THE 3Rs MODEL
This session gives you an overview of the
basis on which the 3Rs Model of human resource management is designed. Very
few small businesses employ a systematic process to their human resource
challenges. The practice is almost non-existent in the cleaning industry.
The 3Rs Model is based on a proven, eight-step process to attract, select,
hire, train, manage and retain good employees. If you’re already in
business, you know that the biggest challenge is not getting and keeping
clients; it’s recruiting and retaining a work force. This session delves
into the need to use a proven, scientific system to win at this game.
In this section you will learn:
-
The need
for a human resource management success strategy
-
Factors
in the labor force playing field that effect recruiting and retention
-
The two
critical ingredients that successful companies use
-
The
eight sequential steps of the 3Rs Model
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RECRUIT TO WIN
A crucial element in your hiring and
retention strategy is to have a clear picture in your mind of the type of
employee who will have the highest probability for success on the job — your
success and the success of your employee. Recruiting and hiring must be
seen as a game. A game where the successful outcome is a win-win
relationship between the employer and the employee.
You can hire people for the wrong reason (I
just need a "body" to fill out this team), and people can take the job for
the wrong reason (I just need any "job" to meet some expenses), and it may
work out for awhile. But eventually, and sooner than later, problems will
arise which reveal the nature of the lose-lose relationship that has been
established.
In this section you will learn:
-
How to
develop a profile of the ideal candidate for the job
-
The
common characteristics of a “successful” house cleaning employee as
determined by a national survey of house cleaning employees
-
The Top
Ten reasons given by house cleaning employees for satisfaction with their
job
-
Help
Wanted advertising hints and examples
-
How to use your Web site to attract
employees
-
The best
time to look for employees
-
Your
recruiting campaign strategy
-
The
importance of “recruiting record keeping”
-
Establishing a recruiting budget
-
The dual
purpose of your advertising copy
-
About
the “Employee Selection System”
PLUS the following printable PDF documents:
-
Sample
Web site recruiting page
-
Sample Web site Online Application
-
Sample
Help Wanted recruiting brochure
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CONDUCTING THE PHONE INTERVIEW
The copy in your recruitment ad should have
provided enough information to screen out those who would not be a good
match for the job. Some candidates will read the ad and know they’re not a
good fit, and others will not think about the job requirements and simply
call your number. It will now be your job during that phone contact to help
the caller and yourself determine if you should invest the time to go
through the interview and application process.
In this section you will learn:
-
What
your goal on the phone should be when an individual responds to your
advertising
-
How to
use the telephone response as your first “screen” of the candidate
-
The 5
parts of the telephone screen interview, and how to use them to quantify
the candidate’s possible “fit” for the job
-
Specific
questions to ask with respect to “Fact Finding” and “Background”
information on the candidate
-
The
three areas of evaluation on which you will assign ratings scores
-
How to
score the Caller Evaluation Sheet to determine whether or not to invite
the candidate in for an interview
-
The
mechanics of the rating system that will objectively identify “perfect”,
“good”, and “minimal” candidates and also those who should be considered a
poor fit for the job (so as not to waste your time, or the candidate’s, by
proceeding to the interview stage)
PLUS the following printable PDF documents:
-
Phone
Interview Screen and Evaluation Form
-
Hiring
Interview Log
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THE APPLICATION AND PERSONAL INTERVIEW
You may have conducted many successful
interviews in the past and have your “own way” of doing things. By putting
a common structure in place for each interview you can begin to quantify
these events and become more consistent and “scientific” in your approach.
You have begun this more structured style in the way you conducted and
scored the phone interview. Now in Steps 2 and 3 you’ll use the
APPLICATION, your INTERVIEW GUIDE and the evaluation scale on each step to
evaluate the candidate.
.In
this section you will learn:
-
How to
properly prepare for the personal interview step
-
Questions that you may and may not ask on the Employment Application or
during the personal interview – you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to
run afoul of the law
-
How to
use and evaluate the Employment Application
-
The
three Behavioral-Based Questions you need to ask during the personal
interview and how to objectively evaluate the candidate’s responses
-
How to
score the Application and Personal Interview Evaluation Sheet to determine
whether or not to move on to Steps 4 and 5 in the Selection Process.
