Berks & Beyond Blog

Looking to climb the corporate ladder in human resources?

It turns out that “soft skills” – things like leadership ability, cross-cultural competence and interpersonal expertise – are now just as essential as traditional skills and experience for HR professionals looking to advance their careers.

If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to get a promotion, follow this link to a March Harvard Business Review article titled “The New Path to the C-Suite.”  The article, which examines the evolving roles of seven executive-level positions (including chief human resources officer), shows that forward-thinking companies are increasingly seeking HR officers from nontraditional backgrounds.  To find individuals with the “balanced skill sets” they need (including understanding of commercial models and change management), organizations are filling the CHRO role with candidates from business functions like operations and marketing.

Here are the “new requirements” CHRO candidates will need to possess to adeptly juggle the changing needs and contributions of diverse employees, including boomers, millennials and professionals from emerging economies:

• Commercial acumen;
• Understanding of cultural differences and shifting demographics;
• Change management skills;
• Facility with cultural change initiatives;
• The credibility needed to act as an internal adviser to the CEO and the board;
• Ability to work with the board to manage succession;
• Technology savvy;
• Expertise in building compensation and performance into governance structures;
• Skill at marketing the CHRO position to the rest of the organization.

In summary, the skills needed for top jobs in human resources is changing with the times.  Functional and technical expertise, while still important, has become somewhat less critical than understanding business fundamentals and strategy.  To be upwardly mobile in HR, you must grow and develop the soft skills needed to engage a diverse workforce, and find pragmatic solutions to complex human capital issues.

Upwardly Mobile in HR?  Berks & Beyond Can Provide the Support You Need

Berks & Beyond can provide the administrative, clerical and HR support you need to be even more successful in your job.  Contact us today to learn more.

While retention is a hot buzzword these days, you can’t talk about retention without talking about turnover. Do you realize how much it’s costing you? Turnover costs most companies thousands if not millions of dollars a year – but most employers don’t realize it!

Companies routinely record and report costs such as wages and benefits, workman’s compensation insurance, utilities, materials and space, yet most companies have no system in place to track and report the cost of employee turnover.

How to Estimate Turnover Costs

• SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management, once estimated that it costs $3,500.00 to replace one $8.00 per hour employee when all costs — recruiting, interviewing, hiring, training, reduced productivity, etc., were considered. But SHRM’s estimate was the lowest of 17 nationally respected companies who calculate this cost!

• Other sources estimate that turnover costs you 30-50% of the annual salary of entry-level employees, 150% of middle level employees, and up to 400% for specialized, high level employees.

• Do a quick calculation: Think of a job in your organization that has experienced high turnover, maybe supervisors. Estimate their annual average pay and the number of supervisors you lose annually. If their average annual pay is $40,000, multiply this by .125% (125% of their annual pay). The result? It costs $50,000 to replace just one supervisor. If you lose ten supervisors a year, you’re spending $500,000 in replacement costs just for supervisors. And that’s the bottom line cost. The top line cost? If the company’s profit margin is 10%, then it costs $5,000,000 in revenues to replace these ten supervisors.

Do These Numbers Seem Unbelievable?

Actual turnover costs are usually much higher than we think they are.

If you want to find out exactly how much turnover is costing your organization, find an online employee turnover calculator. Just remember that only tangible costs can be calculated on these sites. Intangible costs are just as real and sometimes much greater than quantifiable costs, but they are difficult if not impossible to measure.

Why Don’t More Companies See This as a Costly Problem?

Many companies don’t realize the true cost of turnover, which costs companies in both expertise and dollars, because they have never examined it. Here are five possible reasons:

1. No process is in place to tabulate the costs of turnover.

2. If they are measured, those costs are not reported to top management.

3. Employers think it’s an inescapable cost of doing business — but it’s not!

4. Everyone thinks it’s an HR problem, but it’s really a strategic issue requiring top management and HR’s combined attention and actions.

5. Costs are underestimated, so they don’t cause concern.

How Can You Measure Turnover Costs in Your Organization?

A comprehensive program measures the following costs:

• · Separation costs
• · Replacement costs
• · Training costs
• · Vacancy costs

Separation costs include:

• costs incurred for exit interviews
• administrative functions related to termination
• separation/severance pay
• any increase in unemployment compensation.

