Archive for August, 2008

Employee of the Month!

Thursday, August 28th, 2008

Laura Mico-Monaco - June 2008

Our June 2008 employee of the month is Laura Mico-Monaco. Laura registered with Emerson Personnel Group in March of 2008. We immediately sent Laura out on a long term temp assignment that ran into June. Laura accepted a second assignment that same month and is still there. Our clients have been delighted with Laura. We appreciate her enthusiasm and strong work ethic. We are proud to have Laura on our team. Congratulations Laura!

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Job Search Tip of the Month

Thursday, August 28th, 2008

Diane Irwin

“Are you prepared for the most common interview questions?”
presented by Dynamic Resumes
www.dynamicresumesofNJ.com

While it’s hard to prepare for EVERY possible question you might be asked about in an interview, there are certainly some common questions that come up a lot. No need to memorize answers, and in fact, to do so might throw you off if you are asked in a different way than you rehearsed. You can be prepared, though, and the more you practice the more comfortable and confident you will feel. Below are some common questions and suggestions on how to answer them. The recurring advice is to be honest, put any negative information in as positive a way as possible, and never bad mouth anyone – it doesn’t make you look good and the interviewer might personally know the person you are describing!

  • “Tell me about yourself.” Interviewers like this one as a starter question to put candidates at ease and to learn a little something about you. It is NOT the time to share how many children you have, what you eat for lunch, or to tell about your summer vacation. Use this opportunity to summarize your background and to “sell” your strong points.
  • What is your biggest weakness? It will not help your cause to focus on your biggest weakness, but you need to be honest. So, try to identify an issue you’ve had and give it a positive spin which shows how you are able to overcome challenges. For example, “I used to be impatient under stress - I have learned to calm myself down, and find I can work more efficiently that way.”
  • What did you like / dislike about your last job? The “like” part is easy! In answering about your “dislikes”, be sure to make it POSITIVE……minimize issues and tell how you dealt with it. The employer is looking for compatibility and how you handle things you don’t like.
  • Did you get along well with your former manager? Here again, you need to be honest, but as you are hearing, you should try to put a positive spin on a bad story. It shows that you are diplomatic, have effective interpersonal skills, and that you can handle tough situations. For example, “Sometimes we did not agree, but I always managed to get the job done in a professional manner.”
  • Why did you leave your last position? Both you and the employer need to assess if that same reason exists with the position you are now interviewing for. I was offered a more challenging opportunity, more $$, closer to home…etc.
  • Why should I hire you? Even if the employer does not ask this question, he is trying to evaluate what you can do for the department or the company. Employers want people who take the initiative, who are willing to roll the sleeves up, and who add value to the company. There are many ways people add value: saving money or time, increasing revenue, improving morale, being an effective team member, bringing new ideas to the department, increasing customer satisfaction, improving retention, increasing productivity, and more! So, be prepared to describe some specific situations where you improved, streamlined, or otherwise impacted the organization in some way. Try to emphasize your strong qualifications and relate them to the position in question.

    • Practice your responses “out loud” even if it’s just to yourself. It will help you prepare much more effectively than if you just quietly “think” out your answers. If you have a friend or family member who can role play an interview with you, then even better. Oh, and always remember to wear a smile!

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    William Emerson: President

    Thursday, August 28th, 2008

    William Emerson 

    Personal Information
    Name: Bill Emerson

    Title: President

    What you do for EPG: A little bit of everything, but mainly I oversee sales, training and accounting/finance.

    Education: Bachelor of Science degree from Springfield College, MA

    First Job: Paper Boy for the Courier Post

    Home: Moorestown, NJ

    Business Philosophy

    Essential business philosophy: Be respectful, honest and fair

    Yardstick of success: Employees exceeding their goals and expectations

    Goal yet to be achieved: EPG growing and prosperous without an Emerson involved in the day to day operations.

    True Confessions
    Word that describes you: Unassuming

    Like best about your job: Facing a new challenge every day.

    Like least about your job: Having to terminate an employee.

    The most important lesson you’ve learned: Hire the best employees possible.

    Person most interested in meeting and why: Both my Grandfathers…because I never did.

    First choice in a new career: Professional baseball player

    Greatest extravagance: Can’t think of one.

    Et Cetera
    Most influential book: Good to Great

    Favorite movie: Field of Dreams

    Favorite restaurant: Ralph’s in South Philly

    Favorite vacation spot: Bermuda

    Favorite room in the house and why: Kitchen. The kitchen table is where we tend to talk the most as a family.

    Favorite way to spend free time: Watching my kids activities

    Posted in Meet the EPG Team! | 1 Comment »

    Understanding Generation Y

    Thursday, August 28th, 2008

    In order to prepare for the new workforce, understanding what makes them tick and tuning in to what is important to them will keep them longer and more satisfied. Generally speaking, Gen Yers are between the ages of 18-28, they were heavily marketed to, and are more influenced by their peers. Many experienced family breakdown with the rise of divorce, are out-spoken, and have a self-worth not seen in any previous generation. Some Gen Xers view Gen Y workers as the Entitlement Generation. Gen Xers (and Boomers) need to understand who our workforce pipeline is. Gen Y and X share some similarities, although there are enough differences to note with this workforce.
    HR experts say Gen Y should watch and learn from Gen X in order to become a stronger and more respected talent pool. The biggest difference between the two groups is that Gen Yers are team players almost to a fault, where Xers are more self-sufficient, efficient, and independent.

    What should you know about Gen Yers?

  • They love networking, group work, and are good at relationships.
  • They love technology and expect to use it more to complete their job.
  • They want flexible work schedules that allow a balance between work, family, and personal time.
  • They want the “cool” factor and fun in their employment.
  • They will change jobs for better compensation, benefits, advancement, and a sense of purpose.
  • They are well-educated, well-traveled, and ethnically diverse.
  • They expect a response from the employer, even if it’s to thank them for their application.

    • Re-think the strategies used to recruit boomers and Generation X. Classified newspaper job ads may have reeled in Gen Xers, but won’t work on this group. They don’t catch Gen Y’s attention, and even Internet-based job boards will have limited success with that group. Remember, they talk and blog their experiences and will share with their peers how a potential employer treated them. Try reaching them through their social networking channels, such as Facebook and MySpace. Build recruiting relationships by finding common ground. Once they are recruited, make them feel a part of the organization even before they come on board. Did you know that Yahoo! sends their new hires a purple box tied with a bow that once opened sings out the company “yahooooo!”?

    In order to improve retention and productivity of Generation Yers, keep in mind the following:

  • Employment branding is important in recruiting and retaining this group of workers.
  • Offer a career-path. Show how one thing leads to another and provide a sense of what they may earn along the way; show the map to promotions.
  • Position yourself as an employer-of-choice. Show corporate social responsibility – be GREEN(er)!
  • Make the candidate experience smooth with an easy application, assessment and on-boarding process.
  • Talk to them, not at them—did you know that nearly 97% own a computer, 94% own a cell phone, 76% use instant messaging (IM) and 15% of IM users are logged on 24/7.
  • Build relationships.
  • Provide feedback.

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