Caribbean HR Solutions - Caribbean HR Solution providing head hunting, Human Resources Outsourcing and Payroll Solutions

31 Jul 2018

Human Resources (HR) Resources Caribbean HR Solutions 0 comment

Got what it takes to be a manager? Part III by Debra Fraser

Last week we reviewed in some detail the first five of 10 management skills employers are looking for when selecting management talent. They were:

• Performance Management

• Supervising Others

• Conflict Resolution

• Emotional Intelligence

• Communication & Coaching Skills

For aspiring managers, perhaps the descriptions of the first five competencies were enough to scare you off. If so, that’s understandable and equally beneficial to establish a better appreciation for what you DO and DON’T want to do. I encourage you to chart your path on the often less-stressful road of the highly skilled independent contributor, aka the subject matter experts. Let’s do a deeper dive into the final five attributes. Remember to have a friend interview you and rate each response.

• Team-Building & Motivation Skills

What methods do you use to motivate your team to perform well in the face of challenges? Describe the actions you take to ensure the dynamics of your team are positive.

• Delegation

Describe how you share your workload. Give an example of when an important task had to be delegated — what criteria did you use to select which team member was given the task? How do you control the output without micromanaging?

• Integrity

Give an example of when you were given instructions to carry out that were out of line with what you believe was the right thing to do; how did you handle it? Give an example of an area in which you believe you compromised your integrity, and what steps have you since taken to grow in that area?

• Resource Management

What scope of resources have you been entrusted to manage? What methods and processes do you employ to ensure the resources are efficiently managed? When procuring additional resources, provide examples of the criteria you use. Describe a time when resources were mismanaged. What was the impact and what did you learn?

Subject Matter Expertise

Describe the skills and functions in which you are an expert. What steps did you take to master the skill and how do you maintain your edge? Have you been involved in training others to become experts?

Once you’ve been rated on the 10 management skills above, take a look at those on which you scored lower and make them your personal development goals. How? By seeking out new experiences that demand these skills. This can include attending seminars, reading multiple books on the topics, asking management peers for their advice, and seeking out projects at work and in the community. The more experiential your learning is, the more you will learn and grow. And remember, attaining higher goals takes time and focus, so take your time to enjoy each exercise and the journey on which you have embarked. Managers bear a heavy load but the intrinsic rewards are greater, so never become too busy learning or managing that you can’t enjoy the ride.

Until then, Leaders Keep Lookin’ Up!

Debra Fraser, MBA, is CEO of Caribbean HR Solutions and is a member of the BPIAJ, Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica, and Society of Human Resources Management. Direct comments to dfraser@ caribbeanhrsolutions.com or www.caribbeanhrsolutions.com

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http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/career-education/got-what-it-takes-to-be-a-manager-part-iii_139850?profile=1270

26 Jul 2018

Human Resources (HR) Resources Caribbean HR Solutions 0 comment

Why Company Morale is Important

Company morale is how an employee feels about their workplace. This relates to their feelings about their managers, their long-term role in the organization, their benefits package, and the company culture. Many employers might argue that company morale is not important as long as the work is accomplished. However, before we shut it down so easily it is essential to see how company morale actually relates to company productivity and as a result company profits.

Is Company Morale Important.

The Gallup Organization in their analysis of over 10,000 business units and more than 30 industries found that individuals working at companies that receive regular recognition and praise showed an:

increase their individual productivity
increase engagement among their colleagues
are more likely to stay with their organization
receive higher loyalty and satisfaction scores from customers
have better safety records and fewer accidents on the job.

