Are you aware of all of the FREE or discounted programs and services the Associations offer for your clients?
With over 100 programs and services that we offer – the MBPA/MFBA is the “BEST” value for your clients. By simply participating in one program, our member’s savings more than cover the cost of their annual membership dues. Click here to download a quick list of the FREE or discounted programs available to save your clients money!
Exclusive Member Offerings:
• FREE Discount Drug and Vision Card
• FREE Summary Plan Descriptions, Section 125 Plans and HRA
• FREE Health Savings Accounts (HSA)
• Cobra Administration starting at $25 a month
• Discounted Payroll Services
• Discounted Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
• Companion Life and Disability
• Colonial Life Voluntary Worksite Products
Other Popular Member Offerings:
• Gas Fuel Fleet/Savings
• LifeSecure
• Merchant Processing
• Travel Discount
• Subscription to Corp! Magazine
• FREE Employment Law and Business Law Hotlines
• FREE Ads in Our Facilitated Networking Publications
• FREE Listing on Our Members Helping Members Discount Directory
• FREE AD&D Policy for One Senior Executive
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Remember that the MBPA and MFBA now offer outstanding Companion Life and Disability Products.
Companion Life continues to lead the industry in offering innovative benefit designs for group and voluntary life and disability products. More employers are adding life and disability products to their portfolio of available employee benefit plans.
Life and disability coverage options are an easy and cost-effective way of providing additional financial security for employees without adding to the employer benefit cost.
Companion’s Short Term Disability Buy-up Plan is an economical, simple solution that provides both employers and employees an array of options. By combining a core level of income protection, with the opportunity to purchase additional coverage, both employers and employees benefit.
Voluntary Program Highlights:
Voluntary Short Term Disability
Rates are based on entry level age bands (enrollment age freeze).
All SIC codes are eligible.
Includes $10,000 of Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) at no additional cost.
Eight different plans and 13 benefit levels to choose from.
No evidence of insurability is required if the employee is at work on the effective date of coverage.
Maximum weekly benefit not to exceed 66 2/3% of basic weekly earnings to a maximum of $750.00.
Coverage includes a partial disability benefit to support a recovering employee’s return to full potential through part-time work
Voluntary Long Term Disability
Non-contributory, premium is to be 100% Employer Paid
2 Year Rate Guarantees
Attained Age Rating for groups of 1-9 lives (No Entry-Age Freeze)
2 Year “Own Occupation”, thereafter “Any Occupation”
“Pre-X” for 1-9 Lives 12/6/24
2 Year Mental and Nervous Limitation (Unless Hospital Confined)
Voluntary Life
Generous Voluntary Life Maximums and Guarantee Issue limits. Employees are eligible for a maximum of $500,000 of Group Term Life Insurance and Spouses are eligible for $150,000.
All SIC Codes are eligible.
Dependent child benefit options range from $2,500 to $10,000.
Accelerated benefit provision pays up to 75% of the benefit in the event of a terminal illness ($100,000 maximum).
Waiver of premium if you become totally disabled.
Portability and Conversion Privileges.
Group Program Highlights:
Guarantee issue Life options for all size groups – Even One Subscriber Groups
No Ineligible Industries for group Short and Long Term Disability.
Group Short and Long Term Disability for groups as small as one.
Online Administration guarantees no monthly billing fees.
Easy online grid rates and calculator for groups less than 10 employees. No need to wait for a formal proposal.
Entry Age Rating for employers with 1 to 9 enrollees ensures that as employees age, their rates do not.
Generous guarantee issue and flexible benefit design for your clients with 10 or more employees.
Higher Commissions – flat 15% for groups with 20 or less enrolled.
https://michbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/MichBusiness_logo_horizontal.png00michbusinesshttps://michbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/MichBusiness_logo_horizontal.pngmichbusiness2011-10-11 16:00:032021-08-25 11:04:54Voluntary and Group Life, Short & Long Term Disability Products Now Available!
To help members businesses reduce their costs, the Associations are providing complimentary services such as Section 125 Plans and Summary Plan Descriptions documents to any dues paying member in good standing.
The adoption agreement is now a compliant document reflecting ALL the Health Care Reform Law changes as of January 2011. These documents are FREE to our members. The cost to non-members is $25.
