We’ve all seen some level of challenges throughout the Pandemic. How we respond to them is the differentiator. We can choose to leverage the challenges as opportunities or to allow setbacks to suppress decision-making. Last week, we experienced some technical disruptions that caused some operations to be conducted via Mobile Phone or to be punted to another team member to cover. While some tools and Apps were not fully-functional in their mobile state and had limitations, others were fully-functional. Despite the challenges, we leveraged all resources and tools accessible and available to us and supported each other through an unprecedented situation with a couple of team members experiencing technical issues.
These could’ve been disruptive enough to halt operations, but our team of High Achievers once again stepped up to the plate! We communicated via e-mail, phone, text, Slack, and WhatsApp as we could to keep things moving and keep communications and updates flowing for workflow purposes. We covered for each other as necessary to make sure projects were covered. Since our team is Agile and we have a strong Business Continuity Plan in place, we had some processes and structures already at-the-ready to continue operations at the service level our clients have become accustomed to.
Patience and Grace with ourselves and each other was also key to our success in continuing business operations. We encourage you to have a strong plan too so you can also share Success Stories, even under less than optimal circumstances if you experience disruptions of your own. As Business Owners, a lot comes at us, but we can choose to see it as a Learning Opportunity and a chance for Continuous Improvement. Let’s take a look at some current challenges facing Small Business Owners today and how to leverage them into opportunities.
Hiring and Retaining Diverse Employees
- Celebrate your Current State- Take a look at the Rockstars already in your organization!
- Have a diverse Hiring Panel representative of your Community and those you’re trying to hire but don’t Tokenize folks to meet a Quota- Hire for skills and potential
- Make objective hiring decisions
- Diversify your Outreach to diversify your talent pool
- Employer Branding is key- Get Social on LinkedIn!
- Have an On-boarding Plan for at least the first two weeks- best practice is first 90 days
- Do a proper Job Analysis and update your Job Descriptions at least once a year
- Update your salaries to market on a regular cadence
Evaluating and Measuring Performance
- Increase feedback loops so that Performance Management isn’t treated as a once-a-year event but an ongoing conversation
- Give constructive feedback, even when it’s tough
- Ask your employees what type of feedback they need and how often
- Have a regular forum where feedback occurs on a consistent schedule
- Make sure that employees know how they will be rated for their performance, when they can expect any salary adjustments, and what the process is
Ensuring Equitable Policies, Procedures, & Practices
- Have an Employee Handbook and keep it updated
- Survey employees and take action
- Focus on your Mission, Vision, and Values to shape your Culture
- Share your Values with employees and get them involved in shaping them – Culture is everyone’s responsibility!
- Live your Values
- Provide Pay Equity- Review Internal Equity and review the external Market
- Be transparent and have a Compensation Philosophy to share best practices and how your organization approaches pay
Navigating COVID
- Balance organizational health & safety with providing proper, equitable flexibility
- Seek to Understand how EEs feel and take action on the data you obtain
- Have and communicate policies and procedures- update regularly
- Be willing to embrace uncertainty and change/adapt quickly
- Decide what’s best for you and your business vs solely relying on what others are doing
Preventing Turnover
- Know your folks and share time with them- Actively Listen to best support them
- Give employees a voice
- Have a firm understanding of your current state with data and your turnover data (reasons, tenure, etc.)
- Conduct Exit Surveys
- Provide Role Clarity
- Make sure employees have access to Conflict Resolution resources
Resources and CEPHR Happenings
- We want to acknowledge that Non-Binary People Day was on July 14th.
- We appreciated having the opportunity to attend a Client Team Building Event at Top Golf, a tour at Latin American Studies Association, to share in client BBQs and Food Trucks. The Power of Community and building and nurturing. We don’t just hold it as a Value. We live it in practice.
- Thanks to SLG Impact for hosting our CEO Tiffany Castagno on their Podcast. In the episode, they cover:
- How to turn transferrable skills into showcasing potential to building a successful Career
- The Founders’ Story of CEPHR, LLC (including how it was named)
- The Projects that are hot off the press at CEPHR, LLC- how we’re supporting clients
- Perception vs. Reality when it comes to HR (breaking down Myths)
- Giving others (and yourself!) Grace
- How employees play a part in shaping Company Culture
Listen to the episode here:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6NeumGpVwelHZWh8wQmCsv
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-with-shauna-griffiths/id1584236203?uo=4
Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hdWRpb2Jvb20uY29tL2NoYW5uZWxzLzUwNTk1NDUucnNz