December 1, 2024 • 19 mins
In this insightful episode, Eric Peguero sits down with Jillian Bernstein, CEO of The Wellness Extension, to explore the critical role Human Resources plays in small business success. Jillian shares her expertise on:
Jillian Bernstein is the CEO of The Wellness Extension, an HR consultancy dedicated to supporting small businesses in achieving their full potential.
The Wellness Extension
HR Consultancy for Small Business
www.wellness-extension.com
Instagram: @wellness_extension
Direct: (215) 630-7736
- The importance of prioritizing HR in small business operations
- Strategies for creating a positive company culture
- Effective employee engagement and retention techniques
- Navigating complex HR regulations and compliance
- The benefits of outsourcing HR services for small businesses
Jillian Bernstein is the CEO of The Wellness Extension, an HR consultancy dedicated to supporting small businesses in achieving their full potential.
The Wellness Extension
HR Consultancy for Small Business
www.wellness-extension.com
Instagram: @wellness_extension
Direct: (215) 630-7736
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hey, rock Stars, Welcome to this edition of the Chamber podcast.
In this episode, we'll be talking about HR and the
people piece your business needs. As always, I'm your host,
Eric Pigero, and I want to thank you for joining
us today as we dive into this very important topic
that's more than just buzzwords. It's a game changer for
your organization. Look, investing into employees' wellbeing isn't just the
(00:26):
right thing to do, it's a strategic move that can
elevate your business to new heights. And joining us today
is a true expert in the field, Jill Bernstein, founder
of The Wellness Extension. Jill is here to share insights
on how prioritizing the health and happiness of your team
can boost engagement, productivity, and retention. Plus, we'll talk about
(00:47):
how focusing on well being leads to long term success
for your business. Hey Julian, welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yes, thanks so much, Eric, thanks for having me today.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
So exciting. When I was in corporate America way back when,
many years ago, I was a young manager and I
befriended the HR director of the corporation where I worked for,
and it was an invaluable resource. If anybody is owner
of a small business or is in corporate America and
needs an ally. HR is a person to the point
(01:24):
where I have two daughters in HR.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
I love that. I love that. Yeah, It's truly an
honor to be able to work with employees but also
be able to kind of be that sounding board for
the executive team and an organization. So you really wear
multiple hats in HR, and that's something I just I
love people passionate about people and being able to both
(01:50):
support kind of the two camps that the management team
and employees is just such a rewarding feeling from a
human perspective.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Yeah. Perfect, And you do have to have a passion
for it because it is a lot of work, you know.
So as we get into this topic, let me take
just a pause real quick, because you are a member
of the chamber, right, Yeah, we love having you in
the chamber and you are an invaluable resource to many
of our members. So tell us a little bit about
yourself and the company.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Sure, So, first and foremost a wife and a mom
of two teenagers here in Rockville, Maryland, my family knows
that I'm incredibly passionate about well being and people and
making connections, which is one of the reasons I actually
joined the chamber, and it's one of the many reasons
(02:43):
that brought me to the world of human resources, even
if my journey was a little circuitous. I graduated with
a degree in economics from the George Washington University, so
I guess you could say I love kind of understanding
how the world works and how people work. So pairing
that with my passion for helping others and connecting with people,
(03:05):
I pivoted from a job in economics about twenty years
ago to consulting and HR leadership. So back in twenty
twenty three, I started my own HR consulting practice, the
Wellness Extension, to offer truly concierge fractional HR services to
small businesses because sometimes small businesses can't afford a full
(03:26):
time JAR person, but they need that sounding board and
I want to be able to be that person for
them to help them engage their employees and policies and
practices that are truly grounded and well being to ensure
that their most important asset, their talent, is really there
for the long term. So that's my goal, That's what
(03:48):
I'm passionate about, and I'm just grateful to be able
to talk to you a little bit more about that today.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Absolutely so as I alluded to it earlier. You know,
the job of an HR person is extremely difficult work.
You know, there's very talented HR people that make it
look like it's you know, easier said than easier done.
And said, you know, but all right, but what does
that look like? How do you incorporate well being into
(04:17):
the day to day because you're talking about productivity and
sometimes you know, managers are just task oriented, mission oriented
and push push push push. How do we balance that out?
What does that look like?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Yeah, I'm so glad you brought that up, because truly
management wants to know what their bottom line is going
to look like, and they want productivity of their employees.
