When Clients Succeed, We All Win

We are pleased to share with you that one of our clients was named a finalist for 401(k) Plan Sponsor of the Year in the Corporate 401(k) $50M-$1B category by PLANSPONSOR Magazine. Congratulations Vermeer - well deserved!

Each year, the editors of PLANSPONSOR magazine—the industry’s leading resource for retirement-benefits related news—recognize plan sponsors that demonstrate leadership in providing a more secure retirement for workers.  

Vermeer Corporation was recognized at PLANSPONSOR’s Annual Awards for Excellence dinner in New York City in March, and was featured in the March issue of PLANSPONSOR magazine.  Alliance Benefit Group has long recognized the commitment of Vermeer Corporation and the quality of the retirement program they have implemented.  To witness an industry-leading publication recognizing the strength and leadership of this sponsor is a prideful experience for our teams here on the recordkeeping side of their program. 

If you recall back in 2013, one of our greatest accomplishments was to witness our client, Mayo Clinic Health Systems - Albert Lea (MCHS-AL), receive the 403(b) Plan Sponsor of the Year award from PLANSPONSOR Magazine.

We are thrilled for the accomplishments of our clients and happy to share in the success of their retirement programs.

The Author: Timothy A. Struck, CRPS

Wholesale Retirement Marketing Consultant

abgncs.com

tstruck@abg-mn.com

Don't Miss the Signs Telling You It's Time for an HRIS System

Do you have a hundred spreadsheets all saved in different places that track various pieces of HR related information?  Do you have a hard time combing through all of those to find what you're looking for?  Do you currently do a paper benefit enrollment, and feel slightly to highly annoyed by keeping track of all of that pulp?  Are you still taking paper applications?  If so, you're experiencing the signs that it's time to invest in a human resource information system (HRIS).  

Each year web based HRIS systems are becoming more and more affordable and user friendly.  Along with these developments, the capabilities are constantly growing and improving.  The options can start to become overwhelming.  Before you dive in, we find it's a good idea to evaluate what's important to you.  Here are a couple of questions to consider when determining which HRIS system to go with.  

1. Do you need Time and Attendance software?  Over the past several years more HRIS systems have gone from integrating with time and attendance systems to having one included.  This makes it easier on the end user because everything is housed in one location!
2. What do you want out of the Employee Self Service?(Commonly referred to ESS)  More and more companies are leaning towards offering employee self service for their employees.  There are a lot of options when it comes to self service, such as viewing online pay stubs, making demographic changes, time off requests, and the list goes on.  Before you start to look at HRIS system, it is a good idea to make a wish list for what you would like out of the ESS.
3. Would you like to use your HRIS for applicant tracking?  There are a lot of software systems out there that are primarily for applicant tracking, but one thing to take into consideration is that if you use your HRIS system also as an applicant tracking system, it streamlines the hiring process because everything is housed in one system!  
4. Do you want it to work with your payroll software?  There are stand alone HRIS systems but one thing to consider is if you would like it to talk to your payroll software.  If the two systems can communicate this will cut down on data entry either for the HR department or the payroll department!  Everyone could use a little more time in their day right!   

All the possibilities are exciting but can also make your head spin. If you want to talk through your needs, we're here to help.  If you have any questions or want to know where to start, please feel free to contact me. 

The Author: Alysha Frie, FPC

Payroll Sales Consultant

abgncs.com

afrie@abg-mn.com