Ascentis Blog

Information to help HR and payroll managers, recruiters, and compliance officers become more effective.

Tag Archives: new year’s

12 New Year’s Resolutions for HR and Payroll

A resolution is a promise or commitment we make to increase behaviors that will support greater success and productivity, or stop those behaviors that limit our capabilities and hinder us from achieving our maximum potential. Even with the best of intentions, it is common for most of us to make resolutions … and then forget them.

Business resolutions make as much sense or more than personal ones.  In business there are always areas that could use improvement, but rarely do we have the time or resources to dedicate to them.  Even deciding where to start, or how many resolutions to have, can be a challenge.  So keep it simple. Pick one or two areas and try out a new business-focused resolution. With the tremendous success you experience this year, next year’s resolutions will be even more exciting.  Here are some resolutions you should have no problem sticking to!

  1. Streamline your W2 process for end-of-year

How long did it take you this year to get your W2s out to your employees?  Did your payroll provider do it for you?  Did you and your team spend days stuffing envelopes and sealing them?  Isn’t your time valuable?  Relying on outdated systems to get your end-of-year processes completed seems a bit silly with all the technology out there.  Maybe it is time to look at a new payroll system or provider, one that saves you and your team time and offers a streamlined process to make the end of the year less, rather than more, stressful.

This is the first of 12 New Year’s Resolutions…follow us on twitter or subscribe to our rss feed to get the other 11 as they are posted OR if you can’t wait, click here to get the full list today http://www.ascentis.com/download_new_years_resolution_2010.asp

New year, same mistakes?

fireworks“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”  ~Oprah Winfrey. 

I agree with Ms. Winfrey, now is the time to take a look back at the last year and figure out what went well, what went ok and what just didn’t go!  This is not the time to lay blame, but the time to set new goals going forward.  Personally, I like to create a list (I love lists, oh and post it notes, but that is slightly irrelevant here) that shows 3 areas:  the great, the ok and the what was I thinking.

Take a look at your staff, your employees and your management.  Look at how your interactions with them were; add those thoughts to the list.  

  • Did your last open enrollment go well?  What could have made it better?
  • Notices to the employees were well received?  Were they even read?
  • Do employees know who is a part of the HR and PR teams?  Should they?
  • Do your employees feel comfortable approaching the staff when they have an issue with benefits?  (We all know if there is a problem with paychecks they have no problem coming forward!)
  • Was management supportive of HR/PR and the new ideas or tactics that were tried?
  • Where was the majority of time spent for HR/PR?

How about some ideas for this coming year…

  • Maybe it is time to look at on demand HR and PR to meet your needs.
  • What can be done to increase employee retention?
  • Set aside 20 mins everyday (close the office door) and read one of those articles that you keep flagging for follow up.
  • Do you have a wellness program in place?
  • Delegate, delegate, delegate.  The key to sanity is delegation!
  • Are you offering employee or manager self service to your company?
  • Weekly sit down with your team and go over what has happened during the week, what should happen in the upcoming week and what the future goals are.  Keep it short and sweet!

 Good luck and don’t sweat it, there is always next year!

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