eCommerce and

I have seen a lot of blogs lately that focus on what employers can do to keep their best assets, their best assets being their employees.  There are many reasons to consider employee assets: training is time consuming and costly, time has already been invested in the employee, and performance could be interrupted during a transition from one employee to the next.  Some central themes that have been taken from the blogs I have been reading are to challenge employees, trust them, respect their talent, and appreciate them with both monetary compensation and productive words.  I think all of this is great.  I am an employee, I can benefit from all of the things that I have listed above, but I also believe that we are from the “entitlement generation” and we believe we deserve great jobs, healthy salaries, and benefits right out of college.  We have the attitude that we should be subsidized for every hardship that comes our way.   My generation seems to have started it and the younger generation that is coming out of grade school is just making it a whole lot worse.  I want to know when we switched from the mentality that’s core was based on working your tail off and reaping the benefits to this entitlement thought process.  I don’t think it is just in the workplace either, it is happening in many aspects of our society, but I want to get the focus back to the workplace.

As I mentioned, I am an employee and I love and appreciate all of the things that are listed above.   I think that some employers need to wake up and read these blogs and consider what they are doing to show their appreciation for their employees.  I also think that some employers are already doing these things and employees either try to take advantage of it, or they are so far entrenched in what they are entitled to that they forget all of the good things they have at their job.  I want to challenge those of you that are in my position to ask yourselves what you can do for your company instead of what are they not doing for you.  As a caveat let me add that I am far from perfect in every way including being an employee, but I also know what it is like to be on the employer side of the fence so that may be where I get my perspective.

Not every employer is “about the bottom line”, and if you have one that appreciates you and makes it obvious that they are not just about the mighty dollar than recognize it and do your part.  I know that all of us have seen the person in the department that has car troubles every Monday, requests days off the day before they need them, or maybe they don’t even request the day off and just say “I am taking tomorrow off”.  I think of this and I think to myself, really?  These people sign your checks and you don’t have enough respect to even ask for what you need?  That is a simple respect issue though.

What about the blogs that point out that employees need to be continually challenged?  How about if the employee that is feeling like their position is stagnant actually takes the initiative and lets their supervisor know that they can do more and that they want to do and learn more, instead of showing up resentful every day that they don’t have more responsibilities.  In my experience even if there isn’t something new for you to do or work on right away, the supervisor that is informed is likely going to keep you in mind for when something does come up.  I don’t think you can ask for much more than that.  Remember though, if you aren’t succeeding at your current tasks then don’t even go here because until you can prove that you can do what they have already set out for you to do, they don’t have any obligation to have you take on more.  This might be a shocker to everyone, and although you don’t want to be treated like the bottom line, at least keep in mind that your employer is trying to run a business.  If you are upset that something doesn’t go your way try to look at it from the position of the business owner, or supervisor depending on the size of the company.
 
This reminds me of a recent incident which exemplifies this point.  A friend of mine owns a company and had an employee that needed time off all of the time to take care of some family issues.  Completely fine, but understand that the business owner needs to know ahead of time when this time off is going to take place.  As the employee think about the following: how can the business owner schedule who is going to be on what job if he doesn’t know who is going to show up?  How can the business owner plan which jobs will be done that week if he doesn’t know ahead of time that one key person will be out?  How can the business owner even bid the work if he isn’t going to be aware of what employees will be ready to go when that job needs to take place?  When this was pointed out to the employee, the employee responded with “well you knew I needed to do this and that for my kids”.  Once again, that is fine but the business has to continue to run or no one will have a job.  Does the employee think about the fact that my friend is the one who has to be on two jobsites that day and put in 14 hours to make up for it so money isn’t lost on the job?  I doubt it, because the employee is only thinking about their own situation.  This is not meant to be harsh, I know from endless experiences that life happens and can come at you when you least expect it, but these are not the situations I am talking about.  I am talking about the employee that continually does this over and over again.  The first time I ever saw someone get fired I cried, (yeah I can be a softie) but when the employee lashed back at the company with an “I’m going to sue you for wrongful termination”, I stopped crying.  While I am sure that we all think we are wonderful, don’t forget that most people are replaceable.  I wanted to know why this guy thought he was being terminated unlawfully.  What gave him the impression that he had a right to his position no matter what he put the company through?  If you look up wrongful termination claims the list of violations is short.

