ProRecruiters

Happy February!  Last month, someone posed the following questions to me regarding ProRecruiters: Why do we exist; What is our purpose; and How do we contribute to a better world? How I responded surprised me; it was inspiring and made me feel incredibly proud. Brett and I started Part-Time Pros, now ProRecruiters, in March of 2008.  We started it with a vision of being a resource to people who wanted to have a balanced life.  We had our first daughter, Katie, and after six months of daycare schlepping, no time with her, and juggling a forty-hour work week, I thought, “This is stupid!”  Now, understand that I love working hard. But I wanted to be able to continue to work but have the flexibility to work in such a way that I could value the things that are most important in my life, too.  So we created Part-Time Pros.  Our first core value is to provide a healthy work/life balance to our team and clients.  And while I personally had no balance for ...

Happy 2017!  A new year brings an opportunity to reflect on goals from the past year, and to set goals for the next one. Though I certainly love the rest and relaxation that come with the holiday season, I eagerly anticipate the busyness and excitement of the first month of a new year! Each year, I challenge my team to develop three to five individual goals. In our year-end reviews, we reflect on those goals and create strategies for achieving them. Unfortunately, these well-planned, carefully considered goals are often discussed, written down, and then forgotten over the course of the year. I want 2017 to be different! Setting and achieving personal and professional goals can fundamentally change your journey toward success. But if you do not regularly put them in front of you and if you do not create accountability for achieving them, then you are unlikely to accomplish them. What separates good from great is the ability to grow through setting goals. I don’t want to set...

Happy November!  We are quickly approaching Thanksgiving, which is a time for expressing gratitude.  This month, I want to talk about the power of expressing gratitude.  In November, we end every week by sharing what we are grateful for. The items do not have to be big; they only have to be meaningful  One staff member was grateful that she had co-workers who supported her when her baby was sick, and they did not guilt for coming in late.  Others were grateful for friendships in the office, and others were grateful for working in a drama-free office.  Giving ourselves the space to be thankful for all that we have helps us to see just how much we often take for granted. Lunch with a client; having clients in the first place; my three-year-old very passionately ending her dinner prayer with “Awe Ha!” instead of “Amen”; gas in my tank, and having a car in the first place; the ability to exercise; family nearby; the love of friends and family; the humility...

Happy October and fall!  This month, my team and I are doing a team building exercise focusing on fears.  Facing them and overcoming them.  Fear is a very powerful emotion.  It is there to protect us from harm but if we allow it, it can be so crippling to the point where it does not allow us to grow or move forward. We wanted to learn more about each other’s fears and learn ways to overcome them.  Fear might creep into our minds when we are given more responsibilities, when we experience uncertainty, or when we deal with daunting “unknowns.”  Whether starting a new job, searching for a new job or making step forward in your current position, being an employee can be scary and difficult. It entails making hard decisions and lots of them. But while it may overwhelm us, it sometimes can help us. Fear is the mind’s way of telling us that danger is lurking ahead.  While it may be justified, it can halt imagination and choke ambition.  It can s...

Happy October and fall!  This month, my team and I are doing a team building exercise focusing on fears.  Facing them and overcoming them.  Fear is a very powerful emotion.  It is there to protect us from harm but if we allow it, it can be so crippling to the point where it does not allow us to grow or move forward. We wanted to learn more about each other’s fears and learn ways to overcome them.  Fear might creep into our minds when we sense responsibility for others, when we experience uncertainty, or when we deal with daunting “unknowns.”  Whether trying to grow a company, making changes, or simply making payroll, running and managing a company or department is scary and hard.  It entails making hard decisions and lots of them. But while it may overwhelm us, it sometimes can help us overcome those fears. Fear is the mind’s way of telling us that danger is lurking ahead.  While it may be justified, it can halt imagination and choke ambi...

For those of us with kids, summer can be awesome.  It is a chance for our young children to thrive, have some fun and play.  It can also be a time when “bad” habits can be formed.  For me and our children specifically, some days with too much technical time, going to bed too late, sleeping in, not hanging up wet suits, “skipping” baths a bit too much, etc.  With school beginning many of these bad habits have to be broken and a healthier routine maintained.  We try to have a healthy routine because it affects our grades and how we perform and interact in school. In business it is just as easy to develop bad habits that need to be broken.  This month I want to talk about some bad business habits that should be broken immediately. “ I don’t have time right now ”. We all have the same numbers of hours in each day; it is how we choose to spend them that separate us from the rest.   When you state that you don’t have time it is usually because you a...

For those of us with kids, summer can be awesome.  It is a chance for our young children to thrive, have some fun and play.  It can also be a time when “bad” habits can be formed.  For me and our children specifically, some days with too much technical time, going to bed too late, sleeping in, not hanging up wet suits, “skipping” baths a bit too much, etc.  With school beginning many of these bad habits have to be broken and a healthier routine maintained.  We try to have a healthy routine because it affects our grades and how we perform and interact in school. In business it is just as easy to develop bad habits that need to be broken.  This month I want to talk about some bad business habits that should be broken immediately. “ I don’t have time right now ”. We all have the same numbers of hours in each day; it is how we choose to spend them that separate us from the rest.   When you state that you don’t have time it is usually because you a...