Berks & Beyond Blog

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

ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST

Candidate Initials: R. L.

Skills and Experience: Diverse administrative candidate with strong computer skills, organizational abilities and work ethic!  Experience assisting office manager with: shipping/receiving/expediting (including FedEx and UPS); accounts receivable, payroll, ordering supplies and general office management.  Also worked as a night supervisor – training and supervising employees, managing cash, ensuring accuracy of logs and documentation.

Education: H.S. Diploma

Desired Pay: $12/hr.

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

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INDUSTRIAL MECHANIC

Candidate Initials: C. E.

Skills and Experience:  Personable, diplomatic manufacturing business professional with multiple degrees and a successful 5-year track record of profitable small business ownership.  This self-motivated candidate has a knack for quickly mastering technology and has demonstrated a history of meeting stringent production guidelines and producing accurate, timely reports.  Other areas of experience include:  preventative maintenance, hydraulics maintenance, industrial hydraulics, PC applications, report preparation, industrial math, CDL A endorsements, electricity of PLC, machine technology and industrial pneumatics.

Education and Certifications: H.S. Diploma, Technical School, recently completed mechanical certificate course.

Desired Pay: $18/hr.

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

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MAINTENANCE MECHANIC

Candidate Initials: T. S.

Skills and Experience: Over 15 years of experience with the same company as a maintenance mechanic.  Responsibilities included preventative maintenance, repair and troubleshooting industrial machines and equipment (e.g., punch press, press brakes, air tools, etc.), as well as overall facility maintenance.  Diverse experience in the following areas: PLC; ladder logic; troubleshooting control systems; pneumatic, hydraulic and pumping systems; mechanical and electrical systems; welding and fabrication; injection molding machines and systems.

Desired Pay: $17/hr.

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

When asked, the vast majority of managers will tell you that they do not enjoy firing employees.

Who can blame them?  The process of taking away another person’s livelihood is typically uncomfortable, stressful and just plain unpleasant.  Still, it has to be done.

As one of the “necessary evils” of successful management, terminating an employee should be executed directly and professionally.   Use these tips to make the process more tolerable, while protecting your company:

Do prepare.  Before firing him, sit down with your employee to convey your unhappiness with his work.  Try to give that person 30 days to improve his performance before letting him go.  Keep a file detailing your conversations.  This will: demonstrate your due diligence; help to lessen the surprise factor during the actual termination; give you a record of verbal and written feedback that demonstrates use of a performance plan and a warning system.

Don’t act in the “heat of the moment.”  If you fire someone out of frustration, fear or anger, you’re setting yourself up for a lawsuit.  Instead, take a step back and conduct a thorough investigation, obtaining information from all parties involved.  If your only option is to terminate an employee, get advice first from a human resources professional or employment lawyer.  These experts can help ensure you abide by state and federal laws, as well as your company’s unique employment policies.

Do get your ducks in a row.  Simplify the employee’s transition by handling termination logistics before calling the employee in.  Create a clear plan for the employee to return company property, clean out his desk/office and consult with HR on pay/benefits to expedite the separation.

Don’t hold the termination meeting in your office.  If the employee gets too upset, he might not want to leave your office, putting you both in an awkward position.  Instead, pick a neutral site.  A conference or meeting room is best for holding your termination meeting.

Do get down to business.  Skip the small talk.  Don’t bother trying to warm the mood or to pretend it’s an ordinary exchange – you’re only delaying the inevitable.  Save the platitudes and limit the meeting to 10 minutes or less.

Don’t lose your cool.  Keep it pleasant, but not too friendly.  Let the employee down as easily as you can without being unprofessional.  Remember, you are not this person’s comforter – he can go home to his spouse, friends or family for the support he needs.  Above all else, never lose your temper.  If you become hostile, it’s more likely the employee will file a lawsuit or grievance.

Do show empathy.  Try to put yourself in the employee’s shoes and understand what he’s going through.  Be patient when you talk to him and keep your cool if he becomes angry, upset or frustrated.  Offer whatever resources your company provides to ease the employee’s transition.

Do act decisively.  Make sure that both your tone and wording are resolute.  Giving an employee “wiggle room” or false hope will only encourage him to try and argue to save his job.  If you find yourself getting dragged into a pointless discussion, take charge by saying something like, “I’ll be glad to talk about this as long as you like, but you should know that nothing we discuss will change the decision.”

