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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Updated: Tuesday, September 5, 2023
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Attracting and retaining talented employees is essential to the success of any business. However, it can be a daunting task to figure out the best ways to attract and retain great employees. This week, we’re sharing how RCI member Romolo Chocolates has been able to build a successful team by utilizing effective recruiting and hiring practices, nurturing a healthy company culture and rewarding performance, so that you may be able to apply some of these techniques to your business. Recruiting When recruiting potential candidates for a job opening, it’s important to look in the right places, as this will increase the potential pool of qualified candidates and make the recruitment process more successful. Romolo Chocolates has found the most success using Indeed.com for online recruitment. Indeed offers employers the opportunity to ask questions which helps to pre-screen potential candidates. They also utilize bulletins at local colleges and high schools to post job openings. By simply posting signs about hiring in their windows, they’ve had success with generating interest and interviews. While Romolo has tried using social media as a recruiting tool, it has not led to a single successful interview. Instead, they have found it to be more of a platform for their followers to post I Love Lucy memes. Hiring for the Right Fit It's not often that businesses come across true star employees, but when they do, these people can become a great asset to the team. Despite best efforts, it can be hard to identify the qualities of a star performer from resumes and interviews. Even if that person appears to have the right qualifications, that doesn’t always mean they will be a good fit for the business. When assessing potential job candidates, it’s important to identify those who share the same values and goals as the business. It is also beneficial to assess the candidate's attitude, desire to learn and grow, and ability to collaborate with others. Company Culture When asked to identify their most successful tool for retaining employees, Romolo Chocolates says, it’s their company culture. They have spent time exploring the company’s culture from the founder’s perspective and historical successes, which has allowed them to define their values, vision, purpose and “key ingredients” for a successful team. To introduce the new culture, the staff was reoriented over the course of several culture education and Q&A sessions. Romolo Chocolates’ culture is constantly evolving to ensure that management and team expectations are met. It covers important topics such as safety and customer experience, for which everyone is responsible. New Hire Training At Romolo, new hires come on board under a 90-day probation period before receiving benefits. The team usually knows within the first four hours if the hire will work hard and absorb the knowledge they are teaching. On their first day, new hires take a tour of the facility with a member of the culture team. At this time, paperwork has been completed and they are wearing a new uniform when they step onto the floor. During the first two weeks of training, they attend a culture session with other starting or returning team members, which helps them understand the company values and purpose, as well as the expectations and policies. Team members are assigned a trainer each day who not only teaches, but also takes breaks and lunch with the trainee. The culture of Romolo Chocolates emphasizes kindness, and they ask their employees to train with respect and kindness. Cross Training Romolo Chocolates encourages cross training, and employees who are trained for more than one position earn higher hourly wages. Cross training allows employees to be versatile and proficient in multiple roles. Cross training staff can offer numerous benefits to businesses, such as improved performance and greater job satisfaction. Performance-Based Rewards The company rewards employees who excel at their job. Employees are rewarded with wage increases, continuous learning opportunities, gold-tier health insurance, a paid time-off program and pension plan. In many instances, maintenance hires who excelled at their job have been moved into production work with wage increases. Team members who demonstrate great people and organization skills have also been promoted to leadership. Romolo Chocolates is proof that effective recruiting, hiring for the right fit, creating a healthy company culture, training and performance-based rewards are all powerful tools for building and nurturing a successful team. With the right tools and knowledge, any business can create an environment that encourages and rewards excellence. As a result, these businesses are more likely to attract and retain top talent. Crave more?Click here to subscribe and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices. Follow us on Facebook for even more sweet inspiration. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.
Tags:
Company Culture
Hiring
Recruiting
Retaining Talent
Training
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Updated: Monday, April 27, 2020
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Would you ignore an email from your boss or CEO?
