ENOCH:HR        

We can be contracted on an as needed basis at an agreed upon hourly or project rate or on an ongoing basis in the form of a retainer.  All at a cost that is usually far below that of an attorney or an equally qualified employee hired to handle the same issues. 

We can also act as your full service human resource department, offering the full spectrum of HR related services to your organization as needed, handling all related matters from setting up your human resources function from scratch to day to day administration of all aspects of the function including administration of such things as payroll, compensation & benefits to recruiting, legal compliance and training.  We stand ready to assist your organization with its human resource needs. 

Certain areas may be more of an immediate concern to you then others.  Sometimes it is difficult to isolate and prioritize human resource needs in order to address them in an organized, deliberate approach.  We stand ready to assist with this as well. 

We believe that all companies are unique such that cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all strategies aren’t very effective.  Because of this, We typically recommend a customized approach to all human resources needs.   

Recruiting

Most organizations look at recruitment as something that is done on an as needed basis.  When a job becomes vacant, the organization reacts in various ways in an effort to fill the vacancy.  The problem with this approach is usually with the time and effectiveness of this reaction.  It takes time to figure out what, or in this case who is needed.  It takes time to figure out where to find the right candidates, as well as, how to attract these candidates with the right compensation and benefits package.  All the while, productivity and likely opportunity is lost.

I believe the best approach is to create a recruiting machine.  One that is comprehensively tailored to the future needs of the organization in anticipation of future vacancies.  This machine continuously probes for talent creating a pool of talented prospects to choose from when they are needed.  Doing so can provide management with the ability to fill positions in days that might otherwise take weeks or months. 

I can create and implement such a recruitment program for your organization.  It will be customized to your Company’s recruitment needs and it will be comprehensive, ongoing, and cost effective.  Aspects of the plan would include identifying the resources for the most ideal candidates, creating the right recruiting message or “brand” for your Company, determining the best mechanism to get that message out, creating the applicant process flow (position requisitions, applicant tracking, the interviewing & selection process, background checks, hire letters, etc.), and then implementing that approach.

On-site recruitment events such as Open Houses, off-site recruitment events such as college or technical school visits, job fairs, various forms of media advertising, and things such as an employee referral program are some other recruitment streams that could be part of this comprehensive on-going approach.

Performance Management

Many businesses struggle with effectively managing the performance of its workforce.  The wrong performance management system can be arduous and ineffective.  The right plan, however, can be an incredibly effective tool that helps managers to reward the workers that are performing well and to constructively improve the performance of those performing poorly. 

A good performance management system involves manager and employee working together at the start of the review period to establish performance expectations and measures of success coupled with regular “check ups” throughout the review period to insure that manager and employee are on the same page as to the employee’s performance.  These “check ups” also give manager and employee opportunity to correct problems early in the review period at a time that is less threatening than salary increase time.  This type of system achieves buy-in from the employee, reduces the chances of surprises at raise time, and provides managers with a systematic, objective, fair approach to what can otherwise be perceived as entirely subjective or “playing favorites”.

Another important aspect of the performance management system that I would hope to implement in your organization includes aligning and linking the system to a formalized compensation system.  Doing so further reduces perception of subjectivity in salary increases.   This is discussed in greater detail under Compensation below.

An effective performance management system provides management with the tools to reward strong performers and improve the performance of poor performers.  For those poor performers who do not improve, the performance management system provides the manager with a concrete paper trail as evidence that, despite best efforts on the part of the organization, the worker’s performance did not improve satisfactorily and was therefore terminated.  This takes much of the uncertainty out of such an action, making it much more “cut and dried”.  This documentation is also extremely helpful in terms of countering undeserved unemployment claims, law suits, and government agency investigations.

Policy Development

In today’s litigious environment, it is more important than ever for organizations to clearly outline for employees the Company’s employment related policies.  This usually takes the form of a comprehensive employee handbook.  Modern handbooks are usually customized to the particular organization, though they do tend to contain very similar sounding “legalese” that has proven to protect organizations over the years in the courts. 

I can create a fully comprehensive employee handbook customized to your organization.  I can also assist with policy development on a smaller scale on an as needed basis.  Lastly, I recommend that employment related policies and, in particular, new employee handbooks be reviewed by an employment law attorney prior to release.  I can recommend and/or work with such an attorney as needed.       

Management Coaching/Training

Management coaching and/or training generally takes two forms.  The first is in the form of a formalized management training program.  For instance, in rolling out a new performance management system like the one discussed above, it’s advisable to conduct management training prior to rolling it out to the employees.  Doing so increases management’s understanding and buy-in of the new program which can dramatically increase the chances of success for the new system.  This is discussed in greater detail under the Training section.