Do speak honestly.  If you’re downsizing, leave performance out of the picture.  But if performance is the issue, don’t try to hide behind an excuse to make the conversation easier for you.  You’ll be doing the employee a disservice and opening your business to potential problems – especially if you later hire someone to fill the vacant slot.  Be direct about your reason for termination, even if it’s difficult for one or both of you.

One of the benefits of Berks & Beyond’s temporary staff is never having to fire them!  As their employer of record, we take care of replacing and/or reassigning workers.  Contact Berks & Beyond today to find out more about our staffing and recruiting services for Central and Southern Pennsylvania employers.

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

MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL in Pottstown, PA

Candidate Initials: G. R. B.

Skills and Experience: Solid ethics, true professionalism and an excellent work history – combined with years of management experience in both manufacturing and customer service – ensure this individual will thrive as part of your management team.  Diverse experience includes: managing five departments and hundreds of employees; serving on teams to improve quality and safety; production management in the direct mail and billing industry; military experience.  Act fast – this candidate won’t last long!

Desired Pay: $20 / hr.

For more information on how this candidate could become part of your team, please contact Heidi in our Pottstown office at 484.945.0516 or e-mail Heidi at Heidi@berksandbeyond.com.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONAL in Reading, PA

Candidate Initials: C. F.

Skills and Experience: Well-rounded individual with extensive, stable work history in the manufacturing industry.  Specialized experience in administrative support and accounting functions, including: budgets and operational analysis; strong accounts payable skills; administrative support to VPs and Controllers.  Excellent communication, interpersonal, organizational, customer service and computer skills.  This top-notch candidate is open to temporary, temp-to-hire and direct placement opportunities.

Desired Pay: $13 – 15 / hr.

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

Reading, PA knew it was poor.  But now it knows just how poor.

While the problem of poverty has been a major problem in the city for years, residents, business owners and government officials reeled after a September 26, 2001 article in the New York Times named Reading as the poorest city of 65,000 or more in America.

According to the November 2, 2011 Bctv.org article “Frustration reigns at poverty forum in Reading” by staff writer Madelyn Pennino, hundreds of people gathered this past Tuesday for a town meeting to address the issue of poverty.  During the forum, dubbed “Reading:  The New Face of Poverty,” citizens and panelists provided a number of thoughts on how to eradicate the problem, including:

• Taking responsibility and cooperating to make a difference.
• Cleaning up the city.
• Making it easier for businesses (large and small) to come in and thrive.
• Improving educational and training opportunities.
• Attacking crime.
• Embracing cultural diversity.

While the ideas seem sensible, frustrated city residents said that the city and the public are not nearly on the same page in how to make changes that will bring the city’s poverty level down.  Participants did agree, however, that ignoring the problem hasn’t worked and poverty is everyone’s issue.

During the forum, Reading Mayor Tom McMahon acknowledged that many good-paying jobs have left the area, and that our state does not have the best incentives for attracting new businesses.  When asked how it could be made easier for someone to open a business in Reading, McMahon said there is a one-stop shop every Thursday morning in City Hall where city officials offer that kind of help.

Reading’s poverty issue is both deep and complex, and it will not be easily resolved.  As our community sorts through the economic challenges it faces, Berks & Beyond offers advantages to businesses and job seekers alike.  During difficult times, our staffing services help clients control overhead, avoid costly hiring mistakes and manage an unpredictable economy.  For those who are out of work, Berks & Beyond provides viable employment opportunities (many of which are direct) that provide much-needed income.

Want to really improve the quality of your hires?  Then make like a Boy Scout and “be prepared.”

When it comes to interviewing, preparation is critical.  Failing to do so can lead to a host of interviewing problems, including:

• Biases - quick judgments can interfere with assessment quality and accuracy.
• Inconsistencies - lack of structure and process may compromise interviewers’ abilities to determine the best candidates.
• Inefficiencies - inadequately trained interviewers are likely to ask improper questions and use poor evaluation techniques.

The result?  Ineffective interviews that ultimately yield – you guessed it – bad hires.

