Berks & Beyond Blog

Ever wonder how we got into the habit of sharing chocolates, cards and romantic dinners every February 14th?  While historians are not precisely sure how Valentine’s Day originated, several theories exist.  Here are a few:

• One idea links Valentine’s Day to an ancient Roman celebration called Lupercalia.  Celebrated every February15th, the holiday honored the Roman gods Lupercus and Faunus.
• Another theory claims Valentine’s Day has Christian origins, dating back to an early saint and a priest who were both named Valentine.  The saint was put to death on February 14th.  Over 200 years later, Pope Gelasius named February 14th Valentine’s Day.  The priest named Valentine married couples in secret, against the current Emperor’s rules.
• Valentine’s Day is also thought to have possibly originated from the idea that birds choose their mates on February 14th.

While Valentine’s Day could have originated from any one of these sources, it is most likely an intermingling of all these traditions and folklore.

Our modern version of Valentine’s Day can be traced back to England and France.  The first box of Valentine’s Day candy is said to have been given in the late 1800’s, and the first greeting card, created in the 1400’s, was actually a Valentine’s Day card.  It’s currently on display at the British Museum in London.

Looking for ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day in Southern Pennsylvania?  

Click here for gift and dinner ideas in Reading, PA.

Click here for quick links to hotels, florists and more in York, PA.

Are you a temporary or contract employee?  Considering taking the plunge?  If so, here are a few key staffing statistics from the American Staffing Association you may find interesting:

• 2.66 million people are employed by staffing companies each day.
• 79% of staffing employees work full-time (virtually the same as the rest of the work force).
• 66% of staffing employees consider flexible work time important.
• 80% of staffing clients say staffing firms offer a good way to find people who can become permanent employees.
• 67% of staffing employees say that “choice of assignments” was an important factor in their job decision.
• 90% of staffing companies provide free training to their temporary and contract employees.
• 65% of staffing employees say they developed new or improved work skills while on assignment.

Want to learn more?

Visit the American Staffing Association’s website to learn more about the staffing industry, or for more employee staffing statistics.

What are your thoughts?

Flexibility.  Experience.  Choice of assignments.  Bridge to permanent employment.  These are just a few of the reasons millions of Americans - and thousands of Berks & Beyond employees - have chosen temporary and contract work.  What are the most important reasons to you?  Please leave your comments below, or contact us directly via our website.

Sure, it’s easy for us to tell you that Berks & Beyond is a great employer to work for.  That we listen to our candidates’ needs.  That we match them with rewarding opportunities at the area’s best employers.

But don’t just take our word for it.  Here are what some of our current employees have to say about their experiences with Berks & Beyond:

“As a first time user of Berks and Beyond Employment Services, I didn’t know what to expect!  Now that I have one of the best jobs in the valley, I wouldn’t choose any other staffing agency!  They have truly inspired my life, and have provided me a million and one opportunities to succeed!  Hands down, Berks & Beyond is the BEST employment agency in the Lehigh Valley!”
 
–Joyelle M. Brickhouse

“I would recommend Berks & Beyond to anyone I know who is seeking employment.  My experience working with Berks & Beyond has been great.  I had been laid off and searching work for awhile when a friend recommended B&B. I’m very glad I took their suggestion!  Everyone I have met in the office has been polite and helpful, especially Ms. Bonnetta Martin.

When I met with Bonnetta, she really took time to find out what my qualifications were, what my interests were, and she even assisted me in a much needed re-vamp of my resume to something more attractive to prospective employers.  It was clear to me by her courtesy and attention to detail that helping each person that steps into her office is important to her.  She was able to match me up with a great new job that was a good fit for me at a very stable company.  Working with Berks & Beyond has set me on the right path for success.  Thanks to Bonnetta and Berks & Beyond!”

–Kathy Wolf

“I can’t say enough about the Berks & Beyond team.  The staff is incredibly friendly, helpful and diligent.  They took the time to find me a position that not only meets my needs, but is highly enjoyable and fulfilling as well.  No more Sunday evening blahs for me – now I look forward to the work week and seeing what new challenges lay ahead!  Thank you, Berks & Beyond, for making me another one of your many success stories!”

–Deidra Mohn

“I was giving up looking for a job when a friend told me to go to Berks & Beyond, so I gave it one last chance and I was so glad I did.  They did not care about my age.  I was given a job and I love it.  I did not have to interview several times to get a job.  I would recommend Berks & Beyond to anyone looking for work.  The staff works with you if problems occur.  They answer your questions and concerns.  Berks & Beyond’s staff has made me very happy.  Thank you.”

–Nancy Kocher

Ready to Write Your Own Success Story?

