Cornelia Simpson has been named Active’s Chief Business Officer and will lead the launch and development of the new division. She brings to the role more than 20 years of experience in strategic planning, business development, and human resources functions with global companies and government contracting. Most recently she was chief administrative officer for URC, an organization that works to improve the health of people across the globe. She also held prior roles with International Medical Corps and World Vision U.S.

“Our light industrial clients have expressed their enthusiasm for working with Active as a one-stop partner to handle all their hiring needs,” said Benny Elzweig, Active’s chief operating officer. “Active Plus extends our staffing capabilities to include executive search, a service that is especially critical to businesses today as ‘the great resignation’ places talent leadership demands on companies of all types and sizes.

“As the world of work transitions, Active Plus will be there to fill the need for recruiting executives, leaders and managers who can keep our client organizations productive and profitable,” Elzweig said.

Active’s executive search services will be available to clients across the organization, in all markets and regions.

“Having someone of Cornelia’s caliber on the team gives us a tremendous resource and reach into new talent, additional markets, and stronger resources for those we serve,” Elzweig said. “Executive search builds on our brand promise of “Better Talent, Faster Hires.”

To learn more about Active Plus and the company’s executive search capabilities, visit our website or contact Simpson at Cornelia.Simpson@activestaffing.com .

About Active Staffing:

Active Staffing has a mission to improve the lives of its clients, associates, and team members by connecting technology, talent, and opportunity. The family-owned company has been providing better talent and faster hires to the light industrial marketplace for more than 70 years. Learn more at activestaffing.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:                                                         

Dotti Gallagher, APR, Fellow PRSA
dotti@activestaffing.com | 801-890-1210

The post Active Launches Active Plus – Executive Search Division appeared first on Active Staffing.

New York, NY (Sept. 7, 2021) – Active Staffing Services today announced the extension of its light industrial staffing business to include CDL and Non-CDL drivers. The new Transportation Division, based at the company’s Elizabeth, New Jersey office, gives customers a single resource for a workforce in manufacturing, warehousing, and delivery of products.

Patty Curty has been named Active’s National Director of Transportation. She brings more than 11 years of driver staffing experience to the role, along with four years as a cargo manager with Delta Airlines.

“We’re pleased to now offer qualified, safe and hard-working drivers to Active’s light industrial customers,” Curty said. “Our specialties include route and delivery drivers, shuttle drivers, drop and hook driver, and switchers for both temp-to-perm and direct hire roles,” she said.

The company also offers special pricing for bundled business when driver staffing is combined with other light-industrial business.

CDL drivers are invited to join the Active team for jobs where they can drive local, be home every night, and earn competitive pay and benefits.

“The addition of a transportation division is a natural extension of Active’s light industrial business and continues our decades-long tradition of shifting our business in response to our customers’ growth and needs,” said Benny Elzweig, Active’s chief operating officer. “That’s what we call ‘The Active Way’.”

To learn more about Active’s transportation division, to place an order for CDL drivers or to apply to join our team, contact Curty at patricia.curty@activestaffing.com, visit our website, or call 908-242-1042.

About Active Staffing:

Active Staffing has a mission to improve the lives of its clients, associates and team members by connecting technology, talent and opportunity. The family-owned company has been providing better talent and faster hires to the light industrial marketplace for more than 70 years. Learn more at activestaffing.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:                                                         

Dotti Gallagher, APR, Fellow PRSA
dotti@activestaffing.com | 801-890-1210

The post Transportation Division: Now Staffing CDL and Non-CDL Drivers appeared first on Active Staffing.

In accordance with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we have advised our associates to:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth
• Stay home when they are sick
• Cover their cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a face mask
• Wash their hands often
• Report recent travel

Active’s COVID Practices and Policies

• COVID Vaccine Policy. Active is encouraging our temporary associates and employees to get vaccinated.
• Implementation of basic infection prevention measures
• Dedicated Certified Contact Tracing team
• Travel Policy. We require any travel to be reported to Active and return to work clearance obtained from our HR department.
• COVID Questionnaires must be completed by all newly dispatched associates prior to starting an assignment.
• Return to Work Screening. All associates showing COVID related symptoms must be cleared by Active before to returning to an assignment.
• Temperature Screening 
• Social distancing 
• Frequent cleaning and disinfecting of all Active Staffing office locations

We also have encouraged our temporary associates to do stay up to date on developments by visiting About Coronavirus Disease 2019 and CDC’s Frequently Asked Questions and Answers webpages.

