On Fridays we thought we would share stories or experiences that made us smile, or made us wonder.
A few years ago we had a wonderful temporary employee whose thoughtfulness made me stop in my tracks. Leona was a long time temporary employee who worked assignments for many of our clients. She was reliable, punctual, and always willing to take a last minute assignment. She was retired and using temporary assignments to supplement her income. She stopped into our office every Friday to pick up her paycheck and always had a smile and kind word.
On one particular Friday afternoon she had a Ziploc bag with her. She handed the bag to me as she picked up her check, and said "Here Scott, I thought you could reuse these". The bag was filled with empty envelopes.
Each week when Leona would pick up her paycheck, which was in an unsealed envelope, she evidently had set the envelope aside, and on this day decided to bring them in to us to reuse. I was literally speechless, and was finally able to blurt out "thank you so much Leona!".
Leona is no longer with us, and we certainly miss her. But, I will always remember that day when she handed me a bag full of envelopes.
Next week - one of our most bizarre excuses for missing work!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
The "Herd" Mentality
The “Herd” Mentality
by; Bernadette Hill, Director of Recruiting Services, TriStarr Staffing
It seems like wherever one turns, there’s doom and gloom news about our national economy – pink slips, lagging consumer confidence and concern about our overall economic future. For sure, these are challenging times, but if you’re presently unemployed and on a job search, there are some silver linings to consider. And like me, you just might turn off CNN for a while. South-central PA has proven to be more resilient when weathering past recessions and the current one is shaping up to be no exception. Housing prices here are more stable, area employers are committed to retaining staff and growing in a responsible manner and our diverse local economy makes us less vulnerable and reliant on one industry to carry a community. Larger metro areas like the financial district in New York City are feeling the impact much harder. Here are some suggestions to stay positive and productive during your job search – and hopefully shorten its duration to a successful end game of a new job!
Stay structured. Plan out the next day every evening and know what you want to accomplish daily – such as completing a certain number of resume follow up phone calls to employers, attending a networking event or just reaching out to several existing contacts . Achieving these goals, however small, will give you a sense of daily accomplishment and forward momentum.
Know your past career achievements and be ready to explain two or three of them when interviewing. If you don’t know why a particular employer would want to hire you, you’re not ready for the interview.
by; Bernadette Hill, Director of Recruiting Services, TriStarr Staffing
It seems like wherever one turns, there’s doom and gloom news about our national economy – pink slips, lagging consumer confidence and concern about our overall economic future. For sure, these are challenging times, but if you’re presently unemployed and on a job search, there are some silver linings to consider. And like me, you just might turn off CNN for a while. South-central PA has proven to be more resilient when weathering past recessions and the current one is shaping up to be no exception. Housing prices here are more stable, area employers are committed to retaining staff and growing in a responsible manner and our diverse local economy makes us less vulnerable and reliant on one industry to carry a community. Larger metro areas like the financial district in New York City are feeling the impact much harder. Here are some suggestions to stay positive and productive during your job search – and hopefully shorten its duration to a successful end game of a new job!
Stay structured. Plan out the next day every evening and know what you want to accomplish daily – such as completing a certain number of resume follow up phone calls to employers, attending a networking event or just reaching out to several existing contacts . Achieving these goals, however small, will give you a sense of daily accomplishment and forward momentum.
Know your past career achievements and be ready to explain two or three of them when interviewing. If you don’t know why a particular employer would want to hire you, you’re not ready for the interview.
Be comfortable asking for key introductions from past colleagues and friends. In these challenging times, people won’t be surprised to hear that you’re on a job search and many will be eager to help, especially if you live in a “who you know town” like me. Related to this last point:
Be receptive to working with an experienced recruiter who is knowledgeable about your industry or profession. Recruiters are well connected and although they can’t help everyone all of the time, they are a valuable resource.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Right "speed" for the job....
A candidates cognitive ability - the speed at which they process information - can have a tremendous positive or negative effect on their success in a new job.
First and foremost, to be clear -I'm talking about processing speed - NOT intelligence. Cognitive abilities can be assessed quickly and easily by various validated assessment tools. But - once you have the information, how can you use it.
For the first example lets use a position where you need someone to just come in and start working - you just don't have the time or resources for a lot of training. What you need for this situation is a candidate with a high cognitive abilities score. They process information quickly and will train more quickly than candidates with average or below average cognitive abilities assessment scores.
