Incentives For Employees to Increase Productivity Even AFTER Layoffs

“Put in the effort and seek the rewards” has always been a moto in the business world but what if, what some argue is true? What if the input doesn’t benefit you at all and working hard is actually benefitting you less than hardly working?

Productivity allows more to be produced with less capital. “Productivity grew at a 9.5% annual rate [in 2009]…[while] output rose 4% [in the third quarter]… [and] the number of hours worked fell by 5%” (USNews, 11/11/09). Worried yet? This can make many people nervous and worried about their job security. With a national unemployment rate at 9.7% and a loss of 36,000 jobs in January 2010 alone (WSJ, 3/8/2010), who could blame them?

These statistics make it seem as though employers are doing more with less. While intriguing to employers, employees may find less incentive to increase their productivity when their coworkers are being cut and their bank accounts aren’t seeing a positive change.

If you’re cutting jobs and I, who am left, do not foresee a raise, why should I bust my hump?

According to the Wall Street Journal: “The surge in labor productivity allowed employers to keep output steady while shedding workers and reducing hours of work in the economy….” (WSJ, 3/8/2010). You may be asking yourself if the company I work for is still maintaining it’s quota but cutting jobs, is my only incentive to work hard, keeping my job?

It shouldn’t be. According to Ken Jarboe, writer for the Intangible Economy, “it is not uncommon for productivity to rise in a downturn… in a recession, companies frequently shed the least productive inputs [(employees)] first while trying to at least [maintain steady] output” (The Intangible Economy, 3/9/10). Still, there are clear indications as to the benefits of working hard. Aside from competitive advantage amongst employees to seek promotion, or in many cases to keep your job, increased productivity is still positive to you as the employee and to the employer.

Gary Becker, an economist at the Univeristy of Chicago connects an increase in productivity from employees to an increase in their paychecks. “The increased productivity of capital raises the supply of other kinds of capital that contributes to a growth in the earning or workers… in the very short run, productivity improvements [are] associated with rising unemployment and reduced employment, but in the somewhat longer run it will raise the demand for workers and earnings” (USNews, 11/11/09).

Employers Cut Jobs à You Increase Productivity à Increase in Demand for Workers and Earnings

Sounding better yet?

It’s not about just getting by anymore. Those efforts are in ways of the past. In this economy every extra effort goes a long way.

My Advice: Increase your productivity, Beat the competition (or at least stay with the competition), and cash that fat check!

Additional Reading:
http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2010/03/08/productivity-surge-may-hurt-job-growth-fed-paper-says/tab/article/
http://www.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2009/11/11/what-job-seekers-can-expect-in-2010.html
http://www.athenaalliance.org/weblog/archives/2010/03/productivity_surge_may_hurt_job_growth_fed_paper_s.html

Blog Posed by: Anne Dammel, Marketing Coordinator, CPS (908) 704-1550 ext. 21adammel@completepersonnel.com

Why you should Tweet, Poke, and Connect!

Social Media isn’t just a personal choice anymore! Individuals around the world have enabled professional profiles on the web and companies have followed suit. What was once considered private and company unique can now be viewed 24/7 by any individual with internet access. Companies have taken advantage of Social Media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin. One reason for this is because that’s where their customers are. According to statistics, Facebook has over 400 million users, 35 million of which log on and change their status daily.
Currently, “more than 79% of the Fortune Global 100 companies in the US are using at least one of the most popular social media platforms to actively engage with stakeholders”. According to similar statistics, more than 1.5 million local businesses have active pages on Facebook. Considering this number, it can be assumed that most companies have accepted the social media craze and joined the generation. This assumption is, however, wrong.
While 1.5million may seem large, there are currently 13million US companies, leaving the percent of those currently using social media at 8.6%. Less than you expected?
If Social Media is so beneficial, why are only such a small fraction of US companies taking advantage of it? While the reasons are subject to change based on the individual company, the end effect is the same: an excuse; “We’re too busy”, “I don’t know how” or “Why should I?” are popular responses.
It’s no secret as to why your company should be tweeting, poking, connecting, etc.: profitability. Social Networking is an immense source of profit for your company. Every action done on a company’s page is a direct link to the company website, diverting huge amounts of traffic to the company’s advantage.
While social networking sites have become a daily part of an individual’s life, online activity in general has as well. The trend of buying and selling online is becoming popular among all age groups from all parts of the world. Having a large social network through social networking sites serves to be very beneficial. Social Networking Sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc. are your prime target to lure customers not only to your website, but also to your product. With more connections, “friends”, or followers, you are reaching more of your target audience.
Peter Delgrosso, strategic vice-president for corporate communications with Web.com, states, “When used properly, [Social Networking] is something that can gain your business some attention”.
Therefore, to benefit from not only actively being on social networking sites, but also from large social networks, companies should invest time in creating vigorous e-marketing campaigns with social networking sites as a major resource in their online presence.
Ben Thibeault, Linkedin’s North East Account Executive put it best when he said, “Create a Linkedin account, follow some simple instructions and Linkedin will thrust you far beyond what is possible through years of traditional networking and relationship building”.

