Practice what you preach: A post on loyalty

Merriam-Webster defines the word loyal as ‘unswerving in allegiance‘.

Loyalty is a characteristic that I probably have the most admiration for.  It’s the rarest of gems. In current times, it’s more typical to encounter people in pursuit of “deals” and “bargains” than to find people who believe in the value of loyalty.  I think the mistake we make is to think that we can “find” loyal people.  I don’t think it’s a matter of finding loyalty in people, clients, or employees.  I feel it’s more a matter of developing it together.

The idea is to build relationships based on trust and integrity.  How do you do that, you ask?

Time, dedication, and care.

Let me give you an example…

I have been partnered with a vendor for over 6 years.  I met Grant Young from ProVerify (a background screening company) when I was very green in the business.  ProVerify, to this day, has consistently met my needs and help keep us compliant.  They are always responsive, extremely customer service oriented and in the rare occasion a mistake is made-they step up and are accountable for their actions.  No excuses, no lies, no drama.  They simply and quickly provide a solution and an action plan to prevent similar issues from occurring. This open partnership is invaluable to me and is critical in ensuring my success with my business partners.  The support I get from Grant and his knowledgeable team is a major contributing factor to not only mine and my teams success, but also to my clients.

I don’t know about you, but for me, it’s important when asking for a client to be loyal to me, I must first demonstrate my ability to be loyal as well.

Putting Out Fires

Ever had one of those days when you reviewed your to-do list at about 11:00am only to realize you haven’t accomplished even a third of what’s on it?   “What happened to my day?” I think I know what happened to your day.  It’s something we have all faced.

The Firefighter syndrome

We come in at 7:50am, to-do list in hand, super amped with caffeine and then….

The phone rings and you have a panicked client on the other end of the line calling out for help, NOW!!!

Your to-do list is now buried on your desk, your clients problem is beautifully transformed into your #1 priority.

My fellow firefighter, guess what?  If you are anything like me, at this point it’s not just the coffee that has you amped, now it’s your adrenaline!  And you know why?  Because it’s moments like these that showcase and define our talent and value.  We are pros at working under pressure, with changing circumstances and last minute disasters-and this is where we get to prove it!

It’s the nature of the beast.  It’s what we do.  Ideally, we would like to get to a point with our client where we can forecast with them and be there during the planning stages, so we can anticipate any problems.  We’d like to have our fires be fully controlled and tamed, but until you get there, I think it’s time you look at these “fires” as the most productive thing you do all day!

ahem, *just don’t forget to write  your to do list for tomorrow

Star Of The Month

When we first started our “Star of the Month” program we thought it would be hard to get our clients involved in the nominations.  Turns out they are more than willing to participate.  Our clients enjoy being an active part of this recognition program! However, this eagerness to participate has turned into a bit of a challenge.

How do you pick from all this “Star Talent”?

“Star Of The Month” was developed to recognize employees that set themselves apart daily by contributing more than just a days’ work…These employees work enthusiastically to achieve results that directly impacts a company’s productivity.  We are looking at employees who have a high regard for safety-for themselves and their peers.  These folks don’t just show up on time, but they arrive to the workplace with strong work ethic, outstanding attitude and a genuine appreciation of the opportunities presented.

I think you will agree with me, this is a wonderful problem to have.

Stay tuned to see who wins for this month…

The Comeback Trail!

"The Comeback Trail"

“A cowboy never breaks his trust…neither does Star Staffing!”

What a FANTASTIC event!  PASCO  HR’s 26th Annual North Bay Employment Law/Human Resources Conference was OUTSTANDING!  You could feel the excitement and optimism in the air!  So many wonderful HR reps who were enthusiastic about learning the latest trends and laws.  Hearing from wonderful speakers like Brandon Blevins and Michelle Montoya …there was a plethora of information flowing, our little pens could not write fast enough!

I realized today, more than ever, my responsibility to the community and the industry of injecting that optimism!  I knew they(customers and vendors alike) all needed to hear that everything was going to be okay..and I was genuine in my assurances.  Historically speaking, staffing has been a lagging indicator of how the economy is doing, and trust me in spite of our “busy” season ending, our numbers are steadily rising!  Retail is up!  Consumer confidence is …turning, for the better.  I have proof too.  This isn’t that empty crap that people speak of, but have nothing to found it on. 

ps. if you want some hard facts call me @ 707-265-9911 and ask for Nohemi.  WARNING  I am an optimist at heart, so be ready for an earful of GREAT news! 

