Online Recruitment Strategies for Business Owners

Many growing businesses face the ongoing challenge of recruiting qualified employees for open positions. When it comes to identifying and screening potential workers, business owners typically rely on strategies ranging from tapping informal networks or outsourcing their company's hiring needs to a staffing agency. The Internet has also become an integral part of recruitment.
The Internet offers efficiency because it reaches a wide audience and is popular with many job seekers who sign up for daily e-mail job alerts from recruitment websites. Electronic job postings generally allow employers to post detailed job descriptions for long periods of time. In an online ad, you may also be permitted to include a link to your company website, where you can post more in-depth information about the position and your organization.
While posting jobs online is only one of several recruitment channels available, you may find that posting on job boards and emailing targeted candidates is faster, more efficient, and less expensive than placing print ads or paying a new hire fee to a staffing agency. Depending on the size and scope of your recruitment needs, you may want to explore recruiting software with tools for posting online ads, scheduling interviews, evaluating applicants, getting job referrals, and communicating with candidates.

Getting Started

Before you begin the recruitment process, regardless of your strategies, it's important to clearly identify the needs of your business and how new employees can best contribute to your company's success. For example, you may be inundated with paperwork and phone calls, and decide to hire an administrative assistant. You would make a detailed outline of all the responsibilities required of an assistant and how the tasks should be completed. You would also need to consider the skills and experience a qualified candidate should have to do the job well. Simply wanting help isn't enough—create a list of the performance expectations that you can use as a starting point in your search for the right candidate. You may find that recruiting software can help you analyze your needs and write an appropriate job description for an ad.
To start, make the most of your own website. If hiring new employees is a priority for the growth of your business, prominently feature employment information on your home page. At the very least, be sure that visitors can easily locate your career opportunities page. Be sure to use descriptive language that will attract potential applicants. Include information about whom to contact for further details and how to submit resumes. Recruiting software can also help you design and manage the recruitment function of your website.

Internet Job Boards

Determining which third-party Internet recruitment sites would be the most appropriate can be challenging. There are countless job posting sites, and more are added every day. While posting ads on well-known national job sites may allow you to reach large numbers of applicants, you may end up being overwhelmed with more resumes than you can read—let alone respond to—particularly if the job is entry level.
To reach a more targeted group of job seekers, look for employment sites based in your geographic area or sites dedicated to your type of business. If the position you are seeking to fill requires specialized skills, advertise on sites that are frequented by workers in that field. If you belong to any professional or industry associations, check out their websites to see if they have a section for job posting. You may also be able to post positions at little or no cost on the job boards of educational institutions or state and local employment agencies.
To get the best results from your electronic posting, take advantage of the keyword and location filters supplied by the website. These filters help ensure that your ad is seen by the type of job seekers you are targeting.
Be aware, however, that not all Internet employment sites offer the same level of service. Spend some time browsing potential sites, making sure that the posted information is up to date, the site is easy to navigate, and the search engine operates smoothly. To find out if the job seekers who use a particular site are likely to meet the required qualifications, you can purchase access to the site's resume database. The site may also be able to provide information about the number of visitors it receives and how much time they spend on the site. If you are still uncertain about whether to post an ad on a particular job board, ask yourself if you would use the site if you were job hunting.

Using Social Media

Besides using job boards, take advantage of the speed and convenience of posting job openings on social media sites, such as LinkedIn and Facebook. Qualified candidates who may not necessarily visit online job boards may be more inclined to check out social networking sites for job openings.
In addition, you may want to email your job description directly to your network of professional contacts, and ask them for referrals. This can be a very effective way to find good candidates. Some recruiting software packages also scour the web for potential candidates, and can automatically email people whose posted résumés match the job description.
Whatever recruitment strategies you choose, it will be well worth the time, effort, and resources to find and hire the right person. Taking on a new employee is an investment in your business—choose carefully and that investment will deliver impressive returns. As Internet job boards become a mainstay for job seekers, you may find that online recruitment strategies can be a faster, more efficient, and less expensive way to recruit top candidates.

