Tag Archives: Independent Contractors

Manager’s Guide to Preparing for New Hires

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Preparation prior to arrival. Workstation and desk needs (paperclips, staplers) should be taken care of before the new employee has arrived. Schedule and lunch with key team members is a great way to integrate your new hire.

Extensive onboarding process. Introducing your new hires to every key executive and teaching them about the working of departments around them will help with getting acclimated and understanding the scope of company operations.

Feedback for future opportunities. Your company’s goal is to continue growth and improvements. A great way to do that is with feedback from new hires on training.

Shadowing with mentor or key executive member. Shadowing can provide a real world setting experience in their new department and get them learning quicker.

Online resources for continuous growth. If an employee would like to continue brush up their skills or continue their learning about their job a great tool to have is an online portal.

 

Have any other new hire tips you would like to share as a supervisor? Email customerservice@targetc.com.

You have (too much) Mail!

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Angry Lady EmailsEmail has become a dominant form of communication in today’s global work environment. Email overload can easily drain a busy HR manager’s day.  Below are a few tips on how to manage your email.

  1. Set Times and Limits on checking email. For me, I check and respond to all emails first thing in the morning (8 am), and again at 11, 1, &4. A typically limit myself to one hour spent responding and saving emails. Constantly checking your email can break your concentration and lower your productivity. I have definitely noticed that I can get more done with this strategy.
  2. Organize emails. Outlook allows you to create folders and “rules” to help with emails you need to retain. Create folders for every project or by subject. To create rules in Outlook 2010, click “File” tab and then “Manage Rules & Alerts”.
  3. Stop reading the same email. While not always possible, try to execute everything required in the email in one shot. This will limit the time spent re-reading emails and time that message is on your to do list. Also evaluate whether you really need to retain the email for future reference or not.
  4. Make Templates. Template emails can be life savers in HR. For example, if you are asked more than once per week how to enroll in the company’s 401k plan. Why not make a template for that? Cut, paste, and done.
  5. Help others help you. Encourage others to email you with relevant subject lines on ideas or resumes so you can easily sort your email.
  6. Facetime for real.  Sure email is easy, but sometimes face to face or phone is faster and better. My rule of thumb is two. If I cannot resolve an email in two responses, my next response is in person or via phone.

 

Reference SHRM HR Magazine May 2013

 

About the Author:

Hannah, our VP of Human Resources, has worked in HR  for over 9 years. Hannah achieved her PHR certification in 2010. She has been a SHRM member since 2006 and LWHRA & NWHRA since 2009. She is a licensed insurance producer in Washington and California. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Organizational behavior from University of Missouri.

 

TargetCW Streamlines Employee Onboarding with Adobe EchoSign

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Check out the latest Adobe EchoSign blog post discussing our recent case study with them through the link below.

Blog Post:

http://blogs.adobe.com/echosign/targetcw-streamlines-employee-onboarding-with-adobe-echosign/ 

 

Direct Link to Case Study:

http://www.adobe.com/content/dam/Adobe/en/customer-success/pdfs/targetcw-case-study.pdf

 

Corporate Interviewing & Hiring Processes Improving for 2013

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Over the past year, my colleagues and I have worked with numerous companies and based on our needs and experiences, there have been some changes in the way top talent is recruited and hired. Here are five trends that we have seen emerging:

1. Video conferencing is becoming more prevalent. Human resources, as well as the hiring departments, are making video interviewing a standard part of a job search. We attribute this to technological advances, reduced budgets and convenience.  Utilizing video conferencing allows face to face interaction, while reducing travel time and costs.  It also allows for multiple interviews to be scheduled consecutively, regardless of candidate location.

 

2. Companies are now mapping their future talent pool. Companies are always hiring, but are beginning to see the value in continually recruiting and staying in touch with “A” players.  Aside from keeping up with top people, it reduces the getting into a situation where a “B” or even “C” player is desperately hired.  The growing demand and rapidly changing landscape are making it more important to find the talent capable of maximizing your competitive edge.

 

3. Culture-fitting candidates are growing in importance. You may have heard that “people are hired for skills, but fired for fit.” Well, it’s truer now. Consequently, matching a candidate with an organization’s working environment or “culture” has become an essential part of the interview and selection process.  Since each company is unique in their culture, each candidate’s personality must be recognized and fit within a company.   This has become as important as fitting individual job skill sets.

 

4. Mobile platforms play an integral role. The workforce is increasingly expecting communications to be delivered through various mobile methods.  Texting, emailing and even tweeting are invaluable tools in reaching the brightest minds. Because everyone is always on, mobile recruiting is presenting a tremendous opportunity for employers to engage and stay connected with the next generation of talent. At the very least, companies need to ensure their job boards are mobile-friendly.