I recently announced in my office that this was going to be the first day of an exceptional year!  Our clients are loyal, happy, and satisfied.  Our ideas are fresh and creative.  Our staff is renewed and revitalized.  Our leadership is pure championship!

What are you doing that sets you apart? 

Are you …

1. Educating yourself? 

2. “Reviewing/Updating” your practices?

3. Coaching/Training your staff?

4.  Capitalizing on tried and true practices?

It’s time guys.  Let’s share with our employees, staff, clients, vendors just how important it is to maintain an attitude of optimism, enthusiasm, and camaraderie…We owe it to ourselves, our industries, our nation.

“But Nohemi, being all happy seems kinda’ fake…I don’t think that’s gonna bring in the revenue!”  You’re right bud, it ain’t!  At least not standing alone.  Being positive in your attitude only works if you are willing to pair it up with some ol’ fashioned hard work.  Yep, a bunch of that elbow grease, training,  & experience will go a loooong way! 

Nicole, Nohemi, Sue

Every day you have a choice…I choose SUCCESS (and hard work)!  What will your choice be?

Unemployment….shhhhh it’s a bad word for recruiters

Sound a bit dramatic?  Read on…

You have the perfect job AND  the perfect candidate (whom you met at a job fair after he was displaced from his company two months ago).  You call him to share this exciting opportunity and what do you hear?  “I’m going to go ahead and wait for my unemployment to run out…hopefully I get the extension”

Wait…What?  Stop the tape…

Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand and sympathize with the thousands of American citizens on unemployment right now.  But reading an article today on unemployment benefits being extended brought up a lot of mixed emotions.  Everyday I see a very different side of unemployment, the side in which the benefits are completely taken advantage of-and opportunities going overlooked.

There are real jobs out there.  REAL opportunities…REAL salaries-but candidates are taking on the attitude that they simply don’t want to prove themselves anymore.  More and more I’m seeing the candidate demonstrate a sort of a cynical nature.  Unfortunately a lot of the people who have been displaced already gave a lot of themselves to a company for years and years.  They essentially gave their time, earned their badges(and their 401ks).  They have a sense of-ugh dare I say it-a sense of entitlement.

The familiar rant runs along the lines of, “I went to school, earned my degree, accepted the entry level position, worked my way up, and after 12 years…I got laid off.”

Trust me, I see their point.  It just takes that much more effort on my behalf to understand where my candidate is coming from, educate them, and hopefully give them a new perspective on their career search.  If I can help them pursue a career with a renewed sense of worth, appreciation and respect-then I’m content.

In turn, I’m learning that unemployment isn’t the enemy, it’s a ‘frame of attitude’…and it’s our responsibility, as recruiting professionals, to bring these talented candidates back to the workforce as responsible, experienced, enthusiastic contributors to the recovery of our wonderful nation.

Giving Back…

“Hello, KRCB, May I take your bid?”

This was repeated again and again last night as we were all sitting behind a desk manning a phone bank in a brightly lit room with cameras pointing every which way and people with headsets telling us where to sit, where to look and what to say…

KRCB held the Wine and Epicurean Auction this weekend and 12+ of the Star Team volunteered our time (and Sunday evening) to this wonderful cause.

Public Television enriches the lives of our children and is part of the fabric of our childrens early formative years -with shows like Sesame Street and Clifford The Big Red Dog.  It was great to see all the action going on behind the scenes.  There is so much that goes on in the production of shows like this.  Getting volunteers rounded up and trained, food…Thank you Casa Del Mar!…rounding up sponsors and speakers for the event.

Star Staffing is not new to Public Television…We have participated in shows like the Wine Auction and Teresa Fosters’, “Charlando Con Teresa” where we discuss Tips for the Job Hunter.  We do business with local companies and like to stay involved with our respective communities-Just one of the many perks of being a locally owned business.

For information on future shows or community involvement check out our Star Staffing Website or our Star Staffing Twitter.

