2019 HR Goals for California Employers2019 is right around the corner, which means many employers are getting ready to set goals for the company that will help shape the next year. It’s important to get these goals approved and communicated in an efficient manner so that employees and supervisors can begin working towards achieving them right at the beginning of the new year.

Don’t set your company up for failure; set goals that are reasonable, measurable and most of all, attainable. Some might be financial goals and others may touch on recruiting, retention or other HR challenges that employers would like to manage better in the new year. In fact, better management of HR goals can help employers meet their financial goals quicker and easier. Below are some important goals that employers should have for 2019.

Recruiting

The unemployment rate is at an all time low, making recruiting extra challenging for employers of all sizes. But in order to grow a company and expand its reach, there needs to be a strong focus on recruiting and hiring. Hiring in 2019 may look a little different than it has in the past. Job seekers are more connected than ever, making social media a great tool for reaching top talent. New laws have been added that limit some of the questions an employer can ask an applicant, and put more weight on hiring decisions that can appear biased. For 2019, employers should resolve to revisit their recruiting and hiring process and make a few changes:

  • Update job descriptions. When was the last time you updated the job descriptions for your current open positions? Do they accurately describe the types of duties an employee would be performing? Do they contain biased language that might discourage certain people from applying? Make sure your job descriptions are exciting and attractive to potential employees and they accurately portray your company in order to give a proper first impression, especially to candidates coming from job searching websites who may have never heard of you before.
  • Leverage social media. Okay, so you’re probably not finding new employees on Facebook or Snapchat, but there are plenty of great social media platforms where job seekers do stand out. Medium.com and LinkedIn are two great platforms that recruiters are turning to more frequently to connect with job seekers and share open positions with a wider audience.
  • Standardize the interview process. The hiring process can be a big discrimination pitfall for employers, without them even realizing it. As discrimination continues to be a hot topic for legislators and in the media, employers need to make it a priority to try to reduce discriminatory behaviors in all possible areas, even before hiring begins. Bias in the interview process can show through the questions that candidates are asked. Employers can standardize the process by asking exactly the same questions to each candidate, reducing an interviewer’s tendency to ask leading questions.

Employee Engagement

Today’s employees are expecting a lot from their employers. Better pay and great benefits are at the top of the list, but there are other ways in which employers can improve employee engagement as well.

  • Move to a continuous feedback method versus traditional performance management techniques. Continuous feedback focuses on pointing out the positives and the negatives of employee performance in real time. Employees tend to feel more balanced because they aren’t just hearing the negatives, and they are more likely to improve their performance in the moment rather than waiting until their annual review.
  • Increase diversity and inclusion efforts. Studies have shown that increasing diversity and inclusion in the workplace can positively impact employee performance. Diverse and inclusive teams of workers tend to be more innovative, engaged and creative in their work. Employers who are looking to improve engagement in the new year should look at their diversity and inclusion practices as a serious solution.
  • Improve the employee experience. Employee experience encompasses all of the narrower aspects of how an employee perceives each day at the workplace. Not only does a positive employee experience help with employee engagement, it also helps with productivity and directly affects the customer/client experience as well. Employers in 2019 will need to put more effort into areas such as company culture, professional development opportunities and rewards and recognition to help improve the employee experience and overall employee engagement.

Compliance

More new employment laws are going into effect on January 1st, adding new compliance issues to the table for employers who may already be struggling with the current laws that are in place. In California especially, employers have a long list of new laws to navigate that directly impact recruiting, hiring, employee management and more.

  • Reach out to an expert. Employers who utilize a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) or other HR outsourcing provider can reduce the likelihood of compliance issues in their organization. Their PEO or HR provider can stay on top of the ever-changing regulatory standards and employment laws, and implement changes as they are needed to avoid the costly repercussions of non-compliance.
  • Bring the whole team up to speed. Many of these laws aren’t just to regulate employers, but also management and supervisory staff and other employees. In the first few weeks of 2019, employers may want to bring their staff up to speed on some of the new regulations regarding things like confidentiality and privileged communications, wage records requests, employer reporting and more.

Harassment

Harassment issues were front and center in 2018, and are not expected to die down anytime soon. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has ramped up their efforts to follow through with as many harassment claims as possible, and new laws in California have been designed to change the way employers approach sexual harassment complaints and have mandated training as well.

  • Update harassment reporting procedures. Employers are encouraged update and simplify their procedures for reporting sexual harassment as well as take prompt action to investigate claims of harassment when they occur. New regulations prohibit secret settlements and non-disclosure agreements in sexual harassment cases. Employers should instead open up dialogue that concerns appropriate and professional workplace behavior to make it easier to identify the inappropriate incidents and resolve them.
  • Get ahead of harassment training requirements. Requirements in 2019 for all employers in California with at least five workers include at least two hours of sexual harassment prevention training to all supervisory employees and at least one hour of sexual harassment prevention training to all non-supervisory employees; within six months of employees assuming their position, and once every two years thereafter. Employers are encouraged to begin training efforts as soon as possible after January 1st, 2019 in order to be compliant with the deadline.

Emplicity understands that HR Outsourcing should be simple and meaningful. As a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), we strive to be a great partner in supporting your business. If you would like to request more information on how we can assist your needs, please reach out to us at 877-476-2339. We are located in California – Orange County, Los Angeles, and the greater Sacramento and San Francisco area.


NOTICE: Emplicity provides HR advice and recommendations. Information provided by Emplicity is not intended as a substitute for employment law counsel. At no time will Emplicity have the authority or right to make decisions on behalf of their clients.

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