Berks & Beyond Blog

Spring is just around the corner - what kind of home improvement projects do you have on tap?

Whether you’re tackling a major remodel, or just looking for a few new plants for a flower bed, you’ll find the inspiration you need at Reading’s Home & Garden Show.  The show, presented by HBA of Berks County, runs from March 12th through the 14th at the Greater Reading Expo Center.  

The event features beautiful landscapes, building supplies, poos and spas, as well as informative seminars to ensure the success of your next project.

For more information, visit the Southeast Pennsylvania Home & Garden Show website.  Be sure to follow the link for discount coupons!

“Here we go again…”

“Why does everyone else seem to have all the luck?”

“What else could possibly go wrong today?”

Admit it.  At one point or another, you’ve had thoughts like these.  I know I have.  But while it’s perfectly normal to occasionally fall prey to negative thoughts - especially after losing a job or some other stressful event - you must guard against falling into a pessimistic mental rut.

When you’re stuck in a mode of negative thinking, you miss out on opportunities to improve your day and your situation.  Negative thoughts drain your energy and can even threaten your health.  So if your attitude could use some improvement, try some of these tips to eliminate negative thinking:

1. Recognize when you’re thinking negatively.  Pay attention to your internal dialogue and send up a mental “red flag” when you’re thinking pessimistically.
2. Realize that negative thoughts breed more negative thoughts.  Remember, you attract what you focus on - whether it’s what you want or don’t want.
3. Remind yourself that the negative thought is only that - a thought.  In fact, what you’re thinking may have little basis in reality.  Instead, your thoughts could be the result of projected fears about situations that rarely end up manifesting.
4. Find a positive thought replacement.  Rather than fighting against negative thoughts, try to replace them with more positive ones.  Picture a different scenario; affirm something to yourself that’s positive and self-supporting; remind yourself of a recent positive experience.
5. Use humor and fun.  Negative thoughts stress you out.  Change the energy of the situation by thinking of something funny or doing something enjoyable.  The key is to not let your negative thoughts have power over you.
6. Try creative visualization.  When something goes wrong, close your eyes and visualize a positive outcome.  Let yourself see what you want to happen like a movie playing behind your eyelids.  You’ll stop negative thoughts in their tracks and focus your mind’s energy on potential solutions.
7. Take a break.  Even if you’re up against a deadline, take five minutes to stretch, take a brief walk or talk to a friend.  Any respite, albeit brief, will help you reset your attitude and tackle your problem from a more positive perspective.

One More Tip…

If you’re stuck in a negative mental rut because of your job circumstances, Berks & Beyond can help.  A small positive action like registering with our staffing service can break your cycle of negative thinking and start you on a better career path.  So take control of your situation by envisioning yourself in the job you really want - then contact us to turn that vision into reality.

Expansion Means Better Service for Area Employers

Harrisburg, PA –Berks and Beyond Employment Services, Inc. will hold the Grand Opening of its sixth office on Wednesday, February 17, 2010.  Although the staffing and recruitment firm has served the Harrisburg market for over three years, the additional location will allow Berks & Beyond to provide expanded and more responsive service to area employers.

“We see the Harrisburg office as a natural extension for our business.  Over the past few years, we’ve watched the staffing and recruitment needs of the Harrisburg market evolve; this new location will help us better meet those needs,” states Chris Garner, President of Berks & Beyond.  “We are staffing the Harrisburg office with seasoned professionals, some of whom have over 25 years of staffing experience.  These veterans will help ensure we deliver exceptional employees and customer service from the day our new office opens its doors.”

Berks & Beyond’s sixth location is 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.

While Berks & Beyond currently provides staffing solutions to employers throughout much of Southern Pennsylvania, the Harrisburg office will broaden the company’s service area to include the following towns and cities:  Boiling Springs, Camp Hill, Carlisle, Colonial Park, Dauphin, Dillsburg, Enola, Harrisburg, Hershey, Highspire, Hummelstown, Lemoyne, Lewisberry, Marysville, Mechanicsburg, Middletown, Mt. Holly Springs, Newberrytown, New Cumberland, New Kingston, Shepherdstown, Shiremanstown, Steelton, and Wormleysburg.

A little perspective is a good thing.

As a staffing firm, we at Berks & Beyond try to learn all we can about your business and industry - because better understanding leads to better staffing results for your company. 

Today, I’d like to turn the tables.  Here are a few key facts and statistics, compiled by the American Staffing Association, that will help you better appreciate our business and the U.S. staffing industry:

• Number of workers.  America’s staffing companies match millions of people to millions of jobs - every day.  On an average day in 2008, U.S. staffing companies employed approximately 2.6 million workers.  All told, staffing firms hired an estimated 11.2 million temporary and contract employees in 2008 alone.
• Industry size.  In 2008, the staffing industry generated roughly $86.2 billion in sales:  $70.7 billion from temporary and contract staffing; $15.5 billion from search and direct placement.
• Number of U.S. staffing companies.  Approximately 6,000 staffing firms, operating roughly 20,000 offices, are currently operating and have been in business a year or longer.
• Areas of growth.  The fastest industry growth is occurring in professional and technical staffing.
• Factors affecting industry growth.  America’s work force is changing.  More people are looking for the flexibility that temporary work provides.  Additionally, employers are tapping into the flexible labor market to keep fully staffed during peak periods.

Want to learn more?

Visit the American Staffing Association’s website to view and download reference documents that provide current information about the U.S. staffing industry.  To learn more about the services and benefits Berks & Beyond offers, please visit our website.

“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.

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.

We at Berks and Beyond Employment Services send you wishes for a safe, happy, healthy, and prosperous 2010.