Blog Posed by: Anne Dammel, Marketing Coordinator, CPS (908) 704-1550 ext. 21adammel@completepersonnel.com

Which Social Networking Site is right for YOU?

Greg Sterling of Sterling Market Intelligence, states it concisely:
"Sites such as LinkedIn can be helpful in connecting with people you want to meet for one reason or another. Twitter and Facebook can be helpful when you're trying to notify a group of people about something you want to promote or about a happening of some kind”

In the large spectrum of things, Social Networking should be a company wide effort to increase familiarity of your company and it’s efforts to the public. Some Social Networking sites might serve more beneficial over others. Twitter, for example, only allows 140 characters of text per “tweet”. This is a micro version of anything your company puts out. This would be ideal for newsletters, press releases, and other small amounts of information. Twitter also creates a Really Simple Syndication Feed (RSS) automatically, which will serve beneficial for any company website.
Facebook, on the other hand, has a very enclosed source of information. Although the range of people reached is large on Facebook and the character limit is greater, individuals will have to go searching for your Company page. This would be better used for those known companies with a higher online presence.
Linkedin is a tool all companies should be on. It is a solely professional networking with professional individuals who search from anything from prospect employees to prospective clients. Professionals and Companies alike should make their presence on Linkedin known.

Blog Posed by: Anne Dammel, Marketing Coordinator, CPS (908) 704-1550 ext. 21adammel@completepersonnel.com

What’s the difference between Temp and Temp to Hire?

A temporary or “temp” position is one that can be short of long term in nature, however, the company has no plans to hire the temporary directly. A "Temp-to-Hire" position is one, in which the company's attempts to fill the position on a permanent basis but prefers to be able to evaluate an employee before making an offer of employment.
In other words, an employee gains a position within a company; something relating to a trail basis. Occasionally a “temporary " position turns into a "Temp-to-Hire" position, meaning that a temporary employee gains the opportunity to keep their job for longer, or even on a permanent basis.

Blog Posed by: Anne Dammel, Marketing Coordinator, CPS (908) 704-1550 ext. 21adammel@completepersonnel.com

Employment Agencies Advantages in Today’s Economy

Due to current economic lows, the employment industry could be considered an area most negatively affected. While assumptions are measurable, they are not supported. According to American Staffing statistics, employment industries have been growing faster than the economy, stating the flexible nature as the cause.
While several companies may be downsizing, the ability to hire temporary and contract employees proves to be a favorable solution to many. Companies who use an employment agency are therefore at a clear advantage. Flexible staffing arrangements, allow companies to access workers with special skills, for example, ultimately enabling a favorable affect on the company’s bottom line.
Employers are not the only ones reaping the benefits of employment agencies. Job seekers enjoy numerous advantages as well. While flexible employment is certainly a desirable indicator for reasons, including but not limited to, a bridge to permanent employment, choice of alternative employment arrangements, training, etc. Job availability, labor market flexibility, efficient bridging to permanent jobs, training, lower unemployment rates, and enhanced productivity are a few examples of the beneficial service of employment agencies on today’s economy.

Blog Posed by: Anne Dammel, Marketing Coordinator, CPS (908) 704-1550 ext. 21adammel@completepersonnel.com

Increased need for Temporary Employees!!!

According to the American Staffing Association, statistics for the month of August revealed a sharp increase in demand for temporary employees.

What are the statistics?

The Staffing Association’s Index rose to 75 from 71 in July. The measurement is based on a 100 point scale.

What does an increase in
temporary employment mean for overall labor market?

An increase in temporary staffing levels could certainly mean a positive increase in the overall labor market. Temporary staffing statistics can be a good indicator of overall employment because careful employers are much more likely to hire a temp before hiring a regular full-time employee following a recession.

What if temporary is not long enough?

Are you unsure if your temp will be needed permanently? CPS provides our clients with many solutions. CPS offers a hiring plan on a temp to perm basis. This means you may start an employee as a temp while they remain on our payroll. At any point during the temporary assignment, you may choose to hire the employee permanently. In some cases, if the employee has worked long enough, there is no additional fee associated with that direct hire.

