Berks & Beyond Blog

The holidays are a time to celebrate, give thanks and enjoy both family and friends.

Unfortunately, the holidays can also make you want to tear your hair out by the roots.

The reality is, most of us are over-scheduled, over-worked and overwhelmed.  And while this season is meant to instill feelings of love and cheer, the increased expectations and financial strain of the holidays can overshadow the joy we should be experiencing.

This year, make a commitment to handling stress – before it handles you.  Use these tips to proactively identify and manage your stress levels during the holidays, and hopefully enjoy yourself a little bit more.

Identify the Causes

Stress increases during the holidays for any number of reasons.  Here are some of its prime culprits:

• Excess. During the holidays, we tend to eat, drink and spend too much.  Parties, gift-giving, stores filled with sales, decadent desserts and cocktails – they all tempt us to overindulge and then leave us with lasting consequences (e.g., debt, weight gain, headaches and worse).
• Extended visits. While spending time with family during the holidays can be a wonderful thing, it can also cause an overdose of togetherness.  Everyone needs his space during stressful times, and extended visits can leave you with little or no time to decompress and recharge.
• Social isolation. On the other side of the spectrum, loneliness can be just as much of a problem.  For those who don’t have family to visit, the holidays can exacerbate feelings of isolation.

Keep it Manageable

One of the only good things about holiday stress is that you can plan ahead to manage it – before it becomes overwhelming.  Use these common-sense tips to keep your stress at a healthy level this season:

• Realize that you can’t do it all. You are not a super hero and nobody should expect you to be.  Take the pressure off of yourself and avoid the trap of setting unrealistic expectations this season.
• Evaluate your priorities. What are the most important things to you and your family during the holidays – spending time with family?  Sharing a special meal?  Shopping together?  Giving gifts?  Sending cards?  Decide which activities and traditions offer the most positive impact, and then eliminate the extraneous ones.  If you focus on a few favorite pursuits and really enjoy them, you won’t miss the rest.
• Exercise regularly. Nothing provides immediate, reliable relief from anxiety like a good workout.  You don’t have to run a marathon to feel the benefits of exercise, but you do have to engage in it regularly.  Whether you lift weights, walk, bike, use the Wii or take classes like yoga or kickboxing, make exercise a priority this season.  In addition to relieving stress and boosting your mood, it will also help you keep those extra pounds at bay during a time when you’ll be taking in more calories.
• Set a schedule. Put your plans on paper (or into your scheduling app) to see how realistic they truly are.  Be sure to allow time and flexibility for additional shopping trips, driving, exercise, unexpected visits and good old-fashioned “down time.”  If your planner looks too full, you probably need to re-examine your priorities.
• Plan for togetherness and alone time. When dealing with difficult relatives, it’s okay to set limits on what you are willing to do.  On the other hand, if you anticipate loneliness, it’s smart to invite a group of friends to your home.  The key in both cases is to plan ahead, so you have both the togetherness and space you need.
• Eat smart. During the holidays, we’re bombarded with a parade of delicious food, tempting treats and a seemingly endless supply of cocktails.  If you want to look and feel your best this holiday season, plan ahead.  Be aware of your triggers for overindulging, keep healthy foods in your refrigerator as much as possible and practice moderation.
• Make balance a priority. For most of us, work doesn’t stop during the holidays.  Use these suggestions to maintain a healthy work/life balance through this season – and all year long.

From all of us at Berks & Beyond, we wish you a happy, healthy and stress-free holiday season!

Discrimination on the job occurs every day.

It’s a harsh reality, but factors such as age, race, gender, sexual preference and religious affiliation still influence hiring, promotion and daily interaction in the workplace.  For these reasons and others, promoting diversity in the workplace is a vital endeavor:

• It helps organizations actively identify and remove barriers to equal opportunities in all aspects of employment, from recruiting to retaining and developing professionals.
• It improves workplace cultures and team performance, by helping employees and managers alike to overcome long-held stereotypes and misconceptions.
• It encourages employers to develop and retain diverse, competitive workforces that draw on the talents of all parts of our society.