The Section 125 Plan has a separate adoption agreement from the Benefits Wrap SPD adoption agreement. The Benefits SPD adoption agreement is a compliant document rather than 5 different forms.
The Employer Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) guidelines make it mandatory for all businesses with 2 or more employees to provide employees with a Summary Plan Description (SPD). We continue to take a leading role in informing and helping our members meet their obligations under ERISA. We offer SPDs at no charge to our members. Types of benefits covered by Summary Plan Descriptions include: Medical, Long Term Disability, Short Term Disability, Life and AD&D and freestanding Dental/Vision.
To request your summary plan description and/or Section 125 for your clients, you will first need to download the documents from our Agent Pavilion, complete, and return to the Association office.
The completed Agreement should be emailed in WORD format to info@michbusiness.org for processing. The Association will send the completed agreement to you or your client.
If you have questions or need assistance please contact our Membership Services Team at 1-888-277-6464 or 1-586-393-8800.
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New Client Brochure & Flyer Now Available!
When you sign-up your client as a new member into the Association, your client will be entitled to choose one of the following Association resources immediately at no additional charge. Best of all, your client gets immediate value for their membership and you get to deliver it to their doorstep! It’s an extra way for you to add value during a difficult economic period.
Your Client can choose one of the following:
Have your business promoted at one of our Local Association Networking Events with either a complimentary sponsorship or special recognition at the event.
Enjoy a complimentary ticket to one of the Associations premier conferences including Women and Leadership in the Workplace Conference, 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For Conference, MFBA Food Industry Dinner, or any of our other premier events.
One complimentary Key Executive AD&D policy at the member company.
One complimentary Ad in one of our Association Member Publications.
https://michbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/MichBusiness_logo_horizontal.png00michbusinesshttps://michbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/MichBusiness_logo_horizontal.pngmichbusiness2011-10-11 16:00:012015-10-08 00:00:00The Value Starts Now For Your Client
By: Dr. Xiaoliang Men, Wuhan University,
Dr. Adrian J. Lottie, Ray Taylor and Associates,
Dr.Yichun Xie, The Institute for Geospatial Research and Education,
Jenny L. Zeng, attorney and business consultant with a J.D. from Washington University
With the development of China’s economy over the last few years, both challenges and opportunities arise from the current economic situations in both the United States and People’s Republic of China. Obviously, Chinese currency appreciation has many impacts on the investment environment in China. First of all, continued Chinese currency appreciation against the USD makes it more expensive for U.S. companies to acquire Chinese companies, but it also potentially creates more opportunities for U.S. exports to China. We also find that continued Chinese currency appreciation coupled with Chinese aspirations to be “international” further drive China’s outbound investment into the U.S., growing Chinese investment in the U.S. economy.
This article introduces several points for business cooperation between China and the U.S. in the present investing environment. It is focused on how small and medium-sized U.S. companies do business in China. Section II gives an overview of China and includes some numbers that may be of interest to U.S. business men and women. In Section III, we describe several important points to consider if you want to establish your business in China. Section IV describes how to communicate with Chinese business representatives. And, finally, Section V draws some conclusions.
China: Country Overview
People’s Republic of China was founded in October 1949. With just over 1.3 billion people (1,339,724,852 as of Nov. 1, 2010), China is the world’s most populous country. The geographic territory of China is 9.6 million square kilometers (roughly the size of the U.S.) and it is about 1/15th of the world’s total land mass. China has 23 provinces, five autonomous regions, four central administrative municipalities and two special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). The national language is Putonghua (Mandarin). Figure 1 shows the geography and regional centers of development in China. Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong province are the vertexes of the triangular regions which are the centers of economic development.
Figure 1. Geographic Overview and Regional Centers of Development in ChinaFollowing are some business related numbers that may be of interest:
Number of Fortune 500 companies: 43
Foreign direct investment in China: USD 92.4 billion in 2008
China investment overseas: USD 55.9 billion in 2008
China ranks 83rd out of 178 economies for ease of doing business, according to a 2008 World Bank study.
Dealing with licenses, paying taxes and starting a business – respectively ranked 175th, 168th, and 135th – are some of the most challenging aspects of doing business in China.
Establishing Business in China
If you plan to establish a business in China, you should begin by checking the “Catalogue for the Guidance of Foreign Investment Industries”[1] that was promulgated by the former State Development Planning Commission and the Ministry of Commerce of China on March 30, 2004 and came into force as of December 1, 2007.
