Memo to the Occupy Movement

Posted on May 15th, 2012

“The trouble with opportunity is that it always comes disguised as hard work.” ~Anonymous

 Memo to the Occupy Movement

I think you’re on to something. Multi-national companies have outsourced jobs, leaving many Americans out of work, dissatisfaction with how banks do business and where they invest, degradation of the environment, too much personal debt, private health insurance, the minimum wage, income disparity, and other societal issues.

However, I do recommend that you re-think your approach to changing the status-quo. We still live in a free-market society; use it to your advantage. Instead of disrupting existing businesses and demanding that they change, start your own and be the change you want to see!

Show the 1% That They’re Wrong By Out-Competing Them!

America is the land of opportunity. This is your chance to prove the 1% wrong by beating them at their own game. Create your own company and re-claim jobs for Americans. For example, it’s almost impossible to find American-made jeans. Your new company could be called American Occupiers. Design and manufacture the best-looking, best-fitting jeans; which should be made from American-grown, organic cotton, thus supporting local farmers and the environment.

Do things differently! Use your energies to create the most egalitarian workplace imaginable. Offer all employees equal ownership and pay everyone, from the CEO to the janitor, the same wage as a way to correct income inequality. Most of all, please locate American Occupiers in California, the most worker-friendly state. Better yet, locate in San Francisco so your employees can be protected by additional local ordinances.

All employees should have a voice in guiding the company and making the decisions that will affect how business is conducted. Offer opportunities for work/life balance and the richest benefits possible.

Once you’ve achieved success with American Occupiers, re-invest your profits and start your own mortgage company. Craft your own lending guidelines, regardless of ability to re-pay. Housing prices go down and the homeowner is now under water? Just lower the principal balance — problem solved.

But, to those of you who believe in the principals of hard work, self-discipline, and a solid business plan, RocketFuel HR is ready to help you get your business off the ground.

www.RocketFuelHR.com

Fueling your people. Skyrocketing your business.

Rita Allen |(650) 255-1839 | rallen@RocketFuelHR.com

Fan Herbst|(650) 215-8465 fherbst@RocketFuelHR.com

 

With thanks to:

Blueshelled.com

NPR.org

You Don’t Get to Decide

Posted on May 1st, 2012

Close up of a hand holding a pen“Justice may be blind, but she has very sophisticated listening devices.”  ~Edgar Argo

As implied in the last blog, California is not a business-friendly state. When it comes to employment regulations, some of the requirements are the equivalent of the state shooting itself in the foot. Clearly, politicians don’t understand the burden of the laws they pass.

Having said that, the state is not entirely to blame. Unions and uninformed, but well-meaning employers get some of the credit for the convoluted maze that is California employment law.

Rules we love to hate

One set of rules that most employers, especially start-ups, would like to ignore are Wage and Hour statutes. Time-keeping can be a pain, paying overtime and other employment-related expenses can be even more painful. Adding insult to injury are non-exempt employees who get paid overtime and can conceivably earn more than their exempt colleagues.

The temptation to misclassify employees as exempt or as independent contractors is huge. Please don’t get caught by that trap. Both Federal and State agencies are pushing hard to educate workers about these matters.

It Only Takes One

The consequences for not paying overtime, workers’ comp, payroll taxes, etc., are harsh. Jail time is in store for repeat violators. It only takes one person to file a complaint that triggers an audit. The fines, back wages and taxes that you’ll have to pay are bad enough. But do you really want to risk your reputation as an employer as well?

So, before you decide that all your employees are exempt or are independent contractors, please remember that you don’t get to decide. Please consider the following (which is not to be construed as legal advice):

Exempt vs. Non-exempt: An employee is exempt if he or she falls into one of several categories. Executive, Administrative, Outside Sales, Inside Sales, Learned Professionals, Creative Professionals, or Computer Professionals. Simply being a member of one of these categories is not sufficient, there are additional conditions.