Monster Employment Index reveals sharp increase in job openings.

What is the Monster
Employment Index?

The Monster Employment Index is a monthly measure of online job opportunities. Statistics are cultivated from a large pool of corporate level career Web Sites and job boards, including Monster®. The Monster Employment Index statistics reveal a sharp increase in job openings for the month of August 2009.

What is the current rate and how does this
compare?

The Monster employment index for the month of August revealed the highest monthly increase in job opportunities in four years. The Index rose seven points, or 6 percent, which was the highest monthly rate of increase since August 2005. Year-over-year decline slowed to 24 percent, which was the most moderate pace of slowdown so far this year. August’s rate was 121, July 114, June 117, etc.

What Industries are doing the most hiring?

The August statistics show that retail, administrative and financial industries have the most solid growth. Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations are also on the rise.

What Industries showed a decrease in hiring?

Statistics for Healthcare, community, personal care and services reveal a decreased demand for these occupations. Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting registered the sharpest decline among industries in August.

Why the increase? What has changed?

The summer months slowed down for a lot of industries. As a result, hiring slowed as well and is now starting to pick back up.

What does it all mean?

“The significant jump in the Monster Employment Index in August offers encouraging signs of improvement in the US economy with the demand for managers and professionals as well as sales and office workers picking up in time for the fall hiring season,” said Jesse Harriott, senior vice president and chief knowledge officer at Monster Worldwide. “The index is now at its highest since February while showing the most moderate yearly rate of contraction since December 2008.”

Become more than just a brand!

Carol White of Frugal Marketing states: “Advertising and marketing gurus tell us that
It takes multiple impressions of a message to get potential buyers to make that buying decision.” Seven is the lucky number. Therefore, find as many ways as you can to get your brand out there.

What is the next step?

While brand recognition is important, it is not enough alone. There must be a strong message behind your brand. You must always be able to answer the question of how you are going to solve your customer’s problems. If your solution is tied to an emotion and personal solution, you are on the right track.

From a CPS standpoint, providing someone with a temporary worker to help get the job done can provide a business owner with a lot more time. This means less stress and more time to spend with family. Always remember, your marketing relationship will be with an individual, not with a company as a whole.

Once you have received the attention of the buyer, it is important to build trust and relationships. One great way to do this is through community involvement. Mary Bellis, of ‘About.com,’ claims: “People tend to be more supportive of businesses and organizations that give something to the community, rather than those that just take, never giving in return.”

How can your business utilize cost-effective marketing?

A companies ability to survive or do well in this recession may depend heavily on a company’s ability to market effectively.

How is Marketing defined?

The Chartered Institute of Marketing defines marketing as “The management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirement profitably.” Marketing is a highly complex, multi-dimensional task that is essential to the growth and stability of a company. It can take many forms. While many companies may have relied on a consistent database of clients or customers, it may now be necessary to utilize marketing to reach out for new business.

Kim Rathyen, Marketing Coordinator at CPS, states: “Your marketing approach should be very well-rounded. In this economy it is important to be open-minded to trying new things.”

But what about the cost?

Making the room in your budget for a marketing plan may be difficult. However, without consistent presence, your company may risk a drastic decrease in revenue.

There are many ways to create a cost-effective marketing plan. Technology has really helped to make this possible. There are plenty of online opportunities via networking sites such as ‘Linked-In’ or the less formal, but highly popular site ’Facebook.’ Also, e-mails, social-networking events, and community involvement are all great ways to reach out and increase presence at a low cost.

How can you market
effectively?

As marketing can be very time consuming, it is essential to do your research. The Chamber of Commerce and The New Jersey DOL, both provide information on which industries are doing well, and many other search engines, can provide you with the information you need to plan your target industries. The more you know, the better you can pin-point the companies you need to market to. This will drastically help to decrease your chances of wasting your time, resources and money.

Don’t have the time to do Marketing?

Marketing requires a lot of planning and a good marketing plan can take a lot of time and energy to carry out. Assigning the task to a specific individual can help keep things organized and more efficient. Also, it is never a good idea to have marketing take away from another employee’s job. For example, incorporating marketing into the customer service representative’s duties will distract from the equally important role of maintaining customer satisfaction.

How can you incorporate marketing without hiring a new, full-time employee?

CPS can provide you with an experienced marketing representative.

Minimum Wage Increase: Effective July 24th, 2009.

What is the rate of the Federal Minimum Wage increase and what is the current wage?