While it’s true that today’s typical workplace may be generally more welcoming and accepting than one of generations past, many employers and workers still struggle with the issue of diversity.  Employees continue to feel excluded from certain occupations – regardless of their qualifications and experience.

The good news is, you have the power to change this reality.  In addition to providing diversity training for your employees, use these ideas to help improve and promote diversity in your workplace:

Formalize anti-discrimination policies. Make it clear to all employees that discriminatory hiring, promotion and other practices will not be tolerated.  If you haven’t already, formally introduce, implement, enforce and update clear anti-discrimination policies.  Countless resources are available online, such as the U.S. Small Business Administration’s website.  Their site provides guidance to help you add anti-discrimination policies to your employee handbook.

Reach out to local organizations. Take a look at your existing workforce.  Does it resemble the communities in which you operate?  If not, develop a hiring strategy that allows for greater inclusion and representation.  Talk to community leaders from churches, cultural institutions and colleges.  Ask them to help you better connect with potential candidates who are under-represented in your workforce.

Establish responsibility and accountability. Diversity promotion and training usually falls to HR.  If no such department exists, create a committee to help implement the policy you develop.  Encourage members to continually develop new ideas on how to attract more diversity to your company.

Ask employees for referrals. Your current staff may have peers in the industry or know qualified candidates who may be looking for work.  The referring peer can help your new employee more easily adjust to his new work environment, especially if he is part of an under-represented group.

Expand your reach. Appeal to a wider audience by participating in job fairs and career expos.  Make available postings more attractive to diverse job hunters by emphasizing details that will attract them.

Offer benefits that appeal to a diverse workforce. Demonstrate your willingness to hire from all segments of the workforce by offering programs such as:

• onsite daycare
• flexible work schedules
• job sharing
• childcare subsidiaries
• religious holiday accommodation
• diversity-friendly (but office appropriate) dress codes

Support new hires. As you develop a more diverse workforce, make sure the new employees you hire feel welcomed and valued.  The first few weeks can be challenging for a new employee, so do what you can to help him get acclimated.  Pair him with a mentor to help him develop new working relationships, and clearly communicate opportunities for advancement.  Show him that he has a future in your company and he’ll be much more likely to stay.

Berks & Beyond understands and promotes the value of diversity in the workplace.  We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, helping all job seekers find rewarding employment opportunities.

Bored?

If you’re working in an entry-level job, you just might be.

Fact: Lots of jobs are tedious, repetitive and even downright boring – but we all have to start somewhere.  Unfortunately, that “somewhere” can be an entry level job that is neither highly challenging nor exciting.

Another fact: If you want to get ahead in your career, you need to carry out your responsibilities (no matter how uninteresting they are) to the best of your ability.

So how do you stay focused and productive in an entry level job?  Turn things around by using these tips to win the boredom battle:

Take a power break. When boredom threatens to overwhelm you, fight back by using your breaks intelligently.  Though you may be tempted to surf the Internet or play solitaire, use your time more contructively.  Clean up your desk, invite a colleague for a cup of coffee to discuss a new idea, or brainstorm a list of ways to improve your department.  The more intelligently you use your break time, the sooner you’ll move on to a more challenging job.

Change your outlook – literally. One of the easiest ways to freshen your perspective on the job is by asking your supervisor for a new desk, office or cube to call home.  If you can’t change your location, see if you can change how your desk is oriented.  Even a small change can brighten your outlook and renew your enthusiasm for your work.

Tell your supervisor. While it’s unadvisable to whine about how boring your job is, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask your manager for more work.  If you are working in a direct position, tell your boss that you are ready for more responsibility.  He may appreciate your honesty and efficiency and reward you with a more challenging set of tasks.  He may also allow you to trade duties with colleagues, so you both get a break from the monotony.

If you are working with Berks & Beyond on a temporary or contract assignment, speak directly with your staffing supervisor.  He can look for future assignments that build on the experience you’re gaining.

