On Monday, November 1 from 10:30AM to 1PM Midwest Staffing team members, Chris Kratochvil, Justin Smith, Dan Webinger and Mary Verdeja along with Firstat's Brian Thoemke, attended “Celebrate Opportunity” an Opportunity Partners event. The event was an executive networking and business recognition luncheon to celebrate and learn how people with disabilities enhance our workplace. Midwest Staffing and Firstat donated $1,250 to help people with disabilities add value to the Twin Cities area.
The “Celebrate Opportunity” networking luncheon was hosted by Frank Vascellaro from WCCO-TV with keynote speaker Randy Lewis, Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Management for Walgreens. Walgreens the largest pharmacy chain in the United States is one of the strongest supporters of Opportunity Partners by integrating people with disabilities into their workforce, marketplace and supplier chain. Randy discussed the success Walgreens has had by integrating Opportunity Partners workers into their distribution channels. They plan to increase the employment percentage of employees with disabilities by 20 percent. This is Walgreens secret to success; with this in mind your business should consider contacting Opportunity Partners.
Other than having the privilege of listening to Guest speaker Randy Lewis, the luncheon also included a speed networking session. Speed networking is similar to speed dating, a timed round robin where professionals meet to exchange contact information and their companies goals and history. Afterwards professionals decide on whom they will connect with or where they can utilize their product or service. A few businesses that Chris Kratochvil of Midwest Staffing connected with were Graybow HD, Minnesota Life College and Anchor Insurance Agency.
Besides a great networking event Midwest Staffing and Firstat fully intend to participate in this event again November 1, 2012. Not only to connect with other business professionals but to support the added value and the impact Opportunity Partners has on our community.
My younger sister Jonica transferred from Central Lakes College to St. Cloud State University for the 2011 Fall Semester to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Once arriving in St. Cloud she was faced an issue that plagues thousands of Americans… finding a job.
Jonica spent several days/weeks filling out applications to local restaurants and retail stores and hadn’t heard from any of them and never received a single interview. Finally she reached out to me for support. Jonica was doing the most important step by taking the initiative of completing the application and placing it in the manager’s hands. However she was dropping the ball in one major area. Jonica wasn’t utilizing her network, one of the most important reasons for her inability to acquire an interview. Once she began contacting first and second degree connections, she quickly landed two interviews, one for “Grizzly’s Bar and Grill” and the other “Red Lobster”.
The “Red Lobster” connection was made through our Brother’s > Girlfriend’s > Dad’s > Girlfriend. Yes that is a long degree of a connections but the outcome was rewarding. The second interview with “Grizzly’s Bar and Grill” she received because of a long line of connections she wasn’t utilizing, including myself, my sister, my brother and my wife. Even though Jonica’s application included our sister’s name Jenae who had been an excellent employee there for many years and still well know with the current management, her application was overlooked among the stack of other capable applicants. Once I heard that she was applying at “Grizzly’s Bar and Grill” I quickly reminded her that my brother, my wife and I play volleyball with one of the managers one of whom she herself has played with.
While in the interview the manager was surprised to learn that Jonica was Jenae’s sister and was overlooked. This is a prime example on why it is important for everyone to follow up and reach out to your connections.
If you are a job seeker you probably aware of the grueling application process especially if you are facing this alone. Alleviate some of the struggle by reaching out to friends, family, neighbors and even your parent’s > neighbor’s > friend’s > Cousins to help get your foot in the door.
On Thursday September 22, 2011 Midwest Staffing held their Second Annual Golf Classic. This year's Golf Classic was located at the Oak Marsh Golf Course in Oakdale, MN. To enhance our fundraising efforts for SafeJourney this year, Midwest Staffing has partnered with their sister company Firstat Nursing and raised $1170 for this great cause. SafeJourney is a nonprofit organization at North Memorial Medical Center focusing on assisting domestic abuse victims and has helped 1,295 victims in 2010.
