Victor Bierman - The benefits employees want most...

What benefits do employees want most?

Finding employees to fill vacant positions can be an expensive and time consuming task for any business. And hiring managers and business owners who underestimate the value of a complete benefits package could be missing out on viable candidates. That’s because “four in five U.S. workers report they prefer new benefits or perks to a pay raise,” according to the Glassdoor Q3 2015 Employment Confidence Survey conducted by Harris Poll.

Whether you're a big company or a small business, it helps to know which benefits will help attract and retain employees. While gym memberships and reduced time off may lure some candidates, it may not be as important to other job seekers. With that in mind, here are the five benefits employees want most:

Health Insurance

Not surprisingly, health insurance is the benefit that employees want most based on results from a recent Glassdoor Economic Research Study. While it is standard fare among larger employers, the 2013 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Center for Financing, Access and Cost Trends indicated only about 1 out of 3 businesses with less than 50 employees offer a health insurance plan.

Vacation / Paid Time Off

With so much going on in employees’ lives, it should come as no surprise that vacation and paid time off are among the top benefits desired by most workers in recent surveys. But 37 percent of workers participating in a GFK focus group mentioned that it is not easy to use the time they earned. Having time off to relax and rejuvenate is important for creating a healthy work-life balance and avoiding job burn-out.

401K / Retirement Plans

Employees today are concerned about their future which is why more than one-third of employees surveyed want 401K and retirement plan benefits, according to Glassdoor. One of the fears among many employees is not having the finances for retirement. Employers that offer retirement plan options are helping to provide employees with

the financial planning resources that give them peace of mind during their career.

Tuition Assistance

Today’s workforce considers learning a life-long process rather than a one-time event. In fact, over 60 percent of employees responding to a 2014 Employment Confidence Survey by Glassdoor considered learning new skills or receiving special training as the most important factor for career advancement. Investing in employee education and offering a path for advancement can reduce turnover and hiring and training costs while helping to retain the best and brightest employees.

Employee Recognition

Not all employees feel they get the recognition they deserve. People like to feel they are appreciated for the work they do. And studies indicate that a little pat on the back can go a long way towards keeping employees motivated. An overwhelming majority of human resource managers said employee recognition programs had a positive effect on engagement and overall happiness in the workplace, according to a 2015 Employee Recognition Report conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management and Globoforce.

Originally published by Victor J. Bierman III here.

Victor Bierman - Five (5) Simple Techniques for Managing and Reducing Workplace Stress

Five (5) Simple Techniques for Managing and Reducing Workplace Stress

Studies and surveys reveal that about 70 percent of all Americans consider their work or workplace stressful. But research simultaneously confirms that loving your job correlates with greater performance and productivity – so stress is definitely bad for business. Worker stress is attributed to a variety of culprits, and those range from fear of job loss or lack of career advancement to fatigue from working overtime and the lack of employer initiatives to educate and help employees with stress. The good news is that there are practical ways to manage and reduce workplace stress, and here are five simple ways to do that.

1. Promote Wellness in the Workplace

Poor health contributes to stress, just as stress triggers poor health. The American Psychological Association recommends meditation and other forms of biofeedback or body/mind realignment like deep breathing exercises. So why not consider having a weekly or monthly event where employees can enjoy a free yoga or T’ai Chi class, chair massage? A major cause of stress, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is a lack of sleep – which also makes the workplace more accident-prone. Some of the most progressive corporations in the Fortune 500 have starting adding nap rooms to their facilities, where employees can go to recharge their batteries for a few minutes. Not all companies have the resources to do that. But providing health and wellness programs and holding free workshops that teach how to relax and eliminate stress is a great idea, and entirely doable.

2. Invest in Career Development

Since so many workplace stressors are related to fear and career insecurity, one of the most impactful ways to reduce employee stress is to actively support career development. In fact, Millennial Generation employees actually cite lack of career opportunity as one of their top-ranked stress factors. By offering mentoring or opportunities to acquire new marketable skills, for example, companies demonstrate that they are fully invested in their workers. Address those concerns proactively and it will improve retention, add human resource value, and fuel the organizational pipeline with happier, more productive and engaged employees.

3. Control the Distractions

An article in Forbes Magazine described that today’s workers are routinely distracted and interrupted, even though the corporate buzzword these days is “engagement.” These unwanted diversions happen about once every ten minutes, and account for about two hours of lost productivity per day. The takeaway here is that if you can control the interruptions you can help minimize stress. Ways to accomplish that include improved scheduling and project management, and leveraging technological tools and systems to avoid redundant tasks or interpersonal requests that can be better managed through more organized electronic communication.

