Outsourced human resource services could mean the difference between failure and success for your young company.

You’re an entrepreneur — you’re committed to learning and mastering the information you need to accomplish your goal. You’re driven and focused. It can be hard to know when to call in an outside professional to handle a task, and in many cases, you are the best person for the job. But when it comes to human resources, this is probably not the case.

Your startup needs you. Your vision and direction is essential to drive growth. If you’re wrapped up in payroll and benefits management, will your company continue to thrive? If you’re spending hours researching compliant hiring practices, will you have the time to continue carrying out all or your other equally important duties?

Outsourced human resource services make sense for companies in all industries and of any size, but it especially makes sense for startups.

Why Do Startups Fail?

StartupGenom surveyed over 3,200 startups and found that 74 percent of startup failures can be attributed to the company scaling prematurely. Premature scaling means the company grew too quickly, before it was prepared to handle the effects, and as a result, it folded. This could happen, for example, if the company hired too many employees too quickly, or hired too many specialists before they were critically needed.

Why Outsource Your HR?

As a startup founder, if you’re drowning in paperwork and need help from a professional, think twice before building an in-house HR department — there’s a better alternative. Rely on outsourced human resource services instead, and get the assistance you need to prepare to scale your business, plus these benefits:

Gain Access to Infrastructure and Software

Your outsourced team will have their own system already in place to take care of your HR tasks, including all the software and equipment required to establish a working payroll and benefits system. You won’t have to build your own system from scratch.

Recruit the Best Talent

With outsourced human resources services, you’ll save money that can be used to flesh out your benefits package. Since your outsourced team takes care of the hiring process as well, you’ll have an expert on your side to help you identify the potential employees who will help your company grow.

Prepare to Expand Geographically

Your startup might expand faster than you think. Once you hire workers in other locations — be it outside your state or country — you have to follow the payroll and tax laws that govern these areas. You can depend on your outsourced team to handle these complexities with ease.

Stop Wasting Time

When pesky, repetitive tasks like payroll become too much for you, outsourced professionals ease the burden. You can even outsource just one responsibility if you choose. Then you can get back to focusing on the tasks only you can handle. If you have in-house HR staff, they can focus on tasks that align with their strengths, and contribute to company growth.

Stay Current on Policy

Just keeping up with changing compliance regulations is a full-time job, and you’re already working overtime. Make sure your startup is in line with the rules by trusting a competent professional to manage policy and procedure.

Outsourced human resource services could save your startup by enabling growth that leads to greater success, rather than causing your business to buckle. Trust WTA, Inc., for personalized, professional HR management — call today to learn more.

Outsourced HR services can provide your business with many benefits — decreased costs, increased efficiency and more flexibility.

If you as a business owner are overwhelmed with payroll regulations, or your in-house HR team has more work than it can handle, it’s time to look into what a professional employer organization (PEO) can do for you. Don’t fall for these common myths about outsourced HR services — none is true.

Myth #1: It’s Too Expensive

When you work with a PEO service that’s focused on helping small businesses succeed, you will only pay for the services you need. You aren’t forced to pay for a package of services, some of which you may not want or need.

Also, the costs are based on the number of employees you have, so you can find a plan that fits into your budget.

Myth #2: It’s Too Difficult to Set Up

It doesn’t take long to set up benefits packages and payroll, not when you have an experienced service provider on your side. Outsourced HR makes your life easier, not harder, so the setup is as streamlined as possible.

Myth #3: Payroll Must Be Switched on Jan. 1

While it makes it easier to switch payroll providers after the fiscal year or current quarter has come to a close, it’s possible to make a change at any time of the year. You don’t have to put off signing up for outsourced HR services — you can do it now.

Myth #4: You Will Lose Control

Qualified PEOs don’t try to take the reins — they let you steer the ship. You can relinquish as much or as little control as you wish. You still have the final say when it comes to the meaningful details. The only difference is now you have the assistance and experienced advice you need.

Myth #5: My Business Is Too Small

No business is too small to benefit from outsourced HR services. Take the pressure off and trust a team of professionals to stay current with labor laws and tax changes and free up room in your own schedule. This will foster growth, and soon enough your business won’t be as small as it once was.

