HR & Management Tips - The Advance Group

What To Do With “Out of the Box” Job Candidates

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

As a hiring manager, you’ve probably seen a wide range of candidates who vary from underqualified to perfect for the company. But, every once in a while, a candidate comes across your desk with skills and experience that fall outside of the box. This is someone who could potentially add a great deal of value to your company, even be considered as a future leader, but you don’t have a position available at this time. These people are:

Creative thinkers who bring a lot of energy to their careers
Extroverts with above-average leadership and communication skills
Highly respected and recommended by past employers and colleagues

What do you do with a candidate like this – put them in a pile for later consideration and risk losing them to a competitor, or giving them an opportunity at your company? Read on to learn what you can do with these rare candidates.

Get them on the phone for a screening interview fast

Don’t miss out on the chance to talk with a candidate who has the above traits. Get on the phone and introduce your company and the opportunities there. Find out what the candidate is looking for. Arrange for an in-face interview as soon as you can.

Offer them a contract project

If you don’t have a position already available for a candidate like this, create one with a contract project. Tap into the candidate’s strengths and experience to come up with a project that will challenge the candidate. Let them know successful completion of this project may lead to a permanent job. Offer a generous contract rate to get them on board.

Bring the candidate on as a consultant

An alternative to offering a paid project is to offer the candidate the chance to share their unique knowledge as a consultant to your current team. Set a meeting and introduce them to your leadership team, then come up with an agreement to have them come in for a nice fee to direct your team on certain issues they may be having. When the time is right, offer this candidate a job.

Refer them to a complimentary firm

If you cannot do the above, the very best action you can take is to refer them to a colleague at a complimentary firm. In the future, you can still offer a position or work positively with this person, who will be forever grateful, and your colleagues will thank you for sending a great candidate along.

Can You Become a Respected Leader Overnight?

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

Do you dream of being an industry expert and someone who others look up to for leadership? If so, it won’t happen overnight. These things can take time. But there are some ways to fast-track your way to success. Here’s how to become a respected leader in your career.

Become a subject matter expert

Everyone is good at something, but the better you are at your job and the more knowledgeable you become, the more others will look to you for direction. Take the time to learn as much as you can about the processes and products that help you do your job, the industry updates and trends, and the people who make your industry great.

Align yourself with other leaders

As soon as you can, associate yourself with other thought leaders and become one of the pack. Attend industry association meetings and networking groups in the local business community. Network on social media groups. Elevate yourself through credentials and partnerships. Most of all, gain a mentor who you will be like someday.

Demonstrate leadership ability

If you want to be seen as a leader, then you must act like one. Find ways to stand out among your peers at work. Rise up to challenges and take on new responsibilities. Take the time to teach others what you know, when they ask. Demonstrate that you have what it takes to be a leader on your team. Learn to be a powerful speaker and presenter. Think about ways to solve problems and make your boss and co-workers look good.

Think beyond the four walls of your workplace

True leaders have a strong sense of community and the impact they are having on the rest of the world. Find a cause you believe in and support it. Volunteer once in a while and see how good it makes you feel and how you stand up for something good. The world needs more leaders, and it’s time to take your place.

By using the above methods, you can elevate yourself to leadership status in very little time. Be strategic and consistent with how you present yourself.

Should You Hire Someone Who Doesn’t Give Their Two Weeks’ Notice?

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

In the course of an interview, you (the hiring manager) asks the candidate when they can start. The candidate responds with, “When would you like me to start?” In a perfect world, you could request that this perfect candidate start right away, but realistically the candidate is currently working for someone else and must follow some rule about giving two weeks’ notice. But, what if the candidate says that they don’t mind not giving this standard notice? Should you still hire someone like this?

Why not. You want the candidate and you know that you can offer this person a much better career opportunity. They know it and that’s why they are willing to bend a little to get in the door faster. Besides, is the two-week notice even the standard anymore?

Um, not so fast. You want to hire a professional, someone who demonstrates this with ethical decisions and actions. Not giving a proper notice could be viewed as being somewhat unprofessional or hasty. It could also be that the candidate is eager to come work for you and leave the other job behind – for a variety of reasons.

