Great Job Openings!
Apply now at www.prioritypersonnel.com!

Thank You Hays County!

What a tremendous honor to be voted “Best of Hays for 2011” in the San Marcos Daily Record’s annual reader’s survey. We work extremely hard to provide our clients, applicants and employees with an exceptional employment experience, and it is truly rewarding to have those efforts validated by the very people we serve.

As a staffing company, being named the Best Place to Work is particularly gratifying. We are fortunate to have many wonderful clients who share our commitment to quality employment. Being recognized as the Best Place to Work is an honor that we share with each of them as it reflects the quality working environments at the many great companies where the majority of our employees choose to work.

These wonderful honors from the readers of the San Marcos Daily Record validate our long standing belief in the Priority Philosophy that implores us to grow our company by building long-term relationships based on top-quality service, high ethical standards and innovative solutions. “Simply put,” says Dan Roy, CEO, “we want to be the number one choice of talent and those who seek it.”

In a recent national customer satisfaction survey conducted by the independent research firm Inavero, Priority Personnel was named to the 2012 Best of Staffing list after achieving a Net Promoter Score of 90.9% which Inavero called “truly exceptional”. By comparison, in the same type of survey, two highly regarded companies, Apple and Southwest Airlines achieved scores of 77% and 51% respectively.

None of these awards would be possible if not for the wonderful staff we have at Priority, a remarkable team of professionals, each of whom shares a sense of personal dedication to delivering the highest level of service to our clients and employees.

Again, thank you from all of us at Priority Personnel. We are truly honored, and as we enter our 19^th year in San Marcos, we will continue to work to remain your preferred choice among staffing firms and your favorite place to work!

Manual Machinist with experience setting up and running a Bridgeport Mill and Surface Grinders NEEDED!
Apply Now at www.prioritypersonnel.com!

Many surveys say that the number one issue facing businesses today is finding and keeping good employees. That’s partially because nationally, the average annual employee turnover rate is 14.4 percent – and it can cost companies thousands or even millions of dollars a year.

While companies normally record and report costs such as wages and benefits, workman’s compensation insurance, utilities, materials and space, most companies don’t track and report the cost of employee turnover.

How to Estimate Turnover Costs

• SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management, once estimated that it costs $3,500.00 to replace one $8.00 per hour employee when all costs — recruiting, interviewing, hiring, training, reduced productivity, etc., were considered. But SHRM’s estimate was the lowest of 17 nationally respected companies who calculate this cost!

• Do a quick calculation: Think of a job in your organization that has experienced high turnover, maybe supervisors. Estimate their annual average pay and the number of supervisors you lose annually. If their average annual pay is $40,000, multiply this by 1.25 (125% of their annual pay). The result? It costs $50,000 to replace just one supervisor. If you lose ten supervisors a year, you’re spending $500,000 in replacement costs just for supervisors.

Do These Numbers Seem Unbelievable?

Actual turnover costs are usually much higher than we think they are.

If you want to find out exactly how much turnover is costing your organization, find an online employee turnover calculator. Just remember that only tangible costs can be calculated on these sites. Intangible costs are just as real and sometimes much greater than quantifiable costs, but they are difficult if not impossible to measure.

Why Don’t More Companies See This as a Costly Problem?

Many companies don’t realize the true cost of turnover, which costs companies in both expertise and dollars, because they have never examined it. Here are four possible reasons:

1. No process is in place to tabulate the costs of turnover.

2. If they are measured, those costs are not reported to top management.

3. Employers think it’s an inescapable cost of doing business — but it’s not!

4. Costs are underestimated, so they don’t cause concern.

How Can You Measure Turnover Costs in Your Organization?

A comprehensive program measures the following costs:

• · Separation costs
• · Replacement costs
• · Training costs
• · Vacancy costs

Separation costs include:

• administrative functions related to termination
• separation/severance pay
• any increase in unemployment compensation.

Replacement costs include the cost of:

• attracting applicants
• interviews
• preemployment administrative expenses
• acquisition and dissemination of information.

