When an employee leaves there are indirect costs in relation to the time and effort that is required to replace any employee as direct recruitment and advertising costs, there are also less tangible cost associated to losing knowledge and experience that is specific to an organization; Losing good employees is a problem where prevention is most definitely the best cure.

Employees leave their employers for many valid and unavoidable reasons but it is important that an employer knows the reasons their employees leave in case they are found to be reasons that if addressed and resolved could have been avoided.

Concerns of employees can be identified early by the regular use of well designed job satisfaction surveys, allowing for problems to be resolved and helping to minimize needless loss of staff. However, some problems, especially those that are the result of a clash of personalities, are not always brought to the surface until it is too late.

There are two very common reasons for employee dissatisfaction that can often result in personnel deciding to change jobs, a lack of career development and/or poor management. Both of these problems can be difficult to identify even for organizations that adopt regular 360-degree appraisals (i.e. where as part of the overall review employees are requested to appraise their line managers).

While employed employees can be reluctant to criticize their managers for fear of the consequences, they can however be more candid when completing an employee exit survey.

Exit surveys are unlikely to prevent an individual from changing their mind and staying but what they will do is help an organization identify problem areas that if left unchecked could result in the remaining employees suffering form poor moral and further resignations.

Lack of Career Development

Not all employers can offer, and nor do all employees desire, a clear and long term career path. There are just as many people that find comfort and security in doing one job well as there are people that need to feel that they are continual being challenged, learning new skills and moving onwards and upwards with respect to the corporate ladder. For organizations to succeed and excel they need the high flyers as well as the steady Eddies of the world.

Where losses due to a lack of career development are occasional they may also be inevitable, but where they are frequent, then changes to the organizational structure might need to be considered to allow for greater career development of the employees.

Poor Management

Many managers achieved their position through promotion, but it does not always follow that a good worker will automatically make a good manager and often people are assigned management position without any formal management training.

Poor managers can be quick to discredit the views of disgruntled staff, 'I was thinking of getting rid of them anyway' and 'they were a waste of space' are typical responses to being asked if there is a problem causing people to leave an organization.

It is proper and natural for senior management to support their line managers by giving them the benefit of any doubt, after all a good managers can always be slighted by poor employees. But by conducting exit surveys, if a man-management problem were to be identified early there is a good chance that it can be addressed and resolved with the appropriate formal training and guidance.

Records

It is not that unusual for a person to leave an employer and put in a claim for constructive dismissal at a later date. With 'No win no fee' legal representation this has become a real problem for even good employers. At best Exit surveys will provide an organization with a valuable record of the employee's reasons for leaving, and at worse, provide advanced warning that a possible claim for unfair dismissal might be expected.

Unless it is on record a tribunal will not necessarily accept an employer's word that when an employee left they did so without indicating any grievance.

Timing of the exit survey

Exit surveys can with the employee's agreement be delayed for a few months or be conducted as part of the termination procedures.

The advantage with delaying an exit survey for a few months is that after a period of reflection a former employee can be less emotional and more objective and if they have taken up another position they may be in a position to compare their previous role with their new role.

The advantages with conducting an exit survey as part of the termination procedure is that although emotions may be running high it is probably more reflective of the employee's state of mind and therefore closer to the reasons they have decided to leave (justified or otherwise). If delayed any comparison between the ex-employee’s old and new roles may be the result of them putting on a brave face, and if the reasons that are given require action, the delay may have prevented the problem from being resolved.

Summary

Organizations will generally benefit in a number of different ways by including exit surveys as part of their employee termination procedures. Having good records could prove to be very valuable later and they will also provide management with information that can help them improve an organization’s moral as well as the bottom line.

See the following survey for sample exit interview questions.

Today, we are living in a new age of immense technological advances. Cars and households can be controlled by a remote control, animals are being cloned, and humanoids are being developed. Your business needs to be updated with technology or the competition will quickly leave you behind. If you are in business, we have a suggestion for you to help put some pep in your step.

In the middle of all the great technologies of today, a business cannot afford to spend more of its valuable time on the basic operational and record-keeping needs. A point-of-sales system (POS), computer software and hardware network, that can easily record sales as they are occurring.

What can an efficient restaurant POS system do for your business

A POS system provides businesses "real time" updates of their inventory and a better leverage for future business plans based on their sales. Here's what your business can benefit from using POS systems:

- POS systems automatically record your sales. How many times have you scratched your head wondering why there is a deviation from the books and inventory? Well this will not be a problem for long. A business cannot put a price on a flawless accurate sales tracking.

- Often a business will implement sales and other promotions to attract customers. This can be a nightmare if items, dates, and the reduction in prices are not accurately logged. POS systems can automate the process, to avoid confusion and frustration when tracking or calculating.

- For small to medium-sized business owners, who can't be present all the time. This absence can create high anxiety for the owner and disarray for the business. POS systems can run the inventory and sales tracking of your business whether you are present or absent.

- For a small to medium-sized business owner with multiple locations, maintaining consistency can become a concern. Prices may or may not vary depending on location, but the number of customers and their demands will usually differ. A POS system allows a business owner to keep track of multiple stores' inventories and affords the possibility of accounting for meeting different demands and product.

- With the rise of new technologies so is the hassle of having them all. Tools and devices that come separately can become pricey and confusing; a progressive POS system will offer many business tools in one package.

- A good POS system will not only help track inventory and pricing, but will give more time for employees and the owner to concentrate more towards the the business and customer needs, and generating revenue. Finding the roots of miscalculations and in remedying the problem can cause hours of lost time; a business that implements a POS system can avoid this issue.

Need more information or an online resource?

Go to POS-For-Restaurants.com

The author of this article is the Vice-President of Customer Relations at POS-For-Restaurants with over 20 years of experience serving the automation needs of restaurants of all types throughout the U.S.

If you’re beginning a brand new business, compliments to you. Starting a brand new company requires a lot of work. Prior to inviting customers through the doors for business, you will want to register in the state you’re doing business in some form or fashion.

Lots of new proprietors look into sole ownership, or possibly a limited ownership, in the beginning. Incorporating a business does have its advantages and it may also be quite simple, especially if you use an online incorporation company. We will introduce a few of the necessary actions you may wish to consider abiding by in order to obtain your company’s incorporation, which can be accomplished on your own by using corporate kits, but it can be a bit difficult.

The primary, and obvious, item your company needs is a name for the business. Consider what you want the business name to be. Have the professional name contain words that reflect the type of company you’re in or the solution that you provide to assist in creating professional name recognition as well as to make branding easier.

In case you'll be operating across various states, make a decision as to the states you prefer or might wish to increase your presence in, starting with the specific region your business will have its headquarters in. The registration process of paperwork would be similar in any state. The notable difference is you will have to register the business’s once annual accounting as well as other conditions separately. The fee structure can vary and those would also need to be satisfied independently.

Prior to registering, you will want to decide what kind of a business you wish to form, e.g. either an standard C corp, or an S corp, and whether during the process you should use a incorporation of company solution. Each has its advantages, so school yourself on the advantages as well as the versatility of every one to assist in making a decision which is right for the business.

The final item of note will be you'll need to have the ability to register yourself as well as another executive of your business, aka an acting representative. If you are a modest-sized family business, then it could be your spouse that you list or maybe a close relative which possesses a sharp business intellect which is also trustworthy.