Are Your Employees Motivated & Engaged – Or Ready to Jump Ship?

Company ABC and Company XYZ are in the same industry, offer similar products, and are both experiencing a cash crunch due to the economy. But whereas employees at Company ABC are feeling either overworked and stressed out or completely disengaged, employees at Company XYZ are motivated and optimistic about the future.

How can two such similar companies have employees with such different attitudes?

As one of Houston’s top staffing agencies, we know that the simple answer lies in leadership. Employees at Company XYZ are feeling optimistic because company leaders know how to motivate them and navigate them through a high stress environment.

So how can you keep your employees on board and moving forward during tough times? Below are 4 tips that can help:

1. Get Connected

Great managers are great because they know how to connect with their employees. They know the importance of getting to know their employees on a more personal level, and therefore, they have a good understanding of each employee’s strengths and weaknesses and of what makes them tick. As a result, if it does come down to layoffs, they know how to best reposition people in order to fill in the talent gaps, while still maximizing strengths.

2. Set Clear Expectations

This might sound like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised at how few employees know, in very certain terms, what’s expected of them on the job. Setting clear expectations becomes even more important if your company has experienced layoffs and remaining staff are unclear as to where to pick up the slack.

3. Communicate a Vision

Managers should let their employees know what their vision is for the future of the company – and how each employee fits into that vision. Why? Because without a strong vision, employees don’t really know what they’re working toward or why their roles matter. It’s also important to communicate new opportunities on the horizon and how the company plans to take advantage of them.

4. Recognize Employees

It can be easy to focus on mistakes and correcting weaknesses, and forget about recognition altogether. But when times are tough – and people are being bombarded with bad news everywhere – recognition becomes even more important. So what’s the easiest and least expensive way to boost recognition efforts? Praise often and generously when employees do great work or go the extra mile.

Click here for more ideas on employee recognition efforts.

And if you have a talent gap you need to fill at work, Murray Resources can help. In fact, for more than 23 years, we’ve helped high-performance organizations – including numerous Fortune 1000 companies – build strong teams. If you’d like assistance from one of Houston’s premier staffing agencies, please contact us today.

5 Ways Staffing Agencies Can Help Your Houston Small Business

As one of the top staffing agencies in Houston, we know that staffing is one of the most difficult, yet critical tasks, a business can undertake. If you have a top tier team in place, you can get more done, improve customer satisfaction, and increase profitability.

However, one bad hire can cause your entire staffing function to suffer a big blow. Hiring the wrong person for a job can lead to decreased morale and lower productivity, not to mention that it can cost you a lot of money.

So how can you avoid staffing mistakes?

By working with a reputable staffing agency in Houston. An agency has the knowledge, skills, and resources in place to help you hire the most qualified candidate for your team. They know where to look to find the top talent and know the right questions to ask to uncover weaknesses.

That said, a staffing agency can do more than just help you avoid hiring mistakes. Here’s a look at four other ways an agency can help your small business:

1. A Staffing Agency Can Help You Save Money

While there is obviously a cost to working with a staffing agency, you can actually save money in the long run. Rather than having to implement an expensive recruitment campaign, as well as develop your own screening, interviewing, and testing processes, you can hire an agency that has the knowledge, experience, and processes in place to perform these tasks more efficiently.

2. A Staffing Agency Can Help You Save Time

When an employee quits, you can quickly lose productivity until you fill the position, especially if they give you less than a few weeks notice. But most staffing agencies have a candidate database with pre-screened and qualified individuals they can tap into to speed up the hiring process for you.

3. A Staffing Agency Can Help You Avoid Hiring Hassles

If you’re like many small businesses, you don’t have a dedicated HR department. Or you may have an HR professional on staff who is already busy with many duties, like handling benefits and payroll.

If this is the case, a staffing agency can take on the many time-consuming hassles associated with hiring, including recruiting, screening, interviewing, conducting background checks, verifying references, and conducting skills testing – and then send only a handful of highly qualified candidates to you.

