Hiring your next employee, made easier

The hiring process poses a number of risks to any organization. As a business owner, you have many legal responsibilities under federal employment anti-discrimination laws. You’ll also want to make sure you’re not asking prohibited questions or discriminating against a job applicant based on race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age, disability or genetic information. You also want to make sure you’re handling pre-employment screening and inquiries correctly.

That’s why we have assembled a detailed, multi-part education program for our clients called “Work Smart,” filled with documented smart business practices in every area, including hiring. Companies can use this information to build more risk-proof activities and procedures, avoiding potential business risks such as asking prohibited questions during the application process.

When hiring, the ultimate goal of course is to find an employee who is a good fit for your business. No doubt you’ve found some qualities that have worked well within your organization. Beyond skills and education, here are four qualities that research shows that employers should consider looking for while assessing a job applicant:

Adaptability. Change is constant. Look for evidence the applicant can adapt to changing times. Do they view challenging times as opportunities to grow and succeed or are they afraid to take risks? Do they manage change or do they seem to avoid it? Are they annoyed by day-to-day hassles and problems or do they approach them with a cheerful attitude? Are they immobilized by obstacles or do they find a way around them?

Initiative. Do previous employers say the job applicant has a history of volunteering for projects and/or assignments? Does the applicant’s resume suggest he or she seeks out opportunities? Or does he or she do just what is required to get by? In today’s world, you want bright employees with a great work ethic and a can-do attitude.

Empathy. A job applicant may be intelligent, but do they have emotional intelligence? Do they work well with other people? People who regularly seek out opportunities to help other people can be valuable additions to most any team.

A positive attitude. Positive people view challenges as opportunities to learn, adapt, and succeed. Workplace research shows that positive attitudes can be contagious among co-workers, so it’s vital to add enthusiastic and upbeat people to your company.

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Empower your employees to help your business grow

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In many companies, marketing ideas usually originate in departments or outside companies dedicated to that purpose. It’s a business model that’s worked for decades. But it doesn’t always have to be that way. Some of the most intriguing and innovative ideas for marketing your company can also come from employees who don’t work in marketing.

Yet how do you gather those types of ideas? Forbes magazine’s Communications Council offers up a number of ways a company’s leadership can encourage employees to contribute great ideas that can help a business grow and succeed.

Use the right tools

From Slack to Microsoft Teams and beyond, there are ways to use technology that’s part of everyday business to leverage ideas as much as managing tasks. Alexi Lambert Leimbach from the company Xcellimark considers how technology can be an avenue for sharing: “People can easily submit ideas and comment on each other’s input, feeding off of the different concepts submitted to help generate even more ideas. They’re able to participate and collaborate without being physically located together.”

Gamify your ideas processes

Be sure to keep it light, but having contests relating to the gathering of ideas, for example, could be a fun way to get creative juices flowing. Patrick Ward of Rootstrap explains that “creating some friendly rivalry … (with rewards) is a great way to get the creative juices flowing.”

Don’t forget to give thanks
It’s important to have a way to give credit where it’s due — and to never skip that step — when a person or team comes up with an idea that’s going to be used. “Even if you had to make major revisions, acknowledgment is critical,” Ellen Sluder of RingBoost told Forbes. “It not only makes the contributor feel good, but also demonstrates the behavior you want from the larger team, while also motivating others to contribute for their moment of glory.”

Provide an avenue
Several of the council’s ideas for outside input on marketing are focused on the fact that it’s important to be open to ideas from anyone and to provide a way for those ideas to be found. Corey Morris from Voltage gives this guidance: “While there are definite roles and lanes to stay in, giving everyone a voice and freedom to research, brainstorm and ideate is critical. Don’t lose that great strategy because it wasn’t their role.”

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Four ways to manage work-related stress

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Dealing with stress is no easy task. Whether you’re facing an important deadline, having trouble getting your kids to do their homework or struggling with a to-do list that seems to grow longer each minute, stress is an inevitable part of the lives of most Americans. Add a global pandemic to the mix and you’ve got a recipe for feeling overwhelmed! Even though it’s difficult to avoid stress, there are smart ways to manage it. Here’s how to make stress, well, less stressful.

