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Educating Your Employees to Succeed

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What have you done for your employees’ education of late? Perhaps it’s not a topic you think about a lot.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 34% of smaller companies offer their employees tuition reimbursement. It’s easy to understand why. In the current economic climate, many small businesses are struggling to make ends meet, and tuition doesn’t come cheap.

But if you’d like a more engaged, more productive, and more loyal workforce, educational reimbursement just might be a smart move for your business.

Here are five reasons why:

1. Your Employees Will Gain Skills You Need

When you need a more skilled workforce, where do you look? Do you turn to temps, or start recruiting?

By offering tuition reimbursement for courses relevant to your industry, you can find the skilled workforce you need among your existing employees. You can offer anything from a full degree in a relevant field, to enhanced training on new technology or business related courses.

Not only will you save on the expensive recruitment process, you’ll find many employee educational fees attract tax breaks.

Instead of putting yourself through the stress and uncertainty of finding new employees, why not make the most of your existing workforce by helping them to gain the skills you need?

2. You’ll Gain a More Productive Workforce

Further education increases productivity in two ways.

First, your employees will learn relevant skills that will help them to get even better at their jobs. But there is another bonus too – further education teaches a range of “soft skills”. These are skills that aren’t directly related to your company’s daily business, such as:

  • Better time management;
  • Increased confidence in public speaking;
  • A more active and engaged mind;
  • Enhanced teamwork skills.

The skills learned while studying are transferable skills that can be great assets to your company overall.

3. Staff Morale Will Go Up

Who doesn’t want a happier work force?

Increased staff morale means good things for both you and your employees:

  • A better working environment for your employees;
  • Less stress for you;
  • Less time spent dealing with interpersonal problems and despondent employees;
  • Tasks getting done and done well as employees approach their work in an upbeat frame of mind.

Offering tuition reimbursement can help to increase staff morale by showing your employees that you care about their future. By offering education and the chance to progress in their roles, you’re giving your employees something to aim for.

In fact, a study by the ROI institute showed that an impressive 64% of employers who offered tuition reimbursement noticed a significant increase in how engaged their employees were.

4. Company Loyalty Will Increase

“But if I offer my employees education, won’t they take the skills and go elsewhere?”

It’s easy to worry that if you pay for your employees more education, they’ll take those skills to your competitor and you’ll be left out of pocket.

In fact, the same study that found offering educational reimbursement increased loyalty, also found a 64% increase in company loyalty. Employees feel they have a future with a company that cares enough to invest in them.

You can safeguard against losing your newly trained employees by offering reimbursement as part of a contract that specifies how long your employees will need to stay with your company to get their fees paid.

And of course, you can make sure the programs you are offering are relevant to your company and to career advancement within it.

5. You’ll Have a Competitive Edge During Recruiting

Offering educational reimbursement can help to increase employee retention, but of course there will come a time when you need to recruit, whether that’s due to expansion or an employee taking extended leave.

As a small business, it can be hard to compete against bigger employers who can offer flashier recruitment packages. A good educational reimbursement package is another string to your recruiting bow.

As well as showing you care about your employees and want to invest in them, it’s a signal to new recruits that there are opportunities for growth within your company. You’re offering them more than a job; you’re offering them a career.

A well-planned tuition reimbursement program is a smart investment in your business, leading to happier, more skilled and more engaged employees.

If you offer relevant education in return for a certain period of loyalty, both you and your employees will benefit.

Photo credit: cmm.com.au

About the Author:  Tristan Anwyn is an author who writes on subjects as diverse as health, marketing, Education via Yahoo, and SEO.

Do You Benefit From Offering Your Employees More Education?

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How would you like a more dynamic, skilled workforce without the hassle of taking on new staff?

If your company could benefit from more knowledgeable employees with skills relevant to your niche, it might be time to consider offering your employees tuition assistance.

Many large companies – Apple, McAfee and Starbucks for instance – offer tuition assistance to their employees. You might have some understandable fears about doing so – more on those in a moment – but in fact offering your employees educational opportunities can reap many rewards.

Read on to find out what offering educational assistance can do for you, and how to allay some of your fears.

Who Has Succeeded With Tuition Assistance?

United Technologies Corp (UTC) decided that the best way to attract the employees they needed was to shape their existing workforce through their tuition assistance program.