PLUS the following printable PDF documents:
-
Application form (custom-designed, 30-point application for house cleaning
employment)
-
Personal
Interview Evaluation Form
-
Cleaning team member job description
-
Authorization for Release of
Information Form
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REFERENCE AND BACKGROUND CHECKS
We’re now entering steps 4 and 5 of the
5-step selection process. By now you and the candidate should be at the
stage where you both think that she and the job are a good fit. However,
until you complete this very critical part of the process you are not in a
position to make a job offer to the candidate.
..In
this section you will learn:
-
“Green”
and “red” flags to be on the lookout for when checking employment
references
-
How to
use the Employment Reference Checklist to get the information you need
from prior employers
-
How to
score and evaluate the Employment Checklist and Questionnaire
-
Ten
questions to ask Personal References to obtain meaningful information on
the candidate
-
Information you need to obtain to conduct a criminal history background
check
-
How and
where to obtain criminal history information
-
Why you
need to obtain a driver’s license background check and how and where to
obtain this information
PLUS the following printable PDF documents:
-
Employment Reference Report Worksheet
-
Employment Reference Questionnaire and Checklist
-
Personal
Reference Questionnaire
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THE HIRING
DECISION
You’ve
now reached decision time. You’ve taken all the steps necessary to help you
make a measured and objective decision. Most of the time you’ll have made
your decision by this point. However,
when you
have one position to fill and more than one candidate who has proceeded to
this point in the selection process, you can use an objective rating system
to help you make the right choice.
...In
this section you will learn:
-
How to
use the “Cumulative Decision Maker” worksheet
-
The
importance of the timing sequence of the hiring decision process
-
Why you
need to obtain third-party reports expediently
-
How to
prepare the applicant for acceptance or rejection
-
Information you need to obtain to conduct a criminal history background
check
-
How and
where to obtain criminal history information
-
Why you
need to obtain a driver’s license background check and how and where to
obtain this information
PLUS the following printable PDF documents:
-
The
Cumulative Decision Maker Worksheet
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ORIENTATION FOR THE NEW HIRE
Now the real work of getting your new
employee ready for success on the job begins. Proper orientation will set
the stage for getting your new hire in the right frame of mind for wanting
to succeed at her new job.
In this section you will learn:
-
Setting
the stage for starting your new hire out on the right foot
-
The
First-Day Arrival Time Schedule
-
The
Orientation Outline, Materials and Procedures
-
Why you
need to keep the first day brief
-
How to
proceed if you’re starting more than one new person at the same time
PLUS the following printable PDF documents:
-
EMPLOYEE
HANDBOOK
-
New
Employee Information Form
-
Employee
Change of Information Form
-
IRS W-4
Form
-
INS I-9
Form
-
Cleaning
Team Member Job Description
-
Employee
Acknowledgement Form
-
Request
for Leave of Absence Form
-
Request
for Time Off Form
-
Record
of Verbal Warning to Employee Form
-
Employee
Notice of Deficiency Form
-
Attendance Record Form
-
Team
Member Performance Review Form
-
Training
Review Report Form
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TRAINING: THE NEVER ENDING PROCESS
It’s important to think of training as
something that goes on forever, as long as the employee stays on the job.
Basically, you will be conducting two levels of training with your new
employee:
Initial Training
Follow Up Training
Beware of the trap that is easy to stumble
into: Training Complacency. “I don’t have time for training,” isn’t
something you want to hear yourself saying. Adequate initial and
follow-up training is the very foundation of your business. The
“vehicle” on which your business moves is satisfying the housecleaning needs
of your clients. However, your “product” is your people,
whose mission is to satisfy the cleaning needs of those clients.
..In
this section you will learn:
-
That
your “product” is your “people” – and the “People Manufacturing Process”
-
The
three types of training
-
The 8
primary technical habits to be ingrained in your employees
-
The 8
primary behavioral habits to be ingrained in your employees
-
Pacing
the training in accordance with the trainee’s adeptness
-
How to
use the “What, Why and How” training technique to improve the training
process
-
Keeping
the training on track
-
Testing
the trainees’ comprehension
-
The
training sequence and factors that can influence the sequence
-
Cross
training, but; same person on the same job
-
How to
conduct effective training reviews
-
How to
use the Training Review Report to evaluate progress
-
How to
rate the quality of the training and the person doing the training
PLUS the following printable PDF documents:
-
The
Training Review Report
-
Training
Review Report Rating Guide
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COMPENSATION
Compensation is an important element in your
ability to attract and retain employees. If you offer or pay too little,
you won’t attract or retain good help. Conversely, if you offer more than
you can realistically afford to pay, you will be forced to go out of
business by trying to pay higher wages than the business can support.
