Opinions on staffing crisis in a small business

[hobo]

Ah, so the lady I am remembering you being unhappy with was the-now-6-week-in staffer's predecessor. That makes sense.

I remember doing grass-roots employee "fix the organisation" sessions back when I first started work out of uni. The company flew every single employee down to Sydney (in rotations) and asked them to speak to a panel of senior staff about what they saw in their day-to-day work routine that they thought could be improved for the benefit of the company eg old procedures that staff were still required to follow but which were realistically no longer best practice. We certainly saw benefits after the sessions were conducted, and it enabled staff to have a forum for suggestions they had never been offered before (and which even the local managers could not offer, in its scope for prompting change).

While I realise your business is different to a large multinational corporation, you should not underestimate the value of enabling your staff and ensuring they feel part of the business, not just fodder for your profits. By that I guess I am supporting the previous advice to engage your staff - when and how you are comfortable - and to genuinely listen to their comments/criticisms about the work flow. You never know, they might surprise you with some good ideas.

Best of luck.

 

[ok180]

I have appreciated every contribution. Please keep up the good advice.

You just struggle to deal with employee's china, its ok, im the same.

We're misanthrope's.

 

[china]

You just struggle to deal with employee's china, its ok, im the same.

We're misanthrope's.

But the price of this is high stress and lost revenue.

 

[Mooze]

China
As someone who struggles with employing people as well a couple of things stand out

1. procedurise everything - to the point where the business can operate even if one of your staff members were to be "hit by a bus". You can find staff that specialize in this or have done it before.

2. Even if you don't think you need to change you obviously realise that there is a monetary value in acting a certain way within the employer/manager role - at times it's easier to assume a personality/role than to accept the monetary loss that comes with staff change over. Whilst not a long term fix it can be effective for a certain amount of time. Even an introvert can "become" an extrovert if they adopt a mask/role. It's wearing and exhausting, and is up to you to decide whether it's worth it.

3. As hard as it can be sometimes "done is better than perfect". it's better to get the task done, even if it's not quite to level you as the owner would do it. (no one is ever going to care about your business as much as you, unfortunately it's one of those things as a business owner that can be hardest to accept). Check your data for billing etc as much as possible, but realise there will be tasks that are better done than perfect.

Good luck

 

[china]

China
As someone who struggles with employing people as well a couple of things stand out

1. procedurise everything - to the point where the business can operate even if one of your staff members were to be "hit by a bus". You can find staff that specialize in this or have done it before.

2. Even if you don't think you need to change you obviously realise that there is a monetary value in acting a certain way within the employer/manager role - at times it's easier to assume a personality/role than to accept the monetary loss that comes with staff change over. Whilst not a long term fix it can be effective for a certain amount of time. Even an introvert can "become" an extrovert if they adopt a mask/role. It's wearing and exhausting, and is up to you to decide whether it's worth it.

3. As hard as it can be sometimes "done is better than perfect". it's better to get the task done, even if it's not quite to level you as the owner would do it. (no one is ever going to care about your business as much as you, unfortunately it's one of those things as a business owner that can be hardest to accept). Check your data for billing etc as much as possible, but realise there will be tasks that are better done than perfect.

Good luck

Thanks Mooze. I will try on some sort of new mask for the New Year. We are going to start with a 6 week old staff member and two brand new ones.

Hopefully one or more will stay.

 

[geoffw]

Thanks Mooze. I will try on some sort of new mask for the New Year. We are going to start with a 6 week old staff member and two brand new ones.

Hopefully one or more will stay.

Two new staff? That sounds like a big handful, but I can see why.

Good luck.

Although I thought they needed to be over 14 to work. A six week old staff member? You start them young.

 

[DaveM]

Although I thought they needed to be over 14 to work. A six week old staff member? You start them young.

The work must be childs play

 

[china]

The work must be childs play

Except the problem is that I have to pay 70k p.a. to fund the children playing

 

[china]

Two new staff? That sounds like a big handful, but I can see why.

