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Are you wondering how to get the CEO to listen to your idea? Well then. You are on the right track. This is especially true if you are an employee who aspires to rise up the ladder within your organization. Read on to get some tips that can help you get the CEO to listen to your idea.

One of the first things you need to do is to develop a business plan for your idea. There are many people out there who claim they have great business plans. But in reality, what they have is a complete waste of time. You should be sure to get business plans ready so that you can present them to the CEO and other key players within the organization. Also, it behoves you to make sure that your business plans have specific details, as opposed to being generic.

Next, you should focus on creating different areas within the business plan. You should include your goals, your strategy, and your financial forecasts. It’s very important to mention all the different aspects of the business. This way, you can show the CEO that you actually know what you are talking about. Having clear projections will make it easier for the CEO to listen to your ideas. This is because he or she will realize that you have put forth your own ideas to improve the business; rather than just throwing them out there in hopes of it working out.

Another very important aspect of getting the CEO to listen to your ideas is to make sure that you are clear with your mission statement. It needs to be concise but very clear. That way, the CEO will know exactly what he or she should be working towards. You also want to communicate it to the CEO that he or she is the one who is responsible for the overall success of the organization.

Ultimately, you will need to show the CEO that you are a great leader. This means that you need to make sure that you are able to inspire and motivate your team to work hard for the success of the business. Hence, you need to set goals, create plans, and show your determination so that your team can follow your direction to the letter.

When you are looking to get a CEO to listen to your great idea, it is important to be organized and focused on developing all of the different aspects of the business. This will help make sure that you present your idea in a way that will make it easy for your team to follow.

 

 

Dipo Umoru

+234 703 719 5924

Verification Consultant

Klinsheet Consulting

 

Regardless of whether you’re conscious of it or not, the experience you create during the process of onboarding a new employee can determine whether or not you have happy employees. It is worthy of note that the first impression an employee perceives would go a long way in determining their future with your organization. Sometimes, it feels like you’re spinning your wheel trying to recall everything they need to learn. A good onboarding process can go a long way to increase retention and ensure new employees gets up and running swiftly. More so, it ensures ­employees become effective sooner, which would undoubtedly build their confidence and help them improve.

As a recruiter, your hires should believe that they have made the right decision by joining your team. A great onboarding experience has a long-term impact on employees and for good reasons. As an HR personnel, it behoves you to understand that onboarding goes way beyond signing paperwork, sharing manuals and documentation. Without a structured system for the onboarding process, new employees would find it difficult to catch on and get acquainted with their new position.

On the other hand, an effective onboarding system helps new employees understand your core values and learn how their work can be structured within those values. Also, it builds connections with new hires and helps them feel a sense of belonging within the new community. We have compiled 7 strategies by which you can onboard happy employees – thereby increasing retention rate.

 

1. Invest time in onboarding checklists

Designing checklists for new employees would help you systemize your business. By so doing, you will be able to transform a process that can be overwhelming to one that is significantly less complicated. Furthermore, having an onboarding checklist guides you into checking each of the key hiring steps.

 

2. Provide a mentor

Employees’ first day at work is usually stressful, but the level of the stress would be determined by the employer. To soothe this stress, you should assign a mentor to each new employee. This way, the new employees would feel they have someone to guide them as they integrate with the new system.

 

3. Place them in customer service for a start

One of the best ways by which new hires would adapt to the system and understand your products/services is by working in the customer service department. This strategy has proven to be one of the best in helping employees understand the organization. Placing new employees in customer service would help them to understand what customers want and how they think. This would make them more empathetic to customers’ needs and will make them better equipped for their eventual position.

 

4. Engage them immediately

The best way to integrate a new employee is to get them involved in a project immediately. Assigning a new project or asking them to join a team in an ongoing project would give new hires the kind of engagement that’s required to get them going.

 

5. Do regular one-on-ones

Having frequent communications with new hires would help you understand the challenges they might’ve encountered somewhere along the line. You should set aside some minutes every week for a one-on-one conversation. Also, you should endeavour to know a couple of things about their personal lives. This way, you build a more human connection with them.

 

6. Create an avenue for all employees to communicate

Communication is key to building a strong and lasting relationship. Hence, it behooves you as a recruiter to ensure that the existing employees engage in some form of communication with the new employee.

