Saturday Job Fair Tomorrow!

Allied in the Community: 2013 Blood Drive

Miller-Keystone Blood Drive at Allied, 752 Union Blvd., Allentown
May 24th, 1:50pm-4:50pm

Did you know that approximately 500 units of blood are needed every day in the twelve counties served by Miller-Keystone Blood Center? MKBC is the only blood supplier to 25 hospitals in our region, where blood is needed every 2 seconds. Giving blood is giving the gift of human life, as there is no substitute for human blood.
 
In support of MKBC and the needs of our Lehigh Valley community, Allied's annual blood drive will be held Friday, May 24th from 1:50pm - 4:50pm at our Allentown office. A valid photo ID card or a MKBC donation card must be provided at the time of donation. From registration to refreshment, it takes about an hour to donate one pint of blood. We encourage any employees, friends or family members to donate. 

To register for Allied's blood drive, please contact Jen at 610-821-0220 by Friday, May 17th. All blood types are needed so your donation would be greatly appreciated.  
 
What To Expect

• Be sure to eat a hearty meal and drink plenty of water or non-caffeinated beverages before donation. Choose salty foods because your body can lose up to 2 mg of salt during donation.

• A trained staff member will check your temperature, blood pressure and pulse. A drop of your blood will also be taken to ensure your iron level is adequate for donation.

• You will be asked to answer questions about your health and lifestyle. All questions are asked in private and kept strictly confidential.

• You will be asked to stay at least 20 minutes after donating to relax and replenish. Snacks and beverages will be provided.

For additional information on donating blood, visit www.giveapint.org.

Administrative Professionals Week, April 21--27, 2013

Modern business is a storm. Modern office professionals bring order. That’s why we’re celebrating Administrative Professionals Week April 21-27, 2013.

Office professionals anticipate needs, connect stakeholders, track details, deliver results and ensure that business gets done. When resources are stretched, they find solutions. When roadblocks appear, they build workarounds. They ensure that projects end on time and under budget. When their executive gets a new smartphone or tablet, they figure out how to use it. When a meeting goes too long and off topic, they make sense of it. When you have two dozen team members on three continents meeting remotely with a client, they schedule the event, invite the participants, master the application, record what’s said and summarize the results.

An office professional adeptly jumps from work involving technology, finance, customer services, logistics, contractors, the law, health care, human resources, taxes and government regulations all in one day and without blinking a well-trained eye. They unlock the front door in the morning and are the last to leave at the end of the day. Nothing happens in your business that doesn’t in some way cross their desks.

Every April for 61 years, the International Association of Administrative Professionals has been asking businesses around the world to show gratitude for the people who get the job done in their office. In 2013, celebrate Administrative Professionals Week April 21-27 and Administrative Professionals Day on Wednesday, April 24.

At IAAP’s website, there are resources to help every office celebrate, including a history of APW, an FAQ, local events and list of ways to make office professionals feel recognized.

IAAP, headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is the world’s leading association for administrative professionals, with about 500 chapters and approximately 20,000 members worldwide. IAAP sponsors Administrative Professionals Week®, held the last full week in April and Administrative Professionals Day® on Wednesday of APW. Further information about IAAP is available at www.iaap-hq.org.

Earth Day 2013

Our April Fun Day always has an Earth Day theme. This year was a lovely green herb or veggie plant for everyone!

Earth Day Celebrations in the Lehigh Valley

Why Apply With a Staffing Firm?

By Jen Yarzebinski

Have you ever experienced the frustration that comes with job searching? Sending out dozens of resumes, scouring the internet, going to interview after interview without ever getting a second call. It can be overwhelming and discouraging. As a recruiter in the staffing industry, I’ve met many candidates who’ve had these experiences before hearing about the opportunities available through staffing firms. Working with a staffing firm can offer job seekers many benefits, especially when it comes to finding jobs that can’t be found elsewhere. Staffing firms have the unique advantage of offering opportunities job seekers would not be able to find on their own.  Here are a few examples why a position might only be available through a staffing firm.

-        Project Needs: Many of our customers contact us for project needs. They could have a permanent employee out on leave, or they have a large order they need extra help with. These can last anywhere from a few days to a few months. These positions can give candidates a great “foot in the door” opportunity. Consider it a working interview – if the position lasts longer or if a permanent job opens up, you’ve already proven you can do the job and are an asset to the company.  If your situation allows, be open to project positions through a staffing firm. You never know where they could lead.

-        Lack of Resources: Some small companies contact us when their HR department doesn’t have the capacity to recruit the right candidates. Sometimes they are under staffed or don’t have the time needed to search for and interview candidates

-        Contracts: Larger customers often sign exclusive contracts for certain positions, meaning the only way to get a job with their company is through our firm. It won’t be posted on job sites or their website – all candidates must be submitted through the staffing company.

-        Leave it to the Experts:  Staffing firms are staffing experts. Our firm has CSP certified recruiters that can search for and interview candidates faster and more thoroughly than most HR departments can.  Companies recognize this and utilize staffing firms to find them great employees.

-        Marketing: Recruiters may market a resume to a company where they think the candidate would be a good fit, even if there is not an opening.  We do this on a weekly basis. If we think you would be perfect for Company XYZ but don’t have an opening for them right now, we’ll still call them about you – with your permission. It’s surprising how often a company that is not hiring will make a position available based on our recommendation.

-        Confidential Searches: Companies running confidential searches keep their posting off the typical go-to sources. They won’t be on CareerBuilder, Indeed or the company website. Usually a company does this when they are replacing a current employee and they need to be discreet.

Job searching is a full time job. It’s frustrating at times but with hard work and resourcefulness, you can succeed. Take advantage of every opportunity you can, including applying with a staffing firm. Staffing firms offer great advantages: resume and interview tips, foot-in-the door opportunities and access to jobs you didn’t even know were out there!

Julie's Back!

Hooray--she's back!

Julie has returned from maternity leave, but you won't find her at our front desk. She's now working back in our payroll department. 

Welcome back Julie!

Criticism: Can You Take It?

It is essential that employees learn how to handle criticism in order to be an effective worker. But what exactly does “handling criticism” mean? Leadership communications consultant John Baldoni offers some suggestions in his article titled “Learning How To Accept Criticism,” published in Darwin Magazine.  The following are some of Baldoni’s suggestions:

Photo from Leadership Freak

· You’ve got to be able to roll with the punches. The message this will send out is that you are allowing people to disagree with you. And even though you may not be aware of how much you need this -probably some day it will become very clear to you just how important this is. Listen to what your critics have to say and if you feel it’s necessary, you can    politely defend yourself. But here’s the key: Don’t under any circumstance try to discredit your superior.

· Take a deep breath and thank the person who criticizes you. Why are you thanking the person who is criticizing you? It’s helpful to think of it in this way - it took courage for that person to speak his mind. Whatever you do, don’t go on a defensive attack. What you’re saying when you react negatively: No criticism allowed here. A negative reaction will likely prevent others from being truthful with you in the workplace in the future, and that is a dangerous position to put yourself in.

· Reflect, then act. Taking time to think over what your direct reports say to you, even if it’s something you don’t want to hear, demonstrates your maturity and true caring ability. If you want respect, this is a sure way to gain it.