【正文】 Employee benefits are necessary to attract and retain quality employees. Few organizations, however are able to find new ways to contain costs and use benefits as an incentive to improve employee productivity. Patient auditing of hospital bills? Concurrent hospital stay reviews? Requiring second opinions for surgery? Initiating a probationary period before health coverage begins?C. Has HR reviewed basic cost management programs, including the following: Healthcare spending accounts and changing rules? More favorable stoploss arrangements with a carrier? Inhouse pany data on premiums paid and claims processed? In addition to all the questions for HMOs above, what is the ratio of network vs. nonnetwork charges? Have organizations similar to yours fared well under this HMO? (Ask for a list of clients and call some of them.) Were any conditions attached to the accreditation? What are enrollment numbers for the past three years. (Rapid enrollment rates ma result in poorer service.) Programs by which employees receive noncash pensation to ensure that the organization attracts, retains and motivates employees to acplish organization objectives.1. Does the organization have a clear policy regarding employee benefits? 2. Is there one position within the organization accountable for fairly and consistently implementing employee benefit programs and ensuring pliance with governmental regulations, such as ERISA, COBRA, EEO and the Family and Medical Leave Act? 3. Is the organization current on petitive employee benefit practices, such as childcare, flextime, job sharing, vacation/sick time, timeoff provisions and health plan alternatives? HEALTH CARE COST CONTAINMENT4. Is there a process in place to contain medical costs while offering quality health care to employees? 5. Do you periodically gauge employee satisfaction with the benefit plan in terms of customer service, timeliness, claim management and accuracy? 6. If employee dissatisfaction is high or costs are out of control or nonpetitive, do you put your benefit plans out to bid? Companies need to find new ways to reward individual, team and other group performance. Reward systems should take into consideration selfdirected work teams, crossfunctional problemsolving teams, matrix management, taking on added work responsibilities and more risk taking. If the organization wants a closer correlation between pensation and quality work, then the recognition of team performance is critical. Questions eight through 11 deal with these incentive issues. Compensation methods can help motivate the fulfillment of organizational objectives. For this reason, pensation experts receive higher pay than other HR professionals. Major consulting firms specialize in this area because pensation affects the organization’s bottom line. A special payforknowledge system, ., payment for increased development of employee knowledge, skills, abilities and/or responsibility (allowing a broader job design without changing assignments).15. Does your organization have the capacity for a pensation strategy to attract, retain and motivate employees? 16. Are pensation administration costs included in the budget? 17. On a scale of one to seven (seven being highest and four being adequate), how do you think the Human Resources department would rate the effectiveness of the pensation system? 18. On the same onetoseven scale, how do you think your internal clients (other departments and employees) would rate the effectiveness of the pensation system? Explanation of Compensation Questionnaire Group or team productivity based on team performance and distributed by team members. Profitsharing awards based on organizationwide profitability. Are ranges and limits clearly defined (., pay increments linked to performance measures)? Does it work as intended, or is it a tool for pensation adjustment? Are pay plans linked to rewards for measured performance? Do performance appraisals reflect an employee’s positive behavior, as well as results? Are these objectives and measurement criteria discussed with the individual being appraised? Does the performance appraisal provide objective, interactive and meaningful feedback on performance? Are all parable jobs reviewed for possible evidence of uneven treatment for females or minorities?8. Does your organization have an employee performance appraisal system? Do the intervals between ranges clearly define the differences in positions assigned to those pay ranges? Are pay ranges wide enough so as not to force vertical pay growth? Compensation paid to parable exempt job functions industrywide? Is it clearly supported and monitored by management?2. Does the pensation policy contain procedures to guide managers on how to implement the pensation system? 3. Is there one position within the organization accountable for overseeing and coordinating all pensationrelated activities (job evaluation, job classifications, job descriptions, salary administration, performance appraisal and pliance with all governmental pay regulations, including FSLA, ADA, pensable time and EEO regulations)? 4. Is there a process for keeping the organization aware of pensation paid for parable job functions in the region? Is this policy linked to the organization’s management philosophy on pensating employees, and does it reinforce the values of the organization?Compensation Questionnaire What makes a successful manager is the ability to influence positive behavior and to hire the best talent. HR professional counseling, guidance and training on effective interviewing and selection are essential to help managers make the right hiring decisions. It is also essential that the selection criteria be equally and consistently applied to all applicants. Questions three through 12 examine h