What Every Company Should Do to Prepare for the New Year

December is always a hectic month for companies, but it affords the opportunity to learn from past mistakes and focus on a bright, upcoming New Year.

Here are four ways you can whip your Human Resources department in shape and be prepared to tackle the New Year.

  1. Top Performers – Stay connected and make sure that the company’s top performers and best employees are happy. Connect with employees and see what is working for them, what’s not and what could improve to help make their work environment better. Additionally, see if more lifestyle benefits, such as flexible hours or additional vacation time would ease frustrations. Don’t focus on just gaining feedback during exit interviews, but incorporate regular interviews to guarantee employee satisfaction is high, which can help reduce turnover.
  2. Policy Changes – Many state and federal laws are passed at the end of each year and become effective on January 1. Stay up to date on any upcoming changes and make sure to get everything in place to implement them starting in the New Year to avoid penalties. Your state’s Department of Labor website should list any upcoming regulation changes that may affect your business.
  3. Communicate with Management – Schedule informal meetings with managers and executives to understand the company’s big picture, which will help facilitate making sure that all departments are going in the same direction and share the same long-term goals.
  4. Performance Management – Performance reviews need to be done, and all necessary documentation should be in order. Whether your company does reviews informally on paper or files them electronically, it’s important that managers have personnel files reviewed on an annual basis to make sure nothing is missing.

Ninja Gig offers convenient online employment applications that are fully customizable. Affordable and easy, Ninja Gig also saves Human Resources teams hours of unnecessary time creating applications and tracking applicants. Sign up now for your free trial today and start getting your online job applications in front of potential candidates now.

End of Year Benefit Reminders

One of the best perks employees have are benefits, which is why it’s important for Human Resources’ departments to remind them to make sure they use any key benefits that may expire on an annual basis.

Here is a list of the top FIVE benefits to remind employees about this month.

 

  1. Checkups – Annual exams and other yearly checkups are often covered in full by most medical insurance policies. Send employees reminders to use these benefits before year’s end.
  2. Flexible Spending Accounts – Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) are different from Health Savings Accounts (HSA), which we will discuss below. Flexible Spending Accounts allow pre-tax money to accrue for eligible medical expenses, but they come with a use-it-or-lose-it penalty. However, over the last five years, the IRS has modified that rule and allows up to $500 in unused contributions to be carried over to the following year. The amount is not cumulative, which means it’s important to remind employees about their options for taking advantage of FSA contributions.
  3. Health Savings Account – An HSA is different from an FSA because amounts can transfer over year-after-year. While it’s still tax-free medical dollars at work for employees, it’s an excellent opportunity for employees of all ages to put money towards current or future medical expenses. Remind employees of the upcoming individual and family savings annual contribution amounts and the differences between an HSA and FSA account.
  4. Vacation Benefits – Whether companies have a policy about losing unused vacation at the end of each year or they allow employees to carry over a certain number of hours, it’s important to remind employees how much remaining vacation time they have left in 2018. Additionally, make sure that the paid time off policy complies with all local and state regulations, especially if companies enforce using or losing the accrued time.
  5. Life Events – If employees have a qualifying life event, such as getting married or having a child, after open enrollment season, make sure they have the necessary coverage to support them and their families.

 

Ninja Gig offers online employment applications, which help attract some of the best, brightest talent in the industry. In today’s modern world, employee benefits are significant to job seekers. With more than 80% of people applying for online jobs, your company can’t afford not to check out Ninja Gig this upcoming New Year. For a flat monthly rate, you can use and customize UNLIMITED online job applications. Sign up now for your free trial and start getting your online job applications in front of potential candidates today.

Tips for Hiring Seasonal Employees

The busy holiday rush is just around the corner, and many companies are scrambling to hire seasonal or contract employees. Often this last minute hiring frenzy is stressful and daunting.

Here are some tips to help companies survive this busy time of year:

  • Concise Job Description – When creating a job description for seasonal work, accurately describe the duties and clearly state that the position is seasonal, part-time or contract.
  • Social Media – Having a strong social media presence that is supportive of employees and defines a company’s culture is also essential when trying to attract the best talent. Keep in mind that seasonal positions can help determine an employee’s work habits and value, and could lead to more long-term opportunities for advancement. Today’s teens continuously check their social media pages, which makes it an ideal application to post job openings.
  • Employee Referrals – Implement an employee referral program to help incentivize current employees to help refer potential applicants for seasonal and full-time positions. Whether it’s offering a cash bonus or a gift card reward, employers can disperse the referral incentives after the new hire finishes the season.
  • Job Fair – Job fairs are a great way to find seasonal employees and give employers the opportunity to meet many prospective applicants and communicate with them in a short time frame. If participating in a job fair, begin planning advertising approximately two weeks in advance to maximize the reach and exposure.
  • Vet Candidates – Once companies have a good pool of solid candidates, review each applicant’s resume, references and conduct a background check, if necessary. Remember to ask questions during the interview that focus on different scenarios or situations to find out how the applicants react under pressure.