In addition, it found that for employees that are “actively disengaged” work cost the U.S. economy between $250 and $300 billion every year in lost productivity alone. When you add workplace injury, illness, turnover, absences, and fraud, the cost could surpass $1 trillion per year. Low company morale is therefore very expensive

So How do I increase company morale

In general, different individuals are motivated by different things, and it will be difficult to try to motivate each individual based on their distinct motivating factor. However, Culture IQ has identified some of the recognized techniques that motivate nearly every employee:

Celebrate employee accomplishments—When you appreciate someone’s efforts—whether it’s a successful project launch or working through the weekend—they tend to better appreciate the work back. Making someone feel good about their contribution is one of the most effective ways to motivate an employee.
Encourage team bonding—Successful companies offer fun perks that let employees form personal bonds while letting them take a break from the day-to-day. If you have a small team, you could buy pizza for everyone on Fridays and take a long lunch together. Some companies throw lavish quarterly parties, while others host team events like scavenger hunts or game days. It doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Even a simple happy hour gives your team a chance to bond and unwind.
Give autonomy—Empower employees to think and take action by themselves. When team members are encouraged to steer the direction of their work, they tend to feel more invested in the end result. Most employees feel like their manager has to give permission for every single decision. Not only does that lead to low motivation, but needlessly slow progress. So let your employees set their own goals, accomplish their own projects and—ultimately—feel pride for their own wins.
Reward employees when the company performs well—The most successful compensation programs give all employees a reward when the company sees financial success. This could be in the form of a bonus or equity package, as long as the employee sees that their work directly has an impact.
Promote healthy work-life balance—As much as possible, organizations should be flexible around commitments like family emergencies, doctor’s appointments and weekend plans. These small gestures make a big difference in how employees feel about the workplace. It also results in team members coming in on a Monday refreshed and focused.
Listen—Your team is a wealth of information. Listen to their ideas, their problems, and their frustrations. Some CEOs meet with every employee each year, while other companies send regular pulse surveys so they’re always in the loop.

Low morale leads to poor cooperation, low productivity and increased turnover. It’s an undisputed fact: If your employees aren’t motivated or happy, your business will suffer and fail to reach its long-term goals.

On the flip side, strong company morale has the opposite effect. A happy office environment is one that attracts the most talented workers, and when those works are motivated, they’re productive and rarely quit. Simply put, When You Care About Your Employees, They Will Care About Your Business.

Read the Gallup study here

19 Jul 2018

Payroll Caribbean HR Solutions 0 comment

The Real Cost of Not Outsourcing Your Payroll

Each and every business is different from the next: different in its size, different in its goals and different in its needs – but at the end of the day, payroll is something that every organization must manage.

When approaching payroll, there are two options: complete it in-house or outsource it to professionals. In running your business, you will undoubtedly be doing everything in your power to minimize financial risks, maximize your core business activity and out-do your competitors. However, turning down the opportunity to outsource payroll is often unhelpful to these aspirations.

Here are just a few reasons to consider outsourcing your payroll:

You Are Incurring Direct & Indirect Financial Losses

You Have the Cost of Financing In-House Payroll
Clearly, choosing to complete your payroll in-house comes at the cost of having your own payroll team. This practice is considerably expensive, as you must pay all the associated wages and benefits of employing the team, not to mention the other hidden employment costs, such as staff-retention and recruitment costs. If your business is reasonably small in size, there’s a considerable chance that the cost of employing this team would be significantly greater than the cost of using an outsourced payroll service as required.
You Must Purchase and Update Expensive Software / Technology
One thing we can all agree upon is that payroll software is not cheap. When choosing to complete your payroll in-house, you will need to purchase and update the latest software for all your payroll needs. Such programs can include “benefits management” software, “time and attendance” management, as well as other services such as the automated sending of pay slips. By contrast, those who choose to implement payroll outsourcing have the privilege of a simple periodic payment. This means that their whole payroll function is taken care of in this one payment.
You Have the Cost of Providing Training
Having your own payroll team comes at the cost of providing effective training. To ensure compliance, you must ensure that your payroll employees are always up-to-date with the latest government regulations and any changes in policies. Providing this training is time-consuming and costly. Those who choose to use outsourced payroll gain access to payroll experts, without having the worry or financial burden of providing the latest training.