Take one thing at a time. Oftentimes we get stressed out when we have a lot on our to-do list. So we try doing multiple things at one time. Here’s the problem: Research shows that multitasking makes most people more stressed, not less! Studies also suggest that multitasking doesn’t help most people increase their productivity. Focusing on one important task at a time can help you get more accomplished, which in turn can help relieve stress.

Establish boundaries. In today’s world, it’s easy to feel pressure to be available 24 hours a day, especially when you’re managing a team of people. But all that connectivity can cause a great deal of stress. Establish some work-life boundaries so that you get a rest from work. You could, for example, have a no-phone policy while you’re having meals with your family or block off time each evening to not answer texts or e-mails. Take vacations. And make sure you commit to unplugging from work and technology at regular intervals. Take some time off from all of that coronavirus news sometimes.

Keep your to-do list as small as possible. It’s been shown that people who make to-do lists tend to get more done. However, if your to-do list is too long, it can be counterproductive. Try to keep your to-do list realistic and manageable.

Eat healthy and get enough sleep. Getting too little sleep and snacking all day on processed foods with little nutritional value and/or relying on caffeine to get through the afternoon can make you feel more stressed. New research shows that simple things like getting enough sleep, eating healthy and taking short walks throughout the day can be powerful de-stressors. Try to make small changes each week, such as bringing a healthy snack to the office or going to sleep a half hour earlier. Remember that it takes about a month for most people to form a new healthy habit.

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Simple steps can prevent many cyber attacks

Cyber attacks on small businesses and organizations are becoming increasingly common. It’s one of the top risks of doing business today. That’s why it’s so important to keep your company’s computer system safe and secure.

Online attacks are costly to address. It’s estimated that 60 percent of small businesses and organizations fail within six months of a cyber attack. Studies also show that nearly 90 percent of all cyber attacks could have been easily prevented with some simple safeguards.

For most companies, the problem is malware. That’s malicious software designed to gain access to a network, find sensitive data and steal that data. There are various types of malware, including spyware, viruses, worms, and any type of malicious code that infiltrates a computer. Once malware is installed, it can allow hackers to extract private and sensitive data whenever they wish.

Some of the best ways to prevent malware from being installed on your computer system are the most simple. Don’t click on links or open attachments in e-mails that you aren’t 100% sure are legitimate. This is one of the most common ways hackers gain access to a company’s computers. Generally be wary of e-mails containing attachments. If you are suspicious of what you are being asked to view or install, don’t do it. Scan a disc or flash drive before using it; it too can unknowingly contain malicious code.

Long and strong passwords with a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols are important, too. Set a specific timeline — such as every three months — for changing company passwords. Consider requiring employees to refrain from checking their personal e-mail accounts and social media channels using company computers and devices. If a computer contains company information, you’ll want employees to avoid downloading any programs or apps on it without your permission.

Security measures also are important. Install anti-virus/malware software, firewalls and anti-ransomware, keep it up to date and run regular scans. Don’t let updates to your operating system, browsers and plugins pile up. Updates often address security vulnerabilities that have been discovered, so it’s important those are completed in a timely manner. Additional essential security measures include using multi-factor authentication to confirm multiple factors verifying their identity prior to accessing a network or system and coupling this with an endpoint detection and response to maintain visibility into all endpoints. From there best practice Is to use segregated/ air-gapped backups and test off-site or cloud backups routinely.

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Effective brainstorming, made easier

When was the last time your team or company had a successful brainstorming session? By “successful,” we don’t mean you were able to get side work done while everyone else tossed out a few ideas in hopes that they wouldn’t be loaded down with extra work. Did everyone leave the meeting encouraged and recharged or did they leave feeling like they wasted the last hour or two? Effective brainstorming sessions can help companies innovate. Ineffective brainstorming meetings can be time-wasters and drag down morale.

What’s the secret to brainstorming done right? For starters, don’t keep the brainstorming topic a secret before the meeting. If you want people to contribute ideas, give them time to prepare. Some people are great at coming up with ideas on the spot. But many people need time to process and think through options.

