Inspire Success

JobsOnTheCoast.com.au is a focused job board, committed to employment and career opportunities on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. This site provides local employers with the opportunity to advertise their vacancies for free and connect with skilled and experienced candidates, who want to work in this spectacular region. Inspire Success have proudly joined as the third main sponsor of JobsOnTheCoast.com.au.

JobsOnTheCoast.com.au is excited to have the support of Inspire Success, which is a recent recipient of a Central Coast Business Excellence Award. Similarly to JobsOnTheCoast.com.au, Inspire Success is dedicated to assisting business on the Central Coast and we are eager to form a partnership with a likeminded, local organisation.

Inspire Success are award winning Central Coast Human Resources specialists, who help business to implement effective people practices.

With Job Centre Australia, TAFE Central Coast Campuses and Inspire Success all on board, the website now has main sponsor representation in Employment Services, Training/Education and Human Resources.

“As a Central Coast business with a track record of helping local businesses to manage their people processes and employment-related matters, Inspire Success are thrilled to partner with Jobs On The Coast. We recognise the benefits that Central Coast employers can offer and welcome the opportunity to support the continued growth of our business community through this initiative.” Rae Phillips Director - Inspire Success

Need help with your recruitment? Inspire Success can assist you from the beginning stages right through to making the offer to your new employee.....

Is this something that could be an issue at your place? Inspire Success is all about implementing practical solutions that help create high performing workplaces which are customer focussed and free of conflict - no matter what size your business is. Contact Inspire Success for further information raephillips@inspire-success.com

As your business grows, the number of people you employ is likely to increase. To keep on top of how your employees are doing, you will need to find some formal ways of measuring their performance and setting the targets they have……

Informal meetings and more formal appraisals provide a very practical and direct way of monitoring and encouraging the progress of your individual employees. Annual or bi-annual employee appraisals will allow you to monitor employees’ development and get their feedback, set targets and plan their development needs. Appraisals can assist in driving up productivity and performance through setting employee targets and measuring progress towards achieving them. Regular staff meetings can also be a very useful way of keeping tabs on wider developments across your business. These meetings often give an early indicator of important concerns or developments that might otherwise take some time to come to your attention.

Here are the Seven Tips to remember when setting performance targets with employees;

1. Goals must align with your organization’s mission and strategy
2. They must be clear and easy to understand
3. They must be accepted and recognized as important by everyone who will have to implement them
4. Progress towards goals must be measurable
5. Goals must be framed in time, with clear beginning and ending points
6. They should be supported by rewards
7. They should be challenging, but achievable.

Progress. By evaluating an employee’s progress in terms of performance and development you are able to set new objectives and plan tasks effectively. First, examine the employee’s job description to ascertain whether roles or responsibilities have changed since the last appraisal. If you are making changes, ensure that these are in the best interests of the company and not just the employee.

Praise Successful Employees
Try to pick out aspects of an employee’s performance that are worthy of praise. Encourage the employee to keep up their high standards and check that the employee has been rewarded or praised for carrying out tasks successfully. If an employee’s performance has fallen short of what is expected, consider the possible reasons for this. Negative feedback may be necessary but check if it is a minor issue, particularly if good results have been achieved in other areas.

Development
The next step in performance management is to check whether staff have the time to focus on development. It is important to ensure continuous development, so it may be worth shuffling resources if necessary. If development targets set at the last appraisal have been met, it can demonstrate to management that the time and money spent developing staff is worthwhile.
Its very important to ensure that the goals you set for your employees align with those of your Company. And you must make sure that your employees understand, accept and commit to those goals. The more you can involve your employees in setting goals for themselves and the group, the more committed to those goals they are likely to be. You should write down the goals for your employees, and then revisit those goals on a regular basis – perhaps every six months, or at least once a year. The key to success is ensuring your employees recognize that achievement of their individual objectives advance the company’s overall objectives.

Is this something that could be an issue at your place? Inspire Success is all about implementing practical solutions that help create high performing workplaces which are customer focussed and free of conflict - no matter what size your business is. Contact Inspire Success for further information raephillips@inspire-success.com

Employee Opinion Surveys (EOS) have great potential to improve workplace environments and are often used to measure the success of organisational change. They can also assist to reduce absenteeism, prevent harassment and bullying and identify other work environment problem areas.