You Do Not Have Industry Experts to Ensure Compliance

As mentioned previously, payroll mistakes are all too common and all too easy to make. For example, you may assume that the overtime rate is 1.5 times the employee’s hourly rate, but this is not always the case. These unintentional mistakes can place your business in hot water. By contrast, those who choose to use payroll professionals have the peace of mind, knowing that the experts are always up-to-date with every last detail. Choosing to outsource payroll ensures constant compliance.

You’re Wasting Valuable Time

I’m sure you’d agree that time is one of the most valuable resources. Completing your own payroll is hugely time-consuming, as it requires attention to detail and tedious re-checking of data every pay period. This process consumes efforts which could potentially be invested towards your business ventures. Any alternative which allows you to reclaim this time should be considered as highly worthwhile. Payroll outsourcing is so valuable as it allows you to reclaim this time, rather than spending it on administrative duties.

The Knowledge Behind Your Payroll May Leave

Processing payroll is hardly an easy feat. Not only does it require a complex understanding of surrounding regulations, but also how to complete it for your particular business. In recruiting your own payroll officer or payroll team, you encounter the risk of the employee/s leaving, and this knowledge leaving along with them. Training and onboarding a new payroll officer for your specific business can be a mammoth task, often leaving your payroll processing in jeopardy while this retraining takes place. If you choose to outsource your payroll, you do not have to solely rely on your internal payroll team.

Depending on the size, structure, and industry of your business, you may find that some of these disadvantages do not apply to you, however, it’s likely that a majority of these setbacks will apply to your organization. Payroll outsourcing often offers a cost-effective solution to completing payroll alongside the added benefits of increased security, time-effectiveness and compliance, giving you complete peace of mind.

Read the full article here:

15 Jul 2018

Human Resources (HR) Resources Caribbean HR Solutions 0 comment

Have what it takes to be a manager? Part II by Debra Fraser

Launching Leaders with Debra Fraser

Companies are completely right to spend a large amount of time and money when selecting supervisors and managers to run their businesses, for any employee who is “not a fit” for the job eventually costs the company in several ways, including lost productivity, reduced employee morale, and replacement costs. But when the miscast employee is in management it is especially damaging because of their broad scope of influence on so many other employees.

Research suggests that the majority of companies are doing a poor job in their selection process: The State of the American Manager: Analytics and Advice for Leaders by management consulting company Gallup indicates that 82 per cent of managers are in fact miscast in their roles, with 25 per cent of them being “dangerously lousy”.

It begs the question: Why are companies floundering in selecting good managers? One of the challenges is that sourcing and selecting leaders represents a significant effort and is NOT a core competency of most businesses. Headhunting and recruiting firms can help with this.

But what about the responsibility of the aspiring manager to pursue his/her own development? There are numerous testimonies of executives who have taken risks and made sacrifices to acquire new skills necessary to advance their career. I can testify to these risks, and rewards, having left Canada at 28 to pursue my own development in Jamaica.

To help those of you who are in this pursuit, and to guide you in choosing the right skills, review the first five (of 10) employer-sought management skills as printed in our last edition. This time ’round however, have a friend interview you and rate each response on a scale of 1 – 10. (See graphic below) In our next article we’ll take a closer look at the last five skills: team building & motivation, delegation, integrity, resource management, and subject matter expertise.

Until then, leaders keep lookin’ up!

Debra Fraser, MBA, is CEO of Caribbean HR Solutions, an HR outsourcing and recruiting firm; a member of the Business Process Industry Association of Jamica, Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica, and Society of Human Resources Management. Direct comments to dfraser@caribbeanhrsolutions.com

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12 Jul 2018

P.E.O, Professional Employer Organization Caribbean HR Solutions 0 comment

Professional Employment Organization (PEO): The Benefits

In our previous article we looked at a guide into Professional Employment Organizations. In this article we want to look at what are some of the benefits of using PEOs.