Ninja Gig can make hiring seasonal employees effortless and painless. Sign up now for your free trial and customize your online job applications to save you valuable time by including sections for resumes, references, background check information and even an area for brief essay questions.

How to Create a Dynamic Work Schedule

Movie theaters, restaurants and other hourly positions, need to have management create a dynamic work schedule so that companies run flawlessly and efficiently. Without having open communication, work schedules can easily fall apart, leaving companies scattered, unorganized and scrambling to fill shifts.

Here are some excellent tips for creating a work schedule for hourly shifts.

Advance Scheduling

Employees have schedules outside of work, and it’s hard for people to find out their work schedule just hours or a day or two in advance. That’s why it’s essential to schedule shifts in advance so employees can plan. Emergencies happen, such as illness and deaths, but having a schedule published in advance can help minimize shift cancellations and streamline communication among the team.

Know Your Team

If you have team members that prefer morning shifts and others that prefer late night shifts, try to accommodate team members’ preferences and strengths. Not everyone is suited for the busy morning shift, and the same can be true for the late night hustle and bustle.

Respect Requests

Whether someone has a doctor’s appointment, needs to be at the bus stop by a particular time or prefers not to work on Sundays for religious reasons, it’s important to attempt to accommodate these types of requests when scheduling shifts. Request that employees submit their vacation requests as far in advance as possible to help accommodate any necessary requests. There may be times when employers cannot honor these requests, such as during busy holiday seasons, but it’s important to attempt to try to work around employees’ schedules as much as possible.

Shift Swapping

Having a policy that permits shift swapping is a great way to make sure that shifts are covered in advance and at the last minute. Have a clear process about shift-swapping in place to help avoid confusion, so all shifts are covered in advance. If employers don’t spell out a policy, they likely won’t know when employees change their shift schedules, which can cause abundant confusion and strife.

Busy Times

Customer demands play a central role in how employers schedule employees. Maybe weekends are peak busy times, which means that business may need to schedule extra employees for those shift schedules. When businesses identify busy times, it’s important to relay this to the employees, so they know that all extra shifts during peak hours need coverage.

Ninja Gig offers an excellent solution for businesses looking to use online job applications to attract the best, brightest talent. Many movie theaters and restaurants can advertise online job applications on websites and via social media. Sign up now for your free trial and see how Ninja Gig can help you streamline your online employment application process.

Interview Questions for a Movie Theater Manager

Most movie theater employees are teens with first-time jobs, which means it’s essential to have a responsible movie theater manager that has the necessary skills to lead and teach employees.

Below are some questions to consider incorporating into regular rotation when interviewing for a movie theater manager.

  • Can you work with budgets?
    •  What do you find is the most challenging part of the budgeting process?
  • Can you give an example and explain a time when you coached or mentored someone on the job?
    • Did it help boost the person’s skills or job knowledge?
  • Share an experience when you dealt with a difficult person or personality type, and what you did to handle and address the situation.
  • Describe successfully organizing a group of people to accomplish a specific task or goal.
  • Give me some examples of how you organize, plan and prioritize work on a daily basis.
  • Describe an instance when you did something “outside the box” that benefited your employer.
  • Tell me when you monitored or reviewed information and found a problem or discrepancy. How did you respond and what did you do?
  • Give an example when your advice facilitated an improvement for your company.
  • When setting expectations and monitoring subordinates performance, what do you find most useful?
  • Share a time when you successfully coordinated with others on a project.
    • Describe a time when that effort was not successful.
  • In your experience, what is the best way to help monitor the work of others?
  • Describe a time when you had to take corrective action with a subordinate.
  • What do you think is key to developing a good, solid team?
  • What do you think is essential when communicating with the public?
  • Describe a time when you remained calm and dealt with a high-stress situation.
  • Share a time when you took on additional challenges or responsibilities without being asked or directed.
  • Describe a time when you worked in a workplace that was rapidly changing. How did you deal with the change?
  • Share a time when you oversaw or managed the work of someone else. How did you motivate, direct and develop their work?
  • Discuss a time when you identified a problem and came up with a solution. Discuss your decision-making process and how you arrived at a conclusion.

Ninja Gig offers easy to customize online job applications, which makes it simple for movie theaters to advertise jobs and ask specific preliminary questions during the online employment application process. Sign up now for your free trial and see how Ninja Gig can bring streamline your online job applications.

How to Interview Teens

There are several types of jobs that are perfect for teens and with the upcoming holiday retail season right around the corner, there are many teens that might be looking for seasonal work.

