Are Corporations on the Brink?

NASDAQ in Times Square, New York City, USA.

Image via Wikipedia

There is a definite shift in the way money flows in the world. Not only have the stock markets been extremely unstable, but the people seem to be moving away from corporate jobs. More and more people are realizing that the corporations are not a safe bet when banking on their future.  That leaves the big ugly question, “are corporations on the brink?”

As we know them, yes. A new, younger generation is shifting the way the world does business. Constant failure on the part of the current financial institutions makes it clear that there needs to be a new business model.  Whether it’s doing contract work online or getting involved in market networking groups, the new worker understands that self-reliance is the only way to survive in the new economy.

There are multiple online resources that help people find work today. Whether people are writers, accountants, customer service reps, or sales professionals, so much can be done from the comfort of the home office. The best part is that work expenses virtually disappear. No more driving to make a living. No more dry cleaning bills. No more lunch allowance.

Regardless of the corporations’ shift in the workforce, there are a few things that the individual or small business owner needs to think about. They have to take care of their own taxes, health insurance and budgeting for vacations. In the scheme of things, this should be easy since the successful contractor or small business owner is someone who knows how to manage time and money.

Does Management Know the Policies and Procedures?

Policies and procedures

Image via Wikipedia

The very thought of reviewing the policies and procedures manual at your job is depressing. It’s a huge book of rules that nobody can remember. In fact, it’s highly unlikely that even your manager knows the policies and procedures.

Keep It Simple

Policy and procedures are meant to keep the company safe from lawsuits and the employee clear on his or her role within the corporation.  However, many corporations still have a clunky black notebook full of pages and pages of rules that may or may not be current.  If the company has multiple locations with management in each office, chances are that policy and procedure manual is not current.

It’s smart to put these rules online so that anyone can get access to them quickly. When Human Resources makes an update, it’s immediate and company-wide. A good HR staff can keep these rules simple and to the point.

Standard Operating Procedures

Most corporations take the policy and procedure a step further, but actually, this extra step keeps the rules very easy to understand for the staff. This is called standard operating procedures. This can also be put online at the company’s internal website. These procedures are the basic, to the point, “how to” practices that instruct everyone in the company on how to run the business.

Corporations who take this extra step tend to have excellent human resources departments, and therefore, better employee relationships. No matter what the new economy brings to business, the employee will always be the most valuable resource.