Volunteer for tasks unrelated to your job. Offer to help plan the company office party or sign-up for another social committee.  You’ll not only keep yourself busy, you’ll also network, show-off your organizational skills and establish your reputation as a team player and natural leader.

Take initiative. If you’ve finished your work and need something to do, take a look around the office and see what needs to be done.  Ask co-workers if they could use a hand.  Find out what’s on your supervisor’s To Do list (it’s probably a long one) and see if you could tackle a project for him.  Don’t wait for challenge to come to you.  Be proactive.  Demonstrate your willingness to work and desire for challenge, and chances are you will be rewarded.

Stay positive and give your best effort. Remember, nearly everyone has been in your shoes at one point or another.  Yes, your work may be menial now, but try to make the most of the opportunities it presents you to help develop your skills, increase your knowledge base and build your network.  If you always give your best effort and focus on staying positive, you can effectively keep boredom at bay.

Looking for more variety, responsibility or challenge?  Give Berks & Beyond a call.

Working as a temporary employee provides constant variety.  As a Berks & Beyond employee, we can provide you with a wide range of temporary assignments with Central and Southern Pennsylvania’s best employers – delivering the opportunity and challenge you desire.  If you’re bored in your work and could use a change, give us a call today.

“The purpose of the American Jobs Act is simple: to put more people back to work and more money in the pockets of those who are working.”

—President Barack Obama, September 8, 2011

In a time when some workers are living week to week, paycheck to paycheck or day to day, President Obama claims he can help our ailing economy by: introducing new tax cuts to help small businesses hire and grow; putting workers back on the job while rebuilding and modernizing America; creating pathways back to work for the unemployed.

Here is what President Obama says his American Jobs Act will do, if it is passed in its current form:

• Lead to new jobs for construction workers, teachers, veterans, first responders, young people and the long-term unemployed.
• Provide a tax break for companies who hire new workers or raise workers’ wages.
• Cut payroll taxes in half for every working American and every small business.
• Repair and modernize at least 35,000 schools.
• Give companies extra tax credits if they hire veterans.
• Give companies a $4,000 tax credit if they hire anyone who has spent more than six months looking for a job.
• Extend unemployment insurance for another year.
• Jolt our stalled economy and give companies the confidence that if they invest and hire, there will be customers for their products and services.

Follow this link to read the full text of the American Jobs Act.

Follow this link to read the short fact sheet for the American Jobs Act.

Follow this link to watch President Obama’s American Jobs Act speech on September 8, 2011.

What will the American Jobs Act mean for your business?  That depends upon whom you ask.  Here are two differing perspectives:

From Mokoto Rich (New York Times):

“The dismal state of the economy is the main reason many companies are reluctant to hire workers, and few executives are saying that President Obama’s jobs plan – while welcome – will change their minds any time soon…The plan failed to generate any optimism on Wall Street as the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index and the Dow Jones industrial average each fell about 2.7 percent.”

From Dan Pfeiffer (The White House Blog):

“Today, we’ve seen reports from economic analysts and statements from CEOs.  All of their statements underscore the same message: the American Jobs Act will create jobs and is good for the American people.  It will grow the economy, help middle class families and strengthen communities across the nation.”

As you can see, opinions about the potential effectiveness of the American Jobs Act vary greatly.  The fact is, Pennsylvania employers won’t know for sure how it will impact business until Congress passes it (and there’s a chance it may not even pass).

In the meantime, Berks & Beyond continues to help drive the recovery.  We deliver customized staffing solutions to help Central and Southern Pennsylvania employers achieve sustained business success in a volatile economy.  What can we do for you?  Contact Berks & Beyond today.

The Problem:

An Allentown distribution company was having trouble finding quality employees.  The staffing service they were working with sent them candidates without properly checking their criminal backgrounds first.  Despite discussing these issues with their provider, the problem persisted.  The plant manager turned to Berks & Beyond for help.