A staff member at Dietsch Brothers Fine Chocolates & Ice Cream in Ohio recently received an email from who he thought was one of the owners of the company requesting he purchase five $200 Best Buy gift cards to reward some of the team. This particular co-owner had just celebrated their retirement, so the request didn’t seem unreasonable. However, after further communication, the Dietsch staffer realized the email was not coming from the owner at all and was actually a sophisticated email scam.
As it turns out this is a real-life example of a growing financial fraud known as Business Email Compromise (BEC) or “CEO Fraud.” BEC is an email phishing scam using fake email addresses that look like they’re coming from the CEO or leadership of the organization. As stated by the FBI, BEC scams are “more sophisticated than any similar scam the FBI has seen before and one—in its various forms—that has resulted in actual and attempted losses of more than a billion dollars to businesses worldwide.”
CEO fraud specifically resulted in $2.3 billion in losses to U.S. businesses between October 2013 and February 2016, according to a 2016 report from the FBI. This type of fraud has tripled in the last three years and jumped another 50% in the first three months of 2019.
Common tactics may involve a scammer impersonating the CEO or someone in another leadership role requesting a wire transfer, gift cards or employee tax information. These types of email scams are effective because they rely on “fear the boss” thinking; all employees want to do their job and what is asked of them. Therefore, a request from their CEO or highest leader in the company is something they likely won’t decline. “[Scammers] know how to perpetuate the scam without raising suspicions,” FBI Special Agent Maxwell Marker said. “They have excellent tradecraft, and they do their homework. They use language specific to the company they are targeting, along with dollar amounts that lend legitimacy to the fraud. The days of these emails having horrible grammar and being easily identified are largely behind us.”
How to Spot a CEO Email Scam
Thankfully, for Dietsch Brothers, the target of this scam recognized a red flag that ultimately saved the family-owned business $2,000. Protect your business by educating your staff on how to identify this type of email fraud. Below are common trademarks of a CEO fraud email scam, identified by Fraud Watch International:
- Spoofing legitimate email addresses, using a domain similar to that of the targeted business.
- Using an urgent tone, commanding request is done “ASAP”.
- Stating the CEO or CFO cannot be disturbed during a meeting or may be busy and unable to respond during the email exchange.
- Implying the sender is using a mobile device to write the email, by including the phrase “Sent from my iPad”, in lieu of the corporate email signature.
- Note: This trick is particularly effective, because implying that the email is sent from a mobile device excuses poor English, misspelling, or lack of a legitimate email signature, which are usually triggers to recognize phishing emails. It also helps strengthen the sense of urgency: if it wasn’t pressing, the sender would have waited until they were back at their desk. Hackers might also do their homework to find out when the executives are travelling for business, making their scam even more credible to their victim.
- Cyber criminals do the research to know what type of request is most legitimate-looking to avoid raising suspicion.
Train Your Team
Create awareness of potential scams that may pose a threat to your business. Share the Better Business Bureau’s Scam Studies with your team. Click here to download.
- Create a clear policy for your team regarding how money and sensitive information is shared. Always require a check-in with leadership before steps are taken.
- Train staff to double-check email addresses, not just the sender’s name. Look for email addresses that are close, but not exact — For instance, a phishing address may come from an email with @gmail.com at the end or ".co" rather than the expected ".com" or ".ca"
- Encourage staff to always question emails requesting fast actions, whether they seem unusual or not. The Better Business Bureau suggests most fraud cases could have been avoided with a phone call to the individual believed to be sending the email.
- Keep computers updated with antivirus software and consider investing in anti-phishing software to help protect your network and email systems.
With businesses of all sizes being targeted, and this type of fraud activity continuing to grow, your business can never be too prepared. Educate your staff today by sharing this blog post. For more information read our sources:
Crave more? If you like what you read here, look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's Tip of the Week blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices.
