2012 is almost here!!

With many new laws becoming law as of 1/1/2012, we are hard at work to make sure our clients know what they will need to do to maintin compliance. We are looking forward to helping since some of the laws are a bit confusing.  Don't despair though! The HR Firm is working hard to launch a series of seminars and workshops in Ventura County specifically for small business owners.

If you have questions about human resources or need consulting in the area of human resources, please contact me, Rosandra Esquivel, at rosandra@thehrfirm.com

Holiday Networking

It is really nice to see that the Ventura community has grown so much in the past few years.  As we see the number of invitations grow during this season, we are reminded that the holidays present a wonderful opportunity to network with some of the companies that we didn't get to during the year. For example, we have been invited to the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce holiday mixers. It occurs to us that this is a perfect time to establish personal relationships, which will yield business opportunities in the next year. Remember that Human Resources is about relationships and building trust, not only with employees but with employers. It is the one time during the year that everyone is not only nice to one another but wishes only the best for everyone. Introduce yourself and remember to to follow up with a nice note. Relationships all begin with a single phrase, "Hello my name is ..."
With 18 new laws waiting to become effective on January 1st, it is the relationships that we establish during the holiday season that will allow us to help the small business owners in our community to remain compliant and grow while getting to know us.

If you have questions about human resources or need consulting in the area of human resources, please contact me, Rosandra Esquivel, at rosandra@thehrfirm.com

Conejo Chamber of Commerce

The HR Firm participated in last week's speed networking at the Conejo Chamber of Commerce monthly breakfast. Not only was it fun but really a great way to get to the heart of what we wanted others to know about us. We got to thinking. If we only had one opportunity to make an impression, what should we say? Never wanting to be pushy or scary, the phrase that we repeated was, "We help companies be compliant by providing Human Resources consulting service."  Loved how many people smiled and asked how we did this because it depends on each company's needs. Some companies need an employee handbook, while others need to have their benefits audited. Bottom line, we do the work that is needed to ensure businesses grow in an organic way. When was the last time your policies and procedures were looked at? Do you have an updated safety plan? Have your posters been updated? If your not sure, there's nothing like today to get the process going.

If you have questions about human resources or need consulting in the area of human resources, please contact me, Rosandra Esquivel, at rosandra@thehrfirm.com

New in the 805

Part of what makes living in Ventura a great opportunity is the small town atmosphere. All month long we have seen signs imploring us to "Buy Local" but what about hire local? The HR Firm is a relatively new consulting firm in the 805. We are reaching out to the community by attending networking meeting and Chamber events to educate on the value of good HR practices. Usually, we are asked if we are an employment agency. The answer is no. The HR Firm is a human resources consulting firm that keeps companies compliant so that they will grow. We do not put warm bodies in a chair but rather make sure that the company is compliant with state and federal laws. Who needs our services? Any company who in this downturn economy made the tough decision to downsize or eliminate their HR department. In an employee friendly state like California, a good HR department can mean the difference between hefty fines and being able to hire qualified employees that will help your business grow. We do the work that keeps companies compliant like making sure the employee handbook is up to date, assist in the review process, audit policies and procedures, manager training, safety programs and much, much more. So, buy local? With this our inaugural blog, we'd like to suggest that if you are a small business owner you consider hiring local.

Our commitment is to be of service and we will be using this forum to educate and bring to light the ever changing laws within the Human Resources world.

If you have questions about human resources or need consulting in the area of human resources, please contact me, Rosandra Esquivel, at rosandra@thehrfirm.com