News Archives - Prescott HR

Kimberly Prescott
News
November 12, 2021

How to Encourage and Reward Remote Employees

Recognizing and rewarding your employees is important whether you have an in-house team or a fully remote workforce. In fact, studies have shown that both job productivity and satisfaction increase when people are recognized for their hard work.

As remote employment becomes more common, it’s still just as important to show your team that you’re grateful for their contributions to your organization. It may look a little different than when everyone was in the office together or regularly able to attend work functions. Below are some ways you can encourage and reward your remote employees.

Send a Remote Work Gift Bag

It’s great to send gifts when you’re first onboarding new employees, but it can also go a long way for long-time employees that have transitioned to working from home. Helping them to create an office space that is comfortable and accessible is something that they are likely to appreciate.

While you can always go with branded gifts, they aren’t necessarily the only option. Some businesses have even sent plants as part of a work-from-home gift bag since plants are supposed to improve morale.

Whatever you choose to send, include a heartfelt note that lets your employees know you care and you appreciate everything they do.

Create a “Thank You” Group Chat

A Slack Channel or group chat dedicated to giving kudos is a great tool to bring the team together and build camaraderie. Encourage employees to give each other kudos whenever someone goes above and beyond. Management can also pass kudos on to their own teams or to other teams who have significantly helped theirs.

Simply reaching out can increase team engagement – plus, the public kudos will make people feel good about what they’re doing. It’s a win-win situation.

Allocate a Budget Towards Meals and Equipment

Did you provide catering as a perk when everyone worked in the office? Consider adding a small meal stipend for your employees so they can still enjoy the benefits that they signed up for when they were working in an office setting. You may also want to provide a budget for office supplies and occasionally consider sending small gifts like a free donut on National Donut Day.

You’ll be surprised at how far little gestures can go!

Continue to Promote from Within

One of the best ways to encourage and reward remote employees (or any employees, for that matter) is to remind them that they are a critical part of your business. Make sure that you’re offering regular trainings, opportunities to learn, and chances to grab a promotion to your existing team.

When people feel valued and know that there is a path towards growth, they are much more likely to remain with your business. This helps prevent employee turnover, saving your organization money and likely improving the overall client experience.

Remember that your team needs kudos, even if they aren’t in the office every day for you to see what they’re doing. Communicate often and make sure that your people know that they’re appreciated!

Questions about how to continue encouraging and rewarding remote employees? Contact Prescott HR today. We offer a wide variety of HR services to help you manage your remote team.

Kimberly Prescott
News
October 29, 2021

4 Ways Business Strategy Alignment Can Benefit Small Businesses

One of the best feelings is when things seem to line up just right. Whether it’s a perfect schedule or dishes that fit together perfectly, there’s always that little feeling of satisfaction. A fully aligned business strategy is no different.

When starting a small business, alignment isn’t always the first thing on a business owner’s mind, though. The beginning, especially, can feel overwhelming. Once a business is established, it’s time to really start considering all the ways a business strategy alignment can benefit the organization.

1. Improve Decision-Making Practices

When a business is well-aligned, decision making is much easier. All employees know the goals, vision, and mission of the company, as well as how their decisions affect the business. Having this knowledge also empowers employees to more effectively make decisions on their own without feeling the need to run everything up to higher management.

One company that has historically shown this again and again is Southwest Airlines. Everyone from the ground crew to the pilots knows exactly what is expected of them and what they can do to deliver top-quality service to their customers.

This allows them to create unique experiences that often result in great press for the company.

2. Engage Your Employees

Employee buy-in and engagement are critical for any successful business. Happy employees result in less turnover and overall better customer experiences. When employees are able to see exactly what their role is in the company, they can better understand how they impact the whole process.

A strategically aligned business also shows employees where they can go within the business as well as how they can step into any missing opportunities with their existing skillsets. People need to know that there’s potential for growth, and strategic alignment in your small business will give them just that.

3. Save Money and Reduce Wasted Time

Unclear objectives make it too easy to waste time on unnecessary tasks or projects. When a business is working in alignment, everyone knows whether something is contributing to the overall strategy and success of the business or just wasting time.

Reducing wasted time allows your business to do more with less and ensures that your employees are doing work that aligns with their skillset, too. Saved time is saved money – and every small business is looking for ways to increase its bottom line.

4. Enhance Accountability from the Top Down

When your business strategy is aligned, each member of your company has clear objectives. From the C-suite to junior members, everyone knows exactly what they’re accountable for. Accountability is one of the first steps in creating a culture of trust that starts at the top and trickles down.

Business strategy alignment ultimately allows all employees to understand how they collaborate with each other to bring the goals of the business alive. Have you updated or reviewed your business strategy alignment recently?
If not, Prescott HR can help. We believe that unintimidated HR is the way forward and will use that strategy to help you improve your business alignment. Give us a call today at 443.351.8818 or contact us online for more information.

Kimberly Prescott
News
October 21, 2021

How to Retain Top Talent

When you have worked hard to surround yourself with top-notch talent, the last thing you want is to see them leave. It can be challenging to find team members that fit well within your culture and also consistently deliver work that is both on time and done well.

Additionally, replacing team members can result in a strong financial burden on your company. Did you know that replacing an individual on your team is estimated to cost approximately six to nine months of that person’s salary in training and recruiting costs?

Turnover can also put additional stress on your team, resulting in the loss of more team members. If your company is currently experiencing a revolving door, it’s time to learn how to retain top talent.

Conduct Stay Interviews

Most companies conduct two types of interviews – hiring and exit. One type that your HR team may be overlooking is the stay interview. A stay interview should be conducted at least once per year. However, if you notice that a top employee is starting to become restless, you may want to consider sitting down with them more often.

In these interviews, you should talk to your employee about what makes them happy, what they want to see happen differently, and if there’s anything that they’re missing to make them want to stay with the organization long term. Listen carefully, respond, and be sure to make the changes that they ask for, within reason.

Offer Flexibility

The past two years have been tumultuous, to say the least. If there is one positive thing that has come from the COVID-19 shutdown, it’s that employers are beginning to realize the importance of flexibility for their employees.

For many, being able to work at home for at least part of their week is a huge bonus. It helps them to save money and time on commuting. As people begin to reprioritize time for self-care and family, the flexibility to set their own hours or work from home can make all the difference.

Provide the Benefits Your Employees Want

Benefits are not one-size-fits-all. It’s important to remember that your employees are human. They have different wants and needs. Asking them what their preferences are for benefits when you’re in the hiring process can give you leverage to bring the right people on.

In order to retain top talent, you may need to specifically tailor your benefits package to their requests. Obviously, these requests need to be within reason and make sense for your company. Be sure to discuss any and all benefits with your HR team before agreeing, but there is often wiggle room to create a package that will help you hold on to your best employees.

Invest in Career Growth

Nobody wants to feel like they’re stagnant – especially not your highest achievers. Provide options for career growth, including training, advancement opportunities, and leadership roles. One of the top reasons that employees leave is that they feel like there’s no room to grow.

Providing a clear path to new roles and titles can help you retain top talent in your organization.

Quality HR Services Can Help You Retain Top Talent

Prescott HR offers a wide range of services that can help you to find and retain top talent for your organization. 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.