Business owners and managers know that every dollar, and frankly every cent, counts when it comes to running a business. As your business grows, your HR demands can pile up.

What if you had specialized HR experts readily available to help you fine-tune and economize some of the most challenging aspects of your business? How about having a trusted set of advisors to guide your company on employment issues? And how would providing your employees with access to big-business benefits improve your recruiting and retention efforts?

All of these factors have the potential to transform your business, but are they really possible? They are when you outsource your heaviest HR burdens to a professional employer organization (PEO).

So, where are the savings?

PEOs do more than just save time and headaches by handling many employer responsibilities. They can also save you money by helping you avoid costly pitfalls – like hiring the wrong candidate for a key role – and helping to steer you clear of HR-related compliance issues that could result in hefty fines.

Here are seven key areas where outsourcing your HR challenges to a PEO can help you save money:

Employee Benefits

A primary goal of the PEO relationship is to provide your employees with access to cost-effective, comprehensive benefits without the administrative and regulatory burdens that can be so overwhelming and costly.

As a co-employer, the PEO is able to offer a wide variety of benefits to your employees through PEO-sponsored benefit plans, such as medical, dental and vision coverage, a healthcare flexible spending account, and life and disability benefits.

As the plan sponsor, the PEO will handle the related administrative tasks, such as negotiating with carriers and enrolling employees.

Payroll

Working with a PEO can decrease your payroll-processing and related accounting costs. PEOs can also conveniently automate the payroll process and handle your Employers Monthly Payroll Deductions (so1) and Employers Annual Return (so2).

HR compliance

Employment law is complex and ever-changing. Not keeping up with the countless HR laws, regulations, and rules that apply to your business can cost you big time.

Are you up to speed on the following laws and regulations? If not, a PEO can provide guidance from seasoned HR professionals and help you avoid compliance mishaps.

Are you aware of the paid sick time policies in effect?
Are you aware of current regulations for hiring and firing practices?

Regardless of whether you have an in-house HR person (or staff), teaming up with a PEO can give your business a significant advantage. You’ll have access to trusted advisors who work hand-in-hand with you to keep you aware of regulatory updates and guide your business in making the appropriate adjustments.

Workers’ compensation

Insurance premiums and claims management – both of these components make workers’ comp costly and time-consuming. As a co-employer, a PEO can provide workers’ compensation coverage to your employees through its own workers’ compensation insurance program, as well as handle the compliance, audits, paperwork, and certifications associated with running these programs.

Lawsuits

Think you can minimize legal expenses and PR fallout from lawsuits? A single lawsuit can devastate your business, so keeping your employer liabilities in check is critical. A PEO shares liability associated with certain employment-related claims, including wrongful termination.

For example, a top-tier PEO likely has equal employment opportunity specialists who are well-versed in the intricacies of discrimination laws. With a PEO as a resource, you can tap into the experience of multiple experts to mitigate a potentially costly settlement.

Their HR knowledge can help make sure release agreements are in compliance with the law. It’s important to note, however, that such advice is not a substitute for legal counsel. Instead, it serves as an added layer of defense – that second set of eyes to warn about potential trouble.

Recruiting

These days, recruiting moves at light speed. Positions open up quickly and you almost always need an equally fast turnaround to find a qualified and capable candidate. The problem is, you probably don’t have the time and bandwidth to focus on the essentials of solid recruiting.

When you consider the time and money spent placing job ads, interviewing candidates, conducting background checks and more, hiring the wrong person can turn into a costly error. A thorough PEO should offer additional services, such as recruitment assistance, and be able to provide you with access to experienced recruiters who can size up your company’s employment needs.

A good recruiter is usually adept at reading people for particular jobs. They know how to analyze tone of voice during phone interviews, can assess a candidate’s attitude and evaluate emotional intelligence to determine a candidate’s capacity to perform well in a real-world job setting.