At Inspire Success we are often asked to help clients with their EOS, to find out if their employees are satisfied in their work, their environment, with organisational changes, with their remuneration etc What better way to hear from your employees by having an external party manage the process and allow employees keep their names confidential in their responses?

We have discussed many times in the newsletter that happy employees are more productive. To attract and keep the real stars, you need to create a work environment that makes employees want to give their best effort and perform at the highest levels. To do that, you need to keep your finger on the pulse of your team.

A satisfaction survey is a series of questions that you can ask your employees to answer which will inform you how they feel about or how they experience their work environment and culture. The questionnaire usually offers both questions that ask your employees to rate a particular aspect of the work environment and open ended questions that allow them to give their opinions. The majority of times the survey can be completed on line. Companies that take the time to really listen to their employees and understand their attitudes and opinions are typically far more successful in obtaining an engaged and motivated workforce.

In formulating your employee survey, you may want to consider the following high level topics:

• Self-awareness and Motivation
• Company Culture and Spirit
• Management
• Cooperation and Communication
• Learning and Development Opportunities
• Recognition and Reward
• Overall perceptions of the Company for Improvement.

While it’s true that people need to feel as if they are fairly compensated; they also want to feel like they are a part of the company and that their ideas and suggestions are important. They also like to feel that they add value and assist in the growth of the company. Many management experts believe that the single greatest key to productivity is employee happiness. Happy employees are usually energetic and motivated. But, determining what makes workers happy can be tricky.

The belief that money is the source of employee happiness and retention is not true. While there is no question that money is important, management studies show that it does not buy employee satisfaction. While employees want to be fairly compensated for their efforts, they also want to be challenged and treated with respect. Findings from Aon Hewitt’s Employee Pay Perception study (over 37,500 employees were surveyed from 110 companies in Australia and New Zealand and workers were asked 40 questions) show that employers don’t have to increase pay to achieve a higher level of job satisfaction.

http://www.aon.com/thought-leadership/asiaconnect/Attachments/leadership-and-talent/Leadership-Talent_2010Nov_Money_Talks.pdf)

If you decide to use an EOS, you must be committed to making changes in your work environment based on employee responses to the survey.

Our Top 6 Tips when running an EOS:-

1. Commitment to the Process – If you use an EOS you must have the support and commitment of your management team. If management try and understand the results and act on them the process can be extremely rewarding.

2. Communication – Employee surveys are, by nature, perceived by managers as a threat, in that they ask questions about the quality of supervision. This makes it imperative that you establish and communicate clearly, from the beginning, why you’re doing the survey, what will happen to the results, and what you hope to gain from the EOS.

3. The Survey Itself – Don’t ask too many questions (or too little). Ensure your questions are relevant and can be understood or interpreted how you want them to be. Why not link it to another well known, national survey so that you can benchmark your results? Try the Mercer What’s Working Survey or Red Balloon’s Dream Employers.

4. Survey Administration - Face-to-face administration does yield a high participation level and the ability to answer any questions people may have about the survey. Administration via the Internet is faster and cheaper and can be done anonymously so employees may feel more comfortable. Whichever mode you choose, it is vital to ensure that everyone gets a consistent message about why the survey is being conducted.

5. Survey Data - When collating the results and deciding what to present to employees two things are important: (a) The data is relevant to who it is being shared with and is easy to understand (b) Sharing the results with your employees should be no longer than a month after completion of survey

6. Survey Frequency - Given that one of the major benefits of a survey process is the opportunity to measure results over time, you should periodically resurvey your employees.