 

7. Make it fun

In all honesty, the process of onboarding can be stressful and complicated. However, you should endeavour to create an aura of fun around it. For instance, you may create a new member welcome kit with all sorts of goodies. Furthermore, new employees can get to meet other team members and get their own first impression of everybody within the organization.

 

Are you a manager who struggles with managing your employees? Just sit back and read along.

It is believed that meeting targets is the only complicated task today’s managers often encounter. However, the very difficult tasks managers face today often relate to managing people and optimizing the work environment to foster best performance from employees. These tasks range from prioritization of tasks and time management; to team-building; decision-making; and managing a multigenerational workforce. In essence, the role of a manager is multi-dimensional.

Similarly, some managers undergo limited training in managing people, which is a prerequisite to successful employee relation. What’s more? Several managers lack the values, sensitivity, and awareness required to communicate with people effectively. Regardless of your current status as a manager (whether desiring a career in management or already practicing); it is crucial for you to be equipped with adequate knowledge of how to carry out your duties effectively. Here, we have highlighted 10 common mistakes managers make while trying to manage their employees.

1. Micromanaging

Micromanaging is the syndrome of wanting to control every part, however small, of (an enterprise or activity). It is perhaps the most common mistake managers make, and it seems to be prevalent amongst new managers. They often feel the need to exercise their veto powers and establish themselves as the boss. In other words, they engage in micromanaging to feel in control. Although employees might fail to react physically from the fear of being laid off; no one enjoys being micromanaged. More importantly, micromanaging is a fast way to turn employees against you. Instead, you should set goals and deadlines, and delegate roles to your employees. However, employees should get to determine by themselves how assignments would be carried out.

 

2. Not making time for your team

Managers often have tight schedules day-in-day-out, that they get so wrapped up in their own workload and don’t make time for their team. It is true that the organization’s success rests solely on you as a manager. However, it behooves you to understand that you are not alone. With the contribution of your team, the organization’s goals can be attained swiftly. In other words, you should be sure to make yourself available to your team members. Furthermore, you should develop your emotional intelligence so that you can be more sensitive to your team and their wants. Once you attain a leadership or management role, your team should come first above anything else. This is, at heart, what good leadership is all about.

 

3. Using money as motivation

It’s a wrong assertion to believe that money is, or can solve everything. If you’re fortunate enough to have a mutual relationship with your team, you would likely find out that money isn’t the only way to motivate them. Sometimes, it might even be the wrong move. As a matter of fact, engagement and acknowledgement of hard work have been proven to motivate employees.

4. Attitude

Being calm and patient are traits a manager must exhibit at all times – even at those times when the whole organization is nagging. A manager’s attitude can determine whether people feel anything from motivated and relaxed, to pressured and tense. The mistake some managers make is reacting with emotion to the actions of those they lead. Whether it’s in reaction to a below-par work; an opinionated comment; or even an irritating attitude of a team member; managers are consistently faced with the issue of maintaining composure and solving every situation in a fair, calculated and professional manner.

It is significant to reflect on the environment you would like to breed, and to be an example of that environment. This way, others can get acquainted with its merits and buy into the associated behaviours.

 

5. Being a reactive manager

For some, it is common sense to solve problems as they appear. However, this reactivity and can be at your peril if not carefully tackled. Often, new managers make this mistake. They “overdo” in an attempt to be accessible to their team. They work long hours and respond to crises immediately, instead of chilling to think strategically about what to do and focus on what’s most important. In all honesty, this act might earn the immediate approval of your team. Howbeit, it is important to be aware that misdirected action will be detrimental in the long run.

 

6. Being too friendly

On many occasions, managers want to appear as friendly and approachable to people in their team – especially if they just got hired. This is usually based on the thought that people are more productive working for a manager they can get along with. As interesting as this might sound; sometimes, you might have to take tough decisions regarding people in your team. Even more, some people would be tempted to take advantage of your relationship if you’re too kind to them. The bottom line is that while you socialize with your people, you should endeavour to create a balance between being a friend and being the boss.

 

7. Failing to define goals

When your team doesn’t have visible goals, they just muddle through their daily activities. There can be an adverse effect on performance rate if employees have no clue what they’re working for, or what their work means. As a manager, you should avoid this error by setting clear and visible goals for your team.

