Page 14 - New Jersey Cooperator January 2019

14 THE NEW JERSEY COOPERATOR —JANUARY 2019 NJCOOPERATOR.COM L ittle in life is more nerve wracking than that first day on a new job: ‘Are you prepared to do this?’ ‘Are you even qualified to do this?’ ‘Is your shirt but- toned correctly?’ ‘It is, right?’ ‘Why does it look wrong?’ ‘Should you change your shirt?’ All of these questions and more – along with all the actual job-related stuff –are likely running through the brand-new em- ployee’s mind, and can make for a whole lot of anxiety. But it doesn’t have to be this way. An employer – including a board or property manager – can do a lot to miti- gate an employee’s jitters and set him or her up for success. Whether this means pro- viding new hires a thorough-but-concise employee manual, a probationary period, a mentor, or a veteran employee that the new staffer can shadow varies from job to job, employer to employer, and even employee to employee (everyone learns differently!). Regardless, it’s in the best interest of every- one involved for employees to feel capable and supported as they keep your building or association running smoothly. This is especially important in a com- munity association setting where a staffer is likely to be confronted by a parade of unfa- miliar faces, many of whom the employee may be accountable to in some capacity. The faster and more effective a manager or a board can introduce the employee to the people and challenges that he or she will en- counter, the better for everybody involved. The New Jersey Cooperator spoke with several management professionals with very different perspectives to get their wis- dom on how best to orient the new per- son on the job; how to deal with staff that management itself inherits when taking on a new client community; and what to do when there is no formal staff to speak of. Here’s what they had to say: Employee Orientation Glen Kassis, a property manager with Metropolitan Management, LLC in Tenafly, New Jersey: “When hiring a new staff member, it’s important to realize that everyone has a different set of skills and ability to com- municate. Matching the right person to the right job is 75% of the equation, so make sure that you’re not using a cookie-cutter interview process, but one fine-tuned to the specific job. If it’s a technical job, a similar- ly-skilled supervisor or employee should be part of the interview process. “Communication is the key to success for any staff member. All new and exist- ing staff members need to understand their roles and responsibilities at the workplace to ensure that they meet expectations. Providing all staff members with an initial comprehensive orientation packet and up- dates as they’re needed will reduce stress, and will be worth every minute spent pre- paring those packets. Having employees BOARD OPERATIONS Welcome Aboard Acclimating New Association Staff Members BY MIKE ODENTHAL Cyber Liability for Real Estate The top three hacked industries for a cyber attack are Health and Business Services, Finance & Insurance and Real Estate. About 43% of reported breaches involved companies with fewer than 250 employees . Are you keeping up with safety measures to protect your HOA’s sensitive data? CONTACT MACKOUL TODAY TO HELP REDUCE YOUR ASSOCIATION’S RISK! MACKOUL RISK SOLUTIONS Is your association covered for a cyber attack?? Your private information can be stolen, sold and exploited all in a matter of minutes, and sometimes seconds! SCARY CYBER STATISTICS • Less than 10% of community associations have proper coverage in the event of a breach. • There is a hacker attack every 39 seconds. M ACKOUL R ISK S OLUTIONS Ph: Fax: Web: 55 Madison Ave Suite 400 Morristown, NJ 07960 732-316-8390 732-862-1168 www.mackoul.com How Do Data Breaches Happen? Here’s an example: A real estate agent throws away 1,000 apartment applications in a dumpster behind the offi ce. A hacker fi nds the applications and pieces together over 3,000 identities. Each application had at least two references listed with Personally Identifi able Information (PII). What Information Do Hackers Want? Personally Identifi able Information (PII) • Social Security Numbers • Contact Info • Names • Addresses • D.O.B. Credit History • What Do They Do With The Stolen Information? PII and fi nancial information is sold on the “dark web” amongst millions of hackers. The information is used to steal currency, securities and identities. Hackers don’t need much to piece together an entire identity. One piece of PII can set it all in motion. RCP ISTOCKPHOTO.COM