Replacement costs include the cost of:

• attracting applicants
• entrance interviews
• testing
• preemployment administrative expenses
• acquisition and dissemination of information.

Training costs include both formal and informal training costs. Vacancy costs include the net cost incurred due to increased overtime or temporary employees needed to complete the tasks of the vacant position.

How can you reduce turnover?

When turnover costs are unacceptably high, do an assessment. Find out who is leaving and why. Exit interviews can help you gain information. Then develop a retention program based on your findings.

You can always contact Berks & Beyond to find out how we can help lessen your turnover costs!

American employers are faced with a difficult balancing act – attracting new talent, while also holding onto experienced workers.  Achieving this balance is driving employers to create financial benefit plans that appeal to workers of all ages.

According to Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s Workforce Benefits Report (published April, 2011):

• 94 percent of 650 C-level executives surveyed recognize the importance of retaining older employees and the knowledge they possess;
• 98 percent point to the need for younger workers.

To attract and retain these key segments of the workforce:

• 50 percent of those surveyed offer customized work schedules;
• 33 percent provide retirement income and health care education programs;
• 32 percent offer continuing education and development opportunities;
• 22 percent give employees the opportunity to work remotely;
• 21 percent offer extended benefits to older employees.

According to Andy Sieg, head of Retirement Services for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, “Longer life expectancies and baby boomers’ desire or need to keep working are leading to an aging population of American employees that will require more age-friendly workplaces and benefit plans designed to meet the unique needs of multiple generations.”

Employers also feel an increased sense of responsibility for the financial well-being of their employees:

• 59 percent of employers feel greater responsibility to help employees meet financial goals;
• 53 percent feel that responsibility includes providing both financial benefit plans as well as access to financial education and advice.

“If there is one silver lining of the recession it’s this increased sense of responsibility,” says Stephen Ulian, head of institutional retirement and benefit solutions at Bank of America.  As a result, employers are offering a broader range of financial education programs and tools, although getting employees to take full advantage of them remains a challenge.

Berks & Beyond provides essential staffing services for Central and Southern Pennsylvania employers.  Visit our website to learn more.

Technology vs. the human touch.

When it comes to your job search, which is better?  Job board technology is certainly efficient.  With a few clicks you easily can apply for several jobs in under an hour – all from the comfort of your own home.

But that same efficiency can work against you.  Jobs that are available to you are also available to literally anyone else with an internet connection.  When you submit your résumé, you may be one of dozens, hundreds or even thousands of applicants.  As the number of job posting applicants increases, so does the chance of your résumé being completely ignored.  How efficient is that?

Job boards do serve a purpose in connecting job seekers to employers.  But if you’re serious about finding a great job, here are several reasons why experienced recruiters, like the ones who work for staffing and placement services such as Berks & Beyond, beat job boards – hands down:

Reach the hiring authority – 100% of the time. A good recruiter has the ear of prospective employers and will proactively market you directly to key hiring decision makers.  Recruiters keep your best career interests in mind and ensure your skills, experience and personal brand are presented in the best light possible to potential employers.

Access the “hidden” job market. Many of Pennsylvania’s leading employers know that they have greater hiring success when working with a recruiter.  These companies rely on staffing professionals to handle the time-consuming legwork associated with finding the best candidates and skip the job board route altogether.

Get inside information on employers and their hiring practices. If you are interested in a particular employer, a recruiter can use his knowledge of an employer’s hiring processes (including interviewers’ personalities and interviewing styles) to help you successfully navigate obstacles.  Likewise, he can provide valuable insight on a company’s corporate culture, helping you more accurately evaluate career opportunities.

Maintain job search control. If you’re a top performer who posts his résumé all over every job board, you may suffer unintended (and unwanted) consequences.  Unethical staffing services may find your résumé on a job board and submit it without your approval or begin hounding you with phone calls.  With a good recruiter on your side, you can maintain control over your résumé and work with a single point of contact.

Manage job search anxiety. For many, finding a new position is extremely stressful.  Recruiters are experts at the process and can help guide you through the nerve-wracking process of interviewing.  By working with a recruiter you also enjoy peace of mind, knowing that you have someone else on your job search team.

