The people factor: if you're looking for ways to put the 'human' in human resources without spending a lot of cash, Sharon Ball, COO of The Epitec Group, has some good advice for you.

As a discipline, "human resources" is both an art and a science. It's an art to fashion an HR program that successfully puts a human face on a business. It's a science to transform those HR policies into measurable, bottom-line results.

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The Epitec Group is a winner on both counts. The Detroit-based IT staffing and technology firm's pioneering "Employee Care Program" has helped Epitec achieve a more than 80-percent retention rate among its field employees. That's a remarkable figure in an industry where the typical rate is little better than 60 percent.

Epitec was founded in 1978 as Comprehensive Data Processing Inc. by Jerry Sheppard, a young African-American entrepreneur who was willing to gamble on a then-new concept: personnel staffing in the computer industry. Today Sheppard presides over a 100-percent minority-owned and operated company with annual revenues in excess of $20 million (he hopes to double that figure within the next five years), an in-house staff of 40 plus 200 contract staffers at places like the Big Three auto companies, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, City of Detroit and Detroit Public Schools.

The company has chalked up a number of awards and honors. It was named to both "The Purple Squirrel 100 List," the annual ranking of the nation's fastest-growing IT staffing companies compiled by The Talent Economy, and Inc. magazine's "Inner City 100" for being one of the fastest-growing companies in America's inner cities. It also won the Detroit Regional Chamber's 2003 "Best Practices" award for human resources and ranked No. 8 on DiversityInc.com's "Top 10 U.S. Companies for African Americans."

Epitec's HR initiatives, based on the philosophy of treating employees like customers, didn't cost a bundle. In fact, many could easily be implemented by most small businesses at little or no cost, says Sharon Ball, Epitec's chief operating officer.

A self-described "army brat" who spent her formative years in Europe, Ball joined Epitec nearly 11 years ago after stints with EDS and Xerox and a two-year fling with entrepreneurship, running a recruitment firm in Texas with her husband. In this interview, she tells how Epitec achieved its reputation for HR innovation.

Detroiter: How would you describe The Epitec Group?

We are very much focused on excellence as exemplified by our ISO certification. At that time a lot of manufacturing companies were pursuing ISO, but not a lot of service companies like ours. And when we got our Q-1 award, I believe we were one of the first. We were best in class in five of 13 areas. One of the Big Three automakers was so impressed they asked if they could send someone here to tag along and see how we did it as a service company.

Detroiter: Epitec's innovative "Employee Care Program" won the top award for human resources in the Chamber's "Best Practices" competition last year. What are some of the elements of this program?

Our philosophy is to treat our employees like customers. We've really taken this to a higher level. Because our employees are not physically here in this office, we've developed different ways to include them without them actually being here. For example, we have what we call a Prize Patrol. If we hear from a manager that one of our employees is doing a great job, we go out to the site with a big bouquet of flowers and balloons. A whole department goes out and says, "Hey, great job!" We also have a benefits concierge who answers all of the insurance questions and handles the paperwork. We have once-a-year parties to recognize employees and we recognize all of life's milestones with a handwritten note or card from one of the executive members. Little touches like these help make employees feel that they are part of something.

Detroiter: Has this made a measurable difference?

Yes. We've experienced a sharply reduced turnover rate. The difference in our retention rate is just amazing. It shows in the numbers because people feel more valued, more connected to Epitec. Our clients appreciate it too, according to customer satisfaction surveys. They know that because our employees feel more valued, they are more likely to complete an entire project for the client.

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Detroiter: What are some of the other components of this program?

We also deliver all news in person, even if it's not good. For example, if insurance costs are going up, we deliver the news to each employee in person, explain why it's happening and give them an opportunity to ask questions. And in an economic downturn, when salaries are reduced, we deliver that news in person. In some cases Epitec will take a financial hit and say: "We don't want you to shoulder the burden yourself. We're going to share in that." We are very serious about the business of seeing to the needs of our employees.

Detroiter: Can other businesses, particularly small businesses with limited budgets, emulate your success?

