Angelina Dominguez, Human Resources Director for Impact Logistics, has been featured on business website In2Town sharing her expertise on reducing employee turnover. Read the Article Here

Impact Logistics, a distribution and workforce company, was founded nearly 30 years ago with four employees working out of a small home office. We’ve grown over the years to become a nationwide company, with workers in major markets including Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago.

And while our total employee count is nearly 2,000, our home base operations in Memphis include about 300 workers, and our corporate headquarters has a couple dozen full-time workers.

We consider ourselves a small business with a big vision, and we’re dedicated to providing our customers with the best service possible. A big part of that commitment comes from hiring and retaining the best members of our team, and decreasing employee churn.

But why are we passionate about controlling employee turnover?

Because it affects our bottom line, that’s why!

Out of all the employees who fill out applications, only a small percentage get all the way through our hiring process and actually begin working.

High turnover costs us in administrative and training fees because we must start back at square one to find and train replacements. And not only does employee churn affect the bottom line, but it also damages the morale of remaining employees.

Here are some methods we’ve adopted to slow down the revolving door:

1. HIRE the right people:

Be absolutely certain that a candidate is the “right fit” – not only for the hiring position, but also for your company culture.

2. PRE-SCREENING:

Pre-employment screens such as background checks and drug testing can go a long way in reducing employee turnover, not to mention reducing theft, drug use, and potential violence in the work force.

3. APPLICANT POOL:

Maintain an updated list of applicants in a “maybe” file that you can revisit and transition into a “yes” employee when needed.

4. FIRE THE RIGHT PEOPLE:

It is inevitable that every now and then you will end up with an employee who just doesn’t fit in with your company’s culture. That person may end up doing more damage than good if you allowed to remain on your team, so recognize your hiring mistake, take action to rectify the situation and learn from it as you move forward.

5. EXIT INTERVIEWS:

This is a great opportunity to identify any problems an employee had while on the job, as well as a chance to gain valuable insight about issues to address in the future.

ENGAGING questions to ask yourself in an effort to prevent turnover:

1. Is the employee satisfied?

Make sure an employee feels like he/she is part of the TEAM! Show your employees that they are valued and appreciated.

2. Is the employee committed to the Company?

Make sure employees buy in to your company’s vision and goals.

3. Does the employee have an emotional connection to the job?

Employees who are happy and connected to their positions are more likely to put forth maximum effort in all they do and less likely to leave.

 

By Angelina Dominguez, Human Resources Director for Impact Logistics

Impact Logistics founder and president David Hamilton started out on his entrepreneurial path with little more than a dream and the support of family and friends. After nearly 30 years, David has grown Impact into a thriving distribution and workforce company with significant footprints in major cities across the United States.

Yet despite his enormous success and his plans to double Impact’s business within the next five years, David has never forgotten his humble beginnings. And he has never lost his passion for serving those less fortunate.

In a feature story in The Commercial Appeal, David describes his business success, what’s next for Impact Logistics, and why he believes more business leaders should help their communities by helping others.

To read David’s story, visit:

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/columnists/david-waters/david-waters-turning-entrepreneurs-into-model-corporate-citizens_82826180

By Angelina Dominguez, Director of Human Resources for Impact Logistics

In today’s marketplace, as more employers are hiring and the competition for quality applicants is heating up, finding the right person for the right job can be challenging.

The process of posting open jobs, surveying applications and selecting candidates to interview can be time consuming, and the last thing any hiring manager wants to do is spend precious time interviewing job applicants who aren’t qualified.

Fortunately, there are some quick and easy tools that you can use to make your job listings stand out, and help you attract the best person for the position. By spending a little more time on the front end, you’ll save more time in the long run for both you and for applicants.