And I mentioned, you know, I have this degree in economics,
so I actually I'm also a little bit of a
data nerd. I love data, so I come in kind
of wearing the hat of I love connecting with people
(04:51):
and I love studying data trends and what people want
so we can make sure that the workplace has the
most effective outcomes high retension, high engagement, and high productivity.
So the way this could look for instance, in a
day to day is me coming in and doing a
temperature check via an employee survey to truly understand what
(05:12):
employees are engaging in and also what leadership wants in
terms of future policies or programs, and really from an
HR perspective, we like to start small and see what works,
and see what starts to engage your employees and start
building community among them. For instance, I like to start
(05:32):
talk with management about flexible work environments or thoughtful policies
and benefits that will help support their employees while not
totally decimating any bottom lines. One of the things I've
done over the years is build up with your benefit
provider a wellness fund, for instance, so it doesn't have
to hit your bottom line when you implement well being
(05:53):
programs for your employees because it comes from quote unquote
a gift that you're getting from the insurance provider. So
those are all kind of unique things that I bring
to the table in terms of understanding how the benefits,
the policies and the programs can work together, both in
what leadership wants and what employees want, and then to
really work with both parties to put together a meaningful
(06:17):
policy well being programs and other kind of interesting and
innovative benefits for employees in the workplace. Ultimately, we really
want employees to feel safe at work, and there's a
lot that we can do with well being, but you
also need to make sure employees enjoy showing up each day,
that your policies and your leadership team demonstrate empathy. But
(06:40):
also at the end of the day, they need to
show up to a job that is there for them.
So you have to have productive and effective employees too.
So it's a little bit of a balancing act making
sure that you have the right programs in place, but
also that you employees are engaged and that they're putting
forward with that discretionary effort to get the job done.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
You know, you hit a lot of good points there,
and you mentioned something about the wellness challenge, which I'd
just like to get a little bit more of understanding
what that's about. So just a lot of break a
little bit on that.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Sure. So one of the things we love to do
at the Wellness Extension is implementing wellness challenges as part
of these wellbeing programs. And for instance, let me give
you an example of something I'm doing with a client
right now. Thanksgiving is at the end of this month
when we're recording this episode, and we're running a gratitude
challenge for them at this time. This is literally no
(07:34):
cost to the organization except for us from an HR
perspective helping run the program. It's a fun three week
challenge where employees work on micro gratitude moments over a
twenty one day period leading up to the holiday, and
it feels good as a group, you feel more connected
to each other. I drive the initiative, so I'll send
(07:56):
out emails a couple times a week, and it's so
wonderful to see employees and colleagues chime in to talk
about gratitude that they've experienced through the day. So there's
a community component to this challenge. So, for instance, I
just sent out an email this morning to a client
of mine, and the colleagues have already responded, what did
(08:20):
you do this weekend to incorporate gratitude? And we have
checklists so people can say what they checked off their list.
And that's a really fun way to encourage others to
get in on a really great kind of mindset before
the holidays. And it's been fun to see what people
have said, whether it's smiling at a stranger, buying coffee
for the person behind them in line, whether it is
(08:43):
leaving post it notes for your family on the mirrors
in the bathroom in the morning, just saying how amazing
they are. People take these individual components into their personal
universe and they do them, but they feel supported by
their community at work because we're all cheering each other on.
