”Starting a business is no easy task, and once started the next 3-5 years will test you like you have never been tested in business” – Jeff Garr. Read his interview at MO.com http://www.mo.com/jeffrey-c-garr-hr-knowledge-inc
Jeff Garr
New Year, New Resolution for Hiring Managers: Improve Interview Techniques to Reduce Cost
Job interviews can be stressful on new hire candidates, but they also put pressure on the hiring manager. The cost of making a “bad hire” decision incurs the obvious expenses of salary and benefits, but there are also hidden costs. Time invested in training and lost time in finding the right candidate (which can takes months) cannot be recouped.
HR Knowledge, Inc. a leading human resources Business Process Outsourcer (BPO) serving emerging to mid-sized companies throughout the East Coast with offices in Mansfield and Waltham, share their “Top 5 Tips for Successful Interview” techniques.
Many Human Resource Managers begin with the resumé and ask questions to determine what the skill set may have been for jobs listed on the resumé. Carefully listening to the answers may indicate a situation where the candidate has inflated the resumé or listed positions in the background that have been glamorized. Asking closed ended questions that have yes or no responses may not ferret these errors out, and it may not be assumed that these omissions will be picked up in a background check.
There are some simple, logical tips that can be used during a job interview to discern the credibility of the candidate. Here are the Top 5:
1. Ask open ended questions. Follow up with questions that will shed light on areas where there may be inconsistencies.
2. Look for eye contact. When applicants stretch the truth, they typically break eye contact or look away.
3. Nervous twitches or tics may give away the false answers. Switching crossed legs, leg shaking, toe tapping, finger drumming… are all indications that the candidate is uncomfortable. Looking into this discomfort may reveal areas of potential deception.
4. Evaluate the candidate’s handshake. It may seem trivial, but a firm and direct handshake are important. A limp or moist handshake are giveaways that the candidate may be insecure with their presentation to you.
5. Obvious factors such as chewing gum or inappropriate attire during an interview are tip-offs that the candidate does not take the position seriously. Unless you want to have ongoing problems with lateness or unprofessional representation, you may want to skip these candidates.
According to Jeff Garr, CEO of HR Knowledge, “Searching for great employees is more than evaluating the resumé. Hiring the right person is important for the morale of the existing employees as well. The old adage “you are known for the company you keep” extends to the workplace. As each new hire represents your company, it’s important to assess them on the basis of their skills, but also how they will fit into your corporate culture and ultimately, how they will represent your company and your brand.”
For more information about compensation, HR and or benefits contact Jeff Garr, CEO at HR Knowledge or 508-339-1300.
About HR Knowledge, Inc.
HR Knowledge, Inc. is a leading Business Process Outsourcer (BPO) serving emerging to mid-sized companies throughout the East Coast. HR Knowledge has the experience and technology to efficiently provide best-in-class integrated HR services at an affordable cost to clients.
HR Knowledge’s leaders have more than 100 years of combined experience and provide expert guidance in Human Resource management, Group Benefits Brokerage, Payroll Processing & Managed Services, Financial Services and Recruiting and Hiring Process Management (HPM).
Through their comprehensive Human Resource Services, HR Knowledge helps organizations minimize operational risks, reduce administrative costs and better serve their people.
HR Knowledge has been recognized as a Gold Level Broker by Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare. The company is headquartered at 905B South Main Street, Suite 203 in Mansfield and their second office is located at 890 Winter Street, Suite 208 in Waltham, MA. For more information, contact (508) 339-1300 or visit their website at www.hrknowledge.com
New Year, New Resolution for Hiring Managers: Improve Interview Techniques to Reduce CostRead More
In light of Herman Cain Situation, HR Guru weighs in on Sexual Harassment
Sexual Harassment can happen to any employer, manager or employee, we are all at risk. Herman Cain may be completely innocent of these allegations. However, most employers when these issues arise, will often times settle the cases before they go to court as the legal fees alone will usually be a far great dollar amount than the amount settled for in a much quicker time frame for resolution. Neither side is admitting fault but the settlement makes the matter go away.
