Questions to Ask Your Employer When Returning to Work

COVID-19 numbers continue to fluctuate from day to day and region to region, even as the virus is well into its ninth month in the United States and around the world. Stepping outside your protective bubble and going back to work can be a scary proposition.

But you have a right to expect that your work environment will not put you in harm’s way. There are steps your employer must take to protect you and your colleagues and prevent themselves from being negligent. So, don’t hesitate to ask what steps are in place for your safety on the job.

Here are some questions you might want to ask:

“Are we practicing social distancing?”

COVID-19 is primarily transmitted via person-to-person contact, so social distancing is one of the most effective ways to limit its spread. As you’re likely well aware, guidelines from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) set social distancing limits between people at six feet. This could mean physically moving desks or workstations, operating at reduced capacity, or staggering shifts in the workplace.

“What other precautions are in place?”

In addition to social distancing, physical barriers such as plastic dividers provide an additional line of defense against coronavirus. Also, frequently touched surfaces and communal areas should be disinfected often. Think phones, keyboards, door handles, light switches, faucets, and the like.

“Will PPE be provided?”

The most common form of personal protective equipment (PPE) against COVID-19 is face masks. If your job puts you in regular contact with customers, vendors, or others outside your bubble. PPE is critical. Ask what your employer would do if someone refused to comply.

Hand sanitizer and antiseptic wipes should also be readily available.
If your employer is not providing adequate PPE, express your concerns.

“What if someone here has COVID-19 symptoms?”

Many companies screen employees and visitors before entering the building, using temperature checks, questionnaires about symptoms or possible coronavirus exposure, or both. Anyone with symptoms should be sent home. If someone falls ill, the CDC recommends staying home until at least three days after their symptoms subside and at least ten days after they first appeared. Anyone who has been in close contact with an infected person should stay home for 14 days.

“Can I continue to work remotely?”

Suppose you have a pre-existing condition that increases your risk of contracting COVID-19, or it is your personal preference. In that case, it’s important to ask if you can continue to work remotely even after your employer calls you back.

A number of pre-existing conditions are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). To deny your teleworking request, your employer would have to demonstrate that it is essential that you come in to do your job. It’s a case-by-case determination.

Do you have additional questions about your workplace environment or career challenges in the face or coronavirus? PrideStaff Fresno is here to help, so read our related posts or contact us today for more information. And most importantly, stay safe and healthy!

Learn How to Keep a Productive Work-Life Balance

For the better part of a year, the Covid-19 pandemic has upended the way we work and live. Balancing these two components was never easy, but coronavirus has taken this challenge to new and unprecedented levels.

For many, the new normal means working from home instead of commuting back and forth from the office. Those whose jobs have been essential throughout the crisis likely mean longer hours and more hectic schedules. And for parents, there’s the added responsibility of homeschooling and finding or maintaining childcare arrangements.

Here are some tips for staying productive, minimizing stress, and effectively managing your time as the pandemic presses on:

Have a dedicated workspace.

Separate your workspace from the rest of your home. If there’s a spare room you can use, great. But it can be as simple as a corner of your living room or a section of your kitchen table.

Make sure others know that this is your “office” so you can maintain boundaries when you need to get work done. Hint: The same holds true for children, for their home-based classes and schoolwork.

Transition between work and personal life.

You may have lost your normal commute and the transitional routines between home and work, like stopping for coffee, clearing your inbox, or saying hello or goodbye to colleagues. So it’s time to find new ones.

Get dressed for the day. Research has shown that this helps put you into a more productive work mode.
Create cues to know when it’s time to start or stop working. Enable your brain to switch gears by taking a walk around the block, stretching in place, or getting that coffee, even if it just means walking downstairs to do so.
Turn off your computer. Then you’ll be less likely to check just one more task or send just one more email.

Treat yourself like an employee.

Hold yourself accountable for completing tasks and meeting deadlines, but also know when to say when. Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you should be “on” 24/7. It’s just as important as ever to take breaks, rest, and recharge.

Manage your expectations. Approach your new working environment and schedule with a little extra patience and grace. Build an extra dose of flexibility into your outlook.

Communicate your needs.

Feeling alone and cut off socially from others can make stress levels skyrocket. So even though you may not be able to do it in person, reach out to others.

Set up video coffee breaks with coworkers and Zoom gatherings with family and friends to combat isolation.

