New year, new you. It’s the mantra repeated by resolution-makers worldwide. For businesses, though, maybe “new year, new unity” fits the bill a bit more. Now is the time to set new precedents, undue old inefficiencies, and make the moves that will set your company on the course to continued success no matter what the world throws at it. And getting your house in order financially is a HUGE component of that.

These first-of-year payroll tips will help you start the New Year strong while keeping you compliant and punctual throughout the next 12 months and beyond.

1. Get organized. The IRS requires businesses to keep financial records for a certain amount of time. A physical or cloud-based filing system can help to ensure you remain compliant with government regulations while placing important data at your fingertips when it comes time to file quarterly and annual tax forms.
2. Keep a close eye on deadlines. Paperwork is the name of the game when it comes to payroll. Take a moment at the dawn of the new year to get all of your financial ducks in a row. The big forms – W2s and 1099s – must be distributed by Jan. 31 for employees and independent contractors, respectively. But there are many other reporting due dates, as well as tax deposit deadlines, to take into consideration. Spend some time with the rules and regulations and commit them to memory – and your new organizational system.
3. Don’t drag your feet on new hires. Planning to grow your team? Don’t wait until the 11^th hour. Instead, make certain the aforementioned, all-important forms are at the ready when you do welcome a recruit into the fold. Additionally, an onboarding process refresh may make payroll practices a bit more streamlined, putting you ahead of the game when it comes time for reporting.
4. Make sure team members are classified correctly. Oh, boy. Here we go again (and again, and again). The independent contractor and employee misclassification saga continues in 2022, and it bears repeating: don’t make this mistake. Misclassification leads to non-compliance consequences including lofty fines and damaged reputations.

Here’s another great first-of-year payroll tip: send in the pros.

Maslow Media Group can handle all of your payroll minutiae throughout 2022, and every year that follows. It’s our job to help clients sidestep misclassification penalties while delivering comprehensive Employer of Record solutions for businesses of all sizes. Let us handle your employment, compliance, and tax tasks. We take full responsibility for the busy work, while your employees continue to work for you. Give us a call at 202-965-1100 to learn more.

Another year nears its close, and a new, 365-day opportunity to improve business practices and enhance office culture lies ahead.

Consider the following three tips to boost your recruiting efforts and develop effective business compliance measures in 2022:

1. Be thoughtful when recruiting new talent: Beware of unconscious hiring biases , like focusing solely on good, often “shared” traits (a favorite sports team, an alma mater), and shelving the bad – or giving in to the urge to “go with one’s gut.” These kneejerk reactions, and many others, may unintentionally rob your company of star talent before they even have a chance to prove themselves. Also, work hard to develop a diversity recruiting strategy to enhance your productivity and ingenuity. Multiple perspectives are the fuel for new ideas and innovation. Assess your company’s goals and get a fresh start in 2022.
2. Get your W-2s and your 1099s straight up front: Misclassification of employees as independent contractors continues to be a hot button issue that lands employers in hot water time and time again. Don’t be one of them. Non-compliance often stems from misunderstanding regulations and standards, and not necessarily criminal behavior (though that does happen). Make it a point to know the rules, and/or partner with an Employer of Record who can help you perfect business compliance measures.
3. Be flexible when you can: The “Great Resignation” taught employers and executives that talented team members are starving for a more democratic workplace situation. After work from home scenarios became commonplace at the peak of the pandemic, eyes were opened, and the dynamic changed. Armed with new leverage, employees are demanding a more amicable work-life balance, and it behooves hiring parties to offer this flexibility when possible .

Maslow Media Group offers outsourced recruiting expertise and can serve as a comprehensive Employer of Record for your business. We regularly draw from an extensive network of global talent to locate top-shelf candidates for your team, while helping you build a stronger, more efficient company with business compliance measures and protections, payroll management, and so much more. Contact us today  to learn more.

It is estimated that approximately 11.5 million people quit their jobs during the spring and summer of 2021, a mass exodus that has since been dubbed “The Great Resignation.”

With millions of vacancies nationwide, companies have been scrambling to hire and retain required talent, with ads promoting massive sign on bonuses and free rides to college posted in the windows of fast-food chains and big box stores.

Placing individuals in the proper roles has become incredibly challenging. There are many reasons: persisting COVID fears, stimulus funds, a lack of childcare, and a higher demand for work-from-home scenarios to name just a few.

