HR & Management Tips - The Advance Group

Are You Taking Unnecessary Risks with Your Supply Chain?

HMG Success on August 27, 2012

Risks are a part of managing the supply chain in any business. There are going to be situations where taking risks are a good thing, like launching a new product or replacing one item with another. Yet, in order for a business to maintain success, most of the risk needs to come out of this process. More so, there needs to be steps in place to minimize risk and to realize it is there.

What You Can Do

As a business owner, there are steps you can take to minimize the amount of exposure you have to bad risks. Ultimately, you need a way to measure and control risk in order to run your business successfully.

Visibility

To minimize risk to your supply chain, the first step is to know where your blind spots are. Extended supply chains are constantly growing and changing and this inevitably leads to potential problems associated with areas you cannot see as risky. Improve your ability to handle risk by knowing what risk factors are affecting your business on a regular basis. A good way to do this is to look at events as they are happening rather than just using historical data.

Know and Trust Your Professionals

The next step in minimizing risk is to put trust in your people. You have vetted them. They know their job. Now, it is your job to trust them. Use technology to help enable your team to respond to concerns right away. To mitigate risk, you need to know how well your human assets are able to respond to the situation and handle it. Of course, training and preparation will help here.

Practice

The only way to know the outcome of any what if situation is to practice. If you plan a process to follow for various scenarios that could occur, your people will know how to react and will be able to do so faster. While scenario planning is not a given, it can reduce risk factors significantly.

Maintain your supply chain with quality staff from Advance Temporary. Get in touch with us today!

Motivating Your Employees to be Productivity Machines

HMG Success on August 20, 2012

Motivating employees in the industrial and manufacturing sector is not always easy. The work can be dull and boring. It can be something that people dread doing. However, as an HR manager, you should be fully understanding of the fact that productivity will make or break any business. Without hard working employees, even to the point of having productivity machines in them, you could end up lose valuable profits.

How to Motivate Employees Now

How can you turn uninspired workers into motivated, power-working machines? It all starts in knowing how to get under their skin and ensuring you have the right people on the job.

Hire the right people for the job. The first step is to hire those who are willing to work hard and are detail driven. You also want to ensure that candidates are not over qualified as this can lead to the boredom some suffer from.
Set goals and educate employees on those goals. Nothing is worse than waiting for employees to achieve objectives except finding out that they did not know what needed to be done first. Be clear about goals expected.
Pay a fair rate. If employees believe they are being paid at a fair rate, they are far more likely to hit objectives. Those who feel they are underpaid, on the other hand, are more likely to slack off when they can do so.
Keep productivity high by being around. Walk the floor from time to time, but never the same time every day. When employees see that you are around and that you are monitoring progress, they are more likely to stay on task.
Manage incentives properly. Sometimes, incentives can be a great way to motivate your team to achieve bigger and better things, but you need to use them properly. Don’t let employees become so dependent on them that they do not work when no incentive program is in place. At the same time, do make incentives achievable goals. Who wants to work towards a goal they do not think they can reach?
Manage people as if they are human. Yes, you may want them to work like machines, but you also need to ensure there is a human factor in place. Employers like personal attention. Companies that are able to learn an employee’s true potential, likes and dislikes and skill set and use them wisely will get more out of the employee than those that do not.

Overall, motivating your employees to achieve goals in this industry means you need to be creative and positive. Work hard to set reasonable goals and say thank you when employees accomplish those goals. Build trust with your employee base, too, so they know they are look up to their leaders.

Engage your Front Line Employees to Drive Growth

HMG Success on July 26, 2012

In a scenario in which management and front line employees remain distant to each other, there’s an increasing gap present in the ability to drive a business. In short, numerous studies, various research programs, and reports teach that a top-down strategy within the business environment is not a quality substitute for engaging employees and managers who operate the business at the customer-point. If this is the case, why is it still happening so often?

It’s a Tough Road

One of the reasons why so many businesses fail to take on this type of advice, of working in a front-line centered element, is that, for most situations, it is a game of staying at the top. The problem is, in a capitalism drive society, many businesses fail and even those that do not only remain at the top of their game for a short period of time. In a 2006 study conducted by John Stubbart and Michael Knight, the two looked at various firms and their history. The study found that of the six million firms included, only 10 percent were still in existence at their 40th anniversary. That study was done in 2006.