Employees can gain an Associate, Bachelor’s or Master’s, with UTC meeting the costs of tuition, fees and books. In turn, UTC has been rewarded with a more skilled and loyal workforce. Employees who have taken up their tuition assistance program are less likely to leave, and more likely to be promoted.

The Atlanta Police Foundation decided that tuition assistance was the way to go when it saw a need to better equip its staff and officers to cope with a very demanding job.

The Foundation wasn’t happy with the rate of officers leaving the force, and wanted to better retain its staff. By investing in tuition assistance to help officers earn their Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees, the Foundation was able to lower the number of officers leaving by 3%, and was rewarded with a more confident and capable workforce.

What if an Employee Gains More Skills And Leaves?

It’s an understandable fear. What if you invest in your employees education, only to find they take the qualifications you’ve paid for, and go off to greener pastures?

Yet as UTC and the Atlanta Police Foundation show, offering tuition assistance can actually help you retain employees.  It’s a hopeful thought, but of course as a business owner you want to ensure the investment you make in education benefits your company.

So what can you do to keep your newly honed talent in your fold?

* Make it relevant – If you fund educational programs that are relevant to your niche, you are empowering your employees to feel more confident within your field, and your company;

* Set some ground rules – Many employers include clauses such as only offering assistance to those who have been with the company for a certain amount of time, or asking employees to sign a contract saying they will stay for a set amount of  time after graduation;

*Offer opportunities for growth – you wouldn’t give someone the keys to a sports car, but no sports car. Offer your newly qualified employees the chance to grow and be promoted within your company.

How Will Offering Tuition Assistance Benefit the Company?

Tuition assistance offers many benefits for your company. How about:

* More skilled workforce;

* An incentive to stay with your company;

* The chance to find the qualified employees you need from within your own ranks;

* Better soft skills such as time management, teamwork and public speaking;

* Some educational benefits can be deducted for tax purposes;

* Better profile as a company who cares and invests in its employees.

Tuition assistance is a solid investment in your company’s future.

You’ll be equipping your employees with the skills they need to excel in your company, and offering them an incentive to stay and use those skills for your company’s benefit.

As a business owner, what if any educational opportunities do you offer your employees?

Photo credit: nydailynews.com

About the Author: Tristan Anwyn is an author who writes on subjects as diverse as health, marketing, bachelor degree jobs, and SEO.

Do You Have The Skills to Lead?

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Whether you run a large corporation or one of the smallest businesses in town, how would you rate your leadership skills?

There are probably a large number of individuals who would have trouble answering that question, with some being too modest to even take a stab at it. Either way, knowing what kind of leader you are, especially how effective you can be in leading your employees, is important.

You have probably read a book or two, perhaps perused an article or two, on what it takes to be a great leader.

So, did you learn anything from those readings? If the answer is no, don’t feel like you wasted your time. In fact, having what it takes to be a great leader really varies from person to person.

Keep in mind that not everyone is blessed with or born with leadership skills. Some acquire them over time, while others never seem to quite get to that point of having what it takes to lead a team of one, dozens, hundreds or even more.

In order to be a great leader for the company you own or the one you work for, consider these following attributes:

* Commitment – First and foremost, do you have the commitment to lead others? Leading others on a daily basis means that not only are you responsible for overseeing your work, but also the work of others. The key here is to be able to do that without being a micro manager, someone who can’t help but literally stand over others while they do their work. Keep in mind that you were chosen or chose to be a leader not to babysit other individuals, but to help guide them so that your company is second to none. Being a leader means going past the normal day-to-day duties, working harder than everyone else, and making sure the buck stops with you. Ask yourself, are you committed to this principle?

* Responsibility – Being a leader often means you get the better salary, some extra perks, and lots of commendations. It also requires that you hold yourself accountable for the performance of others. Some leaders like to take all the perks that go with being a leader, but they are missing in action at times when it comes to accepting responsibility when others make mistakes or flat out fail. In order to be a true leader, stand up and take responsibility if you report to someone higher up than you when one of your workers fails. It is easy to let them take the hit, but a true leader is a team player, not willing to throw someone else under the bus.

* Vision – Leaders should always be thinking about how to take their companies to the next level. Whether it involves improving customer service, being more active online with social media and blogging, or finding the right employees to fill each seat on the company bus (meaning each individual has a talent, finding where their seat is to best serve your company is the challenge), leaders are always required to think ahead. It is easy as a leader to sit back and just go with the flow, but that will ultimately spell doom for the company you own or work for. Always be thinking about the next day and the next day, giving you and your business the opportunity to stay one step ahead of the competition.