But by preparing ahead of time and using more effective interview methods, you dramatically increase your odds of hiring a top performer.  So before a single candidate arrives for an interview, use these tips to create a more structured, consistent process that ensures hiring decisions are based on relevant, sound information – and not merely first impressions:

1. Analyze the position to be filled. Assess what the ideal candidate will need in order to be successful in the position.  Consider:  skills, knowledge, type of experience, core competencies (e.g., decision making, customer responsiveness, problem solving, etc.), attitude, corporate culture fit and even interpersonal style.
2. Define the job. Develop a thorough job description, including the key roles and responsibilities.  Review performance evaluations of top performers in this role and ask existing team members what it would take for the new hire to succeed.
3. Develop standard interview questions. Use the requirements created in the previous steps to make a list of standard interview questions.  Ask these same questions of all applicants for the position.  Before interviews begin, determine ideal/acceptable responses for each question, to increase objectivity and improve the accuracy of your ratings.  The structure you create now will yield better quality judgments once the interviews are over.
4. Identify additional details needed to select the best candidate. Before interviewing, review additional information you will need to collect or verify, such as:  proof of certifications or licensures, records of educations, lists of references, etc.
5. Establish clear standards for non-verbal cues. Body language, eye contact, posture, appearance and other non-verbal cues all impact the first impression a job candidate makes.  But while these cues can be helpful in making a decision, they are also easy to manipulate and prone to subjective interviewer bias.  To avoid these biases and personal judgments (especially when multiple interviews are involved), establish clear standards for non-verbal cues which are appropriate for your corporate culture and employee/customer expectations.  Once you ascertain that a candidate meets your minimum standards, you can shift attention to the true substance of his responses.

These are just a few of the things you can do to improve your hiring process.  Look for future posts with more tips for hiring better.

Ensure great Hires with Berks & Beyond

Direct placement services like Berks & Beyond have the resources and expertise to quickly and cost-effectively deliver candidates with skills, experience and behavioral traits to succeed in your organization.  We use professionally trained interviewers, skills-specific testing, thorough background checks and satisfaction guarantees to ensure the success of your next hire.

Are you using E-Verify?

If you are unfamiliar with this system, or its potential value to your organization, here is a brief overview:

This U.S. Government’s employment verification service started out as a test exercise known as the Basic Pilot/Employment Eligibility Verification Program.  After a period of system testing and debugging, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) offered it as a live service to employers across the country.

Today, E-Verify is a voluntary federal program for employers that validates social security information and employment authorization.  Basically, the internet-based service verifies that a new employee is who he says he is and that he has the right to work in this country.

While the program has been the subject of intense scrutiny since its inception, E-Verify provides a number of potential benefits for your organization:

• E-Verify is a free system which allows you to screen out illegal workers.  It provides a fast way to find out right away if an employee’s Social Security number and employment eligibility documents are authentic.
• Reduce hiring liability. As the immigration crisis worsens, immigration enforcement actions will continue to intensify and criminal prosecutions for illegal hiring will continue to escalate.  By participating in the E-Verify program, and using it in good faith, you establish a rebuttable presumption that you have not knowingly hired an unauthorized alien.  Although it does not provide a “get out of jail free” card, it does effectively reduce your hiring liability.
• Discourage illegal workers. If you advertise your participation in the E-Verify program, it’s like posting a “Don’t Even Try It” sign on your front door.
• Level the playing field. In recent decades, employers who played by the rules and only hired legally were at a competitive disadvantage to those who hired illegally.  E-Verify can help you turn the tables, by leveraging the public support for employers who hire legally and strengthen their local communities.  Furthermore, if you use the E-Verify program in your advertising and PR, you apply pressure to competitors who may not be scrupulous in their hiring to use the system as well.
• Improve business relations. By participating in E-Verify, you demonstrate the value your organization places on integrity.  This can help you establish a solid foundation of trust with business partners, clients and vendors alike.

Berks & Beyond chooses to participate in E-Verify to make staffing simpler and safer for you.  Since 2007, we’ve screened every employee we’ve placed using E-Verify.  When we send you temporary employees, rest assured they are thoroughly screened and authorized to work for your organization.

Want to learn more?  Contact Berks & Beyond today.

Do you offer flexible work options to your employees?  Does it really matter?  Take a look at what two recent studies showed about the prevalence and importance of workplace flexibility.