In many cases, businesses miss growth opportunities because they fail to engage the front-line worker and the managers on the scene. In fact, innovation is often unpredictable and based on unplanned connections within a business. In other words, some of the best people for finding these growth opportunities are those who work with customers on a regular basis, not top of the line (and often out of touch) management.

Think Like the Military

The U.S. military is a perfect example. While it may look like a top-down management style, it is just the opposite. Leadership and management within the military is dependent on a bottom-up design – the communication and learning within the troops comes from those men on the front lines, not those sitting in the offices. While the organizational chart displays a very complex method of managing these individuals, it is really the people on the ground that makes the biggest difference in the decision making and running of the organization.

In fact, in today’s military scenario, front line troops are given cyber technology to allow them to remain in constant communication with their leaders. These individuals have access to the top levels within the military. That is something that is not often easy to see within today’s management structure.

What does this mean for a business? It means CEOs need to create more points of interaction with their front-line workers. This type of leadership not only helps to grow a business, but it can also help to sustain it well past that 40-year anniversary so many do not make it to.

To build your team of front line employees, you need pre-screened and quality employees who can get the job done. Advance Staffing Solutions in the Toledo, Ohio and Michigan regions are there to help.

What Workers Want from their Bosses this Summer

HMG Success on July 13, 2012

What can employers do to enable employees to be happier on the job? One thing they can do is to realize that summer is not when most workers want to put in long hours. Rather, a study found that in the summer, employees long for long weekends where they can cut out of work early on Fridays and flexible schedules to accommodate mid-week breaks. Is that outrageous? The same study found that employers are happy to offer these benefits.

Controlling the Schedule

There are many benefits to having some control over their schedule, employees note. A survey of 400 employees and more than 500 human resource managers provided the information. In the survey it was found that many employees expect these types of concessions during the warmer months.

41 percent of all workers participating in the study desire flexible schedules during the summer months.
28 percent of those who participated want the ability to leave early on Fridays.
Some employees desire company picnics and a more laid-back dress code during the warmer months, too.

It used to be that summer was time to roll up your sleeves and get down to business. It could be the fact that workers are putting in longer hours or it could be that more employers are hoping to accommodate the needs of their employees. In either case, employers are on board with providing such incentives.

Employers Offer Incentives

Employers who responded to the same survey were more than happy to extend some benefits to their employees during the warmer months. About 75 percent of them allowed for flexible schedules, which is the most commonly requested feature from employees. As far as Friday’s go, employers understand this need too. Accordingly, about 63 percent of them will allow employees to leave early on Fridays to get a bigger weekend in.

As for the other requests from employees, employers want to provide help there, too. About 50 said they reduced their dress code requirements and about 25 percent stated that they offered some type of picnic or outing during the summer for employees. About 6 percent stated they offered no benefits for this time of the year.

Should You?

A big question to ask then is should you be offering some type of incentive to your employees? It is a good idea to accommodate the needs of employees when it fits within your schedule and your abilities. However, it is critical to do so properly and that often means that there should be some level of supervision involved. While most will be more committed to their job when you offer incentives like this, there may be the one or two people who take advantage of it. That is why it is important to have monitoring in place.

Creating a Workplace Safety Culture

HMG Success on July 4, 2012

To create a safety culture within your business, do not focus solely on the safety programing. Rather, take it to the managers. Without managerial support, no type of safety program is going to be effective. Creating a safety culture, though, can yield positive results and reduce losses. To do this, the employer must prioritize the workplace health and safety in a meaningful way.

Creating a Safety Climate

In a study conducted at the University of Georgia’s College of Public Health, researchers found a significant link between those businesses with a positive safety climate and workplace injuries. The study also found that situations that interfered with family life or the demands in the family put a greater risk on employees and their ability to do their job. But, what makes a safety culture?

Key Components Required for an Effective Safety Climate

Creating a safety culture within the workplace is a key step every employer needs to take if that employer hopes to see significant changes in losses and employee safety. Rather than sticking up posters and a list of guidelines, it is best to create a safety culture that happens throughout all levels of the business.