4. Curtail the Digital Overload

Digital technology can, however, contribute to the problem, especially when boundaries are too fluid. Employees should know that when they are off the clock, they will not be unnecessarily burdened with phone calls, emails, and text messages related to work. There have even been lawsuits filed because employers were accused of demanding overtime work without compensation, so this is an area that every business should take seriously. Create a policy that ensures fairness and healthy boundaries to reduce workforce stress while enhancing team morale.

5. Take a Break

Americans are notorious for not using their personal days and vacation time, but HR departments and company leaders should recognize that a healthy work/life balance contributes to productivity. Yes, educating employees to spend quality time away from the office may require extra attention to scheduling changes and workplace flexibility. But it also makes for a more sustainable and competitive workforce and is, ultimately, good for the bottom line and healthier for everyone in the organization.

Originally published by Victor J. Bierman III here.

Victor Bierman - Don’t Be Unprepared For HIPAA And Department Of Labor Audits

Don’t Be Unprepared For HIPAA And Department Of Labor Audits

Is your business ready for a HIPAA audit? Federal agencies such as the Department of Labor (DOL) have the authority to conduct audits of businesses to ensure that they are in compliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PACA) which is also referred to simply as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). These reviews are ultimately intended to ensure that Americans in the workforce have fair access to health insurance and that the personal privacy of employees is respected and their medical records are safeguarded.

The Incentive to Comply

Oftentimes businesses procrastinate – but there are some powerful incentives to put ACA compliance plans in motion ASAP. Not only does that make it much easier and less disruptive in the event of an audit, but it can also help prevent burdensome fines and penalties. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, for instance, the Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights – which enforces HIPAA – has imposed penalties or reached settlements in at least two dozen high-profile data breach cases. One company paid $250,000 related to the theft of a single laptop that contained highly sensitive unencrypted data. “Covered entities and business associates must understand that mobile device security is their obligation,” said Susan McAndrew, OCR’s deputy director of health information privacy. Violations of privacy through disclosure of PHI may be prosecuted by the Department of Justice, too, with the possibility of jail time.

Protected Health Information (PHI)

Under HIPAA, Protected Health Information (PHI) covers various types of data communicated, shared, filed, and archived by businesses. That may include heath care claim or payment information, paperwork related to enrollment or disenrollment in a health plan, and other data related to an employee’s health or medical history. Audits will take a close look at PHI, and businesses need to proactively safeguard that data and demonstrate to DOL investigators that they have robust and up-to-date systems and procedures for protecting any and all PHI.

PHI Safeguards and Procedures

* Be sure that there are written policies and procedures for PHI compliance, as well as administrative, physical, and IT protocols and safeguards to prevent unauthorized access to PHI. That applies to both printed data and electronic digital information.

* All employees should be trained in HIPAA compliance and PHI protection, and they need to be updated as new guidelines are issued. Keep in mind that the DOL may request evidence to confirm that notices related to HIPAA have been distributed to employees in a timely manner.

* Businesses should also pay special attention to Affordable Care Act provisions regarding health plan compliance that fall under the HIPAA mandate. If the business experiences a data breach or other event that could compromise PHI security, it should be promptly reported to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Time Is of the Essence

Companies that delay delivery of information asked for by the DOL risk greater scrutiny and a more protracted investigation. Preparation for an audit needs to start ASAP, and the number of audits being conducted is trending higher. But being organized and knowing where pertinent documents are is a big advantage, and one that HR departments can help to leverage to their benefit by getting ready now, not later, so that the audit process will be as smooth and painless as possible.

Originally published Victor J. Bierman III here.

Victor Bierman - Employee Trust

Helping HR gain employee trust

Human Resources (HR) is often in a difficult position. They need to be supportive of both the privacy and discretion of employees while also supporting leadership and enforcing company policies. This middle ground often renders HR as a distrusted and sometimes ineffective group. Management of daily stress and moral obligation can easily take its toll, especially when being blamed for a problem you are trying to solve.

If this sounds harsh, don’t take it too personally. For the first time, the Edelman Trust Barometer, an annual trust analysis survey, examined the state of trust between employers and employees. Not surprising, the level of trust in employers decreased as the hierarchy decreased. With the HR system privy access to an employee’s personal information and conversations, as well as their close work with leadership, HR is considered part of the company’s leadership.

If they exist, perceptions of distrust are more a result of job function and not the result of the work HR puts into their job. However, there are ways to improve employee perspective, and garner the confidence of leadership at the same time.

Building trust is the one uniform standard expected by both employees and company executives when working with HR. In fact, Jim Dougherty, a senior lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management and veteran software CEO, identifies one important key to trust, “Any time there is favoritism, people will see it.” Having the ability to show objectivity and fairness, regardless of whom you are dealing with is important. High performing employees should be just as susceptible to negative consequence, as a poor performing employee should be regarded in recognition. By showing employees you can be both fair and balanced, you will garner their respect. When employees come into your office, for good or bad, and already know what to expect, then you are likely doing a good job at balancing trust. However, if you see a trend in employees who are legitimately surprised at the outcome of events, you may need to focus more on building trust.

