Filed under: Human Resources, Landrum | Tags: Fort Walton Beach, Landrum Human Resources, Landrum Staffing
September 30, 2011
A Beautiful Day for a Ribbon Cutting
The Landrum Team is excited to share a few pictures from the Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening of our new Fort Walton Beach, FL location. The event was held Thursday, September 29, 2011. We were blessed with a perfect morning filled with sunshine, friends and fellowship.
“The Landrum Team is honored and grateful for the support and warm welcome received from the Chambers of Commerce and the Okaloosa/Walton business communities,” said Britt Landrum III, vice president and chief technology officer of Landrum Companies.
Landrum’s Fort Walton Beach office is located in Uptown Station – 73 Eglin Parkway NE, Suite 110. We look forward to helping businesses with their HR needs and candidates seeking employment.
We appreciate the support of the Chambers of Commerce, clients, and friends who helped make it a beautiful day for a ribbon cutting.
Filed under: Human Resources | Tags: employees, Human Resources, Interview tips, Landrum Staffing, Staffing Services, Temporary Help
September 28, 2011
Feel Confident about Your Next Interview – A Job Seeker’s Guide
“If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it.”
Margaret Fuller
In today’s world, many people have found themselves back in the market for a job. The reasons vary from closings, reductions in force, change in careers, etc. Whatever the reason, the job market is fiercely competitive. You may have already experienced this in your job search.
How do you stand out from the others who are interviewing for the same job?
This article is the first of a series of tips and advice that will help you prepare for your next job interview. You want to feel confident when you walk out of the interview that you have left the best impression possible.
Information is plentiful.
You can search the Internet at any time and land on countless web pages filled with job seeking tips, suggestions and how-to’s. Many of these sites are excellent resources and offer helpful guidance for the job hunt. So you may wonder, what is different about this article from any other on-line information or book? Read on.
Denise T. McLeod, SPHR
The following list of interview tips was not found on the Internet or copied from a book. They have been developed by a Human Resource professional with more than 35 years of experience in the staffing industry. According to Denise T. McLeod, VP & COO of Landrum Staffing Services, “The job hunting process is serious business.” Her advice comes from interviewing, counseling, and helping hundreds of job seekers prepare for their first job or begin a new career.
1. Finding a job is a job in itself – Treat it like one
You must commit yourself to put in the effort needed to find a job. It’s like pulling out all the stops or going into firefighter mode. You have to be serious, on schedule and planned. Don’t spend only one or two hours a day on your job search. A business can’t operate if they’re only open one or two hours a day. Depend on patience and hard work.
2. Be Proactive and Assertive
Competition is fierce; especially now. Although calling on potential employers can be intimidating, it is still a powerful and effective strategy. Remember, you are in a competition with every other job seeker so you need to get in the door first.
3. Be Positive
Focus on your accomplishments and not your failures. Employers are not looking to hire negative people or take on added problems. First impressions are lasting impressions.
4. Do a Self-Assessment
You must identify your skills, experience, accomplishments, interests and values, and make a list of these things. If you don’t know what you have to offer a prospective employer, you certainly can’t expect them to hire you. One critical component of a successful job search is for you to recognize what makes you a unique candidate. You must learn to effectively communicate this to potential employers by laying out your attributes and explaining how they relate to the job you are seeking.
5. Contact Your References
Contact all of your references and let them know you are in the job market. Ask permission to use them as references and verify their contact information. This also gives your reference a chance to be prepared when that inquiry call comes. You will most likely end up with a better reference because the person wasn’t caught off guard.
6. Your Standard Information
Write down all of your standard information and have it with you at all times. Include past job information including correct company name, address, phone number, supervisor’s name, job duties, dates of employment, work and personal references and their contact information, and education information. You will then prepared at any time to accurately and completely fill out a job application.