From the Guidance, you can find out whether or not the business that you want to establish in China is in the Catalogue of Encouraged Foreign Investment Industries, the Catalogue of Restricted Foreign Investment Industries, or the Catalogue of Prohibited Foreign Investment Industries.
The Chinese government has an official website, “Invest in China,”[2] which contains information about Opportunities, Economy, Investment Updates, Laws, Services, Investment Statistics, Company Search, National Development Zone, Investment Channel, and Outbound Investment.
If you want to set up an entity in China, there are three basic types of direct foreign investments:
Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise (WFOE or WOFE) or Foreign Invested Commercial Enterprise (FICE)
Equity Joint Venture or Cooperative Joint Venture (JV)
Representative office
Increasing land prices and labor costs coupled with the RMB appreciation noted in the introduction, pose more challenges to U.S. companies who contemplate setting up a manufacturing operation in China. At the same time, the continuous improvement of China’s vast infrastructure and urbanization process creates tremendous investment opportunities in China for both Chinese and U.S. investors.
Before you decide to move your business to China, you may need to engage in extensive communication with your partners in China, the banks, and related government departments. Setting up operations and opening bank accounts in China require extensive documentation, multiple approvals and can be very time consuming as your key regulatory considerations. It is best to engage competent legal counsel with the expertise, experience and resources to effectively assist you in your efforts.
One of the most important questions you may ask is how to deal with “money-in” and “money out” problems. The answer lies in becoming familiar with the Foreign Exchange Control Regulations that are used in China and in getting help from Chinese banks. The “Big 5” banks in China are:
Agricultural Bank of China
Bank of China
Bank of Communications
China Construction Bank
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
The banks may provide choices of account types with some having functions very similar to U.S. accounts. The “Big 5” formerly used the same “national clearing systems” for more than ten years. Under this old system, foreign banks would appoint the Big 5 Banks as their RMB clearing agents. Now, the banks all use the China National Advanced Payment System (CNAPS) which contains the High Value Payment System (HVPS) launched in 2003 and the Bulk Electronic Payment System (BEPS) launched in 2006 for amounts that are less than RMB 20,000.
Today, foreign banks have begun to operate in China. JPMorgan Chase is the first foreign bank to set up a Locally Incorporated Bank (LIB) headquartered in Beijing. The LIB currently has five branches in China. They are located in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjing and Chengdu. As a U.S. bank, it is a popular choice for many U.S. business leaders.
Another good question about doing business in China is “what role does the Chinese government play?” There is no clear answer for this question. Most people think that the market itself directs the required course of action. However, Chinese policy makers usually play very important roles in your business. Experience dictates that good communication with local government officials is one of the most important things you need to do.
To help promotes investment by foreign companies, nearly every local government in China sends delegations to foreign countries to participate in meetings and conferences. The Chinese representatives hope to get investment and advanced technology from others. For instance, Wuhan city in China is famous for its automobile industry, so the government and the companies in Wuhan are always interested in attending big events in Detroit because it is also famous for its automobile industry.
The Chinese government will often provide some benefits to foreign companies if they invest in China such as waiving or reducing some types of taxation. This usually depends on the location and type of business you will pursue in China. During your business tenure in China, you will find that you will always need to communicate with the local government. In general, keeping good communication channels with local governments is helpful.
In addition, U.S. companies need to make sure that they draft effective and enforceable contracts with their Chinese counterparts. The best contract is one that both parties will adhere to without the involvement of courts or arbitration. For that purpose, U.S. companies need to understand the Mandatory Provisions of Chinese law. They should also have any and all special considerations clearly spelled out in every technology transfer agreement as well as in any exclusive distributorship agreement.
Regardless of the location or type of business, it is imperative that the U.S. company works scrupulously with its legal advisor to ensure that all contracts are clear.
Communication with Chinese Parties
As mentioned previously, communication with all Chinese parties–whether companies or local governments–is very important. In fact, most cooperative businesses in China are placed into a development zone that commands close cooperation.
One region where there are business opportunities in China is the Optical Valley of China (OVC). Located in the East Lake High-tech Development Zone, the OVC is a well-known and very good example of one of China’s best investing environments.
