May 2022

• Kimberly Prescott
• Blog
• May 23, 2022

Writing Inclusive Job Postings and Descriptions

A well-written job description is one that welcomes professionals of all abilities and backgrounds to apply for an open position at your organization. Studies have shown that a more inclusive workplace can create a better sense of community, increase worker engagement, and promote a more positive workplace culture. That’s why it’s critical to be sure that you are writing inclusive job postings and descriptions when hiring for a new role. If you need a few tips for writing inclusive job postings and descriptions, keep reading for some expert advice from the professionals at Prescott HR!

Remove Gendered Words and Pronouns

Organizations can sometimes unknowingly assign gendered words and pronouns to their job descriptions. If your organization implies through these words that a job may be more suitable for one gender over another, then you are missing out on a pool of qualified candidates. Some examples of gendered words include using words like nurture, support, compassion, or share, which are often considered female-coded words. Whereas words like aggressive, confident, assertive, or driven can be associated with male-coded words. Removing gendered words or pronouns from your job descriptions can show that your organization is inclusive of all potential applicants. 

Avoid Racial Bias

In today’s modern world, employers should be aware of underlying racial bias that may make its way into job postings and descriptions. Pay careful attention to the words and phrases you use in your job descriptions to avoid showing racial bias. For example, never mention race or national origin in your job description. Using phrases like, “strong English-language skills” can deter non-native English speakers from applying for the job.

Welcome Disabled Workers

The rise in remote work and telework options has allowed disabled workers to apply for positions they maybe once would have avoided. There are certain keywords you can include in your job posting and descriptions that would be welcoming to disabled workers. For example, you wouldn’t want to say, “Must be able to stand for the entirety of a shift.” Instead, use more inclusive language like, “Must be able to remain in a stationary position during the entirety of a shift.” 

Avoid Ageism

Ageism is a very real issue in the modern-day workplace. It’s important to not reference age or ability in job postings and descriptions, so as not to deter older workers from applying for the position. One way to do this is to make sure your organization does not ask for GPA scores when applying, which implies that you are only looking for recent graduates. It’s also helpful to avoid using “Junior” or “Senior” as part of job titles.

Work with Prescott HR

Does your organization need help with writing inclusive job postings and descriptions? Hire the experts at Prescott HR to help you! Prescott HR offers a wide range of services that can help your organization recruit a diverse and talented group of professionals. Our unintimated HR practices allow us to be focused and effective, providing your business with exactly what you need. Give us a call today at 443-351-8818 or contact us online. 

• Kimberly Prescott
• Blog
• May 16, 2022

Minimizing Workplace Distractions

Workplace distractions are continually on the rise. From smartphones to social media, it’s becoming harder than ever for employees to sit down and concentrate on one task. Studies have found that multitasking, instead of concentrating on one task at a time, can crush employee productivity. So how can employers help their team members minimize workplace distractions? We’re sharing a few helpful considerations to keep your team focused and on track below.

Keep Workspaces Organized

One of the best ways to minimize workplace distractions is to ensure that your employees keep organized workspaces. When your team keeps their desks tidy and clean, they are more likely to focus their energy on the task in front of them. If your employees have a chaotic workstation, they can become distracted by the papers or items surrounding them.

Provide Time Management Workshops

Sometimes we all could use a helpful reminder about time management. Consider hosting a workshop for your employees that provides tips to minimize workplace distractions. You can hire a presenter to share time management and organizational advice for employees to follow.

Limit Technological Distractions

Limiting technology can be tough. We are constantly surrounded by it, from our smartphones to our desktop computers. That’s why we recommend that employees minimize technological distractions as much as possible. Encourage your team members to turn off email or text notifications, and instead time block certain hours of the day to correspond on those platforms. There are even apps that your team can download that can limit the number of distractions they pull up on their computers or phones. Also, be sure to have your employees reserve their lunch hour to conduct personal calls or scroll through social media. 

Limit Unnecessary Meetings

This is something employers don’t always think about. Not every meeting is necessary and sometimes it can lead to your employees being less productive. Instead, only call meetings when they are essential. Forcing routine meetings at the same time each week can actually drain an employee’s productivity, plus it takes away from valuable time that they could be working. 

Have Employees Timeblock Their Day

Sometimes distractions can be a good thing. You don’t want your employees working every minute of every hour, because that will lead to less productivity and eventually burnout. Instead, encourage your employees to time block their days to incorporate healthy break times. If your employee knows they can take a 10-minute walk around the building to break up their morning, it may encourage them to hunker down and knock out their work beforehand.

Work with Prescott HR

Are your employees experiencing workplace distractions? Hire the experts at Prescott HR to help you! Prescott HR offers a wide range of services that can help mediate workplace issues like distractions. Our unintimated HR practices allow us to be focused and effective, providing your business with exactly what you need. Give us a call today at 443-351-8818 or contact us online. 