It’s vital to make sure your employees feel safe in the brainstorming sessions. How do other employees or even managers respond to the ideas presented? What happens to those who go against conventional thinking or who question the aspects that have “always been done that way?” Are they made to feel unhelpful or, worse, chastised?The reaction to ideas can have a huge impact on further employee suggestions.

And you might want to reconsider any rewards for those “best” ideas. A reward system may cause others to not even make suggestions if they know their ideas aren’t worthy of such high regard. Each idea contributes in some way to the session.

An idea is only an idea until it is implemented into your business’ practices. Don’t just ask for ideas but ask how they can be implemented and who will handle them. Don’t end the brainstorming session until employees are empowered and ready to implement a plan for further action.

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The liability risks of remote workers

For many of us, working remotely is the new norm, and studies show most employees love working at home at least part of the time.

Yet allowing employees to work at home can expose your company to risks that you don’t encounter when your workforce is physically located at your company’s facilities. At Accurate Protection, we specialize in working with companies to better manage ever-evolving risks. That’s why we wanted to share with you some great ways employers can better manage the liability risks of remote workers:

Create a telecommuting policy. Setting clear work-at-home guidelines and communicating them to employees can help prevent misunderstandings. Make it clear that you have the right to rescind their work-from-home privileges at any time and for any reason. Have all employees review and acknowledge your company’s telecommuting policy.

Re-evaluate your insurance coverage. Make sure your insurance program effectively addresses the unique risks of having some of your employees working remotely. (We can help with that.)

Make sure employees are using secure wi-fi. All of your employees should be using private and secured Wi-Fi networks while working remotely. Using an unsecured network — public wi-fi — can put your company’s private information at risk.

Make sure employees are using devices that are secure with up-to-date firewalls and anti-virus software. This applies to laptops, tablets, and smartphones. It’s your responsibility to keep your customer and client information safe.

Use secure virtual meeting rooms. Make sure that private conversations and presentations cannot be monitored by unauthorized third parties.

Make sure you’re complying with federal wage and hour rules. To avoid violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers should require non-exempt employees working from home to record the time they work each day and stick to the hours they should be working each day. Non-exempt employees are entitled to overtime pay whether they are working at your company’s facility or at home, so it’s important that employees know they must adhere to their normal working hours and that they are prohibited from working additional hours without your approval.

Make sure you’re classifying workers correctly for workers compensation insurance. When employees switch to working from home, some workers compensation insurers may want to change classification codes. As an employer, it’s important to know that you could be potentially be held liable if an employee is hurt on the job and employees may be eligible for workers’ compensation if they are hurt while working at home.

We’re here to help your company better manage its risks.

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Planning beyond the business plan is key for your business’s success

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When you hear the words “business plan,” you probably immediately think about mission statements, corporate goals, sales quotas and marketing KPIs. While these are all invaluable in terms of pieces of the business to plan for to ensure success and continuity, there are businesses that fail to plan in crucial areas. Namely, emergency and contingency planning.

No matter the size or age of your business, here are some of the most important questions to ask to ensure that there are no gaps in your planning.

  1. Do you know what your insurance covers? Many businesses will hire a firm to ensure that they have the minimum insurance in place to legally do business or instruct them to find a plan that will keep them under budget. Insurance is one area you don’t want to scale back your budget for. While it may seem like a lot to spend on a service you hope to never need, if you need it and don’t have it, could your business survive it? Assess your coverage amounts regularly and make sure they still match the size of your staff and the size of your sales growth.
  2. Do you have an emergency plan in place? Hopefully you have all the appropriate liability insurance and property insurance, as well as worker’s compensation plans, but do you conduct regular safety meetings? Cybersecurity procedures and training? Fire drills? CPR training? These aren’t traditionally thought of as part of the business plan, but they are a crucial part of having a well-prepared business. Understanding how these areas can affect your business can help you organize and plan for a more secure future.

Our services can help you plan for and even potentially prevent just about any threat. We can protect your assets and your business, plus help you and your employees understand the importance of planning beyond quarterly goals for the health and success of your business long-term.