Employee vs. Independent Contractor:

  •   Do you direct their work, provide space, training or equipment?
  •   Are all payments to the contractor roughly equivalent and on a regular schedule?
  •   Is the period of engagement of the contractor for finite or an open-ended amount of time?

Call RocketFuel HR to review your employee classifications and over-time practices. We’re a lot easier to deal with than the state or federal government.

www.RocketFuelHR.com

Fueling your people.

Skyrocketing your business.

 

Rita Allen |(650) 255-1839 | rallen@RocketFuelHR.com

Fan Herbst | (650) 215-8465 | fherbst@RocketFuelHR.com

 

With thanks to:

CA Department of Industrial Relations

US Department of Labor

Yourlegalcorner.com

If the CEO is the brain and the vision,…

Posted on April 15th, 2012

…… HR is the underwear protecting your backside.

 

What’s on Your Cocktail Napkin?

Your innovative idea has come to fruition and you’ve launched your business. But are you reaching milestones on schedule? Maybe you’re experiencing conflict within your team. Or, the person who was supposed to do some of the heavy lifting hasn’t fulfilled that promise.

Welcome to HR Basics

Let’s face it, California is a pro-employee state. However, plenty of companies operate successfully here. You can too, with the right guidance; the sooner the better. Start with your handbook and other written policies. Did you find some cookie-cutter template on the internet that doesn’t exactly feel welcoming to employees? Is the underlying message along the lines of “I’m the boss and I get to crack the whip”? How many times does it contain the generic phrase “as allowed by state law”? Chances are pretty good that it’s not allowed in California.

If any of this rings true, remember this: you’re competing in the same marketplace for talent as more mature and sophisticated companies that have richer benefits and employee engagement programs.

Also, as an entrepreneur, you’re probably not exactly risk-averse, but why invite problems? By creating the proper infrastructure, you can avoid a lot of issues later. Don’t wait for bad behavior to trigger a panicked response to problems in the workplace. When behavioral issues compound, employees are affected, making the work environment uncomfortable and diminishing productivity. This can fester into a formal complaint which the management team may not be prepared to handle.

If You Can’t Offer Free Lattes, Offer an Open and Respectful Culture

You may not be able to afford lots of perks, but don’t worry. Make the most of what you can offer by making it better. Many people are attracted to smaller companies because there’s more flexibility, greater variety of work, and decisions can be made more quickly. Keep your culture inclusive where people can openly express their ideas.

That doesn’t mean you don’t need behavior guidelines. In addition to other factors, defining and creating company structure is an investment you can’t afford not to make. Even small companies need to build a framework to encourage respectful behavior and reinforce the correct messages. You want to foster an environment where people are aligned with company goals and deliver results. Small companies are especially vulnerable to the effects of bad behavior because of the close working environment.

Call RocketFuel HR and have a second set of eyes review your handbook, documents and company practices. We can help with behavioral guidelines designed to keep things running more smoothly.

www.RocketFuelHR.com

Fueling your people.

Skyrocketing your business.

 

Rita Allen |(650) 255-1839 | rallen@RocketFuelHR.com

FanHerbst|(650)215-8465| fherbst@RocketFuelHR.com

 

With thanks to:

CCL.org

Glassdoor.com

Nolo Press

Small Business.chron.com

Who Creates Value in Your Organization?

Posted on April 1st, 2012

Before You Hire Your Next Employee

Unfortunately, many small business executives hire acquaintances or former colleagues because of the familiarity factor or simply rely on personal preferences.

Before you make that next hire, make sure you are clear on what you need and have a detailed picture of the knowledge, skills and abilities required for the job. More than once, I’ve seen time and resources wasted by starting the recruiting process only to have it change course after the hiring manager met with several viable candidates. Sometimes it’s unavoidable. But, in addition to the obvious frustration, you are damaging your company’s reputation and employer brand. Be sure all hiring managers understand the needs of small companies. Mismatched hires will potentially introduce politics and posturing

This is where the right employer branding and talent management program can keep you on course.