• Kimberly Prescott
• Blog
• May 9, 2022

Evaluating Your Organization’s PTO Policy

Summer is just around the corner and some of your employees may be thinking of relaxing vacation days ahead. Major corporations like Netflix, Roku, and Grubhub offer what’s called unlimited PTO, or unlimited paid time off. Organizations that offer this “policy-that-isn’t” are making headlines across the globe for their progressive stance on employee vacation time. If you are considering reevaluating your organization’s PTO policy, keep reading for a few helpful tips from the professionals a Prescott HR. 

What is PTO?

Before we begin, it’s helpful to understand what PTO is and how it works within different organizations. PTO stands for paid-time-off and is a benefit typically offered to full-time employees. There are several options available to employers when establishing a PTO policy, including:

• Accrual PTO: This is when employees accrue a certain number of PTO days over time. For example, an employee can earn one PTO day per month, totaling 12 PTO days by the end of a calendar year. This is a beneficial PTO policy if your organization experiences high turnover. One downside to accrual PTO is that it requires attention to detail by your admin staff to keep track of days accrued per employee. 

• Frontload PTO: Frontload PTO can alleviate the burden on your administrative staff by blanket approving a full year’s worth of PTO at the beginning of each year. One downside to this kind of policy is that you have to be prepared for your employee, or employees, to take their full PTO time right away. 
• Unlimited PTO: Unlimited PTO is a growing trend in the working world. Some companies, like Netflix, believe that employees can be trusted to manage their time properly to get the job done- which does not require monitoring set hours. Unlimited PTO policies are not right for every business, but the conversation has definitely been brought to the forefront in recent years as companies try to retain top talent. 

The Benefits of Healthy PTO Policies

Your organization may want to consider restructuring its PTO policy to keep up with today’s competitive hiring market. Some benefits of offering healthy or generous PTO policies include:

• Better work-life balance
• Improved employee morale
• Prevent employee burnout
• Attract and hire top talent
• Can lead to more productive employees

What does the law say about PTO?

Laws vary from state to state, but generally speaking, an organization is required to uphold the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Technically the FLSA does not require payment for time not worked, but there are separate provisions for employers in different industries. Some states even require PTO for certain circumstances, like in California where employers are required to provide at least 24 hours of paid sick leave per year. 

Work with Prescott HR

Is it time to evaluate your organization’s PTO policy? Prescott HR wants to help! Our unintimated HR practices allow us to be focused and effective, providing your business with exactly what you need. Give us a call today at 443-351-8818 or contact us online. 

• Kimberly Prescott
• Blog
• May 2, 2022

How to Address Office Gossip

Nothing can kill productivity quite like office gossip. As humans, it is natural to gossip. Some find it necessary for team cameradie and to bond with fellow employees. However, office gossip can have detrimental effects on team members and you will want to address any issues right away. Here are several tips for addressing office gossip from the experts at Prescott HR. 

What is considered toxic office gossip?

First, it’s important to understand what unhealthy gossip looks like so you can avoid allowing it in your workplace. Gossiping is part of human nature and a way to build bonds amongst one another. Some even consider it a social skill. Gossip doesn’t always have to be a negative thing. One example is if a coworker gets engaged- that can be exciting news for employees to share with one another. It’s the bad gossip you need to look out for, including negative gossip that intends to harm someone or lower their morale. An example of bad gossip is making an assumption that a coworker may get fired and then spreading that rumor to other employees. 

How to Mitigate Office Gossip

As a business owner or manager, you want to be sure to address negative office gossip immediately. It’s important to send a message to your employees that you will not allow negative office gossip of any kind in your organization. Here are a few helpful tips:

Nip Gossip in the Bud

As we mentioned, you have to address rumors or negative office gossip immediately upon hearing it. Identify who is contributing to the gossip and set up either individual or group meetings to address it. 

Never Contribute to Gossip

Gossiping is human nature, but as a manager, you should never involve yourself in workplace rumors or gossip. When you’re in a leadership role of any kind, you have to do just that: show leadership. Avoid partaking in overly personal conversations among your staff. If you hear someone gossiping about another employee, point out that the employee they are discussing is not here to defend themselves and they should disperse right away.

Establish an Office Gossip Policy

If you find that these measures are not working, then you may want to consider establishing an office gossip policy. Layout the rules in your office handbook and be sure to communicate the new policy to your employees. In your policy, it’s a good idea to:

• Clearly outline what constitutes unaccepted office gossip
• List topics that are off-limits in office discussions, like politics, salaries, employee performance, etc.
• Explain the disciplinary actions if an employee violates the policy

Work with Prescott HR

Are you still unsure of the steps you can take to address work gossip? Hire the experts at Prescott HR to help you! Prescott HR offers a wide range of employee services that can help you address workplace gossip, including progressive discipline and more. Our unintimated HR practices allow us to be focused and effective, providing your business with exactly what you need. Give us a call today at 443-351-8818 or contact us online.