Does the commitment to safety start with the business owner and top level management? Does the president of the company communicate the priority of safety within the business? Is it a focus of the company’s mission statement?
Are policies and procedures written down? Communication about safety must be effective and for that to happen, a set of procedures is necessary. Write them down and share them. The physical demands and functions of each job needs documentation.
Are sufficient resources provided to ensure a safety culture exists? This includes dedicating enough time, budget, staff and resources to achieve safety goals. It includes ensuring the team has the proper training and equipment for safety.
Is there a level of accountability present? When safety violations occur, what really happens? Does the employer take these actions serious enough to take action? This sets the precedent for every other layer in the business model.
What steps are taken and written down, to track safety procedures and policies? Is there a managerial task set up to ensure that safety tasks are managed? Do senior managers participate in this?

Creating an effective safety culture is critical to managing a business. Employers must make this a focus of their every day function as well as their mission. In doing so, it will not only help employers to achieve the goal of less liability and loss but it also enables employees to feel safe on the job.

For access to a wide range of candidates who are monitored by a supportive staff of recruiters, consider the advantages of hiring pre-screened and oriented employees through Advance Staffing Solutions in Michigan and Ohio.

5 Ways to Make Your Seasonal Hiring More Efficient

HMG Success on June 26, 2012

Hiring seasonal employees can be quite the challenge at times. The competition among businesses to attract top talent is fierce and heats up early during peak seasons. But, there are things you can do that will help you be more efficient and effective at finding those talented individuals to add to your roster of seasonal workers.

1) Start the hiring process earlier than your competitors. This might seem like overkill; but it is the most effective way to ensure that you’re getting the employees that are forward thinking and ready to roll once the season begins. The most important aspect of this is that it doesn’t leave you scrambling to find workers at the last minute.

2) Hire more workers, initially, than you believe you’ll need. For whatever reasons, most companies lose a lot of seasonal workers throughout the season. Some workers meet their personal goals and no longer need the work, others find permanent positions, and still others find that they really aren’t as suited for the work as they believed they would be. You need to be prepared for this ahead of time and have contingencies in place, such as a workforce that’s sufficient to lose at least two-thirds of its numbers throughout the season or a handy list of backup candidates to call in if needed. Some companies continue hiring throughout the season in order to replenish their numbers as well.

3) Invite previous employees to come back. In fact, if you’ve had people who have worked well for you in the past you might want to not only invite them to come back but also to ask them for referrals. They know what the job entails and that they’ll be the ones “picking up the slack” if they don’t recommend hard workers. They are often better able to pick out and refer good, solid employees for you than most HR staff members could easily identify from a stack of applications.

4) Hire your customers. The people who buy your product day after day and year after year are often the people who are best suited to get excited about working for your company—even if it’s in a seasonal capacity. They know your brand. They use your brand. They are in an ideal situation to help promote your brand as well. If you really want to reel them in, consider letting them know about any employee discounts or other perks you have to offer.

5) Develop a reputation for respecting your employees. There are few things that can go further to help you get good employees, seasonal or otherwise, than developing a reputation that says you show your employees respect. It can overcome many workplace deficiencies such as only offering seasonal work, paying less than some competitors, and even offering fewer employee benefits because it’s become such a rarity in today’s businesses. Be that business and you’ll be much better able to entice talented seasonal workers to your business.

The above ways can make a big difference in your efforts to hire the cream of the crop when it comes to hiring seasonal workers. For even more success with recruiting seasonal temporary workers, Advance Staffing provides many excellent candidates year round.

3 Emerging Technologies for Workplace Safety

HMG Success on June 21, 2012

Safety is a major concern for business owners today in every industry. From office and factory floor workers to delivery and long-haul truck drivers, emerging technologies are making workplaces safer every day. Here are three prime examples of technology that’s emerging to improve safety and promote wellness in the workplace.

1) Electronic drive logs. The industrial transportation industry is getting a technology makeover that goes way beyond adding a few creature comforts to the cabs of trucks. Long-haul truck drivers face many dangers and risks in association with their long hours on the roadways. Paperless logs of their mileage, speeds, and gas consumption may not seem to be all about improving safety at first glance, but it has quite a few unintended consequences that err on the side of safety-minded driving. That’s good news for truck drivers on the roads as well as the, passenger vehicles that share the roads with them. These electronic records can help businesses boost efficiency, cut costs, and implement higher safety standards for their drivers.