Get a personal advocate and partner in your job search. In most cases (retained searches being an exception), recruiters aren’t compensated unless they actually place candidates.  Unlike a job board, they have a vested interest in ensuring the success of your job search.

Protect your privacy. If you think your current employer won’t find out you’re actively seeking another job, think again.  Many employers set up automatic search agents on major job boards which notify them if their employees are preparing to make a move.  When you work with a recruiter, you can rest assured that you will be represented anonymously, and that your job search will remain confidential.

Access temporary and contract opportunities. If you are out of work and open to temporary or contract employment, recruiters can place you in short-term assignments or project-based opportunities that get your foot in the door and may even lead to direct employment.

Berks & Beyond – The Human Touch in Recruiting and Placement

Technology is an important component in your job search, but nothing replaces a recruiter’s personal touch.  To us, you’re much more than just a résumé or an application.

We listen and take a real interest in matching you with an opportunity that suits your unique skills, needs and interests.  Contact a Berks & Beyond recruiter today to learn more about administrative, light industrial, accounting/finance, engineering, HR, managerial and skilled trades opportunities throughout central and southern Pennsylvania.

The temperature is heating up and so is the fun in Berks County!  Here are a few ideas to help you enjoy this fantastic time of year in southern Pennsylvania:

The Mark James Caribbean Sunset Show – Sunday, June 12th

Reading-born Singer/Songwriter/Entertainer Mark James takes you down to the Keys without leaving PA.  MJ, along with his 5 piece band, Caribbean Sunset, has put together a show for the Gring’s Mill Summer Concert Series that features a tropical blend of steel drum sounds and breezy smooth jazz saxophone.  Mix in some steel guitar and you have an evening of laid back, eclectic music including favorites from Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Spyro Gyra, Harry Belafonte and Club Trini.  Visit www.mark-james.com for more details.  The rain date is Sunday, June 19th.

Summer in the City Art Stroll – Friday, June 3rd

The Art Stroll is a series of themed first-Friday downtown “strolls” where local artists display their work in front of businesses in downtown Hamburg, PA.  The event runs from 6:00 am. to 6:30 p.m., and features other activities and performing artists related to the theme of the month.  Hosted by the Hamburg Area Arts Alliance.  For more information, call 610.562.3106 or visit www.HamburgPa.org.

Taste of Weaver’s Orchard – Saturday, June 4th

Strawberries are here!  Head over to Weaver’s Orchard, 40 Fruit Ln., Morgantown, this Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Enjoy plenty of pick-your-own strawberries and a wide variety of free food samples from their market. Start by sampling food outside under the tents and weave your way into the farm market for even more samples, free sandwiches and giveaways.  For more information call 610.856.7300 or visit the Weaver’s Orchard website.

What do you think of when you hear the term “temporary employment”?

Most people regard temporary work as a means to earn extra cash, maintain a flexible work schedule, gain work experience or fill employment gaps.  Did you know, however, that temporary employment can also be a great option if you’re looking to change careers?

With a broad range of assignments and projects available, temping can be a highly effective way for you to break into a new field – but it probably won’t happen by accident.  To use temporary employment as a true career change catalyst, you must intentionally structure your work experiences.  Here are a few tips:

Choose the right type of staffing service for your career interests. Before registering with a staffing service, visit their website or contact the office directly to find out what types of placements they specialize in.  Some staffing firms place people in a wide range of industries and positions, while others specialize in a specific field.

Be upfront with your staffing specialist. When you interview with a recruiter, let him know that you are looking to change careers.  Tell him about your skills and experience and ask how they might transfer into a new field.  Discuss your need for challenging assignments that will help you try out different jobs, develop new skills and evaluate new career options.  When a staffing specialist understands your needs, he can do a better job placing you in opportunities that will drive your career change.

Treat every assignment as a learning experience. In addition to performing your required job duties, use each assignment as an opportunity to learn about the employer, the industry and potential career opportunities.  Ask questions, observe co-workers, talk to your supervisor and let him know that you’re looking to make a change.  Take as much knowledge and experience away from each assignment as you can.

Build new skills while on assignment. Most staffing services offer free skills training to individuals who register with them.  While on assignment, use non-work hours to take advantage of training resources, building skills that will help you in your next career.