All in all, it was a great experience with great fun had by everyone!

Safety Training

Been to one training, been to ‘em all right?

Last week I attended a training that was hosted at a clients’ site and was expecting the same drone message being delivered by some HR person or if we’re lucky-a safety manager.

These things are never fun, neither are safety videos, or safety orientations, or safety webinars.

However, I must admit all of these things are way more enjoyable than an injury and all that comes with a work related injury (can you say endless paperwork?). This particular client prides themselves on being 1015 days injury free! Can you imagine? Their attitude on safety is very apparent with all of their staff. The approach is hands on and trainings are conducted by the production staff-NOT HR OR Safety Dept. Interesting enough, this makes the whole crew pay attention. All jokes aside, I had a great time and definitely picked up some ideas on how to make a safety related training more enjoyable and engaging.

Customer Service

It’s busy season!!!

Are we ready?  Yes we are!  We put our working boots on, don our sales caps, and reach for our safety glasses…are we prepared?  Absolutely!

We have armed ourselves to the “T” with everything we could possibly need to fulfill our clients demands, ahem, I mean, requests.  So, first day on the project- Everything is great!   Everything is perfect!  Things are humming along grandly!  Until that problem occurs.  Sure you planned ahead, you sent the perfect person, you double checked yourself, your crew, you researched everything, explored every possible negative outcome, but sometimes things just go south.

One of  my favorite clients to work with-who coincidentally is also one where random things go wrong ( totally unconnected incidents that actually make him one of my most high maintenance accounts) gave me some insight in a recent chat. He admitted  that there is no way he would take his business elsewhere.  say what?  Aren’t clients notorious for running to one of the hundreds of options they have available when you make a mistake? 

Not necessarily, hear me out…

He elaborated a bit after he saw my face twisted in a question.   Saying that he understands when dealing with people (human nature), things can and will go wrong -It’s the nature of the beast.  Of course we look at processes and commit to improving our services day in and day out, but the key to retention, in this particular case,  is the manner in which the situations are handled and managed.   He went on to say what makes us stand out is when he has a problem we make it our problem, “Responsive Customer Service” with zero nonsense and no excuses. 

Who would have thought that exceptional customer service is the one piece of armor you never leave home without?

The Computer Age

The love/hate relationship we have with computers can be seen on a daily basis.  On some days I wish computers were never invented, but more often than not, I have to admit I can’t imagine living without a computer.   What they mean to the staffing industry, like many other industries, is tremendous. The efficiency by which we can manage data, job order information and the like has been so incredibly streamlined.  Some argue that the computer age has caused personal, face to face service to diminish.  I feel that for  Star Staffing it has possibly done the opposite.  Instead of staying in our office managing written employee files, we can spend more time interviewing, coaching or training. Instead of bringing or mailing files from office to office they are all stored on shared drives. We are then in turn able to spend more time at our client sites offering training, checking in employees, etc.  We are able to save such an incredible amount of time and resources from such technologies as video conferencing/interviewing.

Sure, I could complain all night that another reason I don’t get as much sleep is because I’m always up late playing on my computer, but I truly am grateful for how much easier and fuller computers have made our lives.

Back in the trenches

A summer filled with vacations and anything but routine schedules is not proving helpful to my bedtime battles with my young children.  While all the sun and summer activities may help wear them out, I still continue to battle with bedtimes.

So my time spent sitting in front of their bedroom doors for the past couple weeks has been spent working on several performance reviews.  The question keeps running through my mind “Why do performance reviews get such a bad rap?”  Wikipedia defines performance appraisal as “a method by which the job performance of an employee is evaluated (generally in terms of quality, quantity, cost and time). Performance appraisal is a part of career development.”

Did you read that last line….”part of career development”.  Why is it so hard to see that sometimes?  I understand that the thought of having your performance evaluated can be hard to look at sometimes.  But I look at performance reviews as a time in which managers and employees are able to communicate one on one about what happened in the preceding year; what worked and what didn’t work.  Performance reviews are also a time to look forward.

Performance reviews are no longer just a means for a manager to judge an employee to determine raises, promotions or bonuses.  They are a time for communication, development and growth.  They are a means of two way communication for higher performance.