2) Ergonomic office equipment. Ergonomics may not seem all that technological in nature at first, but there is a great deal of innovation in the products that are designed to make office spaces safer and more comfortable for employees. From office chairs with ergonomic designs to office equipment that’s designed to minimize risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome there is a wide range of emerging technology in the office that makes the office space a little more “user friendly.” But, did you know that there are also new tools and technologies for shop floors and industrial applications that involve ergonomics? In fact, the latest advances in ergonomic technology involve push carts that are used for transporting various shop materials. Traditionally these carts have been heavy and difficult to maneuver. New, ergonomic technology leads to carts that handle much more deftly when pushing or pulling large volumes of weight allowing employees to do so without risking back injuries or overexertion.

3) 3-D visualization technology. Believe it or not, different people have different standards when it comes to safety. It’s tough for big and small businesses alike to implement a written safety policy that works across the board with the same degree of success. One man’s risk may be playing it safe to the other man. It’s all about perspective. That’s why 3-D visualization can be so useful. It doesn’t tell a story that has room for interpretation but paints a picture that’s impossible to overlook or misunderstand. This type of technology explores risks and potential consequences without putting any actual person at risk as an example.

Accidents and safety violations in the workplace cost businesses in more ways than one. The human factor, involving the injury or loss of a valuable employee, coworker, and/or friend, can be significant. However, there are other costs to the business that also need to be taken into account – damages, liability, loss of productivity, and repairs. Emerging technologies, such as the three mentioned above, can save your company time and money. More importantly, it can help protect your greatest asset: your employees.

Find out how Advance Staffing Solutions can support your efforts for a safer work environment.

Lean Six Sigma- Reasons Your Organization Needs it

HMG Success on June 7, 2012

When it comes to manufacturing and engineering processes, efficiency is the key to success. The Lean Six Sigma strategy applies the best of the Six Sigma concepts within a lean production based environment. While Six Sigma focuses on reducing waste and increasing speed, lean production is focused on cutting costs and improving quality of goods. When combined, a Lean Six Sigma becomes a catalyst for sustainable corporate growth.

Corporate Benefits of Lean Six Sigma

There are several reasons why your organization needs Lean Six Sigma in order to realize this success. Obviously, increased efficiency and quality are important elements of business success, but there are many more reasons to implement a Lean Six Sigma program within your organization. Read on to learn more about Lean Six Sigma’s benefits.

Sets the organizational standards. As you begin to implement a Lean Six Sigma program in your organization, you will begin to elevate the processes that occur across all departments and levels. This will help to set organizational standards that are consistent for all. Once you do this, you will establish a clear set of guidelines that all managers can follow as they recruit, onboard, train, and develop employees.
Easy to implement knowledge. The beauty of a Lean Six Sigma philosophy is that it makes sense in any business. This means the knowledge of the program can be implemented quickly to produce much faster results than other quality assurance programs. By sticking to the guidelines presented in Six Sigma, a lean production program can be taught to all in the company in a short period of time.
Value to customers increases. For any organization, being able to rise above the competition can be the difference between gaining a new client or losing out. By proving that your processes are superior as a result of your Lean Six Sigma practices you can distinguish yourself and get more positive opportunities.
Improves business sustainability. Investing in a Lean Six Sigma program can provide a valuable source of business sustainability. Once implemented, the processes in the workplace become more efficient, saving in labor and materials. This can lead to long-term opportunities for growth and expansion.

To learn more about improving your workforce processes and getting more from your human resource strategy, be sure to consider the advantages of using a contract staffing company like Advance Staffing Solutions.

Be Smart about Workers’ Comp – Reducing the Costs of Claims

HMG Success on May 20, 2012

As an employer, your bottom line comes down to keeping staffing costs low and productivity high. This is partly achieved through providing a safe environment in which employees can do their best work. Unfortunately, workplace accidents can and do happen – costing your company a hefty sum in workers’ compensation claims and lost work hours.

While you cannot 100 percent prevent all accidents from happening, there are ways to develop a policy on safety that can help your organization to avoid being involved in frequent and expensive workers’ compensation claims.