Myth #6: It Will Hurt Jobs

You may be hesitant to depend on a PEO if you already have an in-house team, but think about this: Wouldn’t you rather have your in-house professionals working on a wider array of tasks and responsibilities? By taking some of the tedious tasks such as payroll off their to-do list, you’re freeing them up to focus on other, equally important projects.

Again, this can spur growth and propel your business toward further success.

WTA, Inc. provides the outsourced HR services you need to conquer daily challenges, manage time more efficiently and continue meeting and exceeding your business goals. Contact us today for a free quote based on what you want and need from our talented staff.

Every industry has some small business hiring challenges, and some are formidable enough that they can make you hesitant to push your company to the next level.

You know you’re ready to expand your workforce and hire the staff you need to continue your success, but the four small business hiring challenges listed below can be difficult to overcome.

What’s the solution?

1. Recruiting Skilled Workers

It’s not always hard to find a job candidate who has all the basic requirements for the position, but you’re not just looking for a warm body. You want an employee who has all of the base experience and then some, including the specialized skills that you’d consider a plus.

As a small business, you may not have your own dedicated human resources department. Because of this limitation, it’s difficult to compete with larger corporations that have whole hiring teams dedicated to seeking out the perfect candidate.

How can you find the skilled workers you need?

2. Hiring Dedicated Workers

It’s not just about what’s on paper. When you’re making a decision to add to your company’s team, you want to make sure your choice’s goals and lifestyle fits your brand. You need to find a corporate culture fit.

Because small businesses are less able to absorb the expense of an employee who quits suddenly, you want to take extra precautions when making a hiring decision.

One of the biggest small business hiring challenges is discerning which candidate’s personality will fit seamlessly into your business, producing a symbiotic relationship.

3. Implementing Effective Training Strategies

Once you’ve made a hiring decision, how do you ensure your employee gets the right training?

Again, without a dedicated human resources department, you’re on your own when it comes to designing a training program that effectively assesses knowledge and fills in the gaps where needed. This is important for so many reasons, including adhering to government regulations and overall business success.

The sooner you can integrate the new employee into daily operations, the sooner the hire benefits your company.

4. Maintaining an Attractive Benefits Package

One last top small business hiring challenge is designing a benefits package that will make your employees — both current and future — always pick you over the larger corporation with more resources.

How can you put together a unique bundle of benefits that caters to what your employees are looking for?

Outsourced HR Services

You don’t have the capital to establish your own human resources department, nor is that even really what you need. The answer to all of these small business hiring challenges is to outsource your human resources work to a professional employer organization.

You need a team of professionals on call who are skilled in the hiring process. You need a contact you can depend on for recruitment, testing, interviewing and training. You need an organization that will target your company’s benefits package to the desires of your employees, establishing you as a competitor in the recruitment field. You need WTA, Inc., a Utah PEO, when you’re facing these four small business hiring challenges. Call today to learn more about all of the services we offer.

An employee wellness program can dramatically improve the lives of your workers, resulting in a boost to your bottom line.

More companies are instituting employee wellness programs every day because of their many benefits, from decreased sick leave to increased productivity.

Have you considered designing an employee wellness program for your team?

What’s the Benefit?

The advantages of an employee wellness program include better attendance, decreased medical costs and lower turnover rates.

Healthier employees are more engaged employees — and they don’t need as much sick leave. The Institute for Healthcare Consumerism reported that a company’s wellness efforts lowers the rate of absences due to sickness by 28 percent.

Health care won’t be as costly because prevention is the best medicine. According to the 2013 Aflac Workforces Report, medical costs decreased by $3.27 for every $1 an employer spent on employee wellness.

When employees are active participants in the employer’s wellness program, they’re less likely to leave voluntarily as well. At the Biltmore company, the turnover rate went from 19 percent in 2005 to 9 percent in 2009, due to the integration of an effective employee wellness program.

Each of these three benefits translates to cost savings for employers, making a wellness plan a smart way to invest in the success of a business.