The second form is more ad hoc.  I can be available to counsel management on an as needed basis to provide assistance with policy interpretation, legal compliance, employee performance matters, employee counseling sessions, terminations, or harassment claims.  

Legal Compliance

Much of this area of human resources relates to policy development discussed above.  However, special circumstances often arise that may be most effectively handled by an experienced HR professional.  Harassment claims are a good example of this.  Other examples can be found in the uniqueness of a particular organization.  For instance, many organizations are not fully aware of the laws and regulations that apply to them.  This is because many laws are dependent upon the type of business, whether or not the organization does work for local, state or federal agencies, and the organizations size and composition.  To insure that your organization is compliant with all applicable laws and regulations, I could conduct a legal compliance audit to determine what laws apply and make recommendations as to how to comply.

Training

This can range from new hire orientation to full scale training programs of a highly technical nature.  New hire orientation, when done right reinforces to a new hire that he/she made the right decision by joining your organization.  It is upbeat, professional and thorough.  When done wrong, it leaves the new hires wondering what they’ve gotten themselves into.  I am very experienced in developing customized, professional, new hire orientations.

In developing more complex training programs, I take a practical approach.  Unless the subject matter is HR, we are not the experts, you are.  What we can bring is an organized, systematic approach to adult learning.  Even in this we take a down to earth approach, however.  We seek to identify the need, identify the current knowledge level, and therefore the gap.  From this we develop a training plan to attack and close the gap, keeping the training audience, as well as time and budgets constraints front of mind.  

Compensation

I recommend the development and establishment of a customized, formalized compensation system that involves positions slotted into salary grades that are based both on internal and external value.  This system is then linked to the performance management system mentioned above.  These two systems when combined work in concert to insure fair and equitable annual increases that removes any real or perceived favoritism.

Another important aspect of compensation is that of career pathing.  This involves a somewhat simple concept that is not so simple to implement.  Career pathing, in concept, simply shows an employee the career progression that is available to him/her as the employee continues to grow and develop.  However, because this process incorporates the employee’s goals for future growth, playing to the employees strengths, as well as the all important needs of the organization, it can be rather complex.  Incorporating such a process into the compensation and performance management systems gives your strong performers the confidence that opportunities for future growth and development exist for them with your Company and can, thus, have a very positive impact on retention.  Not doing so, leaves employees wondering about their future with your Company.  

Benefits

It is no secret that the cost of employer benefit programs is not going down.  These costs continue to grow as a percentage of revenue and consequently progressively dilute profitability.  What is worse is that certain benefit plans, namely 401ks have layers upon layers of hidden fees that can constitute thousands if not ten of thousands of dollars each year.  However, because these benefits are seen as so critical to employee retention, many small to mid size employers continue to pay the growing costs while feeling powerless to do anything about it.  While it may be that your organization’s benefits program is as cost effective as it can be, it is also quite possible that significant cost savings can be realized.  I can conduct a comprehensive evaluation of your benefit program so that you know exactly what the total costs of your program are.  Then I can recommend solutions that may include a more robust benefits administration effort, negotiating with your current vendors, and researching alternative plans to achieve cost savings wherever possible.    

Employee Relations  

By providing a non-threatening place for employees to go for help when they need it, organizations can dramatically increase the number of work-related problems resolved internally rather than externally, via a lawyer or government agency.  By doing so, they not only reduce the potential for law suits or governmental agency investigations, but they also increase employee morale and retention.  It is also true that employees will often speak more freely to a human resources professional than they will to a manager.  This allows the organization a true finger on the pulse of what’s really going on with the employees.  I have a great deal of experience in this area of HR and is prepared to offer it in the form that best suits your organization. 

Retention

Very high retention isn’t always a good thing.  Often times, poor performers will stay with an organization because they have no where else to go or they don’t want to risk going somewhere else where they may have to work harder.  The goal of a good retention program therefore is not to retain all employees, but, to retain those that the organization wants to keep. 

High retention of desirable employees results in organizations that put a high value on their employees, that reward strong performance, and that demand improvement from poor performers.  A comprehensive retention strategy touches almost every aspect of human resources.  When recruitment, compensation, benefits, performance management, and employee relations are all aligned high retention results.  I can bring these aspects of human resources into alignment for your organization so that high retention of desirable employees results.

Are you in Compliance?

Read some of the HR Compliance Audit questions on the HR Audits page to find out.

How effective are your HR Practices?

Read some of the HR Effectiveness Audit questions on the HR Audits page to find out.