We do a miriad different challenges at the Wellless Extension
for companies. The Gratitude challenge is a great one for
(09:04):
the fourth quarter, but we have ones that are related
to physical movement, food and fruits and vegetables, nutrition, kind
of focused, screen focused, sleep focused, variety of different ways
that you individually can be healthy, but have community support
with your colleagues along the way. And on my website
we have a two week free gratitude challenge if anyone
(09:27):
wants to grab it. So we always kind of want
to put it out there and give people a taste
of what challenges are like.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
That is fabulous. You put a name to something that
I do on a regular basis, but I'd never thought
about it. A micro gratitude moment, being thankful for something
as crazy. As you know, I love pickleball and I
have to talk about it everywhere I go, and just
being able to go and find the people that I
like to play with at the court at the moment
(09:55):
that I just happen to be there, you know, or
that there's not too many people, or somebody brought a
book when I forgot, you know, to bring a ball,
something crazy like that. But those are just little moments
that are insignificant, but reality they change your mindset.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
They truly do. And when you're not only thinking about
that on a personal level, but you're kind of pausing
to think about that during the workday, it also shifts
your mindset at work and you're engaging with your colleagues
and you want to show up to work each day
because you're feeling grateful for them too. One of the
challenges is like one of the little nuggets you could
(10:28):
do is just send a quick email to someone saying, hey,
thanks so much for your help on X, Y or
Z last we really made a difference in my day,
or really made a difference in the deliverable we got
out to the client. And that feels good like that
you're giving out tiltitude too, so.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
It absolutely does. So what are some additional ways or
just like, you know, this micro gratitude that you mentioned
that I would consider easy lifts that you can recommend
for employees to implement to invest and improve the well
being of their employees.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Sure, so through the wellness extension, we love to make
things tactical. I don't like to say, like, oh, just
show like gratitude to your employees, Well, how do you
do that? Right? And in a similar way, I often
consult with my clients on tactical takeaways they can implement.
And I'm gonna I'll share three with you that are
my top favorites to really engage employees in addition to
(11:23):
kind of being mindful of their well being and work
and wanting them to show up each day. So the
first is sharing a story. So as a manager, for instance,
it is so critical for you. I'm not saying you
have to kind of open the floodgates to your personal life,
but to show a little bit of vulnerability to your
team members and that really does go a long way.
(11:46):
So for instance, not sharing too many personal things. But
one thing I often tell my team is, as I
mentioned at the beginning of the podcast, I have two
teenagers at home and often the mom uber for them
driving them some place, and it is sometimes taxing, and
sometimes I need to be away from my desk and
flex my hours on certain days. So if I have
(12:10):
to do that, I'm open with my team and say, hey,
it's going to be a hectic afternoon here. I'm going
to hop on later, but I want to let you
know I'm taking my kids to this doctor's appointment or
to this practice and it is okay. And that allows
them to then tell me when they have to take
a kid out to a doctor's appointment, or they want
(12:31):
to go see their kid play in a sports game
or in a play. They also have that flexibility and
they're not afraid to hide something from me or like
maybe just kind of appear offline, and it starts to
really get a good back and forth with the manager.
So be a little vulnerable, share a story with your employees,
(12:51):
or share some real life stuff going on so they
know they can come to you too when they have
real life stuff happening to them. So that's one takeaway
example with it. The other thing I love is making
sure that your managers are having weekly or bi weekly
one on ones with teammates. I offer through my Instagram
(13:11):
page every Monday, you'll find a pickstart question. So even
if you're like, what do I talk to my employees
about if I meet with them once a week or
every other week, these one on one questions really help
get that conversation started. It is a way to check
in with your employees, even if it's just fifteen minutes
a week, to make sure that they feel valued and
(13:33):
that you know what's going on in their life and
you know what they might be hitting in terms of
bumps in the road for work or what successes they
might be. You might want to celebrate for them again, like, hey,
what was your success last week? Think my kickstart question
this morning. Given we recently had a presidential election in
this country and I know there were emotions all over
(13:54):
the map for everyone, was what do you do when
you're stressed out at work or in life? What do
you do? And that's a great question to ask employees
and be able to support them through that. So those
are the little questions that really make a big difference,
and that you're taking time as a manager just that
(14:14):
fifteen minutes, thirty minutes if you can once a week
or every other week to truly have that foundation with them.
So again, employees will come to you knowing you care
about their well being when they need something, and they
won't kind of brush it under the rug and it
won't bubble up to something bigger and more of a
big issue. So we through these one on ones. We
(14:36):
really want employees to feel comfortable coming to managers. And
then the last thing, another tactical takeaway is getting a
little personal being from an HR background. This could be
a tight rope, right, Like, I don't like to get
too personal with people, but you can ask employees a
few personal questions to show that you truly care about them.
So my favorite ones include, you celebrate when is your birthday?
(15:00):
That way I can make a note on my calendar
to either send them a note, a card, or maybe
a little sweet because I always ask my team members
what's your favorite flavor of cake? You could ask what
your favorite color is, or like what your favorite scent is.
Maybe buy a candle for someone you know. These are
things like they're not too personal, but they are really
good to know so you can recognize people, whether it's
(15:23):
down the road for doing a good job. You want
to send them a gift card to their favorite coffee shop,
or whether it's their birthday and you just want to
reach out and send them really nice like birthday wishes.
