Month: February 2012

BarryStaff Leads the Way in Technology

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By Scot Feldmeyer
BarryStaff of Cincinnati newsletter 2/29/12

In these times of ever changing technology you can count on BarryStaff to be a technology leader in the staffing industry. We are constantly looking for ways to improve communication with our clients and make working with BarryStaff the easy and efficient way to staff your company. Did you know that you can stay in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin? And if you haven’t checked out our web site lately you ought to give us a look at www.barrystaff.com. We have a blog there with all latest news and articles about staffing, employment, interviewing, and more. You can even check out pictures of all the BarryStaffers.

Another technical innovation that’s available from BarryStaff is the ability to have our customers receive their bills by email rather than “snail mail.” All you need to do to activate this billing option is call Robert in our Dayton office. Also we have the newest in technology available in time reporting for our customers. For customers with at least 25 BarryStaff employees on site, we can install a BarryStaff time clock on the premise where the employees can clock in and out on our clock and it automatically uploads to BarryStaff’s payroll system. All you need is internet access at the clock’s location. How easy can we make it?

The bottom line is that we try to make it easy to do business with us. Along that line we will always try to be the industry leader when it comes to using available technology. To make your staffing life easier, just give us a call.

JOKE OF THE DAY. Today’s joke covers a couple of seasonal situations.
It seems there was a pub in Ireland where a man came in one day and ordered 3 beers, which he drank and then left. The man did this every day and the bartender thought it kind of odd so he asked him why he always ordered 3 beers at once.
“Well,” said the man. “I have two brothers. One of them moved to America and the other moved to Australia but we agreed to keep our bond as brothers by always drinking 3 beers like we did before we went our different ways.”
The bartender kind of liked this idea but he was shocked one day when the man came in and ordered only two beers.
“My condolences on the parting of one of your brothers,” said the bartender. “As I noticed that you only ordered two beers.”
The man thought on it for a second and then said, “Oh thanks for the thought, but both of my brothers are alive and well. You see I’ve been ordering only two beers lately because I decided to give it up for Lent.”

Employment Application Do’s and Dont’s

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TIPS FOR INTERVIEWING

On average only 2 out of every 10 applicants fill out their job applications completely and correctly.

· Don’t baulk at having to fill out an application. This information is the only way the employer has to get to know you.
· Do fill out the application completely. You’ll be providing your prospective employer with what they need. Being thorough will also demonstrate your attention to detail.
· Do fill out the application accurately and honestly. You can frame unfavorable information in the most positive way possible. But BE HONEST!
· Do be prepared with all the information you need to fill out the application. Consolidate all of the commonly asked for information on one sheet of paper and carry it with you. Then you can quickly transfer information to the appropriate spot on the application.
· Don’t write “See Resume” in the employment history section. Believe it or not…people have been known to misrepresent themselves on their resumes. The employer wants to have your work history spelled out on the application so you can sign off on its accuracy.
· Do make an informed decision about supploying current or previous pay rates on a job application. You need to fill in these blanks. But you should consider how the information you’re supplying will impact your ability to negotiate salary later. The best approach will depend upon the level of the position for which you’re apploying and how readily the company discloses the hiring range.
· Do make sure the dates on the application match the dates on your resume. If they don’t this will be a major red flag to the hiring authority. You can use your resume as a guide for filling out the employment history. Just make sure you have all the additional information needed as well.
· Do be prepared to answer a free form question about why you are a good candidate for the postion. Many applications will ask this or a similar question.

Filling out the employment application correctly will not win you the job. That can only happen when you get face-to-face with the hiring manager.

Ready For Spring? Spring Sports?

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By Scot Feldmeyer
BarryStaff of Cincinnati Newsletter 2/17/12

So how have you liked our winter so far?  Too dark?  Too gray?  Too wet?  Well, yes we have had a lot of wet and dark days but look at it this way, just a few degrees colder and all that rain could have been snow.  I read the other day that so far this winter our total accumulation has added up to about 2 inches.  Last year at this time we had accumulated over 30 inches of snow.  Folks that’s almost 3 feet of the white stuff to drive in and shovel off the driveways parking lots and sidewalks.  I don’t miss it!

But spring is still approaching.  The Reds will start Spring Training this month and soon we will be hearing Marty and The Cowboy doing preseason Reds games on the radio.  Can spring sports for the kids be far behind?  Let me assure you that it’s right around the corner.  I’m a high school umpire and we have already been having our state and local meetings.  Soon pee-wee and knothole teams will be forming but BarryStaff is HERE TO HELP.