Be open and honest. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or struggling with work/life balance, talk to your boss and work together toward a solution. If you absolutely need to focus on a work assignment, your family won’t understand unless you tell them. Effective communication has never been so critical.

It may feel like your career needs to be pushed to the back burner as you navigate the sometimes rough coronavirus waters. But, hang in there. Take care of yourself, your loved ones – and your professional goals and plans. For additional guidance, and available job opportunities in your desired field, contact PrideStaff Fresno today. We’re here to help!

Don’t Hire a Turkey: Avoid Bad Hires At All Costs!

How to Improve the Relationship Between Managers and Employees

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”

As you build a winning culture at your company, these are words to live by. The source: Michael Jordan, former NBA star and principal owner of the Charlotte Hornets. In his heyday, he led the Chicago Bulls to six world championships. So M.J. knows a thing or two about how to stay on top when it comes to competition – and the same basics apply in sports and business.

Relationship Management in the Workplace

Employee engagement is the bottom line when it comes to the success of your company. Workers who become disengaged are more likely to leave their jobs or share their dissatisfaction, both on and offline. So, engagement can mean the difference between productivity and ineffectiveness, or ultimately, profitability and insolvency. Good employee/management relationship management reflects your ongoing commitment to high engagement levels.

Relationship management at work is all about:

Maintaining open, two-way communication.
Encouraging collaboration between coworkers and teams.
Showing appreciation for jobs well done.
Fostering mutual respect and understanding
Empowering people to take risks, spread their wings, and stretch their limits.
Helping employees set the right goals and continue to find purpose in their work.

What It Looks Like

Another advantage of effective relationship management is the minimization of workplace toxicity. For example, if a manager nips a disagreement in the bud or clarifies a concern early on, these proactive steps can make a positive difference in employee performance, as well as overall company culture.

Picture these scenarios:

Effective conflict resolution: whether it’s between two coworkers or between an employee and their supervisor.
Better career development opportunities: Managers are better poised to help their employees reach their professional goals and ensure they algin with your company’s objective and vision.

How to Achieve It

The steps to heightened employee/management relations are not complicated, but you must be committed to making them the norm, not the exception. These steps include:

Promoting cooperation: Achieving desired results can involve some healthy competition, as long as every player is driving toward the same goal. Managers should delegate tasks thoughtfully and strategically, capitalizing on everyone’s unique talents and ensuring that all are in lockstep to achieve desired outcomes.
Strengthening communication skills: Leadership, by example, is the secret sauce. Make sure managers are well trained in active listening and confrontation, and conflict management. Offer ongoing communication workshops and seminars for all team members.
Managers inspiring their team members: This starts with keeping each individual, team, and department informed of their goals, metrics, and progress towards achieving them. Have a robust recognition program with appropriate incentives and awards.
Giving people a sense of ownership: When management is planning a project, introducing an initiative, or making a business decision, employee input should be sought as much as possible. This not only helps to visualize situations rationally and from different perspectives, but it also provides more viable options for which paths to take. And, employees feel more invested and connected to your company.

As you raise the bar on relationship management at your company, consider turning to the staffing and talent management experts at PrideStaff Fresno for more tips and advice. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.

Moving Up: How to Become a Warehouse Supervisor

Do you enjoy working in the fast-paced, dynamic environment of a warehouse, but would like to take things to the next level and become a supervisor? Good for you! It’s a natural career progression and an exciting prospect. But, how do you head down that path?

The Role of a Warehouse Supervisor

Working in a wide spectrum of industries, warehouse supervisors oversee the goods that come in and our of company facilities. This typically involves managing a team of clerks and other employees to ensure that shipments are sent or received properly.

To break down warehouse supervisor job responsibilities in a bit more detail, the job involves:

Overseeing loading and unloading.
Assessing inventory levels. This often involves using software programs. When levels are too high or too low, it also means initiating shipments or transfers to other sites.
Maintaining safety and security. A warehouse supervisor is responsible for enforcing company and OSHA measures, procedures and guidelines.
Inspecting goods and equipment. Quantities need to be checked and any problems or defects identified. Tools and machinery needs to be checked regularly and maintained in good working order.
Communicating with team members, customers and vendors.

Recommended Qualifications

Generally, a high school diploma or a GED, along with some related work experience, are the basic requirements for being a warehouse supervisor. Some companies may require a bachelors degree.

