2019 is in in the books!
At Access Profiles we, like all of you, have had to deal with changes throughout this past year. Changes that impact how we run our small business and changes on how we seek to improve it.But one thing has remained constant ~ our focus on helping you, our clients and readers, navigate the changes that directly effect your employment and hiring practices.
So, in order to to close out the old and welcome in the new, we are once again sharing our Top 5 Small Business Articles as determined by you, our readers. These articles are the ones that got the most “likes”, shares, and comments.
Thank You!
Number one on our list was “The Top 5 Hiring & Background Check Trends and Guidelines You need to Follow Now”.
The purpose of this article was simple…..to make sure you know what you need to know about the laws and guidelines that can impact your hiring process.
“Keeping informed of any new and emerging laws and guidelines is important in ensuring that your hiring and employment screening practices are working for and not against you”.
Understanding these trends and guidelines will:
- help you make any necessary adjustments to your hiring procedures
- help you comply with current and upcoming screening laws
- help you attract the quality new hires you need
We also shared the steps you need to take now to comply with these laws and guidelines.
You should:
- Follow FCRA guidelines covering Employment Background Check release forms
- Protect your clients personal information (PII)
- Stop asking for salary history
- Take steps to make your company attractive to job seekers
- Consider hiring ex-offenders
Find out why taking these steps is so important to your company and hiring process here.
“Who” to Hire is just as important as knowing “How” to Hire for your Small Business.
The next article to hit our “Top 5” focused on just that.
In “The “Soft” Skills You need to look for in Your New Hires!”, we shared how sometimes hiring for the “intangibles” makes sense. “Soft” Skills falls under this category.
“People that possess good “Soft” skills are able to work with and lead others. They are creative problem solvers and are often inherently likable ~ all of which make for valuable employees.
When you are looking for a new hire, many of your applicants will have the technical “hard” skills needed to do the job. But those that also possess those coveted soft skills are the ones you really need to consider!
Even candidates that may not have every qualification you desire can be great new hires, if they possess those soft skill traits that are hard to teach”.
The “soft skills” you should look for are:
- A good work ethic
- Leadership skills
- Team player
- Effective communicator
- Resourceful problem solver
- Good time manager
- Willingness to learn
- LIKABILITY
Hiring with these skills in mind is even more important for small businesses. Find out why here!
Our final “Top 5” article on hiring really struck a chord, “Should You Hire Family and Friends for Your Small Business?”.
This article resonated with many because it is common for businesses, especially small businesses, to hire family or people they know.Hiring family and friends for your business would seem to make sense. You think you know the person and that they would have you and your companies best interests at heart.
But it is still smart to consider a few things first! Are they qualified to do the job? If not, are they able to learn quickly enough to do the job? And, even though you think you "know" them, don’t forget the background check!
Discover the pros and cons of hiring family or friends in your business here!
This next top article, “Isn’t a Background Check just a Way to Breach Your Privacy?”, really highlighted one of the greatest fears that job seekers have about the employment background check ~ the protection of their personal information.
Job applicants are wary about the kinds of information they are required to give employers and potential employers. They worry about who will see it and who could steal it. Easing these fears should be the goal of any good employer.
That is why companies must put sound policies in place to protect their applicant’s, and even their existing employee’s, personal information and be completely open and above board when it comes to background checks.
Learn the steps you need to take to accomplish these goals here.
Rounding out our “Top 5” is “Questions You need to ask before Doing Business with any Business!”.
“Whether we ourselves own a business and are contemplating taking on a partner or we are look for someone to work in our home, doing our homework first makes good sense”!
Key is knowing what to look for when we do our due diligence. We need to know the questions we need answered and why those answers are important to making a good decision as to whether or not we should work with a company.
You should:
- know what others say about them (check references)
- check with the BBB
- check for any civil or criminal court records
- look at online reviews
Knowing as much as possible about any company you are thinking of working with helps minimize risk, protects your company or your family, and keeps you from wasting time and money.
Learn more about how to check out any company here!
This concludes our “Top 5 Articles of 2019”!. We look forward to sharing more information about Hiring and Background Checks to help you and your small business in 2020.
If you have any specific topics you would like covered, please let us know!
Thanks again for supporting our blog and small business. We couldn’t do it without you!
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