Identify Needs

Before setting up a program, identify the needs of your employees. Take surveys to find out what your team members would value most. Programs can range from smoking cessation to financial management classes — any topic that will provide opportunities for personal development.

The following are popular classes and topics to incorporate into a comprehensive employee wellness strategy:

• Heart health
• Back and spine health
• Allergy and asthma care
• Diabetes prevention and treatment
• Healthy diets
• Men’s and women’s health
• Understanding health insurance
• Managing stress

Form a Team

Designing a program can be a significant time investment, so it’s best to involve multiple people. Forming a committee to establish and run the program can help ensure many opinions and preferences are incorporated, and it may encourage heightened interest and involvement.

Offer Incentives

It always helps to offer an incentive. Whether it’s a cash bonus for everyone who quits smoking or a reward, such as a Friday afternoon off to the person who walks the most miles during the week, incentives can help provide the motivation your employees need to start taking charge of their health.

Change Workplace Culture

Ultimately, implementing a wellness program is about changing your workplace culture. You want to create a productive environment where everyone works together toward a common goal, but puts their health front and center, not treating personal development as an afterthought.

Contact WTA, Inc., for information on how adding an employee wellness program could make your business a top choice for the most qualified candidates. Get hands-on help with the hiring process and flesh out your employee benefits package today.

By 2020, millennial workers will make up 50 percent of the global workforce. By 2025, they’ll make up 75 percent.

In Utah, millennial workers are plentiful, and it’s a portion of the population that’s only expected to grow. After all, Utah is America’s youngest state. The average age is 29.9, while the national average age is 37.4.

If you’re a Utah business owner, you need to know what you can do to retain workers from the millennial generation. It starts with understanding exactly what these workers are looking for. The answers may surprise you.

Opportunity Beats Pay

According to a global survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the characteristic that millennials consider the most important in an employer is the opportunity for career progression. Fifty-two percent of survey respondents stated that this was the defining factor in an attractive employer.

Forty-four percent cited competitive wages as the most important, and 35 percent stated that training and development was the most vital. But overall, most millennials are primarily focused on achieving their career goals and realizing their ambitions.

Best Benefit?

Another surprising characteristic of millennial workers is how they view employer benefits. Or maybe it’s not so surprising considering they are the most educated generation in history. The top benefit millennials want from their employer is training and development. Twenty-two percent cited this as the benefit they would value most.

Flexible work hours came in second place at 19 percent, and cash bonuses ranked third, with 14 percent preferring this benefit most.

Work Life Balance Is Crucial

It’s not enough to promise a work-life balance — employers have to deliver. Ninety-five percent of millennials consider this an important factor when selecting a position, and 70 percent consider it very important.

Sometimes millennials are disappointed with how their employers come through on this front. Twenty-eight percent of millennials say that the work-life balance was worse than they expected it to be.

Community Care Is Essential

Even though 71 percent of American adults think millennials are “selfish,” it’s not always the case. Many millennial workers are proving the stereotype wrong. For example, a 2010 Pew Research study found that more millennials valued helping others over achieving a high-paying career.

Using company time and allowing for planning time to organize community service outreach can draw in millennial workers and give them a sense of satisfaction and purpose.

Wondering how you can flesh out your benefits package to appeal to millennial workers?

You can start by analyzing your benefits package and addressing the areas that are lacking. For employee benefits administration assistance, contact WTA, Inc. today. An expert PEO service provider can help you save money to put toward the benefits that matter most to millennial workers.

PEO services are invaluable for small businesses. A professional employer organization allows you to focus more on running your company and less on the minute details that only serve to take up room in your daily schedule.

On average, membership in a PEO makes it 50 percent less likely that a small business will fail. The owner is more focused, the employees are happier and business just gets better.

Improve Your Benefits Package

The first way PEO services can transform your business is by widening the scope of the benefits package your company offers. By pooling the partnered employees, PEOs are able to score a better rate on health, dental and vision.

From 401(k) plans to life insurance options to flexible spending accounts, membership in a PEO allows you to offer more to your employees for the same or less than you already pay.

