Talent acquisition and retention remain significant topics in a variety of industries. Based on the results from the recent Management Pulse Survey, 72 percent of respondents, who are fellow EASA members, stated talent acquisition is a significant issue for their companies.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) developed this COVID-19 planning guidance based on traditional infection prevention and industrial hygiene practices. It focuses on the need for employers to implement engineering, administrative, and work practice controls and personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as considerations for doing so.

Are we doing everything we can to support our employees, or are we looking to assign blame when things don’t go right?

We have all heard the buzzphrases like “finding your why” and “human performance.” While not new, consider looking at this area from a different perspective.

No matter how you receive your business news, talent acquisition and retention remain a consistent topic across all professions. Record low unemployment may be cause to celebrate in some respects but can create a very challenging and competitive environment for new talent. Additionally, retirements both necessitate finding new team members and expose the exponentially widening skills and experience gap.

So, how are we going to solve the problem?

EASA’s most recent Management Pulse survey compared answers to similar questions asked in a healthcare and other benefits survey conducted in September 2014. With the challenges of finding and retaining employees, the survey comparison of what has changed in the last five years could provide some clues to the future direction and employee expectations in those areas.

Hopefully your business is growing. You’re making more sales, acquiring new customers and purchasing more equipment. Now you just need more time, right?  Regardless of the size of your business or the number of employees, you should consider creating an employee handbook or policy manual. While often overlooked, this publication could be one of the most important documents a business owner produces.

Careful thought needs to be given to the hiring process. Hiring the best candidate should always be the goal. Following proper procedures increases the chances of hiring the best candidate; it also reduces the chances of creating legal liability for your company.

This is the eighth in a series of “Management Pulse” articles written by members of your Management Services Committee. The “Pulse” program strives to bring useful information to managers and owners to prepare them for the daily struggles in our industry. The committee has developed the “Pulse” surveys to gather data from member participants to help get a flavor for what our industry is currently doing in several areas. The articles summarize the findings from these surveys.

You may have heard the old saying:  "Management is easy except for the people part."

It seems that just about every day in the business world, we have a growing number of requirements related to our work force. Whether it's healthcare, unemployment, extended leaves, harassment policies or simply new hires, we need to stay on top of ever-changing rules. That's in addition to ensuring customer satisfaction, reasonable margins, and staying current with all the city, county, state and federal regulations.

Our company has more than 50 employees and thus we fall under a number of federal guidelines. Not all of you have this requirement. But no matter how many employees you have, there is necessary work that takes away from what we all try to do best:  Provide the best possible service to our customers. If you're like me, you can use some help!

Topics also include:

• Looking "outside" for help
• How the hiring process works
• Saves time, keeps us compliant

A buddy of mine consistently drives over the speed limit. I recall often hearing him say: “I’ll take my chances. If I get caught I’ll just pay the ticket and move on. Besides, I have a radar detector! ”Well, unbeknown to him, the state police recently received new laser speed guns that are not picked up by most radar detectors. One day, they clocked him going 75 mph in a 55 mph speed zone. Needless to say, the state trooper who stopped my friend issued him a ticket. I’m sure the fact the radar detector was in plain sight put the trooper in a less than forgiving mood. Because he was traveling 20 mph over the speed limit, my friend incurred fines and court costs totaling $350.00, plus four points against his license. I’m sure his insurance costs went up, too. My friend does not work for an EASA service center. That’s the good news. But his experience brings to mind the many costs that could affect a service center if he did work for one.