Absolutely. When we instituted this concept back in 1994 we ourselves were small. We found that it wasn't necessarily the money you spend; it's the attention to detail with respect to going above and beyond in seeing to the needs of employees. It can be simple things, like being honest and acknowledging mistakes or having someone say, "I'm sorry. I'm going to take care of this, and I'm going to make sure it doesn't happen again." We also have something we call Epitec Forum, which allows our employees to consult with one another and share problems and solutions. This doesn't cost us anything. You just have to care enough to be creative about it and let your mind flow. So there are a lot of things that you can do that make a huge difference. People want human interaction these days; they want personal contact with someone who actually cares.

Detroiter: What role does technology play today in the human resources area, and what changes do you see on the horizon?

I see huge changes with respect to technology. Here at Epitec we have a proprietary software package called Epilink that's really the backbone of what we do from a services standpoint. This enables our employees to fill out one time sheet using our Intranet. They don't have to fill out multiple forms two or three times, they don't have to physically fax anything, they don't have to physically e-mail anything. It literally takes moments. The product was so simple to use that we were able to roll it out without an in-person tutorial. We also have a separate HR package that lets employees update their personal information, look up vacation time and things like that without having to fill out forms. Integrating technology into our operations has made a huge impact on the effectiveness of our employees while on the job.

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Detroiter: The issue of work/life balance seems to be an emerging trend in the HR field. How can small businesses, with their limited resources, keep abreast of this trend?

I wouldn't call it an emerging trend. It's here. I'd say that work/life balance within the last seven to 10 years has become more and more important. From a company standpoint, Epitec is very family-oriented. When I say family-oriented, I mean there's a very high value placed on the ability to spend time outside of work with the people that matter in your life. One of the things that we do is job sharing. We're very flexible in letting employees work out a schedule that meets their needs yet ensures that the needed work will get done. It is this kind of practice that doesn't necessarily cost us anything but is vitally important to the employee.

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Detroiter: Epitec takes justifiable pride in being a successful African American owned and operated company. As such, does your company face any special challenges?

Yes. It's not that a potential client will simply refuse to do business with you. But what I find is that a lot of companies, with good intentions, will set aside a certain amount of business for minority companies. Yet no one is overseeing it. There's no gatekeeper to determine if they are really spending that money with companies that are diverse. That pie in some cases is pretty small compared to what you could be going after as a majority company. So the challenge is this: Do we go for the bigger piece of the pie and compete with everyone else, or do we set our sights on the smaller pie and hope that there is a true allocation of those dollars going to minority companies? Traditionally, we have pursued the bigger piece of the pie, and we're going to run the race with everyone. For years we've been pursuing business on the merits of what we bring to the table, and in many cases we've been able to beat out the competition not because we're African American but because we're just down-right good at what we do. And that's really the best way.

Detroiter: Are companies truly buying into the notion of diversity?

Yes and no. I think that some companies feel they're being forced into it, and they're doing it because they have to. That means they don't really embrace the positive aspects of it. But then I do see a lot of companies who really embrace diversity and see the true benefits and advantages of a diverse workforce.

Detroiter: Do negative stereotypes persist today?

They do. Sometimes there is a misconception about African American owned or operated companies and their ability to deliver, and their ability to handle money and finances. It's going to be a while before these stereotypes completely disappear.

The Epitec Group is a Silver-level member of the Detroit Regional Chamber. Sharon Ball is a member of Leadership Detroit Class XXV.

RELATED ARTICLE: File on ... Sharon Ball

Title -- Chief operating officer, The Epitec Group

Born -- June 12, 1964, in Ft. Hood Texas; daughter of a retired Army musician

Home -- Rochester

Education -- Bachelor's degree in communications with a minor in psychology, Central Michigan University (1986)

Favorite leisure activities -- Reading and golf

Favorite vacation spot -- Cayman Islands 

Favorite inspirational quotes -- "When somebody shows you who they are, believe them," Maya Angelou; "You become what you think about," Earl Nightingale 

Favorite book -- "The Color Purple," by Alice Walker 

Community service -- Coalition on Temporary Shelter (COTS); Alternatives for Girls

Photos by Don Kurek