Chris Kratochvil, Director of Sales for Midwest Staffing Group, is a volunteer for SafeJourney and a benefit board member for SafeJourney. Chris is on call once per month to assist and support victims of domestic violence. Chris provides guidance and counseling to help the victims, and free their life from violent situations and most importantly he listens to them.
The Golf Classic consisted of teams of 4 at different hole starting with shotgun start simultaneously and was a best ball scramble. The men's team had a course breaking record score of 53 and won the grand prize of 4 lower level tickets to the Minnesota Vikings vs. the Denver Broncos donated by Michael Thoemke and Midwest Staffing. Other prizes were awarded for longest drive by a woman and a man, the longest putt and ball closest to the pin on a drive.
Participating donors:
Minnesota Timberwolves and Jim Buffo - 4 Lower Level Timberwolves tickets and a team signed basketball.
Oak Marsh and Midwest Staffing - 4 gift cards to the Oak Marsh Pro Shop.
Health Partners - Notebooks, toothbrushes, cell phone disinfectant and pens.
If you missed this opportunity to help SafeJourney another opportunity is coming up at their annual fundraiser "A Celebration for Courage". On Thursday, November 17th, 2011 at The Hyatt Regency in Minneapolis the event entails an elegant dinner, social hour, silent and live auction and a SafeJourney presentation. If you would like to attend, donate or contribute to the auction, please contact Jenny Kratochvil at 763-520-4151 or by emailing safejourney@northmemorial.com for more information.
To see photos from the event visit our facebook page. Also if you want to be notified about future events sign up to our monthly newsletter. Finally a special thank you, to all participants, sponsors and Oak Marsh Golf Course that made this event successful.
Do you struggle with the interview process? Just like people who struggle at taking test but know all the information there are people who are good applicants but are unable to sell themselves in an interview. The interview process is an interactive ritual that requires research of the company, simple actions like eye contact and body posture, as well as knowing various tips and tactics for answering questions effectively. If you feel you have mastered these skills but the interview still doesn’t go well, then it is good to have a contingency plan. I have experienced three methods that will give you the upper hand to outwitting your competition and will position you in the line of sight of the hiring managers.
Method 1: Staffing Agency –Work with the staffing company the business of interest utilizes. Get your foot in the door by accepting a temporary position, you will be able to demonstrate your work ethic and prove your worth to the company decision makers.
Method 2: Lower Level position – Accept a lower level position such as an internship program; if unavailable make it a suggestion to the business. This will give companies the flexibility to try you out before making a permanent decision and you will be able to demonstrate you skills.
Method 3: Volunteer Your Time (Work for Free) – This being the most risky method to pursue but sometimes the most rewarding. Any company will recognize your dedication and desire to be a part of their team and will view you the prime candidate for the next available position.
Try these alternate methods, take the initiative to showcase your skills and experience to employers. Get your foot in the door and prove you are a flexible, dedicated worthy employee willing to go the extra mile.
In April 2007, NFL all-star quarterback Michael Vick pleaded guilty for illegal dog fighting. After serving a 21 month sentence Michael Vick returned in time for the NFL’s 2009 season and was selected to the 2010 Pro Bowl. The decision made by coach Any Reid to give Michael Vick a second chance paid off immensely. Now, as a manager or owner how can you make an Andy Reid decision?
There are some individuals out there that may look undesirable to hire from a paper perspective. One example is having a criminal background. Finding a job is already complicated with the national unemployment rate at 9.2% and having to compete with other talented individuals without a record. I have a friend in the St Cloud, MN area who is experiencing these barriers. He is a hardworking, family orientated, devoted Christian, struggling to find employment because of past indiscretions. In comparison hiring him would be like hiring a Michael Vick, his work ethic and ability benefit any company willing to give him a second chance.
If you are still not fully convinced and are still waffling because of the implied risk a person with a criminal background bears, try utilizing a staffing agency. Most staffing agencies participate in a temporary-to-permanent program which allows businesses to evaluate an individual’s work ethic, attitude and performance before making the decision to hire. Some agencies have standards and regulations for hiring employees with a criminal background and are more than willing to share their process with you. Reduce your risk and open the door, the opportunity to evaluate a potential All-Star is at your nearby staffing agency.