Compliant HR Training and Manuals for Employees

Think of your PEO as your outsourced human resources department. They take care of the training that your employees need but that you don’t have time to manage. They will produce and provide the company manual and answer all employee questions throughout the training process.

Much Less Time Spent on Paperwork

Payroll processing alone can eat up a large chunk of your day and your week. And you have to dedicate this time to payroll every pay period. Wouldn’t it be nice to have this task off your list of things to do?

Claims Are Handled with Ease

You probably don’t know the first step of processing a discrimination or a worker’s compensation claim, but PEO services do. You can rest assured that your employees’ concerns and injuries will be addressed in a timely, lawful manner.

Managed Recruitment and Hiring

PEO services even can recruit new employees for you. You may not know how to properly and legally word the ad’s job description, but you can trust your PEO to do it perfectly. You can off-load as much responsibility as you’d like them to take on during the hiring process — they can run the interview and report back to you on matching candidates.

Tax Time Is Less of a Headache

It’s a full-time job to stay on top of ever-changing tax laws. Ensure you are on track for withholding and make sure all immigration paperwork is filed correctly when you trust a PEO to take on this task.

Set Up an Employee Review Process

Your employees will love that you’re now depending on PEO services for many reasons, but one of the top ones will probably be that they get regular, detailed reviews. Your employees want to know that if they work hard and improve, they will be recognized and rewarded. With the help of your PEO, you can set up a review process that your employees will appreciate.

Trust WTA, Inc., for comprehensive PEO services to fit the needs of your small business, and see a big difference right away.

You may overlook the importance of employee benefits, but your workers do not.

The key to keeping your best talent in-house and preventing high turnover rates is the package you offer in terms of health insurance, work-life balance and retirement funding.

What employee benefits do you offer, and do they measure up to what your employees expect?

If the following categories aren’t included in your employee benefits package, it might be time to reevaluate your offerings:

Health Insurance

It’s definitely the most expensive part of any employee benefits package, but it’s also the most vital to your workers’ wellness and their willingness to commit to your company long-term.

Your health care package cost is determined by many factors, including the number of employees you have, but by working with a professional employer organization and taking advantage of small business tax breaks, you can lower costs and still provide the comprehensive benefits your workers need.

Dental and Vision

The cost of dental and vision insurance varies depending on whether you offer fully funded or partially funded plans. Typically, many health insurance companies offer these packages as well.

Life and Disability Insurance

What if you could offer your employees an automatic $10,000 life insurance policy? Both short-term and long-term disability insurance is another major perk. Employees want to know that they and their loved ones will be cared for in the event of an accident or disaster, and you can help provide them with that assurance.

Paid Leave

Paid leave is one of the cheapest benefits to add to any compensation package. Most employees will expect one to two weeks, but they love the opportunity to earn more the longer they stay and thrive in their positions. In addition, paid maternity/paternity leave is an attractive benefit.

Work-Life Initiatives

Whether you offer employees a subsidized gym membership or the ability to telecommute one day a week, focusing on improving their quality of life and assisting them in achieving a healthy work-life balance will only help your company succeed.

Retirement Accounts

An employee-sponsored retirement plan like a 401(k) also can help to retain employees, especially if you match contributions up to a certain percentage. Employers take care of the administration while allowing employees to build a financial foundation for their future retirement.

Building or Updating Your Benefits Package

Your most dependable resources for compiling an updated, attractive benefits package are your current employees. Ask their opinions on the employee benefits they would be most likely to use and which they would like best. It’s pointless to spend resources on benefits that your staff doesn’t need or want.

Call today and explain what you and your company are looking for. You can construct a substantial, appealing employee benefits package for less than you might think with the help of WTA, Inc.

A company’s human resource services department is responsible for so many important tasks, from tax filing to legal compliance to training and employee skill development.

Small, medium and even large businesses see many benefits in outsourcing in order to cut costs and streamline their business functions. This leaves them time and energy to focus on their specialties while leaving complex human resource tasks to trained professionals.