Is this something that could be an issue at your place? Inspire Success is all about implementing practical solutions that help create high performing workplaces which are customer focussed and free of conflict - no matter what size your business is. Contact Rae Phillips at Inspire Success for further information raephillips@inspire-success.com

In March 2012, one-third of NSW's communities were declared natural disaster zones as the worst flooding in decades threatened parts of the state. A large majority of New South Wales’ towns and cities are located on floodplains, both inland and coastal, that contain businesses both big and small. These are an integral part of the economy, providing employment, incomes, goods and services to their communities. The direct and indirect costs of flooding on commercial and industrial properties are significant for some businesses and can end in closure. In areas where businesses struggle to recover from floods, jobs and incomes can be lost, leading to social problems and reduced commercial viability. The average annual costs of flooding in NSW amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars. The improvement of business preparedness for floods is hugely important and with flood insurance generally unavailable HR and Business Managers/Owners have a big responsibility in having a disaster management plan ready and to have their risk management strategies up to date.

It is critical to have an effective emergency response plan. Emergencies may arise at anytime. They can develop from a number of causes including fire, chemical spills, gas leaks, bomb threats, structural faults, natural disasters and civil disturbances. Keeping your employees up to date with training and information so they know what to do when a crisis strikes is essential. Employees should know what to expect when a crisis/disaster hits and what steps to take. This should include remote working, relocating the business temporarily, reduced hours etc.

Your employees must understand

1. What the crisis being faced is
2. What steps to take
3. Who to contact in the company

For businesses operating in disaster-prone regions it should be a priority to develop business continuity and emergency response plans so they are prepared to act quickly when a crisis or disaster occurs.

The plan should include:-

• Strategies for business being disrupted and planning around disruptions to staff resources, services provided and buildings
• Safety procedures, such as shut-downs and evacuations
• Infrastructure to work remotely if the need arises
• A crisis management team and safety officers who are up to date on the company’s policies and procedures and are able to clearly communicate steps to employees
• An emergency contact system for employees to report their status and whereabouts • A series of evacuation exercises should be conducted in order to test the procedures.

Getting policies and procedures right is crucial when it comes to employee safety in a crisis and requires time, commitment and investment. Being prepared is the only way to reduce the impact of disasters / crisis. At least once a year your plan should be evaluated – contact information updated if necessary, first aid certificates/fire wardens certs checked, equipment checked, improvements made etc. Having your policies and procedures up to date will ensure resources are maximised and losses minimised if struck with a disaster or crisis.

"The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it." ~ Thucydides

Is this something that could be an issue at your place? Inspire Success is all about implementing practical solutions that help create high performing workplaces which are customer focussed and free of conflict - no matter what size your business is. Contact Inspire Success for further information raephillips@inspire-success.com

The final article on our IT security topics this month is around keeping your servers secure. While cloud computing is becoming more and more popular and replacing servers for some businesses, network servers still play a very valuable role in securing data and managing IT systems. The following are our top eight tips to keep your IT server secure:-

1. Restrict Access – Nobody should have access to your IT server without authorisation. Therefore servers should either be locked away or in a secure area where they can only be seen by your staff
2. Log in Security – Every server should have its own password and details should not be shared. Passwords should not be kept in same area as the server
3. Firewalls – an internet firewall is essential – it can be a basic router or more sophisticated. Your server should sit behind the protection of the firewall
4. Updating – This should be frequent – things are constantly changing and updating eg Microsoft have a regular update schedule where they release new security patches. Although having fully patched software does not mean your server is fully secure, it is very important to update your operating system and any other software running on it with the latest security patches. Hacking incidents still occur because hackers take advantage of un-patched servers and software.
5. Backup - backup frequently to ensure data is kept in case of a failure or problem
6. Log everything – every virus or breach of security should be logged to ensure everything happening on the network is being controlled
7. Remote access – although not always practical when possible server administrators should login to web servers locally. If remote access is needed, you must make sure that the remote connection is secured properly. Using security tokens and other single sign on equipment and software is smart. Remote access should also be restricted to a specific number of IP’s and to specific accounts only. It is also very important not to use public computers or public networks to access corporate servers remotely, such as in internet café’s or public wireless networks.
8. Help and Support - If you are running a server, you need competent IT support staff that understand security risks and how to alleviate them on servers and networks

And remember, a great way to keep your IT secure is to keep informed. Information and tips on software and operating systems being used can be found freely on the internet and can help you learn about new attacks and tools. Good luck…

Is this something that could be an issue at your place? Inspire Success is all about implementing practical solutions that help create high performing workplaces which are customer focussed and free of conflict - no matter what size your business is. Contact Inspire Success for further information