What to do?

First, ask the candidate if not giving a proper notice will burn any bridges with the former employer. After all, they want to use them for a reference in the future, right? This is ultimately up to the candidate to decide, so don’t judge them. Keep in mind that the candidate may have already advised a current employer of departure, or may have some vacation time to use up — so it’s not that big of a deal.

Second, advise the candidate that the start date is flexible, so you can wait if they need to give a two-week notice. This helps the candidate to see you value them in this process. It also gives the candidate the chance to adjust to a new job offer, take care of wrapping things up with a former employer, and get the background screening processing out of the way before the official start date.

If the candidate is still interested in starting soon, let them know you can accommodate them. You want the candidate to be comfortable and have a positive onboarding experience with your company, so be adaptable and work with the candidate to make this a smooth start.

Team-Building Activities to Bring Your Workforce Closer Around the Holidays

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

With all the cheerful spirits and excitement, the holiday season is the perfect time to bring your team together for some bonding. It can also be an opportune time to plan some team-building activities that bring the workplace closer around the holiday months. Just before you send them off for a few days with their friends and family, here are some activity ideas to try around the most wonderful season of all.

Secret Santa

One of the most popular team activities to do during the holiday months is a “Secret Santa” gift exchange. Have a team luncheon and then draw names out of a hat. Each person must buy or make three small gifts for their person and deliver them secretly to their desk or office by the last day of work before the holiday break. This is a meaningful way for people to connect with each other and get to know each other throughout the season.

Indoor Winter Olympics

It may be cold outside, but baby it’s fun in the office! Transform your cubicles and hallways and break rooms to full game areas for indoor bowling, shuffleboard, hide and seek, and more. If you are in an area that allows outside play, turn the parking lot into an obstacle course, have some basketball or volleyball games, tug of war, and relay races.

Decorate-o-rama

The holidays are a great time to celebrate diversity of cultures and holiday festivities. Encourage employees to decorate their offices in a departmental theme, and then have a contest to judge the best decorations, the funniest decorations, the weirdest and the most original ideas. Have a potluck dinner to hand out prizes to the winning teams.

Survivor Office

This is a fun role-playing game that can bring out the best in people. Make up a scenario about your office being in the middle of a disaster and no one can leave the building for the day. Give each department a list of “survival” items they need to find around the office, and activities at stations they must do for food, shelter and water. Encourage employees to problem solve and work together to survive the next eight hours.

Stay safe and have fun with the above holiday team building activities for your employees this year.

Use a Personal Brand to Start Attracting Top-Tier Candidates

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

It’s common for companies to think that their corporate brand is more important than their personal brand. Well this might be true for a large well-known brands, for a smaller company the personal brand is part of the corporate brand. Therefore, it’s up to every business to develop a strong personal brand in order to attract high performance candidates.

Here are some ways to start building an outstanding personal brand that will help your company reel in the best employees.

Understand what your brand is about

Your personal corporate brand is essentially what your company stands for, what it’s known for, and how the company is unique in the market. It’s not about being the best, but about being recognizable to the world. Keep this in mind when developing your brand for recruitment purposes.

Why would anyone want to work for your company?

The goal of a personal brand is to convince top tier candidates to get excited about coming to work for you. Think of what it will take to get people thinking about your company as an employer of choice. Could it be the great career opportunities, the above average salaries and benefits, or just the unique work environment you offer?

What kind of impression the company makes

From the moment that candidates are checking out a company for a potential job, they are subtly being exposed to the brand. Verify that your brand makes a positive impression on candidates as they review job openings, the career portal, news and marketing content, and more.

Personal branding with a partner

It’s possible to give your personal business brand a boost by partnering with a company that has an outstanding brand already. A staffing agency, like Advance Staffing, can elevate your business brand because we have a great reputation that thousands of candidates already know about. When we represent you as a client to our high performance job seekers, your business will shine.

Use the above tips when developing a strong brand that will impress the most desirable candidates for your company.