..In
this section you will learn:
-
Factors
that influence compensation
-
What is
a “competitive wage”?
-
Various
compensation alternatives
-
The
ideal compensation method
-
Payroll
record keeping
PLUS the following printable PDF documents:
-
IRS
Publication 15-A
-
Daily
Team Record
-
Individual Weekly Revenue Share Summary
-
Individual Weekly Hourly Payroll Summary
-
Employee
Wage and Payroll Summary
-
Record
of Labor Expense and Payroll Tax Summary
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TEAM COMPOSITION
What is the ideal composition of a team? Is
the ideal number of team members two people, three people, or perhaps four?
Why not just send one person out on the job instead of composing teams of
people? Don’t people trip over one another when they’re cleaning a home
together?
The model we recommend is based on a team of
three, consisting of one person whose primary responsibility is cleaning
bathrooms (the “Bathroom Person”), a second person whose primary assignment
is cleaning the kitchen (the “Kitchen Person”), and a third whose main
responsibility is to oversee the other two team members and take the lead in
the dusting and vacuuming (the “Team Leader”).
. ..In
this section you will learn:
-
Why not
just use individual house cleaners?
-
Factors
that influence team composition
-
The “2
versus 3-Team Member” debate
-
Four
good reasons for three-person teams
-
What the
drawbacks are
PLUS the following printable PDF documents:
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TEAM LEADERS
This
session will define the role that your team leaders should play in your
company.
If you intend to grow your company into one
that services 200, 300, 500 or more regular clients, you won’t be able to do
it without cultivating good employees to become good team leaders.
. ..In
this section you will learn:
-
The
duties of the Team Leader
-
What the
qualifications are to serve as Team Leader
-
How to
select your team leaders
-
Rating
potential team leaders using the Potential Team Leader Worksheet
-
Testing
Team Leader candidates by trial
-
Monitoring Team Leaders
PLUS the following printable PDF documents:
-
Team
Leader Job Description
-
Potential Promotion to Team Leader Worksheet
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CONDUCTING EFFECTIVE PERFORMANCE REVIEWS
Conducting regular performance reviews is
another crucial element in your human resource management strategy. When
well conducted, performance reviews will help increase tenure. How can
performance reviews improve retention? A consistent finding in employee
surveys has been that employees, who are learning, growing, and feel that
they are making a contribution, stay on the same job longer. You have a
chance to help associates learn, grow and become better contributors through
performance counseling.
. ..In
this section you will learn:
-
About
the Performance Review
-
Why you
need to evaluate the “performance” – not the “person”
-
How to
use the Performance Evaluation Form
-
The
SMART model performance coaching system
-
The
importance of conducting “Exit Interviews” with employees who terminate
-
Using
exit interviews to improve tenure of remaining and future employees
PLUS the following printable PDF documents:
-
Team
Member Performance Review Form
-
Team
Leader Performance Review Form
-
Training
Review Report Form
-
Performance Review SMART Model Coaching Guide
-
Record of Verbal Warning to Employee
Form
-
Employee Notice of Deficiency Form
-
Employee Separation Report
-
Exit Interview Form
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OFFICE, AUTOS & EMPLOYEES
We’re not going to talk about the legal
zoning issues involved in operating a business from your home. This
discussion will focus on the practical aspect of running your housecleaning
business from your home versus operating from commercial office space, from
the aspect of the potential impact on your human resource challenges. In
this section, we’ll also discuss the issue of supplying company vehicles
versus compensating employees for using their own cars.
In this section you will learn:
-
The
benefits and disadvantages of a home-based office
-
How a
“real” office can improve recruiting efforts
-
A cost
vs. benefits comparison of company vs. employee-supplied vehicles
-
Why some
companies provide vehicles to employees
-
How to
compensate employees for providing their own transportation
-
The
potential “real value” of providing company vehicles
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THEFT
AND DAMAGE
The telephone rings. It’s Mrs. Smith, and
she’s not too happy. She tells you that she noticed her two-karat diamond
ring missing shortly after the team was there last. Your heart skips about
six beats. You hum and haw and stammer and tell Mrs. Smith you’ll look into
it and get right back to her. Now what do you do?
