Meet Our Newest Recruiter – GK

gk

Since GK started with APR in August, she has been a fantastic addition to our team. Always willing to go the extra mile for our contractors, GK is the recruiter you want in your corner when a job opportunity opens up.

We asked GK some “Get to Know You” questions and here were her answers:

What’s been your favorite part about working for APR so far?
It’s a great learning environment while the job itself is challenging and fun.
Where is one place you’d love to travel to?
I would love to visit Europe & Russia
What are some hobbies/things you enjoy to do in your free time? 
I enjoy Cooking/ Baking and I am planning to join painting classes
The letters in APR stand for Accountability, Performance, and Results. What are some favorite things in your life that start with letters APR?
A – Appreciation
P- Passion
R- Rewards

A New APR In 2018

Happy birthday! (1)

A New APR in 2018
By: Linda Stone

With the holidays right around the corner, I like to take a step back and reflect over the previous year – obstacles that were overcome, lessons learned, and moments that will never be forgotten.

In 2016, we launched the WeCare program with the sole purpose of supporting our contract workforce. In 2017, we evaluated our program and took the feedback of our contractors and made some significant improvements. In 2018, here are a few things we have planned:

  • Quarterly Giveaways
  • Contractor of the Month
  • New Digital Newsletter
  • Discounts to Local Area Attractions
  • Streamlined Email Communication

We also made major updates to our website including easier navigation, an employee hub for our contract workers, and completely refreshed the content and color scheme.

APR also began supporting new Fortune 500 clients in a variety of different locations, which means new opportunities for your career. Make sure to check-in with us at the end of your assignment so we can get you connected with your next opportunity.

I hope this holiday season brings you joy and wonder. I challenge you to reflect on 2017 and to look forward at the new season 2018 will bring. I hope you will utilize APR to help make it your best year yet.

“May your walls know joy, may every room hold laughter, and every window open to great possibility.” – Mary Anne Radmacher

Raising Money For A Good Cause

October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month and APR participated in various activities to help raise money for City of Hope – a treatment and research center. One major event was Pink Fridays. Every Friday employees were invited to wear pink and if they did, Linda would donate $5 for every employee who participated. A few other events were “Donate for Donuts” and raffle tickets for vacation days.

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This particular cause struck close to home, as our founder and CEO Linda Stone is a Breast Cancer Survivor.  Linda has now been cancer free for 17 years. Here are her thoughts on the trials she faced, being a survivor, and encouragement for others.

“It was a great feeling to see APR Employees support the cause.  They were willing to give back to the community by participating in the fund raising event that benefits City of Hope and its Cancer Research Program.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997 and my treatment plan included a radical mastectomy and aggressive chemotherapy.  Three days before my surgery, APR was awarded a big contract that was going to require a lot of work. APR could not afford to hire someone at that moment so as soon as I got home from surgery, I got busy.  Needless to say, I did not have any down time and had to keep going. A big motivator was having the passion and desire to succeed at what I was doing. I had forgotten that I just had a major surgery and may not survive.  That contract turned out to be a very successful business undertaking, growing exponentially each year.

The most challenging aspect of the cancer I went through was the chemotherapy. I also had a tough time living with one breast and had to carry a prosthesis so people would not notice my missing breast. Keeping a positive outlook in life, having a caring family there to support me, and keeping my mind busy on other activities, were helpful in overcoming this devastating incident in my life. 

 Some encouragement to others: Live a productive life, help those who need it most, and live life to the fullest without hurting others.  Be happy and share your happiness with people around you. Support cancer research even if and when you do not have cancer and believe that someday there will be a cure for cancer and cancer will not be as life threatening as it still is today.”

All donations were given to the City of Hope research and treatment center. Linda Stone chose the charity because she has previously worked with them and supports the work they do. City of Hope not only conducts research for breast cancer, but other forms of cancer as well. They are working on other methods to cure cancer such as using patients own blood cells to defend themselves from the cancer in order to reduce the use of chemotherapy or other harmful methods. Their treatment for every patient is individualized by case because not all methods work the same for every patient. They also help those patients who survive cancer transition to their old way of life with group sessions and support.