Looking for PEOs in Jamaica? Contact us at 1-876-971-7632 or email us at sales@caribbeanhrsolutions.com

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09 Jul 2018

Human Resources (HR) Resources, Uncategorized Caribbean HR Solutions 0 comment

Have what it takes to be a manager? by Debra Fraser

Aspiring Ainsley just passed his 90-day probation at an entry-level job and schedules a meeting with HR to ask where he can apply for a manager position. Ambitious or delusional? Who knows, maybe a bit of both! But it begs the question: How do you know if you are management material? What are employers looking for anyway?

The 70/30 Rule

Having worked with clients both locally and overseas (about a 30 per cent – 70 per cent split), I can tell you there is no clear answer, but there certainly are trends. Some local companies still look for the traditional pre-requisites: education, peer and supervisor references, industry knowledge and experience, and prior management experience. This last requirement is really a catch twenty-two. The result is that many high-potential managers are excluded from consideration due to one or two unchecked boxes. Companies from North America and the UK are more flexible on the education and qualifications side, but sometimes rely too much on ‘personality’ fit, preferring candidates who build rapport with them, at the expense of solid management skills. So what’s an aspiring employee to do?

The best advice I can give is simply this: build your experiences on a solid foundation, much like you build a house. Build it and they will come! Here are some competencies that all employers want to see:

Once you have these skills, half the battle is won. The other half is being able to confidently present them in the interview process. Another hurdle that must be crossed! Hiring an Interview Coach to work with you is an effective, and worthy investment. Having coached job-seeking managers on interview skills I have seen time and time again that the best-skilled candidate will almost certainly NOT get the job if interview skills are lacking.

Finally, consider your motivation for moving into management, a role carrying much higher responsibility and stress. Let’s say the management post would equate to an additional $20,000 JMD per month, then you must consider your options. Perhaps a part-time job in teaching or real-estate, or working overtime, could yield a similar cash lift. If selling Avon on-the-side would reward you an additional $35,000 JMD per month, which would you choose? If you still choose management, money is likely not your main motivator, and you will enjoy the sober pursuit of becoming a manager.

Debra Fraser M. BA, is CEO of Caribbean HR Solutions – a leading HR Outsourcing and Consultancy firm, a member of the BPIAJ, HRMAJ – Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica, and SHRM Society of Human Resources Management. Please direct comments to dfraser@caribbeanhrsolutions.com or www.caribbeanhrsolutions.com

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/career-education/have-what-it-takes-to-be-a-manager-_137328?profile=1270

05 Jul 2018

P.E.O, Professional Employer Organization Caribbean HR Solutions 0 comment

Professional Employer Organization (PEO): A Guide

Few entrepreneurs start their own companies because they love managing human resources. However, many become buried in the details of workforce management as their companies grow.

Small businesses with a headcount of 10 to 100 employees often find themselves in human resources limbo. They lack the time to address HR issues and also lack the resources to create an HR department.

Fortunately, many HR functions can be outsourced for a fraction of the cost of managing them in-house. Many small- to mid-sized companies hand those responsibilities over to professional employer organizations, or “PEOs.”

What is a PEO?

Put simply, a PEO is a third-party provider that can operate as your company’s off-site HR office. Just as an outside law firm might help your company with legal matters, the PEO can manage all HR-related jobs. Those functions include payroll, employee benefits, unemployment insurance taxes and worker’s compensation. The role of the PEO is to be an expert in all aspect of employing workers.

Used in Many Industries

What kind of a company would co-employ its workers with a PEO? The practice has become common across a wide range of different industries. Almost any kind of business may find value in outsourcing its employment work. Even companies with as many as 500 employees enlist the help of a PEO.

Small businesses lacking resources or expertise to perform most HR functions can gain the most from hiring a PEO. A good PEO offers efficiencies, integrated technology and cost savings in managing employees. A PEO also makes sure its clients comply with complex and ever-changing employment laws and regulations. Also, handing over most of the employment responsibilities to a PEO frees company owners to spend more time running and expanding their business.