I agree with treating employees as an immense asset.  I also believe in employees realizing when they are being treated as an asset and having the attitude that they want to further the company, and not just their own personal agenda.  No one wants to be treated like a number, but no one is going to succeed within the company if the company is not succeeding.  While we aren’t numbers, there is still a business to run and whether we like it or not there is always going to be a bottom line.  As employees we have the ability to take responsibility of our areas.  I have a type A personality so I don’t need anyone pushing me to do well, I want to do well, I want to avoid mistakes and I want to make profitable decisions.  If your company is already backing you, then keep doing what you are doing, and quit whining about situations that don’t go your way.  I have worked for companies that treat people like a number, where they backstab one another, and take advantage of young fresh minds.  I would have to assume that those that think they are entitled to all of the benefits they are getting and still complaining, probably missed out on working for one of these companies. If they had, I can’t imagine where this privileged attitude would be coming from.

Kohler is arguably one of the most innovative brands in the home improvement industry. The new Karbon faucet has completely transformed the kitchen and more specifically revolutionized the kitchen faucet. Meanwhile Kohler seems to effortlessly create bathroom fixtures that are not only sleek but save water, like the Escale toilet.

Regardless of political affiliation, in times of economic uncertainty, governments traditionally become more involved; i.e. more legislation, rulemaking, enforcement, and influence.  The situation today is without exception.  At the same time Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke finally orated “recession”, various departments at various levels of government increased their involvement in the economy.  Multi level policy making not only means that various levels of government will act, but their actions will affect multiple levels of society.  Realizing Bernanke is known best for his research on inflation and the Great Depression, leaves little surprise that the Federal Reserve bailed out Bear Stearns.  Similarly, with the ferocious presidential contest of only Senators that has engaged even the traditionally uninvolved lower socio-economical and vulnerable members of society, it seems timely that Congress is now working with the mortgage lenders on loan forgiveness instead of foreclosure as a cost savings strategy.  These policies coordinate to create an economic stimulus by reducing the individual burden of market participants. 

Senator Ed Kennedy has vowed to call a vote on the Healthy Families Act soon that would allow “7 days of sick leave with pay annually for employees working 30 or more hours per week; or a pro rata number of days or hours of sick leave with pay annually for employees working less than--(A) 30 hours per week on a year-round basis; or (B) 1,500 hours throughout the year involved.”.  On the campaign trail, both Democratic frontrunners Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama express support for mandatory sick days.  This is not officially labeled as part of any of the candidate’s economic stimulus plan, if there is one, but it does have characteristics of a stimulus.  This legislation would give sick days to part time employees, and lower level employees which are not currently entitled to paid sick days.  It creates happier, more productive lower level employees, in an economically stressful time requiring increased efficiency.  For a single mother of two working two part-time jobs, paid sick days could be the difference between eviction and a healthy family.  

Some question the rationale behind mandating employers to implement costly benefits in a recessional time of cutbacks, slimming margins, and dwindling profits.  These situations leave this legislation ferociously unpopular in the small business community, but it is worth another look; you might actually see it has some positives.  Employee rights are a tool in the government’s artillery to create economic stability and consumer confidence; a tool that an individual small business owner cannot brandish with the same far reaching impact. In fact, if one small business owner decided to implement paid sick days in a recession, they would be forced to raise prices to cover costs.  However, without the competitor’s participation, the small-business-owner-with-the-paid-sick-days will be dominated by their competition, and might even be pushed out of the market completely.  In all actuality, the negative effects of rising costs related to mandated employee benefits are minimal.  Business owners would be forced to raise prices together and pass on increased costs elsewhere, thereby decreasing the burden to individual businesses.  Meanwhile, the small business owner will benefit from the well-known positive impacts of employee benefits, while not having to shoulder the burden alone.  Governments have the supremacy to equally mandate improvements to the bottom rung employees, and produce far reaching positive economic impacts. 

