Neither.
In the workplace, there are many different obstacles and trials to confront and overcome. One of these is human nature. Sure, we can say we're professional. We can act that way, dress that way. But beneath the surface of that smiling suit is a person. A person with emotions, desires, and ideas. Should your employee be your friend? As an owner, no. Should they just be another expendable asset in a spreadsheet? Absolutely not. Balance is key.
I hear too many stories about hundreds of people being laid off en masse from a huge company. Hell, way back when, I received a pink slip along with five thousand other hardworking people because the company I worked for decided to outsource all of our jobs. And there's my problem, right there. I understand that there is a company to maintain and sustain. But people are alive. They have feelings, they can be hurt. They can feel neglected, or used.
See? They're seen just as assets. Expendables. This is just wrong. I'm sorry, but it is. Now don't get me wrong. If an employee is not doing his/her job, you should consider giving them the axe, but there are right ways and wrong ways to go about doing it.
Then there's the other hand. Employees as best friends. Employers playing favorites, getting comfortable. There is no pulling back once you have made the plunge from employee to friend, especially if you share company/personal secrets with him or her. Most employees? I don't think they would hold sensitive information against you, but. Some will. Period. Once a boss becomes too personable, they lose authority, and are easily written off. I've seen it firsthand! As they lose authority, they lose respect, and then? Well. Do you really need to know what's next?
Balance is key. The maintenance and health of a business is very important- not only to you but to your employees too. Whether they wanted to or not, they are working at your establishment, your business. But they are not robots. They are people. And should be treated with respect. That's the key. Respect is a finite commodity. It ebbs and flows with society, and it also changes on the fly in everyday situations.
Friendship is...difficult in business, especially when defining the boundaries of employee/employer relationships, but a surefire thing that everyone recognizes is respect. Have respect for yourself and your business first, and everything else that revolves around these two very important items should start to settle into their proper perspectives.
Showing posts with label employment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label employment. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Friday, April 4, 2014
Dealing with Theft in the Workplace
Money causes trouble. Bottom line. When money is involved, mark my words- everyone will have their eye on the bottom line. That being said, some individuals may not approve of their bottom line and search for other...opportunities in spite of morality or decency.
Theft occurs in the workplace. Where there are humans, there are thieves and heroes, basically. But as a manager, theft means something completely different, and it is a scary notion to entertain. I mean, think about it: someone you hired went into a house, took money (or whatever), and then left without a second word. Don't just limit this to a cleaning business, either. If you are an owner/manager, one of the things on your mind should be loss prevention.
An associate of mine runs a business. Runs it well! Unfortunately, he had a bad run with a few hiring websites, and he got some people that were less than ideal. A few would steal from the company and the customers, along with poor attitude and a whole host of other things. And he could have avoided the madness and frustration of a resolving the matter in if he knew how to deal with theft better.
The idea is not solving the problem after it has begun- it's solving the problem before it happens. I did some research and found good information in this article detailing the ways you can keep theft nonexistent, or minimal.But tips and tricks aside, a mindset is what you need more than anything.
Going back to my associate, he not only did his own personal investigation, but certain customers wished to have the police involved, and he had to cooperate. He also lost these customers and will never get them back due to the trust lost. He had to find good people (although now he's gunshy) to replace the bad apples, and he had to get his insurance company involved to help cover the value of any stolen items.
My bottom line is this. Money is useful. It is everywhere, and it dictates much. So knowing that, keep two things in your mind. One- never be satisfied with the appearance of "everything is okay", and Two- know who you are hiring first because the money you might save in not doing a background check will cost you much, much more in the end. Just ask my associate!
Theft occurs in the workplace. Where there are humans, there are thieves and heroes, basically. But as a manager, theft means something completely different, and it is a scary notion to entertain. I mean, think about it: someone you hired went into a house, took money (or whatever), and then left without a second word. Don't just limit this to a cleaning business, either. If you are an owner/manager, one of the things on your mind should be loss prevention.
An associate of mine runs a business. Runs it well! Unfortunately, he had a bad run with a few hiring websites, and he got some people that were less than ideal. A few would steal from the company and the customers, along with poor attitude and a whole host of other things. And he could have avoided the madness and frustration of a resolving the matter in if he knew how to deal with theft better.
The idea is not solving the problem after it has begun- it's solving the problem before it happens. I did some research and found good information in this article detailing the ways you can keep theft nonexistent, or minimal.But tips and tricks aside, a mindset is what you need more than anything.