Specialized experience or training, such as operating a forklift or commercial truck or working as a material recording clerk, are a plus. So are basic computer strengths: the ability to use everyday software applications such as spreadsheets and database systems.
You may also want to complete a management training program, have comparable experience or, better yet, both.

Soft Skills to Master

Managing a warehouse requires a unique skillset and mindset. The following soft skills are extremely valuable as you move into a warehouse management role:

A strong sense of organization: Warehouse supervisors handle a wide variety of tasks and balance multiple responsibilities. Know how to prioritize and manage your time effectively. Work on scheduling your day strategically, completing tasks in batches, and test driving a digital organizer.
Problem solving: You can hone this skill by practicing with logic games and puzzles.
Customer service and interpersonal strength: Most warehouse supervisors regularly communicate with diverse audiences including their team members, clients and suppliers. Sharpen your active listening skills. Think ahead of time about complex conversations, so you can drive your most important points home clearly and effectively.

Warehousing, production and manufacturing roles are among the niche areas where the career development experts at PrideStaff Fresno specialize. We have a proven track record in matching skilled professionals with amazing opportunities throughout the Central Valley and beyond. Contact us today so we can tell you more.

The Value of Taking a Temporary Job During a Time of Uncertainty

Since the onset of Covid-19, approximately 30 million Americans have been on unemployment. During a single two-week period in early July, 4.1 million lost their jobs. It’s been a rough ride, but history has shown that temporary jobs are a hot commodity once an economy begins to recover.

As the job market expands again, companies will need to bridge the gaps created by recent layoffs. A quick, efficient way to do this is hiring temporary workers. Eventually, those same employers will transition into hiring full-time employees. When that time comes, those who have been working as temps will likely have a competitive edge.
Temping is a strategic way to gain marketable skills and make valuable professional contacts. If you play your cards right, you can turn a temporary assignment into a full-time career opportunity.

Grab Ahold of That Lifeline

A temporary job can be a lifeline during uncertain times – whether you’ve been laid off or you’re seeking added income or peace of mind while you apply for a more long-term commitment. You may want to experiment with new and different career options in various fields, including:

Accounting and finance: With taxes, payroll, and work staff in flux and the need to manage PPP loans during the pandemic, companies need bookkeeping and financial support to weather the crisis.
Healthcare: The opportunities are wide open as this global crisis continues to be addressed. Just one example is the burgeoning demand for telehealth professionals.

If and when you’re ready, use these tips to land a full-time job as a result of your temporary position:

Treat your temporary assignment like a full-time job. Prove to your employer that you deserve to keep your position by adding value at every chance you get. Show your dedication to the company by going above and beyond the call of duty.
Take initiative. Do more than is required of you. Complete your tasks ahead of time. Then, don’t hesitate to branch out on your own. Learn as much as you can about your role, the company, and its industry. Use that knowledge to bring something unique to the table.
Consider your temporary assignment a lengthy interview. Now that you have your foot in the door prove to your boss that you have what it takes to stay there. Keep yourself motivated by looking at your temporary job as an extended interview.
Be a team player. Build connections with other employees. Get to know the company culture, history, and clients to demonstrate your interest further.

The right job for you is closer than you think, even in these unsettled times. The PrideStaff team can help you find the opportunity that aligns with your goals, plans, and vision, whether it’s temporary, temp-to-hire, or full-time. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.

Learn Tips for How to Show Empathy in the Workplace

“Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.”

These words from President Teddy Roosevelt ring true for all relationships, in and out of the workplace. Empathy is a vital leadership competency, one you want to encourage and develop in your managers and others. And it’s critical to solidifying good work relationships.

Today’s most successful leaders are “person-focused” – and they have mastered the skill of empathy.

What Empathy Looks Like

Empathy is the ability to experience and relate to others’ thoughts and emotions – and setting your own aside if necessary to do so. It means stepping into someone else’s shoes to truly understand their needs.

An empathetic leadership style can make everyone feel like part of a team and enhance morale, loyalty, and productivity. It’s a powerful tool characteristic of well-liked and respected managers.
Empathy requires listening, openness, and understanding. Empathetic leaders listen actively, putting focus on the other person versus themselves. They spend more time listening because they sincerely want to understand the difficulties others face. This gives those around them the feeling of being heard and recognized.
The bottom line of any business is only reached through and with people. Empathetic people realize this. They have an attitude of openness towards and understanding of the feelings and emotions of their colleagues.