Training costs include both formal and informal training costs. Vacancy costs include the net cost incurred due to increased overtime or temporary employees needed to complete the tasks of the vacant position.

How can you reduce turnover?

When turnover costs are unacceptably high, do an assessment. Find out who is leaving and why. Exit interviews can help you gain information. Then develop a retention program based on your findings.

As an award-winning employment agency serving central Texas employers since 1993, Priority Personnel can help you lower your turnover costs. Contact us today!

Work/life balance.  It’s one of those nebulous issues with which employers continually wrestle.  On the one hand, work needs to be done.  On the other hand, the pressure to get that work done can lead to a host of problems which zap employees’ productivity.

Financial constraints and demanding work schedules have made work a higher priority than ever for Americans.  A recent study by CareerBuilder shows that, as a result, many U.S. workers are foregoing vacation plans this year:

• 24 percent of full-time workers say they can’t afford to take a vacation in 2011, up from 21 percent in 2010.
• An additional 12 percent can afford a vacation but don’t have plans to take one in 2011.

While these statistics may mean more total hours worked in your organization, your company might actually see greater benefits from encouraging employees to take time-off.

Why?

Overwork can increase absenteeism, burnout and turnover, and make employees more prone to errors on the job.  Conversely, workers with a healthy work/life balance tend to have less burnout, greater creativity and higher quality output.  And when things get stressful on the job, “balanced” employees are better equipped to handle the burden.  Bottom line, taking time-off is vital not only to an employee’s well-being and performance, but to your company’s, too.

As our economy heals, here are a few recommendations for encouraging your workers to take the time-off they need, while keeping your business running smoothly:

• Require sufficient notice.  If you don’t have one, develop formal policy outlining guidelines for taking vacation (i.e., giving adequate notice, coordinating with other employees’ requests for time-off, scheduling time-off before or after big projects/events, etc.).  The more lead-time you have, the better equipped your company will be to handle the extra workload.
• Encourage shorter, more frequent breaks. If employees can’t take a number of days off at once, suggest they take long weekends or midweek breaks.  Shorter vacations still afford employees the ability to recharge, with less disruption to your workflow.
• Ensure adequate coverage. Require employees to cross-train and prepare co-workers, to ensure adequate coverage while they’re gone.  At a minimum, ask employees to review: critical responsibilities, upcoming deadlines, where information is stored, key contacts and parameters for reaching them while they’re on vacation.
• Lead by example. Are you a workaholic?  If so, here’s a perfect reason to reform your ways.  Management support for work/life balance is critical and must come from the top.  Set an example of maintaining a healthy balance and make it known that the same is expected from rank-and-file employees, too.
• Call Priority Personnel for the support you need. If your business is like most, your staff is already stretched thin.  When one person goes on vacation, it can be difficult for others to manage the additional workload.  Call Priority Personnel to provide the talented, reliable individuals you need during vacation periods.  Our employees hit the ground running and keep your business running smoothly, so your employees can take the time-off they deserve.

Did you know that a highly productive employee produces 40% more output per hour than an average worker? So how can you get your people to produce more? Inspire them!

This month’s Great Idea will show you how you can inspire your employees and increase loyalty, passion, and engagement throughout your work force.

Looking for more ways to increase productivity? Give me a call at 512-392-2323.

Did you see the recent study about the kid who faked his credentials to get into Harvard?

Unfortunately, this story is becoming an all too common occurrence. In fact, as many as 30% of job seekers exaggerate or outright lie on their resumes.

So what can you do?

This issue of Great Ideas highlights the importance of doing thorough background checks.

The Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act (H.R. 2847), a jobs bill President Barack Obama signed into law on March 18, 2010, provides tax breaks to employers that hire unemployed workers or individuals who were only working part-time in 2010. Under the HIRE Act, qualified employers could receive a payroll tax incentive and a general business tax credit.

Discover more about the HIRE Act and determine if your company is eligible for any tax breaks.