 

5. The interview and job offer process has been shortened. Access to jobs and people has increased, creating more competition for top candidates.  This created a landscape where candidates expect to know their status shortly after interviewing. The perception has caused many companies to lose out on good people. It has made it increasingly important to reduce hurdles to hiring, such as bureaucracy and politics in the process. Having the whole process mapped out before the first interview allows companies to remain agile and keep momentum while pursuing people.

 

Resources for Job Seekers

Looking for a new job? Check out our Jobs (www.targetcw.com/jobs) page, review our Strategies for Getting a Great Job (text hyperlink to article) and make sure your resume is a clean reflection of what you can bring to an employer, good luck!!

 

 About the Author, Debbie M. Duguay:  25 years of corporate and contingency recruiting experience provide Debbie a unique understanding of the staffing industry.  She began her recruiting career in 1988 successfully recruiting primarily for accounting/finance and sales/marketing positions for a diverse collection of corporations, and was recognized for her ability to find exceptional candidates for the most specialized and hard-to-fill positions.  In 1998, she opened a staffing agency, and for five years she and her staff successfully served the recruiting needs of corporations throughout the nation.  Debbie Duguay merged her search firm with a global recruiting corporation in 2003, and was ranked the “#2 Recruiter in the Nation for 2006”, before joining the incredible TargetCW recruiting team.

Quarterly 401k Open Enrollment is April 1st!

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Have you heard?

It is quarterly open enrollment for TargetCW’s 401k Plan – a company sponsored retirement savings plan designed to help you prepare for retirement. Our plan offers many unique advantages not available through other types of savings plans. You must be employed a minimum of 60 days to enroll. The deadline to enroll for the second quarter is April 1st.

Learn more about our plan at : http://www.targetcw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=94&pop=pop

  • To enroll online, go to http://www.nationwide.com/retirement-plan-provider.jsp
  • Select, Get Started now and enter case # 361-80417
  • Then click on the employer name: TargetCW and then Enroll now.
  • You will then follow each page providing your personal information, fund selections, and beneficiary.
  • Please print your beneficiary form and email to benefits@targetcw.com or fax to 619-704-7799.

We hope you have a great day!

Survey Results Say You Love Us!

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Happy Employee on TargetWe sincerely appreciate you taking the time to complete our client and employee satisfaction survey and were excited to see such positive reviews.

Client survey results were 99% overall satisfaction and employee survey results were 97% overall satisfaction. Employees love the most our customer service, timeliness of payment, and response times while clients appreciate our ease of use, personal attention, and customer service.

 

Here are some of the nice things you said about us.

  • “Each time I’ve called TargetCW with a question or concern, my questions were answered on the spot or followed up on immediately, and everyone in the San Diego office whom I’ve interacted with has been friendly and knowledgeable.” (Stacey, Software/IT)
  • “Anytime I call in or email everyone is very responsive and quick to help me. I’ve never had an issue with anyone.” (Erin, Biotech/Medical Devices)
  • “I like most the value TargetCW places on the overall customer service experience. A lot of companies talk about customer but TargetCW actually puts customer service “in action” which is very welcomed experience.” (Claristine, Legal)
  • “TargetCW always does what they say they are going to do. That doesn’t always happen with other companies.” (Tracia, Services)

 

 

Common Hiring Mistakes to Avoid

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Top talent is a key component to success. Hiring the wrong person at a ten people company can be extremely impactful.

Prescreen correctly

Prescreen calls with candidates to get a feel for whether the candidate has the experience you are looking for and that the salary they desire is in the range you can offer. This alone can save time and prevent the wrong person from being interviewed.

Evaluate the personality

Have the candidate interview with several different people in the organization. Combine notes from the interviews to evaluate if the candidate fits within the company culture and organization.

Inaccurate job duties

Job descriptions are not wish lists. Take the time to draft a very accurate job description to be able to reach a candidate that can actually fulfill all the listed tasks.

Ask more questions

Ask questions that assess the candidate’s way of responding to situations and focus less on chatting without direction.

Not enough candidates?

Don’t settle and don’t be afraid to reopen the pool of candidates for consideration.

Quick hire

A good quality candidate that has the necessary skills can take time to screen and look for, but is worth it in the long run.

Inadequate candidates may slow down production, be unhappy, and ultimately leave the company costing more than to search for a replacement. By following the examples mentioned above, businesses can save money, time, and increase productivity in the long run.

Improving Employee Engagement

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Thank you handwritten by manager

According to Globoforce, an employee assessment company, 71% of the American workforce is actively disengaged to their work. Productivity is reduced and turnover is high when disengagement is low.

What to do? Here are a few recommendations to turn around your team.

Flexible Hours: Show your employees that you trust their time management skills by allowing them to have more flexible hours.