5 Tips to Boost Your Job Search

5 tips to boost your job search

 

5 Tips to Boost  Your Job Search

The dreaded job search – you spend hours each day applying for jobs with no end in sight. You haven’t received any interview offers or even a phone call . But don’t give up. You’re not alone. According to Jobvite it takes over 6 weeks to find a new job. (time varies depending on your industry.) If you’re in a job search rut, or just beginning to look, here are some great tips to boost your job search.

  1. Set Up Job Alerts
    If you want your application to even be considered, you need to be one of the first few applicants. Job postings that have over 50+ applicants and/or over a month old are not worth wasting your time over. The likelihood your application being considered decreases significantly. That’s why it’s important to create job alerts. By doing this, you are setting yourself up to be one of the first applicants for a job posting and increase your chance of getting your resume looked at.
  2. Make LinkedIn a Priority
    If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, create one. LinkedIn is heavily used by recruiters and HR departments to source people for job openings. Join groups within the realm you work, connect with people who hold similar interests, and follow different companies that you’d be interested in working for. You can start by following APR on LinkedIn.
  3. Perfect Your Resume
    When was the last time you updated your resume? Take some time and update it. Lose the objective statement and write a 2-3 sentence overview about why you would be a good fit for the position. Instead of writing a task list, write about your successes at the company. Did you streamline a process that saved the company time and money or did you exceed your sale quota? Think in terms of accomplishments, not job tasks.
  4. Work with a Recruiter
    Staffing agencies are a great way to find unique opportunities.  Recruiters are presented with hundreds of job opportunities to fill for their clients weekly. Find a recruiter who hires in your realm of work and let them know you’re looking for new opportunities.
  5. Let your friends know
    Referrals are one of the best ways to get in with a company. Rather it be through social networking or meeting with friends, be sure to let them know your searching for a job.

Warning signs of a bad staffing agency

1

Your experience from the moment you hit the apply button to when you’re hired is vastly different from staffing firm to staffing firm. Which makes it even more difficult to know what you should expect when working for one.

APR has been connecting people with job opportunities for over 35 years. We’ve been around to see what works, what doesn’t, and most importantly, how to treat employees that work for your agency.

When you’re applying for jobs and your considering to work for a staffing firm or agency you’re not familiar with, here are a few warning signs that you might want to consider before working with them.

2

Their application process is difficult and confusing

You find a job you want to apply for. After multiple clicks and having a hard time navigating their website, you now have to spend 15 mins filling out miscellaneous information that’s already included on your resume.

This should be the first red flag and you shouldn’t waste your time. This type of staffing firm clearly doesn’t have the employee experience first in mind. If you’d like to see a great example of what an application process should look like – check out our jobs page.

3

Their lack of social media presence is disturbing

You start to research the company on social media. You search for them on Facebook, Twitter, and even Instagram. You notice either A. it’s non-existent or B. their page isn’t engaging.

This should be your second warning sign. Social Media is a great way for agencies to stay connected with their employees. That’s why we are on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

4

The recruiter is unorganized, uninformative, and all around unprofessional

When you first talk to the recruiter, if they do any of the following, walk away:

  1. Pressure you into taking the position – They give you a deadline or say things “We need an answer in 24 hours”.
  2. Their cold, uninformative, and confusing –  They can’t answer simple questions and give you an idea of what the job entails.
  3. They over promise and under deliver – They say they will send you an email in the next hour and you don’t get it until 2 days later, or they say to expect a phone call from them in 24 hours and you never hear back.

If your recruiter treats you more like they are doing you a favor instead of a human being, this should be a big warning sign. Don’t waste your time working with a poor recruiter because they won’t stand in your corner when things get rough.

5

They forget about you once you’ve started working

An important question to ask the staffing firm or temp agency is what they do to stay connected with its workforce. Do they send out newsletters to keep in touch? Does someone check-in with you periodically to see how your assignment is going?

Last year at APR we launched our WeCare program.  With WeCare, we provide support from the very first phone call to your last day of work. We schedule periodic check-ins, support for any issue that may arise, employee recognition, and even an occasional giveaway. We also send out quarterly newsletters to keep our work force updated with any information that might apply to their job.

 

Keep these warning signs in mind when considering a staffing firm or temp agency to work for. If you’ve ever experienced something that isn’t on the list, let us know and comment below!