There are ten great competitive industry clusters including four industries in the OVC; i.e., Optical Communication, Mobile Communication, Modern Equipment Manufacturing, Energy and Environmental Protection and other industries. Each of the four has an industrial scale in excess of RMB 10 billion (Chinese currency) Yuan. To give you a sense of exchange rates, the Yuan RMB has been roughly 6.4 to 6.7 per dollar in recent months; however these values may fluctuate somewhat throughout each year and from year to year.
Below is a graph of recent exchange rates from x-rates .com [Cny= Chinese Yuan
Below are some examples of industries from the OVC:
Optoelectronic:
The company boasts 45 optical communication production enterprises with total revenue of RMB 10.5 billion in 2007. For optical fibers/cables, the production scale is second in the world, its share in the domestic market has reached 50% and its share in the international market is 12%. For optical devices, the company’s domestic market share is 40% and its share in the international market has reached 6%.
Mobile Communications:
There are 30 mobile communications equipment, terminals and related product manufacturing enterprises with 2007 total revenue of 10 billion.
Semiconductor Industry:
There are 10 IC design units, 14 backbone enterprises for chip manufacturing. packaging and products application. SMIC will commence the production of 12-inch, 90nm products in its IC production lines in April, 2008.
In 2007, the company successfully packaged the ultra-high-power LED light (1500 Watt) which is presently the highest power artificial light.
Consuming Optoelectronic:
So far, there are 19 enterprises with 2007 total revenue of 3.5 billion. Foxconn Company will begin to produce in April 2008. The first with Independent Intellectual Property Rights of China owns 49 patents.
Laser Industry:
There are 53 enterprises, 2007 total revenue of 2 billion. The share of High-tech Zone laser products has maintained at more than 50% in China’s domestic market.
Software and Software Outsourcing:
There are more than 600 enterprises with 2007 total revenue of 9.6 billion. Optical Valley Software Park has built 220,000 square meters in its first phase, gathering 55 enterprises. It is currently promoting the second phase comprised of a nine square kilometers project.
Software outsourcing enterprises like IBM Microsoft, and EDS have begun their operations. The Phase I Animation Creative Industry Base has 20 resident enterprises. The Incubation Center of Optical Valley Creative Industry Base has been established and Optical Valley International Creative Industry Park is in construction as the result of efforts by both the industries and the Singapore Media Authority.
Green energy:
There are 42 enterprises with 2007 total revenue of 14 billion.
Biomedical and high-tech agriculture:
There are 137 R & D and producing enterprises with 2007 total revenue of 6 billion.
Modern equipment manufacturing industry:
There are 85 enterprises with 2007 total revenue of 16 billion.
Besides the great competitive industry clusters in Wuhan, there are many universities that can supply talent for the OVC. The most famous universities in Wuhan are:
• Wuhan University (Ranked 7th in China)
• Huazhong University of Science and Technology (Ranked 8th in China)
• Wuhan University of Technology
• Central China Normal University
• Huazhong Agriculture University
• China University of Geosciences
• Zhongnan University of Economics and Law
Dr. Xiaoliang Meng, who is from the Joint International Center for Resource Management and Digital Technologies at Wuhan University, has experience in the areas mentioned above including mobile communications, the semiconductor industry, software and software outsourcing.
Dr. Jenny. L. Zeng, attorney-at-law, holds a J.D. from Washington University Law School and a New York State Bar license. She is a partner of Dr. Meng and runs a legal consultancy service. She also has experience with government offices, especially the foreign affairs office of Hubei province where Wuhan is located.
Both work in the OVC zone.
Although the Optical Valley of China (OVC) is not the only choice for U.S. business men and women, it is a good idea to work with local representatives if you want to do business there.
Conclusions
China is an exceptional country in terms of the speed of its economic growth. More recently, some traditional concerns have been magnified by the rapid expansion of economic activity[3]. It indeed means both bigger challenges and opportunities arising from the current economic situation in the United States and People’s Republic of China. There is no better time to start your business in China, however, any time is good if you can find the right opportunities.
Team Members
Dr. Xiaoliang Meng Lecturer (tenure), Wuhan University, holds a Ph. D in Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing at Wuhan University, China.
Email: meng.emu@gmail.com
Phone: +86 1-597-217-2758
Dr. Adrian J. Lottie is a consultant, investor, and president of Adrian J. Lottie Ph.D. LLC and a Senior Consulting Associate at Ray Taylor and Associates Ann Arbor. An economist and political scientist, he holds a Masters in Economics and Finance and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Wayne State University and has been in business in the U.S. for 40 years. He is a professor in the Public Administration section of the Department of Political Science at Eastern Michigan University.