Tags:
Cyber Security
Email Scams
Owning a Business
Training
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Updated: Monday, April 27, 2020
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The confectionery industry has the special privilege/task of enduring holiday bursts. Hiring a temporary workforce can help your business maintain consistent production levels and product quality. In this excerpt from a Kettle Talk article written by Jan Douglass with Esther Price Candies, Corp., we built upon three practical tips to help you hire smart for the holidays.
#1: Build Relationships with Staffing Agencies
Staffing agencies can be a great resource for filling temporary positions. Building relationships with reputable staffing agencies and other local organizations (e.g., county or state job centers, developmentally disabled adult centers, etc.) can help to source reliable individuals for seasonal work and unforeseen sales bursts. When working with staffing agencies it is important to practice open and honest communication. Start by taking the time to discuss open positions rather than simply providing a job description. If a recommended candidate isn’t a good fit, providing concise feedback on why that was the case will help staffing agencies identify better candidates in the future. These simple steps will ensure the staffing agency feels well equipped to find the right fit, right away.
#2: Training is Key
They may only be with you for a brief time, but a temporary workforce can be vital to keeping with the ebbs and flows of seasonal business and make it less painful when you must reduce your staff at the close of a season. Be aware, however, there can be downsides to a temporary workforce, such as high turnover rates. Increased turnover can result in more training hours, risk of production and packing errors and additional work for human resources. Minimize those risks by having sourcing organizations pre-screen individuals and clearly communicate the job expectations to candidates through digital recordings of the candy making process. Successful training can also lead to the return of seasonal staff year after year.
#3: Stay Current on Labor Laws
Make sure to brush up on federal and state labor laws before hiring for the holidays, as many regulations that apply to full-time employment also apply to part-time and seasonal employment. The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Employment and Labor Law Guide is a useful resource when hiring. Be aware of your state’s legal requirements for benefits such as unemployment, social security/medicare and workers’ compensation. Check with your state’s department of labor for exemptions for employers who require temporary staff for periods of 10 weeks or less. You will also want to familiarize yourself on your tax reporting responsibilities according to IRS regulations and state tax laws.
Take advantage of these tips and have a holly jolly hiring season!
Crave more? If you like what you read here, look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox. RCI's Tip of the Week blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices.
Tags:
Hiring
Holidays
Training
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Updated: Monday, April 27, 2020
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Recognized employees are happy employees.
To some level, I think we can all agree this is a true statement. But why is it important? Studies show happy employees are, on average, 12% more productive than their less-happy counterparts. And now that Christmas is just over a month away, we could all use tips on how to be more productive, right?
Following an education session on attracting and retaining talent at RCI’s 2018 Annual Convention (RCI members: click here to watch the recap video), RCI members shared the countless ways they show employee appreciation (plus, many more) during our live question and answer forum, we call “Kettle Talk.” Here’s 8 of our favorite member ideas to show employee gratitude.
Simple recognition
This tip may be so obvious you could be overlooking it. Recognition in the form of a simple thank-you note or shout out in the company newsletter or on the white board in the breakroom can speak volumes. You may even be surprised at how many people hold on to kind notes from a boss or co-worker, to later reference when they need a pick-me-up.
Training
“40% of employees who receive poor job training leave their positions within the first year,” (go2HR). There are countless studies, like this, illustrating the value of employee training and development opportunities.
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Staff from Winans Fine Chocolates + Coffees
regularly attends RCI's Annual Convention & Industry Expo |
“We do a lot of training, because if [employees] feel overwhelmed, they won’t want to stick around,” said Mike Koch of Morley Candy Makers/Sanders Candy acknowledging the very low unemployment rate in their community. “When [we] hire someone, we do our best to keep them.”
Winans Fine Chocolates + Coffees acknowledges the importance of employee development through continued education and networking opportunities within the industry, and invites staff members to attend RCI conferences. Even if you can’t send your team to an RCI event, look into other industry education courses or professional networking organizations near you. Click here to see a list of RCI’s industry affiliates, many of which also host conferences and education courses for your consideration.
