What is HRIS? An HR Professional’s Guide

Finding new employees to join your business is a process that takes a lot of preparation. You need to search for the right candidate who will easily adapt to the company’s culture and work ethics.  Nobody knows this better than people from the HR sector. It takes months of thorough searching and setting up the ground to create a mutually productive and relaxed interview environment. This is all part of the process of onboarding new employees, which aligns new hires’ skills to your company’s needs.  According to research by Gallup, 21% of millennials changed jobs in 2020, while more than half expressed their desire to find a new job. That’s why millennials are often labeled as the job-hopping generation. But attaching that kind of label is an oversimplification, no matter what the stats say.  One of the reasons for this is that many job hunters are naturally nervous during job interviews, so it’s the HR manager’s responsibility to create a stress-free environment that brings out the best in them. A well-prepared onboarding process for new employees can help new hires achieve positive job satisfaction and encourage them to remain loyal to your company. Why Onboarding Is Crucial Besides finding the best person for the job, onboarding, as its definition implies, is essential for leaving a good, lasting impression on new employees. It’s the first contact a new candidate will have with your company before the formal interview and evaluation process starts. A positive image will help with the interview’s tone and will establish what’s expected from them in their new job. It will introduce them to how your company operates and build a forward-looking relationship with your employees from the get-go. An onboarding plan for new employees that leaves a negative first impression will generate animosity toward your company. Even when they start working, they’ll already be looking for new job opportunities. Proper onboarding efforts create long-lasting and satisfying working relationships with your company and can turn a promising candidate into the company’s most valuable asset. In contrast, poor onboarding leads to higher employee turnover. When focused onboarding is done right - which can take up to 12 months of preparation - it will reduce the work your HR team needs to do in the future.  But this is easier said than done. To establish a satisfactory new hires onboarding process, you’ll need to ask yourself some crucial questions: how will you begin the onboarding process, and how long will it last? What kind of first impression do you want to leave on new candidates, and how will you explain your company’s goals and ethics? What goals should new candidates have, and how can they improve their performance and grow within your company? Steps in the Onboarding Process As you prepare to onboard a new employee, make sure everything is ready from your side. Having a well-designed and straightforward onboarding process will significantly reduce the paperwork your HR team will have to go through.  The next step is to select what type of onboarding process for new hires you’ll conduct: formal or informal. Most companies opt for formal onboarding. This means implementing an unambiguous and straightforward onboarding program that will get the new employee up to speed with their role. This program includes their job assignments, the company’s expectations, on whom they can rely, and the proper channels of communication. Informal onboarding leaves new employees to familiarize themselves with the business without anyone’s assistance, thus potentially creating confusion and disorder. In general, formal onboarding is widely used since it’s simple to follow and leaves new hires more satisfied about their position in the company. The Recruitment Stage Before you start with your onboarding new employees checklist, you should first set up the recruitment flow and adequately convey your company’s goals, ethics, principles, and the importance of your employees. Keeping your message clear and succinct should be your primary concern. Go through your company’s website design, job offer description, and all the interview questions in a way that represents the company’s core values. Try advertising on the best job posting sites to speed up this process. Present new employees with an assignment that will let them know what to expect on the job and give you a sense of what to expect from your new hires. One of the best practices for onboarding questions for new employees is to let them know how their day at work will look, which will set up positive and clear expectations. Notify them of any policies that concern them, including dress code, remote work, vacations, working hours, and any legal issues.  New employees should be aware of who they report to and which person is in charge of what. Make sure you give them a basic overview of the company’s culture, such as work ethics and social etiquette for employees. And, of course, let them know that they’re not alone; they’re part of the company’s network. Job Offer If everything goes well and you’ve successfully prepared your onboarding activities for new employees, let the candidates know that you appreciate the time and effort they’ve invested in this job application. This is also your last chance to remind them or clarify what the job will entail to avoid any confusion down the line. Consider using the best background check sites to confirm that the person you want to hire is who they say they are.  