What can employers do to protect themselves? Jeff Garr, CEO of HR Knowledge, Inc., a leading Business Process Outsourcer (BPO) serving emerging to mid-sized companies throughout the Northeast with offices in Mansfield and Waltham, explains there are a number of rules to set in motion as employers to ensure that companies and their employees are protected from frivolous law suits. Garr provides an easy set of guidelines to follow which are outlined below:
1. Create and maintain an up-to-date Employee Guideline or Manual. This Manual should contain all of the legal laws and regulations required by local and national laws. In addition, please ensure that all employees sign a notice of acceptance of this Manual and keep those signed/dated documents in a safe and secure place.
2. Provide annual Sexual Harassment Training for your entire company. This training should help employees understand the do’s and don’ts of supporting a positive work environment. In addition, have each employee sign a letter of acceptance that they have gone through this annual training.
3. Ensure that the Policy in the Employee Guideline/Manual for Sexual Harassment is followed and supported by all in the company. If there is an employee that is feeling as though they are being sexually harassed ensure that proper procedures and or an investigation ensues in order to determine what the issues are. Whatever you do don’t turn your head and act as though nothing happened, this can only make the employee angry and create a better likelihood of the employee suing the employer and or the employee. Remember that not only is the Employer subject to liability but so is the employee if they are the one doing the harassing.
4. Purchase an EPLI policy from your Liability Insurance Provider. EPLI stands for Employment Practice Liability Insurance. This is the only insurance in place to protect the employer and its employees from this sort of litigation. Without this insurance coverage the employer will run blind and the meter will start ticking with any attorney hired to defend you. This policy will also insure that you will be provided Legal Representation. These suits can bankrupt a company if the damages are great enough and they don’t have this insurance.
5. Enlist the services of a strong HR Outsourcing Company or have HR Professionals on board as employees. These professionals can help ensure that you are doing the right thing every day in every way. Notify them early on of any potential issues so that they can start the process of investigating and working on making sure level heads prevail and move forward in a positive way.
For more information or to arrange a speaking engagement with HR guru Jeff Garr, contact (508) 339-1300.
About HR Knowledge, Inc.
HR Knowledge, Inc. is a leading Business Process Outsourcer (BPO) serving emerging to mid-sized companies throughout the Northeast. HR Knowledge has the experience and technology to efficiently provide best-in-class integrated HR services at an affordable cost to clients.
HR Knowledge’s leaders have more than 100 years of combined experience and provide expert guidance in Human Resource management, Group Benefits Brokerage, Payroll Processing & Managed Services, Financial Services and Recruiting and Hiring Process Management (HPM).
Through their comprehensive Human Resource Services, HR Knowledge helps organizations minimize operational risks, reduce administrative costs and better serve their people.
HR Knowledge has been recognized as a Gold Level Broker by Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare. The company is headquartered at 905B South Main Street, Suite 203 in Mansfield and their second office is located at 890 Winter Street, Suite 208 in Waltham, MA. For more information, contact (508) 339-1300 or visit their website at www.hrknowledge.com
In light of Herman Cain Situation, HR Guru weighs in on Sexual HarassmentRead More
HR Knowledge Inc. Offers Sexual Harassment Prevention Training and Tips
HR Knowledge, Inc., a leading Business Process Outsourcer (BPO) serving emerging to mid-sized companies throughout the Northeast with offices in Mansfield and Waltham, recently announced that they provide training on sexual harassment prevention in the workplace. Companies are required by Federal Law to have a Sexual Harassment Policy in place, and annual training of all of a company’s employees provides greater understanding of the policy while reinforcing it.
HR Knowledge has outlined the steps required and suggested to prevent Sexual Harassment in the workplace:
1. Maintain an Employee Guideline that includes a Sexual Harassment Policy.
2. In the Guidelines there should be key elements which include investigation if necessary and non-retaliation, as retaliation can put the company in a greater risk position than they were with the alleged original offense.
3. Ensure that all employees sign off on and accept/receive the Employee Guidelines which should include the Sexual Harassment Policy. Keep this signature page in a safe and secure place.
4. Annual Sexual Harassment Prevention Training for the employees at your company. The training should mention and review the do’s and don’ts for Sexual Harassment and what could be construed as Sexual Harassment. The purpose is to create and maintain a positive and healthy work environment for all employees.
