Berks & Beyond Blog

The following top candidates are highly skilled, motivated and ready to go to work for you:

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Candidate Initials: D. S.

Skills and Experience: With a steady work history and experience in customer service, this administrative assistant will make a great addition to your team.  Expert level computer skills in MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Education: H. S. Diploma; studied office technology

Desired Pay: Negotiable

To learn more about this candidate, please contact Diane in our York office at Diane@berksandbeyond.com or call 717.843.0031.

WELDING / MECHANICAL PROFESSIONAL

Candidate Initials: C. S.

Skills and Experience: Top candidate with 10 years Mig/Tig welding and forklift operation (sitting and standing).  Diverse abilities include: machine operation; assembling/disassembling automotive body and mechanical parts; reading blueprints; using calipers, micrometers and other measuring equipment.  This individual learns very quickly and has great mechanical aptitude.

Education: H. S. Diploma

Desired Pay: $15/hr.

To learn more about this candidate, please contact Katie in our Allentown office at Katie@berksandbeyond.com or call 610.435.9270.

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!

Diane McDonnell Promoted to Management Role in Well-Established York Market

Wyomissing, PA – Berks and Beyond Employment Services, Inc. is pleased to name Diane McDonnell as Branch Manager of their York office.   In her new role, McDonnell will manage sales, customer service and day-to-day activities for the branch.  Additionally, she will ensure that Berks and Beyond sends out only the highest quality employees with the experience, skills and work ethic to consistently exceed clients’ expectations.

While McDonnell is relatively new to the company, her determination and management skills propelled her to the top of Berks and Beyond’s candidate list.  “Diane has worked with Berks & Beyond for a short period, but in that time she has demonstrated a great desire to go the extra mile for each of our clients and employees,” says Chris Garner, President of Berks and Beyond Employment Services, Inc.  “We considered outside applicants for this position, but felt that there was nobody better qualified to represent our company than Diane.  I am looking forward to having her continue to build a strong team in one of our longest-standing markets.”

McDonnell is excited about the opportunity to manage and grow the York branch.  “I look forward to developing new client relationships and building on the existing ones,” she says.  “The staffing industry is fast paced and continually presents new challenges.  I am thrilled to begin working in my new role, meeting the dynamic needs of both our clients and employees.”

Outside of the office, McDonnell attends school full-time, working towards completing her B.S. in accounting.  She is actively involved in her children’s sports and can often be found at the local baseball fields during the spring and fall.  In her spare time, she enjoys reading, working on her home and caring for her family’s pets.

The staffing industry is not what it used to be.  In decades past, employers typically viewed staffing services as a “necessary evil” – a last resort when a low-level employee called in sick.

But not anymore.

Today’s staffing industry is comprised of diverse, robust organizations whose services can greatly enhance your company’s productivity and profitability – even in a tough economy.  Still, a significant portion of the business community doesn’t really understand what we do, or how we do it.

So if you think that staffing services are too expensive, or that you can’t find an ideal candidate through an employment agency, take a read through this quick post.  It debunks five common staffing myths:

Myth #1: Staffing firms are too expensive.

Fact: If you focus solely on bill rates and placement fees, you may conclude that staffing services are more expensive than a DIY staffing approach.  In reality, staffing firms can actually save you money.  You can leverage their recruiting expertise and economies of scale to quickly and cost-effectively access the talented candidates you need.

You can also reduce overtime, training and payroll administration expenses by using temporary employees to handle your extra workload.  Additionally, staffing experts can show you how to lower your labor costs by reducing your core staff to meet the low end of your production cycle, and then bringing in supplemental help for busier times.

Myth#2: Temps are all secretaries.

Fact: Temporary employees now work in virtually every industry and increasingly include highly skilled professionals.  In additional to administrative and industrial workers, staffing firms now regularly supply medical, technical, legal and executive-level professionals to tackle mission-critical projects.

Myth #3: You can’t hire a good employee through a staffing firm.

Fact: Staffing firms use rigorous screening, interviewing, skills testing and background / reference check processes to ensure the quality of talent they supply.  And unlike an individual you recruit on your own, a staffing service’s candidate comes with a guarantee.

Myth #4: Staffing firms only provide “temps.”

Fact:  Today’s staffing suppliers offer a wide variety of services that can be customized to suit your workforce needs, including:  temporary help, direct hire, temp-to-hire, contract staffing and payrolling services.