Email: AdrianLottie@aol.com
Phone: 313-231-4114
Dr.Yichun Xie
Director, the Institute for Geospatial Research and Education, and Professor of Geography and Geology Department at Eastern Michigan University, holds a Ph.D. in Geography/Geographic Information Systems from the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA) at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Email: yyyxie2000yyyxie2000@yahoo.com
Jenny L. Zeng is an attorney and business consultant with a J.D. from Washington University.
If you are interested in doing business in China or with Chinese businesses, you may contact us at the above e-mail addresses or phone numbers.
NOTE – REFERENCE 4 LISTED BELOW HAS NOT CITATION IN THE PAPER.
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Now that a 1 percent tax on all health insurance claims is the law in Michigan, the Blues are taking steps to adjust to its provisions.
The state of Michigan passed the new 1 percent tax to be applied to certain Michigan health insurance claims beginning Jan. 1, 2012. Gov. Rick Snyder signed the bill into law on Sept. 20, 2011.
The new 1 percent tax will replace the current 6 percent use tax applied to Medicaid managed care plan services and will be used to support Michigan’s Medicaid program and ensure that Michigan continues to receive funds from the federal government. The tax applies to self-funded health care plans and health insurance carriers operating in Michigan.
We’ve put together a preliminary FAQ (PDF) that should be helpful in answering your clients’ questions.
We’ll keep you informed as information becomes available. We will also notify group customers and individual members.
Questions? Contact your managing agent.
The summary and FAQs are provided for information purposes only. They should not be considered legal advice or relied upon as such. Groups should consult their legal counsel and the underlying laws and regulations in order to gain a full understanding of the law.
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Every business should consider providing or updating their company employee handbooks to reflect current trends that are highly relevant in today’s workplace. The perception that employee handbooks are bland stacks of standard policies leads some employers to become static in routines and forget to employ creative and strategic policies that can provide important benefits to the company. Consider, at least, the following five policy areas recognized as major focus points for 2011:
Employment Classifications. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has been increasing its compliance enforcement efforts, and employers must understand how to initiate proper assessment in various areas of wage and hour laws (e.g. employee vs. independent contractor, exempt vs. non-exempt, full-time vs. part-time). Properly classifying and controlling the hours of employees can amount to a huge saving in overtime or other payroll expenses.
Health and Safety. Another area of DOL attention involves safe and productive workplace environments. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) requires covered employers to maintain a workplace that is free of hazards. Having specific policies in place is a key part of the process.
Social Media. With the increasing usage of social networking sites and technological equipment (i.e. smartphones), employers should remain mindful of how their employees are using the internet and thus how they may be promoting your business and the image of the company. In addition, social media can cross barriers between confidentiality and privacy rights. So, a sound policy would be able to pinpoint the functionality and appropriate time frames that allow for social media usage during work as well as non-work hours. Without a comprehensive policy governing social media, an employee with access to company data and a computer could ruin your business.
Telecommuting. Telecommuting can be used as an important recruitment and retention tool, and more companies are allowing more workers to work remotely more often. The same rules that apply in your office also apply to an employee working at home, however. You must have policies to ensure productivity by telecommuters, control working hours and overtime as well as job safety.
Benefits. Whether trying to stay on top of various health care reform laws, apply family medical leave updates, or provide vacation and sick leave time-off, it is vital for employers to ensure that their benefits-related policies remain current.
To be sure your Employee Handbook is up to speed, conduct a thorough review, at least, on an annual basis with the guidance from an HR Professional, if needed.
Marisha Taylor is a sales consultant for BASIC in Portage, MI. You can reach her at 269.569.3992 or by email at MTaylor@basiconline.com.
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By Dana Borowka
CEO, Lighthouse Consulting Services, LLC
The wrong hiring decision can cost your company well over two to three times the individual’s salary according to Vistage International speaker, Barry Deutsch. This figure may be a conservative estimate because of factors like training, evaluation, termination, re-initiating the hiring process, and lost opportunity costs. There is also an emotional factor involved in a bad hire situation. Not only can it cause stress and anxiety for both management and employees, but it also takes away focus from your company’s primary goals. Essentially, a bad hire can have a negative impact on your company’s bottom line and that won’t benefit you or your workforce in the Business Industry.