One of the fastest ways to lose trust is to share confidential information with others. Even if you share information with other leaders, make sure that the leader is privy to the information. Simply being a leader does not necessarily make them privy to all employee information. In fact, a lot of personal information cycles down the chain of hierarchy. As you can imagine, when employees share confidential information that eventually reaches their ear, you have essentially lost all faith from their perspective.

However, one way to legitimize trust in breach of confidentiality is transparency with your intentions. Dougherty notes, “If there is a void of information, employees will fill it and they will always fill it with negative information.” You don’t want an employee ever leaving your office confused, or with different expectations than you have.

For example, if an employee reports another employee for a policy violation, you can respond with: “Thank you for contacting me. Your name will remain anonymous; however, I need to document our conversation. We will begin an investigation that will likely include... And, I will need to notify...” By informing the employee what is going to happen next, and notifying them who will be involved in the investigation you are sharing the process, as well as instilling trust.

Lastly, you can never underestimate the importance of engaging with both employees and leadership. Seeking out engagement such as going to an employee’s office to simply say hello and sincerely ask how they are doing, calling employees by their name, or, learning more about their personal life are all great ways to engage and view an employee’s work experience through their perspective.

Trust, transparency, and engagement are the keys to balancing a friendly HR environment where employees have confidence in your abilities and genuine concern, while employers have faith in your role as the trust-cushion between leadership and employees.

Originally published by Victor J. Bierman III here.

Victor Bierman - Stress Reduction

Five (5) Simple Techniques for Managing and Reducing Workplace Stress

Studies and surveys reveal that about 70 percent of all Americans consider their work or workplace stressful. But research simultaneously confirms that loving your job correlates with greater performance and productivity – so stress is definitely bad for business. Worker stress is attributed to a variety of culprits, and those range from fear of job loss or lack of career advancement to fatigue from working overtime and the lack of employer initiatives to educate and help employees with stress. The good news is that there are practical ways to manage and reduce workplace stress, and here are five simple ways to do that.

1. Promote Wellness in the Workplace

Poor health contributes to stress, just as stress triggers poor health. The American Psychological Association recommends meditation and other forms of biofeedback or body/mind realignment like deep breathing exercises. So why not consider having a weekly or monthly event where employees can enjoy a free yoga or T’ai Chi class, chair massage? A major cause of stress, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is a lack of sleep – which also makes the workplace more accident-prone. Some of the most progressive corporations in the Fortune 500 have starting adding nap rooms to their facilities, where employees can go to recharge their batteries for a few minutes. Not all companies have the resources to do that. But providing health and wellness programs and holding free workshops that teach how to relax and eliminate stress is a great idea, and entirely doable.

2. Invest in Career Development

Since so many workplace stressors are related to fear and career insecurity, one of the most impactful ways to reduce employee stress is to actively support career development. In fact, Millennial Generation employees actually cite lack of career opportunity as one of their top-ranked stress factors. By offering mentoring or opportunities to acquire new marketable skills, for example, companies demonstrate that they are fully invested in their workers. Address those concerns proactively and it will improve retention, add human resource value, and fuel the organizational pipeline with happier, more productive and engaged employees.

3. Control the Distractions

An article in Forbes Magazine described that today’s workers are routinely distracted and interrupted, even though the corporate buzzword these days is “engagement.” These unwanted diversions happen about once every ten minutes, and account for about two hours of lost productivity per day. The takeaway here is that if you can control the interruptions you can help minimize stress. Ways to accomplish that include improved scheduling and project management, and leveraging technological tools and systems to avoid redundant tasks or interpersonal requests that can be better managed through more organized electronic communication.

4. Curtail the Digital Overload

Digital technology can, however, contribute to the problem, especially when boundaries are too fluid. Employees should know that when they are off the clock, they will not be unnecessarily burdened with phone calls, emails, and text messages related to work. There have even been lawsuits filed because employers were accused of demanding overtime work without compensation, so this is an area that every business should take seriously. Create a policy that ensures fairness and healthy boundaries to reduce workforce stress while enhancing team morale.

5. Take a Break

Americans are notorious for not using their personal days and vacation time, but HR departments and company leaders should recognize that a healthy work/life balance contributes to productivity. Yes, educating employees to spend quality time away from the office may require extra attention to scheduling changes and workplace flexibility. But it also makes for a more sustainable and competitive workforce and is, ultimately, good for the bottom line and healthier for everyone in the organization.

