July 30, 2007

AIS Media Inc.CEO, Thomas Harpointner, was interviewed by Entrepreneur.com on the topic of playing fair in order to keep single employees around. Harpointner’s statements included:

"Being an IT company, it's more common to have younger employees," says Harpointner, 37. "And younger people tend to be single."

Resentment is another matter. Single employees don't usually demand the flexible work schedules that those with families often do, and they don't always appreciate it when married workers get special privileges. Harpointner recalls when an employee of his Atlanta-based company left work early on Halloween to go trick-or-treating with his children. "That raised eyebrows around the office," he says.

Harpointner, for instance, began offering company-sponsored health insurance to domestic partners of AIS employees. Entrepreneurs should talk to singles to find out what they desire, and then figure out a way to provide it. Harpointner pays tuition for job-related classes and gives time off for employees to go to school, and he meets with each one quarterly to delve into what they would like to get out of their work.

“You can do a lot to overcome the retention issue by asking singles the right questions during the hiring process,” Harpointner adds. "There are other indicators, primarily how long they were in their previous position, but also whether they are just out of college and whether they've decided on a career path or they're just looking," he says.

Just as married workers offer loyalty and sometimes burdensome family demands, singles bring energy and flexibility as well as retention problems. But if AIS is any indication, most entrepreneurs can handle the challenge. "It's a topic we've never had much difficulty with here," says Harpointner. "In terms of single employees, we've found them quite valuable."

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About AIS Media
AIS Media, Inc. is an award-winning developer and marketer of proprietary Web applications and professional Web services aimed to meet the needs of small and medium-size businesses. Specific AIS Media products include Excerpo® Storefront (http://www.ExcerpoStorefront.com) and Excerpo® Mail (http://www.ExcerpoMail.com), which enables businesses to conduct e-commerce and run permission-based email marketing programs, respectively. Professional services include interactive media, web site development, credit card merchant services, search engine optimization (SEO) and managed hosting. AIS Media markets its services directly and through its global network of certified partners. For more information on AIS Media’s services and to locate a partner, visit www.aismedia.com

© 2007 AIS Media, Inc.