Start With a Skills Inventory

For a small company, a job analysis is simple enough. Knowing what skills are already available within your company is the critical first step to knowing what you need to supplement your current team. The crucial point is to evaluate jobs and the associated skill requirements, not the people doing them. Only then can you be sure that you have the right person doing the job. Can some tasks be transferred to someone better suited? Do you need to hire someone with missing skills? Will training be effective? RocketFuel HR can guide you on getting the most of your current talent or corrections to the mix of existing competencies.

 

If this process leads you to the conclusion that you need to hire new employees, you now know what you need and will be able to craft targeted job descriptions that will help you find the right candidates. The clearer you can be in this process, the better your results.

Now that you know what skill sets you need to meet your goals, do you know who will be the most successful candidate for the position? What personal traits are best suited to fit with your group and contribute to your team? One way to do this is to look at top performers and analyze what makes them successful. Another alternative is personality, skills and competency testing. In addition to behavioral interviewing, using valid pre-employment testing can provide additional data so your decisions are fact-based. However, be an informed skeptic, trust your gut and the data.

RocketFuel HR is available to guide you through this process. One tool you may want to consider is a low-cost Human Resource Information System (HRIS) suitable for companies as small as 20 employees. You can integrate your payroll provider and your current employee forms such as your employment application and performance review forms. Specialized performance management software, while more expensive, can give you a clear picture of who your star performers are as well as trends in performance over time.

www.RocketFuelHR.com

Fueling your people.

Skyrocketing your business.

 

Rita Allen |(650) 255-1839 | rallen@RocketFuelHR.com

Fan Herbst|(650) 215-8465|fherbst@RocketFuelHR.com

 

With thanks to:

Employee Select.com

Harvard Business Review

HR Source

Jackson, Schuler and Werner

Satterfiel and Associates

SHRM

Next up: HR Basics for Small Companies

First Impressions

Posted on March 15th, 2012

First Impressions

You’ve decided whom to hire. They are excited about their new job; you’re excited about what they can bring to the team. You’ve given them the keys and a tour. Now what?

Don’t make day one all about paperwork.

This day of first impressions will have an enormous impact on the employee experience, so make it a good one. By creating a positive experience from the beginning, you make new employees want to add value to your organization. Prioritize helping your new employee develop relationships with key colleagues. Consider assigning a mentor to each new hire so he or she can immediately get a feel for the personality of your organization.

Keep plans simple enough to implement easily, while comprehensive enough to get the job done. Onboarding conveys essential messages, and helps your talent get up to speed faster and stay longer. You want to convey to everyone:

  • We offer a great place to work
  • We’re lucky to have you
  • We want you to know us and how we work
  • We want to help you succeed.

The Costs of Onboarding

Considering the cost of losing your best talent, the cost of onboarding looks like pocket change. You can calculate your  costs using a simple onboarding calculator. Many of the administrative tasks can be done in advance and, when you’re ready and have the budget, can be automated.

Cost of turnover

  • The Society for Human Resource Management estimated that it costs $3,500.00 to replace one $8.00/hour employee when all costs — recruiting, interviewing, hiring, training, reduced productivity, etc., were considered.
  • It costs you 30-50% of the annual salary of entry-level employees, 150% of middle level employees, and up to 400% for specialized, high level employees.
  • Employee turnover increases as employees feel they are not valued, or are put in positions where they can’t possibly do their jobs. Orientation shows that the organization values the employee, and helps provide the tools necessary for succeeding in the job.
  • Every year in the United States, more than 25% of the workforce changes jobs. The reality is that half of all higher-level hires fail within 18 months and half of all hourly workers leave new jobs within the first 120 days.

Keep it Simple

One easy solution is to provide new employee information, materials, benefits forms, and an extensive FAQ about the company in a welcome email before the first day. Don’t overlook practices such as casual Friday or company-sponsored events. Make sure all new employees are familiar with your culture and don’t have to learn the hard way.