 

8. Not delegating

Many managers refuse to delegate on the basis that the employee would under-perform. This can be risky, not only to the organization, but to the state of your health – as you could become stressed and worn out. Delegating takes a lot of effort up-front and it can be scary to rely on your team to do the work effectively. Either way, unless you delegate, you never create time for other responsibilities. More significantly, you would have successfully failed to develop your team members if you do not assign tasks to them.

 

9. Breaking HR regulations

Breaking regulations may be deliberate or the other way round. For instance, managers may be aware of policies regarding racial or sexual discrimination; but may not think about the comments they make that could be viewed as sexiest, racist, or in line with any other type of discrimination. However, such statement(s) could erupt problems. In essence, you should be aware of policies guiding your industry. Also, you should be aware of such questions you can and cannot ask during an interview – especially when it comes to personal information.

 

10. Ignoring people problems

There’s no manual on how to handle people problems, especially problems such as trying to win over new reports or managing former peers. It can be uncomfortable to address problems. But anytime issues like low performance or ill behaviour arise, you should be sure to address it immediately with the employee in private, and probably consult with HR for advice. As a manager, you should calmly and carefully explain issues, and ask the employee how they can help solve the problem and create a concrete improvement plan. You should be firm. But in the same vein, you should be deliberate enough to show that addressing the issue is in the employee’s best interest.

 

 

Dipo Umoru

Verification Consultant

Klinsheet Consulting

+234 703 719 5924

 

As awkward as it may sound, the lack of gender equality is still a major concern in the corporate space. Apparently, this phenomenon has plagued the global economy in the workplace for many decades. Even today, it is still considered an essential factor for competitiveness and growth of any organization. What’s more? Experts in various industries opine that in order to create an inclusive and dynamic economy, everyone ought to get equal opportunities. There are several tactics that could be applied to ensure success in the promotion of gender equality. But here are 5 effective strategies to promote gender equality in your organization:

1. Reevaluate vacancy announcements

Promoting gender equality begins at the recruitment stage. This is why you should consider reevaluating your vacancy announcements to avoid gender discrimination. This seemingly petty fact is often overlooked by HR managers. Meanwhile, little are these professionals aware that even the smallest word or phrase could turn-off women from applying.

Instead of using phrases such as “he”, using or “he/she” can send a better signal. It is a simple strategy at removing gender discriminating vocabulary, and it instantly portrays the fact that your organization is dedicated to gender equality.

 

2. Considering leadership roles for both men and women

In truth, having a woman at the helm of affairs is seen as a “taboo” in some organizations. However, it is wrong to think that only men can succeed in leadership roles, while women are apt for support-oriented positions. Such stereotype is the hallmark of gender discrimination in organizations today.

Individuals – either male or female – who have what it takes should be granted leadership positions. Moreover, a better representation of women in leadership positions inadvertently enhances gender equality in an organization – as more women will be employed across strata.

3. Equal Pay

The concept behind equal pay is a significant aspect to take note of. This can destabilize and thus, lead to the demise of an organization. Pay should be reliant on the position and the job description. Also, a regular pay structure needs to be implemented. This would help enhance transparency among staff and eliminate discriminating pay rate issues.

Similarly, an annual audit of staff salary should be conducted to evaluate whether gender bias is taking place in the organization or not. Industry experts have advised companies across the globe to start taking steps to offer equal pay for women.

 

4. Penalize gender-based harassment

Although women might have publicly denounced themselves as a weak gender, the fact remains that they still need to be protected. Some men still find it difficult to understand what it means to suffer from gender inequality in the work environment. In situations like this, policies safeguarding the interests of women should be enacted. In other words, there should be a penalty for gender-based harassment, which would allow male colleagues to pay for their actions.

These penalties could range from salary reduction or suspension, to contract termination. Be it as it may, these types of penalties are necessary if you desire to create a female-friendly work environment.

 

5. Promote work-life balance

Having a balance between work and personal life is fundamental for all employees – especially mothers. People in these categories should be allowed to do their jobs remotely, as long as they’re able to deliver value.

More importantly, it would undoubtedly yield great results for the company, as a good work-life balance tends to make people happier and super-productive.

 

Withal, you should be sure to consider the suggestions of current employees, as they can contribute valuable insights into the challenges faced by the organization and check for improvement.