9 Drivers of High Healthcare Costs in the U.S

The Commission's report outlined many findings, including the main drivers of high healthcare costs in the U.S. Here are the nine primary drivers, according to the report.
1. Physician, facility and drug costs. Data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development have consistently showed the average unit costs for U.S. physicians, hospitals, facilities and drugs are the highest in the world.
2. Expensive technologies and procedures. When Americans do receive treatment, they often choose the most expensive technologies and procedures. For example, MRIs in the United States occur twice as often compared with the average country in OECD data.
3. Fragmented and uncoordinated care. Because care providers often treat the same patient with little consultation, unnecessary care, errors and dissatisfaction proliferates.
4. Lack of cost consideration from patients. There is an assumption among patients that the most expensive care leads to the best quality, but expensive care has no correlation with quality. Patients have limited capabilities to participate in the cost decision making process of their care.
5. Fee-for-service. Hospitals and physicians are reimbursed for every service they provide, which often leads to a focus on volumes instead of a focus on care.
6. High administrative expenses. The morass of health insurers and billing processes cost the U.S. healthcare system billions in wasted costs every year.
7. Unhealthy behaviors. Chronic illnesses — like heart disease, cancer and diabetes — cause about 70 percent of all deaths in the United States, and they are the most expensive to treat. A majority of chronic illnesses stem from unhealthy behaviors.
8. Expensive end-of-life care. The last year of an American's life is the most expensive for medical treatment, and the unnecessary procedures and repeated hospitalizations provide little value to the patient and the system at large.
9. Provider consolidation. Hospitals and health systems are merging and acquiring each other at a feverish pace, and the same goes for physician groups. Studies have shown that although provider consolidation leads to some economies of scale, the increased market power leads to higher prices and oligopolistic behaviors.

Health Care, Need to follow ACA rules until there is a change.

House Republicans have released their first draft of a bill to "repeal and replace" the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It is important to understand that significant changes to this proposed bill are expected. Until such time as a "repeal and replace" bill is signed into law, your clients must comply with all existing ACA requirements to avoid penalties for noncompliance. HR360 has prepared a news alert that you may choose to email your clients in order to clarify their understanding of the process that has begun with the first draft of the "repeal and replace" bill.

Life and Health News from AMS

What to Consider When Choosing a Place to Retire When planning for your retirement, where you’ll live will be one of your biggest and most important decisions. According to AARP, most Americans “retire in place.” They enjoy being near family, friends and their current amenities. Those who want change can be satisfied by frequent vacations or stays at a getaway home. Read on for details.

Take Charge – DIY Healthcare Cost Reduction Although healthcare costs are expected to grow modestly in 2017, you still can be hit with some high medical bills. Read on for details.

Ensuring a Good Life for Your Family with Life Insurance Once you’ve decided you want to purchase life insurance to protect your family, you have more decisions to make. For example, how much life insurance coverage do you need, and how much will it cost? Read on for details.

Retired? Need a Dentist? Here Are Your Options Medicare does not cover dental procedures, unless they are part of a medical emergency and you receive care in a hospital. That means Medicare enrollees usually must pay for dental care out-of-pocket. Read on for details.

ACA Employer Mandate Penalties Over The Next Ten Years Projects Billions

ACA Employer Mandate Penalties Over The Next Ten Years Projects Billions

Caren Adams, MBA, Employee Benefits

ACA Employer Mandate Penalties Over The Next Ten Years Projects Billions Share this...

Managing Your Benefits When Changing Jobs

Starting a new job can be exciting. But, as you look forward to your new opportunity, consider carefully how you will manage your employer-provided benefits while transitioning from one workplace to another.

When you leave a job, your employee benefits generally end, unless you elect to continue them. While you may receive benefits from your new employer, they will most likely differ from your previous employer's benefits package. So, if there are any benefits you want to take with you, for example, accumulated savings in a 401(k) plan or similar retirement account, you will need to decide how to manage those funds before you exit.

Insurance Conversions

Your new employer may not offer health insurance, or there could be a waiting period before health coverage begins, which sometimes can be from 30 to 90 days. To avoid becoming uninsured, even for a short period of transition, explore the possibilities of continuation or conversion under your former employer's health insurance.
Under a Federal law known as the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA), you are permitted to continue as a member of your previous company's health plan for up to 18 months after termination of employment, unless you are terminated for cause. Under COBRA, you are responsible for paying the entire premium, including the employer's contribution to the insurance, making COBRA premiums generally expensive. However, premiums may be less than you would pay for an individual policy. To continue coverage under COBRA, you must advise your employer that you are electing COBRA coverage.
COBRA continuation rights may not apply if you work for an employer with fewer than 20 employees. But, you may be able to convert your group health insurance policy to an individual policy without having to undergo a separate application for individual coverage. There may also be "interim" or "short term" policy options that could provide coverage for a couple of months for people between jobs. Or, you may need to secure individual health insurance coverage with a new provider that is not tied to your place of employment.
You may also have the option of converting other types of employer-sponsored insurance into individual policies. Depending on the group plan, you may be permitted to convert life insurance, disability income insurance, or long term care insurance. Be sure to talk with your benefits administrator about all your options.

