HR Alternatives

For smaller printers, providing adequate HR—which at a minimum addresses proper pay, withholding taxes and benefits administration—can be complicated and time-consuming. Many firms address the challenges of HR management by using an outsourced solution through a professional employer organization (PEO) or professional human-resources organization (HRO), such as ADP (Automatic Data Processing) or Hewitt Associates. Although PEOs/HROs are generally used by companies with more than 10 employees, they also offer a la carte services at a fraction of the cost. In general, outsourcing payroll to a PEO/HRO provider can cost half of processing payroll in-house. Now, even pay-as-you-go HR support services are available for small businesses.

Other small companies are banding together. With only 10 employees, Mail Solutions, a nine-year-old direct mail and printing company in Omaha, NE, doesn’t have its own board of directors. But the nine-year-old business does have an alternate board made up of entrepreneurs and small business owners in the region. Appropriately called the Alternative Board, the local franchise meets once monthly for four hours. Members talk about issues they face in their businesses and solicit suggestions from the group. Typical topics include sales, marketing, human resources, finances and succession planning.

Rich Howdle, the firm’s president, also receives one-on-one coaching from Greg Vacek, who started this local Alternative Board franchise. Vacek has helped him to establish sales goals and business strategies. In the group meetings, Howdle recently told the Omaha World-Herald, members often have experienced problems similar to those someone brings up, which helps lead to an informed decision.

The meetings also can be a place to let off steam. John Barnhart, president of Barnhart Press, also of Omaha, appreciates a forum where he can vent his frustrations constructively. The “genuine compassion” of board members for one another and for their employees, especially regarding how to keep employees happy while reducing expenses, is impressive, he told the newspaper.

Barnhart, whose 132-year-old printing company has 80 employees, said he initially was unsure whether he could commit to a half-day away from the office. But exchanging ideas with business owners from a cross-section of industries who are familiar with the local economic climate has been worth the sacrifice, he added.

Board makeup is determined by member experience, skills and goals, as well as the business’s annual revenue and number of employees. To limit competition, members are placed on boards with business owners from different industries. The enrollment fee is from $400 to $700, with monthly fees ranging from $295 to $595.

During the current recession, the boards have acted as support groups offering the message that “you are not alone,” said Vacek. No one has canceled his or her membership for financial reasons, he added.

The Alternative Board is based in Colorado and operates worldwide: www.thealternativeboard.com

Trade Associations Can Help

The PIA and its regional affiliates also offer professional human relations resources. The HR staff of experts has created the Human Relations section of its new www.printing.org website to help printers meet daily challenges and keep them informed on the latest news. PIA members may submit questions or comments via e-mail to HRQuestions@printing.org.

For graphic communications firms in New York State, Northern New Jersey and Northwestern Pennsylvania, for example, the Printing Industries Alliance has long been a recognized leader in the development and implementation of proactive human resource management programs tailored to the needs of its members. Services are specifically geared to non-union or unionized members of any size and emphasize effective management techniques proven to help member companies. And, should the need arise, the program is backed up by effective legal representation with years of experience in representing the interest of PIA members. www.printnys.org