These circumstances can be minimized during the initial hiring process by using several techniques including effective recruitment programs, skilled interviewing and in-depth work style and personality assessment tests. An in-depth assessment is a highly effective tool and an efficient use of company resources at this crucial point of the decision making process.
This article focuses on in-depth assessment tests and how your company can benefit from them during the interview process, before a potential new hire turns into the wrong decision. An in-depth profile, in conjunction with a thorough interview process and good background check, can reduce the possibility of a hiring error. It also can provide your company with quantifiable information on a candidate’s specific strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, an assessment will offer objective, expert guidance on how best to manage and place that individual within your organization.
Personality Assessment Testing – A Standard in Recruiting
In-depth work style and personality assessments are a standard recruiting practice for many branches of the government and military, as well as many Fortune 500 companies when assessing potential hires for key or critical positions. They are used to reduce employee turnover and improve department effectiveness. Correctly interpreted, professionals can help guide your organization on how to best manage, communicate and train new hires and staff members.
As with any business decision, having the right information is critical. Work style and personality assessment testing can provide insight into potential hires, as well as your current workforce, in several ways:
Identify potential red flags: An in-depth work style and personality assessment can discover issues that are sometimes overlooked during the interviewing process and can quantify an intuition or feeling the interviewer may have about a particular candidate. It can be used to identify potential red flags concerning behavioral issues, help understand how to manage individuals for greater work performance and compare interpersonal dynamics of teams, departments and candidates.
Learn how to optimize employees’ work performance: An in-depth assessment can provide extensive information on an individual’s ability to work with their job responsibilities, team dynamics and company culture. Additionally, the assessment can show effective strategies to gain optimal performance from that individual within their particular work environment. It can also be employed to quickly identify the most effective management style for a new employee or predict how team members are likely to interact.
Ensure you have the right people in the right positions: Additionally, personality assessments can be utilized in rehires, or situations which call for employees to re-apply for their current jobs, as in the case of a corporate merger or restructuring. A personality assessment test can also ensure that your company continues to have the right people in the right positions and distribute assets & talents effectively.
Which Assessment Tool Should My Organization Use? The following are some things to think about when reviewing various work style & personality profiles:
Training or degrees of those who are providing the debrief/interpretation of the data.
A copy of the resume and job description should be supplied to the testing company.
Scale for “Impression Management”
•What is the history of the profile?
• Cultural bias
• Does the profile meet U.S. government employment standards? Has it been reviewed for ADA compliance & gender, culture & racial bias?
• Does the data provide an understanding on how an individual is wired?
These are some general questions and if a profile falls short in any one area, we strongly suggest additional research into the accuracy of the data being generated.
Frequently Asked Questions
A frequent question from companies and organizations concerns the legal guidelines in administering assessments to potential employees. Industry regulations can vary and the best option is to consult with your company’s trade association or legal department. As a general rule, if your company uses an assessment, any test or set of hiring questions must be administered to all of the final candidates in order to assure that discrimination is not present. Additional information can be found online at the EEOC website, in the Disability-Related Inquiries and Medical Examinations of Employees section: http://www.eeoc.gov/docs/guidance-inquiries.html.
An additional question concerns how a new hire may feel about taking an in-depth personality and work style assessment. There is a certain amount of “test anxiety” that can be common. However, the test demonstrates that your company is serious about who they hire. If your company explains that the goal of the assessment is to reduce turnover and is only one of several factors involved in the hiring decision, the individual usually responds very well. In many cases, the candidate may accept a position from the organization they perceive to be more thoughtful during the hiring process.
Conclusion
An in-depth assessment is only one component needed for a successful recruitment and hiring program. It can provide valuable information for critical personnel decisions. Combined with an effective recruitment program and skilled interview techniques, it can benefit your company as a whole, in addition to your individual employees. Armed with accurate and quantifiable data from an in-depth personality assessment, the interview process becomes much more reliable. Ultimately, this only adds to your organization’s bottom line, allowing more effective management of your existing workforce and limiting the potential for wrong hiring decisions. For more information, please call (310) 453-6556, ext. 403 or email us at dana@lighthouseconsulting.com.