Retirement Plan Rollovers

If you have a retirement savings account in your current employer's 401(k) plan or comparable account, you will have the choice of reinvesting, transferring, or cashing in the funds.
To keep your retirement savings on track, you may want to consider rolling over the funds into another qualified retirement savings account, such as a rollover IRA. There are two ways to roll over funds. With an indirect rollover, your former employer makes the distribution payable to you, less 20%, which is withheld for Federal taxes. You must then reinvest the distribution into an IRA or other qualified plan within 60 days. In order to achieve a tax-free rollover, you must reinvest the full distribution amount, which includes the 80% you receive in cash, as well as 20% from your own funds to cover the amount that is withheld. Your withheld funds are refunded after you file your tax return, provided your rollover occurred within the 60-day time limit. Failure to reinvest the 20% withheld may result in income tax and a tax penalty if you are under the age of 59½.
To avoid the 20% withholding requirement, you may request a direct rollover to an IRA set up in your name or another qualified plan. Be aware that not all qualified plans accept this type of transfer. Because this method is considered a distribution option, spousal consent and other similar participant and beneficiary rules of protection may apply.
Another option is to roll over your funds from your previous employer's retirement plan into your new company's plan. In some cases, however, it may make sense to leave the funds where they are. Ask both employers about restrictions on these options, as well as any tax implications.
You have the option to take the funds in your 401(k) account as a cash distribution. For most people, however, this is not the best choice. After cashing in, you owe taxes on the funds, and you may also be required to pay a 10% tax penalty if you are under age 59½. Further, you forfeit the long-term benefits associated with tax-deferred earnings, making it more difficult to build the financial resources for your retirement income.
Your decisions regarding benefits when changing jobs can have a great impact on your financial future. Before making such important decisions, be sure to discuss your circumstances with the benefit administrators at both companies and consult your professional advisors.

Physician shortages affect health plan network size

Physician shortages affect health plan network size Certain regions of the country have shortages of primary care physicians, psychiatrists, obstetricians, gynecologists and general surgeons, and those shortages may hinder health plans' ability to form high-value networks, according to a new report from AHIP. Policy proposals that could alleviate the issue include expanded telemedicine use and broadening the scope of practice for nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

California Obamacare rates to rise 13% Los Angeles Times | July 19, 2016 | 10:04 AM Premiums for coverage through the Covered California health exchange will rise by an average of 13.2% next year, officials announced today. The increase is more than three times that of the last two years and is bound to raise debate in an election year. Read more>>

Question: Would you please provide us with your comments regards the use of online estate planning documents?

Answer:  In estate planning, one size does not fit all. Over the years, I have found that no two families are alike.  Each family has unique issues and online documents typically cannot address those issues.  If your issues are overlooked or ignored, your estate plan will probably not work the way you intended. Most online documents lack the proper customization you need to address these overlooked or ignored issues.

• For example, when you begin the online document process, the software will ask you for basic information such as who you want to serve as your children’s guardian under your Will. After careful consideration, you determine that you want your sister and her husband (your brother-in-law) to serve as co-guardians of your children under your online Will.  After completing and signing your Will, you think your children will be properly cared for if something happens to you.  However, do you want your brother-in-law raising your children if he and your sister get divorced or if your sister passes away?  As a named co-guardian, your brother-in-law can present a strong case to the court that he should raise your children pursuant to the Will.  Although it was your intention for him to raise your children with your sister, the Will does not address what happens upon death or divorce.  An estate planning attorney should be able to recognize this co-guardian issue and could implement the appropriate contingency in your Will that would remove him as guardian upon your sister’s death or divorce.  If you use online documents to name your children’s guardian, you might be unaware of this issue or unable to customize your documents to address that concern.

