Jennifer Soper

Guru is one of the original hiring sites for freelancers, having been around since 1996. Its interface is not as modern as similar sites, but it’s less expensive and offers easy-to-use tools for finding freelancers, posting jobs, hiring, paying for work, and managing projects. Plus, it has freelancers in a variety of highly technical fields,…

An employee leaving announcement notifies your team that an employee is no longer with the company. It’s important to be transparent and honest with your team in your delivery of the announcement, while also maintaining confidentiality. When announcing an employee is leaving, be sure to communicate a clear plan for how the departure will impact…

Customer service training involves the coaching and support a customer service representative receives to improve their handling of customer issues and create excellent customer satisfaction and experiences. Regardless of the product or service you offer, going the extra mile in customer service builds trust, loyalty, and customer retention. To bring out your reps’ full potential…

When an employee receives a court-ordered document calling them for jury duty, you, as the employer, must provide them with time off to attend to it. This is where having a jury duty policy will come in handy—it will outline who is eligible, whether it is paid, and what process to follow. Although federal law…

W-9 for contractors is a form that gathers basic information about independent contractors, like name and Social Security number. The W-9 form is used to verify a contractor’s tax ID number in order to report earnings (>$600) for the year. The form is easy to complete and doesn’t need to be submitted to the IRS….

LinkedIn is a social media website built around its users’ professional networks where individuals can connect with current and former colleagues, join industry groups, and search and apply for jobs with businesses on the platform. As a small business, you can leverage LinkedIn to find employees from its captive pool of candidates. Your first step…

Wave Payroll and Gusto are both payroll software that will allow you to pay employees and contractors. Gusto is a standalone payroll service that offers additional HR features (e.g., employee benefits, time tracking, and hiring support tools); whereas Wave Payroll is an add-on to its free accounting software and is very limited in HR features….

Switching payroll providers starts with evaluating what your business needs and identifying where your current provider falls short. From there, compare other payroll services to find one that fits your budget, supports your payroll processes, and can manage a smooth transition. If you’re ready to make the change, follow the six steps below to switch…

Gusto and Paycom are both full-service HR and payroll software providers. Their platforms are designed to streamline HR offerings, such as onboarding, employee benefits, payroll, and tax processing. Gusto is affordable with unlimited pay runs starting at $49 per month + $6 per person per month. Paycom’s pricing is non-transparent and charges per-employee fees for…

A work from home (WFH) dress code policy standardizes the acceptable work attire for remote employees. Although it might seem irrelevant, you don’t want employees in their pajamas all day if they’re doing video calls with clients, prospects, and business leaders. Creating continuity and a level of professionalism keeps your team productive and focused, while…

Illegal interview questions address subjects that are not allowed, generally related to protected categories, such as age or religion. You will want to steer clear of these questions as they may violate discrimination laws. In addition to age and religion, the following are subjects to stay away from as they are illegal questions to ask…

Employee evaluation forms are documents that give structure to your employee management and feedback process. These may be used regularly for annual performance reviews or as needed for performance improvement. Having a well-structured performance review template is important to ensure that you hit all necessary points for improvement while avoiding any issues of discrimination. Besides…