Five Steps to Better Employee Management

Hiring employees is a huge responsibility. Before hiring anyone, be sure to carefully analyze your needs in terms of extra assistance.

Once you've gotten through the hiring process, there's still much more you must do now that you've become an employer. If you're like most small business owners, you just don't have time to do all you're supposed to be doing when it comes to managing your employees.

The article aims to outline five steps you can take right now to better manage your employees. Failure to complete these steps may one day lead to trouble for your business ? trouble that could easily have been avoided.

Step #1 ? Publish a Company Handbook

Most employers do nothing more than chuckle at the mere mention of a company handbook. Who has time for such frivolousness? Besides, no one reads them anyway. If these are your thoughts, then think again. Make time to create a company handbook and then make every employee read it. Also have every employee sign a statement saying that they have read the handbook. Place the signed statement into their personnel file where it will remain should you ever need it.

Step #2 ? Create Files for Sensitive Employee Data

You will have a lot of employee-related documentation to keep track of and you must have a place to store it all, safely, and away from prying eyes. Payroll information, health insurance information, certifications including expiration dates, performance reviews, and kudos from happy clients as well as negative comments from clients or supervisors are just some of the documentation you need to maintain.

Step #3 ? Create a Schedule

If you operate a business with "normal" business hours and just a few employees, you might think that creating a schedule is unnecessary. But unless there is a schedule, you can only assume that your employees know when they need to show up to work. Creating schedules is a good habit to get into, especially if you plan to have a lot of employees on your payroll. Create a work schedule for your employees and put it where they will see it.

Step #4 ? Perform Periodic Employee Evaluations

Employee evaluations or performance reviews tend to be more important to the employee than they are to the employer. Employees want to know how they are doing and when they'll be eligible for a pay increase. There are so many reasons why it's important to complete employee reviews, including legal ones. An employee review is one of the few things you have, in writing and signed by employee and employer, that clearly describes an employee's performance on the job. Should you ever need to let the employee go or take other action, you'll have this documentation to back up your decision.

Step #5 ? Keep a Safe Work Environment

Sure you need to keep your fire exits clearly marked and free of clutter. But there are Federal and state laws with which you must comply covering everything from the storage of hazardous chemicals to the posting of bulletins in common areas where employees congregate. Comply with these regulations before you end up on the losing side of a lawsuit.

Properly implementing these five steps seems like a lot of work especially when you have little spare time. One way you can manage your employees and still have time to do all your other tasks is to purchase software that has been designed to help manage employees. Spending the time and money to better manage your employees now will keep you from spending even more time and money later on, after you've been hit with an employee-related lawsuit!

Copyright © 2004 Cavyl Stewart. Get more software tips, strategies and recommendations to help you better manage your employees by signing up for my Exclusive 100% free, 100% original content ecourse: "How To Survive The Legal Dangers Of Being An Employer." To sign up please visit: http://www.find-small-busin ess-software.com/employee-ecourse.html

Organizational Structure, Creativity, Innovation

Organizational structure can inhibit or foster creativity and innovation. The... Read More

Selecting A Collection Agency

If you run a business, you are sure to have... Read More

Productivity Through Positive Reinforcement

Most people just want to be appreciated. If you're a... Read More

Top 10 Things NOT To Tell Angel and VC Investors

I am not writing this to create a list of... Read More

13 Comments on Bad Meetings

Bad meetings are a cultural malady that senior executives pass... Read More

Better Manager Skills - How to Learn

When you first take over a department, expectations are usually... Read More

Instantly Uncover Your Corporate Culture

Best Definition of "Corporate Culture"If you ask 10 people to... Read More

The Dog That Didnt Bark

A few weeks ago, after consultations with others in an... Read More

Once Upon a Conflict

Once upon a time there lived an innocent, hardworking manager.... Read More

Relationship Building - 5 Tips and 5 Questions

And is isn't hard - it's more about focusing on... Read More

Is A Bad Attitude Permanent

Today there is great weight put on a person's attitude.... Read More

Vampire Meetings and How To Slay Them

Meetings can be like mythical vampires ? sucking the life... Read More

I Cant Use This Approach Unless My Boss Does - Power, Accountability, and Consequences

People who work with us often struggle with this dilemma:... Read More

3 Simple Things the Best Managers Do - And You Can Too!

If it's so simple, why don't managers all over the... Read More

Communicate To The Four Main Personality Types

You probably know this already, but there are generally held... Read More

Dont Hire Squirrels to be Your Top Dogs

Bad hiring decisions cost organizations, both in dollars and lost... Read More

How to Coach Your Employees - 5 Simple Steps Anyone Can Do!

Want to get more from your people, but you don't... Read More

Five Overlooked Ways To Hire Winners

Here is a true story. My dentist did a "clinical"... Read More

Invite Self-Managed Staff

"Treat people as if they were what they ought to... Read More

Sexual Harassment Policy Guidelines Part II

SEXUAL HARASSMENT COMPLAINT INVESTIGATION PROCEDUREEvery complaint will be thoroughly investigated.... Read More

A Checklist for Organized Executives

I could begin this article by providing a checklist of... Read More

Influencing the Organisation

There is a saying about management that suggests some managers... Read More

Why You Need a Business Plan

This article was originally called "Do You Need a Business... Read More

People Literacy

Every Manager has experienced the frustration of not understanding why... Read More

Comparing Ancient Programs from the East to Modern Programs like Stephen Covey.

Comparing Corporate and Personal goal attainment programs that have developed... Read More