5. Once the training is completed please have each employee sign off that they did attend the training and keep this on file.
6. Finally, HR Knowledge recommends purchasing an insurance policy called EPLI (employment practice liability insurance). This insurance will protect the company from claims made against the company for Sexual Harassment, Wrongful Termination, Discrimination in the workplace and other type of employment related practices. Without this insurance, companies will have to pay for their own attorney and pay for any claims awarded for an employment practice lawsuit. This insurance should protect you from employment practice lawsuits. (Note: HR Knowledge is not property and casualty insurers. Please consult an insurance agent for more information on EPLI Insurance.)
According to Jeff Garr, CEO of HR Knowledge, “Sexual Harassment claims and awards can amount to a great deal of money, so prevention and education are vital in protecting the company, it’s managers and ownership. HR Knowledge provides this sort of training for organizations on an annual basis.”
Garr has spoken on a wide variety of HR topics ranging from employment issues to social media policies and sexual harassment prevention. He is available for speaking engagements.
To arrange a speaking engagement with Jeff Garr, contact (508) 339-1300.
About HR Knowledge, Inc.
HR Knowledge, Inc. is a leading Business Process Outsourcer (BPO) serving emerging to mid-sized companies throughout the Northeast. HR Knowledge has the experience and technology to efficiently provide best-in-class integrated HR services at an affordable cost to clients.
HR Knowledge’s leaders have more than 100 years of combined experience and provide expert guidance in Human Resource management, Group Benefits Brokerage, Payroll Processing & Managed Services, Financial Services and Recruiting and Hiring Process Management (HPM).
Through their comprehensive Human Resource Services, HR Knowledge helps organizations minimize operational risks, reduce administrative costs and better serve their people.
HR Knowledge has been recognized as a Gold Level Broker by Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare. The company is headquartered at 905B South Main Street, Suite 203 in Mansfield and their second office is located at 890 Winter Street, Suite 208 in Waltham, MA. For more information, contact (508) 339-1300 or visit their website at www.hrknowledge.com
HR Knowledge Inc. Offers Sexual Harassment Prevention Training and TipsRead More
HR Knowledge CEO to appear on MYOB Radio Show Sunday
Jeff Garr, CEO of HR Knowledge will be appearing on the “Mind your Own Business” Radio Show this week. The show provides advice, information and connections for entrepreneurs, service providers and established companies. Tune into MYOB this Sunday between 9-11 AM to hear his segment.
Local Stations:
WBNW 1120 AM – Needham, MA
WPLM 1390 AM – Plymouth, MA
WESO 970 AM – Southbridge, MA
or stream online @ MYOBTheRadioShow.com
HR Knowledge CEO to appear on MYOB Radio Show SundayRead More
HR Experts to Speak at XPX-Boston Breakfast at Babson College
Jeff Garr, CEO and Ken Bettenhauser, President of Brokerage Services at HR Knowledge, Inc., a leading Business Process Outsourcer (BPO) serving emerging to mid-sized companies throughout the Northeast with offices in Mansfield and Waltham, will speak at Exit Planning Exchange (XPX) Boston’s Breakfast Meeting on Wednesday, May 18, 2011, from 7:15 AM to 9:00 AM at Babson College in the Needham Wellesley Room, Wellesley, MA.
Garr and Bettenhauser will be speaking on the topic of “An Owner’s Perspective: When is an Exit not an Exit” and share their thought process around why they decided a merger was the answer to growth; how they developed their business plan; mitigated risk; dealt with challenges and leveraged their most trusted relationships.
A hot breakfast will be served. Advanced registration is recommended. Admission is $50 for Members; $70 for Non-Members. (Registrations at the door are an additional $10.) Parking is available in the lot next to Knight Auditorium.
To register for the event, visit xpxboston.com.
Garr and Bettenhauser are available for speaking engagements. Dedicated to helping businesses and individuals achieve their short and long term goals, they can share their knowledge on a variety of HR topics ranging from payroll processing, HR management, group benefits, financial services, recruiting and hiring.