Victor Bierman - No Excuses

No More Business Owner Excuses!!!

Many times we treat our business like going to the doctor and we make every excuse in the word not to seek answers, help or treatment. Human nature and business practices are really predictable when it comes to behavior. Well guess what??? ... it's time to drop our bad habits, stop making excuses and do something about it. You can't afford to ignore the health of your business any longer!

Now the big question is "WHAT are you going to do about it?". Business owners face many challenges and have crazy demands being made of their time. Many business owners will resist seeking outside help or outside perspectives because they believe nobody else has the same level of expertise when it comes to their business as they do. While that can be true in certain instances, it is also true that many business owners don't have the objective expertise that business health and business coachingprofessionals do since they see and work through the same type of repetitive business situations and obstacles every day across a wide array of companies and industries.

Our advice is simple ... its time to stop making common excuses like these:

1) We don't have time - while you may not have time to invest in analyzing your business and its current health, there are knowledgeable and very affordable professionals available.

2) We will fix it - Do year hear yourself saying that? If it has been broken for some time, do you really believe you have the expertise to fix it? When will you focus on it?

3) We can't afford it - Is the alternative of doing nothing any less expensive to your business? Do you miss highly profitable opportunities because your processes are broken?

4) What do they know - Sometimes this excuse is a foolish as saying "What does my doctor know?". A fresh outside perspective and diverse knowledge can do amazing things for any business.

5) Things won't change - Well you can almost guarantee yourself that nothing will change if your choice is to do nothing. Candidly, we will turn around and ask you "What changes tomorrow if you do nothing?".

The bottom line is that sometimes its best if you don't play doctor, lawyer, firefighter, and owner to your own business. You need a qualified company with candor, integrity and love to walk in the door and help you truly hear and understand the critical processes, people and other obstacles in your business that need attention. What's the worst thing that can happen from going to the doctor ... you get help and you get better. Well same thing here!!!

Originally published by Victor J. Bierman III here.

Victor Bierman - Avoid Business Mistakes

Seven (7) mistakes every business must avoid...


Did your business come with an instruction manual that has ALL THE SECRETS to making money and hiring great people, while providing answers to the hundreds of other challenges? These illusive manuals are RARE INDEED, so you should be commended for the long hours and sacrificing parts of your life, while navigating through stressful obstacles to build your business.

The challenge becomes “What’s next?”. Your markets, customers and competitors are constantly evolving. To remain healthy and sustainable, your business must clearly see its opportunities, invest in its people and create strong processes. As a business owner, avoiding common mistakes is critical. In many instances, knowing what “not to do” can be more important than knowing what “to do”.

SEVEN (7) MISTAKES TO AVOID AS A BUSINESS OWNER

1. Technology or Digital Neglect

The advancement of technology benefits all companies but owners are stuck in the past with not wanting to take advantage of selling online or creating a digital presence. You miss opportunities and your competition catches up.

2. Underestimating the Competition

This is referred to as "Owners Syndrome", whereby a business owner starts to think their product or service is the best, therefore they pay no attention to the competition. Many times it is not the product or service that the competition beats you with, it’s the great customer service or the TLC they give. A large percentage of consumers switch to a new company due to the service the competition provided. Unfortunately, it is often the case your company could have done something that would have retained the business.

3. Relying on One Big Account

Relying on one customer leaves the company at the mercy of this client. If the client leaves or does not follow through on paying or follow-up, your business suffers tremendously.

4. Everything to Everyone

Trying to provide products or services that are close to what you do but are outside your wheelhouse. You end up spending way too much time on products and services outside your core expertise when your business cannot afford to do so.

5. Relying on Yourself Only

Believing that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. The business can only grow as fast as one man's efforts due to the inability to let go of the reins. If you cannot let go, then you leave your people with no responsibilities or accountability.

6. Rapid Growth and Over Expansion

Rolling out a product or service that takes off but you are not ready to fulfill the orders or service obligations. Alternatively, planning a big roll out and building an infrastructure to carry it but then the business does not come in as predicted, thus using most of your cash flow. Both of these scenarios affect the long term health of your business.

7. Putting Up with Bad Employees or Management

When a business grows or is not growing, owners rely on individuals that cannot fulfill the needs of the company but are left in their roles. The continued inability to manage the business hurts in the long run. You need to identify these individuals and take immediate and effective action.

Maintaining perspective as a business owner is a delicate balance. There are many demands on your time, attention and resources. Don't ever hesitate to reach out for helpful opinions and advice from your key employees and/or your trusted advisors. While "Business Instruction Manuals" certainly appear to be illusive, there are significant resources and knowledgeable people out there to help.

Originally published by Victor J. Bierman III here.