Provide Safety Training Sessions – from the very first day of employment, make it a priority to give employees the information and training they need to avoid accidents or injuries at work. Teach employees the proper way of lifting and carrying objects, the safe operation of all company equipment and vehicles, what to do in a crisis situation, and how to limit exposure to harmful work elements such as chemicals, fumes, and heat. Hold a monthly safety meeting and send out frequent reminders on safety topics, inviting employees to see more information as needed to prevent workers’ comp cases.
Hazard Communication Procedure – This is an area that many companies forget to emphasize, however it can be beneficial in preventing accidents and injuries in the workplace. Establish a procedure for reporting possible hazards on the job, and make sure that all employees understand what to do if they spot a problem. Make sure your employees know where to find the latest information in the MSDS book in case of chemical exposure. Even office printer inks and cleaning chemicals should be included.
Evaluate Workplace Ergonomics – Since repetitive stress injuries, like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and back strain, are growing as a source of workers’ compensation claims in many organizations, making changes to the work environment makes sense at times. Take the time to observe your workers in process, and note the strain they experience by standing on hard floors, using their hands to perform strenuous tasks, and the state of their chairs and desks. You may be able to cut down on the number of workers’ compensation cases merely by investing in more ergonomic equipment.

Remember, if an accident occurs on the job, the key is to make sure that the employee gets prompt medical attention to avoid a lengthy and costly workers’ compensation claim. Have an occupational medicine center nearby to refer employees to and be sure to document everything immediately to reduce the chances of an injury becoming worse than it has to be.

Another option for reducing workers’ compensation claims is to work directly with a staffing agency like Advance Staffing Solutions to manage a contract workforce for you.

Manufacturing Skills Gap or Management Skills Gap?

HMG Success on April 26, 2012

All manufacturing companies experience a shortage of qualified workers from time to time, due to various challenges that can include poor staff management, lack of educational support, and high-demand for specialized skills. However, when this occurs, HR departments are put into overdrive, trying to compensate and oftentimes falling short of project needs. This is when they turn to management to come up with a solution to proactively address the staffing and development needs of the company – to prevent this kind of scenario.

At times, HR managers may be asking if the problem is due to manufacturing employee skills gaps or something within the management skills that are lacking? There are a few ways to determine this.

When There is a Skills Gap

One of the ways you can determine if the problem exists among your staff is to conduct a skills inventory to determine how well your job descriptions match up with the actual duties and skills of your employees. This will tell you if you are accurately hiring the kinds of people you need to be successful in their roles. If you see marked gaps in skill levels, it’s time to revamp your recruiting efforts.

Then you need to take the time to visit local educational centers to see if they are offering programs to prepare the coming generation of workers to meet the demands of your industry. New graduates can be a valuable source of new employees so it’s important that the schools you recruit from have the updated skill development programs you need from future candidates.

Your in-house staff have already proven to be valuable assets to your company, that is if you are taking the time to develop their skills to higher levels and promoting from within. Set up the time to find out where skills are lacking, and then either hire a trainer to come in to teach these skills, or provide employees with learning incentives to get this education on their own.

When Poor Management is to Blame

There is a common saying among HR people: “People don’t leave jobs, they leave managers”. This is certainly true in the manufacturing world, where there may be little time for managers to foster positive relationships with employees on the job. However, if there is a continual turn-over issue present in a specific department, it can mean it’s time to evaluate the people skills of that department manager.

One of the best investments any manufacturing company can make is in its management, at all levels. This means from your newest to your most seasoned managers, everyone should be continually getting trained and updated on industry topics. This includes training on tough personnel issues, like onboarding and employee development.

While a manufacturing skills gap can be caused by a little of both aspects, there are ways to manage staffing within manufacturing in a more positive way.

One is to bring on quality staff who have the right skills to do the job well. This can be accomplished by working directly with a manufacturing staffing agency, to provide pre-screened candidates suitable for all levels of manufacturing work.

The second is to give management the support needed to become better at their jobs, by offering management training and development initiatives. Back this up with incentives to cut down staff turnover and build more engaged teams.

6 Ways the Job Search has Changed

HMG Success on April 21, 2012

Job searches have come a long way in the past decade. The more prevalent mobile phones and devices are becoming in society, the more the job search is evolving. Of course there are quite a few different contributing factors to the ever-changing job search process.

Here are a few things to keep in mind so that you can take advantage of these changes.