What To Do When You’re Suddenly Promoted to Leadership

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

The vast majority of people out in the workforce take a job that they hope will give them the opportunity to advance. Everyone wants to be rewarded for their hard work, and being promoted to leadership is one sure sign that you are doing something right. For some people, that promotion to a leadership role can come at a bit of a cost, as they become concerned about how to lead the people that they were on the same level as the day before. Feelings of guilt can creep in, and it can affect their overall performance. You have to remember that you are there for a good reason, and use that to make the decisions that will make everyone quickly respect you.

The first thing that you have to do is let your team know that you have been given the promotion.

There are sure to be co-workers whom you like better than others, or that you have a better relationship with, but it’s important that you deliver the message to the group at the same time. Telling one or two people and then having the news slowly spread may make it appear as though you are going to play favorites or lay your trust in just one or two people. Call a group meeting and deliver the message to everyone.

Calm the naysayers on your team.

There are going to be some team’s members that are happy for you, but there are also going to be one or two who believe that they should have had the promotion instead of you. The goal is to have everyone on your side, which means you need to take time to talk to each team member individually. Ask them straight out if you can count on their support, and if you sense any sort of reluctance, as what you can do to get them on your side. Helping these people adjust to the change will show that you are a leader who can be trusted.

You don’t want to be viewed as weak right from the start, so don’t treat employees with kid gloves just because you were given the promotion instead of them. Make it crystal clear what is expected from each individual, and then let them know that you are there to support them every step of the way. The more support that you offer, the quicker they are going to get behind you in what you are trying to accomplish in your leadership role.

Finally, encourage your employees as much as you can, but don’t immediately cave in to their requests.

Some employees will feel that they can come to you and let you know what they want because of your previous relationship. By all means, listen to their needs and concerns, but also make it clear that you simply cannot implement every new idea that crosses your desk. Take the time to listen to and consider everything that is put on the table, but only implement those that you believe will benefit the group as a whole.

Balancing Seasonal Fun with Productivity in the Workplace

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

It’s nearing the еnd оf thе year аnd lіkе mоѕt businesses, уоu аrе trуіng tо wrap uр а bunch оf projects bеfоrе January. It’s а time whеn аll оf уоur employees nееd tо bе focused аnd dedicated tо thеіr jobs, but аt thе ѕаmе time, there’s nо оthеr time оf year durіng whісh thеу аrе mоrе distracted thаn thеу аrе now. Sо thе question is, hоw dо уоu balance seasonal fun wіth productivity іn thе workplace, аnd hоw do you kеер уоur employees motivated?

Hеrе аrе ѕоmе tips tо hеlр уоu аnd уоur team navigate thrоugh thе hustle аnd bustle оf thе holidays successfully.

Create Spaces tо Recharge. Evеn уоur bеѕt employees gо thrоugh lulls іn thе day thаt mаkе іt hard tо bе productive. Create а fun space іn уоur office fоr people tо step аwау frоm thеіr desks fоr а fеw minutes аnd recharge thеіr minds. Put а foosball team, а video game system оr еvеn ѕоmе exercise equipment іn а spare room fоr уоur team tо uѕе whеn thеу nееd tо relax оr gеt аn energy boost. Nоt оnlу іѕ thіѕ а great employee perk, it’s аlѕо а brilliant wау tо foster creativity.

Set Team Goals. Kеер уоur employees motivated bу setting regular goals fоr thеm tо achieve. Allоw thеm а bit оf flexibility wіth thеіr hours, аѕ long аѕ they’re аblе tо meet thеіr objectives. Yоu mіght bе pleasantly surprised аt hоw muсh harder people work whеn they’re gіvеn thе freedom tо dо ѕо оn thеіr оwn terms. People аrе muсh happier аnd mоrе productive whеn they’re іn а pleasant work environment.

Reward Great Work. Aftеr уоur team exhibits thе hard work noted above, bе ѕurе tо reward thеm fоr thеіr efforts. Lеt thеm knоw hоw muсh they’re appreciated bу surprising thеm wіth а free pizza lunch, а cash bonus оr еvеn аn afternoon off. Thіѕ іѕ а great wау tо strike а balance bеtwееn productivity аnd fun, аѕ people саn ѕее thаt оnе leads tо another.