* Character – Lastly, what would people say about your character as a leader? Leaders need to set the tone for their offices, showing others that hard work does in fact pay off. Are you a leader who is the last one to go home at the end of the day or the first one to arrive in the morning? Are you a leader who looks for solutions to problems and does not create more problems for those around you. Finally, are you a leader who wants people to like you for being a strong but caring leader, not someone who tells people what they want to hear or does what they want them to do?

So, are you a leader or a follower in the business world?

Photo credit: task.fm

About the Author: With 23 years’ writing experience, Dave Thomas covers a variety of business and consumer topics, including the rise and fall of gold and silver prices.

Are You a Go-Getter or Just Content Where You Are?

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Life is full of choices. That being said, which ones will you make when it comes to your career?

For better or worse, it is not uncommon for employees to be on the go in this day and age.

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average worker today remains at each of his or her jobs for 4.4 years, while the forecasted tenure of the workforce’s youngest employees is about half that.

Ninety-one percent of Millennials (born between 1977-1997) figure on staying in a job for less than three years, according to the Future Workplace “Multiple Generations @ Work” survey of nearly 1,200 employees and 150 managers. If you do the math, that figures out to some 15 – 20 jobs over the course of their working lives.

As 2013 recently finished its first quarter, you still have a sizable year of opportunities awaiting you, some you never could have predicted.

Whether you work in a job you love or one you can’t wait to leave, there are opportunities in both. The question is, will you make the most of them.

For starters, those in a job they can’t wait to get out of need to ask themselves a few pertinent questions.

Among them:

* Why do I not like it here?

* Am I doing all I can to make the best of the situation?

* Is my personality contributing to why this job is not working out?

* If I go get another job, will I feel the same way about my career?

For those in a job that they love, some interesting questions to consider include:

* Why do I like it here?

* What can I do to make this an even better situation?

* Is there an opportunity to move up the ladder and get more responsibility and a raise?

* If I were to leave here, would I end up regretting it?

In a day and age where the economy continues its up and down path, and a day and age where many people remain on the outside looking in when it comes to work, it is even more important that you consider yourself fortunate to have a job. Along with that feeling, never take it for granted, because there is more than likely someone out there who could fill your seat tomorrow.

If 2013 is your year to make things better at work, consider these tips:

* Look to go that extra mile when it comes to helping your co-workers, improving office morale, and giving customers that extra attention;

* Look at the bigger picture. Even if you are currently not happy in your position, leaving it now may hurt you in the future. Sometimes it is better to gut it out in order to win over time;

* Look at taking as many skills away from your present job as possible. Unlike the days when workers stayed at their jobs for several decades, many of today’s workers move around every few years. Learn as much as you can now, allowing you to apply it later.

Whether 2013 is the year you shine at your current job or take your skills elsewhere, always be thinking about how lucky you are to have a job in the first place.

Photo credit: davykestens.be

About the Author: With 23 years’ writing experience, Dave Thomas covers a variety of business topics for different sites, including Reputation.com.

How to Wow with Your First Resume

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Ana Rose

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In these days of online job sites, it may seem the resume is dead. In reality it’s far from that. Whether it’s a traditional hiring process or one that starts on the Internet, you’ll find that having your goals and what you can offer organized will make any job search easier.

How to Wow with Your First Resume

Resumes always tend to make a candidate jittery for basically two reasons, viz., if the proper format is not known to them and secondly, if they do not have any experience to show and I mean the voluntary kinds. A candidate also gains advantage if he or she is involved in some extracurricular activity. At the entry level resume, one has the liberty to mention about the activities that are not totally related to the job profile.

Resume – Tricky Document
First resumes are the easiest and at times the trickiest to write, depending on the job field and the profile of work. Since freshmen have no substantial experience in the practical field, they need to pay special attention to the presentation of their credentials in the resume. The resume thus functions like a document that represents the candidate to the recruiter and employer. To ensure there are no chances of getting rejected in the initial selection rounds, the entry level resume template will come to your rescue.

Purpose of Resume

The following will tell you what to include in the resume, but before that it is important to know and be sure of the purpose of making the resume, i.e. to get a job or to secure an internship. In case of the former, we will see the points below, but in the latter case one needs to highlight the interest in the subject, marks scored in those subjects, hobbies or special efforts taken in order to learn more about it.

