Berks & Beyond Blog

Admittedly, it may be a little early to light a Yule log. 

But if you’re in the customer service, administrative/clerical, hospitality, shipping/delivery, inventory or technology/finance industries, you’re probably headed for a busy – if not your busiest – time of year.  If you’re going to require extra help this holiday season, it’s definitely not too early to plan for your staffing needs.

Here are just a few reasons why:

• Prevent rash hiring decisions.  If you wait until the last minute to recruit and hire, you may find yourself “up against a wall” when business suddenly surges.  Waiting until your needs are urgent may force you to make hasty hiring decisions.
• Get a jump on your competitors.  Many companies will wait until next month to gear-up.  Why not start your efforts now and reach the most qualified candidates before other seasonal employers get them?
• Avoid being overwhelmed.  This year’s seasonal job market will be flooded with applicants.  With so many job seekers competing for positions, the sheer volume of résumés and applications may bog you down.  Give yourself as much time as possible to find the best candidates by starting the search process early.

If just reading about seasonal hiring makes your stomach churn, relax – you don’t have to do it alone.  Staffing firms specialize in helping companies like yours effectively manage the highs and lows of business cycles.  Plan your workforce needs now with your staffing partner to:

• Get the flexibility you need.  Seasonal temporaries can handle surges in demand without impacting fixed expenses.
• Say “goodbye” to post-holiday layoffs.  Since the staffing service is the seasonal employees’ employer of record, you can avoid the hassle and expense of letting workers go once things slow down.
• Access the talent you need, right when you need it.  Planning your workforce needs now gives your staffing firm time to locate the most qualified staff for you, especially when you require a large number of workers – so they’re available right when you need them.
• Shorten learning curves.  Your staffing provider will recruit seasonal workers with the specific skills and experience you require.  The provider can also, at your request, develop customized orientation materials to help reduce training costs and get workers up-to-speed more quickly.
• Eliminate additional administrative and legal burdens.  By using temporary employees, you avoid the social security, payroll and other tax and legal burdens associated with seasonal employees.  Freedom from these hassles will give you more time to focus on other important priorities.
• Cut back on overtime.  Temporary employees help you minimize the additional cost and burnout overtime causes.

Plan Your Workforce Needs with Berks & Beyond Employment Services

If your business has frequent or predictable surges in demand, a planned staffing option may be right for you.  Planned staffing is the strategic use of temporaries to accommodate workloads known to vary in seasons or other cycles.

First, a Berks & Beyond staffing expert will work with you to examine year-round fluctuations in workload and identify peak demand periods.  Next, we will create a customized staffing plan for your business that: provides temporary employees to handle your busiest times; reduces or eliminates your need to lay off employees during slow periods; frees you to focus on the most critical parts of your job.

Remember, the early bird gets the worm – it’s never too early to discuss your staffing needs with Berks & Beyond.

You’ve just won a three-month contract with a major new client – congratulations!  Now, you need to figure out how to get the extra work done. 

Should you pay your current employees overtime, or bring in temporary help?  Consider the following sample cost analysis.  It is based on an annual salary of $40,000 ($20.51/hr.), vs. time-and-one-half overtime, for one employee:

Cost Analysis

Although this is just a sample exercise for illustration purposes, it clearly demonstrates the economic rationale for using temporary employees.  When you need additional productive hours on a temporary basis, staffing services can lower costs, reduce burnout and improve the productivity of your direct staff.

Berks & Beyond - The Lehigh Valley’s Staffing Economics Experts

Need help assessing the cost of a staffing strategy?  Contact Berks & Beyond.  Our experts will work with you to determine the most productive and cost-effective way to get your work done.

Cost Analysis Assumptions

* Temporary staffing rates vary by market, but the relationship (ratio) between pay rates remains the same.

** Fringe benefits include:  holiday pay, sick leave, vacation pay, personal days, insurance, F.I.C.A., S.U.I., F.U.T.A., worker’s compensation, etc., based on a national average of 31%.

*** Based on U.S. Chamber of Commerce national average statistic of 12%, which includes firms that pay no benefits.  For small firms with moderate benefits programs, this cost is typically 40-45% of payroll, and for larger firms with extensive benefits programs, the cost can be up to 100% or more of payroll.

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

ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL

Candidate Initials:  S. R.