Give us a try.  We’d like to match your skills, experience and interests with the perfect employment opportunity.  Visit our web site for more information, or contact a recruiter today.

“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.

Wintertime is the perfect time to explore one of Harrisburg’s greatest treasures - The State Museum of Pennsylvania.  Located at 300 North Street, this interactive museum covers all aspects of Pennsylvania’s history and holds extensive collections relating to some of America’s most significant events.

From January 24 through May 2, 2010, the museum will host the traveling exhibition Tusks!  Ice Age Mammoths and Mastodons.  The exhibit tells the story of modern elephant’s extinct relatives who roamed much of North America until the end of the last Ice Age.

The exhibition opening marks the debut of The State Museum’s newly remounted Marshalls Creek Mastodon, one of the most significant fossil specimens recovered from Pennsylvania.

Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 12 noon to 5 p.m.

General admission is $3.00 for adults and $2.00 for children and senior citizens.

For more information on Tusks! as well as other programs, exhibitions, and events at The State Museum, click on www.statemuseumpa.org.

Flexibility.  Extra income.  Work experience.  An avenue to direct employment.  The reasons people choose temporary work are as diverse as the assignments they select.

But whether you are looking to earn some extra cash, or are seeking full-time employment, here are several things you can do to make the most of temporary assignments: 

1. Dress the part.  You will fit in, perform, and feel better if you’re dressed appropriately for the type of work you’re doing.
2. Act as if the job is permanent.  Give your best effort on each assignment - you never know where it might lead.  If an employer is impressed with your performance, he can work with your staffing service to offer you direct employment.
3. Learn all you can.  Each assignment provides fresh opportunities to learn.  From practical job skills to industry-specific knowledge, capitalize on every chance to gain valuable skills and experience.
4. Test the waters.  If your career path is uncertain, temporary work affords you the ability to try out different jobs, at different companies, in varied industries.  Find out where you fit by accepting diverse assignments.
5. Network.  A temporary assignment puts you in a unique networking position.  While at work, you have the opportunity to interact and develop relationships with business colleagues whom you might not otherwise meet.  Leverage this “inside track” access by sharing your career interests and goals with managers you encounter on the job.
6. Communicate.  If you enjoyed an assignment and would like to work for the employer again once it’s over, say so.  Your staffing consultant and supervisor can look for additional opportunities for you to work in a different area of the company.  And if the assignment was not right for you, consider why.  Try to understand why the job or the employer didn’t meet your needs, so you can choose an assigment that’s a better fit the next time.

We want to help you get the most from your experiences as a Berks and Beyond temporary employee.  Please visit our website to learn more about the services, support, and resources we provide.

Expansion Means Better Service for Area Employers

Harrisburg, PA –Berks and Beyond Employment Services, Inc. is pleased to announce plans for a Harrisburg, PA expansion office.  The staffing and placement firm, which currently serves much of Southern Pennsylvania, will open the new office in order to expand and enhance the services it offers to employers throughout Dauphin, Cumberland, Perry, and York counties.

“Although this will be a brand new office for Berks and Beyond, we are not new to the Harrisburg market,” says Chris Garner, President of Berks & Beyond.  “This expansion office will allow us to better serve our existing clients in the Harrisburg area, and grow our customer base throughout the region.  Some of our most experienced employment specialists will staff the new office, ensuring a smooth transition and exceptional customer service from the outset.”

The new office, Berks and Beyond’s sixth location, will be located at 1505 Market Street, Camp Hill, PA 17011.  Like the existing offices, the expansion location will provide clerical, industrial, managerial, and technical staff for temporary, temp-to-perm, and permanent placement services.

The Harrisburg office is currently scheduled to open on February 17, 2010.

For more information, please contact Chris Garner at 610.376.9675 or e-mail him at chris@berksandbeyond.com.

The current economy has driven down revenues dramatically.

This is not a newsflash, of course, but a harsh reality that has triggered sweeping changes to workforce plans – plans to increase capabilities, reduce costs, and survive the economic chaos that’s likely to linger into 2010.

If your company is struggling in the current economy, here are five key action steps you should consider adding to your workforce plan:

1.  Reduce labor costs and/or headcount. 

Identify which key positions, key individuals, and key skill sets will have the most business impact during the next two years.  Once you prioritize, you can then focus on retention, redeployment, and development efforts for the most impactful positions.

Develop ways to reduce labor costs and headcount in lower priority positions.  Ideas include:  mock or temporary layoffs; designating lower priority positions as “contingent labor” positions; labor wage arbitrage; and flexible outsourcing.