So this way you have quick ideas in your back
packet and it really does help employees kind of feel valued.
I know when I get a gift card to Phili
Cory which is in Rockville, they make the best hai
(15:46):
tea and I love it, and so that's like, people
know that's my coffee shop, you know. So that's just
an example.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
No, those are some great, great takeaways. And as we
wrap up, by the way, thank you so much for
this because this is really really wonderful and I could
talk to you all day long because I love, like
I said, HR, I love gratitude, you know, and it's
just I'm a what is it cup half full type
of person.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
Yeah, I have a really hard time to seeing the
negative and things. So but let's talk for a minute
about HR policies, practices and what else do you offer
that can be a benefit to our members.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
Sure, so the one less extension. We are truly a
full HR consulting shop, and we help put the baseline
of all people support in place, especially as I mentioned
for small businesses, so whether it's standard operating procedures for
onboarding new employees or actually helping onboard them, recreating and
codifying job descriptions, evaluating your handbooks, putting together handbook if
(16:53):
you don't have a policy manual for your employees. We
really offer people centric services to strengthen your business from
a people perspective. Some of our favorite ways to engage
with organizations also include working on career paths for your employees,
being your partner, evaluating benefits, so talking with your brooker,
being that kind of knowledge behind the numbers and what
(17:15):
the benefits are that are trending, developing onboarding processes and presentations,
as well as truly just taking that people piece and
off your plate and engaging with your employees so they
truly feel that the company cares about them and you
as a business owner. Because retention is a huge issue
(17:36):
among employers, you can retain your talent for the long term.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
That is beautiful. Thank you so much for joining us.
Now before we leave, you had mentioned earlier that you
may have some gifts for us, and we'll put a
link in the description of the podcast, so tell us
about those gifts. And how they can get it.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Sure, So I want to be and I want employers
to be able to access a free well being challenge.
So I have that two week Gratitude sprint which you
can grab off my website, so we'll link that, and
then I also have a stay interview checklist and questions
that you can ask your employees. So those are also
great questions to use in those one on ones that
(18:16):
I mentioned earlier, and they are a great resource for
you to also find out why employees are staying with
the company and what would make them leave down the road.
So again, more insight, more data for you to take
in as a manager.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
Beautiful, and we have all your contact information again, Jillian,
you are a valued member of the chamber. Thank you
so much for joining me today and taking some time
out to do this. I think it's a wonderful resource,
So thank you. I will see you soon.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Oh, I look forward to seeing you too, And thank
you Eric so much for having me. I really appreciate
the opportunity to chat with the community.
Hey, rock Stars, Welcome to this edition of the Chamber podcast.
In this episode, we'll be talking about HR and the
people piece your business needs. As always, I'm your host,
Eric Pigero, and I want to thank you for joining
us today as we dive into this very important topic
that's more than just buzzwords. It's a game changer for
your organization. Look, investing into employees' wellbeing isn't just the
(00:26):
right thing to do, it's a strategic move that can
elevate your business to new heights. And joining us today
is a true expert in the field, Jill Bernstein, founder
of The Wellness Extension. Jill is here to share insights
on how prioritizing the health and happiness of your team
can boost engagement, productivity, and retention. Plus, we'll talk about
(00:47):
how focusing on well being leads to long term success
for your business. Hey Julian, welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yes, thanks so much, Eric, thanks for having me today.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
So exciting. When I was in corporate America way back when,
many years ago, I was a young manager and I
befriended the HR director of the corporation where I worked for,
and it was an invaluable resource. If anybody is owner
of a small business or is in corporate America and
needs an ally. HR is a person to the point
(01:24):
where I have two daughters in HR.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
I love that. I love that. Yeah, It's truly an
honor to be able to work with employees but also
be able to kind of be that sounding board for
the executive team and an organization. So you really wear
multiple hats in HR, and that's something I just I
love people passionate about people and being able to both
(01:50):
support kind of the two camps that the management team
and employees is just such a rewarding feeling from a
human perspective.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Yeah. Perfect, And you do have to have a passion
for it because it is a lot of work, you know.