The Solution:

Berks & Beyond understood the seriousness of the distributor’s situation.  Our account manager met with HR to tour their facility, get to know the client’s business and review our stringent screening processes and policy.

Our account manager explained that Berks & Beyond uses a number of measures to ensure that our employees are thoroughly screened and authorized to work for our clients:

• Before being placed, every Berks & Beyond employee undergoes a criminal background check, drug screen and E-Verification.  If any applicant fails any part of our screening process, we notify our clients and replace the employee immediately.

To instill confidence in our service, we gave the distribution company the right to audit our screening measures at any time.  We also conducted a safety audit of the client’s facility, to ensure safe working conditions for our employees.

After witnessing first-hand our efforts to reduce risks and liability for both clients and employees, the distribution company agreed to place a trial-basis order.

The Results:

Berks & Beyond has a thriving business relationship with this client.  Since the initial order, we have placed numerous candidates with the Allentown distributor.  Our client has noticed a significant improvement in the quality of workers they receive, and trusts us to make staffing simpler and safer for them.

Write Your Own Staffing Success Story

Contact Berks & Beyond today to find out how we can deliver real Results at Work for your organization.

Berks & Beyond employees choose temporary work for a variety of reasons.  Some like the extra cash and freedom temporary work provides; others want to gain experience; still others seek a full-time, direct position.

No matter what your reasons are for working as a Berks & Beyond temporary, you can use these six tips to succeed while on assignment:

Prepare yourself. Buy a memo pad to serve as your temporary employment reference book.  Once you accept an assignment, be sure to write down the following details and take them with you the first day:  company address and phone; client supervisor’s name; dress code; hours; name and phone number for your staffing coordinator.  Having this important information available will help ensure you are on-time the first day and get off to a great start.

Display a positive attitude. When you work as a temporary, you are put into unfamiliar situations with people you don’t know.  Make a conscious decision to approach your new work situation constructively.  Choosing to display a positive attitude – even if you’re a bit uncomfortable – can help you manage the stress of your first day.  Your optimism will be appreciated by co-workers and assignment supervisor alike and set the stage for a great working relationship.

Listen. Although you may be accustomed to completing work a certain way, most employers have specific systems and procedures already in place.  When your supervisor gives you your work instructions, pay close attention and take notes (in your memo book).  If any instructions are unclear, be sure to ask for clarification.  Your employer will understand that you are new, and he will respect your attention to detail.

Stay out of office politics. Every company you work for on assignment will have a unique corporate culture.  As a rule of thumb while on assignment, strive to remain neutral, avoid office gossip/politics/arguments, and focus on the job you have to do.  If conflict is making your work difficult, contact your staffing coordinator immediately.

Take initiative. If you finish your work ahead of schedule, ask for something else to do.  You will earn a reputation (with both the staffing service and the employer) as a hard worker.  Remember, productive, proactive temporaries land the best assignments – and are the first to be offered direct employment.

Keep in touch with your staffing coordinator. Check in with him periodically to explain how your assignment is progressing.  If your assignment is nearing completion, let him know so that he can get to work lining up your next one.  Finally, tell him what you liked or didn’t like about the assignment once it’s complete.  The better he understands your areas of strength and work preferences, the better prepared he’ll be to match you with the ideal opportunity.

Get on the Path to Career Success

Find out how Berks & Beyond can match you with the ideal employment opportunity.  With staffing offices in Harrisburg, Allentown, Reading, Pottstown, Carlisle and York, Pennsylvania, it’s easy to come in and learn more about our services, available jobs and what we can do for you.  Contact a Recruiter to schedule your appointment today.

Go Social!

Like Berks & Beyond on Facebook.  It’s a fun, easy way to learn about our company, our staff and great employment opportunities in your area.

Great staffing results don’t happen by accident.