As a job seeker propose the temporary-to-permanent solution to a potential employer and prove the value you can add.
Has your business hired a Michael Vick or seeking an All-Star in the St. Cloud, MN area? If so; comment below.
During my childhood I had the tendency to exaggerate or fib on little things for instance, how far I hit the baseball, how sick I was (to skip school) and of course when I broke something in the house. Now that I am older, wiser and have a better understanding of the value of truth, my actions have transformed tremendously. This behavior is understandable in naive children but I have noticed this same behavior in small businesses.
Small businesses have the tendency to imply “lie” that they are larger than they are. For instance some will claim they are a national business when in fact they only service locally but have sister companies in other states with different services. Another example is when a small business consisting of only one employee (owner) classifies their home office as their main headquarters, insinuating that they have multiple locations and are more grandiose than they are. My favorite “white lie” used frequently by small businesses is their broad description of their territory that they service. An example of this is when they say they service the west coast in reality they service one city that happens to be located on the west coast.
Small businesses are essentially trying to deceive potential clients which I, as a potential client do not appreciate being misled. With all the resources that we have available to us like Linked In, a business website, and blogs like this one, everyone has the capability to research businesses before making purchasing decisions. So it is inevitable that we will figure out the actual status of the company and in turn be disappointed by their tactics.
Do you or fellow employees embellish on your businesses?
Don’t risk a possible good business relationship with a white lie. These embellishments directly affect a brand and reputation of a business. Embrace the fact that you are a small business and use it to sell your business to success.
Have you ever exaggerated about your business or caught someone in a white lie. If so; share in the comment box below.
Midwest Staffing’s team members Chris Krivanek and Sheila Carpenter were behind bars on Thursday July 21. Both were imprisoned at the Saint Paul, MN fire station for being on the list of “MDA’s most wanted jailbirds” or as Sheila said “for having a big heart“. The MDA charity “Lock-Up” raises money for individuals and families living with Muscular Dystrophy this event specifically raised money to send kids to a summer camp.
A colored photo presented to Chris and Sheila for participating in “Locked Up” by an MDA camper.Chris and Sheila’s sentence began at 11AM when their prison transportation a Limousine picked them up at the 0ffice in Saint Paul. Once arriving at the fire department they were greeted with several “Thank You’s” from the children and their families. Now behind bars Sheila and Chris had one hour to call friends, family and business associates to help bail them out. In order to post bail they needed to reach their personal goal. After an hour they posted bail and a MDA camper gave them a beautiful colored pictured.
As a result of Chris and Sheila’s efforts they raised over $800. All the money raised through the event will help send MDA special needs youngster to a summer camp. The camp includes a variety of activities such as swimming, boating, fishing, archery and much more to help build self confidence and relationships.
We have participated in the “MDA Lock-Up” charity for 3 consecutive years and will continue to be an annual tradition. You can still make a donation by contributing to the MDA by following this link to Chris Krivancek MDA donation page until August 22, 2011. If you want to participate in the next event or would like more information, become a facebook fan of “MDA lock up” or follow them on twitter.
On Saturday June 25 Jen Granner, Mike Thoemke, Josie Schwake and myself participated in Team Ortho’s 5K Commando Run. The fun included 13 different grueling obstacles throughout the race which pushed you to the limits mentally and physically, a few of the obstacles involved running through deep waters, jumping over burning logs, climbing over bales of hay and navigating up and down the slippery slopes. After finishing the adventurous race, runners rehydrate and replenished their nutrients with beer and hotdogs. Now that’s a Race!
We not only increased our physical fitness and enjoyed in a delicious post-race beer and hotdog; we also gained more enduring benefits. The positive attitudes and teamwork we partook in directly correlates to what a successful business is built around and we find it is extremely effective to foster it through physical fitness.
Physical fitness is known to raise your endorphins which gives your body a natural good feeling and releases stress. Employees who are less stressed and have a positive attitude will directly result in an increase in productivity. Employees with a positive attitude tend to represent a company better, utilize company work time more effectively and have a happier home life.