Starting a new job in a new company can be daunting for any employee. The induction / onboarding process ensures the detailed introduction of a new employee to their new work environment and job and is a very important process. Good induction/onboarding processes can result in staff retention, job satisfaction, productivity and a reduction of any costs of staff turnover. A good induction process means that new employees understand how your business works and start to feel welcome and comfortable early on in their new job which will result in them becoming a productive employee sooner. A lot of information can and should be provided during the new employee’s induction. This can be a little overwhelming and therefore a comprehensive and well-structured employee handbook is an excellent idea. It is particularly important for small and medium businesses, who may not have a human resources department to handle queries. An employee handbook is also a good way of helping new employees understand the values, key policies, benefits and expectations of your business.

What is an employee/staff handbook

The handbook is a great way to communicate to your new employees and inform them about the policies within your business. It can then be used by employees as a reference (encourage employees to keep their handbook at their desk). Of course, any updated policies will need to be distributed to staff. The handbook will help your employee on a number of topics -  in knowing the conditions of their employment, what is expected of them, where to find things, and who to ask if they have any further questions.  A good employee handbook should contain the following:-

• Introduction and welcome note
• Company background
• Information on your corporate culture and approach to business
• Hours and conditions of work
• Training
• Expectations around dress code, email/internet/mobile phone etc usage
• HR policies around sexual harassment, health, safety and the environment; holidays and leave; performance management; privacy; disciplinary procedures

Why have one?

The policies of your organisation/business should be discussed and distributed widely throughout the company and your employees well informed of them. Having policies discussed in your induction training and written in your handbook ensure employees understand the policies of your business. It is an excellent way of documenting the expectations and obligations of management and staff. Not only is the handbook used to spread the policies and information of the company it is a great  way to advise on information your business is legally obligated to provide. This results in the boundaries, rules, expectations, rights and responsibilities of your company being  known and understood by your team.

Finally….. When you give a new employee a copy of the handbook ensure they sign an employee handbook receipt and acknowledgement form. This receipt should acknowledge that the employee has read and understands the policies and guidelines presented in the handbook. This statement should contain a disclaimer that the employee understands that the contents are policies and guidelines, not a contract or implied contract with employees. An employee induction program and employee handbook can have long-lasting benefits for both your employees and your business and is a great method of communication with your employees.

Is this something that could be an issue at your place? Inspire Success is all about implementing practical solutions that help create high performing workplaces which are customer focussed and free of conflict - no matter what size your business is. Contact Rae Phillips at Inspire Success for further information raephillips@inspire-success.com

Tablet computers or tablets as they are often called, are becoming more and more popular as the top choice for portable computers. Given most tablets connect to corporate and cloud servers, they are particularly dangerous if someone gets unauthorised access. The good news is that manufacturers use a lot of security features in their design of tablet computers and the use of locked own apps makes them less prone to viruses.  A tablet is bigger than a smartphone but typically much smaller and lighter than a laptop. Both smartphones and tablets are easily lost or stolen, with theft a particular concern when it comes to tablets due to their current "it" status. Here are our Top 7 Tips to keep your tablet computer secure:-

1. Turn on passkeys – all tablet devices have passkeys so you can have a PIN number before logging on. On most of the systems you can set the tablet to wipe itself if the wrong pin is used too many times;
2. Encryption – encryption is very important and on tablet computers its either set up automatically (on the Apple iPad for example) or is easy to enable on Windows and Google Android devices;
3. Tracking and wiping – most mobile devices now come with built in tracking services that let you monitor where the tablet computer is. Many will allow you to wipe the tablet remotely if it has been lost or stolen;
4. Keep the tablet  close at hand at all times - Don't leave your tablet computer even for a minute;
5. Invest in a security cable - most portable computers come with a universal security slot that allows a reinforced steel security cable to be fitted. Whenever you sit down with the tablet computer for an extended period you can secure it to a table leg or similar that makes it difficult for a thief to steal it;
6. Use a Smart Card - your tablet device may have come with a Smart Card, or you can buy one that fits into a card slot. Smart Card technology ensures that if somebody tries to turn on your tablet device and doesn't insert the card, the device won't complete the boot sequence;
7. Communicate Employee Responsibility for the Tablet - a clearly written and communicated policy that states the employee's responsibility for the tablet computer can significantly reduce the risk of theft, if only by increasing the employee's risk awareness. While the details of employee responsibility and liability will vary greatly from company to company you should have a policy in place that spells out the risks of tablet computer theft, the responsibility of the user and the liability of the user.