Handwritten Letters: Handwritten letters of acknowledgement from a manager to an employee are a sign of personal appreciation. This will show true thoughtfulness and motivate the recipient.

Results Only Work Environment: Some people work best where they are most comfortable so consider telecommuting if it is possible in your industry.

Keep in mind to determine what success is with your employees and establish how that is measured in order to reward and benefit the appropriate people.

Retaining Happy Employees

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According to the iOpener Institute for People and Performance, employees who are happy at work are the most productive at work. The iOpener Institute has gathered data since 2005 to assess the workplace science of happiness at work.

According to this report, employees most happy at work are twice as productive, stay five times longer in their jobs, and take 10 times less sick leave. Happy employees also help and mentor their colleagues 33% more than their unhappy counterparts, achieve their goals 31% more likely, and are 36% more motivated.

So how can your organization create and retain happy employees?

Constructive feedback and personal appreciation are tools that should be taught to all managers. Employers who give pure negative feedback double use of sick leave from employees. Becoming a transparent communicator and explaining why decisions were made will create fairness in the workplace and employees are more likely to get to work. Respect and performance will increase and improve sense of belonging into the organization culture. Self-confidence is also a factor. It is important to communicate and create ownership when an employee is working on a task because projects are done faster and better by employees who are confidant of the outcome.

Do you have any best practices to share?

Fiscal Cliff Talk and How It Affects Your Paycheck

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After a heated debate and a prolonged vote, the House of Representatives voted 257-167 to approve a bill to prevent the fiscal cliff. The main purpose of this vote was to extend the Bush era tax cuts, which currently affect approximately 98% of taxpayers. However, according to Forbes, 77% of Americans will actually end up paying higher taxes in 2013. One of the most talked about subjects was how these taxes will affect an employee’s net pay, commonly referred to as “take home pay”. The following is a brief breakdown of the most common taxes that will be impacting your wages.

A)     Employee Portion of Social Security Tax Withholding

  1. This payroll tax cut expired on 12/31/12 as congress failed to act on time. What this eliminated was a 2% reduction in employee payroll taxes, increasing the Social Security Tax from 4.2% to 6.2%. The combined FICA tax rate (which is the Social Security tax at 6.2% and the Medicare tax at 1.45%) is now 7.65% for 2013 up to the Social Security wage base ($113,700). This will be an increase of $2,425.20 in taxes for employees. There are ongoing talks and bills being considered in Congress to extend the 2% reduction, but until a change occurs, the new rate of 6.2% will remain in place.

 

B)      Social Security Wage Base

  1. The Social Security wage base will be increased to $113,700. This has been increased by $3,600 from 2012, meaning you will pay the Social Security tax on all wages up to $113,700.

 

C)      Medicare Tax

  1. In 2013, the Medicare tax of 1.45% will be increased to 2.35% for wages in excess of $200,000.

 

D)     Federal Income Withholding Tax:

  1. The amount of federal income tax that you owe on each check may be affected as well. Individual taxpayers will still be subject to the current tax rates of 10/15/25/28/33 and 35% (percentage of tax based on your income level) up to the $400,000 (or $450,000 for joint filers) income threshold. There has been a new top tax rate of 39.6% for individuals that have income higher than $400,000 for single filers, $425,000 for head-of-household filers, and $450,000 for married filing jointly. The IRS has published an updated tax table where you can determine your exact taxable rate, which can be found at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/n1036.pdf.

 

E)      Health Flexible Spending Arrangement

  1. In 2013, the maximum amount of salary reduction contributions that an employee may elect to have made to a flexible spending account is $2,500, which has been reduced from a $5,000 limit.

 

F)      Non-Payroll Tax Updates

  1. Capital Gains and Dividends – Increase to 20% for income earners exceeding $400,000, unchanged (15%) for earners below that mark.
  2. Itemized Deductions and Personal Exemptions – Phase out of taxpayer’s itemized deductions and personal exemptions return, but only for high income earners ($250,000 for single taxpayers, $275,000 for head of household, and $300,000 for married filing jointly).
  3. Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) – Exemption amounts have been determined for inflation. For 2012, exemption amounts are $78,750 for married filing jointly and $50,600 for single filers.
  4. Estate and Gift Taxes – Exemption will remain at $5M, but the rate will increase from 35% to 40%.
  5. Increased Child Tax and Earned Income Credits have been extended for five years.

 

With all the current changes of taxes, and the ongoing struggles on Capitol Hill, there is a chance that new bills could be signed into law that will change the current payroll tax schedule. Be assured, TargetCW will always provide you with the most up to date and accurate taxation schedule for employees, and we will inform you of any additional updates in the coming months. If you have any questions, you can contact me directly at ryan@targetcw.com.