Skills and Experience:  Extremely well-versed in all areas of administration, this candidate has marketing, HR and office management experience.  Able to multi-task; has the tenacity to stay with a project until it’s completed; unafraid to tackle what many would consider unpleasant tasks; active community volunteer.  Computer skills include:  MS Word, Excel, Outlook and Publisher, as well as several accounting programs.

Education:  College graduate.

Desired Pay:  $30,000/yr.

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

PRODUCTION SCHEDULER

Candidate Initials:  T. B.

Skills and Experience:  Looking to join your company as a top-notch employee, this candidate has a superb background in customer service, purchasing and office clerical.  Worked for 5 years as a purchasing assistant and procurement controller.  Skills include:  switchboard, cashier, MS Excel, Powerpoint and Word.  Has been promoted several times by previous employers and would be a great asset to your company.

Desired Pay:  $19/hr.

To learn more about this candidate, please contact Heidi in our Pottstown office at Heidi@berksandbeyond.com or call 484.945.0516.

SALES PROFESSIONAL 

Candidate Initials:  M. B.

Skills and Experience:  This proven self-starter possesses over 10 years of sales experience, including advertising and inside sales through prospecting and cold calls.  Researched target companies for marketing and selling strategies; conducted marketplace research in order to generate new leads.  Strong computer skills.

Education/Awards:  B.A. in Visual Arts; Rookie of the Year Award for highest sales volume of first year.

Desired Pay:  $30,000/yr.

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

“I’m sorry, but all I can do is verify this person’s name, title and dates of employment.”

Sound familiar?

These days, getting an honest and reliable reference can be a real challenge.  HR is cautious.  Supervisors are too busy.  And often, the references provided are afraid or unwilling to give honest feedback.  So how do you get a good reference check?

Beyond the standard length of employment/position/job responsibilities questions, here are a few unexpected ones you can try asking.  Designed to start conversations, these open-ended questions may entice a reference to ”drop his guard,” and help you solicit more candid feedback:

1. Did the candidate ask your permission to be a reference for him?
2. What was his greatest strength?  Weakness?
3. What circumstances frustrated him the most?
4. How well did the candidate manage time?  Pressure?  Crises?
5. What did he learn during his time with your company?
6. If you could give him a single career suggestion, what would it be?
7. What was his biggest accomplishment while working for your company?
8. Would you rehire this person?  Why or why not?
9. Is there anything else I haven’t asked that you would like to share with me?

Thankfully, you don’t need to ask questions like these when you work with Berks & Beyond.  You can rest assured that every candidate we refer has been carefully screened, tested and reference-checked for you.  To learn more about the measures we take to ensure candidate quality, please visit our website.

You found out about a dream job.  You know you’re perfect for it – you have the right experience, all the required skills, and the personality to excel in this position.  But then again, so do about 50 other candidates.

So how do you make sure your resume doesn’t wind up in the “circular file”?  One way to get a leg up on the competition is by crafting an effective cover letter.  A strong cover letter allows you to:

• personalize your resume
• emphasize your strengths and assets
• set yourself apart from others with similar qualifications
• interest employers in interviewing you

Here are a few tips for preparing an effective cover letter:

1. Review sample cover letters.  Visit your local library or conduct an online search to access examples.
2. Personalize the cover letter for each employer, so it specifically relates to the job for which you’re applying.  Address it to a particular person by name.
3. Make sure your cover letter looks good and is easy to read.  Pay particular attention to spelling, grammar, spacing, paragraph length and margins.
4. Limit the cover letter to one page.
5. Include something in the first paragraph that piques the reader’s interest.  Try to tie in company-specific information, to show you’ve done your homework.  Research the company online for ideas.
6. Put yourself in the employer’s shoes.  In the body of your cover letter, focus on what you can do for the company.  Highlight your ability to make or save money, assume or delegate responsibility, achieve measurable objectives and conserve time.
7. Communicate your interest, motivation and strengths.  Briefly describe your assets and qualifications, without duplicating your resume.
8. Express your enthusiasm for the job.
9. Emphasize your achievements.  Conversely, do not stress weaknesses such as a lack of experience.
10. Include a call to action.  Ask for an interview and state specifically when you will call to follow-up (allow at least three business days from when you send the letter).

Looking for more job search information?  Visit Berks and Beyond’s Candidate Resource Center.  It’s full of articles and links to help you land that perfect job.