Effective teamwork will result in an effective and efficient business. Team building activities will replace the common use of “I” with “Us”. This will enforce the team to look out for one another, bring the best out of each other and do whatever it takes for the “team” to succeed.
With team building events such as the Commando Run your company has everything to gain and nothing to lose. Does your business participate in team building activities? If so; what type of activities?
Many small businesses choose to outsource their IT (Information Technology) needs. Businesses without technical support are contemplating on whether to purchase laptops or desktops, this blog will explain two major reasons why the majority of our Minnesota offices are migrating towards laptops.
The number one factor to consider when deciding between a laptop and a desktop is the cost. Visit your local computer retailer or supplier you will notice a substantial price difference between a desktop and a laptop. The accumulated cost for purchasing a low-end and fully functional desktop computer at Best Buy would be $392.97 (excluding taxes): the computer $269.99, monitor $89.99 and network cable for $32.99. Compare now to a low-end, fully functional laptop which totals $274.99 (excluding taxes). Keep in mind that a desktops capability surpasses that of a laptop; a desktop has a faster and a larger screen. However a common workforce user primarily utilizes a computer for internet, remote access and word processing which are minimal processes that operate on both computers efficiently.
The second factor is mobility which is also an important feature. Employees that take work home continue to increase. Using a laptop allows instant access to their archived emails, documents and software for example; they wouldn’t have to save their information to a zip drive and bring it home where they might not have compatible software to open their documents. Also when employees are on vacation, sick or separate from the company; they are able to support one another from one location to another.
From our experience we learned that we could have saved money and time if the migration from desktops to laptops was completed for our Brooklyn Park office on June 1st. The added cost of network wiring which could have been avoided by acquiring a wireless network through laptops. Also consider the additional cost in employee’s time and resources which it took to transfer these desktop behemoths. Furthermore this excludes the difference in disposal cost once it becomes outdated.
Could you or your business be more efficient with time and resources with a laptop?
All businesses want their company to be the first listed as a search result on Google, Bing, Yahoo and other large search engines. Some don’t know the work that goes behind making that happen, with that in mind there are devious businesses that will try to take advantage of less informed more naïve businesses. To decipher which business is truly working for you and not trying to swindle you is difficult if you don’t know what to look for. There are two consistent and immediate red flags that people should be aware of when acquisitioning an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) firm.
First and most importantly is to hone in on the “Keywords” sales pitch of the SEO’s representative. Keywords are certain words in headers, web page content, and titles of articles that search engines look for to flag your site. One scenario a representative may use is telling a business that they are missing out on a keyword in their site which is resulting in ‘x’ amount of dollars missed annually. Well there are hundreds of possibilities for keywords and all businesses face this issue when selecting keywords because usually only 3-5 words are relevant and result in the maximum effectiveness. Choosing these words is a time consuming and lengthy process. Most businesses do not have the time and resources to effectively research each and every keyword without some type of financial commitment toward a company that will do it for them.
For example “Midwest Staffing” could select the following 4 keywords “staffing, employment, temporary and agency” which word placement, seekers, and recruiters would identify. They could also add “Midwest Staffing” to the list of key words but then they become dangerously close to exceeding the suggested keyword criteria and would fail to yield the highest search engine results.
The second tactic of SEO representatives is offering a guarantee that they can generate a #1 position in search result. For starters all search engines’ algorithms for search results are substantially different and unknown. A claim of knowing search engine’s algorithms to position your website at #1 is nothing more than fraud.
For example search “Movie Store” on bing.com and google.com.com. As you will notice the search results are substantially different. The top 3 results for bing were “moviestore.com, blockbuster.com and moviegallery.com” and the google results were “blockbuster.com, bestbuy.com and fye.com”. Anyone’s results could potentially be different, mainly because of demographic factors.
A precaution bookmark, this page as a reference to rely on when receiving an email or phone call in regards to your website. You will have a better understanding of when to hang up the phone or delete the email. If you have further questions about “keywords” that help position your website ask in the comment area below.