1) Technology. This is perhaps the biggest change in the way job searches are performed. Technology has brought many powers to our fingertips through mobile devices and the power of the World Wide Web. Whether you’re using a laptop at home or your mobile phone (or tablet device) at the neighborhood coffee shop, the power of the web has made the job search a much more streamlined process than it was in the days of circling “help wanted” ads in the newspaper.

2) Scope. The other difference is that your job search is no longer limited to a certain zip code on the map due to the logistics of long distance interviews and assessments. This is once again thanks to the power of technology but the ability exists now to interview, at least initially, across long distances. This opens a whole new world of positions for job seekers and talent for business owners.

3) Competition. The “great recession” has had a massive impact on jobs and how the search goes. Today’s job search is much more aggressive than those in years past. Job seekers really have to get out there and market themselves in order to get the jobs they want. It’s a common expression that a job search is a full time job in and of itself. Today that is an undisputable fact.

4) Leverage. In order to get the “cream of the crop” jobs that everyone is in serious competition for, it’s necessary to leverage the power of the web along with social networking sites to really make your presence felt by a company. Social networking, personal branding, and even blogging – as long as it is professional blogging that shows off your talent and expertise – are all necessary components in the process of finding quality jobs in today’s competitive market. The more tools you leverage to assist you in the search, the better your odds of getting hired are.

5) Customization. Resumes were once a one-size-fits-all-jobs proposition. That isn’t the case today. You need to do your homework on the company and make sure that your resume is specifically tailored for the specific job that’s available with that company. Every company seems to have its own wish list of strengths and weaknesses from employees. Find out what they are and create a resume that highlights your strengths according to the company’s desire. It will make a huge difference in the hiring process and make you more likely to be called in for the all-important interview.

6) Interviews. In the past, interviews were typically yawner affairs. That’s not the case today. The interview today requires you to be at your best, alert and ready for anything that’s thrown your way. These aren’t the softball questions your grandfather answered. These are hard-hitting questions worthy of an experienced reporter looking for the barest hint of grit in the story.

The job search has changed in many ways. Many of them are definitely for the better. Keeping all of these aspects in mind will help you to be more competitive in this competitive market during your job search.

Robotics and Its Effect on Manufacturing

HMG Success on April 7, 2012

Who, or what, is working next to you? Sooner or later, it is likely to be a robot rather than a human. In the eyes of many, the use of robots is long overdue. In fact, even ten years ago, people in the industry were warning that people would soon be doing far less work and robots would be doing much more. Keeping that in mind, individuals may need to take into consideration how robotics will play a role in the manufacturing industry going forward.

Robotics Isn’t New

It is important to keep in mind that the use of robotics in the manufacturing industry is not something new. In fact, robots have been in the business since 1961. That’s when General Motors introduced Unimate into their production lineup. This 4,000-pound arm did a great deal of work that would have taken humans much longer to do. Dangerous and boring tasks are no problem for Unimate. These machines are not late for the job and they perform without needing to take breaks. That makes them better, you would think.

However, these systems are not always the best option. In fact, robotics is not always a good option in manufacturing. In any task requiring decision making, it takes a human brain to make it happen. This also includes tasks where creativity is important or where the need for adaptation is critical. In some situations, a simple task is just not what needs to be done. That’s where these robots become limited.

What Robotics Does Offer

Keeping in mind the limitations, there are still many situations in which robotics make sense in manufacturing.

Productivity is never higher than when a robot is doing the work. Program them, turn them on and let them go.
Quality improves as well, especially when precision in each piece needs to be spot on. There’s no mistakes made in this process.
For businesses that need to increase productivity and decrease costs, the hiring of these robots, instead of paying unskilled workers, makes sense. It makes these manufacturing businesses able to compete with the low cost of labor in countries like China.
New machines are able to learn and expand on their skills. Though they are unable to make decisions without some level of input, it is now possible to apply robotic technologies in more applications, even in more complex processes requiring decision making.

The effect of robotics on the manufacturing industry is nothing short of profound. With 60 percent or higher increase in productivity, there’s no doubt the use of robotics is here to stay. Yet, that does not mean the human’s job is on the line, at least not yet. For many businesses, there is still plenty of time to move beyond the limitations in the manufacturing process and to push forward with the aid of robots.