A PEO appeals to many companies because it can help save money. Outsourcing employment responsibilities allow a business to maintain a scaled-back in-house HR department or no department at all. The PEO’s economy of scale also reduces costs related to recruiting and hiring, and software technology for HR functions.

Keeping Control

For some business owners, handing over so much responsibility to an outside firm sounds risky. Can using a PEO to handle payroll, worker’s comp, health care benefits and other functions mean possibly losing control of your company?

The short answer is no. The PEO’s client retains ownership of its company and control over operations. In a typical PEO contract, the PEO and client share employee responsibilities and liabilities as “co-employers.” The company still has control over maintaining its worksite and complying with safety regulations. Because it handles payroll, taxes and maintains employment records, the PEO does reserve a right to hire and fire. Generally, however, the PEO has no control over a client’s business operations.

Looking for PEOs in Jamaica? Contact us at 1-876-971-7632 or email us at sales@caribbeanhrsolutions.com

Read full article

http://www.rtsfinancial.com/articles/benefits-hiring-professional-employer-organization-peo

28 Jun 2018

Human Resources (HR) Resources Caribbean HR Solutions 0 comment

BioMetric Time Clocks “literally” putting money back in your pockets

As an employer, if you have hourly employees, you might be wasting unnecessary cash. GTM Business Blog (2018) identified numerous ways in which hourly paid employees are stealing time from their employers who do not utilize a biometric time clock system. The ways mentioned include

Time Theft
Staying On The Clock For Unpaid Breaks
Punching In For A Co-Worker
Human Error Inflates Labor Costs

Time Theft

On a timecard sheet, it is quite easy for employees to put in a time to state that they arrived at work, particularly if the supervisor is not closely monitoring the time placed. For instance, an employee will state that they started working at 9:00 when in actuality they arrived at work at 9:15. Because that employee’s shift would have started at 9:00 they place that time to avoid the consequences of being late.

Staying On the Clock for Unpaid Breaks

If not properly scrutinized, employees who are not paid for breaks might not clock out for break. In these situations, employers hope that they can place a level of trust in their employers, however, in industries where this practice is employed time theft is also very common.

Punching in for A Co-Worker

For companies that do not use a manual time clock, this situation can occur quite often. Usually, this occurs when an employee is running late and ask their co-worker to clock them in until they arrive. If the manager does not realize what has occurred the employee will be paid for the time even though they are not at work. There have also been instances of the co-worker punching in an employee that did not work at all for the day. This is very costly to the employer is it is both a loss in production but a loss in funds as the employer would have paid for an employee that is not present.

Human Error Inflates Labor Costs

There have been instances of employees simply forgetting to clock out or write down the time that they would have finished work. In instances like that, it is left up to the person to guess the time that they would have left, however, in those instances memory is not always accurate and the employee is likely to “remember” a time that would be in their favor.

So what is the solution? Employers might try to hire more managers that will monitor the employers time. However, this is a costly solution. Biometric Time Clock uses unique attributes that will ensure a reduction of time theft. Dependent on the type of clock chosen they will scan your fingerprint, iris or face as a means of clocking in the employee ensuring that each punch is done by the employee.

Caribbean HR Solutions are proud to be a provider of Biometric Time Clocks in Jamaica that will aid your company greatly in reducing time theft and save you money. For more information contact us at 1-876-971-7632 or email us at sales@caribbeanhrsolutions.com.

20 Jun 2018

Human Resources (HR) Resources, Training Caribbean HR Solutions 0 comment

Taking the lead by Debra Fraser

Welcome to the first edition of Launching Leaders a bimonthly conversation about leadership and people engagement, better known as human resources. It encompasses leadership strategies, management issues, recruitment, business services outsourcing and just about everything to do with managing human capital.