 

 

 

 

Dipo Umoru

Verification Consultant

Klinsheet Consulting

+234 703 719 5924

 

Starting out as a new employee with an organization can be an uneasy experience. The first few days are spent trying to understand the culture, and the pros and cons of the organization. It is also during that period that a new employee gets to learn everyone’s names and roles. Most times, it comes with a feeling of excitement. However, it can be overwhelming and sometimes comes with this feeling of isolation.

What’s more? There’s pressure from within to impress and to prove competence – which can adversely affect an employee’s productivity if not properly managed. In other words, welcoming new colleagues and making them feel among from the onset helps to set the tone for their overall performance. Alongside focusing on the employee’s onboarding, helping new employees feel welcome should be given a lot of priority. Hence, in this article, we would be discussing what some of the employment experts out there have said about how to welcome a new employee. This would give them the best possible start at your organization.

 

1. Give them a clean and clear space to work from

Sometimes, existing employees exhibit hilarious behaviours like changing desks, chairs, or computer external devices from the desk of the position that is up for hire. This could be a source of concern, as new hires are often reluctant to complain during their first few weeks. Sometimes, this affects the way new employees perceive the organization. You should ensure that after the office of the vacant position has been organized, no one is allowed to remove items from there. In essence, you should ensure that the predecessor’s clutter is cleaned off, while keeping the space clean in preparation for the new occupant.

 

2. Assign a company mentor

When hiring a new employee, you need to think beyond their first day. Hence, you should consider assigning a mentor who can help them acclimatize more effectively. The primary purpose of this mentor is to help new employees get acquainted with the culture, people and policies within the organization.

 

3. Get them a gift

One of the greatest techniques of welcoming new employees is to show that you have longed for their arrival. This can be achieved by presenting an amazing gift or a welcome package to them. Receiving a gift on the first day would make any employee feel cared about, and would also signal that you value them – especially as they try to adapt to unfamiliar surroundings.

 

4. Phase in the workload gradually

Piling up work on the desk of new employees could be a bad idea. Instead, you can make it flexible for them by presenting their workload over time, but not on the first day. Gradually introducing new projects allows new employees to engage and interact with their colleagues, while they assimilate the realities of the organization. That way, they do not feel overburdened with their workload.

 

5. Follow up

Finally, it is logical to get feedback to be sure that the employee is having a great time. In achieving this, you could organize a physical meeting with the employee for them to share their thoughts and opinions. Very importantly; you should ask about the impression they had about the organization’s people and processes during their first week of resumption.

 

 

 

Dipo Umoru

Verification Consultant

Klinsheet Consulting

+234 703 719 5924

As technology continues to evolve around several spheres of business globally, background check – one of the most integral parts of human resources – has joined the bandwagon for good. Since the past decade, there has been a vast change in the recruitment process, with thousands of candidates applying for one available role. This has made hiring and verifying applications of candidates one of the most important functions of Human Resources. However, using technology in the recruitment process can greatly enhance the quality of the process. Also, it can help to save time and other resources in the long run. Similarly, adopting technology for background verification during the employee screening process offers a vast number of advantages. Undoubtedly, new inventions have completely revolutionized the way background checks are conducted. Apparently, technology has made the hiring process a less labour-intensive task. Below are 6 advantages of technology in the background check space.

1. Time-saving

In a multinational organization where hundreds of job applications need to be screened and verified, conducting the process manually could take till eternity. However, using special software or a secured online platform can help your organization reduce the Turn Around Time (TAT) for background check screening to a limited time. That way, the time saved can be put into good use by the HR personnel.

2. Data security

Every organization is solely responsible for the protection of its employees’ information. Anyway, some amount of information needs to be shared between organizations when conducting background verification. While this process is legal, the said employee must give their consent. Technology can help HR personnel protect shared ex-employee information for background checks, while ensuring that the data does not fall into the hands of cyber-criminals.

3. Accurate background checks

There’s high chance that a cursory sweep of records and information had slipped through the cracked walls while conducting employee screening manually. For example, while conducting a health record or reference check manually, some details of the applicant might be overlooked. However, by using the appropriate technology and online platforms, a more thorough background verification can be achieved. What’s more? Automated results can be more credible and more reliable than manual results.