In the week of my annual review, I thought it would be fun to write a blog legitimizing my existence.  As one of the only departments not actively involved in increasing sales, I rely heavily on the efficiency argument when reporting our accomplishments in the weekly meetings.  At that, even the efficiency argument is qualitative, and lacks much quantitative backup. 

As an e-commerce entrepreneur and small business owner, one must decide when the right time is to implement POLICIES.  That’s right I said it; rules, structure and even some formalities.  In an environment where “business casual” only means no ponchos or pajamas, implementing structure into a small business can be daunting.  There are so many fine lines: When is an Indian War Club a weapon, and when is it inventory?  When does hiring your cousins go from, they’re the only ones who will work for me to, I’ve got a company full of related upper management and it is a morale problem for the other employees? And finally, when does a laugh at the office go from a joke between friends, to a million dollar lawsuit?

Here are four tips to consider when implementing a Human Resources Department: 

1. Tag Team – Combine the Human Resources role with another operational role, such as Finance.  The budget lover and policy pundit combination is a rare breed, but finding someone with the ability to understand both, strengthens decision making for the entire business. 


2. “If You Build It, They Will Come” – Similar to a civic planning philosophy, if you prepare for growth by building infrastructure, you will attract the growth. In HR, this is true with employee manuals, benefits, liabilities, hiring, etc.  One of the first benefits offered to PlumberSurplus.com employees was the food program: virtually unlimited breakfast, lunch and snacks.  Starting that program early allowed us to pound out inefficiencies so that expensive mistakes and morale killing issues could be limited.  It is one of our most popular and cherished benefits. 


3. Plug that Hole – Hurry, we need three customer service representatives ASAP!  Having a structured HR department that can fill holes quickly and intelligently makes quick decision making a viable option.  Without the HR structure, hiring three employees in a matter of hours could be the difference between efficiency, and domination; intelligent people placement is a skill most important for a small, growing business when the effect of one person is greater to the entire organization. 


4. Oh Crap – “But Judge, there’s no such thing as an inappropriate joke…that’s why they’re jokes!”  Quoting Michael from the Office is not going to get you off the hook from that $1 Million sexual harassment lawsuit.  Training employees early to detect and prevent costly personnel liabilities can save millions in time and money in the future.  Setting this tone from the beginning is a zero sum game.  Remember, it only takes one phone call… 

The decision to have a Human Resources department is a decision about how fast and efficiently you want to grow your business.   Having the infrastructure in place early will facilitate a strong, scalable and efficient business with an edge.   

There!  Now do I get a raise?

1. Identify your non-negotiables:  No we are not going to buy Monster Energy Drinks, sorry.  Communicate to your employees that there are certain items that are not available through the food program.  This way, employees will not expect to see such an item in the selection; the less disappointment the better.
2. Make a list:  Identify certain items that you will always purchase and invite employees to participate in the process.  Post the shopping list in a conspicuous place so that when an item is running low, or is out, it can be communicated efficiently to the office food buyer.
3. Order Regularly:  We order food at least once a week, and sometimes twice.  This keeps a constant flow of food through the kitchen.  It is also a huge moral booster.  When the employees see a cart full of goodies roll through the office, they get excited.
4. Put in a few surprises:  Every once in a while, buy a few items that aren’t on the list that are maybe on the more expensive side.
5. Diversify:  You can only eat frozen bean-less burritos for so long.  Analyze the list after some time to make sure that the consistent items are sitting in the freezer for too long because the employees are simply just getting tired of them.  Try a new brand, different flavors and different food items to keep the food program exciting to the employee.

Keeping quantities up, while keeping costs low and still satisfying the taste buds of multiple employees can be a challenge.  Keeping those five simple rules in mind can reduce the stress and management of a worthwhile and cost efficient benefit that makes your workplace exceptional.