Another example would be a position where the task is highly detailed or specific. There is a very long and specific training curve and much of the job is repetitive. While you may very well be looking for someone with above average intelligence - you may find your best candidate to have an average, or even below average cognitive abilities score. They process information more slowly, and may therefore not move too quickly and make mistakes. Further - there is less likelihood that the position will not bore them.
All TriStarr's candidates are assessed for cognitive abilities as well as personality and hard skills. If you'd like to learn more about this topic please let me know.
First and foremost, to be clear -I'm talking about processing speed - NOT intelligence. Cognitive abilities can be assessed quickly and easily by various validated assessment tools. But - once you have the information, how can you use it.
For the first example lets use a position where you need someone to just come in and start working - you just don't have the time or resources for a lot of training. What you need for this situation is a candidate with a high cognitive abilities score. They process information quickly and will train more quickly than candidates with average or below average cognitive abilities assessment scores.
Another example would be a position where the task is highly detailed or specific. There is a very long and specific training curve and much of the job is repetitive. While you may very well be looking for someone with above average intelligence - you may find your best candidate to have an average, or even below average cognitive abilities score. They process information more slowly, and may therefore not move too quickly and make mistakes. Further - there is less likelihood that the position will not bore them.
All TriStarr's candidates are assessed for cognitive abilities as well as personality and hard skills. If you'd like to learn more about this topic please let me know.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Recruiters role in a recession
Excerpted from an article on CNN.com - 1/22/09
Now more than ever, the role of a professional recruiting partner is key to the success of your hiring plans. As the pool of candidates has increased - the pool of QUALIFIED candidates has, if anything, stayed the same - LOW! Below is an excert from an article appearing on CNN.com.
Headhunters Get the Ax
As companies cut back on hiring, fewer job openings are reducing the demand for recruiters.
"It seems like we're working twice as hard for half as much," said Dave Sanford, the executive vice president of client services for Winter, Wyman, a staffing firm based in Waltham, Mass.
But headhunters can still play a crucial role in today's market, Sanford said. Job openings, while few and far between, now solicit thousands of responses, bombarding employers with too many choices.
"Because everybody is so hungry they're jumping on everything that's moving," Sanford said. "That excellent candidate is buried under 999 other ones."
And that's where a recruiter becomes almost a necessity, because of their ability to sift through applicants. "What we can do is really go out there with a very specific rifle shot in the marketplace," said Sanford.
Now more than ever, the role of a professional recruiting partner is key to the success of your hiring plans. As the pool of candidates has increased - the pool of QUALIFIED candidates has, if anything, stayed the same - LOW! Below is an excert from an article appearing on CNN.com.
Headhunters Get the Ax
As companies cut back on hiring, fewer job openings are reducing the demand for recruiters.
"It seems like we're working twice as hard for half as much," said Dave Sanford, the executive vice president of client services for Winter, Wyman, a staffing firm based in Waltham, Mass.
But headhunters can still play a crucial role in today's market, Sanford said. Job openings, while few and far between, now solicit thousands of responses, bombarding employers with too many choices.
"Because everybody is so hungry they're jumping on everything that's moving," Sanford said. "That excellent candidate is buried under 999 other ones."
And that's where a recruiter becomes almost a necessity, because of their ability to sift through applicants. "What we can do is really go out there with a very specific rifle shot in the marketplace," said Sanford.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Kicking and screaming....
My trusted web advisor has convinced me to set up a blog. I'm old, and don't really understand this stuff, but agreed to give it a try. What I hope to do is post news and other stuff here that may help people in their job search, career, etc.
We'll see how it turns out.
Here's a little about TriStarr.
TriStarr works with leading employers throughout Lancaster, Harrisburg, and York, Pa., giving you access to some of the most desirable administrative jobs available. We can help you secure temporary employment or a full-time, permanent position. At TriStarr Staffing, we are always on the lookout for experienced and motivated administrative and professional/management talent—high caliber individuals with a "get-it-done" attitude and the skills to back it up.If this sounds like you, you've come to the right place.
We'll see how it turns out.
Here's a little about TriStarr.
TriStarr works with leading employers throughout Lancaster, Harrisburg, and York, Pa., giving you access to some of the most desirable administrative jobs available. We can help you secure temporary employment or a full-time, permanent position. At TriStarr Staffing, we are always on the lookout for experienced and motivated administrative and professional/management talent—high caliber individuals with a "get-it-done" attitude and the skills to back it up.If this sounds like you, you've come to the right place.
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