Celebrations
Carving out time to celebrate holidays, birthdays, work anniversaries or merely the fact that it’s Friday can boost morale before a busy holiday season, improve employee retention and help build an overall stronger company culture where the team feels appreciated.
Dolle’s Candyland saves up prizes throughout the year (many of which are free promotional items that they receive) to raffle off at their annual employee celebration. Everyone walks away with a prize—from kiddie pools to mugs and silly promotional products. Even with very little money invested in the prizes they make it fun for all involved.
While the aftermath of a typical company party may include streamers and used plastic cups, a company party for Dallas Caramel Company more closely resembles a Jackson Pollock painting. Outfitted in white t-shirts and equipped with throwable paintballs, staff members playfully battled it out in the company parking lot and took home a colorful reminder of the fun that ensued. Although this type of activity may not be the best fit for all teams, consider other unconventional ways to create memorable experiences for your team to enjoy.
Of course, you don’t have to go all out to celebrate your employees. Small acts of kindness, especially when unexpected, can go a long way and, in many cases, feel more thoughtful and personal. For example, Rosalind Candy Castle buys a couple dozen roses for Mother’s Day and gives mothers on staff a single rose.
As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving this week, consider ways to show your gratitude. Whether it comes in the form of a simple “thank you” note, more training and development opportunities or a fun celebration, taking the time to show employees you appreciate them is always worth the investment.
RCI's Tip of the Week blog is just one of the many resources we offer to help candy makers refine their craft and build upon their business and marketing practices. Review past blog posts for quick and actionable tips to apply to your business. Look for the "Subscribe now" box on the right to enter your email address and start receiving weekly tips, like this, delivered straight to your email inbox.
Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.
Tags:
Celebrations
Employee Management
Holidays
Member Ideas
Productivity
Training
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Posted By RCI,
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Updated: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
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The confectionery industry has the special privilege/task of enduring holiday bursts. Hiring a temporary workforce can help your business maintain consistent production levels and product quality. In this excerpt from a Kettle Talk article written by Jan Douglass with Esther Price Candies, Corp., we built upon three practical tips to help you hire smart for the holidays.
#1: Build Relationships with Staffing Agencies
Staffing agencies can be a great resource for filling temporary positions. Building relationships with reputable staffing agencies and other local organizations (e.g., county or state job centers, developmentally disabled adult centers, etc.) can help to source reliable individuals for seasonal work and unforeseen sales bursts. When working with staffing agencies it is important to practice open and honest communication. Start by taking the time to discuss open positions rather than simply providing a job description. If a recommended candidate isn’t a good fit, providing concise feedback on why that was the case will help staffing agencies identify better candidates in the future. These simple steps will ensure the staffing agency feels well equipped to find the right fit, right away.
#2: Training is Key
They may only be with you for a brief time, but a temporary workforce can be vital to keeping with the ebbs and flows of seasonal business and make it less painful when you must reduce your staff at the close of a season. Be aware, however, there can be downsides to a temporary workforce, such as high turnover rates. Increased turnover can result in more training hours, risk of production and packing errors and additional work for human resources. Minimize those risks by having sourcing organizations pre-screen individuals and clearly communicate the job expectations to candidates through digital recordings of the candy making process. Successful training can also lead to the return of seasonal staff year after year.
#3: Stay Current on Labor Laws
Make sure to brush up on federal and state labor laws before hiring for the holidays, as many regulations that apply to full-time employment also apply to part-time and seasonal employment. The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Employment and Labor Law Guide is a useful resource when hiring. Be aware of your state’s legal requirements for benefits such as unemployment, social security/medicare and workers’ compensation. Check with your state’s department of labor for exemptions for employers who require temporary staff for periods of 10 weeks or less. You will also want to familiarize yourself on your tax reporting responsibilities according to IRS regulations and state tax laws.
Tags:
Chocolate Production
Employee Management
Holidays
Labor Laws
Owning a Business
Productivity
Training
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