Did you know that BarryStaff sponsors up to 5 youth sports teams each season?  We do it because we feel youth sports helps promote teamwork and a healthy lifestyle and that the lessons learned on the field of play help prepare our youth for the workplace.  You can check out pictures of some of last year’s teams by going to our web site at www.barrystaff.com and clicking on SPORTS.  Be sure to click on the little girls team and check out the pink BarryStaff shirts.  If your youth sports team needs a sponsor just contact Doug Barry at dbarry@barrystaff.com.

This information calls for a SPORTS JOKE from the Joke Files of Milton Berle.
Did your hear about the 3 guys from West Virginia who went to the Olympics but were turned down for seats?  One picked up a manhole cover, walked over to the guard and said, “Discus thrower.”  He was allowed in.  So the second appeared with a long piece of pipe and said, “Pole Vaulter.”  He, too was allowed in.  Finally the third was allowed in when he approached the guard with a piece of barbed wire and said, “Fencing.”

Please give us a call if we can help with your staffing needs OR support the community by sponsoring a youth team in your area.

Why Temporary Work Is Worth It

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You can’t expect that temporary or contract positions will lead to a full-time or on-going position. I know that. If it is a job or a company that turns you on, though, you can subtly let it be known that you’d love an opportunity to be considered for a full-time position should things change. And, please, don’t take it personally, if it doesn’t. It’s not about you…it’s about them.

Even if it’s just what it claims to be, a temp job, you still win in my experience. First, it might be just the flexible work schedule you’re looking for. Secondly, if it’s a full-time job you really want, it still has your back.

When you’re making money, the truth is you feel better about yourself. You feel valued. It builds confidence. That’s far healthier than shooting out resumes and not getting a single response. And seriously, you never know what might come your way when you back away from the computer screen.

A final tip: Hone your yarn-spinning. Even if the assignment was the pits, and that’s always possible, find a clever to use it in a future job interview. It can be a great example of your work ethic, ability to helicopter in and solve a problem, or fill a professional need for a company. Make the time spent part of your personal career story. Poetic license.

The Case for a Four-Day Work Week

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You can cut your work week by a day while boosting company morale exponentially. Here are 6 good reasons to try it.

After living within the confines of a four-day work week during the past four months at Slingshot SEO, my first reaction to questions about this unbelievable perk is “Why not?” Small business owners, CEOs and executives from all over the country ask me on a weekly basis if it really works. My answer is a resounding YES!

Obviously, if you have a large customer service component to your business or if you must be open for retail hours, it takes a bit of ingenuity and some scheduling prowess to adjust to this type of schedule. Perhaps after reading this blog post you will want to try a pilot version of the famous Slingshot SEO four-day work week in your business. If you do, I would love to hear how it goes or answer a question or two.

First, though, let me explain the “why” behind this concept, beginning with a very important aspect of the “people” portion of any business – the “company culture.” Believe it or not, many aspects of our culture are directly related to this special perk. Here are a few of the reasons for that statement and perhaps a few questions you should ask yourself as a business owner:

1. How much more innovative and exciting would your business be if every single team member spent one full day each week devoted to research? What insights, new ideas and energy would be pumped into your business?

2. Such a perk is an amazing draw in the age of recruiting the best in talent to your team. Like a hit song, your HR department needs a “hook” to snag the cream of the crop. It will make an incredible difference.

3. Tied into No. 2, your employee retention rate literally soars. Who would ever want to give up three days at home, only commuting four days a week–and the cerebral exercise of weekly research?

4. Even though the team is working 10-hour days, the sense of urgency brings a high level of energy, and, in my opinion, focused collaboration. It is a joy to watch and to be sucked up into.

5. The extra time for research makes for a well-informed team and the realization they have something unique. (Plus, meeting a repairman on a Friday or planning numerous three-day getaways is never taken for granted …)

6. In our case, Thursday nights after work become an even bigger chance for team socialization and fun. This also seems to be vital to retention rates. A recent study indicated the No. 1 reason for a person not to change jobs is based upon having a close friend at the same company. Sort of makes sense, right?
Add these six reasons along with three or four you likely came up with while reading this blog and you should come to the conclusion that the extra focus, energy, teamwork and dedication resulting from a four-day work week will drive your productivity skyward! Not a bad outcome for a simple idea.