Are Your Internal Processes Effective?

Expanding operations. Maximizing profitability. Positioning your organization for acquisition. No matter what your staffing firm is trying to achieve, having clearly defined, scalable internal processes is essential to success. Effective business processes:

• Ensure consistent quality
• Eliminate bottlenecks to enhance efficiency
• Define accountability
• Provide both direction and objective measures of success (for employees and your organization as a whole)
• Create a framework for profitable growth

So, how good are your business processes? Think about it:

• When you land a huge new client, does everyone in your company clearly understand what they must do to service the new account seamlessly – or is it “controlled chaos?”
• Do account managers and recruiters have adequate internal support, so they can focus on their most important activities?
• Do you have up-to-date, written procedures for moving candidates through your entire screening, selection and placement process?
• Can the owner or president go on vacation, knowing that it’s “business as usual” back at the office?
• Is your team still pushing paper?

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If you responded with a thoughtful, “Hmmm…” to any of these questions, you need to keep reading. Here are five business process improvement strategies that will streamline your operations and make your staffing or recruiting firm even more successful:

Audit. Start by taking stock of your internal operations and clearly defining both systems and processes. Charge the head of each department to create a comprehensive document that outlines everything his team does – from defining clients’ staffing needs to evaluating candidates’ soft skills and even processing payroll.

Encourage your managers to get input from all employees, to best understand how your business actually works (not just the theory behind how it should work). Be sure to include clear guidelines for resolving problems and handling emergency situations as part of your documentation effort.

Prioritize. Once you clearly define how your business is operating today, decide where you should focus your improvement efforts. Make a list of your biggest process challenges, bottlenecks and weak spots, and then quantify how much each costs your business. Consider:

• How much time is wasted?
• How does a lack of process threaten your company?
• How many opportunities are lost?
• How much money could a specific process improvement contribute to your bottom line?

Select two or three internal processes that could have the biggest impact on your business as the initial targets for your improvement efforts.

Explain the WIIFM. Change can be difficult for employees – but it’s impossible without their buy-in. So when you need to revamp a process (or create a new one), start by communicating what your staff stands to gain. Explain how a change in a specific business process could save them time, improve workflow, decrease mistakes and help them deliver (and receive) higher quality service.

Automate. From applicant tracking systems and online timekeeping to social media automation, technology can streamline and systematize processes in every part of your business – from sales and marketing to administration and recruiting. Though it typically requires a large initial investment, the gains your team will experience in productivity and accuracy will far outweigh the costs in the long-run. Appoint a task force to identify the areas of your business that could benefit the most from automation, and then seek out expert advice to help you evaluate your options.

Strive for continual improvement. Creating more effective internal processes isn’t a once-and-done activity. Make an annual process review part of each key manager’s responsibilities, so that your firm is always making incremental improvements.

Exceptional support and systems are the foundation of PrideStaff’s success.

Every PrideStaff strategic-partner has the benefit or our organization’s well-defined systems, support, infrastructure and processes. Here are just a few examples of how our internal processes help sustain profitable growth for every office:

• Billing and collections. Unlike many in our industry, initial collection calls are made by our credit/collections headquarters in Fresno, Calif. – not local offices. This department also conducts monthly calls to review aging reports and keep franchisees/strategic-partners abreast of future potential issues.
• IT. Beyond supporting offices with typical technology needs, our IT department also trains and assists offices with operational issues relating to our business software and processes. They also proactively monitor and identify issues that may affect a franchise, even if they come up overnight. We have invested in advanced tools to help manage healthcare reform and new mandates for every office.
• Marketing and materials. PrideStaff supports each office with a full complement of award-winning sales, marketing and recruiting materials, programs and processes. High-quality potential client lists and state-of-the-art software increase the efficiency and effectiveness of business development efforts.
• The Portal. PrideStaff’s intranet provides access to current, relevant internal and external news impacting our business. It’s also an organized, searchable repository for the forms and documents our offices commonly use.
• Payroll. The PrideStaff home office handles most of the process of creating payroll checks (and direct deposits or payroll cards). Things like processing, calculation and submission of payroll taxes are done for each local office.

Unparalleled support and processes are why we continue to thrive in a crowded and highly competitive industry.

Follow this link to learn more about becoming a Franchisee/strategic-partner with PrideStaff

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