4. Access to huge data repositories

Technology has relatively lessened the burdens of HR managers in scanning through negative database while conducting a criminal record check. Technology used in screening candidates via negative database can assist an organization in selecting only those employees who have clean records.

5. End-to-end automation

Gone are those days when HR managers had to scan through papers with their four eyes. Nowadays, applicants’ requests can be automated, and results can be delivered online. In other words, prospective candidates can apply through the company’s portal; and all data would automatically get populated to the employee screening platform. HR would just have to view the status of the ongoing verifications and get the results delivered online.

6. Improved work environment

One of the primary benefits of adopting technology in the background verification process is that the work environment can be greatly developed. Not only can the hiring teams spend their time and resources in more productive areas; they can also attain a high hiring quality as well. With these points stated above, it is glaring that technology has started to revolutionize the process of running background check services.     Dipo Umoru Verification Consultant Klinsheet Consulting +234 703 719 5924  

Whenever employees seek clarity about the organization or want to tender a request for their benefits; there’s just one person to turn to – the HR. Time and time again, we have heard HR professionals lament about the rate at which employees bombard them with questions and feedback on what should be communicated to the management. In a bid to help young HR professionals have a seamless blend, we have compiled a list of 5 common issues employees approach their HR for.

1. Why have I been taxed so much?

In many cases, HR ends up fielding questions about payroll. Apparently, the most common cause of this is an abnormality on employees’ payslip. One of the most common questions employees ask HR is “why have I been taxed so much?” Meanwhile, there are a number of reasons why employees may be charged higher tax than expected. For instance, they might have underpaid the previous year, and the deficit needs to be rectified. Another possible reason is that their tax code may have changed.

In truth, you were hired as an HR specialist and not a payroll specialist. Regardless, you should make it your priority to understand the pros and cons of employee payslip, and the way tax is calculated. This way, you may be able to spot the obvious answer to employees’ questions. This gives you the opportunity to build trust between yourself and your employee(s).

2. How do I access the web portal? I forgot my user ID/password.

This question is inevitable, as new employees tend to forget their login details while they strive to settle into the new environment. Either way, your payroll person should have unrestricted access to this information. At least, he/she should have the eligibility to reset the login credentials of your staff. Again, you can create a simple system for helping your employees remember their user IDs.

3. What’s my remaining holiday entitlement?

After all the work is done, everyone sure needs a break. After the salary has been discussed, one other thing employees want to know is how much vacation they are entitled to. If your organization has automated systems that allow self-service functionalities for employees, they obviously can log in and get this information themselves. If on the other hand, there are no such automated systems in place, the HR’s office is definitely the place to go.

As an HR professional, you should be conversant with your organization’s entitlement rules and be sure to know how to navigate the employee database as quickly as possible. Furthermore, you should have a solid grasp on how to calculate holiday entitlements for casual workers.

4. “My colleague isn’t pulling their weight”

You should be aware that many of the questions and queries you would attend to might not relate directly to employees’ roles or productivity. As a matter of fact, HR is the department where employees walk to whenever there are grievances between co-workers. HR managers are saddled with issues like: “my team member isn’t pulling their weight; can you transfer them?”

Apparently, situations like this can be very tricky to handle. Be it as it may, the very first thing to do is to calm the dissatisfied party down. The reported employee may truly have breached the company’s policy or made things uneasy for his/her colleagues. However, the dissatisfied party might also have come to lay such allegations over what was a petty and avoidable fallout.

Hence, your next move should be to call the alleged perpetrator to order and liaise with him/her. If it’s an issue related to performance, you may want to have the perpetrator’s supervisor or line-manager involved in the discussion. That way, the supervisor can help monitor and facilitate the progress of the lagging staff.

5. My job description isn’t right

Often times, HR managers have to answer questions that aren’t related to their roles or responsibilities within the organization. Some of the common problems HR managers have to deal with is that of an incorrect job description. As the HR, you might have helped to setup an employee’s initial contract. In many cases, their job description would have been prepared by the employee’s direct manager, or the hiring manager. This literally means you do not have the autonomy to change their job description directly. However, you could be of help to the employee by organizing a meeting between the employee and the relevant staff. This way, the employee would feel listened to, even if they would end up carrying on the set of tasks they’re complaining about – which is usually the case anyway.

 

 

Dipo Umoru

+234 703 719 5924

Verification Consultant

Klinsheet Consulting