Garr’s expertise has been honed from more than two decades in Sales, Management and HR in the distribution, manufacturing and business to business sectors. He has won countless sales awards and led dozens of seminars and training sessions over the years. Garr helped launch his first HR outsourcing company, HR Logic, in 1998, which was a Fidelity Investments Company. He went on to found AdminaService in 2001 and subsequently partnered with the HR Knowledge Team in 2005. Garr is the president of Network 128, an esteemed Boston based networking group and the past president and current auction chairman of The Mansfield Rotary. For the past eight years, he has been involved with MIT’s CFO Summit and he will be a speaker for Yankee Dental Congress 2012.
Bettenhauser is the co-founder of HR Knowledge. He works directly with clients to analyze and make recommendations to reduce their largest corporate expenditures surrounding payroll and employee benefit costs. Bettenhauser has more than 15 years experience in the Benefit, Payroll and HR Technology fields which he gained while serving as Director of Sales for ADP’s Emerging Business Division in New England and as Application Sales Manager at Oracle Corporation. He co-founded HR Knowledge in 2001. Over the last eight years, Bettenhauser has been involved with MIT’s CFO Summit and has served as a guest speaker regarding the Rising costs of healthcare. He is a member of Massachusetts Health Underwriters Association and is a licensed group benefit broker in over 15 states.
To arrange a speaking engagement with Jeff Garr or Ken Bettenhauser, contact Jenn Penfield at (508) 339-1300.
About Exit Planning Exchange (XPX) Boston
XPX was founded by a small group of New England business colleagues that currently serve as the organization’s national executive board known as XPX Global. For more information about XPS Boston, visit the website at www.xpxboston.com.
About HR Knowledge, Inc.
HR Knowledge, Inc. is a leading Business Process Outsourcer (BPO) serving emerging to mid-sized companies throughout the Northeast. HR Knowledge has the experience and technology to efficiently provide best-in-class integrated HR services at an affordable cost to clients.
HR Knowledge’s leaders have more than 100 years of combined experience and provide expert guidance in Human Resource management, Group Benefits Brokerage, Payroll Processing & Managed Services, Financial Services and Recruiting and Hiring Process Management (HPM).
Through their comprehensive Human Resource Services, HR Knowledge helps organizations minimize operational risks, reduce administrative costs and better serve their people.
HR Knowledge is headquartered at 905B South Main Street, Suite 203 in Mansfield and their second office is located at 890 Winter Street, Suite 208 in Waltham, MA. For more information, contact (508) 339-1300 or visit their website at hrknowledge.com.
HR Experts to Speak at XPX-Boston Breakfast at Babson CollegeRead More
HR Knowledge Opens Second Location in Waltham
HR Knowledge, Inc. of Mansfield, providers of best-in-class integrated human resource services to clients throughout the Northeast, has recently opened a second office in Waltham Woods Corporate Center, located at 890 Winter Street in Waltham, MA. The telephone number is 508-339-1300.
HR Knowledge has been providing comprehensive HR management, Payroll Processing, Managed Services, Group Benefits, Financial Services, Recruiting and Hiring services to businesses for more than a decade. The firm has experienced significant growth the past two years which has led to the need for additional space. HR Knowledge’s staff has grown to a total of 25 and the company is in the process of recruiting additional staff.
“The new space enables us to better cater to our clients on the 128 corridor and positions us for continued future growth,” noted Jeff Garr, CEO of HR Knowledge.
About HR Knowledge, Inc.
HR Knowledge, Inc. is a leading Business Process Outsourcer (BPO) serving emerging to mid-sized companies throughout the Northeast. HR Knowledge has the experience and technology to efficiently provide best-in-class integrated HR services at an affordable cost to clients.
HR Knowledge’s leaders have more than 100 years of combined experience and provide expert guidance in Human Resource management, Group Benefits Brokerage, Payroll Processing & Managed Services, Financial Services and Recruiting and Hiring Process Management (HPM).
Through their comprehensive Human Resource Services, HR Knowledge helps organizations minimize operational risks, reduce administrative costs and better serve their people.
HR Knowledge is headquartered at 905B South Main Street, Suite 203 in Mansfield and their second office is located at 890 Winter Street in Waltham, MA. For more information, contact (508) 339-1300 or visit their website at hrknowledge.com.
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