We trust that our clients are advising their employees similarly and apply the same safety policies and procedures to Active Staffing’s temporary associates as to their own employees.

The Active Staffing team stands ready to assist our clients as together we navigate this public health challenge and further the well-being of all Americans.

The post An Update: Keeping Associates Safe During COVID appeared first on Active Staffing.

The new guidance—which is based on the latest science — includes recommendations for how and when a fully vaccinated individual can visit with other people who are fully vaccinated and with other people who are not vaccinated. This guidance represents a first step toward returning to everyday activities in our communities. CDC will update these recommendations as more people are vaccinated, rates of COVID-19 in the community change, and additional scientific evidence becomes available.

“We know that people want to get vaccinated so they can get back to doing the things they enjoy with the people they love,” said CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH. “There are some activities that fully vaccinated people can begin to resume now in their own homes. Everyone – even those who are vaccinated – should continue with all mitigation strategies when in public settings. As the science evolves and more people get vaccinated, we will continue to provide more guidance to help fully vaccinated people safely resume more activities.”

• Visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or staying 6 feet apart.
• Visit with unvaccinated people from one other household indoors without wearing masks or staying 6 feet apart if everyone in the other household is at low risk for severe disease.
• Refrain from quarantine and testing if they do not have symptoms of COVID-19 after contact with someone who has COVID-19.

A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last required dose of vaccine. Although vaccinations are accelerating, CDC estimates that just 9.2% of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine that the FDA has authorized for emergency use.

While the new guidance is a positive step, the vast majority of people need to be fully vaccinated before COVID-19 precautions can be lifted broadly. Until then, it is important that everyone continues to adhere to public health mitigation measures to protect the large number of people who remain unvaccinated.

CDC recommends that fully vaccinated people continue to take these COVID-19 precautions when in public, when visiting with unvaccinated people from multiple other households, and when around unvaccinated people who are at high risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19:

• Wear a well-fitted mask.
• Stay at least 6 feet from people you do not live with.
• Avoid medium- and large-sized in-person gatherings.
• Get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
• Follow guidance issued by individual employers.
• Follow CDC and health department travel requirements and recommendations.

CDC has released resources to help people make informed decisions when they are fully vaccinated.

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/p0308-vaccinated-guidelines.html

The post CDC Issues First Set of Guidelines on How Fully Vaccinated People Can Visit Safely with Others appeared first on Active Staffing.

The post UPDATE: COVID Sick Leave Guidance for New York Employers appeared first on Active Staffing.

MBE status assures the state’s corporate and government procurement officers that Active can collaborate with their supplier diversity programs when bidding on federal, state, and private sector contracts.

Certification also gives Active greater access to capital, markets, and contracts.

“We are honored to be a part of the Georgia MSDC’s efforts to create new opportunities and economic prosperity for all,” said Benny Elzweig, president of Active Staffing Services of Georgia. “We look forward to working with other MBEs across the state as together, we grow our businesses, contribute to the state’s growing economy, and create more jobs.”

Active invites Georgia’s businesses and agencies to contact their MBE leader Felipe Forbes as they are sourcing staffing services.

MBE is a program administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA).

About Active Staffing:

Active Staffing has a mission to improve the lives of its clients, associates, and team members by connecting technology, talent, and opportunity. The family-owned company has been providing better talent and faster hires to the light industrial marketplace for more than 70 years. Learn more at activestaffing.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: MBE Contact:

Dotti Gallagher, APR, Fellow PRSA
dotti@activestaffing.com | 801-890-1210

MBE Contact:
Felipe Forbes
felipe@activestaffing.com | 917-656-3970

The post Active Staffing Certified MBE by The Georgia Supplier Development Council appeared first on Active Staffing.

“The ASA’s new mentorship program provides an ideal educational resource to all its members as we come out of the pandemic, especially since it is free and takes place virtually,” said Benny Elzweig, Active’s chief operating officer. “Matching experienced members like Anna with people who are looking to grow in their career is valuable to the individuals involved, their companies, and the industry as a whole.”