This process is another opportunity to showcase your employer brand by clearly explaining all benefits and when new hires become eligible. Be sure they receive the right information at the right time. Again, post all information on your intranet or, at a minimum, in a public folder accessible to everyone. Mentioning something verbally during an orientation can easily be forgotten; papers are easily misplaced.

Well Worth the Investment

Will it be time-consuming? Maybe. But, will it be worthwhile and in your best interests? Definitely. While the process will require your time, resources and energy you are investing in the success of your company.

A well thought out orientation program, whether it lasts one day or six months, will help not only in retention of employees, but also in productivity. Organizations that have good orientation programs get new people up to speed faster, have better alignment between what the employees do and what the organization needs them to do, and have lower turnover rates.

Since it can cost up to 150% of a departing employee’s salary to replace them (taking into account lost productivity, recruiting fees, retraining, etc.), it doesn’t take long to see how cost-effective an effective onboarding program can be.

Add it up for yourself. Consider the money you’ll save and hassles avoided by bringing new employees into your organization in ways that help them feel welcomed and energized. You will likely keep your employees engaged, productive and loyal from their very first day aboard.

Don’t forget, we’re here to help you.

www.RocketFuelHR.com

Fueling your people. Skyrocketing your business.

Rita Allen |(650) 255-1839 | rallen@RocketFuelHR.com

Fan Herbst | (650) 215-8465 | fherbst@RocketFuelHR.com

 

With thanks to:

CareerBuilder.com

ADP

Monster.com

Human Resources IQ

About.com

SHRM

Next up: Who is creating value for your organization?

“More than Sex & Money,…

Posted on March 1st, 2012

…there are two things people want – praise and recognition.”  ~ Mary Kay Ash, Founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics.

You put a lot of effort and resources into recruiting your talent. Now you need to protect your investment by keeping people engaged. In tight labor markets, competitors will be looking for YOUR people.

Are you treating your employees as disposable assets? What are you offering?

Work plays a huge role in people’s lives. Those who thrive in an entrepreneurial environment are the ones looking for more than just a paycheck. They’re also looking for personal growth, achievement and fulfillment.

Money may not be the most important reward for work, but it is an important factor. Start by investigating what your competitors are offering in terms of salary and benefits. To enhance engagement, review your internal processes of communication, feedback, performance reviews, training and promotion. Offering people the chance to improve their skills and increase responsibility not only conveys that you value them, but could also help build their self-esteem.

One of the most important steps you can take is to provide training to supervisors and managers.  An analysis of 25 years of Gallup interviews with more than a million employees found that employees’ relationships with their supervisors were a major determinant of whether they stayed in their jobs. Treating people with respect, dignity and care needs no explanation.

In addition to engagement, employee satisfaction will improve your retention, and reduce turnover. You can offer low-cost programs as your budget allows.

  • Arrange for a day of volunteering as a group — build your team as you do a good deed for your community.
  • Let employees take a limited amount of time off to volunteer on their own.
  • Create an “Off Topic” page on your intranet or a Yahoo! Group for employees to post non-work-related messages. This simple act goes a long way toward building community.
  • Communicate frequently about company status. Invite everyone to brainstorm solutions to challenges. Offer incentives and put viable ideas into action.
  • Promote from within; it’s motivating when hard work pays off.

Finally, remember that some turnover is inevitable and sometimes even necessary. But don’t let top performers leave due to dissatisfaction. Maintain relationships with people you would re-hire. Their new employment may not work out as well as they had hoped. If nothing else, you want them to speak well of your company and recommend their friends.

What does this really mean for both employee and the employer? RocketFuel HR can help develop programs around your high potential employees to help them stay engaged and challenged. We can help you enhance your employer brand and make your organization successful by analyzing your current practices and recommending improvements.

RocketFuel HR

Fueling your people. Skyrocketing your business.