Now it’s time to extend a job offer to your preferred candidate. If they accept, let them know how delighted you are that they’ve decided to work with you and your company. This is the moment when the onboarding truly begins. As soon as the candidate accepts your job offer, give them access to your company’s onboarding systems for new employees. Forward them job-related documents and the plan for their first week at work. Let them know it’s not expected that they study everything; you’re just giving them the info for clarity’s sake. Provide your new employee with access to email, phone, and other communication tools. Simultaneously, inform your team about the new addition and send welcome emails to the new employee. These onboarding documents are meant to engage new employees with the company and the team they’ll work with. Office Space Eventually, you’ll introduce your new hires to the office space during the onboarding of new employees, which will show them what an average day at work looks like. You can do this before giving new hires their job offer, or when they start working. It’s important for new employees to have a sense of belonging in the workspace and among colleagues, as it will ultimately affect their performance. It will also give them some first-hand experience of the company’s work ethics and culture. Show new hires where they’ll work and what they’ll use. Go through other offices and introduce them to other colleagues. If new employees have any questions, be there to answer them. Show them the kitchen and other non-working spaces that they’ll use daily.  First Day at Work New employees will likely be ecstatic and confused, terrified and hopeful on their first day, so make them feel like they’re accepted by their peers. One of the best practices for onboarding new employees is scheduling their first day with colleagues. Schedule short meetings at the start and the end of the working day, especially if the team works remotely. You should also give them some breaks during their first day. Set up a team lunch and talk about topics that aren’t related to work. Prepare a swag bag with company gifts and supplies as a welcome gesture. Use the first day to let new employees know what they’ll work on and what they’ll need to focus on in the next one to three months. Make sure they get all the equipment they need for work and focus on familiarizing them with their new colleagues. The First Few Weeks Our successful tips for onboarding new employees don’t just cover the first day; you need to think several weeks in advance to help them truly fit in. Set up meetings with other teams and team leaders, your best employees, and senior people within the company. That way, they’ll get an idea of what they have to do to earn a promotion in the future. If the team is working from home, using the best conference call services might greatly enhance this process. Use this time to organize weekly and annual goals and define key performance indicators. Provide feedback on new employees’ input, as this part of the ongoing onboarding process might be the most important. To continue successfully onboarding new employees, ask for their input and any problems they’re experiencing. During the first few weeks, they should have a mentor who will be of great assistance in introducing them to all the intricacies of the workplace. To strengthen team connections, set up fun team-building events. And, of course, give new hires recognition when you feel they’ve earned it.  One-Year Plan Your onboarding efforts as an HR Manager may indeed last a whole year as you assist your new employees and follow their progress. HR teams may use the best tenant screening services to seek help, but no matter how you choose to proceed, the cost of onboarding new employees will be well worth it. Be assured that these efforts will help you find top-performing employees who will become long-term members of your team.

Imagine getting a brand new job at, say, a library. You’re super excited, but on your first day of work, you trip over a bunch of books and break your arm. What are you supposed to do now? Besides getting a cast, you need to get your workers’ compensation insurance; our guide on how to act if an accident happens is here to tell you how. If your first question is “What is workers’ comp?” we have to say the answer is far from simple. First, we’ll need to introduce some statistics, break down all those complex legal terms, and walk you through the application steps for workers’ compensation. Work accidents happen even in the safest circumstances. Statistics tell us that the most common ones are: slips, trips, or falls on level ground (29%), handling, lifting, or carrying (20%), being struck by moving objects (10%), acts of violence (8%), falls from a height (8%). If any of these things happen to you, you’ll want to ask: “How does workers’ comp work?”  Known as workman's comp until the name was changed to make it gender-neutral, workers’ comp is a system that protects both employees and employers. While workers can get medical and disability benefits if they get workplace injuries, employers get protection from occasionally fraudulent lawsuits. The Claim Process We’ll start with the assumption that your employer is supportive and aware that only happy workers are good workers. As such, they would have introduced you to the claim process in case of an accident. But you may still be wondering: “What is a workers’ comp claim?” In that case, you’ll need to go through our step-by-step guide: First of all, you need to act in a timely manner. In most cases, that means reporting an injury or illness to your employer within 4 to 90 days of occurrence. Deadlines differ from state to state, but the general rule is: The sooner, the better. File a written complaint with the state workers’ comp agency. Again, there’s a deadline, usually between one and three years. In case of an occupational disease or cumulative injury, the time starts from the date you first experienced disability, even if you hadn’t known your working conditions caused it. “What is the cost of workers’ comp insurance?” you might ask. Fortunately, this shouldn’t be your concern. Just make sure your doctor is familiar with the fact you’re covered by workman’s comp insurance so that he can bill your employer or their insurance carrier. Consult an attorney for help with legal terms and protecting your needs if your claim is denied. A Disputed Claim There’s always the possibility