So as we get into this topic, let me take
just a pause real quick, because you are a member
of the chamber, right, Yeah, we love having you in
the chamber and you are an invaluable resource to many
of our members. So tell us a little bit about
yourself and the company.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Sure, So, first and foremost a wife and a mom
of two teenagers here in Rockville, Maryland, my family knows
that I'm incredibly passionate about well being and people and
making connections, which is one of the reasons I actually
joined the chamber, and it's one of the many reasons
(02:43):
that brought me to the world of human resources, even
if my journey was a little circuitous. I graduated with
a degree in economics from the George Washington University, so
I guess you could say I love kind of understanding
how the world works and how people work. So pairing
that with my passion for helping others and connecting with people,
(03:05):
I pivoted from a job in economics about twenty years
ago to consulting and HR leadership. So back in twenty
twenty three, I started my own HR consulting practice, the
Wellness Extension, to offer truly concierge fractional HR services to
small businesses because sometimes small businesses can't afford a full
(03:26):
time JAR person, but they need that sounding board and
I want to be able to be that person for
them to help them engage their employees and policies and
practices that are truly grounded and well being to ensure
that their most important asset, their talent, is really there
for the long term. So that's my goal, That's what
(03:48):
I'm passionate about, and I'm just grateful to be able
to talk to you a little bit more about that today.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Absolutely so as I alluded to it earlier. You know,
the job of an HR person is extremely difficult work.
You know, there's very talented HR people that make it
look like it's you know, easier said than easier done.
And said, you know, but all right, but what does
that look like? How do you incorporate well being into
(04:17):
the day to day because you're talking about productivity and
sometimes you know, managers are just task oriented, mission oriented
and push push push push. How do we balance that out?
What does that look like?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Yeah, I'm so glad you brought that up, because truly
management wants to know what their bottom line is going
to look like, and they want productivity of their employees.
And I mentioned, you know, I have this degree in economics,
so I actually I'm also a little bit of a
data nerd. I love data, so I come in kind
of wearing the hat of I love connecting with people
(04:51):
and I love studying data trends and what people want
so we can make sure that the workplace has the
most effective outcomes high retension, high engagement, and high productivity.
So the way this could look for instance, in a
day to day is me coming in and doing a
temperature check via an employee survey to truly understand what
(05:12):
employees are engaging in and also what leadership wants in
terms of future policies or programs, and really from an
HR perspective, we like to start small and see what works,
and see what starts to engage your employees and start
building community among them. For instance, I like to start
(05:32):
talk with management about flexible work environments or thoughtful policies
and benefits that will help support their employees while not
totally decimating any bottom lines. One of the things I've
done over the years is build up with your benefit
provider a wellness fund, for instance, so it doesn't have
to hit your bottom line when you implement well being
(05:53):
programs for your employees because it comes from quote unquote
a gift that you're getting from the insurance provider. So
those are all kind of unique things that I bring
to the table in terms of understanding how the benefits,
the policies and the programs can work together, both in
what leadership wants and what employees want, and then to
really work with both parties to put together a meaningful
(06:17):
policy well being programs and other kind of interesting and
innovative benefits for employees in the workplace. Ultimately, we really
want employees to feel safe at work, and there's a
lot that we can do with well being, but you
also need to make sure employees enjoy showing up each day,
that your policies and your leadership team demonstrate empathy. But
(06:40):
also at the end of the day, they need to
show up to a job that is there for them.
So you have to have productive and effective employees too.
So it's a little bit of a balancing act making
sure that you have the right programs in place, but
also that you employees are engaged and that they're putting
forward with that discretionary effort to get the job done.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
You know, you hit a lot of good points there,
and you mentioned something about the wellness challenge, which I'd
just like to get a little bit more of understanding
what that's about. So just a lot of break a
little bit on that.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Sure. So one of the things we love to do
at the Wellness Extension is implementing wellness challenges as part
of these wellbeing programs. And for instance, let me give
you an example of something I'm doing with a client
right now. Thanksgiving is at the end of this month
when we're recording this episode, and we're running a gratitude
challenge for them at this time. This is literally no
(07:34):
cost to the organization except for us from an HR
perspective helping run the program. It's a fun three week
challenge where employees work on micro gratitude moments over a
twenty one day period leading up to the holiday, and
it feels good as a group, you feel more connected
to each other. I drive the initiative, so I'll send
(07:56):
out emails a couple times a week, and it's so
wonderful to see employees and colleagues chime in to talk
about gratitude that they've experienced through the day. So there's
a community component to this challenge. So, for instance, I
just sent out an email this morning to a client
of mine, and the colleagues have already responded, what did
(08:20):
you do this weekend to incorporate gratitude? And we have
checklists so people can say what they checked off their list.