Myth #5: Temps are only good for “fill-ins.”

Fact: Beyond filling in for vacations or illnesses, employers regularly use temporary and contract employees to: provide extra support during busy times; staff special short-term projects; access specialized talent; evaluate talent for permanent positions.

The Truth about Berks & Beyond Employment Services

The truth is, Berks & Beyond can certainly fill your last-minute staffing needs.  But we can do so much more for your business!  With years of experience serving employers throughout central and southern Pennsylvania, we can help you use staffing to reduce overhead, complete critical projects and improve productivity.

What can  Berks & Beyond do for you?  Contact us today.

Men and women are different in many ways.  But when it comes to work/life balance issues, they apparently share several of the same concerns.

Results from a WorldatWork fall 2010 research study conflict with a previously wide-held assumption about the differences between men and women – namely, that male identity is rooted in work, while women place a higher priority on personal/family life.

Watch the video.

Summary of Study Findings

The Global Study on Men and Work-Life Integration, conducted in November and December 2010, surveyed more than 2,300 men and women working in organizations with 500 or more employees.   The international study focused on how organizations can eliminate stereotypes and barriers that prevent men from using work/life offerings, as well as what prevents organizational leaders (who are often men) from supporting the use of those offerings.

Here is a brief summary of the study findings:

• Work and Personal Identity – Identification with work is much stronger in emerging markets/countries than in developed ones.
• Managing Work and Family Life – Finding time for family is especially challenging for men; however, both men and women seek more personal time for exercise and hobbies.  For both sexes, flexible work arrangements dominate the list of most valuable options for finding a healthy work/life balance.
• Financial Stress – Not surprisingly, financial stress is a top (if not the top) work/life issue across country and gender.  To ease this stress, employers can: increase employee assistance programs; offer financial counseling programs; be as transparent as possible about corporate finances and job security.
• Leadership Attitudes – Business leaders around the world embrace the importance of work/life balance and have programs and policies in place to facilitate it.  These efforts, however, are often ineffective because managers still believe that the “ideal worker” is an employee with few personal commitments.  In fact, half of managers in emerging markets, and four in 10 managers in developed markets, believe that the most productive employees are those with few personal commitments.

According to Kathie Lingle, WLCP, executive director of WorldatWork’s Alliance for Work-Life Progress, “Working men and women around the world seek the same holy grail: success in both their work and family lives.  The assumption that male identity is rooted in work and not family is a major impediment to the effective integration of employees’ work and family lives.”

Berks & Beyond provides essential staffing support services to help your employees achieve the work/life balance they deserve.  Visit our website to learn more about our staffing services for Central and Southern Pennsylvania employers.

Smart work/life balance tips to reduce stress and give you more time

Meetings.  Soccer practice.  Long hours.  Project deadlines.  Yard work.

Given all the responsibilities you have both on the job and at home, you may feel that a healthy work/life balance is unrealistic right now:  spending more time at work may cause you to miss out on a rewarding personal life; but effectively managing the challenges of your personal life (such as coping with an aging parent or marital stress) may make concentrating on your job difficult.

So how do you strike a balance?  Implement just three or four of these ideas to make a measurable difference in your life.  They will help you lower your stress level, free-up more time, and put you on the path to a healthier work/life balance.

Drop unnecessary activities. Make a list of what really matters to you.  You may find out that you’re devoting too much time to activities that aren’t a real priority.  If at all possible, drop commitments and pursuits that don’t make the top five on your list of priorities.  Doing so will greatly focus your efforts and simplify your life.

Realize that time is often more valuable than money. The time you spend away from meaningful relationships in your life is time you can never get back.  With this in mind, consider hiring a lawn maintenance service, a handyman, or a babysitter (but always have a contingency plan in place).

Get enough sleep. Few things are as stressful and potentially dangerous as working when you’re sleep deprived.  Aside from feeling awful, you’re also more likely to make costly mistakes and be less productive.  So while you may be tempted to burn the midnight oil, it makes more sense to hit the sack and tackle your work with a fresh pair of eyes in the morning.

Plan fun and relaxation. Given the frenetic pace of our lives, nurturing ourselves just doesn’t happen by accident – but it’s still an essential part of maintaining a balanced life.  So set aside space in your weekly calendar for activities that are fun and relaxing to you.  Plan what you’re going to do and make necessary arrangements – reservations, childcare, etc. – to ensure you’ll be able to keep your commitment.