If you would like additional information on this topic or others, please contact your Human Resources department or Lighthouse Consulting Services LLC, 3130 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 550, Santa Monica, CA 90403, (310) 453-6556, dana@lighthouseconsulting.com & our website: www.lighthouseconsulting.com
Lighthouse Consulting Services, LLC provides a variety of services, including in-depth work style assessments for new hires & staff development, team building, interpersonal & communication training, career guidance & transition, conflict management, workshops, and executive & employee coaching. To order the book, “Cracking the Personality Code” please go to www.crackingthepersonalitycode.com.
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By Rebecca Cook
DTMB – Purchasing Operations,
Business Development, Sate of Michigan
The “Contracting 101” PowerPoint presentation has been remade into a new self-study module, with an accompanying tutorial script that takes businesses through each slide, step by step.
The “Elements of a Quality Proposal” presentation has been upgraded to a webcast. Businesses can view the video as the presentation moves through each correlating slide.
These upgraded training materials are especially helpful for businesses that may not be able to attend a seminar in person – they may now receive the same information without leaving their home or office. The online training can also provide a valuable review for businesses that have attended a live seminar.
Please contact Rebecca Cook if you would like expanded content, or a newsletter article for your communications. Call 517-373-8530 or e-mail coofr6@michigan.gov
https://michbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/MichBusiness_logo_horizontal.png00michbusinesshttps://michbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/MichBusiness_logo_horizontal.pngmichbusiness2011-10-10 16:00:022015-10-08 00:00:00The State of Michigan Has Made Significant Upgrades To Its Vendor Training Materials
As Bloomberg Businessweek columnist Karen Klein recently pointed out: “There is a plethora of advice available for new business owners. But it’s wrong to assume that the hard work diminishes once entrepreneurs have established their ventures…When mature companies fail, it is often because they haven’t adapted, particularly during an economic downturn.”
In the newest Best Business Practices Survey, Michigan Business & Professional Association (MBPA) members were asked to share actions they have taken over this past year that have had positive impacts in the areas of finance, working with employees, sales, marketing/advertising, internal procedures/processes, technology, and overall advice to other business owners. This paper summarizes the survey’s most significant findings.
Employee Issues
In this post-recession economy, employer/employee relationships have changed. Workers and bosses have both gone through a lot—reduced pay and benefits, increased workloads and insecure futures. It’s no surprise that:
In a June 2011 report by LeadershipIQ, 69 percent of North American workers said they are either disengaged or “underengaged.” (based on responses from 102,311 employees and managers at 130 organizations)…Leaders, as well as rank-and-file workers, are feeling less motivated…More than half of frontline supervisors report either being disengaged (8 percent) or “underengaged” (44 percent). Fully one-third of middle managers…voiced similar sentiments, as did 30 percent of executives…LeadershipIQ’s study echoes a report in January by BlessingWhite Inc…In North America, where only 33 percent of employees identified themselves as engaged.
MBPA survey respondents noted the following as the “most important” employee actions they have done to create a “positive impact” on employees:
Re-invested in our operation and our people.
“For us, it’s always our vision….to work with our employees to help them achieve their personal, professional and financial goals.”
Removed barriers to work-life balance. Do not track hours or sick days…employees can attend training during work hours….and we don’t dock them. We only ask that they let us know if they will be away from work. This has created an environment where employees and their families believe they are very important to us.
Everyone is more flexible….very conscious of doing what it takes to get the job done.
Monthly meetings, peer recognition, annual bonuses, “sun days” (close early, lunch/theme parties and sales team funded events).
Providing motivational activities to promote a sense of value to the work performed by staff. In addition to several large employee events, we’ve added smaller activities like bringing in slurpees for the staff on hot days or providing “You Are Appreciated” cards allowing employees to leave work two hours early.
Implemented a SMILE program, where individuals were rewarded….for smiling. “Happy employees make for happy customers.”
Promotions given when performance is stellar.
Added an incentive plan for hourly employees.
Gave better feedback on employee performance.
More personal involvement with sales people.
Eliminated practical road blocks through an employee suggestion program.
Empowered employees and managers to handle all customer complaints.
Started new idea generation groups.
Listen to employees closest to the customer.
Cross trained employees which saved having to hire additional staff.
Trained all employees to use their networks to bring in new clients.
Offered online training as well as having local training events.