Whether it’s hiring for fast food restaurants, movie theaters, Christmas tree farms, holiday light festivals or ski resorts, teens’ winter schedules make them an excellent fit for seasonal work.

Here are some great questions for managers to ask when interviewing teens for seasonal employment.

  • Why are you interested in this job?
  • When are you available to work winter break or after school hours during the school year?
  • When could you start?
  • How flexible is your schedule?
  • What days and hours are you available each day of the week?
  • Are you willing to work weekends?
  • Do you have any outside activities that might prevent you from working regularly?
  • Do you have plans during school break?
  • What are your long-term academic goals and current grades?
  • Why are you qualified for this position?
  • Do you have related work experience?
  • Tell me about any other jobs you have held and what did you like best and least about them?
    • What did you like best and least about your last job?
  • If your friends, teachers or counselor described you, what would they say?
  • Have you ever had any difficulties with a supervisor or teacher?
  • Tell me why reliability and punctuality are important traits in successful employees.
  • Why should we hire you?
  • Do you have any personal or work references?
  • Do you have any questions about the job?

Ninja Gig offers customizable online job applications, which makes it easy for employers to target teen demographics on social media channels and online, where teens will likely spend more time searching for seasonal jobs. Sign up now for your free trial and start getting your job applications in front of potential candidates today.

Hiring Seasonal Resort Nurses

As the ski season ramps up, so too does the need for seasonal resort nurses. Many of the big ski resort towns grow into a blossoming resort in the wintertime. As the slopes become packed with skiers and snowboarders, the hospitals near resorts see an overflow of emergencies, broken bones and head injuries. With so many seasonal patients, these resort-area hospitals need to hire additional resort nurses to ensure they have full staffing during the winter months.

Traveling nurses especially make the most of the ski season. Here is a list of the top five nursing ski destinations:

  1. Vail, Colorado
  2. Park City, Utah
  3. Killington, Vermont
  4. Aspen, Colorado
  5. Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada

Ninja Gig offers customizable online job applications, which means that you can ask the tough questions up front before committing to a lengthy interview process. Here are some excellent employment application questions to ask seasonal nurses on an online job application:

  • Why did you decide to become a nurse?
  • Write about a situation where you had to deal with a demanding, difficult patient and what you did.
  • Why are you applying for this job and why do you want to work at our hospital?
  • What made you choose your particular field of nursing?
  • What kinds of personality traits do you feel are necessary for nurses to have?
  • In your opinion, what are some of the most significant issues and challenges that nurses currently face? Why do you think you are qualified for the job?

Essay questions can be an insightful part of the initial interview process. When advertising for seasonal nurse positions, make sure to list out detailed requirements and education to help avoid unqualified nurses from applying. Additionally, since ski resorts are incredibly busy in the winter, it’s best to make sure applicants can work in a fast-paced hospital environment.

Sign up today for a free trial of our completely customizable applicant tracking system and see how quickly and efficiently you can take care of your hiring needs this season!

Tips for Hiring Seasonal Restaurant Staff

The holidays are just around the corner, and if you’re like many restaurants, you may find an increased need for seasonal restaurant employees, which can be especially true for ski resorts or restaurants close to retail shopping establishments.

Here are some helpful tips for hiring seasonal restaurant staff:

  1. Last Year’s Staff – Check and see if your seasonal staff from last year has availability to help this upcoming holiday season. By reaching out to employees you have hired in the past, you can help reduce your overhead and training expenses. Refresher courses are far easier than starting from scratch and teaching employees everything. Encourage employees to return next season and stay in touch with them throughout the year.
  2. Promote to Schools – Many colleges offer their students up to four weeks off in the wintertime, and a seasonal job may fit in perfectly with their schedules. Additionally, college students typically don’t demand high salaries and find minimum wage acceptable.
  3. Train Staff – Train all of your seasonal staff at the same time to help reduce the number of company training sessions. Consider instituting a simplified iPad-based point of sale (POS) systems, which require less training than traditional POS systems.
  4. Local Laws and Regulations – Always pay attention to and follow local laws and regulations that relate to hiring seasonal employees. Under federal law, part-time employees still receive some benefits, such as workers’ compensation and social security. Some states also mandate that part-time employees receive unemployment benefits, which may depend on the length and duration of the seasonal employment.

Ninja Gig offers custom online employment applications, which makes it easy for employers to advertise seasonal and part-time positions on their websites and social media pages. Some studies show that nearly 79% of Americans use online information and job applications to apply for jobs. Sign up today for our 30-day free trial and start filling those positions quickly!