Is this something that could be an issue at your place? Inspire Success is all about implementing practical solutions that help create high performing workplaces which are customer focussed and free of conflict - no matter what size your business is. Contact Inspire Success for further information raephillips@inspire-success.com

Recruitment can be expensive and time consuming but choosing the right employees for your organisation is essential for your success. Recruiting the wrong people for your organisation can lead to increased staff turnover, increased costs for the organisation, and lowering of morale in your existing workforce. Therefore, your recruitment and selection processes need to be efficient and well managed. Here, we look at recruitment and selection from the beginning stages of choosing the recruitment criteria through the advertising, interview questions and finally selection through evaluation forms.
The stages in recruitment involve identifying the key recruitment criteria, using your position descriptions to create the advert used, having your interview questions prepared and having an interview process to include reference checking and evaluation forms. Let’s look at each of these in a little more detail.

• Identifying the key recruitment criteria:- These are the steps that happen prior to selecting candidates. This is the planning of the recruitment and selection processes and analysing the open job to determine the recruitment and selection criteria and then developing the key selection criteria. In this stage you evaluate the need for the position, finalise the key selection criteria (essential and desirable), decide on the skills, knowledge, attitudes and aptitudes needed for the position, prepare the position description and plan the recruitment process (in house, external agency, referrals, headhunting, advertising etc). Often organisations use a standard set of questions that may have been used for some time and for several different positions. This can be both helpful and also constraining when recruiting for a position. While it is important to have standardised questions to assess a candidate’s fit with the team and/or the business, it is also important to ensure that some questions are targeted specifically to the requirements of the position. Developing a set of Key Recruiting Criteria and incorporating these criteria into your recruitment process can assist you greatly in this process.

• Creating a position description for the role:- This involves reviewing the Key Result Areas (KRAs) for the role and these forming the basis of your recruitment criteria which then can be used in your advert. For example, if an administration role has the following 5 KRAs:

a. Time management
b. Intermediate MS Office suite skills
c. Customer service orientation
d. Business management support for senior managers
e. Diary management

Then the 5 recruitment criteria may look like this:

• Ability to manage own time without close supervision
• Intermediate MS Office suite skills
• Capable of managing customer enquiries and complaints
• Previous experience supporting a minimum of 2 senior managers, including generating reports
• Ability to manage a diary in line with managers business priorities

These 5 recruitment criteria then form the basis of your assessment items. Your first interview would include some questions that enable the candidate to demonstrate (or not demonstrate!) their skills and experience in each of these recruitment criteria. Behaviourally based questions are the best way to make this assessment (Tell me about a time when…). The second interview would include questions that enable you to explore these areas further.

• Evaluation forms and reference check forms:- These should also be developed around the recruitment criteria to ensure that you are getting feedback from the interviewers and referees that is consistent with the areas that are most important to you in the role. For example, if technical skills are important these can be verified through interview questions, reference checking, and/or through skill testing. Psychometric testing is another option that you may choose to use and have aligned with your key recruiting criteria. The beauty of this approach is that once the candidate is employed, they can see the relevance of the selection process to the position they now hold, as evidenced by the position description that they will receive. It closes the loop on the recruitment life cycle and then sets up the performance management process for the employee as they progress in their new role.

Is this something that could be an issue at your place? Inspire Success is all about implementing practical solutions that help create high performing workplaces which are customer focussed and free of conflict - no matter what size your business is. Contact Rae Phillips at Inspire Success for further information raephillips@inspire-success.com

On February 1st 2012 Fair Work Australia announced their decision to increase pay for private sector employees in social and community services. Pay rates of employees in the social, disability and community services (SACS) sector will be increased in order to achieve pay equity for the female employees. But, what does this mean for employers.