Changed the training program and required all to participate. This created additional positive growth for all and brought encouraged competitiveness to the entire group.
Additional time is spent on employee meetings to prepare well in advance for the “busy time of the year.” This has helped to provide a sense of company support to all staff and their roles.
Set a clear vision connected to goals and goal planning.
Communicate in all aspects of the business cycle.
Used Skype for more interactive strategy calls between locations. Also videotaped messages from the president to the rest of the company and these have been much better received.
Initiated pro-active recruiting….we now project out a year in advance of when we think we might need someone and begin recruiting for that position.
Hire responsible people and don’t micro-manage them.
Be HONEST!
Be involved with the business….if you don’t, nobody else will.
Many of these thoughts are summed up well by serial entrepreneur and business author Gary Vaynerchuk, who says:
Any investment you make in your employees will be safe if they believe that you really care about them and their future. Create a culture that rewards people who show they care. Seek the input of people who have shown a tendency to take risks and share big ideas. Prove that you value your employees above all else by giving them the freedom to ask for what they want, to experiment, and to be themselves.
Technology’s Impact
Technology continues to transform the business world. In fact, some business experts predict that, by 2014, social networking will replace e-mail as the primary form of communication for up to 20 percent of business users. Evidence of the impact of technology was evident in the MBPA survey with respondents noting that they:
Were able to replace the 10-15 year old computers with a new network compatible system.
Leveraged the latest technology to centralize data, backup, processing, maintenance and help manage costs.
Increased server capacity, which improved processing time and was able to create more electronic publications.
Using web-based programs that allow us to share documents with select employees or customers.
Now have fillable forms online, signature pads at each checkout and are in the process of going paperless.
Moved manual logging/filing functions to electronic storage/reports.
Constantly review CAD and CAM software to make sure it meets needs.
Created a more user friendly web site.
Made more product offerings available online.
Have been more active in inviting prospects to our main warehouse facility and giving them a tour that worked so well they put a video of the tour on the company website. (“This has been a huge success for us!”)
Did more Internet marketing – Facebook, Weekly eNews, joined other search entities.
Hired a social media person to help reach a changing demographic segment of our customer base.
Gotten much more involved in social media to improve brand and name recognition. Updated the website to increase SEO which increased requests for quotes by 100%.
Integrated smart-phone technology with desktops now used only for heavy research or word processing. (“The freedom, flexibility and speed is amazing.”)
Added support for more mobile devices, which allows people to stay tighter in touch on time sensitive issues.
Using more social media and blogs to better educate prospects.
Skype for interactive calls between offices.
Have stopped relying on “endpoint” anti-virus solutions that have proven to be ineffective against the latest infections that re-encrypt themselves every 12 hours. Instead, using a network wide hardware “Intrusion Prevention Device.”
Added testimonial video clips to Facebook and the website.
With 2.1 billion Internet users and as many as 8 trillion messages whizzing through the Ethernet, MBPA members are clearly on the right path by keeping up with the technological changes that are transforming the world.
Revamping Operations
“Even a mature company must maintain a startup mentality, invest in innovation, and raise the bar for its products and services,” according to management consultant Mark Stevens. “If that doesn’t happen, it can face a long and painful slide into obscurity.”
MBPA members already practice innovation with financial controls and operational moves like:
Changing to a four 10-hour day work week that forces a hard look at overtime.
Empowering employees to find ways to improve efficiencies and the bottom line with some of the best ideas coming from the front line.
Reviewing all products, pricing and inventory costs, then making vendor changes, product changes and pricing changes.
Embracing change and regularly trying new/modified approaches.
Taking Medicare-eligible employees off the company plan and using a stipend so costs are fixed and people can buy their own individual supplement plans.
Using a business coach to help increase focus on priority items.
Doing whatever it takes to improve company work flow and throughput.
Eliminating some supervisory positions to increase the speed of making changes.
Giving up less profitable client work to better focus on business development and more profitable work.
Dropping underperforming products.
Using credit checks on new customers and COD for the first time.
Holding sales managers accountable for deal-making pace and quality.
Networking and bartering.
Conclusion
In the end, the 2011 MBPA Best Practices Survey proves the importance of striking “a balance between treating employees as costs and assets…By caring for workers, being careful about how they’re managed, and providing them with a compelling overall purpose, companies are finding they can be good to their employees and to the rest of their stakeholders as well.”
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