They occur when smart people (like you) invest in creating the best possible relationship with a quality staffing firm (like Berks & Beyond).  Don’t leave your staffing success to chance.  Use these 10 ideas to achieve better staffing results:

1. Give temporary employees formal job descriptions. Job descriptions should be well-defined, prioritized, current and submitted in writing to your staffing firm.  They should include your expectations in terms of candidate abilities and experience, along with specific performance goals and standards.
2. Give your staffing service as much lead-time as possible. This will optimize your chances of finding an ideal candidate for the assignment and may give you more than one suitable candidate to choose from.  And when lead-time isn’t an option, let your staffing provider know which skills and traits are most critical for the assignment.
3. Be mindful of cut-rate deals. People – including temporary employees – are your organization’s most important asset.  They should be viewed as an investment, not an expense.  When it comes to staffing, you get what you pay for, so work with a staffing service that takes the time to fill your needs correctly.
4. Train your staffing services representative. Educate your staffing representative on your company’s mission statement, goals, culture, history and current performance.  Tell them what types of work styles or personalities will fit best in your organization.  Familiarizing your representative with your company’s needs and preferences helps your staffing partner become a more knowledgeable extension of your human resources department.
5. Take full advantage of your staffing vendor’s resources. Invest a little time to learn about your staffing firm’s full range of capabilities and value-added services, so you can take maximum advantage of their resources.  A good service can provide not only qualified candidates, staffing flexibility and cost savings, but staffing expertise and employee relations support as well.  To learn more about your staffing service, request a tour or a capabilities demonstration.
6. Set clear expectations. Establish mutually agreed upon expectations for interaction with your staffing supplier at the beginning of your relationship.  This may include order-placing procedures, appropriate quality control checks and feedback methods.  Setting expectations will ensure clear communication and expedient service.
7. Benchmark performance. Find out what tests candidates are required to take at your staffing firm.  When candidates are referred to you, ask what their test scores are.  Establish preferred scoring levels for placements within your company, using your own employees as benchmarks.  Additionally, encourage your temporary employees to take advantage of training available at the staffing firm.
8. Provide feedback. Maintain an ongoing dialogue and honest relationship with your staffing contacts, keeping them abreast of changes in your company.  Provide feedback on their service and the performance of their temporary employees.  Meet regularly to obtain their input on what you can do to improve the quality of service and placements.
9. Create a partner in your success. Consider involving a staffing firm in your company’s business planning.  For example, you might include your staffing representative in an annual meeting to plan staffing strategies.  Staffing experts can offer valuable insight regarding the possible uses of strategic staffing to meet your needs for workload variations, new hires and managing attrition.  They can also offer valuable market data to help you retain key employees.
10. Reward results. High quality staffing firms focus on more than filling orders.  They want to help you save time, lower expenses and get work done.  When you find a vendor who does a great job, look for opportunities to enhance the relationship.  Invite them in.  Challenge them to help you solve problems.  See what you can do to reward their good results.  Not only will you make your top vendor happy, you’ll increase their commitment to your success.

What can Berks & Beyond do for you?  Give us a call.  Together, we can explore opportunities to enhance your staffing results by:

• identifying inefficiencies where work could be performed at a lower cost;
• providing access to qualified and diverse candidates seeking temporary employment;
• offering the staffing flexibility you need to stay fluid during economic challenges.

Can staffing services really drive profits?  In a word, “Yes!”

In today’s economy, businesses need to do everything possible to maximize the R-E=P equation.  And if your company is like most, your employment-related expenses are among the biggest line items on your company’s P & L.  The more actively you manage these expenses, the more profitable you can become.

Of course, driving profits is about more than just cutting costs.  It’s also about maximizing workforce productivity and effectively matching your human resources to the changing challenges and opportunities your business faces.  Used properly, staffing services can play a vital role in achieving all these ends.  Here are just a few ways temporary employees can drive profits in your organization:

• Stay lean and flexible. Design a strategic staffing strategy that limits core employment to that necessary for minimum production volumes.  Staff up with skilled temporary employees to meet peak demand periods or sudden surges in business.
• Focus on core activities. A staffing professional can help you critically examine work flow processes in your organization to identify administrative, repetitive or other support tasks that are being performed by highly compensated employees.  Bring in temporary or part-time contingent staff to take over these tasks and free valuable team members to focus on their most vital priorities.
• Lower employment-related costs due to turnover. Take a look at your hiring and termination costs by job functions.  Determine where high turnover positions exist and re-staff with temporaries to reduce hiring, training and termination costs.
• Reduce overtime expenses.  Work with your staffing representative to analyze your overtime expenditures.  Look for opportunities to use supplemental temporaries instead of overtime to reduce labor costs and prevent employee burnout.
• Shorten learning curves. As your company incorporates new technologies, bring in contract technical professionals to support your project teams.  They can help get your employees up-to-speed and productive more quickly, saving time and money in the process.  Once training is done, so are your training expenses.
• Capitalize on new opportunities. Have you ever had to table a great idea, simply because you didn’t have the resources to work on it?  For those times, consider supplementing your team with temporary and contract employees.  From support staff to senior executives, highly qualified temporary employees can be brought in to either manage the execution of new ideas or support your internal team while they work on the new opportunities.

Berks & Beyond Employment Services – Driving Profits for Pennsylvania Employers

Need to aggressively manage staffing expenses?  Looking for new ways to increase productivity?  Have a great business idea, but lack the human resources to turn it into a reality?  Contact Berks & Beyond today.  We have the knowledge, business expertise and highly skilled candidates you need to get work done and become more profitable.

Leading Central and Southern Pennsylvania Staffing Firm Now Offers Health Care, Direct Deposit and More to Field Employees

Wyomissing, PA –Berks and Beyond Employment Services, Inc. is pleased to announce that they now offer benefits, including health insurance, to their temporary employees.  The leading Central and Southern Pennsylvania staffing service is holding open enrollment now through June 2, 2011, for their comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Special low group rates
• Single and family coverage
• Dental and Vision options
• Coverage for doctors’ visits
• Inpatient benefits
• No pre-existing condition limitations (no health questions asked)
• No waiting period

Interested employees should contact their Branch Managers.

But that’s only part of the story.  Many of Berks & Beyond’s employees work shifts that make banking difficult.  To simplify things, Berks & Beyond is now also providing Direct Deposit service.  This will help ensure field employees are paid in a timely manner and allow them to access their earnings before most major holidays.

So why is Berks & Beyond going beyond the call of duty for their employees?  “Simply put, it’s a win-win for everyone involved,” said Chris Garner, President of Berks & Beyond Staffing Services, Inc.  “A large part of today’s temporary workforce is comprised of former full-time employees who lost jobs during the recession.  Offering benefits to these people affords them peace of mind during what can be a difficult transitional period.  On the flip side, benefits are a perk that helps Berks & Beyond attract the best and brightest talent for our clients.”

Ever play “whisper down the lane”?

Also known as ”telephone,” this popular children’s game provides a simple, yet critical illustration of how important information can get lost in translation.

Great fun if you’re just playing around, but not so great for business.

When it comes to ordering temporary personnel, many of our clients call in their job orders.  Sure, it’s quick and convenient, but did you know that placing your order verbally is not the most effective way to work with us?

The reason is simple – verbal job descriptions can change as they’re transmitted from person to person, resulting in a “whisper down the lane” effect.  Consider, for example, how many people are potentially involved in the “lane” of communication when a job order is placed.  A department manager contacts HR with a need; HR contacts a staffing service coordinator with the order; the coordinator speaks with the staffing firm’s recruiter; the recruiter then communicates the job description to an employee.

See the potential problem?  While a verbal approach may seem easier, challenges can arise when duties get added or subtracted, or if job titles change over time.  As a result, the staffing provider may not send you the best match for the assignment.

At Berks & Beyond, we highly recommend that you submit or approve a written job description to which everyone in the line (or “lane”) of communication can refer.  Doing so will eliminate miscommunications, misunderstandings and confusion, and ensure that you get the best employee for the assignment.

Improve your temporary staffing success by working with Berks & Beyond, your Central and Southeastern Pennsylvania staffing service.