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Tips for Managing Career Changes

If the thought of changing jobs and/or careers causes you anxiety, you’re not alone.  The truth is, there is a certain amount of instability inherent in changing jobs.  Here are a few suggestions to help manage the stress:

Focus on developing your skills. Choose projects/assignments/jobs that help you build new skills and develop expertise in a certain area.  When your learning curve flattens out, ask to be reassigned or look for another opportunity.  Continually building your skills will ensure you’re in demand.

Adopt a job changing mindset. Instead of focusing on the instability of a job change, view it as an opportunity.  Get used to the notion that you will change jobs frequently throughout your career.  When it’s time to make a move, your job changing mindset will make the transition much easier.

Keep your job changing skills sharp. You’re not going to stay at any job forever, and you don’t know how long it will last.  But if you keep your job hunting skills sharp – networking, interviewing, keeping on-top of temporary opportunities that serve your career interests – you will always be able to get work when your needs, or your company’s needs, change.

Berks & Beyond – Your Career Change Partner

At Berks & Beyond, we do more than just place you in a position.  We listen to your needs, learn about your skills and experience, and then present you with work opportunities that are a perfect match for you.  If you’re looking to make a job change, Berks & Beyond is the ideal partner.  Contact us today to learn more about job opportunities throughout Central and Southern Pennsylvania.

A recent Reuters article by Kristina Cooke shares some good news:

“The pace of temporary job creation after the most recent recession – an average of about 25,000 per month – has been faster than the past two, potentially a good sign for a labor market struggling with a jobless rate of 9 percent.”

This Reuters graphic of BLS data illustrates why experts look to the staffing industry for signs of recovery:

If you compare temporary employment to overall employment, you can see how the number of temporary workers declines faster heading into a recession and rises more quickly in a recovery.

In fact, research from the American Staffing Association indicates that temporary help employment is a strong coincident economic indicator when the economy is emerging from a recession.  Overall, temporary hiring rose steadily through 2010, with U.S. employers adding more than 300,000 temporary jobs (about a quarter of the 1.17 million in overall job growth last year).  Translation?  The sustained upturn in temporary staffing is good news for the economy.

But Cooke goes on to temper this enthusiasm, noting that a faster pace of temporary hiring hasn’t yet translated into significant full-time job creation – a critical piece of the recovery puzzle.  Experts such as Peter Capelli, professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, say that because employers are now using temporary assignments to try out potential employees on the job, the increase in temporary hiring could be masking direct hiring.

Berks & Beyond Employment Services – Driving Central and Southern Pennsylvania’s Recovery

As businesses throughout Pennsylvania begin to staff-up again, Berks & Beyond is driving the recovery.  We deliver customized staffing solutions to help companies like yours achieve sustained business success in a volatile economy.  What can we do for you?  Contact Berks & Beyond today.

Looking for a job in Pennsylvania?  Consider going social.

Over the past several years, employers have ramped up their use of social media to post jobs and recruit talent.  Here are a few quick tips to help you get connected with the right people and opportunities:

Create a 21st century résumé.  To effectively share your qualifications with potential employers via social media, you need an up-to-date digital résumé that works with today’s technology.

Get LinkedIn. This site allows you to connect with people you know, view job postings, obtain recommendations, and get introduced to people who work at companies where you’d like to work.

Try Twitter. This social networking and microblogging utility enables you to connect with people you don’t know, based on common interests – a great way to network.  In addition to basic networking, Twitter also has tools like Twellow which allow you to search people’s bios and URLs on their bios.  This allows you to identify and then follow people who are employed by your dream companies.

Think like an employer. Hiring organizations know that good people know good people.  For this reason, they often ask employees post on their Facebook and Twitter accounts that they’re hiring, in the hopes that friends (or friends of friends) will be interested in the position or know someone who is.  Make sure you keep an eye on dream employers’ tweets, posts and updates.

Friend Berks & Beyond on Facebook. We use social media like Facebook to help connect people like you with great work opportunities.  Check out our latest job postings on the “Careers” tab, gain valuable career advice, ask a question, or just keep up-to-date on what we’re doing.  To become a fan of Berks and Beyond, simply log onto Facebook and type “Berks and Beyond Employment Services, Inc” in the search box at the top of the main window.  Click the “+1 Add as Friend” button on Berks and Beyond’s page, and then confirm your friend request.