Rita Allen | rallen@RocketFuelHR.com

Fan Herbst | fherbst@RocketFuelHR.com

With thanks to:

Jackson, Schuler & Werner

Greer

Fitz-Enz

Next up: First impressions

 

Aligning Your Talent with Your Culture

Posted on February 14th, 2012

The pieces of a puzzleOnce you’ve defined and articulated your culture and values, hiring the right people is critical to both getting the work done and maintaining the cultural “flow”. While this is far easier said than done and perfection will never be attainable, this matter important to the success of your organization. Misaligned employees will hurt morale and create other problems, such as higher turnover. You’re probably already aware of who the problem people are. Listen to yourself when you’re complaining about them.

If you’re trying to fill a position and aren’t finding the right person, please don’t settle for a candidate whose skills are close enough, but personality raises red flags. Finding the person whose beliefs and behavior fit with your work environment will serve everyone in the long term. Chances are great that a mismatched hire will leave and you’ll have to repeat the process anyway.

Use behavioral interview techniques and situational questions about the work to be done. Ask questions to uncover competencies you can’t or don’t want to train for. Inquire about risk taking and the successes or failures that resulted; about the sources of inspiration of a candidate’s ideas for insight into their thinking. Be sure to also ask at least one totally random question to gauge his or her unrehearsed response.

Another option, in addition to interviewing techniques, is pre-employment screening, including a personality test. If you choose to do this, please be sure to select a reputable product that has been validated to avoid the possibility of inadvertent discrimination. Screening for personality traits cannot be used as a smoke screen. Use these tests to find people with different strengths and skill sets to complement and enhance the team you already have.

Personality tests that assess traits relevant to job performance have been shown to be effective predictors. The personality factors that are assessed most frequently in work situations include conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, openness to experience and emotional stability. Research has shown that conscientiousness is the most useful predictor of performance across many different jobs, although some of the other personality factors have been shown to be useful predictors of performance for other types.

Other tests include biographical data (or biodata) inventories and integrity tests. Biodata tests, which ask job candidates questions covering their background, personal characteristics or interests, have also been shown to be effective predictors of job performance. For example, prior volunteer service could be used to assess one’s willingness to volunteer to pitch in and help others. Integrity tests measure attitudes and experiences that are related to an individual’s honesty, trustworthiness and dependability.

Don’t expect to use tests to identify “cookie cutter” candidates. People can have similar values and beliefs but won’t necessarily agree with everything you say. Don’t create a team without diversity of opinion. We all wish for a team that will be in complete agreement, but assembling a team of individuals cut from the same cloth is not healthy.

RocketFuel HR is here to help you enhance your employer brand and hire the right people to make your organization successful. Make sure your hiring managers know the basics of legal and ethical interviewing. We can help you select the most appropriate testing product and help design interview questions to identify the right candidate.

Fueling your people.  Skyrocketing your business.

Rita Allen |(650) 255-1839 | rallen@RocketFuelHR.com

Fan Herbst |(650) 644-7009|fherbst@RocketFuelHR.com

With thanks to:

SHRM.org

About.com

 Next up:  Retaining your top talent

Aligning rewards with your culture

Posted on February 1st, 2012

Don’t let your culture evolve by default. Define it!

You’re overwhelmed and focused on your work goals. You may assume that your employees think the same way you do and that your culture will just take care of itself. Think again. While you do need to focus outwardly to achieve success, you also need to reflect inwardly to create the tools for your team to succeed. One of those tools is a well-defined culture.

Culture is created every time people come together with a shared purpose. It determines how people think, act, and view the world around them. What’s your company culture? It’s up to you to create your company’s “personality”. You need to define and communicate the values that guide your team. Do you value learning, innovation, customer service, teamwork, productivity? You need to motivate your team to live up to your values by rewarding the right behaviors and results. Due to budget constraints, early stage companies need to be more creative by providing intrinsic rewards as well as a competitive salary and stock options or grants. Mentor your most promising team members, offer “stretch” projects or other informal professional development opportunities.