Fazekas was invited to apply for the mentorship program and selected based on her experience and expertise. “The staffing world is small and quite specialized, so we all need to help one another along the way,” she said. “I’m looking forward to working with my mentee for the next six months of the program.

“I think I’ll learn as much from her as she will hopefully learn from me,” Fazekas said. That outcome is the heart and soul of mentoring.

Fazekas joined Active Staffing in 2005. Over the years, she has continuously moved up into new roles with increased responsibility. She was named Director of Human Resources in 2015.

According to American Staffing Association research, more than two-thirds of staffing professionals agree that mentors and coaches are critical to career advancement.

ABOUT ACTIVE STAFFING

Active Staffing has a mission to improve the lives of its clients, associates and team members by connecting technology, talent and opportunity. The family-owned company has been providing better talent and faster hires to the light industrial marketplace for more than 70 years. Learn more at activestaffing.com

# # #

MEDIA CONTACT:

Dotti Gallagher, APR, Fellow PRSA
dotti@activestaffing.com | 801-890-1210

The post Active HR Director Anna Fazekas Selected for American Staffing Association Mentorship Program appeared first on Active Staffing.

People are living longer lives than ever before, and are in good mental and physical health deep into their senior years. This is leading many people to continue working much longer than in generations past. In fact, studies show that the number of people over 70 years old that are still in the workforce has doubled in the last decade. This is an opportunity for many businesses to leverage the skills and experience of senior staff, and yet many organizations seem to be unaware of just how deep the benefits of hiring seniors are.

One of the reasons that so many seniors are looking to continue work is undeniably the economy – rates of poverty among seniors is also on the rise. But there’s more to it than that. Working can be good for your health. As noted by the NY Times: “Work offers a routine and purpose, a reason for getting up in the morning. The workplace is a social environment, a community. Depending on your occupation, doing your job involves engaging with cubicle mates, bosses, subordinates, union brothers and sisters, suppliers, vendors, and customers. The incentive for workers to invest in their health while employed is strong.”

In other words, work helps keep people sharp, focused, and creative. Many look forward to retirement, but after the initial “honeymoon” period where it feels like a holiday, retirement can become a dull and aimless grind. For this reason, many people who do retire then find themselves looking for new work – often in a part-time or consultative capacity, but many also want to go back to nearly full-time work.

Seniors and Ageism

The problem that many seniors face is that it can be hard to find work. Sadly, while there has been a 39% jump in the number of seniors looking for work, there has been a much smaller increase (11%) of people who have been able to find a position.

Part of the problem, seniors believe, is that they’re actively discriminated against in their job searching. Research shows that almost half (47%) of baby boomers feel that they’ve been turned down for a job because of their age. The fear of being turned down has meant that more than a third (36%) of baby boomers have decided to not apply for a job at all.

It’s not hard to understand why this discrimination exists, and it’s because of two particular perceptions: firstly, organizations are concerned that hiring a senior is hiring for the short term – it won’t be too many years before they scale back their work or retire completely. Secondly, it’s the perception that seniors are not tech-savvy, and therefore not innovative enough to be able to participate in the fast-moving, innovation-focused modern business environment.

Data Busts Perceptions About Hiring Seniors

Both perceptions are unsupported by the data. Organizations that are concerned about the cost of employee turnover should be looking at baby boomers, because baby boomers change jobs far less frequently than Gen Y’s – half as frequently, on average. A baby boomer is only 24% likely to leave their job in the next year. By contrast, there’s almost a 50 percent chance (47 percent) that the Gen Y employee is on their way out.

Meanwhile, baby boomers also tend to be more innovative. While it’s true that Gen Y counts technical skills as their strongest skillset (26.9% compared to 9.8% for baby boomers), baby boomers are ahead of their younger counterparts in terms of innovation and problem solving (22.5% to 19.9%), collaboration and teamwork (25.9% to 16.9%), and people skills (29.9% to 23.9%). In short, seniors have the interpersonal skills to get work done, and a creative mind to find better solutions to problems.

Seniors Are Loyal

Organizations should be falling over themselves to hire seniors. They’re more loyal to the organization, and with the wealth of work experience that they have, they become ideal mentors for the younger generations, helping to facilitate a better knowledge transfer within the organization.