2.  Redeploy key employees.

Create a proactive redeployment process to move your top performers and highly skilled individuals into the units and jobs where they can have the greatest impact.  You should strive to have your best and brightest:

• doing what they do best;
• with the right skill set for the job and business unit;
• with the right tools, resources, and motivators;
• with the right manager; and
• with the right teammates.

3.  Retain key employees.

Tough times will not automatically cause your top employees to value security over external opportunity.  And just because you’re not hiring, it doesn’t mean your competitors aren’t targeting your very best.  So make retention a priority even during a downturn.

First, identify the things that excite and frustrate your key workers.  Then provide a plan for increasing their level of excitement, challenge, learning, and opportunity within the firm.  Finally, develop a “bad manager identification program,” because bad managers are the number one cause of employee turnover.

4.  Reinvigorate your succession plan.

If your firm has experienced hiring freezes or layoffs, it has made itself vulnerable to a future talent pool gap.  By failing to hire and develop talent, there may not be enough internal talent to fill future leadership positions once growth begins again.

The best course of action in this case is to maximize your talent pool, hiring top performers while simultaneously releasing below-average employees.  This approach will foster employee development and minimize the potential for a future talent gap.

5.  Prepare to “explode out of the box.”

Ensure you have sufficient talent to capitalize on the upturn by retaining your best recruiters and having them focus on:  developing Web 2.0 recruiting tools; maintaining employee referral programs; updating your employment branding.

Develop a “boomerang” program that maintains relationships with the very best employees you’ve had to release during the recession.  Staying in touch may allow you to rehire some of the proven talent you’ve lost once business improves.

Free Workforce Planning Consultation

During times of uncertainty, workforce planning is absolutely essential.  Be prepared – not surprised – by contacting Berks and Beyond today to schedule a free workforce consultation.  Our employment experts will:

• forecast your talent needs;
• examine your talent supply;
• help HR align the two by providing the right staffing and support services;
• prepare your business to “explode out of the box” once the upturn hits.

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

 BODY TECH / SPRAY PAINTER - York, PA

Candidate Initials:  T. G.

Skills and Experience:  Electrostatic spray painter and body tech skilled in painting industrial equipment.  Can perform any body work needed on vehicles or equipment.  Experienced in using HVLP guns, pressure pots, and siphoned (gravity) gun.

Education:  H.S. Diploma; York Tech

Desired Pay:  $14 - $15/hr.

To learn more about this candidate, please contact Bonnetta at Bonnetta@berksandbeyond.com or call 717.843.0031.

 ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST - Allentown, PA

Candidate Initials:  J. S.

Skills and Experience:  Excellent customer service and computer skills including data entry, Internet, and e-mail.  Able to compose business letters; outstanding interpersonal skills.

Education:  Associate’s Degree

Desired Pay:  $11/hr.

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

Question:  What’s the one thing you can do to motivate employees, build camaraderie, and strengthen leadership - all while helping your staff understand company goals and vision?

Answer:  Hold a team-building event.  It’s a great way to boost the morale and spirit of any group.  And (despite the collective groan I can hear echoing through cyberspace) they CAN be fun.  Just follow these seven simple steps to make sure that your event is a success and not a flop:

1. Get out of the office.  If each day looks pretty much the same for your employees, shake things up a bit.  Conduct your event off-site.  A change of scenery will refresh, recharge, and reenergize your staff (and minimize distractions).
2. Generate excitement before the event.  Encourage full buy-in by using internal communication to get everyone interested.  Use e-mails, memos, your website, bulletin boards, etc. to arouse curiosity and generate enthusiasm.
3. Mix it up.  To stimulate interest and involvement throughout the day, divide your program into several sessions including work, play, and socializing.  End the day with a mealtime activity, awards ceremony, or happy hour.  Remember to include activities that are fun and relaxing, as well as frequent breaks, so your staff can recharge.
4. Get up and move around.  Games and outdoor challenges are an excellent way to encourage team cohesiveness.  They will allow your team to burn off some energy while building trust and respect among members.  Try a ropes course, a hike, or other trust-building games.
5. Record your memories.  To make a lasting impression and extend the program’s impact, document your day.  Hire a photographer, make a video, or take pictures yourself.  After the event, hand out pictures or highlight the event in your company newsletter or on your website.
6. Allow time to process and reflect.  Throughout the day, discuss new learning and how it applies to specific jobs as well as the company.  Games and activities will be of better use if you allow your team to reflect on the purpose and meaning behind each.
7. Solicit feedback.  At the end of the day, ask participants to complete a simple survey.  It’s a great way to find out what employees liked (and didn’t like) and garner recommendations for the next event.

Let Us Help You Build a Better Team

At Berks and Beyond, we have the resources and staffing services to make your team even stronger.  Contact us today to learn more.