Tabular Format for Systematic Presentation

Entry level and college resume templates focus on the academics; make sure you present your details with respect to what subjects you have studied, which college, the university, the academic duration, specialization subjects, etc. Do make use of tables (tabular format) for putting in your details systematically.

Special Sections to be Highlighted

Extracurricular activities of the candidates are something which they can cash in on. In case the candidate has interest or some experience in their choice of line, then it should be highlighted right after the education section or just before it, if one has something of outstanding nature to mention related to the same.

Skills

A dedicated section for mentioning the special skills set and abilities, technical competencies, etc., is advisable. Use bulletined points and include two line elaboration with details like where did you participate in the activity, what you are competent in, for example, computer skills, using some particular software program, etc.

Creating a good impression is important whether you’re new graduate, a college freshman, or someone re-entering the workforce after a long absence. Use these tips to create a strong image.

Author’s Bio:
Ana Rose is a freelance writer who writes on various career related subjects and she keeps her interest in writing about resume and cover letters. For more info visit bestsampleresume

Have What it Takes to Run a Small Business?

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In my blog piece last week, I talked about the potential need to turn to family and/or friends for funding for those looking to start their own small business.

Yes, such a move can be tricky on several fronts, most notably potentially upsetting relationships that have formed over decades. But before you possibly go to a loved one or friend with your hand out, consider the pros and cons of starting your own venture in the first place.

According to the Small Business Administration (SBA) as of 2011, there were some 27 million small businesses nationwide, with anywhere from 60 to 80 percent of all new employment created in the U.S. attributable to small business.

So, are you looking to become one of the millions of small businesses nationwide? In the event you are, keep these four factors in mind:

1. Have a mission statement – It is of utmost importance that you clearly define why you are going into business for yourself in the first place. Sit down and put in writing the reasoning behind your business, what your business will do, and what your long-term goals are for the company. Not only does this help you stay on track, but it also gives potential customers an idea of what they can expect from you as far as products and services. If your mission is simply to make a whole lot of money, trust me, you’re already off to a bad start;

2. Learn New Skills
When you take over as your own boss, there are many hats to wear. In many cases, it is too soon for you to hire much help if any at all. That being the case, you need to make sure that you can handle a diverse number of tasks like sales, accounting, marketing, and project management. In today’s world, all of the above-mentioned skills are important to your business having a fighting chance, especially marketing. Long gone are the days where you just hung a shingle out and waited for people to come into your office. In 2012 and going forward, marketing involves things like social media, SEO, email blasts and more. One of the first things I always recommend to someone thinking about going out on their own is that they be social networking savvy. You do not have to live on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ etc., but you do need to know how to work them, how to market yourself, and how to outshine the competition;

3. Be willing to work long hours – Whether you are running a restaurant, floral shop or your own marketing company, be ready to roll up your sleeves and put in some time. When you are working for someone else, it is normally their job to make the assignments, balance the books and put out the fires, i.e. customer service complaints. When you are the top man or woman, however, you get to make all those wonderful calls. As someone that has been laid off for several weeks now, I have actually found that doing freelance work for this individual and that company, etc. is tougher than I thought it would be on a regular basis. While my freelance work use to consist of evenings and/or Sundays, it now keeps me hopping from early in the morning until the time I go to bed. I find myself spending lots of time doing research and writing most days, along with looking for another full-time position. Given I have some friends that run their own companies, I can tell you first-hand from my chats with them that they are always thinking about the next project, how they can grow, and what it will take to increase their return on investment (ROI). If you are not willing to put the time in, running your own business is not a good call;

4. Appreciate your opportunities – I can’t help but always remind myself on a daily basis of how grateful I am to have been born and raised in the U.S. While there are opportunities to be a successful businessperson in other parts of the world, there are also many regions where the dream of running one’s own business is just that. Even in the event you open a business, give it all you have for a year or years and it fails, appreciate the fact that you had this opportunity in the first place.

I found an interesting Tweet recently (not mine) that said “Success” depends on the second letter of the word. That comment really resonated with me as I explore my options today.

Running a small business is not for everyone; those that choose such a venture should always refer to that Tweet I mentioned a moment ago.

To me, that says it all.

Photo credit: http://www.forbes.com/2010/11/02/retire-early-plan-lifestyle-personal-best-10-saving_slide_2.html

Dave Thomas has more than 20 years’ experience as a writer, covering marketing, SEO, press releases, social media and more. Contact Dave at: http://beemoresocial.wordpress.com/