Workforce Solutions Blog

It was just after mid-morning break and leadership representatives from CB Radios-R- Us were beginning to assemble for the weekly safety round-up meeting.  On this day, a handful of new employees were experiencing for the first time the unique style in which CB Radios-R- Us conducts all meetings.  Let’s listen in:          

Today’s business owners are struggling to keep their doors open amidst a failing economy, and an ever-changing workforce. Over the past several years, citizens lost millions of dollars in the stock market, forcing some to continue working past the age of traditional retirement. Many folks simply can’t afford to stop working. Others no longer have the financial means to attend college and must enter the workforce straight out of high school. Therefore, a 20-year-old may find themselves working side by side with an individual who is more than 50 years their senior. All in all, businesses today are comprised of a multigenerational workforce.

Did you achieve all of your career goals in 2011? If not, that’s ok. In this blog, we’ll uncover some great ways to limit distractions at work, and get you on your way to success in 2012.

With Baby Boomers retiring in record numbers, executives are now charged with the task of filling a large number of positions from a small pool of qualified applicants.  This is due to the fact that the Baby Boomer generation far outnumbers Generation X and Y.

Recently, I was invited to speak to an employers’ association about co-employment.  During the conversation, I got to share a story from a recent EEOC Training Institute to which I went.

While the newspapers are full of headlines about high unemployment, it might seem strange to talk about a skilled labor shortage. Yet that is what many American manufacturers are reporting, as they find it increasingly difficult to recruit workers who are equipped with the right skill sets for modern industry.

Even with 14 million jobseekers, it seems there is still a shortfall in key areas. A survey revealed that over fifty percent of US employers are experiencing difficulties in filling important positions in their workforce. The problem can be attributed to a skills mismatch, where many college graduates are leaving education without the skills and qualifications required in the modern workplace.

We all know the basic benefits of exercise, but did you know that exercising may improve your performance in the workplace? Exercising increases the level of endorphins in the body. An increase in endorphins will cause an elevation in mood, energy, oxygen flow, etc. Exercising also leads to a decrease in anxiety and level of depression. All of these elements combined will lead to greater productivity, and therefore, greater workplace performance. The next time you’re feeling stressed at work, dealing with a case of “writers block”, begin to feel “blue”, etc. - leave the office and exercise!

There once was a plant in Utopia where a company was implementing lean manufacturing across the country in all their manufacturing facilities.  The Utopia Plant Manager knew that this was another program that he would have to deal with for the next 2 to 3 years.  He looked for any excuse to delay the program and was successful in flying below the radar for 2 years.  In fact he did such a good job of flying that he was promoted and replaced by a crafty veteran from across the seas.   

My father is a dyed-in-the-wool football coach.  My sister coaches a gymnastics team, and my brother is a swimming coach.  In fact, he even coached me for several years!  It’s safe to say that coaching and athletics runs in my family.  At an early age, my dad advised me to choose a sport and warned me that, if I did not focus on one sport, I risked becoming a “jack-of-all-trades/expert-at-nothing.”  He often explained in his best coaching fashion, “you have potential to earn an athletic scholarship.”  Thankfully, I followed his advise, chose one sport and eventually earned an NCAA scholarship, thanks in part to my brother’s coaching and Dad’s pushing.  Having grown up in the thick of coaching and reaping rewards from its tutelage, it should be no surprise that I fully believe in the idea of coaches – but not just for adolescent and/or athletic experiences.  Coaching translates to safety as well.