4. A Staffing Agency Can Improve Your Flexibility

While a staffing agency can give you access to candidates for full-time positions, they can also help fill temporary job openings, as well. So if your company experiences busy seasons or you have an employee going on an extended leave, you can leverage the power of temporary staffing to ensure you have the right people in place…when you need them.

So what can Murray Resources do for your small business? Give us a call. Together, we can explore staffing solutions that can help you more easily manage your staffing function – and help your company grow. Contact us today.

Should I Hire a Bookkeeper, an Accountant, or Both?

When you’re running a small business, today’s software and technology solutions have made it easier than ever to handle accounting tasks yourself. However, there are likely times when you’re uncertain if you’re doing things correctly or when these tasks are cutting into the time needed to grow your business. If that’s true for you, it may be time to hire a bookkeeper or an accountant. But which do you need?

A bookkeeper is responsible for the day-to-day accounting tasks, such as:

• Paying and submitting invoices; following up on them if necessary
• Paying bills
• Making bank deposits
• Tracking and recording company expenses and other transactions
• Ensuring new employees complete the proper paperwork for payroll
• Managing payroll

An accountant is responsible for the larger picture tasks as they relate to a company’s finances, including:

• Analyzing the numbers and offering strategic advice and guidance
• Preparing and filing company tax returns
• Preparing financial documents, such as profit and loss statements

So the answer may be that you need both. Possibly, you can hire a bookkeeper – whether full-time or part-time – and then just work with an accounting firm to handle those strategic accounting needs. Whatever the case, when you have the right team in place to handle your finances, you’ll benefit from:

• More organized records
• More accurate billing for your clients
• A better understanding of how much money you’re really making
• A better understanding of how much money you’re really spending
• More time to focus on managing employees, increasing sales, and growing your business
• Money saved from any late fees you’ve been accumulating as a result of inefficient bill paying
• Being able to make better-educated decisions about your finances and your business
• Peace of mind that comes with knowing your accounting functions are being properly handled

Whether you think you need a part-time bookkeeper, or a full-time accountant, Murray Resources can help. As one of Houston’s leading staffing agencies specializing in accounting and finance, we have the knowledge and experience to source the finest candidates for your contract and full-time job openings. Contact us today to learn more.

A Million Thanks from Murray Resources

As 2010 comes to a close this week, we’d like to take the time to thank our many clients and candidates. We have a million reasons to be grateful to you, but most importantly, we’d like to thank you for your continued loyalty and support. We appre­ci­ate the trust you have placed in us and we promise to con­tinue working hard and working smart to help you find people and find work.

We’d also like to thank you for letting us share our ideas and knowledge about staffing, human resources, and job searches through this blog. We think it’s a privilege that you look to our Houston staffing agency as a source of information for your business or your career. So again, thank you!

We’d also like to thank you for all the great feedback we’ve gotten from you in 2010. Hearing about your success stories is such a pleasure – whether it’s in finding people or finding work – and it reminds us why we got into this business in the first place.

And finally, we’d also like to send you and your family our best wishes for a joy-filled holiday season and a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year! We’ll see you in 2011!

A Message of Thanks from Murray Resources

In 1789, then-President George Washington proclaimed the first National Day of Thanksgiving as a reminder of the feast celebrated by our forefathers after surviving their first winter in Plymouth. More than two centuries later, we’re still celebrating Thanksgiving and using it as a time to reflect on our many blessings. And despite the uncertainty in our economy, there is much to be grateful for here at Murray Resources.

To our clients:

We are deeply thankful for your continued loyalty to our Houston staffing agency. Without your support, we simply would not exist. We also know that trust is earned and we pledge to continue delivering the exceptional candidates and top-notch staffing solutions you’ve come to rely on.

To our job seekers:

Searching for a new job in Houston can seem overwhelming, and at times, frustrating – we know that. And we are so grateful that you’ve chosen Murray Resources to help you along the way. We always have your best interest at heart and promise to continue to work diligently to match you with opportunities that are a terrific fit for you.

To our employees:

We are truly lucky to have a team of such smart and dedicated professionals. We know that each day, you go above and beyond to meet the needs of our clients. You care about our clients, and about our staffing agency as well, and it shows in your work. For that, we are grateful.

