Community Leader - November 2021

GOING ABOVE

and Beyond

Ahola uses proactive HR to help with recruiting and retention.

Y

BY JILL SELL

our dog is your family. You’d do anything to make sure he is healthy and well. But then you get that vet bill for your dog’s X-rays or cancer treatments and reality hits. Having pet insurance may help soothe your pain, as well as that of your companion animal. Pet insurance is just one of several offerings that can make up an employer’s total rewards package (incentives outside standard compensation) for workers. Others include bonuses for performance, phone and/or car allowances, life insurance, investment plans, child care and mental health assistance. Total rewards are more important than ever as employers struggle to recruit and retain employees. “A lot of our clients think compensation, such as hourly wages, is the only way to entice people. But, sometimes, a candidate just wants consistency and security,” says Corinne Saliba, a human resources consultant specializing in proactive HR for Ahola, which offers HR solutions and payroll services. “I have a good family friend who was with the same company for 25 years until she lost her job during COVID-19. She’s not a job hopper. She just wants to find her next place and to feel appreciated.” Proactive HR was added to Ahola’s toolbox about two years ago. The strategy is now changing the way client companies (most with 15 to 50 employees in the areas of hospitality, manufacturing and professional services) are ahead

of the game in finding and keeping topnotch performers. Predicting which employees will leave and which will stay also gives client companies an edge in this competitive climate. In addition to offering a fair and impressive total rewards package, Saliba suggests companies have an active social media presence to make their name known. But it goes beyond Facebook, LinkedIn and a website. She recommends an online Glassdoor account that makes a company’s reputation “more searchable” and where employees (both former and present) are empowered to be honest and evaluate their experiences. Saliba also recommends companies partner with local vocational high schools or colleges to find recruits. Encouraging existing employees to refer other potential employees from their alma mater is also an idea, she says.

“We always tell our clients there are a lot of benefits to stay interviews to determine how employees are feeling right now. It’s a good benchmark to see what kind of things a company needs to improve on.” — Corinne Saliba

One recruiting mistake many employers make is “wasting too much time on a job candidate,” according to Saliba. She recommends that an initial phone screening before a formal interview should be not more than 15 minutes. That first call is just a basic introduction, which Saliba compares to dating. “You don’t need to talk about the wedding at that first meeting,” says Saliba. Ahola can also help clients navigate the tricky and, sometimes, risky process of questioning a candidate during a job interview. What questions are job-related and legal, and which are too personal, discriminatory or generally off-putting to a potential employee? Retention is another area that can benefit from proactive HR. Saliba encourages “stay interviews” that are typically conducted two weeks into employment or when a worker is leaving the company. “We always tell our clients there are a lot of benefits to stay interviews to determine how employees are feeling right now. It’s a good benchmark to see what kind of things a company needs to improve on,” says Saliba. “These are usually just general questions, but they allow employees to give feedback unprovoked.” Ahola also helps client companies be baseline compliant with all legal requirements. It can update company handbooks (to add inclusion and diversity clauses, etc.) and helps create accurate job descriptions. “It’s usually difficult to work with clients who don’t have a handbook. You need somewhere to start. Sometimes, we see handbooks that just need a few policy changes. Others haven’t been changed since the company was founded,” says Saliba. “And most companies don’t have job descriptions, but that is so important. When we gather information for job descriptions, people sometimes get nervous, worrying about their jobs. But we are there to help the company and employees be more professional.”  clevelandmagazine.com/cleader

|

COMMUNITY LEADER 67