With populations around the world aging, organizations will need to open more to the idea of hiring seniors. That age demographic will account for an increasing percentage of applications, so doing away with the false assumptions about seniors in the workplace will become increasingly important to the health of the business. 

The post Seniors Are The Most Innovative, Loyal Workers: So Why Aren’t Organizations Hiring Them? appeared first on Active Staffing.

It’s not unusual for people to join Active Staffing because they want to learn new skills, build their career, or transition to something new. Our associates learn every day they’re on the job with us, and that’s a good thing!

They’re not the only ones who learn, however. We learn from our people as much as they learn from us. Over the years, I’ve grown to appreciate the lessons our associates have taught me that have helped me become a better leader, manager, and co-worker to everyone in our organization.

Here are 7 lessons I’ve learned from our associates over the years.

Direct communication is critical.

When Active places an associate on a job, it’s critical to be clear about the duties, pay, location, and expectations of the job. Nuance doesn’t cut it; we have to be direct about what needs to be done. When we’re not on the same page, we see high turnover, our clients don’t get the performance they require, and our associates miss out on wages and opportunities. The same lesson applies to the way I’ve learned to lead my team, saying what’s on my mind and having very direct conversations. It’s harder to lead this way, but transparent communication improves engagement, satisfaction, and, in the end, revenue.

Be decisive.

When we’re hiring a new associate or deciding if they are the best fit for a specific assignment, we want to be right. Our associates are standing by, looking to us for a decision, and anxious to get to work. I’ve seen situations when we get so wrapped up in being right that we make no decision at all. Our associates lose confidence and move on; they won’t wait. Meanwhile, our competitors fill the order. As a leader, the fear of making a bad decision is real. I’ve learned from our associates to take calculated risks, make a decision, and move ahead. Being decisive gives my team confidence and assurance that I’m leading the way.

Listen well.

During an interview, I’ve learned that the more you allow the candidate to talk, the more they will let you know whether they are a good fit for Active Staffing or the job. Sometimes our recruiters are eager to get their points across and follow a script. Likewise, I’ve seen managers and businesspeople talk without having a conversation. Our best hires are people who help us learn about them. My best outcomes as a leader are when I listen and let the conversation unfold. As the old saying goes, we have two ears and one mouth for a reason.

Lead by example.

I believe there’s value in leading by example. I call it participatory management. For instance, if my team is in the office, then I am too, not working from home because I can. Being there, leading the way, makes a huge difference in morale and helps more work get done. I learned this from experience and from our associates. The people we hire look to the Active team for the unwritten rules and cultural norms that will make them successful on the job. They follow our example.

Ask for help.

We insist that Active’s associates ask for help on the job, whether it’s to lift a heavy item or get direction on what to do. We tell them, “If you don’t know, ask.” I’ve learned to turn that message back to myself and my team. Better outcomes always come from a group decision, when there are more minds in the game and more players on the field. For our associates and our staff, the job will get done faster and more effectively if you get help and learn from the assistance you receive.

Hire for strengths, build upon weaknesses.

We can’t hire the job seekers who come through our doors without understanding what they are good at, where they fit, what their weaknesses are. Their personality and drive must fit with the culture and pace of the company and the requirements of the job. It’s the same when building and leading a team. I’ve learned I can’t know it all or always be the smartest person in the room – that’s not the role of a leader. My role is to hire well, aim for diversity of skill and experience, and help each person become better in whatever job they have on the team.

Empower people.

Putting people in new or uncomfortable roles allows them to grow. For our associates, I advocate letting them help make the decision about the job they’re best suited for (see point 3. Listening). Empowering our associates in this way creates buy-in, reduces turnover, and allows them to choose for themselves. Don’t dictate what’s best for someone else. I apply this principle as a leader: if you’re going to bring me a problem, be ready to offer a solution, too. My role is not to “rule” but to listen and help people make the best decision for themselves and for Active.

In the end, Active wants and needs happy, productive associates at work for our clients. We also want and need happy, productive staff members on our internal team. My philosophy is to always be learning, adapting to and adopting different points of view from each person, generation, skillset, and circumstance of the people around me.

I believe that approach has helped me become a better leader and deliver a better result for my company, colleagues, and employees.