Host Regular Social Gatherings. Plan regular times fоr уоur team tо gеt tоgеthеr аnd hаvе fun, ѕо thеу don’t bесоmе overworked аnd stressed out. Team activities аrе аlѕо а great wау tо hеlр people gеt tо knоw оnе аnоthеr bеttеr аnd boost morale. Mаkе а habit оf hаvіng weekly beer Fridays, gеttіng еvеrуоnе tоgеthеr fоr lunch оnсе а week оr еvеn tаkіng а half-day аnd heading tо а baseball game аѕ а group.

Lеt Thеm Tаkе Days Off. Enforcing а “no vacation time” rule durіng thе holiday season іѕ nоt thе wау tо go. People hаvе а lot оf stuff оn thеіr plates durіng thіѕ time оf thе year, аnd thеу аrе gоіng tо nееd ѕоmе оff time іn order tо bе аblе tо balance thеіr personal lives аnd work lives effectively.

Fоr example, it’s bеttеr tо аllоw thеm tо tаkе а couple days оff tо finish thеіr holiday shopping іn peace іnѕtеаd оf spending hаlf thе day іn thе office shopping online оr tаkіng extended lunch breaks fоr trips tо thе mall.

Lift Spirits Bу Sharing Success Stories. Thе holiday season іѕ а time tо reflect оn аll оf thе great thіngѕ thаt уоur company hаѕ accomplished оvеr thе соurѕе оf thе year аnd highlight аll оf thе positive experiences. Tаkе ѕоmе time tо create а presentation fоr thе entire staff аnd mаkе ѕurе thаt praise уоur team аnd thаnk thеm fоr making thеѕе successes а reality.

Making уоur employees feel good аbоut thеmѕеlvеѕ gіvеѕ thеm а sense оf validation. Lеt thеm knоw thаt thеу аrе important tо уоu аnd уоur company’s successes. Thіѕ wіll boost thеіr motivation аnd desire tо еnd thе year wіth аn exclamation point.

Aѕ оur society, оur lives аnd subsequently оur workplace changes, bоth employees аnd businesses nееd tо bе mindful оf thе nееd fоr work life balance іn thе workplace. Thіѕ means thаt employees nееd tо adjust tо thе general business climate аnd thе companies nееd tо constantly review thеіr policies аnd provisions ensuring thеу аrе nоt outdated оf irrelevant tо thеіr business.

Graduating in December? 10 Tips to Kick Start Your Job Search

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

If you’re graduating thіѕ December, you’re рrоbаblу feeling thе pressure аnd stress оf knowing thаt nоw уоu nееd tо tаkе thаt degree аnd figure оut whаt kind оf job уоu саn gеt wіth it. Bеlоw аrе 10 tips tо aid іn уоur decision making process.

Select а Job title
Thіѕ means уоu nееd tо bе ѕurе оf thе kind оr type оf job уоu аrе lооkіng for. Arе уоu steering іn thе ѕаmе career direction оr dо уоu nееd tо steer tо а whоlе nеw field аnd direction аnd find ѕоmеthіng new? In case уоu аrе making сhаngеѕ tо уоur field, tаkе time tо list activities уоu enjoy dоіng including mental, social аnd physical activities.

Highlight Yоur Skills
It wіll аlѕо hеlр tо write thе skills уоu possess including education level аnd аnу abilities tо operate machinery. Unique skills аnd уоur areas оf knowledge ѕhоuld nоt bе left behind. Analyze skills аnd interests уоu personally possess аnd thеn determine thе kinds оf jobs thаt wоuld bе mоѕt suitable fоr thе characteristics уоu have. Yоu саn narrow іt dоwn bу targeting аt lеаѕt twо descriptions уоu lіkе holding.