And that's a really fun way to encourage others to
get in on a really great kind of mindset before
the holidays. And it's been fun to see what people
have said, whether it's smiling at a stranger, buying coffee
for the person behind them in line, whether it is
(08:43):
leaving post it notes for your family on the mirrors
in the bathroom in the morning, just saying how amazing
they are. People take these individual components into their personal
universe and they do them, but they feel supported by
their community at work because we're all cheering each other on.
We do a miriad different challenges at the Wellless Extension
for companies. The Gratitude challenge is a great one for
(09:04):
the fourth quarter, but we have ones that are related
to physical movement, food and fruits and vegetables, nutrition, kind
of focused, screen focused, sleep focused, variety of different ways
that you individually can be healthy, but have community support
with your colleagues along the way. And on my website
we have a two week free gratitude challenge if anyone
(09:27):
wants to grab it. So we always kind of want
to put it out there and give people a taste
of what challenges are like.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
That is fabulous. You put a name to something that
I do on a regular basis, but I'd never thought
about it. A micro gratitude moment, being thankful for something
as crazy. As you know, I love pickleball and I
have to talk about it everywhere I go, and just
being able to go and find the people that I
like to play with at the court at the moment
(09:55):
that I just happen to be there, you know, or
that there's not too many people, or somebody brought a
book when I forgot, you know, to bring a ball,
something crazy like that. But those are just little moments
that are insignificant, but reality they change your mindset.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
They truly do. And when you're not only thinking about
that on a personal level, but you're kind of pausing
to think about that during the workday, it also shifts
your mindset at work and you're engaging with your colleagues
and you want to show up to work each day
because you're feeling grateful for them too. One of the
challenges is like one of the little nuggets you could
(10:28):
do is just send a quick email to someone saying, hey,
thanks so much for your help on X, Y or
Z last we really made a difference in my day,
or really made a difference in the deliverable we got
out to the client. And that feels good like that
you're giving out tiltitude too, so.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
It absolutely does. So what are some additional ways or
just like, you know, this micro gratitude that you mentioned
that I would consider easy lifts that you can recommend
for employees to implement to invest and improve the well
being of their employees.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
Sure, so through the wellness extension, we love to make
things tactical. I don't like to say, like, oh, just
show like gratitude to your employees, Well, how do you
do that? Right? And in a similar way, I often
consult with my clients on tactical takeaways they can implement.
And I'm gonna I'll share three with you that are
my top favorites to really engage employees in addition to
(11:23):
kind of being mindful of their well being and work
and wanting them to show up each day. So the
first is sharing a story. So as a manager, for instance,
it is so critical for you. I'm not saying you
have to kind of open the floodgates to your personal life,
but to show a little bit of vulnerability to your
team members and that really does go a long way.
(11:46):
So for instance, not sharing too many personal things. But
one thing I often tell my team is, as I
mentioned at the beginning of the podcast, I have two
teenagers at home and often the mom uber for them
driving them some place, and it is sometimes taxing, and
sometimes I need to be away from my desk and
flex my hours on certain days. So if I have
(12:10):
to do that, I'm open with my team and say, hey,
it's going to be a hectic afternoon here. I'm going
to hop on later, but I want to let you
know I'm taking my kids to this doctor's appointment or
to this practice and it is okay. And that allows
them to then tell me when they have to take
a kid out to a doctor's appointment, or they want
(12:31):
to go see their kid play in a sports game
or in a play. They also have that flexibility and
they're not afraid to hide something from me or like
maybe just kind of appear offline, and it starts to
really get a good back and forth with the manager.