Tips for Hiring Seasonal Employees

The holiday season is nearly upon us, and many companies are in full swing advertising, interviewing and hiring seasonal employees. If you have a seasonal business, here are some valuable tips to consider when investing in seasonal employees.

  • Evaluate – While some businesses, such as retail stores at Christmas or ski resorts in the winter, rely on hiring seasonal employees, it is best to evaluate the current staff before hiring additional employees. Analyze past trends and learn when you need to have seasonal employees start.
  • Comply – Comply with all country or state requirements for seasonal employees., which includes minimum wage, pay regulations for nights, weekends or overtime, health insurance requirements and labor regulations for teenagers between the ages of 14 and 17.

Here are some additional tips to follow when interviewing and hiring seasonal employees:

  1. Job Descriptions – Write specific job descriptions and clearly state that you are only recruiting for a seasonal position. In some cases, be sure to put the title of the job and then “Winter Seasonal” next to it in parenthesis. Also clearly state any requirements for the job, such as prior cashier experience, necessary ski instructor training, etc. If the position requires heavy lifting, clearly indicate the physical demands of the job. Being upfront will help you attract more qualified candidates’ resumes that clearly understand the requirements of the position.
  2. Advertise – There are a variety of job boards that have more seasonal job postings than others. For example, make sure to post the position on your company’s website and social media pages, but also explore Indeed, Monster, CareerBuilder and Snagajob. Other websites that are dedicated to seasonal employment postings include: CoolWorks, SeasonalJobs and BackdoorJobs.
  3. Evaluating Candidates – Consider evaluating candidates in groups initially, which will help if companies receive a lot of qualified resumes. Even though the position is seasonal, hire for both the cultural fit and qualifications, not solely based on skills.
  4. Retaining Employees – Something seasonal companies understand is that if an employee quits mid peak season, they have a significant gap in their workforce and it’s difficult to train someone for a job that only has a matter of weeks or months remaining. To help detour employees from leaving jobs early, consider offering end-of-season bonuses for employees that stayed on the entire season. Additionally, consider offering loyalty bonuses to returning staff to help offset training expenses the following year.
  5. Creative Benefits and Perks – Offering creative benefits, such as flexible schedules, can be desirable to prospective candidates.

Ninja Gig specializes in offering custom online job applications, which are ideal for seasonal employers this holiday season. These employment applications can highlight areas for candidates’ specific skills and qualifications, as well as having candidates acknowledge or answer any necessary questions. Additionally, employers can easily save resumes and applications to comply with all state and federal document retention regulations. Sign up for our 30-day free trial and find those seasonal candidates immediately!

Five Tips for Hiring the Right Employee

Whether you’re a seasonal company gearing up for the winter holiday rush or you have some current positions open in your organization, hiring the right employee is critical to your success.

While you can’t please everyone in your company, you can do your best to mitigate poor hiring decisions and focus on deciphering what employee traits are valuable to your company so you can better facilitate the interview process.

Here are the top five things to consider when interviewing candidates:

  1. Career Commitment – If someone is committed to his or her career, this may signify loyalty. Employees that switch jobs or careers frequently in pursuits of higher salaries may not be the long-term employee your business desires. Heavily weigh the candidate’s previous job duration and make inquiries about why they keep switching jobs. It could be something out of their control – like layoffs – but if they’re always looking for something better that pays more, it may be best to consider another qualified candidate.
  2. Test Learning and Analytical Skills – Keep in mind that a resume may be impressive, but there are also a lot of companies and freelancers that specialize in writing resumes. Because resumes can contain lies, it’s best to use a variety of methodologies to analyze candidates’ skills.
  3. Compatibility Match – You may find an impressive, brilliant applicant, but if they aren’t compatible with your company’s culture, you’ll have personality clashes, which can lead to an unproductive, unhealthy work environment. If a candidate expresses that they have difficulty getting along with co-workers or bosses, it may be a red flag that they are not a good fit for your company.
  4. Improve Your Hiring Process – Companies that follow these hiring steps have more success with finding long-term employees:
    a. Avoid magic bullet or irrelevant questions and focus on the candidates’ knowledge, capabilities, confidence, skills and attitude.
    b. When advertising available positions, make sure to list all job requirements to minimize unqualified candidates applying for the job. For example, list specific responsibilities, experience, skills, knowledge and required education.
    c. Involve several people in the hiring evaluation process, because the more people that participate, the better chance your company can hire a good fit.
  5. Review Social Media – Looking at a candidates’ social media page may have some legal complications, but companies can weigh the pros and cons. Today, nearly 90% of companies recruit through social media platforms because having an online presence is so important in our business world.

Ninja Gig can help companies simplify their online job application process. Our fully customizable online employment applications are ideal for companies to use on their direct websites or social media pages. Sign up today for a free trial of our highly reviewed applicant tracking system!