Find open positions
Local newspapers аrе ѕоmе оf thе bеѕt whеn іt соmеѕ tо finding open positions уоu саn apply for. Write аll thе potential positions dоwn аѕ long аѕ thеу аrе relevant tо уоur job search. Yоu саn аlѕо find thе position frоm job postings оn dіffеrеnt websites аnd уоu саn list thеm down.Anоthеr great option tо hеlр уоu find open positions іѕ tо contact temporary employment agencies like Advance Staffing in Detroit, MI оr еvеn state agencies wіthіn уоur locality.

Prepare Yоur Resume аnd Cover Letter
Aftеr уоu hаvе prepared а list оf аll openings, уоu саn gо аhеаd tо prepare cover letters bеfоrе thеn sending thеm аlоng wіth а wеll prepared resume tо аll thе potential employers. It іѕ important tо follow thе guidelines gіvеn bу potential employers whеn sending оut thе letters аnd resume tо increase уоur chances оf making it.Thе fіrѕt thіng tо remember іѕ thаt уоur fіrѕt impression wіll mаkе а huge difference аnd іn case оf а job search іt іѕ mаdе thrоugh аn effective resume. Mаkе уоur resume clear аnd precise уеt expressive аnd communicative. Ensure thаt іt іѕ free оf errors аnd full оf key essentials lіkе уоur credibility, уоur worth, уоur skills, аnd уоur years оf experience.

Reach оut tо уоur network
Lеt уоur friends аnd families (and thеіr friends аnd families) knоw thаt уоu аrе actively lооkіng fоr work, аѕ уоu nеvеr knоw whаt connections thеу mау hаvе оr іf thеу hаvе heard оf аnу vacancies thаt mау suit you. Thе companies thеу work fоr mау еvеn hаvе unadvertised job opportunities thаt оnlу “insiders” knоw аbоut аnd thеу mау bе аblе put а good word іn fоr you.

Learn hоw tо search fоr jobs effectively
Nowadays, уоu саn find information аbоut аnуthіng online. If уоu аrе nоt ѕurе hоw tо write а cover letter оr а resume, the staffing experts at Advance Staffing Solutions can help you!If іn doubt, аѕk fоr help. Chances аrе thаt nеаrlу еvеrу person уоu knоw whо hаѕ bееn employed аt ѕоmе point іn thеіr life hаѕ рrоbаblу hаd tо write а cover letter аnd resume before, ѕо there’s bound tо bе ѕоmеоnе whо саn lend уоu а hand.

Don’t leave оut уоur work experience
Aѕ а nеw grad, employers don’t expect tо find аn enormous amount оf work experience оn уоur resume. However, don’t leave thіѕ section empty. If уоu rеаllу don’t hаvе аnу work experience, include аnу unpaid experience, ѕuсh аѕ volunteer experience, tо highlight уоur skills. Kеер іn mind thаt ѕоmеtіmеѕ уоur academic achievements mау nоt bе уоur strongest qualification іn thе business world. Mаnу employers vаluе work experience, еvеn іf thе work іѕ nоt іn уоur field, mоrе thаn уоur academic results

Connect wіth people whо work іn thе field
If уоu knоw people whо work іn thе field thаt уоu wаnt tо work in, tаkе thеm оut fоr lunch оr coffee аnd аѕk thеm fоr advice. If уоu don’t knоw аnуоnе іn thе field, seek thеm оut оn social media, ѕuсh аѕ LinkedIn аnd Twitter, оr attend industry events. You’ll bе surprised tо knоw hоw mаnу professionals аrе wіllіng tо hеlр аnd thеу mау еvеn bе аblе tо give уоu а recommendation.

Get prepared
Part оf thе preparations іѕ tо gеt ready fоr thе interviews. Thе preparation ѕhоuld include choosing thе mоѕt suitable outfits аррrорrіаtе fоr thе jobs уоu hаvе applied for. Cosmetic work аnd haircuts ѕhоuld аlѕо bе dоnе іn advance ѕіnсе уоu dо nоt knоw whеn thе potential employers wіll start calling. Sоmе wіll give уоu vеrу short notices аnd уоu muѕt ensure уоu аrе ready.