In this section you will learn:
-
The
subject of employee dishonesty
-
Preventative measures you can take to discourage theft
-
Evidence
of why background checks are absolutely essential
-
How to
conduct an open discussion with your employees on this topic
-
How to
educate your clients to minimize problems
-
What to
do when you do “get that call” from a client
-
How to
handle the situation with your employees when a client reports something
missing or stolen
-
Rules to
abide by when a client’s property is damaged while in your care, custody
and control
-
What to
do when a client calls to report damage to his or her property
-
How to
handle disputed claims
-
The
types of insurance coverage you should have
-
Eight
specific questions to ask your insurance underwriter
PLUS the following printable PDF documents:
-
Breakage
and Damage Report
PLUS Internet hyperlinks to the following:
-
Department of Insurance links for all 50 states
-
Fingerprint station and fingerprint cards
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INJURY & ILLNESS PREVENTION PROGRAM
The Federal Occupational Safety and Health
Act of 1970 requires that all employers with more than 10 employees have an
official Safety and Health Program in place. However, some states exceed
the Federal requirements. For example, at least Alaska, California, Hawaii
and Washington require that all employers have a Safety
Program, regardless of size.
Legal requirements aside, it simply makes
good business sense to implement a Safety Program. Business owners are used
to taking risks in connection with day-to-day business decisions.
Entrepreneurs are, by nature, risk takers. However, taking risks with the
safety and well-being of your employees is not worth the gamble.
In this section you will learn:
-
How just
one lost work day due to injury could cost you a bundle
-
The
seven essential elements of a good safety program
-
The
importance of holding Safety Meetings
-
Twenty-four Safety Meeting topics
-
Information and Training Resources
PLUS the following printable PDF documents:
-
First
Aid Kit and Safety Equipment Checklist required by OSHA
-
Custom
Safety Program Handbook
-
Directory of Approved Sources of OSHA-Funded Agencies
PLUS Internet hyperlink to the following:
-
United
States Directory of Workers Compensation Resources
-
Listing
of Local OSHA offices for all 50 states
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IT’S THE LAW!
Bureaucracy is alive and well in America!
Today’s business person — the employer — must not only be very good at
dealing with Human Resources, and wearing a lot of other hats that go with
the territory, but you also have to do all those things in compliance with
Federal, State, County and City laws and ordinances. Just keeping track of
your legal requirements can be a big chore in itself.
This section will cover those areas you must
pay particular attention to relative to your Human Resource Management
Policies and Procedures:
In this section you will learn:
-
Compliance with IRS regulations relating to federal and state income taxes
and FICA
-
Federal
and State Unemployment Tax issues (FUTA and SUTA)
-
How to
avoid fines of $100 (up to $10,000 for repeat offenses) that can be
incurred by failing to comply with INS laws on providing proof of
eligibility of individuals to work in the United States
-
Compliance with OSHA regulations
-
What you
need to know about THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, THE CIVIL RIGHTS
ACT, AGE DISCIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT ACT, THE EQUAL PAY ACT, THE FAIR
LABOR STANDARDS ACT, and THE EMPLOYEE POLYGRAPH PROTECTION ACT
-
Laws
regulating how long you must keep various records on file
-
Specific
federal and state Posters you are required by law to display on your
premises (failing to display one, in particular, could result in a $10,000
fine)
PLUS the following printable PDF documents:
-
Personnel Records Retention Guide
-
Full
size copies of the 5 federally mandated Posters
-
Specific
state posting requirements
PLUS Internet hyperlink to the following:
-
Federal
and State Minimum Wage Standards
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STAFF MEETINGS AND BUILDING ON EMPLOYEE
RELATIONS
One activity that business owners tend to do,
either too often or too seldom, is conduct staff meetings. Except for
meetings held for training purposes, or to make special announcements, staff
meetings held more often than once a week are probably held too often.
Frequency of less than every two weeks is too seldom. We suggest that you
religiously conduct a staff meeting every week, preferably early Monday
morning prior to the start of the first workday of the week.
In this section you will learn:
-
The
purpose of weekly staff meetings
-
Meeting
preparation
-
Sample
Meeting Agendas
-
Recognition & Rewards
-
When and employee becomes a liability
-
Managing crisis
-
How to groom and compensate an
assistant manager without breaking the bank
-
How to
continue to build on employee relations to improve morale, pride in
workmanship, quality of work and tenure on the job