So be a little vulnerable, share a story with your employees,
(12:51):
or share some real life stuff going on so they
know they can come to you too when they have
real life stuff happening to them. So that's one takeaway
example with it. The other thing I love is making
sure that your managers are having weekly or bi weekly
one on ones with teammates. I offer through my Instagram
(13:11):
page every Monday, you'll find a pickstart question. So even
if you're like, what do I talk to my employees
about if I meet with them once a week or
every other week, these one on one questions really help
get that conversation started. It is a way to check
in with your employees, even if it's just fifteen minutes
a week, to make sure that they feel valued and
(13:33):
that you know what's going on in their life and
you know what they might be hitting in terms of
bumps in the road for work or what successes they
might be. You might want to celebrate for them again, like, hey,
what was your success last week? Think my kickstart question
this morning. Given we recently had a presidential election in
this country and I know there were emotions all over
(13:54):
the map for everyone, was what do you do when
you're stressed out at work or in life? What do
you do? And that's a great question to ask employees
and be able to support them through that. So those
are the little questions that really make a big difference,
and that you're taking time as a manager just that
(14:14):
fifteen minutes, thirty minutes if you can once a week
or every other week to truly have that foundation with them.
So again, employees will come to you knowing you care
about their well being when they need something, and they
won't kind of brush it under the rug and it
won't bubble up to something bigger and more of a
big issue. So we through these one on ones. We
(14:36):
really want employees to feel comfortable coming to managers. And
then the last thing, another tactical takeaway is getting a
little personal being from an HR background. This could be
a tight rope, right, Like, I don't like to get
too personal with people, but you can ask employees a
few personal questions to show that you truly care about them.
So my favorite ones include, you celebrate when is your birthday?
(15:00):
That way I can make a note on my calendar
to either send them a note, a card, or maybe
a little sweet because I always ask my team members
what's your favorite flavor of cake? You could ask what
your favorite color is, or like what your favorite scent is.
Maybe buy a candle for someone you know. These are
things like they're not too personal, but they are really
good to know so you can recognize people, whether it's
(15:23):
down the road for doing a good job. You want
to send them a gift card to their favorite coffee shop,
or whether it's their birthday and you just want to
reach out and send them really nice like birthday wishes.
So this way you have quick ideas in your back
packet and it really does help employees kind of feel valued.
I know when I get a gift card to Phili
Cory which is in Rockville, they make the best hai
(15:46):
tea and I love it, and so that's like, people
know that's my coffee shop, you know. So that's just
an example.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
No, those are some great, great takeaways. And as we
wrap up, by the way, thank you so much for
this because this is really really wonderful and I could
talk to you all day long because I love, like
I said, HR, I love gratitude, you know, and it's
just I'm a what is it cup half full type
of person.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
Yeah, I have a really hard time to seeing the
negative and things. So but let's talk for a minute
about HR policies, practices and what else do you offer
that can be a benefit to our members.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
Sure, so the one less extension. We are truly a
full HR consulting shop, and we help put the baseline
of all people support in place, especially as I mentioned
for small businesses, so whether it's standard operating procedures for
onboarding new employees or actually helping onboard them, recreating and
codifying job descriptions, evaluating your handbooks, putting together handbook if
(16:53):
you don't have a policy manual for your employees. We
really offer people centric services to strengthen your business from
a people perspective. Some of our favorite ways to engage
with organizations also include working on career paths for your employees,
being your partner, evaluating benefits, so talking with your brooker,
being that kind of knowledge behind the numbers and what
(17:15):
the benefits are that are trending, developing onboarding processes and presentations,
as well as truly just taking that people piece and
off your plate and engaging with your employees so they
truly feel that the company cares about them and you
as a business owner. Because retention is a huge issue
(17:36):
among employers, you can retain your talent for the long term.
Speaker 1 (17:40):
That is beautiful. Thank you so much for joining us.
Now before we leave, you had mentioned earlier that you
may have some gifts for us, and we'll put a
link in the description of the podcast, so tell us
about those gifts. And how they can get it.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Sure, So I want to be and I want employers
to be able to access a free well being challenge.
So I have that two week Gratitude sprint which you
can grab off my website, so we'll link that, and
then I also have a stay interview checklist and questions
that you can ask your employees. So those are also
great questions to use in those one on ones that
(18:16):
I mentioned earlier, and they are a great resource for
you to also find out why employees are staying with
the company and what would make them leave down the road.
So again, more insight, more data for you to take
in as a manager.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
Beautiful, and we have all your contact information again, Jillian,
you are a valued member of the chamber. Thank you
so much for joining me today and taking some time
out to do this. I think it's a wonderful resource,
So thank you. I will see you soon.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Oh, I look forward to seeing you too, And thank
you Eric so much for having me. I really appreciate
the opportunity to chat with the community.
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