ProRecruiters

Wow, it is hard to believe that Christmas is upon us and the new year is right around the corner! All the decorations and Christmas trees are up and in full swing, but have you ever wondered where some of the traditions come from? Why do Americans and other countries decorate their houses? Why do they buy gifts and eat a feast? What about the Christmas tree, where did this tradition come from? The article below gives you 8 fun facts on the history of the Christmas tree and why it has become a tradition: "8 Fun Facts About the History of Christmas Trees Now that the holiday season is in full swing those who celebrate Christmas (and other December holidays) are trimming their trees and homes with festive decorations. But, have you ever wondered where the  Christmas tree tradition  comes from? Here are a few fun facts about the history of the Christmas tree tradition: No. 1:  Long before Christianity, evergreen plants and trees had a special meaning for people in the winter

Happy Halloween and October! All Hallows’ Eve (Halloween) is my favorite time of year because of the trees changing colors, the weather cools down, the festivities of the holidays begin and children get to dress up as their favorite characters and collect candy! But do any of you know where Halloween came from and why we celebrate it? “Halloween can be traced directly back to SAMHAIN, the ancient Celtic harvest festival honoring the Lord of the Dead. Observed on November 1 in the British Isles and parts of what is now France, Samhain also marked the beginning of the Celtic New Year, while Samhain Eve marked the end of the old year. The night was a time of transition between the old and the new, a time when the separation between the world of the living and the world of the dead was very thin. On Samhain Eve the boundary between this world and the netherworld of fairies, gods, spirits, and magic was at its thinnest. As a result, passage between the two dimensions was easier t

Happy September.   I am still trying to wrap my head around where this summer went.   Time just keeps flying by faster and faster.   To that note, ProRecruiters just passed its 10.5 year mark.   I am often times in awe of how an idea that stemmed from a dinner conversation between Brett and I resulted in a small business being created that now employs 8 full-time people and has put over 5000 people to work since inception! The 10 years have been an amazing journey.   There have been lots of highs and some lows.   When you start a company, it often means limited resources which means you have to wear multiple hats.   I can vividly remember my role of receptionist, recruiter, business development professional, payroll specialist and account manager all wrapped into one day!   As the business grew, I could hire and slowly relinquish roles and responsibilities to people that compliment my weaknesses.   One of my biggest weaknesses has been developing people.   I am great at dr

Happy August!   During the summer months I try to take off a few weeks to get out of the office and reflect on successes and failures.   I have had my fair share of both.   My personality is one that tends to think more about the failures than the successes but it is not because I belabor my imperfections but rather that I want to always be improving.   I had an “Ah ha” moment about being a leader that sympathizes versus empathizes and how one over the other can destroy a culture.     A longtime family friend of mine who has known me my entire life shared the simplest but the most impactful video on the difference between sympathy and empathy.   By definition, sympathy is a social affinity in which one person stands with another person and closely understands his or her feelings.   Empathy is the capacity to recognize and, to some extent, share feelings that are being experienced by another person.   When you read the definitions they are quite similar and tend to overlap so

Happy July, this month I felt inclined to share an article I read from Erin Axson who is a teacher in South Carolina. She had a wonderful article on the state of our schools.   I felt compelled to share because this is the workforce we are seeing come into the market and it is causing management to feel the same exhaustion teachers do.   If we want a workforce that is comprised of hard working, humble and determined professionals we have to start early teaching them. Stop ‘bizarrely lenient attitude toward disciplining children’ – Teacher’s open letter strikes a nerve Erin Axson is a middle school reading and writing teacher in Orangeburg, South Carolina. In her open letter posted to her Facebook page, Axson said she knows not all parents will agree with her, but said she felt the need to say something after finishing the school year feeling “exhausted.” This is her note on Facebook: “Dear Parents, I rarely go off on social media tangents. It’s not my style.

Happy June.   This month I want to discuss counter offers.   Since the beginning of this year we have seen a record number of counter offers made by employees.   The low unemployment rates are playing a large factor to this but we have witnessed counter offers blowing up for both sides. Case in point, recently I made an offer to a new graduate with no experience.   I offered her a strong compensation plan based on her experience/degree and also what the market was demanding.   She had a great personality, good references and I felt like she would be an asset to the team.   She countered my offer for an additional $4100. I declined her offer and moved to the 2 nd best candidate who accepted. The first candidate came back 48 hours later wanting to accept the offer I had made but it was too late, an offer had been made and accepted by another. All too often the recipient of a counter offer (the employer) is in a situation where they need to hire, they are constrained by a b

One of my favorite writers, Jeff Haden, recently wrote about the “Affirmations the Most Successful People Repeat Each and Every Day.”  His message is simple: What you say is often what you do--especially if you say it to yourself. I thought about re-writing it but he said it so well I just had to share!   Happy April. 1. "I treat others the way   they   want to be treated." By treating others the way they want to be treated, my own personal fulfillment grows. I give respect and provide service. I show love, care, compassion, and consideration. I help others feel appreciated. I let others know they are important, that they matter, and that they are valuable. By valuing others, my confidence increases. 2. "I am ever grateful." Gratitude allows happiness to come into my life. I choose to show appreciation for what I have, whom I know, what I can learn, and whom I can help. I define and talk about the things I am grateful for on a daily basis. I know t

Low Unemployment - Efficient Hiring Process If you have been unlucky with great job seekers not accepting offers, perhaps it can be resolved with a more efficient hiring process.   With unemployment being less than 4% it is imperative that companies have efficient & effective hiring processes.   Hiring decisions are hard and you don’t want to skimp on your screening process, but dragging your feet can result in losing great candidates because your competitors have figured out a more efficient way to handle hiring.   Great candidates that are shortlisted will not wait around for you if a better opportunity came their way. Here are some ways to be more efficient in your process. 1.        Job Descriptions: They must be well written and showcase why an employee should chose you.   They are also a target that provides you with the questions you should ask in an interview, as well as what you should communicate to the job seeker about what you expect.   Not having a properl