For the start of Spring 2019, we take a few moments to ignore the junk piling up in our garages at home and focus on ways to implement the spirit of Spring cleaning to improve our businesses. Pick one or all 5 and get started today.
1. Dump old policies
Have you merged sick and vacation time into PTO? Instituted casual Friday but the dress code still says business attire every day? Now is a great time to revisit those old policies and update them so that employees have clear guidelines and expectations. In many cases, it may just be a matter of conforming them to current practices.
2. Put your document retention policy to work
No policy in place? It’s definitely time to create one. We are all overwhelmed with data today, including digital and paper files, so a consistent purging process is necessary to manage the volume and ensure that important records are easily accessible when needed.
Before you go crazy with the shredder and delete button, consider whether there are any litigation holds in place or if your industry is regulated such that advertising material (website archives) must be maintained for a certain time.
3. Evaluate your hiring needs
Spring is hiring season for upcoming May grads and a time when seasoned workers look to make a move, inspired by the warm weather and themes of new life and renewal.
Current college students are also looking for summer intern/externship opportunities and many programs now have experiential components requiring students to earn a few credits in the field. Hosting a student for the summer is a great way to “test-drive” an entry-level hire for next year and get a little extra help during vacation season as long are you’re committed to offering a quality, educational experience. The Department of Labor does not allow businesses to use unpaid interns to fill otherwise paid positions.
4. Eliminate unneeded expenses (and stuff)
Subscriptions and services tend to accumulate over time and those ongoing charges really add up over time. Unread magazines and unused supplies clutter up the office, making it feel chaotic. Recycling the pile now is only a temporary solution; ending the subscription is a permanent fix. Most industry organizations are happy to provide their news and updates online and save the cost of printing and mailing the paper copy anyway.Take it one step further and re-direct the savings you generated to plan a company picnic or outing. Nothing says Spring like making plans for the Summer!
5. Refresh content
Outdated and obsolete content, on your website and in print, can be frustrating for clients, leading to confusion and potentially losing sales. Highlighting new products or services will help to cross-market to existing clients and open the door to new ones. Good quality, current marketing materials enable your team to serve client needs more efficiently by answering common questions and providing background information, so it is absolutely worth the effort to update them occasionally.
As an added bonus, you can also clean out the office refrigerator. You know it needs it.