For hiring parties, the script has been flipped.

Job seekers seem to have a new kind of clout – and are using this leverage to land jobs that are aligned with their social and cultural values, as well as their financial needs.

These conditions are expected to continue well into the New Year.

So, how can you up your recruiting game during this Great Resignation, of ours?

It’s not easy, but there are a few great recruiting tips worth considering that can give you a slight edge:

1. Home team advantage: The pandemic has been nothing short of nightmarish, but it also served as an eye-opener for both business owners and their employees when it came to working remotely. Hybrid workplace arrangements skyrocketed, and workers are finding it hard to give that flexibility up now. Many offices will never be able to move to a work-from-home model indefinitely, given the nature of their industry. But when it is within an employer’s power to grant – a hybrid structure can end up paying dividends in workforce morale.
2. Culture shock. Again, a company’s culture has become a central selling-point when it comes to a job offer. Post-pandemic, expect this to remain make-it-or-break-it criteria for attracting and retaining top talent. Now’s the time to do some soul-searching companywide, and make certain that you eliminate any practices that could be considered toxic, and demonstrate that you value diverse thoughts, beliefs, and opinions.
3. Refocus. Are you confident in your business’s message and mission? Is it at all possible that it has changed or evolved throughout the last two years? Gather your decision-makers and reevaluate what your driving motives are. It is likely, as we all have navigated a rollercoaster of a world, that they perfectly align with someone who wants and needs to work for your company.
4. Hire a professional: During times like these, it’s good to have a specialist on your side who knows the ins and outs of attracting quality personnel. Outsource your recruiting needs to Maslow Media Group. We regularly team draws from an extensive global network of talent while helping you locate the perfect candidate to grow with and even lead your team.

We take care of everything:

• Thorough screenings
• Background/reference checks
• Negotiations
• Performance monitoring
• And much more

Contact us today  for more great recruiting tips and to learn how we can help.

Orange and black streamers hanging from the archway? Check. Spooky – but not too frightening – wall clings adorning the office windows? Check. Pumpkin purchased from the local patch (or, fine, big-box store) strategically placed on your porch or entrance? Check.

Payroll processing squared away for 2021?…

Halloween is practically here, which means most businesses are busying themselves with the intricate and integral preparation of year-end payroll.  It can be a tad overwhelming for even the most astute accountants, to say the least. And it can all be avoided if you outsource your year-end payroll to an Employer of Record .

Here are four reasons to make the call:

1. Streamline your timetable: The number one reason to outsource your year-end payroll is TO SAVE TIME. Yes, there’s the issue of cost, too (we’ll get to that). But time, as you may have heard, is your most precious resource. Think about it: you’ve spent the last year keeping tabs on your staff, their benefits packages, paid time off, piles of paperwork, and so many other monotonous tasks that take away from your actual mission. Passing the ledger to specialists who are fully equipped and certified to handle it opens up brand new doors for you, your team, and your bottom line.
2. Free up labor: Are you making the best use of your in-house personnel? If you’re farming out paycheck distribution to your camera crew, then the answer is probably “no.” Forget expensive software, temporary (and expensive) temps, and hours upon hours of training. Outsource your year-end payroll, redirect talent to where it is needed most, and save thousands of dollars – literally.
3. Establish a safety net: There is one thing you can be certain of as a business owner: employment laws and regulations are a continuously moving target across the board. Things change quickly. You must be on your A-game to catch every little nuance and line of fine print – and, most importantly, comply. Small business owners, in particular, are at risk for missing a deadline or filing or inadvertently misclassifying an employee – resulting in costly penalties and fees. When you outsource your year-end payroll (and all compliance concerns, for that matter) to an Employer of Record, you make sure all of your ducks are in a row and avoid non-compliance consequences.
4. Defend your data: Cybercriminals have become even savvier since the pandemic, and in-house payroll software only paves the way for access to your company from outside (and inside) threats. When you outsource your year-end payroll to specialists whose entire job is to identify and sidestep such dangers, they can help you protect personal information, prevent identity theft and data breaches, and so much more.

Maslow Media Group can manage your payroll, insurance, tax, and compliance issues at the end of the year, and year ’round. As your Employer of Record, we will protect you from misclassification concerns and keep you compliant with all IRS rules and regulations. Don’t dread the next few months of calculations. Contact Maslow Media Group instead. We can help.