Jim Kennett is vice president of operations at Active Staffing. He joined the company in 2017 as Southern Region Vice President, was named Vice President of Sales in 2019, and was promoted to Vice President of Operations in 2020. In this executive role, Jim has overall responsibility for the company’s recruiting, operational processes, branch teams, and human resources function. He also leads the salesforce and sales culture, including sales training, and target account management. Prior to joining Active, he spent nine years as a vice president for a global staffing firm. Jim earned his bachelor’s degree from Florida International University and is working on his master’s degree at the University of Miami.  jim.kennett@activestaffing.com

The post 7 Leadership Lessons Learned from Our Associates appeared first on Active Staffing.

Having solid customer relationships is one of the strongest assets any company could own.

Since 1947, our company has worked diligently to build solid relationships with each of our customers. We’d like to say that over the years every relationship has been strong, long-standing, and committed. That would be nice, but it’s not realistic. Businesses and people change. Problems arise. Even the most committed relationship can end.

What we’ve learned from the many customer relationships that have lasted is that these five behaviors are always present.

1. Go beyond

Our company sells staffing services. People. Temporary employees. We provide peace of mind that our customers’ work will get done on time, correctly, within budget. But we go beyond the provision of able-bodied men and women who are willing to work. We share our insights and ideas about the world of work. We create customized processes and resources to meet the customer’s needs. We offer valuable third-party perspectives that our customers may not see because they’re too close to their own business. When a customer needs 10 people for a job, we recruit 15 in case a few of them don’t work out. In short, we go beyond the basics of the order. We care enough about our customers to treat their business like it was our own.

“The best feeling in the world is knowing you mean something to someone.” – Anonymous

2. Admit it when you mess-up.

We are not perfect. We make mistakes and occasionally cause problems. We are human and unlike some businesses, our product itself is humans. When a mistake happens, it’s on us to bring it up first, not hope that it won’t get noticed or that it will be swept under the rug. Admit your errors AND offer a solution or resolution. Right away. It’s hard to do, but we’ve found it will strengthen a relationship, not destroy it. And if a customer can’t accept that you occasionally mess-up, they’re probably not the kind of company you want to keep.

“Integrity is important in building relationships. And is the foundation upon which many other qualities for success are built, such as respect, dignity and trust.” – John C. Maxwell

3. Listen.

Maybe you’ve heard the saying that you have two ears and one mouth for a reason. At our company, we’ve learned over more than 70 years in business that the sweetest sound a customer can hear is your silent attention to what’s important to them. How can you truly serve your customer if you don’t know what they find meaningful or what their goals are? How can you build a relationship without working to understand them as people, as business people, and as moms, dads, partners, and community members? Listening builds empathy. It helps us deliver better service to every customer.

“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”– Dale Carnegie

4. Celebrate together.

Victories large and small are worth celebrating. For businesses, these wins can be earning a new contract, completing an expansion project, or taking a new product from concept to market. For building the strongest customer relationships, celebrations can go even further. Did your customer’s child win their track meet or get accepted at their preferred university? Did their dog have puppies or did their house finally sell? When you listen and are interested in your customers as humans, you’ll be attuned to their life so that you can be with them to celebrate. Together. Even small gestures of recognition, like a phone call or email, go far. We’ve also learned that it’s important to grieve and commiserate with our customers when life throws a curveball.

“Little kindness and courtesies are so important. In relationships, the little things are the big things.”
– Stephen R. Covey

5. Trust one another.

This final tip shouldn’t be a surprise. Business relationships built on trust assume that everyone will do the right thing, that people will assume positive intent, and that folks will understand that we’re all just trying to get through the day. Yes, contracts and lawyers are important players in business relationships. But without trust as the foundation, there will be no relationship.

“If you respect the customer as a human being, and truly honour their right to be treated fairly and honestly, everything else is much easier.” – Doug Smith

Active Staffing is a family-owned business. It’s trite to say that we treat our customers like family, although we sometimes feel that way. We rely, instead, on these five beliefs that have helped us build strong, loyal relationships with our customers since 1947: go beyond, admit when you mess-up, listen, celebrate together, and trust one another.

We’d love to build a strong relationship with you and your business. Contact me personally and let’s talk. Benny Elzweig, Chief Operating Officer, 914-450-5690 or benny@activestaffing.com.

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