Here are six reasons you should consider outsourcing as well:

1. Save Money

A human resources department can consume a large portion of a company’s budget. As your
business grows, you have to hire additional team members to meet the needs of your
company. But the larger your business, the more money you can save by outsourcing.

2. Stay in Compliance

Employment law changes and evolves over time. If your human resources department is
overwhelmed, they may not have the time to devote to compliance research. When you
outsource work to specialists in this area, you lower your risk of lawsuit.

3. Handle Workload Increases

A sudden increase in work can easily overwhelm a small department, but outsourcing some
of these responsibilities can ensure your in-house employees stay abreast of your company’s
expansion.

It takes time and money to replace a lost employee, but if you outsource your human
resource services, maintaining that staff will not be your headache anymore.

4. Access Professional Training

Instead of spending time and energy developing training programs for your employees, let
outsourced human resource services manage this task. Employee development will be made a
priority, and all progress will be tracked and reported, decreasing the amount of training and
number of administrative tasks company leaders would normally have to manage.

5. Ensure Business Operations Are Focused

Whether you plan on outsourcing many tasks or just a few of the more complex
responsibilities, streamlining business operations frees you and your employees to work on
improving workplace efficiency. When no one is bogged down with paperwork, the focus
shifts, and you and your team can work together toward productive goals.

6. Utilize Superior Skill Sets and the Latest Technology

No human resources staff member is an expert in all things. A collective outsourced team can
provide services that a small in-house department cannot, such as specialized, top-tier
recruiting.

Also, outsourcing to a dedicated human resources provider ensures your company can take
advantage of the industry’s latest tools and technology.

WTA, Inc. can help you grow your business — find out today how outsourced human resource
services can help improve your company’s bottom line.

Compliance with employment law starts with the hiring process. From posting a job to
conducting interviews to selecting candidates, it’s important to stay conscious of both state and
federal regulations so you can avoid violations and fines.

The hiring process can go smoothly, as long as you observe the following five guidelines as you
put together the advertisement and the interview questions in order to stay in compliance.

1. Check Your Job Description for ADA Compliance

Your job listing cannot be discriminatory. To stay in compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA), the phrases included in the job listing must be chosen carefully. For
example, instead of “walk around” the office, opt for “move around.” Instead of using the
words “talk” or “hear,” choose “communicate.”

Physical conditions are considered disabilities, but so are chronic illnesses like AIDS and
cancer, along with mental disorders like schizophrenia. To stay in compliance, employers are
required to treat any job applicant with a disability the same as all other candidates.

2. Avoid All Mention of Race, Ethnicity and Citizenship Status

During the interview, never ask about an applicant’s ethnic origins or comment on their name
or appearance. Even asking about their language proficiency can be construed as
discriminatory.

You are allowed to ask them to complete Form I-9, which verifies the identity and eligibility
of a worker to be hired in the U.S., but requesting any additional documentation is
prohibited.

3. Never Mention a Woman’s Pregnancy

Employers are not allowed to deny a position to a woman based on her pregnancy or a
condition related to her pregnancy, as this is gender-based discrimination.

You may be hoping to hire an employee who plans on staying with the company for the long
term, but you cannot ask specific questions about a candidate’s current or future pregnancies.
You can ask general questions about her future plans to gauge her commitment level, but stay
away from all inquiries into her personal life.

4. Don’t Talk About Age

Employers are not allowed to make assumptions about a person’s capabilities based on their
age. You cannot ask how old candidates are, and you cannot ask questions that may be
misconstrued as an age-related inquiry, such as asking about their retirement plans or what
year they graduated.

5. Ignore all Social Connections

All social groups or clubs, including political party memberships or religious affiliations,
must not be mentioned in the interview in order to stay in compliance. Even if you are simply
trying to be friendly and make conversation, any questions that veer outside of the main topic
can be viewed as discriminatory, good intentions or not.

Only ask questions that relate to the individual’s ability to meet the duties and responsibilities
of the position and you will stay in compliance with both local and federal law.

If you need assistance with hiring and want to ensure your organization stays in full compliance
with all state and federal laws and regulations, trust WTA to manage this process, add new hires to your team and help assure your company’s success.