• Furthermore, a lack of customization with online documents might cause the inclusion of wrong provisions in your documents. One essential estate planning document is the financial power of attorney (POA).  This document allows your designated agent to make financial decisions for you on your behalf.  A POA usually contains large amounts of standard boilerplate provisions that can be confusing to some people and may not be applicable to your situation.  For example, buried in your online POA might be a provision that allows your agent to make unlimited gifts to anyone.  For some, unlimited gifting might be necessary.  For others, unlimited gifting simply gives your agent a wonderful opportunity to deplete all of your assets.  Unfortunately, elder abuse is very common and it’s usually done by those who are appointed as POA.

Online document providers are not attorneys and do not counsel and recommend what provisions you should have in your documents.  Online providers do provide an option for you to consult with an attorney.  Will that attorney practice near you and be available to meet with you face to face?  Will you be able to select an attorney that has the experience in estate planning that you need?
In conclusion, those who use online estate planning documents might think that estate planning is as simple as filling names into blanks.  In reality, estate planning is complicated and needs to be customized to your specific needs even in the simplest of situations.  Simply filling in blanks can cause chaos for your loved ones down the road.  Online estate planning websites want you to believe that you have peace of mind that your affairs will be in order because ignorance is bliss! It has been often said that every attorney who represent himself or herself is a fool.

As Health Care Costs Continue to Rise, Retirees Hoping to Rely Solely on Social Security Better Think Again

June 2016

As Health Care Costs Continue to Rise, Retirees Hoping to Rely Solely on Social Security Better Think Again

Your clients may have an idea of how they want to spend their retirement years, and let's face it, it is a lot more fun to think about warm weather and golf clubs than prescription drugs and medical bills. No wonder only 12% of working Americans have taken any steps toward addressing medical expenses in retirement. I mean, that's what Social Security is for, right? Click here to read more.

Insurers Expected To Raise 2017 Premiums Significantly

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(6/12, Alonso-Zaldivar, Murphy) reports that healthcare insurance premiums are expected to increase next year “because major insurers have taken significant financial losses” under the Affordable Care Act due to lower than expected enrollment, new customers requiring more care than anticipated, “and a government system to stabilize the markets had problems.” The article says some 10 million consumers will receive subsidies through the ACA, but those who earn “more than $47,520 for an individual and $97,200 for a family of four” will not qualify. In addition, those who obtain private insurance “outside of HealthCare.gov or a state marketplace” are not eligible for subsidies, regardless of their income.

Insurers’ Actuaries Explain Need For Higher Premiums For ACA Plans.

 

The New York Times  (6/9, Pear, Subscription Publication) reports that actuaries typically garner little attention, yet “as they crunch the numbers for their Affordable Care Act business, their calculations are feeding a roaring national debate over insurance premiums, widely used to gauge the success of President Obama’s health care law.” Insurers in most states have submitted their rates for 2017, and many of them are seeking double-digit increases. State officials are still considering the requests, but the Obama Administration says those rates are often reduced significantly, and ACA subsidies will help to keep them low. The article mentions the Geisinger Health Plan, which requested a 40 percent rate increase, and whose chief actuary Kurt J. Wrobel says the rates are influenced by new Federal rules, recent losses, and an ever-changing marketplace.

From our HR Client Newletter

Question about Money Matters Do we have to require our employees who are being switched from exempt to non-exempt to take their lunch breaks if they prefer to eat while working?

Answer from Kara, one of our HR Pros Thank you for the question. The FLSA does not require private employers to provide rest periods for employees, so the answer is dependent on state law. Often state-mandated meal periods can be waived if the employee would prefer to work through them, but a few states do not allow this practice. If your state does allow the meal period to be waived, it may require that the employee agree to it in writing. Whether or not the state requires this documentation, we strongly recommend it. The written agreement shows that any employees who skipped a meal period did so freely. As long as you are within the bounds of state law, you are free to do whatever works best for your organization. For instance, if customers expect you to be open from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, but employees are asking to work through (and thereby waive) their 30-minute lunch period so they can leave at 5:00 pm, there is nothing saying you must honor this request. But if it makes sense to let employees work through lunch so you can power down computers and turn off the lights 30 minutes earlier at the end of the day, you’re free to do that as well. Just make sure that you consistently apply your policies and that you document the legitimate business reasons when making any exceptions for a particular employee. If you have any additional questions, please let us know. We look forward to assisting you again soon!

Kara practiced employment and bankruptcy law for five years before joining us, and was a Human Resources Generalist at a mid-size Civil Engineering and Architecture firm for two years prior to that. As an attorney she worked on many wage and hour and discrimination claims in both state and federal court. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from Oregon State University and received her law degree from Lewis and Clark Law School.