Since July 24, 2008, the Federal Minimum Wage was $6.55 per hour. As of July 24, 2009, the Federal Minimum Wage will increase to $7.25 per hour.


How is it changing?

Minimum Wage does not automatically increase every year. Congress must pass a bill which the President signs into law in order for the Minimum Wage to go up. The last Bill was for a 3-step increase:
$5.85 in summer of 2007, $6.85 in summer of 2008, $7.25 in summer of 2009.
This was the first increase in the Federal Minimum Wage in a decade. States first began to pass Minimum Wage laws in the early 1900s mainly to protect low-wage, female employees. The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 was then created. It’s amendment has now started the process of Minimum Wage increases which continues to protect employees.

Why is minimum wage increasing?

The intention and goal behind the Minimum Wage increase is to assist workers living at or below the poverty line. Minimum Wage will rise due to CPI, Federal Wage increase or cost-of-living accommodation.

What is the poverty line?

In the United States, the 2009 Federal Poverty Guidelines have been released to the Federal Register. These guidelines help determine eligibility for many programs that assist lower-income families.

For one person, the poverty line is $10,830. Two people in a family: $14,570. Three people in family: $18, 310 and for a family of eight, the poverty line is $37,010.

What about New Jersey Minimum Wage?

State Minimum Wages may vary. However, employers are required to pay whichever rate is higher. New Jersey’s Minimum Wage is currently $7.15. It will increase to match that of the Federal Minimum Wage rate of $7.25 on July 24, 2009.

What’s the latest with Unemployment rates?

What is New Jersey’s current Unemployment Rate?

According to the DOL, New Jersey’s May unemployment rate was 8.8 percent. The current New Jersey unemployment rate is 9.2 percent. While it is no doubt increasing, the June rate was the smallest increase in 16 months.

What Industries are doing well and hiring despite the current economy?

Jobs are increasing in heavy and civil engineering construction mostly due to infrastructure projects. New Jersey will be investing state and federal resources in needed infrastructure upgrades. The implementation of these projects will help generate jobs for our citizens and may help the economy recover from the global economic recession.

According to newjerseynewsroom.com, jobs increased in education and health services. The advance in trade, transportation and utilities led to hiring in transportation and warehousing.


How does New Jersey compare to the national unemployment rate?

The Federal Reserve predicts that the unemployment rate will top 10 percent. The national unemployment rate rose to 9.5 percent in June of 2009, a 26 year high. The Federal Reserve also estimates that the economy will shrink between 1 and 1.5 percent this year, which is an increase from the May prediction of 1.3 and 2 percent.


When can we expect an upturn?

According to the Federal Reserve, the economy should start recovering in the second half of this year.
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How can you keep your business running and still stay within your budget?

If your budgetary planning has shown that there is no room for a full-time hire, CPS may be able to help. We can do so by providing your company with a temporary worker. The benefit to you is that there is no obligation to this worker, you can hire them only when you have a heavy workload, and any unemployment claims will be covered by CPS.

COBRA: What do employers need to know?

What’s Changed?

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) has been modified by The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Those who qualify will get the opportunity to pay only 35 percent of their COBRA premiums and the remaining 65 percent is reimbursed to a coverage provider through a tax credit. The changes apply to health coverage that begins on February 17, 2009 and will continue for up to nine months for those eligible for COBRA during the period of September 1, 2008 and ending December 31, 2009.

What is The Purpose of COBRA?

The purpose of COBRA is to uphold the law that group health plans must provide employees and their families with the opportunity to continue their group health coverage. Under certain conditions, this applies when coverage would otherwise be lost due to termination of employment, a divorce or a death.

Who Qualifies for the
Subsidy?

In order to qualify for the subsidy, an individual must meet all of the following requirements:

· Individual must be eligible for COBRA continuation coverage at any time during the period beginning September 1, 2008 and ending December 31, 2009.
· COBRA must be elected when first offered or during the additional election period.
· Individual must have been involuntarily terminated during the period beginning September 1, 2008 and ending December 31, 2009.

How Can You Prevent Drowning in A Sea of Resumes?

A higher unemployment rate does not necessarily make the recruitment process easier. Although the chances of finding great candidates may increase due to the vast amount of people applying, the process of filtering through all of these applicants could be comparable to finding a needle in a haystack.
How can you prevent becoming completely overwhelmed by too many resumes? Pre-qualifying candidates is the answer! The key is to filter out the bad candidates from the good before you spend time interviewing applicants. Spending time interviewing candidates that potentially have falsified resumes, fake IDs/Social Security cards or are not verified for work becomes a major waste of time.
Unfortunately, on-line job-postings do not offer any option to pre-qualify people. The highly-trained staff at CPS specializes in pre-qualifying all candidates prior to setting up an interview with you. We do this by conducting thorough employment verification checks, pre-screening, thoroughly interviewing potential candidates and skills testing. CPS is a certified E-verify agency. E-verify is one of the most reliable means of verifying employment eligibility. CPS offers all of these services to employers at NO COST.

