Berks & Beyond Blog

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.

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

OFFICE / ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST

Candidate Initials:  R. B.

Skills and Experience:  Dynamic, friendly candidate with extensive administrative experience in roofing and construction supply.  Well-qualified for customer service, office work, or other interesting opportunities that will allow her to utilize her experience.  This energetic and engaging individual is seeking full-time, seasonal or temporary work in or around the Mechanicsburg / Camp Hill area.

Desired Pay:  $10/hr.

To learn more about this candidate, please contact Carl Rudolph at Carl@berksandbeyond.com or call 717.737.5001.

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR

Candidate Initials:  D. S.

Skills and Experience:  Residential / commercial single- and three-phase electrician, certified with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania / Journeyman.  This experienced professional has also worked on an apprenticeship program training mechanics.

Education:  Various courses for electrical with Penn State in 2005; additional mechanical / hydraulic training.

Desired Pay:  $24/hr.

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

SUPERVISOR / WAREHOUSE

Candidate Initials:  M. W.

Skills and Experience:  Excellent supervisor / warehouse candidate with 12 years of experience.  Very knowledgeable in all aspects of running a warehouse and managing employees.  Forklift certified.

Desired Pay:  $11/hr.

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

Do you know why the U.S. staffing industry is growing at a faster rate than the overall economy?  The answer can be summed up in a single word:  flexibility.

The American Staffing Association’s Intelligence Report called Workforce Flexibility:  Staffing for a Better Bottom Line speaks to this very topic.  The article details the numerous ways our industry delivers the workforce flexibility today’s businesses need - from quickly finding experienced specialists for short-term projects to helping organizations run leaner during these tough times. 

I encourage you to follow the link above and learn more about how our industry can benefit yours.  And of course, if you have specific questions about how Berks & Beyond’s services could enhance your company’s workforce flexibility, please contact us directly.

As you may know, Berks and Beyond recently opened our new Harrisburg office.  We’re pleased to report that, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Harrisburg – Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical area has weathered this recession better than many surrounding areas. 

To see how the Harrisburg area stacks up against the state and the nation, download the “Harrisburg-Carlisle,Pa.pdf” file on this Selected BLS Economic Indicators page, last updated January 25, 2010.

The Harrisburg – Carlisle MSA’s unemployment rate was 7.6% as of December, 2009 (tied for 94th place in the nation).  Overall, Harrisburg lost fewer jobs last year as compared to both the state of Pennsylvania and the nation as a whole.  For comprehensive employment statistics, follow this link:

Bureau of Labor Statistics Harrisburg – Carlisle 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.

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.