Tips:

1. Use keywords to capture attention because applicants are often skimming multiple job postings. For example, health care job openings may be streamlined to reach target audiences by posting specifics. Rather than posting a job opening for a nurse, indicate what level of experience is required, such as LPN, RN or BSN.
2. Sell the position, because this is your best chance for an applicant to click on your posting. Include career advancement opportunities, accolades and awards your company has received, and current employee testimonials about why your company is the place they have chosen to pursue their career path.
3. Use your company’s logo, video clips if relevant, and include salary information. If you don’t want to post a specific salary, state a range to help attract the applicants best suited for the position you want to fill.
4. Make your posting visually appealing and easy to read because the simpler it is to navigate, the greater the chances are that applicants will read the entire posting. Use bullet points instead of long paragraphs, but don’t go overboard. A long list of bullets can be just as dizzying as long blocks of text.

By David Hamilton, CEO and Founder of Impact Logistics

As a business owner, I know what it’s like to have a deep desire to do more. And I’m fortunate to have a great team at Impact Logistics and so many wonderful people who are dedicated to helping others through our nonprofit organization, Point of Impact. My commitment to corporate responsibility – giving back to the community and helping those in need – started many years ago when I began to travel the world on mission trips, and I truly saw the great needs that surround us.

However, at that time I was also starting my own business, and my resources didn’t quite match this burning desire of my heart to help.  In other words, I saw the huge need in the world and thought, “How can I possibly make a difference?” In those early years, my wife Ruth and I made the best decision of our lives, and took Mother Teresa’s advice to heart, “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one”. Simply put, we decided to do what we could with what we had. And that’s how Point of Impact was born.

Today our company and our dedicated employees help feed, tutor, and provide medical aid to hundreds of the world’s otherwise forgotten children in Honduras – and it all began with one. We didn’t get there overnight. And there are still many people we want to help, and we realize that we can’t reach everyone. But instead of becoming overwhelmed by the great need that’s all around us, we first must become inspired. Our world needs more social entrepreneurs, and we need people who aren’t paralyzed by the large task ahead, but are determined to take action.

It can be intimidating to consider all the problems in the world and wonder where to start solving them, but you don’t have to be big to make a difference. We just have to do what we can with what we have. And that’s how change begins. After all, isn’t that how great movements get started?

Impact Logistics founder David Hamilton recently announced the wrap up of another successful “Christmas Backpack” program, which was sponsored by Impact’s nonprofit organization, Point of Impact (POI).

This year, in addition to providing school uniforms, sneakers, supplies and backpacks for 500 students in Honduras, the project also included the same number of students in Memphis. Partnering with Memphis Athletic Ministries, the program reached about 1,000 students and was highlighted by the IWLA on its website.

Click This Link to Read More

Impact Logistics founder and CEO David Hamilton has amassed a wealth of industry expertise during his three decades as leader of a Memphis-based company that continues to expand its national and international footprint.

And because of his unique insight, Hamilton recently was featured in a Business News Daily story, along with select CEOs from across the country, offering insight about the challenges that likely will face business leaders during 2015.

When asked by reporter Brittney Helmrich to identify an issue that he believes will play a major role in the lives of business owners and their employees during the coming year, Hamilton delivered a solid response on a much-discussed topic.

“One of the biggest challenges of 2015 for many CEOs will be changes in health care laws and increased costs that many have not experienced before,” Hamilton said. “Balancing the tension between keeping costs of goods and services low with the reality of increasing prices to remain a profitable business will be an ongoing issue for companies trying to stay competitive and relevant.”

Hamilton went on to say,

“In addition to health care changes resulting from the Affordable Care Act, increases in the minimum wage and mandated paid sick leave in some areas will create other challenges. These new laws can be of great benefit to workers, but they do not come without cost. In particular, CEOs of smaller companies and entrepreneurs will have to carefully navigate these cost increases to ensure that they don’t price themselves too high and lose market share.”

“Perhaps the greatest challenge, though, is investing in the right people and offering them the tools necessary for success. It isn’t easy, but creating an environment where people receive outstanding education and training will yield positive results for them and for the company. At Impact Logistics we strive to make our employees’ success our success, and we work together to assure customer satisfaction by providing quality service.”

Read the full Business News Daily Article here.