How are you using social media in your job search?

We’d love to know.  Leave your comment below.

As our economy struggles to gain steam once again, businesses are forced to make tough choices regarding their workforces.  Skyrocketing employment costs such as insurance, overtime, payroll taxes, healthcare and other benefits, coupled with the uncertainty of just how long a recovery will take, are placing enormous pressure on employers to run lean.

Here are just a few of the ways temporary staffing can help your business contain expenses, manage uncertainty and maintain productivity during a slow economic recovery:

Contain employment costs.  Healthcare, workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, Social Security and overtime costs continue to rise each year.  Temporary staff can help you mitigate these costs:

• As the temporary employee’s employer of record, the staffing service pays benefits, unemployment, taxes and other personnel expenses.  You pay only for productive hours worked.
• When you use temporary staff to handle special projects and peak production periods, you don’t have to increase your fixed payroll costs – or direct headcount.
• You can eliminate overtime, and the employee burnout it causes, by bringing in temporary staff to handle extra hours when business picks up.

Manage uncertainty.  If your business faces an unknown future in this economy, consider using temporary staff to keep your workforce flexible.  You can bring in additional labor and expertise when you need it, while avoiding the expense and problems caused by overstaffing.

Increase focus.  When times are tough, every employee must be put to his or her highest and best use.  Temporary staff can be used to handle low-priority, mundane, or non-core business functions, so that your regular staff can focus on their most important priorities.

Minimize layoffs.  Although some businesses may be hiring again, many others continue to face the threat of layoffs.  Planned staffing services can help you smooth the fluctuations in your workload that typify the onset of a recovery - providing the on-time staff you need to handle sudden surges in demand, while reducing the need for layoffs once things slow down again.

Maintain productivity.  Staffing services carefully pre-screen and test their workers to ensure they have the skills and attributes necessary to perform for your company.  In certain cases, the staffing firm will even train and orient new temporary staff for you, to help you maintain productivity.  And because staffing services handle recruiting, screening, interviewing, testing and reference-checking for you, their services help you be even more productive.

Through good economic times and bad, Berks & Beyond provides the services your business needs to thrive.  Contact us today to learn more about our staffing services for Central and Southern PA employers.

With unemployment near record highs, you may question the value of direct placement services.  If job applicants are plentiful, can recruiting services really help you?

In a word, yes.  Here are just a few of the ways search and placement services can simplify your job and help both you and your company be more successful:

• Save Time.  Posting jobs, screening résumés, scheduling and conducting initial interviews, testing and reference checking are extremely time-consuming activities – especially when candidates are abundant.  Use a direct placement service to eliminate both the time and cost associated with these processes.
• Increase Focus.  Use the extra hours you gain (by offloading time-consuming recruiting activities) to focus on other key HR priorities or revenue-generating activities.
• Access Top Candidates.  The market may be flooded with job seekers, but are they people you really want to hire?  Recruitment specialists are experts at sourcing the best talent.  They use extensive candidate networks, internal and national databases, direct recruiting techniques and referral sources to identify individuals – even highly desirable “passive” candidates – with the skills, experience and personality traits to succeed in your organization.
• Shorten Your Time-to-Hire.  Because staffing firms maintain such robust candidate databases, they can dramatically reduce the time it would take to find the right person on your own.  And in cases where immediate placement is required, most staffing services can provide a temporary replacement to handle the workload while conducting your search.
• Reduce Your Hiring Risks.  Our tough job market has caused a rise in résumé fraud, as desperate job seekers feel compelled to stretch the truth in order to get hired.  Unfortunately, the employer pays the price, when a new hire who has misrepresented himself has to be replaced.
  Direct placement services reduce the risk of a bad hire in two ways.  First, the referred candidate is thoroughly screened, interviewed, background and reference checked to verify skills, experience and work history.  Additionally, most staffing services guarantee the quality of their direct placements for several months – and will find you a replacement if you’re not satisfied.

Save Time and Money with Berks & Beyond

Ensure the success  of your next hire by calling Berks & Beyond today.  We will recruit, screen, interview, test and refer the finest administrative, light industrial, technical and professional candidates in Central and Southern Pennsylvania for your job opening.