of having your claim disputed since both employers and insurance companies do everything in their power to deny workers’ comp claims and limit compensation. If there’s a dispute, you might be asked to undergo an IME with a supposedly neutral doctor. “What is an IME for workers’ comp,” you ask? It stands for “Independent Medical Examination,” and it’s a procedure often requested by insurance companies to validate your doctor’s decisions. Judges often ascribe significant weight to IME reports, so the results might affect your case. Be well-prepared for the examination: You’ll be asked questions about how your injury happened and undergo some physical exams and tests. You can challenge the report legally if it’s limiting or cutting off your benefits, but make sure to contact a workers’ comp attorney for that. A Denied Claim Of course, what can be disputed can be denied as well, so asking yourself, “What do I do if my workers’ comp claim is denied?” is only natural. One option is to give up on the claim or even start job hunting. We wouldn’t recommend this, however, because there are still options for you to make good on your rights. Firstly, you have the right to contest the decision via an appeal. If the negotiations don’t work out, and you can’t reach a settlement, the next step is a summons to a formal hearing. The hearing would be your final chance to fight for your rights and present your case. “What is a workers’ comp hearing like?” is the next question, right? The legal proceedings are pretty standard - you are trying to negotiate a settlement with the insurance company, but in court. That’s why you need to hire a lawyer and gather all the necessary evidence, such as medical records, doctor’s reports, and bills, to present to the judge. After testifying, the court will reach the verdict on whether you get workers’ comp insurance within 30 to 90 days. You Got Your Workers’ Comp and Recuperated: Now What? Even after your claim is settled and you’re all better, there are some legal things to get done. Once your condition is stable enough to get back to work, you’ve reached the MMI. What is the MMI in workers’ comp cases? It stands for “Maximum Medical Improvement” and means that you’ve reached the point where your health conditions are no longer expected to improve. From then on, the insurer is only obligated to pay for secondary medical services, and that for a limited time. The Bottom Line We would like to encourage you to ask your employer everything about workers' compensation terms and conditions during your onboarding process. Now that you know the answer to the question “What is workers’ comp?” you’ll know what to look out for. The main thing to remember is that you have rights and you’re entitled to exercise them - just make sure you have the proper legal support, too.

Many companies affected by the coronavirus are struggling to pay all their employees’ salaries. Unfortunately, this often results in someone’s furlough or laying off workers to keep the company’s head above water during difficult times.Even though these two terms seem interchangeable, they are not the same. Just to be safe, you should know the basic differences between being sent on a furlough vs. getting laid off, and we’re here to explain them.What Is a Furlough?In short, a furlough is mandatory temporary leave from work, after which the employee is expected to return. Furloughed employees may be asked to take off a number of unpaid hours over a few weeks, throughout the year, or take an extended period of unpaid time off all at once. For example, an employer can furlough employees for just one day a week and pay them for 32 hours a week instead of 40; alternatively, they can require all employees to take a few weeks of unpaid leave. Sometimes, the calculation becomes too complicated for both employers and workers, so they end up using payroll software.To define a furlough vs. being laid off, you have to take the employer’s intentions into consideration. Furloughs are used if the employer doesn’t have enough money for their total payroll or enough work for all the employees, but they still want to avoid laying people off. Employers struggling to organize their personnel in these cases often use free employee scheduling software to save as many working hours as possible.Getting Laid Off - the MeaningUnlike a furlough, which is always temporary, a layoff is usually permanent. Once an employee is laid off, they most likely won’t be going back to work at the same place. This often happens with the restaurant staff, especially since the pandemic started.Laid off vs. furlough also differentiates when it comes to unemployment benefits. Most states require laid-off workers to provide some sort of proof that they are actively searching for a new job, while furloughed employees do not have to provide that as, technically, they are still employed. Other than that, some employers offer benefits coverage for their laid-off workers.Employers are not required to pay any accumulated paid time off (PTO) to furloughed workers, as they are still employed. The laid-off workers must receive their PTO since they most likely won’t be coming back to work.There’s a good reason why benefits differ between being sent on furlough vs. getting laid off vs. getting fired. With furlough, it’s obvious - you’re technically still employed, so you’re not eligible for full unemployment benefits. On the other hand, the key difference between getting fired and getting laid off is where the blame lies. Fired employees technically lose their jobs through their own fault, while laid-off employees lose their job because the employer can’t afford to keep them anymore. In the latter case, the system affords former employees better benefits, as their unemployment did not come about due to their actions.If you were wondering, “What is a furlough vs. getting laid off?” or if you were wondering if you’ll soon need to find a new job, we hope we’ve helped with at least some of your questions.