So, as 2010 quickly comes to a close, we invite you to pause and reflect on the many things you have to be thankful for this year. We’d also like to wish you a Thanksgiving filled with peace and joy. Happy Thanksgiving!

6 Mistakes Managers Make When Giving Feedback

You know that, as a manager, you have to give your employees feedback in order for them to grow and develop into top performers. But, as a Houston staffing agency with lots of experience dealing with people, we know sometimes it can be an awkward prospect – particularly if it’s negative feedback you have to give. Sometimes it’s easier to avoid it altogether, rather than face the unpleasant situation head on. So to make your job of giving feedback a little less painful, we’ve put together a list of six common mistakes to avoid:

1. Waiting until the performance is well below expectations before speaking up.
2. Giving feedback only when things go wrong.
3. Giving negative feedback in front of co-workers.
4. Criticizing performance without offering recommendations for improvement.
5. Avoiding annual performance reviews.
6. Offering generic praise without specific examples.

Offering constructive criticism isn’t always easy. But when you give good feedback, you’ll only stand to benefit in the form of a solid team operating at peak efficiency. With that said, here are some tips to help you give good feedback:

Be proactive.
If you see a performance issue happening, act immediately. The longer you wait, the worse it will get.

Give specific examples.
No one likes to give (or get) negative feedback. But for it to be effective, you have to be clear and state specific examples. So instead of saying something like, “You’re a bad communicator,” consider saying, “I think a lot of the mistakes you make are a result of not asking enough questions at the beginning of each project.”

Make a plan.
Give your employees a plan of action to improve their performance. Be clear about your expectations and the time period within which you want to see a change. Also, be sure to follow up with them.

Offer praise too.
Let your employees know that they are valued. Tell them specifically how their hard work contributed to a happy customer or meeting an organizational goal.

6 Ways to Avoid Layoffs at Your Houston Company

It’s the dreaded “L” word. Layoffs. Both employees and employers fear the unwelcome proposition of losing their job, or laying people off. Sitting down face-to-face with an employee and actually saying the words is no easy task; plus layoffs mean your company isn’t at its healthiest. Not exactly the situation you want to be in.

But while cutting staff might be an inevitability in the near future, there are some steps you can take to try and avoid layoffs.

Step #1: Encourage attrition.

Do you have a number of employees who will retire in the near future? Think about creating and offering an attractive incentive package to those who qualify. Also, if you’ve had any employees who have recently quit or been fired, don’t fill those positions if possible. Reassign those duties to your existing workforce until you are able to hire again.

Step #2: Institute a hiring freeze.

If you’re experiencing an increase in demand at your company, it can be tempting to hire again. But you may want to consider placing a freeze on hiring until the situation has stabilized. If you have a seasonal peak in demand, or have employees out on maternity or sick leave, consider using a staffing company to hire temporary employees for the time being.

Step #3: Reduce hours worked.

While this is sure to be met with some protest and trepidation on the part of your staff, you may want to consider creating a four-day work week to lower the number of hours worked and salary paid. Assure your employees that this situation is temporary and will help the company to avoid future layoffs. To offset this, you may want to allow your employees to trade pay for company stock.

Step #4: Limit overtime.

Overtime is expensive if you’re paying it to your full-time employees. Instead, think about hiring some temporary employees to get the work done. It may cost much less in the long run.

Step #5: Encourage job sharing and leaves of absence.

Allow full-time employees to become part-time employees and share their job roles with each other. Or, if you have an employee who you know wants to take an extended trip to Europe, or write a book, ask him or her to take a leave of absence without pay, but with benefits, for a period of time.

Step #6: Tap into the power of temporary staffing.

Take on more projects and increase productivity – without an increase in overhead – by using temporary employees. Once the project is complete or work flow starts to slow down, simply release the temporary workers.

At Murray Resources, we’ve helped many employers throughout Houston to weather the tough economy by taking full advantage of strategic, temporary staffing. If your company is currently in a position where layoffs seem imminent, please contact Murray Resources. We may be able to help you avoid them.