Happy New Year! Now that the fun and festivities of the holiday season have passed, I'm willing to bet you've already come up with your personal resolutions for 2019. But what about resolutions for your small business?
In case you've forgotten to set professional resolutions for the new year, we have included five ideas for you to consider below.
Evaluate your payroll technology.
Are you still using a legacy system? When was your current payroll system established? If it’s been a while since you last updated your payroll system, then it’s time you ask yourself if it’s really doing all the things you need it to.
Some hallmarks of a good payroll system include FICA, FUTA and SUTA payment and filings, payroll and tax reconciliation, FLSA testing, W2/W3 filing, and cloud-based time and attendance with biometric or GEO location for clocking in and out. If you are missing functionality you really need, then consider implementing an automated payroll system to reduce errors and make processing more efficient.
Revisit your onboarding process.
A strong onboarding program fully incorporates new hires into the company culture which helps increase employee job satisfaction, reduces stress, and leads to better overall performance and lower turnover rates. If your current onboarding process consists only of filling out paperwork and showing the new hire around the office, then it’s time for an overhaul. The onboarding experience should be comprehensive and ongoing during the employee’s first few months. Some best practices include:
- Creating a written onboarding plan and checklist
- Developing a formal orientation
- Using technology to automate HR, payroll and benefit enrollment
- Appointing a mentor or onboarding “buddy”
Reassess your sexual harassment prevention policy.
Your office should be a safe place with zero tolerance for harassment and intolerance. If you don’t already have a policy in place then you need to create one, stat. And if you haven’t reviewed your policy since its inception then it’s time for a review to ensure it’s as thorough as it needs to be. Remember, a solid sexual harassment prevention policy and training program shows that you are truly committed to all your employees’ safety and well-being. It also helps protect your business and reduces the risk of litigation.
Update—or create—job descriptions.
Do you have current job descriptions for all your company’s positions? Often as companies grow, new positions are added, and other positions shift in scope. And amidst all the hustle and bustle it is easy to forget to create, or update, job descriptions. Job descriptions communicate expectations and requirements, so it is vital that they are current and accurate. They also play an important role during the employee evaluation process, when defining exempt/non-exempt classifications, when developing training programs, and more.
Delegate where possible.
Maybe when you first started your business you could be involved in everything. And as you’ve grown you may have been able to stay involved in everything. But even if that’s the case is this really the best usage of your time?
Part of growing a business is learning to delegate to the right people at the right time. If there is something you hate doing, or if you handle tasks you are just okay at but definitely don’t excel at, then it’s time to see if someone else can do it better.
We hope that by using these five resolutions you’ll continue to grow your company and achieve your dreams in the new year. To see how ScalePEO can help with each item listed above contact a member of our team.