7. Prioritize and Organize
Use a calendar and keep a “To Do” list. You can pick up free calendars at various businesses, find one on-line and print, or use your Smart Phone Calendar App. You must keep track of your job search efforts. Make a list of resources you should check frequently for job opportunities AND check them frequently. Example: Newspaper (on-line), free mini-papers found in retail locations, specific company websites, staffing services websites, local free magazines, career fairs, job placement websites like Career Builder and even Craig’s List, and other social networking platforms. Also check job posting boards at local colleges and university career centers and governmental websites. Actually, a good practice would be to assign a specific time each day to do your Internet research, network and make follow-up calls.
8. Develop Your Contact Network
This includes family members, neighbors and friends, classmates, former workmates, church members, and anyone else you can think of and let them know you are in the market and specifically ask them to keep their eyes and ears open for you. Prepare and have available at all times a contact card, like a personal business card, so that your network group members always have your contact information. No matter whom you may meet or come in contact with, try to include in your conversation that you are looking for a job.
Next in our Job Seekers Guide series, learn how to create a compelling resume and the importance of a cover letter. Feel free to leave a comment or question ~ we look forward to hearing from you.
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Portions of this article was authored by Joni K. Humphreys, Director of Marketing and Communications. Edited by Holly McLeod, PHR, Human Resources Manager.
Filed under: Health Reform | Tags: employees, Florida, Human Resources, Unemployment
September 6, 2011
House Bill 7005 Brings Unemployment Compensation Reforms
by Gayle Meacham, PHR, Unemployment Compensation Administrator
On June 27, 2011, Governor Rick Scott signed House Bill 7005, which brings about some major changes or reforms in Florida’s unemployment law. The reaction in the employer community seems to be quite optimistic, while claimants have voiced some dissatisfaction with parts of the bill.
Media attention seems to have focused mainly on the change in the duration of benefits. Effective January 1, 2012, the current maximum of 26 weeks will be adjusted to a range from 12 to 23 weeks, based upon the average unemployment rate in Florida for the third calendar quarter of the previous year. When the average rate is 5 percent or less, the maximum duration of benefits will be 12 weeks. An average rate of 10.5 percent or higher will result in a maximum of 23 weeks payable on a claim established during the following calendar year. The level of maximum benefit weeks will be calculated once per year on the third Friday in November, and using the average unemployment rate for the 3rd quarter of that year (July, August, and September). Florida has seen a downward trend since the beginning of the year, but the unemployment rate for June was still at 10.6 percent. As a side note, the average unemployment rate for the 3rd quarter of 2010 was 11.6 percent. At present, the maximum amount of regular benefits on a Florida claim is $7150. At 23 weeks, the maximum amount of regular benefits will be $6325.
An important change brought about by the bill is the definition of “misconduct.” The employer will still have the burden of proof, but that burden will be reduced on an employer when attempting to prove that employee misconduct was the reason for the job separation. The bill changes the language “willful or wanton” disregard to a lower standard, “conscious” disregard. The employer must still show that the employee was aware that their conduct disregarded the employer’s interests or disregarded reasonable standards of behavior that the employer should expect from the employee. The bill also addresses misconduct that could result in the employer being sanctioned or having its license or certification suspended by the state. There is also a provision that misconduct may take place at work or away from the workplace.
Individuals who file unemployment claims after July 1, 2011 must select payments via Florida Unemployment Compensation Debit Card or direct deposit to a bank account. House Bill 7005 phases out paper checks. Additionally, effective August 1, 2011, initial and continued claims must be filed electronically. Claimants will be required to contact five potential employers per claim week, and will be required to provide the work search information via the Internet when certifying for claim weeks. Claimants will be required to complete an initial online “skills review” which will reportedly be used by the local One-Stop Career Centers to assist claimants with job searches.
There are a number of other provisions in the bill. Overall, the reforms should save the state money, reduce taxes on employers and help Floridians get back to work.
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Gayle Meacham is the Unemployment Compensation Administrator for Landrum Companies. She is a certified professional in human resources (PHR) and has more than twenty years of human resources experience, specializing in unemployment compensation.