The Good and Bad of On-line Resumes

In this day and age, technology and the internet are slowly replacing the need for hard-copy resumes. Statistics clearly show that employers prefer to have resumes sent to them on-line. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) conducted a survey. The results showed that “47.8 percent prefer to have resumes submitted electronically through their websites, while another 42.1 percent favor receiving resumes via e-mail. Just 8.2 percent of the respondents prefer to receive hard copies of resumes, while 1.9 percent like to receive resumes by other means.”

Employers see the positives behind electronically submitted resumes to be mainly in the convenience. The on-line method prevents lost papers and easily allows employers to organize these electronic resumes in a database. For many, finding the right candidate may be as easy as entering a few key words to pull up an applicant with a specific list of skill sets. Although this method has become increasingly popular, there is no denying that it blocks out a once more personal, face to face approach to recruiting employees. Applying online for a job is much too impersonal for some applicants and others lack the patience and trust to deal with it at all. NACE further states: “College students have less regard for widely used electronic tools than recruitment professionals might believe.”
In addition, providing an option for online application prevents any necessary initial screening process. A recruiter or employer risks having hundreds, if not thousands of resumes and applications to sort through. The result is an increase in the already pricey cost of an online job posting due to the amount of time spent in filtering through the sea of resumes. Desperate for jobs in this economy, it is likely that more and more applicants will take their chances, in applying for a job, for which they do not qualify. The listed years of experience required may be ignored. Worse yet, in their desperation, applicants may ‘dress-up’ their resumes and claim to have skill-sets, such as computer knowledge, that they know little or nothing about.

Top Recruiter, Tom Mayrant of CPS has stated: “The more people we have looking for work, the more I realize how bogged down employers must be with on-line job postings. I can’t even imagine having to filter through all of those potentially falsified resumes.” Having met with and dealt with many applicants in his years of experience, Tom Mayrant expressed his concern for the Human Resource Manager: “I have seen more fake IDs, false Social Security cards and jazzed up resumes than I would like to admit.” Unfortunately, in desperate times, people will do whatever it takes to find work., It takes a sharp eye and years of experience to know how to keep from being fooled by such applicants.

How will the insurance Act Affect you as an Employer?

Many employers are concerned about the newly enacted Family Leave Insurance. The idea of employees receiving paid compensation for time off may seem threatening as many employers feel concerned about rising employee absences.
Although this is a valid concern, employers must also realize that it is inevitable that working parents will need to take off for their sick children at some point. The Family Leave Insurance Act allows you the option of paying a part-time or temporary worker as opposed to paying salary to an absent employee. This way your money is not wasted. It is a win-win situation!
If you are a small business owner, this is especially beneficial to you, because you can provide better support to your employees that may not have been possible before.
As we progress into the flu and cold season, please keep CPS in mind if you should run into a situa
tion such as this. CPS offers temporary, temp to hire and direct hire positions. If your employee’s position needs temporary filling and/or if they are unable to return, CPS can help you find a qualified replacement. Especially at a time when someone gets sick, and there is not much prior notice, CPS is there to help with that last-minute placement. We have many qualified candidates available for immediate hire.

How does Family Leave Insurance effect YOUR family

The NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development has recently finalized the details in accordance to the Family Leave Insurance Act. Employees will not be able to receive any compensation from the Insurance Act until July of 2009. However, the state of New Jersey will be deducting .009% (up to $26.01 per year) from employees paycheck starting in January of 2009 in order to fund the newly enacted law.
Jon Corzine’s decision to sign the insurance legislation on May 2, 2008, means big relief for many NJ workers. At least 1 million workers do not have any paid days off and 40% of lower-wage workers do not have a single sick day. Imagine what this insurance plan can do for them? Employees who are covered under the NJ unemployment compensation Law, government entities included, will be covered by the Act.
Employees will be able to take up to 6 weeks off over a 12-month period, with pay, in order to take care of a family member or domestic partner who is incapable of caring for oneself. Employees may also file a claim to receive compensation for time spent bonding with a newborn or adopted child. Employees will receive 2/3 their usual wages: a maximum of $546 per year for claims filed July, 2009. The taxable wage is based on $28,900 and wages will rise each year in order to meet the increasing cost of living.