The first, a recent Survey on Workplace Flexibility from WorldatWork, found that:

• The vast majority (98 percent) of U.S. employers offer at least one workplace flexibility program.
• The most prevalent programs include flex-time (flexible start/stop times), part-time schedules and teleworking on an ad hoc basis (to meet a repair person, care for a sick child, etc.).
• The way these programs are administered varies.  Nearly 60 percent of these companies take an informal approach to the concept – leaving program development and administration up to managers’ discretion, or offering flexible work options without written policies or forms.
• Furthermore, most U.S. organizations (79 percent) that offer flexibility programs do not provide training to the managers of employees using these programs.

This study also found that:

• A stronger culture of flexibility correlates with a lower voluntary turnover rate.
• A majority of employers report that workplace flexibility positively impacts employee satisfaction, motivation and engagement.

The second report, Workplace Flexibility and Low-Wage Employees, was released in February 2011.  This report analyzed data from the nonprofit Families and Work Institute’s National Study of the Changing Workforce.  For the purposes of this study, low-wage employees were defined as those earning less than $12.82 per hour (which accounts for a little more than one-third of the U.S. workforce).  Here are some of the key findings:

• Workplace flexibility correlates positively with:  overall job satisfaction, degree of engagement, degree to which home life interferes with job performance, physical health, mental health and likelihood of remaining with current employer.  The prevalence of each of these outcomes is higher (regardless of income) when employers offer more workplace flexibility.
• Regardless of wages earned, workers are equally pressed for time in their personal lives – and place equal value on having a flexible workplace.
• Low-wage employees are just as likely to have responsibilities for children and elders.  But because they have fewer financial resources to meet these responsibilities, having job flexibility may be even more important.

What can we learn from these studies?

• Workplace flexibility produces a host of benefits, including increased employee engagement, satisfaction, motivation, retention and productivity.
• A comprehensive workplace flexibility program can be an effective recruiting and retention tool, providing a real source of competitive advantage for your company.  Offering flexibility options that matter to employees, and featuring those options when recruiting talent, can help you distinguish your company as an employer-of-choice.
• When it comes to workplace flexibility, it’s not about the quantity or formality of the programs you offer.  It’s about how well supported and implemented those programs are across your organization.  To be successful, managers must understand the real value these programs bring and be properly trained to administer them.
• Workplace flexibility is here to stay.  As organizations continue to evolve, workplace flexibility will eventually become the new normal – an accepted and expected part of how all organizations operate.

Berks & Beyond understands the important role workplace flexibility plays in your organization.  We provide temporary, temporary-to-hire and contract staff to increase flexibility for your employees and ensure your work gets done.  What can we do for you?  Contact us today.

The use of credit checks has grown over the last several years.  According to a 2010 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 60 percent of employers used credit reports for some or all of their background checks.

Employers use credit reports as a screening tool for a number of reasons:

• They believe it allows them to predict future behavior based on a candidate’s financial history.
• They are trying to prevent employee theft and assess the applicant’s trustworthiness.
• They want to reduce legal liability and negligent hiring.

But checking a job applicant’s credit is not without its potential drawbacks:

• An applicant who has been unemployed for a long period of time may have no choice but to incur inordinate amounts of debt and fall behind in paying bills.  If the candidate has been out of work for months, that doesn’t necessarily mean he should be disqualified for employment.
• Credit reports fail to provide context.  For example, if debt problems are the result of expensive medical procedures, a low credit score may not indicate anything about future job performance.
• Credit reports are not perfect.  Ambiguous, dated, inaccurate and/or redundant data create the potential for credit score errors.  While these errors are generally minor, employers should be aware that they exist.
• Credit reports may not be relevant for the job in question.  Unless the person you’re hiring will have access to sensitive financial information, make financial decisions or handle money, a candidate’s credit report may be of little significance.

Given the potential benefits, as well as the potential drawbacks, are credit checks a legitimate screening tool?  It depends on whom you ask.

According to Christine Walters, a representative for the SHRM during last October’s U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) public hearing on the practice, effectiveness and impact of credit checks as a screening tool, “SHRM believes there is a compelling public interest in enabling our nation’s employers – whether that employer is in the government or the private sector – to assess the skills, abilities and work habits of potential hires.”

She and other hearing panelists pointed out that the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) of 1970 restricts employer use of credit reports to employment purposes.  Under the law, the employer must give a job candidate the right to defend himself against (including refuting, explaining or correcting) any collected credit information that might weigh against him.