It’s fitting we debut with a conversation about leadership given the wealth of knowledge and literature available in print and online about this subject area. Over the past few decades, we’ve witnessed the evolution of workplace philosophy from just focusing on managing staff to placing greater emphasis on leading team members. On the surface, the difference may seem semantic or mere wordplay, but the distinction is very important and in my opinion is a significant characteristic driving the BPO sector, an industry which is transforming Jamaica’s economic landscape.

Servant Leaders

There are many great books that speak to the core of what effective leadership should entail. Good To Great by Jim Collins comes readily to mind, as does The Servant as Leader by Robert K Greenleaf, who coined the term ‘servant leadership’. Greenleaf says “the servant-leader is servant first… It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve; to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead.”

Truly effective leaders start from a place of appreciation for every team member’s contribution and exhibit a sincere desire to serve as much as they do to lead. This is the kicker — servant leadership turns the traditional hierarchy upside down. The higher you go in the organisation, the more you serve those who you manage. This is a philosophy that leaders must work closely with their HR and department leaders to flesh out.

It means that in a typical team setting, it is not the most savvy or best educated who is promoted, but the one who is most engaged with assisting the team in fulfilling their deliverables. This type of person is focused on ensuring his coworkers are truly successful at getting the job done, and does so in a way that balances efficiency with engagement. With this mantra, the leader who masters his tactical job does so while pulling up his teammates to succeed with her/him. It’s the opposite of the popular Jamaican colloquialism “…crab pulling down crab”. And who can resist a leader who genuinely wants to help you be successful?

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/career-education/taking-the-lead_136009?profile=1270

14 Jun 2018

Head Hunting, Human Resources (HR) Resources, Training Caribbean HR Solutions 1 Comment

Smart Ways to Manage Older Employees

Managing a team can be very challenging for anyone. It does not matter if you are young and inexperienced or older and more experienced. Perhaps the second situation might be slightly easier to handle. Teams come with different kinds of skills, personalities and ages. It might get a little awkward and uncomfortable if you have to manage a person who is older than you. This is so because you assume that this person has more experience, knowledge and confidence than you.

There are 5 tips you might want to consider in such situations.

You have been given this job for a reason

Don’t you ever forget this. You might perhaps want to have this inscribed on your desktop, so that no situation at the workplace can get the better of you. You got this job for a certain reason, for the skills and the strengths that you bring to the table, as compared to the others. Also, older employees’ priorities might be something else at this point in their careers. It is a good idea to be patient and assertive, rather than being pushy.

Minimize friction

You should be very clear in your head and in your communication to your team about what you want them to achieve. Adopt a democratic style of leadership which keeps friction in the team to a minimum. By focusing on tasks rather than uncertainty and emotions, you indicate a clear direction and reasoning behind your requests. Create an amicable environment where everyone is moving in the same direction together.

Do not underestimate the power of the elders

The elders bring a lot of experience to the table which you can use. In life, there is not enough time to make all the mistakes yourself. Learn from the mistakes of older employees and make use of their knowledge. A good leader acknowledges the strengths of each member and their contributions to the vision of the team, thus recognizing their importance and making them feel good.

Understand what makes your team tick

It is very important to know what makes your team happy, what motivates them, what keeps them going and how to get them working hard. Respect their opinions and find out from them how they would like to be managed. Having the right conversations would help in bringing clarity to what makes them tick. Older employees definitely want to learn and stay relevant and supporting them in the right way with appropriate development plans and meaningful rewards helps in building a motivated workforce. At this point in their careers, they might be looking for flexibility rather than money.

Getting the best out of your team

As a leader, if you are clear about the vision of the team, the direction in which they are going and robust plans to back them up, you need not be intimidated by older or younger employees. Age is just a factor. Create a healthy and motivated environment that uses the different skills that each employee brings.

Any workforce would definitely have a couple of employees who are older than their managers. All it takes are smart and wise ways of managing them without making anyone feel uncomfortable.

For more info:

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