Going back to my associate, he not only did his own personal investigation, but certain customers wished to have the police involved, and he had to cooperate. He also lost these customers and will never get them back due to the trust lost. He had to find good people (although now he's gunshy) to replace the bad apples, and he had to get his insurance company involved to help cover the value of any stolen items.
My bottom line is this. Money is useful. It is everywhere, and it dictates much. So knowing that, keep two things in your mind. One- never be satisfied with the appearance of "everything is okay", and Two- know who you are hiring first because the money you might save in not doing a background check will cost you much, much more in the end. Just ask my associate!
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
What Employers are Looking For
Any person that writes an article claiming to know exactly what ALL employers are looking for is lying. Period. Me? I'm no different. I don't know what all employers are looking for! But I will tell you what I do know. I am an employer. There's no other way to look at it, and I am going to tell you, you who might be looking for a job, what I look for in a new hire.
Like I was saying before, every job is different. Just because you follow what I say, or what someone else says, doesn't mean these "tips and tricks" will work for you. But rather, I don't want to direct you. It's not my place. I'd rather just toss information out there and hope it helps someone! And that's exactly what I'm gonna do right now.
1. Reliability
This is one of the biggest values I look for in a new hire. Someone that wants the job, sets up an interview, shows up for the interview, and then (if hired) shows up to work every day more or less on time. Punctuality is nice, but not as much as reliability. They are closely related, true. But I'd rather someone show up every day 5 minutes late than have a punctual person that calls out two or three times a week.
2. Honesty
Of course, I don't want thieves, thugs, or other shifty people running around in other people's homes, so I look for honesty and honor in those I hire. Let's face it- Budget is a cleaning business. Our work isn't glamorous or easy, but it is a job nonetheless. And I expect any new hire to act professionally, do their job, and do it as best as they possibly can. Don't lie. Tell the truth, always. It's not lost on employers believe me, and if it is? They're a bad company to be working for anyway.
3. Autonomy
After training is complete, I look for people that can make their own decisions (where possible) when out in the field. An employee that's basically a robot has no use to me. If there isn't a brain, then longevity in a company where often you must make choices on the fly isn't in the cards. I also look at how they handle pressure, or how a new hire approaches a task they are unfamiliar with. Do they smile and fake it? Or do they take it upon themselves to admit they need help? All things I look at.
4. Humility
As a new hire, you will be told to do things. You will be trained, and you may be criticized. These are not because we enjoy belittling others. It is done to shape you into a better employee, and make your time at Budget less difficult. Not working well with others, bullying, gossiping, name calling. Big turn-offs for an employer.
And that's it. I'm not dancing around this one. Wanna know what an employer wants? Ask them. Wanna know what one employer wants? You just found out!
Best of luck if you're looking for work. It's a jungle out there...
Like I was saying before, every job is different. Just because you follow what I say, or what someone else says, doesn't mean these "tips and tricks" will work for you. But rather, I don't want to direct you. It's not my place. I'd rather just toss information out there and hope it helps someone! And that's exactly what I'm gonna do right now.
1. Reliability
This is one of the biggest values I look for in a new hire. Someone that wants the job, sets up an interview, shows up for the interview, and then (if hired) shows up to work every day more or less on time. Punctuality is nice, but not as much as reliability. They are closely related, true. But I'd rather someone show up every day 5 minutes late than have a punctual person that calls out two or three times a week.
2. Honesty
Of course, I don't want thieves, thugs, or other shifty people running around in other people's homes, so I look for honesty and honor in those I hire. Let's face it- Budget is a cleaning business. Our work isn't glamorous or easy, but it is a job nonetheless. And I expect any new hire to act professionally, do their job, and do it as best as they possibly can. Don't lie. Tell the truth, always. It's not lost on employers believe me, and if it is? They're a bad company to be working for anyway.
3. Autonomy
After training is complete, I look for people that can make their own decisions (where possible) when out in the field. An employee that's basically a robot has no use to me. If there isn't a brain, then longevity in a company where often you must make choices on the fly isn't in the cards. I also look at how they handle pressure, or how a new hire approaches a task they are unfamiliar with. Do they smile and fake it? Or do they take it upon themselves to admit they need help? All things I look at.
4. Humility
As a new hire, you will be told to do things. You will be trained, and you may be criticized. These are not because we enjoy belittling others. It is done to shape you into a better employee, and make your time at Budget less difficult. Not working well with others, bullying, gossiping, name calling. Big turn-offs for an employer.
And that's it. I'm not dancing around this one. Wanna know what an employer wants? Ask them. Wanna know what one employer wants? You just found out!