Chi Chi Wu, staff attorney with the National Consumer Law Center in Boston, expressed a different opinion.  Given the state of the economy, she said that using credit history as a screening tool is “a practice that we believe is harmful and unfair to American workers.  The use of credit history for job applicants is especially absurd when you are looking at an unemployment rate of 10 percent and have many workers looking for a job.”

As an employer, you are within your rights to check a job candidate’s credit.  Before you do so, you should consider:

• how relevant the information you’re collecting is to the available position;
• the cost involved versus the benefit to be gained;
• whether or not your internal staff is trained in how to interpret the complex information contained in today’s credit reports;
• whether or not there may be potential adverse effects to checking an applicant’s credit.

Ensure the Success of Your Next Placement with Berks & Beyond

Finding the perfect candidates for your organization requires experience, in-depth market knowledge and a comprehensive screening process.  Berks & Beyond combines all of these to ensure hiring success.  Partner with Berks & Beyond today and connect with central and southern Pennsylvania’s finest administrative, light industrial, technical and professional talent.

It’s been about six months since Berks & Beyond last reviewed Reading’s BLS economic statistics.  At that time, we were hoping that 2011 would usher in a cycle of renewed economic growth – but improvements were still lagging in our part of the state.

This time around, we’re seeing a “mixed bag” of economic and employment numbers yet again.  On the upside, the Reading MSA’s unemployment level is down 17.9 percent from where it was a year ago, dropping from 20,400 in March 2010 to 16,700 in March 2011.  This is substantially better than the state of Pennsylvania as a whole (down 14.8 percent) as well as the nation (down 10.3 percent).  But while total nonfarm payroll employment is up by over 1 percent for both Pennsylvania and the nation, Reading’s nonfarm employment actually dropped by .1 percent over the past year.

To see just how the Reading area stacks up against Pennsylvania and the nation, download the “Reading,Pa.pdf” file on this Selected BLS Economic Indicators page, last updated May 2, 2010.

For comprehensive employment statistics, follow this link:

Bureau of Labor Statistics Reading PA: Nonfarm employment and labor force data

Want to learn more?

Contact us and a Berks and Beyond staffing professional will show you how our services can help you make the most of our current economy – by saving you money, reducing your risks and keeping your workforce lean and flexible.

Like most things in life, you’ll get out of your job search what you put into it.  Those who work harder, have a positive attitude, persevere and go the extra mile are more likely to get what they want – period.

If you have the commitment to work hard, but need direction for your efforts, here are five things you can do to take charge of your job search today:

1.  Clarify your self-knowledge and your goals. Do you know exactly what you have to offer an employer?  Do you know exactly what you are looking for in a career?  Take the time to write down your specific skills, strengths, accomplishments and career goals.  If you know what you want, and what you bring to the table, it’s infinitely easier to focus your efforts, identify potential employers and find the job you want.

2.  Establish your network. Identify individuals in companies, industry organizations and professional associations who can provide insight into their employment needs.  When possible, schedule informational interviews to learn more about potential careers, as well as skills you may need to acquire to make yourself more employable.  Identify faculty, friends, business associates and relatives who can assist you with your job search.  Tell everyone you know that you’re looking for a job and ask them to refer you to potential employers.

3.  Get more organized. Place all of your job search materials, including: research on potential employers; listings of job postings to which you’ve responded; resume versions and cover letters; staffing services with whom you’ve registered; network lists, etc.  Use this binder to track your progress, plan follow-up, develop daily to-do lists or record other important information.

4.  Find a mentor. If you don’t have a trusted advisor who can help guide your job search efforts, you should get one.  To select a mentor, choose someone you know who:  has earned your respect; is successful in his or her career; will provide honest and effective feedback; will take an interest in your professional development; will support you in your career progression.  Meet with this person regularly to solicit advice, share your ups and downs, and get the feedback and support you need to keep going.

5.  Register with Berks & Beyond. As a leading Central and Southern PA staffing and placement service, we specialize in connecting hard-working individuals with rewarding temporary, temp-to-hire, contract and direct employment opportunities.  If you are looking to:

• open new doors and create new connections;
• earn money while conducting a full-time job search;
• gain access to unadvertised opportunities;
• keep your skills sharp and your morale high…

…Contact a Recruiter today.