Whatever the values that define your culture, unless they are clearly communicated, your employees may not be performing optimally simply because they don’t know what’s expected of them. Frequent communication about challenges and opportunities goes a long way toward promoting your culture and employee engagement. More importantly, when employees know that their contributions will be recognized and valued, they’re more motivated to go above and beyond.

If you haven’t yet taken the time to articulate your culture, start by reviewing previous internal communications and your mission, vision and values statements. Do you have any messages on your web site? How do your employees describe the company at a cocktail party? Are the messages clear and consistent? Do they convey your vision?

Don’t wait too long. RocketFuel HR would be happy to work with you to create an attractive employer brand and company culture.

RocketFuel HR

Fueling your people. Skyrocketing your business.

Rita Allen |(650) 255-1839 | rallen@RocketFuelHR.com

Fan Herbst|(650) 281-4518| fherbst@RocketFuelHR.com

With thanks to:

Harvard Business Review

Ken Blanchard

World at Work

Academy of Management Executive

Bogardus, Anne M.

 

Avoiding the Pitfalls of Wellness Programs

Posted on January 15th, 2012

As discussed in the last blog, wellness programs are increasingly common as health care costs rise. However, plan carefully in order to avoid missteps that can result from insufficient information or unintended discrimination. In your fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment, you want to reward desired behaviors, including healthy choices.

Do your homework before establishing a new plan or reviewing your existing plan. If you want to base incentives on an actual health outcome—like reduced blood pressure or cholesterol, follow the Department of Labor’s checklist. It guides you through a series of questions to help you determine if your plan is properly designed. If a plan requires a participant to meet a standard related to a health factor in order to obtain a reward, the reward itself must certain criteria.

However, if your plan discriminates in favor of an individual based on a health factor, that’s considered benign discrimination. This is acceptable because the program is offering a reward to individuals based on an adverse health factor. The benign discrimination exception is not available if the plan asks participants to meet a standard related to a health factor in order to get a reward.

Mistakes to watch out for:

1. Insufficient planning

As with any significant project, wellness initiatives must be planned. Be sure to establish goals and then structure a program to support the goals.

2. Not delivering what your employees want

Before planning, do some research. Find out what employees are interested in, perhaps by doing a survey, and find out what health risks you’d like to try to deal with, perhaps through health screenings or assessments.

3. Your plan is not comprehensive

A wellness plan should include basic components of encouraging exercise and education regarding healthy lifestyles.

4. Targeting only high-risk employees

It’s important to work with the healthy people as well, to help them stay healthy. Numerous studies suggest that focusing on the “seemingly healthy population (stressed, sleep deprived, with bad nutrition)” has the highest effect. This population, without specific focus, can start developing chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease or diabetes requiring very costly interventions.

5. No incentives

Answer your employees’ question, “What’s in it for me?”.

6. No budget

You can’t subsidize gym memberships or hire educators without a budget. But do get creative, start walking groups and look for businesses that can offer a service to your employees. They may be willing to do free seminars. Team up with other small companies to share costs and deliver larger “captive” audiences to tempt them with.

7. Lack of high-level support

Management needs to participate in addition to providing the funding. If it’s important to you; your employees will take the hint. Your participation should be visible and exemplary.

Additionally, the wellness programs should be one of the focus topics of regular employee all-hands meetings. The effectiveness of the program needs to be highlighted and the big achievers should be recognized and rewarded.

8. You don’t know if it’s working

Develop metrics that will help you to gauge what effect your program is having. The simplest metric is participation percentage. You’re less likely to continue a program if you don’t see a successful outcome.

Having an on line system that encourages engagement through education, goal setting, progress tracking, and purposeful social networking not only increases participation but also gathers valuable data on how the employee population is responding to the program.

On line systems such as SelfOptima’s Corporate Wellness Platform provide an engaging user experience while enabling you to keep track of participation as well as effectiveness of each program.

9. No on-going attention

No, it won’t run itself. You must continue to evaluate employee needs and results to keep the program relevant to your team. Once again, having an on line platform to support all the wellness programs/efforts significantly reduces the administrative overhead.