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Our value-added services help protect your business

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Our business is protecting your business. We have the expertise to ensure business assets are protected.

We also know that risk management doesn’t stop at insurance. Here are some to consider:

  • Safety Programs: A safe workplace is a successful workplace, and safety is everyone’s responsibility. The best businesses know that they have to make safety training a priority, and our safety program service allows you to customize safety materials that can create a safer, healthier workplace that benefits everyone.
  • OSHA Compliance: OSHA’s standards and practices can change quickly, and our compliance services help you stay on top of the must-know information to be able to prepare for and pass OSHA inspections successfully to help keep your business running with no downtime.
  • Fraud Protection: We can help you learn what policies and procedures your business needs to protect itself from fraud and walk you through the process every step of the way.
  • Communication and Connection: We offer access to extensive business databases that can help you understand and mitigate risks, shape policy and strategy, and communicate to employees with newsletters, posters and more.

As your partner in business, this is just a handful of additional ways we can help your organization beyond insurance solutions. See our other risk management solutions and value-added services here.

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Understanding your business, it’s what we do

As the owner of a business, it’s required by law that you have adequate insurance coverage for your assets and employees. Complying with all local, state and federal guidelines helps provide peace of mind and will ensure you avoid an audit or investigation should questions about your operation arise. Confident businessman posing at desk

That being said, every business has different insurance needs, budgetary restrictions and more. This is especially true for businesses that are in unique spaces where finding insurance coverage is difficult.

At Accurate Protection, we’ve built our business around assisting business owners with unique insurance needs in a variety of industries. We aren’t your run-of-the-mill insurance company that offers a one-size-fits-all solution either. We know that insurance coverage isn’t always that cut-and-dry. That’s why we insist that all of our brokers understand our clients’ unique needs inside and out.

From your first meeting, and throughout all your interactions with us, you will see that we strive to go beyond the expected standard routine and deliver results that consistently exceed your expectations. Take action now and call us today. (404) 907-2121 x701

In addition to offering a variety of insurance options, we also:

  • Provide customized employee communications
  • Can help you implement a safety program
  • Offer you industry-specific safety manuals
  • Online OSHA reporting
  • And more!

Take the first step toward a safer, more protected business by getting in touch. We look forward to serving you!

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Tips to make your workers compensation program work better for you

Workers compensation is a must at every business. You need to protect your assets and your employees. But there are a few simple ways to keep the associated costs under control, no matter what industry you work in.

The most important and significant way that you can cut workers compensation claim costs is to reduce claims. Here are some ways to do just that.

Hire well: Does your HR group know what to look for besides education and experience? Are job descriptions and requirements updated regularly? Some organizations would benefit from employees with specialized certifications or safety training. If you’re hiring for a high-risk department, this can prove especially beneficial, so know which questions to ask and what extra employee skills to look for.
Create best-in-class training: When it comes to safety training, don’t just do the bare minimum. Conduct trainings as part of orientations and on-boarding and regularly hold mandatory refresher courses. Make sure an updated comprehensive safety manual – with company policies and best safety practices, as well as emergency contact information – is easily available to all employees. Print copies are helpful, but digital copies allow for easier and faster access in most cases.
Create learning opportunities: In the unfortunate event of an accident or injury, don’t try to cover it up or gloss over it. Use it as a way to openly explore with leadership and employees alike how to avoid something similar in the future. Not only will this help to create solutions and preventative policies, it will solidify safety as a top priority for your company.
Create better policies: Your company may need to turn away from traditional business practices to emphasize safety. Identify risks and revisit policies regularly.
Work Smart: Our detailed, multi-part education program gives business owners the kick-start they need to implement their own risk mitigation programs. Work Smart helps business leaders develop activities, policies and procedures that can reduce unnecessary business risks.
The best way to create a safer office starts in that very workspace, with the people involved in the day to day work. Managing workers compensation costs is a daunting task. Commercial insurance rates are based on the industry, size and location of the business in question. Knowing which categories to be proactive in can save you money in the long run. If you are looking for a way to spend less on workers compensation, let us help.

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