Majority of millennials not participating in 401(k) plans

Majority of millennials not participating in 401(k) plans

Women, in particular, are lagging in earnings and in the amount of income they’re saving for retirement, according to research from T. Rowe Price. READ MORE »

Employers advised to proceed with caustion on wellness

Employers advised to proceed with caution on wellness

A program’s structure can determine which laws apply and federal agencies and courts are not always in agreement as to what is required for compliance. READ MORE »

Encouraging an employee to leave a group plan for a Medicare Supplement can be costly to the employer

Beware of CMS data match letters

Remind clients now that encouraging an employee to take Medicare versus staying on the group health plan is a potential minefield, says adviser David C. Smith. READ MORE »

 

Final FLSA White Collar Exemption Rules Announced

Final FLSA White Collar Exemption Rules Announced Today the Department of Labor announced the new salary threshold for certain employees to qualify as exempt from minimum wage and overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act’s White Collar Exemptions. Effective December 1, 2016, the new minimum salary level will be $47,476 per year ($913 per week). Up to 10% of this income may come in the form of non-discretionary bonuses, incentive pay, or commissions, as long as that portion of the compensation is paid at least quarterly. In the event that an employee does not earn enough in bonuses and commissions to meet the full minimum salary requirement, a catch-up payment can be made by the employer once a quarter. The minimum salary requirement applies to all white collar workers who are classified as exempt executive or administrative employees, and to many who are classified as exempt professional employees. As anticipated, the duties tests for the White Collar Exemptions have not changed. Under the new rules, this salary threshold will increase every three years. It will be set at the 40th percentile of weekly earnings among full-time salaried (not necessarily exempt) employees in the country’s lowest income region – currently the South. It is expected that the next change, which will be effective January 1, 2020, will increase the minimum salary to approximately $51,168. The new rule also increases the minimum salary threshold for the Highly Compensated Employee (HCE) exemption from $100,000 per year to $134,004 per year. This exemption can be used when an employee carries out a limited number of executive, administrative, or professional duties, but is very well-compensated. The new rule sets the HCE threshold at the 90th percentile of all full-time salaried workers nationally. This number will also increase every three years, and is expected to rise to approximately $147,524 on January 1, 2020. Some state laws create different minimum salary levels. When state laws differ from the FLSA, an employer must comply with the standard most beneficial to employees. Presently, the federal minimum salary level is higher than any state-mandated minimum, and therefore must be followed. In preparation for the new rule, we have created the following materials, all of which can be found in the HR Support Center: FLSA Changes: Decision Making Guide FLSA Changes: Implementation Guide 2 Minute HR trainings on the new rule, the executive, administrative, and professional exemptions, and the salaried non-exempt classification A memo requesting that employees track their hours for planning purposes  A letter to employees regarding their classification change A guide to calculating overtime for non-exempt employees who receive non-discretionary bonuses or commissions

Americans underestimate cost of home care and nursing home.

Americans underestimate cost of home care by nearly 50%, while nursing home room now tops $92,000 per year

Huge disparity exists between what consumers think costs are and what they actually are, while Genworth’s just-released annual “Cost of Care” benchmark study finds cost of a private nursing home room now at $92,378 annually. VIEW ARTICLE

Employees report difficulty navigating healthcare options

Benefits issues can lead to diminished productivity, finds new research, as workers spend an average of three and a half hours a month dealing with healthcare issues at work. READ MORE »

California Passes Minimum Wage Hike

California Law Alert April 4, 2016

California Passes Minimum Wage Hike Today Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill that will incrementally raise the California minimum wage to $15 per hour over the next seven years. Below is the schedule of increases by size of employer. Employers with 26 or more employees: 1. $10.50 – January 1, 2017 2. $11.00 – January 1, 2018 3. $12.00 – January 1, 2019 4. $13.00 – January 1, 2020 5. $14.00 – January 1, 2021 6. $15.00 – January 1, 2022 Employers with 25 or fewer employees: 1. $10.50 – January 1, 2018 2. $11.00 – January 1, 2019 3. $12.00 – January 1, 2020 4. $13.00 – January 1, 2021 5. $14.00 – January 1, 2022 6. $15.00 – January 1, 2023 The bill allows the governor to delay a particular increase for one year in the event of a budget crisis or an economic downturn. With these increases, California joins New York in becoming the first states to pass legislation that will result in a statewide minimum wage of $15 per hour.