10. Offering only traditional medical insurance options According to the Employee Benefits Research Institute (EBRI), employees who choose high-deductible insurance plans and have Health Savings Accounts tend to use less health care and live healthier lifestyles. Though this statistic only points out correlation, high-deductible plans also save you money.

The Fine Print: Please check with your tax adviser as there may be tax implications for your company or your employees. In some cases, incentives may be taxed: gift certificates, cash, employer subsidies of gym memberships, and classes for general health improvement.

Finally, don’t forget why you should think about instituting a wellness program. According to a 2008 study by US Corporate Wellness, research demonstrates that by encouraging healthier choices, employers realize savings in terms of sick time, disability, health care, as well as recruiting and retention costs. You will enhance your employer brand and benefit from greater employee engagement.

Are you ready to get started? Get the right expertise, right now.  www.RocketFuelHR.com

Rita Allen             rallen@RocketFuelHR.com  (650) 255-1839

Fan Tso Herbst  fherbst@RocketFuelHR.com (650) 281-4518

Next up: Linking rewards to your culture

With thanks to:

junkfoodscience.blogspot.com

www.ebri.org

Carlson Shepherd, L. (2006, July 1). Employee Benefit News, 1.

www.uscorporatewellness.com

www.selfoptima.com

www.SHRM.org

www.BLR.com

www.USCorporateWellness.com

www.dol.gov

 

Healthy Resolutions

Posted on January 1st, 2012

As a company executive, you want a healthier and more productive team. Have you considered your own brand of wellness program? In addition to helping lower health care costs, a wellness program can be a strategic tool. Educate your team about healthy lifestyle choices, while at the same time promoting organizational productivity.

The time and money you invest now to promote health and wellness generates savings. Research suggests that for every $1 invested in health promotion, your company can save between $3 to $5 in health and safety costs, such as medical, absenteeism and workplace accidents (Small Business Wellness Initiative). To estimate your ROI, you will need to know your annual health care spend, projected annual increase, and percentages of smokers and obese employees.

Strategic Success Strategies

Creating a healthy workplace has never been more important. Before launching a program, RocketFuel HR can help you develop a culture of wellness to achieve more effective results. One of the more common challenges is gaining employee trust.  Some may have privacy concerns, especially if your program rewards achievement of biometric goals, such as lowering cholesterol or weight. Strategies to support wellness programs include 1) top-down support; 2) CEO involvement; 3) targeted communication about the benefits of wellness programs; and 4) branding all health initiatives under the same title and logo.

The most successful initiatives promote the importance of personal responsibility, knowledge of health care benefits and healthy decision-making.

Keep it Simple

When thoughtfully tailored to your group, wellness initiatives can be quite effective. Simple programs are a good way to begin.

  • Skip the pizza at your next meeting. Offer a healthier alternative.
  • An inviting lunch room to encourage people to bring their own food.
  • Encourage an exchange of ideas/ recipes for easy and healthy lunches.
  • Walking or other fitness contests.
  • Wellness newsletters or information on your intranet.
  • Discounts for local gym memberships.
  • Educational classes for healthy cooking and meal planning, such as The Food Fixx. (Save money by collaborating with other small businesses to share costs.)
  • Programs for weight loss and smoking cessation.
  • Health screenings and flu shots.
  • General health and safety communications.

For the month of January, residents of California can sign up for Health Perks at El Camino Hospital. The annual membership is normally $25, but is waived if you use the promo code nursebarb; no credit card required. Get advice that everyone can use:

  • Health Screenings
  • Elder Care Consultations
  • Nutritional consultations
  • Blood pressure screenings: no appointment necessary
  • Access to a world-class medical library and a medical librarian
  • Discounts at pharmacies

In summary, create a healthy workplace while improving your employer brand. Doing nothing can cost you. Contact RocketFuel HR to see how we can help.

Next: The Possible Pitfalls of Wellness Programs

With thanks to:

www.SHRM.org

www.sbwi.org

www.HR.BLR.com