Happy New Year!

When it comes to effectively staffing your business, the options are endless - and can be, frankly, a little overwhelming.  Today’s post is dedicated to straight talk about a strategic staffing service that may be of real value to your organization:  planned staffing.

The 101

So, what exactly is “planned staffing”?

Simply put, planned staffing is the strategic use of temporaries to accommodate workloads known to vary in seasons or other cycles.  Traditional planned staffing strategies typically allocate between 10 and 20 percent of the total workforce as supplemental (temporary) employees.

To implement a planned staffing solution, a company’s decision makers meet with a highly trained staffing professional to discuss how the organization’s workload changes throughout the year.  The staffing professional then analyzes the company’s workforce needs, and designs a comprehensive plan for managing the peaks and valleys with supplemental staff.

When business surges, temporaries are brought in to handle the additional business volume.  Once the peak cycle is completed, the staffing firm reassigns its employees to other companies.

Planned Staffing Benefits

For businesses with (at least somewhat) predictable surges in demand, a planned staffing option offers a number of benefits:

• Flexibility.  Bringing in supplemental staff allows you to handle surges in demand without impacting fixed expenses.  Your workforce stays lean and flexible.
• Less risk and expense.  Using temporaries during short-term peak periods is less burdensome, risky and expensive than hiring - and then laying off - direct employees.
• Instant access to the help you need.  Your staffing provider will recruit in advance of your needs, to ensure you have qualified candidates ready to work - right when you need them.  At your request, the staffing firm can even develop customized orientation materials to get temporaries up-to-speed more quickly.
• Fewer layoffs.  When business slows, it’s the temporaries who go first.  As a result, core employees enjoy increased job security.
• Less burnout and overtime.  Using supplemental staff reduces overtime and eliminates the burn-out overwork can cause.
• Hiring benefits.  When you implement a planned staffing solution, you have the luxury of hiring employees from a pool of temporaries who are already trained, and have proven their dependability and cultural fit.  Discuss your temporary-to-hire options with your staffing provider.

Is a Planned Staffing Option Right for Your Business?

If your business experiences frequent and/or predictable changes in workload, contact Berks and Beyond.  We’ll discuss your needs, help you weigh your options and determine if planned staffing is right for your organization.

Feel like there are too few hours in a day?  Running on little sleep?  Concerned about your job, your family, or the economy?

Combine these every day pressures with the additional strain of the holidays and you have a recipe for STRESS.  Here are four quick steps to help you beat it:

Step 1:  Breathe

Sit back in your chair, close your eyes, and take a long breath in.  Hold your breath for a few seconds and slowly exhale.  Repeat four to five times.  Going back to the basics of simple breathing will help you relieve anxiety.

Step 2:  Take a Break

Get up and stretch.  Take a brisk walk.  Plan lunch with a friend.  Or even better, join a friend for a workout over your lunch break.  Taking a few minute “mini-vacation” from your responsibilities is just what your mind needs to cut the stress and recharge.

Step 3:  Focus

Nothing creates stress faster than trying to do two things at once.  Instead of multi-tasking, keep a prioritized to-do list.  Use this list to set daily goals, and then focus on one item at a time.  To improve your concentration, ban distractions like e-mail, phone calls, etc.  The more organized and focused you become, the more you will enjoy your work.

Step 4:  Find Balance

Try not to take your work home with you.  Schedule time for family and friends.  Get regular exercise.  Take up a hobby.  And most importantly, do whatever makes you smile.  Happiness is the best stress release!

Stress cannot be avoided, and a certain amount of it can actually help you stay motivated to do your best.  The key is to find ways to break the tension before it has a negative effect on your outlook and your personal life.

Berks and Beyond Can Help Reduce Stress, Too

Whether you’re under pressure to get work done, or are anxious over your current job situation, Berks and Beyond provides staffing services to make things easier.  Visit our website to find out what we do for employers and job seekers alike.

As managers, we intuitively know that giving and getting honest feedback is essential to grow and develop, and to build successful organizations.  So, why is it that many of us put off giving feedback to our employees?  Maybe it is because there are so many ways to screw it up.

Here are some common feedback mistakes:

• Speaking out only when things are wrong.
• Providing generic praise without specifics or an honest underpinning.
• Waiting until performance or behavior is substantially below expectations before acting on it.
• Giving negative feedback in public.
• Criticizing performance without giving suggestions for improvement.
• Not conducting regular performance reviews.

Clearly, giving and receiving constructive feedback is a skill that must be honed.

Developing proficiency in this area is essential to building good relationships with, and motivating peak performance from, your team.  To help get you started, here are four tips for providing feedback the right way:

1. Be proactive.  Nip issues in the bud and avoid messy interpersonal tangles that result from neglected communication.  If you meet with employees regularly to give feedback, it conveys, “Your success is important to me, so I want to be accessible to you.”
2. Be specific.  Although it’s not easy to provide negative feedback, it’s important to be as clear as possible by giving specific examples that illustrate your point.  Instead of saying, “Your attitude is bad,” say, “When you miss deadlines, then cross your arms and look away when I discuss it with you, it gives me the impression that you don’t care about the quality of your work.  Can you help me understand this behavior better?”
3. Develop a progress plan.  Be clear about the specific changes in behavior that you expect in a specific period of time, and follow up as scheduled.
4. Link employees’ performance to organizational goals.  Reinforce the value of your employees’ contributions by giving specific examples of how their work and positive behaviors serve the organization and its customers.

At Berks and Beyond, we understand and appreciate the value of constructive feedback.  So, we’d like to hear from you.  Please contact us with your questions, comments, and suggestions.