Use e-mail effectively. Use e-mail, as opposed to voicemail, to send detailed messages.  Try to respond to your incoming messages in groups – just a few times a day.  This way, you will interrupt your train of thought less frequently and stay more focused.

Learn to say “No.” Whether it’s a co-worker asking you to spearhead an extra project, or your child’s teacher asking you to be the head room parent, remember that’s okay to respectfully say “No.”  Once you quit doing things out of guilt or a false sense of obligation, you’ll make more room in your life for activities that are meaningful and important to you.

Exercise your options. Find out if your employer offers flex hours, a compressed workweek, job-sharing or telecommuting for your role.  These options may afford you greater flexibility to alleviate stress and free-up more of your time.

Master software packages. Learn the tips associated with the software packages you use most frequently.  They can increase your productivity.

Organize. If your insides are churning, create order outside.  Some people find that cleaning, organizing and reducing clutter actually reduce stress – both at home and at work.

Get a system. Develop a routine for tackling recurring tasks both at home and work.  If you drive by the dry cleaners and grocery store on your way to and from work, make a habit of bringing your shopping list and dry cleaning with you to take care of those stops en route.

Ask for help. Are you overwhelmed because you don’t have the support or tools you need to get your work done?  If so, don’t be a hero.  Approach your boss or loved ones and ask for the help you need to be more productive at work or at home.

Lighten up. Don’t take everything so seriously.  Nobody and nothing is ever perfect, so drop your shoulders and learn to laugh!

Reduce on-the-job stress with Berks & Beyond. Our services can reduce headaches, eliminate process bottlenecks and free-up more of your time.  Contact us today to learn more about our staffing services for Central and Southern Pennsylvania employers.

“It is an immutable law in business that words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises but only performance is reality.”

– Harold S. Geneen

If you’ve ever managed a single person, then you know that employees make excuses.  They procrastinate, miss deadlines and blame others when they fail.

So how do you get them to consistently perform to the best of their abilities?  Use these smart suggestions to get better results – and fewer excuses – from your staff every day:

Make performance management a daily activity.  Annual and quarterly reviews definitely play their part in gauging performance, but nothing replaces the day-to-day guidance you give to your staff.  So talk to them regularly, leveraging every opportunity to improve employee’s efforts:

• Give them honest feedback about what they’re doing right – and what they need to improve.
• Discuss new projects and the opportunities they present for employee development and growth.
• Talk about overdue assignments or project difficulties and how to resolve them.
• Reinforce the importance of consistently doing a great job.

Limit excuses.  Eliminate the external factors on which employees often blame their poor performance by:

• Ensuring employees have the resources they need to do their jobs;
• Ensuring employees are adequately trained to do their jobs;
• Setting clear, mutually agreed-upon performance expectations for each employee.

Ask the right questions when problems arise.  Uncovering the cause of poor performance is the first step in creating a plan to remedy it.  So when an employee is failing at work, ask the following types of questions to diagnose the reasons why:

• What about the work system (e.g., tools, time, training, support) is causing the employee to fail?
• Does the employee know exactly what you want him/her to do, as well as the expected outcome?
• Does the employee practice effective work management?
• Does the employee feel valued, recognized and fairly compensated for his/her contributions?

Make performance goals SMART goals.  This goal-setting acronym is still widely used for one simple reason:  Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound goals are more likely to be achieved.  So as you work with your employees to set higher standards for the next quarter or year, teach them how to create SMART performance goals that will get them there.

Create a “performance mentality” among team members.  Football players won’t play their hardest in a game where nobody keeps score.  Likewise, your employees won’t deliver superior results when they merely see themselves as “doing a job” everyday.  Foster a “performance mentality” by showing your team why their efforts matter – and what’s at stake.  Make sure employees understand your mission, how their jobs fit into the “big picture,” and what they need to do to help your company win.

Improve Performance with Berks & Beyond

Performance management is a vital component in your organization’s continued success.  Ensure that success with Berks & Beyond’s full complement of staffing solutions.  Whether you need to improve productivity, increase operating efficiencies or streamline your staffing function, we can custom design a solution to fuel exceptional performance throughout your company.  Contact us today to learn more.

The following top candidates are highly skilled, motivated and ready to go to work for you:

SHIPPING & RECEIVING SUPERVISOR

Candidate Initials:  J. A.