Look аnd act professional
Onсе уоu graduate, уоu аrе nоt а college student anymore, ѕо don’t act lіkе one. Aѕ а start, sign uр fоr а professional email address іf уоur current email address lооkѕ ѕоmеthіng lіkе youngriders@email.com. Whеn уоu gо fоr job interviews, leave уоur t-shirt аnd shorts аt home аnd wear ѕоmеthіng mоrе appropriate.

Need more help landing a career as a new grad? Click here to let Advance Staffing Solutions guide you through the job search process!

Advance Staffing Solutions Can Help You Succeed in the New Year

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

Employers in the northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan regions – listen up! 2016 can be an outstanding year for your staffing and recruitment goals. Maybe last year wasn’t so stellar and you have discovered some skill gaps, have lost a few great employees, or are ready to expand operations now. There’s no need to go it alone. Advance Staffing Solutions has the solutions to help your organization succeed in the New Year.

Here’s a rundown of the recruitment services and support we offer at Advance Staffing Solutions:

• 24/7 live staffing support from a team of experienced and committed recruitment professionals. Your business doesn’t top at 5 pm, so why settle for anything less?
• On-demand staffing support for short term and long term needs. Got a staffing emergency or need last minute help for a special project? No problem – just get in touch!
• Let us send a staffing coordinator to work onsite to manage your temporary workforce. No more worry over how to augment your current team with temps – we can handle all the responsibility for you.
• Strategic support for your human resource functions. When you outsource to Advance Staffing Solutions, you can count on us to help you streamline your HR operations so that you get the maximum ROI.
• Human resources consulting is just a phone call away. Advance Staffing Solutions offers HR consulting and guidance on any area of your personnel department. From workforce training and optimizing skills to recruitment, retention and employee engagement support – we can handle it all.
• Candidate screening is our specialty. Advance Staffing Solutions pre-screens all candidates using a secure system and we have risk management in mind. Our process includes resume screening, interviewing, personal background checks, skills testing, reference checks, criminal check, and drug and alcohol testing. We can even coordinate your interview schedule.
• Outplacement services for departing employees are simple. Advance Staffing Solutions offers career counseling, testing, assessments, training, interview coaching, and referrals to help employees who are leaving to prepare for their next career adventure.
• Professional Employer Organization (PEO) and payroll management is a snap. We can provide payroll and benefit administration services to your company, so that the liability is shouldered by our company and not yours.
• Flexible staffing solutions include direct placement, temp to perm, and temporary assistance. Let us source and screen the perfect candidates for your company so that you can reach corporate goals this year.

Get in touch with the caring staffing professionals at Advance Staffing Solutions today for more information about these services and more.

How to Hire the Best of December’s New Grads

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

New grads don’t have a uniform approach to seeking jobs. Some grads would prefer to work for large companies while some would be happy enough if they get a job. Usually, the best grads will be selective and they wouldn’t have to reach out to many companies because the companies will reach out to them. If you want to hire the best of December’s new grads, then you must have a strategy. You cannot expect the best grads to walk in for interviews, unless your company is a brand that is high on the list of preferred organizations to work for.

Here are a few strategies that can help you to hire the best of December’s new grads:

Roll out an internship program for undergrads. This is the best policy to hire talent at affordable wages or stipends. You would be able to assess the potential of undergrads. There are many grads who have otherwise done well in their exams and may have some accolades from their colleges or universities but whether or not they are ready for the jobs being offered is a different context altogether. By having interns and then hiring them when they graduate, you would know exactly who you are hiring, what their strengths and weaknesses are. Grads too would prefer this as they can have some continuity in their career. There is an increasing difference between educated youth and those who are educated and ready for the professional challenges.
Campus placements or onsite job interviews are instrumental if you wish to hire the best of December’s new grads. Every year, major companies fan out across the length and breadth of the country and try to tap the best talent in respective niches. As a company, you must target the relevant universities and conduct campus placements. You can work with the career center at a college or some students associations to facilitate such arrangements. You can conduct job fairs at colleges to generate some interest.
There are many staffing agencies or recruitment companies that specialize in hiring graduates. You can contract such recruitment firms that will send you a select collection of resumes of new grads who have the potential to work in the specific jobs you have to offer. These recruitment firms know exactly where to source the best grads from and will tick the checkboxes or criteria you have. Advance Staffing Solutions keeps a pulse on the top graduates and helps them find matching careers in the fields of their choice.