As a result of the FWA decision, up to 150,000 social and community service workers will receive pay increases of between 19% and 41% over eight years, which is the length of time of the transitional phasing arrangement. For a Level 2 graded employee the increase to the rate in the SACS Award will be 19%. This works out to be an extra $6324 per annum. A Level 8 graded employee will be entitled to a wage rate rise of 41%. This will mean a wage increase of $24,346 per annum. This decision is being estimated as costing the NSW State Government up to $1 billion over the next five years in funding.

While FWA’s decision affects those employees covered by the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award (the SACS Award) in the social and community services sector and the crisis assistance and supported housing sector it is also likely to affect other industries in the future. In particular, other female dominated industries such as clerical, cleaning and nursing industries could be next to look for similar pay increases on the basis of historical industrial inequities.

The concerns are that the impact of these pay increases will be felt most heavily by non-government funded organisations who would then have to bear the brunt of the cost. This would then have some knock on effects such as a decrease in job security and result in retrenchment or reduction of available services despite the phasing in period. For example, the NSW Government has warned that having to fully fund the pay rise could lead to cuts to other government services and higher taxes.

Given Fair Work Australia's approach in this matter, it is expected that similar applications by unions will be made in respect of pay rates in other modern awards. In particular, other female dominated industries such as the clerical, cleaning and nursing industries will be likely union targets. The Australian Nursing Federation has already commented that the pay rises awarded could pave the way for aged-care nurses and staff to achieve pay equity.

The real impact of this FWA decision and action on employers and the economy remains to be seen but there can be little doubt that pay equity is now high on the industrial relations agenda and will likely remain there for quite some time to come.

For more information see Fair Work Australia’s website - http://www.fwa.gov.au/index.cfm?pagename=aboutbriefs&year=2012#010212

Is this something that could be an issue at your place? Inspire Success is all about implementing practical solutions that help create high performing workplaces which are customer focussed and free of conflict - no matter what size your business is. Contact Inspire Success for further information raephillips@inspire-success.com

Laptops have the ability to store lots of data, email records and retain network settings like password and login details and so present some security concerns for companies. Unfortunately, the mobility, technology and information that make laptops so useful to employees and organizations also make them very valuable for thieves. If your laptop computer is stolen, or if someone gains access to your files while your back is turned, your company information, personal and financial data can be exposed.

Here are our TOP 8 tips to help keep your company laptops secure ........

1. Enable start-up passwords so that the laptop won’t start unless the correct details are typed in. Use strong passwords and don’t write them down on a piece of paper and leave in your laptop bag
2. Encrypt your data - If someone should get your laptop and gain access to your files, encryption can give you another layer of protection. You can choose to encrypt files and folders. Then, even if someone gains access to an important file, they can't decrypt it and see your information.
3. Avoid conspicuous laptop bags -Laptop bags give away exactly what you're carrying. Try to avoid obvious carriers and use backpacks, briefcases or holdalls that are functional but don't make it obvious that you're carrying a computer. Usually these are more convenient for documents and other accessories when travelling
4. Keep the laptop close at hand at all times - Don't leave your laptop even for a minute
5. Invest in a security cable:- Most portable computers come with a universal security slot that allows a reinforced steel security cable to be fitted. Whenever you sit down with the laptop for an extended period you can secure the laptop to a table leg or similar that makes it difficult for a thief to steal it
6. Don't carry important disks or booklets - Keeping backup drives, recovery disks and system manuals in the bag with the laptop makes it easier for thieves to sell and hackers to break into the system. Don't keep these items with the system and if you have to carry them, put them in another bag
7. Disable password saving - it is very handy to have your computer saving website login details but this makes life easier for someone who steals it, turn off password saving so that sites don't automatically access your data
8. Communicate Employee Responsibility for the Laptop - A clearly written and communicated policy that states the employee's responsibility for the laptop can significantly reduce the risk of theft, if only by increasing the employee's risk awareness. While the details of employee responsibility and liability will vary greatly from company to company you should have a policy in place that spells out the risks of laptop theft, the responsibility of the user and the liability of the user.