Skills and Experience:  This seasoned candidate is knowledgeable in all aspects of shipping and receiving, as well as warehouse management.  Has over 20 years of supervisory and managerial experience in:  distribution, inventory control, returns processing, LTL/TL and warehousing.  Skills include MS Word, Excel and UPS/FedEx shipping.

Certifications:  OSHA and Forklift Certified.

Desired Pay:  $45,000 / yr.

To learn more about this candidate, please contact Denise in our York office at Denise@berksandbeyond.com or call 717.843.0031.

STRUCTURAL WELDER

Candidate Initials:  A. Z.

Skills and Experience:  This highly sought-after candidate possesses an extensive background in all phases of welding, as he has experience in fitting, blueprints, schematics, MIG/TIG and structural welding, dual shield, flux-core, stick, Air arc and Oxygen-Acetylene.  Excellent references and leadership skills; would make a wonderfal addition to any company lucky enough to hire him. 

Desired Pay:  $15 / hr.

To learn more about this candidate, please contact Lynnda in our Pottstown office at 484.945.0516 or e-mail Lynnda at Lynnda@berksandbeyond.com.

PRODUCT ENGINEER

Candidate Initials:  L. M.

Skills and Experience:  This well-rounded manufacturing and product design professional has a background in managing a diverse technical workforce.  Strengths include:  manufacturing and tooling, product design and development, rapid prototyping, and project management.  Additional experience in foreign business travel, AutoCad 2009, CadKey, MS Project, AS400 and MS Office.

Education and Certifications:  B.S. in Business Management; Associates in Engineering Technology; Certifications in Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, Architectural Design and Surveying. 

Desired Pay:  $50,000 / yr.

To learn more about this candidate, please contact Allison in our Reading office at Allison@berksandbeyond.com or call 610.376.9675.

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.

Are you new to the employment market?  Just out of school?  Making a career transition?  Looking for a change?  If so, an informational interview is a great way to help you:

• Learn about an industry, a profession, or a career path in a chosen field
• Set yourself apart from the crowd in a competitive job market
• Get tips on how to prepare for and enter a given career
• Gain valuable insider feedback on potential future job openings
• Sharpen interview skills that may have become a bit “rusty” from disuse
• Practice selling yourself and your personal brand

In short, this type of interview can provide you with invaluable visibility, information and practice – all in a low-stress setting.

Tips for Successful Informational Interviews

• Do your homework.  It goes without saying that you’ll get out of the informational interview process what you put into it.  Read industry journals and go online to research any company in which you’re interested – before making phone calls.
• Identify people to interview.  If you know anyone who could make an introduction for you, don’t be shy – ask him or her.  Additionally, you can contact an organization directly, or visit its website, to obtain names.
• Prepare for the interview.  Develop a short (15 – 30 second) overview of yourself, including your reasons for requesting the interview, as a way to introduce yourself and set a context for the meeting. 
• Initiate contact.  Contact the person by phone and mention how you obtained his or her name.  Ask if it’s a good time for the individual to talk for a few minutes, emphasizing that you are looking for information – not a job.  Request a convenient time to schedule a 20 – 30 minute appointment.
• Develop a question list.  Use online resources to create a list of informational interview questions to ask.
• Conduct the interview.  Dress the part and arrive a few minutes early – just as you would for a traditional interview.  Re-introduce yourself and ask your most pressing questions first.  Listen well, take notes if you’d like and respect the individual’s time by limiting the length of your interview.
• Find out how your skills will translate.  If you already know how your experience will benefit a potential employer, now is the time to say so.  But if you’re unsure where you might fit into a department or company, the informational interview provides a perfect opportunity to find out.
• Be honest.  Since you’re not interviewing for an available opening, be candid about your strengths and weaknesses, as well as career goals.  If your skills and priorities are not a match for a particular organization, the interviewee may be able to connect you with potential employers that are more in-sync with your needs.
• Say “Thank You.”  Be sure to let the individual know how much you appreciate the time and information.
• Follow-up.  Send a thank-you note within one to two days.  If appropriate, keep in occasional touch with this person – the relationship you initiate could become an important part of your network.

A Final Thought

Informational interviews can happen anywhere and anytime.  So keep an open mind and seize potential opportunities whenever they present themselves – because you never know who might be helpful in your career search.

If you’re in the market for a new job, or are just curious about what kind of jobs are available right now, please call Berks and Beyond today.  We offer a variety of excellent temporary and direct employment opportunities throughout Central and Southern Pennsylvania.