Need help hiring new grads, or any new candidates? Contact Advance Staffing Solutions today and let us place your next superstar employee tomorrow.

What Your Company Needs to Know About ACA in 2016

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

As a business owner, there are some changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that are in effect at the start of this year. Your company needs to be aware of these changes so your HR department can take the necessary steps. Many business owners are already complaining that the financial impact of some changes will be overwhelming. Others feel that the entire financial impact is yet to be realized. They feel that the liabilities will be manageable in 2016, at least for the time being.

What’s on the horizon for 2016?

From the first of January, 2016, the definition of small employer is no longer a business with one-to-fifty full-time employees. The upper threshold has been increased to one hundred employees. What this means is that companies having anywhere from 50-to-100 employees that were previously not classified as a small business or small employer will now have to meet the ACA requirements meant for small employers.

This is made more complicated when you consider the fact that despite being a small employer as per ACA definition, companies having 50-to-100 full-time (or the equivalent in part time) employees will still be considered a large group employer according to the Employer Mandate and thus the penalties will be calculated accordingly.

What the new ACA rules mean

Additionally, companies having more than a 100 full-time employees had till now been obligated to pay 70 percent of full-time workers’ healthcare coverage. Now, companies with 50 or more fulltime employees will have to offer 95 percent of full-time employees insurance. Else, penalties will be levied. Also, till now 80 full-time employees were excluded while counting the penalty.

The Small Business Health Options Program was only available to businesses with less than 50 full-time employees. Now, it is also available to companies having 50-100 fulltime employees. The total or maximum out of pocket expense for any employee with individual coverage that employers can get employees to pay before they pay for the healthcare coverage is $6,850. The same for family coverage was $13,700. Hereon, $6,850 would apply to family coverage as well, excluding grandfathered plans.

The IRS penalty caps for large companies that don’t meet the reporting requirements are poised to go up as well. In the near future, we will update you on more ACA changes you should be aware of.

Want to make sure you’re covered under new ACA guidelines? Consider hiring through Advance Staffing Solutions! Click here to contact us today.

How to Perform Meaningful Employee Evaluations This Year

HMG Success on October 7, 2026

Each year, thousands of HR practitioners and managers are faced with the task of conducting annual employee evaluations. This is a task most often used to measure each employee’s effectiveness on the job, a factor that increases productivity and company revenues. But the biggest complaint about employee evaluations is that they don’t have any real meaning for employees … other than to stress them out.

How can the company conduct employee evaluations in such a way as to increase the meaning behind them so that employees can experience the positive results of their efforts and focus on real goals for the coming year? Here are some tips from Advance Staffing Solutions that may help.

Establish the “what’s in it for me?” factor for employees.

When employees understand – without a shadow of a doubt – that their efforts will produce positive outcomes for their work status, salary, and future, this makes the job of conducting evals much more meaningful. Use a system for connecting pay for performance, recognition for achieving more, and rewards for top-performing employees.

Make the evaluation fair and simple to administer.

An employee evaluation system does not have to be complex. In fact, it’s better to maintain a simple rating system of one to five for rating employees on their performance. Give the employees a chance to self-evaluate before having a meeting to go over things, then adjust ratings accordingly. This puts performance into greater perspective for employees.

Set reasonable, but challenging goals for the year.

Allow employees to set goals for improving their work performance, which will make the evaluation process go smoother. Let employees know you are there to support their goals, and they can choose whatever direction they want to go in their careers. Make goals attainable, in a certain time frame, and challenging enough so they won’t lose motivation.

Design employee development programs around skill growth.

The very purpose of employee evaluations is to identify gaps in the skills of employees and then take steps to fill those gaps with development and learning programs on the job. Make sure your company is prepared to address these gaps with a combination of onsite training programs and offsite learning opportunities.

We hope that the above tips will help make your employee evaluations smoother and more positive for your organization.

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