor to accept the job.

If you’re looking for up and coming or highly skilled talent, this is an area where you could gain a serious competitive recruiting advantage.

Moving in the right direction

If you’re having trouble finding great candidates, it’s time to re-think your approach.

The employee business landscape shifts and changes constantly. As an organization looking for new talent, you need to consider who you’re looking for, where you’ll find them, and what benefits they’re likely to value most. And you can’t do that if you’re sitting still.

Employee recruitment and retention strategies that worked yesterday may not work tomorrow. Or even later this afternoon. If your employee benefits broker or strategy is stuck in the past, it’s time to get moving in a new direction.

Recruiting and retaining employees is easier when you can proudly offer a comprehensive benefits plan that makes your team members feel as valuable as they are. At Sonus Benefits, we build cost effective, long-lasting employee benefits strategies to keep your business and your employees in optimum health.

 

Leadership + Management | By Scott Schulte,

When it Comes to Your Business, There’s No Such Thing as Small Stuff

Don’t sweat the small stuff is great advice. As long as you’re not running a business.

Because if there’s one thing most business owners can agree on, it’s that details matter. You’d never ignore a tiny little accounting error. Or a tiny little hiring error. Or a tiny little compliance error. Because really, there’s no such thing.

Take apostrophes, for example. A lot of people have trouble using them correctly, which is understandable. Honestly, they’re a little confusing. But what’s not okay is thinking that a tiny little punctuation mark couldn’t possibly affect your business.

The truth is, when it comes to your brand, everything matters.

Everything?

Yes. Everything.

And while poor punctuation may not literally cause your business to shut down, it can definitely cause you to lose some credibility.

In reality, plenty of people may be more than willing to head on over to Bob’s Best Burger’s, despite the extraneous apostrophe. I mean, really. What’s the worst that could happen? If they’re prone to throwing in things that don’t belong, maybe you’ll get a few extra fries in your basket!

But if you’re a serious customer looking for a serious professional you can trust, you’re not going to be as easy going. Far fewer people will risk handing their legal issues over to Brain & Brain Expert Lawyer’s. Or engage a high-end consulting company marketing to Fortune 500 CEO’s.

Why? Because customer satisfaction lies in the details. If they can’t trust you to get your signage, your marketing, or your even your own name right, why on earth would they trust you to handle the things that matter most to them?

It’s really quite simple

It’s not necessarily about potential customers being overly-judgmental. Sure, there may be an occasional grammar snob who enjoys sneering at your business card with disdain. But for most of us, it’s much less complicated.

It’s all about trust. Or lack of it.

The fact that virtually all punctuation fixes (not fix’s) are a quick Google search away isn’t helping you build credibility. There’s an easy solution available, but you’ve obviously chosen not to invest the 30 seconds it would take to find it. So why should your potential client think for even one second that you’ll go the extra mile for them?

Detail’s matter

See what just happened there? You’re losing confidence right this very second, aren’t you?

The main point here is that details really do matter. Something you think shouldn’t make a difference might just be a deal breaker for one of your clients. As a business, it’s important for you to pay attention to the little things. Ignoring “tiny” mistakes will eventually reflect poorly on both you and your business.

Invest in your processes and put your best foot forward. Your team, your team’s teams, and your team’s teams’ teams are all depending on you.

Tired of working with insurance salespeople who only think one year at a time? Wonder what it would be like to have a broker who looks beyond your annual policy? At Sonus Benefits, we’ll provide a corporate employee benefits strategy to help you achieve your long-term your vision. Get in touch to find out how.