Best of luck if you're looking for work. It's a jungle out there...
Friday, June 21, 2013
Hiring in Today's World
Finding people that fit your team is rough.
Many are hopefuls, some work out, some don't. But things have changed. A lot. And if you're not posting jobs on the Internet, you are far behind schedule. I'm not trying to be harsh, I'm simply telling you the truth. You see, Budget did all the usual stuff a long time ago. Paper ads, signs at laundromats, supermarkets. We'd do background checks on those we would hire, and then they'd work! Life was good.
Nowadays, those signs are almost useless. And I don't mean the quality of person. I mean that they're basically ignored (I know from personal experience). Before I came to Budget, I was a master at online job searches. I could even spot the stupid pyramid scheme "jobs" before I even read the company name. So I knew then, and I know now, that most people are looking online to find gainful employment.
Budget is no stranger to progress, and we also aren't afraid of change. So, we tried it out! First of all, it is best if you try out a free site first. We used/are using Craigslist.com, where you can post a job for free as long as you have a valid e-mail address. The response from this was...pretty damn good I must say.
As you start to explore your options, another online site we tried was Snagajob.com. For roughly 70 bucks a month, this website will help you find hourly workers to swell your ranks. Out of all the applications we got (which weren't many) we hired one person. This person worked out really well fortunately, but it's still just one person out of many applications.
Indeed.com was another avenue that we explored. It is actually Cost per Click, meaning that whenever a prospect clicks on your job "ad" you get charged money- whether they apply for the job or not. Needless to say, this did not work for us, and we didn't get a single. Damn. Applicant from that experience.
As I broadened Budget's search for more good people, I checked out many other job posting sites. It was strange- some were free. Some were not, like to the tune of anywhere between $65 to $215 and up for a listing. Damn again. It's not like we have a money fountain in the back, you know?
Why am I telling you all this? The reason is simple.
Hiring has changed. The world has changed. And the people that survive such things are not ones that completely resist, or go along with change. It's the ones who remain cunning, and take from both sides of time and combine what worked in the past with what works in the present. You see, there are thousands of different angles to approach any problem, but there is only one that works for you. When you hire, don't hide from change. And don't embrace it blindly. Use it, use your hiring process, and find out what works for you, and your business.
It's all just a bunch of trial n' error man. What are you waiting for?
Many are hopefuls, some work out, some don't. But things have changed. A lot. And if you're not posting jobs on the Internet, you are far behind schedule. I'm not trying to be harsh, I'm simply telling you the truth. You see, Budget did all the usual stuff a long time ago. Paper ads, signs at laundromats, supermarkets. We'd do background checks on those we would hire, and then they'd work! Life was good.
Nowadays, those signs are almost useless. And I don't mean the quality of person. I mean that they're basically ignored (I know from personal experience). Before I came to Budget, I was a master at online job searches. I could even spot the stupid pyramid scheme "jobs" before I even read the company name. So I knew then, and I know now, that most people are looking online to find gainful employment.
Budget is no stranger to progress, and we also aren't afraid of change. So, we tried it out! First of all, it is best if you try out a free site first. We used/are using Craigslist.com, where you can post a job for free as long as you have a valid e-mail address. The response from this was...pretty damn good I must say.
As you start to explore your options, another online site we tried was Snagajob.com. For roughly 70 bucks a month, this website will help you find hourly workers to swell your ranks. Out of all the applications we got (which weren't many) we hired one person. This person worked out really well fortunately, but it's still just one person out of many applications.
Indeed.com was another avenue that we explored. It is actually Cost per Click, meaning that whenever a prospect clicks on your job "ad" you get charged money- whether they apply for the job or not. Needless to say, this did not work for us, and we didn't get a single. Damn. Applicant from that experience.
As I broadened Budget's search for more good people, I checked out many other job posting sites. It was strange- some were free. Some were not, like to the tune of anywhere between $65 to $215 and up for a listing. Damn again. It's not like we have a money fountain in the back, you know?
Why am I telling you all this? The reason is simple.
Hiring has changed. The world has changed. And the people that survive such things are not ones that completely resist, or go along with change. It's the ones who remain cunning, and take from both sides of time and combine what worked in the past with what works in the present. You see, there are thousands of different angles to approach any problem, but there is only one that works for you. When you hire, don't hide from change. And don't embrace it blindly. Use it, use your hiring process, and find out what works for you, and your business.
It's all just a bunch of trial n' error man. What are you waiting for?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)