Good luck.

Although I thought they needed to be over 14 to work. A six week old staff member? You start them young.

My thinking at this time is that I am starting two new staff and review the entire situation at three months. At that time, someone will be cut. I have always run my practice with two part time staff to provide 5.5 days of labour. One does 3.5 days and the other does 2 days. This clearly has not worked. I think optimally, I need someone for 3 days and the other for 3.5 days. With three people, I will probably initially employ 2.5/3/3 and then cut someone.

 

[geoffw]

Get advice now on cutting. Make sure that a probationary period has been specified.

Hiring extra staff members so that you can cut one may not be all that good for staff morale. And if you don't follow procedures correctly it could be damaging to your business.

 

[china]

Get advice now on cutting. Make sure that a probationary period has been specified.

Hiring extra staff members so that you can cut one may not be all that good for staff morale. And if you don't follow procedures correctly it could be damaging to your business.

All new staff are hired with an expectation of a review at three month period. And as I understand the law, with small businesses under 15 employees, any one can be removed within the first year without reason.

Or do you think that I should immediately revoke my offer of appointment for the lady I am intending to cut. I verbally offered her a job earlier this week.

 

[DaveM]

Why have the overlapping part timers? Would it not make sense to just have 1 full timer during practice hours and close the office for 30-60 mins at lunch for a lunch break and post office/banking run.

 

[china]

Why have the overlapping part timers? Would it not make sense to just have 1 full timer during practice hours and close the office for 30-60 mins at lunch for a lunch break and post office/banking run.

For sick / holiday / children relief. And usually, protection against loss of corporate memory.

 

[china]

And interestingly with the new staff, they barely notice the CCTV cameras and when I point it out to them, it barely registers with them.

 

[geoffw]

While you have the right to remove an employee with less than 12 months experience, you also had the right to have cameras. What is legally correct and what will lead to good employer employee relations are two different things.

I'm not able to give an opinion on whether or not you should withdraw an offer of employment. I can understand why you want to do things the way you're doing. I'm just suggesting that you get advice on the best way of doing it.

You might take the opportunity, once staff are getting used to the way things are run, to get a procedures manual written using your extra person.

 

[geoffw]

And interestingly with the new staff, they barely notice the CCTV cameras and when I point it out to them, it barely registers with them.

Of course. The issue with the cameras was not having them, it was introducing them- without warning or consultation, in a way which implied a lack of trust.

 

[marg4000]

My thinking at this time is that I am starting two new staff and review the entire situation at three months. At that time, someone will be cut. I have always run my practice with two part time staff to provide 5.5 days of labour. One does 3.5 days and the other does 2 days. This clearly has not worked. I think optimally, I need someone for 3 days and the other for 3.5 days. With three people, I will probably initially employ 2.5/3/3 and then cut someone.

Maybe the person you cut may be prepared to do casual hours as back up or relief work?
Marg

 

[wylie]

Maybe the person you cut may be prepared to do casual hours as back up or relief work?
Marg

This is what I was thinking also. You may find someone (like me and my casual job) where I'm happy to do one or two days maximum but is prepared (like the Christmas rush) to work more hours, knowing it will drop back to a more manageable level once the busy time is over.

You might find more mature ladies (or mothers of younger children) who don't want full time work and they could job share the larger role. This means you have three people all trained, all able to step up if someone is sick or resigns.

 

[TMNT]

Can't you just say that there are new laws that require you to put cameras in

Or the cameras are for the staffs benefit in the case something happens? Eg crazy customer

If my boss explaine it that way to me, I think it was ok

 

[marg4000]

Can't you just say that there are new laws that require you to put cameras in

Or the cameras are for the staffs benefit in the case something happens? Eg crazy customer

If my boss explaine it that way to me, I think it was ok

You can't just quote "made up" laws to suit yourself.

As new staff will be aware of the cameras, they should no longer be an issue.
However, care should be taken with the direction in which they are pointing to respect staff privacy.
Marg