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How You Know it’s Time to Fire an Employee

I decided to write this post because it’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. I am a business owner (I own an Atlanta DUI defense law firm) and only have two employees. One does administrative tasks, one does legal tasks. I recently had to let one of them go, and I thought I’d share my experience with you and talk about how you know it’s time to fire someone.

1. They Aren’t Performing Up to Your Expectations

This one is probably pretty straightforward. No matter what job there is out there, there are certain things that need to be done, and certain things that need to be done well. If those things aren’t done well, then that’s not good.

For example, let’s say you’ve got a DUI attorney, what do you expect them to be able to do? First, you’d expect them to have a working knowledge of DUI defense. Second, you’d expect them to have good public speaking skills. Third, you’d expect them to have good writing skills. And fourth, you’d expect them to be able to provide good legal analysis. If you don’t have that, you’re in trouble.

You’ve Given them a Chance to Improve and They Haven’t

There’s an old mantra out there that goes something like “hire slow, fire fast.” I think that mantra holds true. But just because you should fire fast doesn’t mean you should make rash decisions. Before pulling the trigger you want to make sure that someone understands what’s expected of them, what needs to improve, and then some time should probably be given to see if improvement occurs. Sometimes people just don’t know what’s expected of them.

3. They Aren’t Making You Money

There is another rule to hiring that says the person you should hire should be able to pay for themselves within the first four weeks that you hire them. What that means is they should be doing something that either frees up more of your time or actually brings in more money for you and your business.

Let’s go back to the DUI lawyer example one more time. When you hire a lawyer to work for you, they should pay for themselves in two ways. First, they free up time so you can go out and get more business. Second, they themselves bring in business, at least a part of which gets to go into your pocket. In essence, they’ve paid for themselves. Yes, you have to write a check every two weeks, but they’ve filled your coffers so you’re at a net gain, not a net loss.

There you have it, how you know it’s time to let someone go. It’s a tough decision, and I don’t think anyone likes doing it, but sometimes it’s just got to be done.

About me – I’m an Atlanta DUI attorney who enjoys talking about business just as much as DUI defense. If you want to learn more about me and my firm, please visit my DUI defense blog. Thanks for reading.

Learning to Master the Hiring Process

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When you are learning how you are going to be wise about hiring a new employee it may become necessary to perform a pre-employment test. Screening your employees will help you ensure that whomever you hire can be a dynamic addition to your team.

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The Benefits Of Health And Safety Consultants

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There are a number of reasons why businesses can benefit from health and safety consultants. As their job title suggests it is their role to look at the working environment to make sure that is healthy and safe for people to work in. While the potential risks may vary according to the work place it is important to make sure that these risks are minimized as much as possible.

In a factory this is often pretty clear. Machines should have the right guards to prevent people hurting themselves while operating machinery. Anyone who lifts heavy boxes should either use the right equipment or carefully lift with the knees. This helps prevent injuries. A good health and safety company will always advise on the right path.

For example if someone is cleaning the floor then should be a clear warning that the floor is wet. While this may sound obvious if someone trips over and injures themselves then you could be liable for a compensation claim. Small things like this are important to note and a good consultant should be able to make sure that they have been properly accounted for.

These are all things that should be put in place while at work. A consultant can make sure that staff have the right training so that they can help people in the event of any accidents in the work place. They can also help prevent them from happening, such as by making sure ladders are properly supported and so forth.

When looking online it is important to check how long they have been in business, what kind of certification they have and whether they are part of a recognised official body or association. They should be willing to discuss the service they will offer and whether the quote for those services includes liability insurance, sub contractors and so forth. They should also clarify who will be doing the inspections and how well qualified they are to do so.

Like most products it is best to look online to get background research on health and safety consultants in your local area. You should see if the companies that hired them were satisfied with the results. Ideally when you contact the company they should be willing to provide references. It is also worth looking online for local professional bodies who should be able to recommend certified consultants in your local area.

When your looking for a employment law firm then the good people at light house risk services will help you our as employment law firm they will guide you the way

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4 Better Ways to Handle Complaints

If you WOW a customer at the Moment of Truth , the average customer will walk away and tell 5 people about the experience.

If you fail to meet the customer’s expectations at the Moment of Truth , customers are very likely to tell 11 people about the problem they had with your company.

If you drop the ball with customers at the Moment of Truth , but rebound with a quick customer recovery, research shows that the customer will tell up to 17 people about your service recovery.

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