Why Empathy Matters

When a leader understands their team, they have a better picture of what lies ahead. Empathy enables managers to see upcoming challenges and developments and be better able to discern the root causes behind any performance issues. They can better help struggling employees to improve and excel.

It’s all about relationships. Organizations are about people – and each one of them should be given a chance to both create value and be valued. Employees want to feel a sense of belonging and connection at work, and that relies on treating each other with empathy.

How to Achieve Empathy

It’s not always easy to understand why a person thinks or feels the way they do. You can build a culture of empathy, starting by training and coaching people to listen without judgment and let people know they’ve been heard. Then, provide direction that leaves room for compromise and conflicting points of view.

As defined by Steven Covey as the fifth habit in his bestselling book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, make it part of your company’s leadership philosophy to “seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

As you strive to build critical leadership skills in yourself and others, let the workplace development experts at PrideStaff help. Our mission is to deliver the value that matters most to our clients, and our goal is to foster lasting collaboration based on honesty, communication, and consistent results. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.

Safety Tips from Health Experts When Returning to Work

As you return to work during the Covid-19 pandemic, things will not look or feel the same – any more than they do in other aspects of your life. It truly is a new normal and a shared responsibility among everyone to keep themselves and others safe.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other health experts, the more closely you interact with others and the longer that interaction, the higher the risk of Covid-19 spread. What else should you know as you transition back into the workplace?

Think First

When you go back to work, continue to practice the everyday prevention techniques that have become the norm since the onset of the coronavirus. It is thought that Covid-19 spreads mainly from person to person via respiratory droplets produced when an infected individual coughs, sneezes or talks. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of others, or possibly to inhaled into the lungs. Recent studies also suggest that the virus may be spread by people who are not symptomatic.

Stay at least 6 feet away from others.
Avoid making physical contact with anyone at work, including handshakes, hugs or fist bumps.
Maintain social distancing even when walking down hallways or into office spaces.
Avoid or limit the use of elevators – another reason to take the stairs if possible to enhance your health.
Wear a mask whenever you’re in an area where you interact with other people. This includes stairwells, hallways, cafeterias, break rooms and restrooms, as well as other common areas.

If You Commute

The same rule of thumb applies: minimize close contact. Try to travel to and from work alone or with other household members. If you must use public transportation:

See if you can adjust your hours to avoid the busiest times.
Follow social distancing. Avoid touching surfaces, wear a mask that covers your mouth and hose, and practice hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette.

General Tips at Work or at Home

Wherever you are, use common sense and courtesy. A few more tips to avoid contracting Covid-19 include:

Wash your hands often. Use soap and water, for at least 20 seconds. Or, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
Clean and disinfect. This applies to any surfaces that are frequently touched, such as tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets and sinks.
Monitor your health. Be alert for symptoms including a fever or chills, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, extreme fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, a sore throat, congestion or a runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea. Continue to stay up to date on Covid-19 symptoms, as CDC recommendations evolve.

PrideStaff Fresno offers a full spectrum of resources and expert advice, whether you’re preparing to return to work, advance in your current role, or are seeking a new job opportunity. Most importantly, we can help you take care of yourself and stay safe at this critical time. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.

Check Out These Five Tips for Working Your First Warehouse Job

Research shows that the warehousing industry is worth approximately $141 billion a year and accounts for 13.5 billion square feet of inventory. So as you start your new warehouse job, you’re joining a major business sector with countless opportunities to offer.

Whether your job is seasonal, part-time, or direct hire, you want to start on the right foot. Here are five practical tips to help make that happen:

Learn the rules.

While every workplace has specific rules, following them is especially important in a warehouse due to the likelihood of potential safety hazards.

Learn the ins and outs of personal protective equipment. When, where, and what type of PPE is required? How can you ensure a proper fit? Also, know how to care for, store, and properly dispose of your PPE.
What other rules apply? For instance, is special certification needed to use certain equipment? Don’t hesitate to ask questions. It’s the best way to learn, stay safe, and show your interest and enthusiasm.

Be prepared.

To ensure success every day, but especially as you adjust to your new job, be prepared well before it’s time to punch in.

Invest in a good pair of shoes or boots. You’ll be on your feet a lot, so you won’t regret it. Check ahead of time to ensure that your footwear is approved for safety compliance.
Arrive early. There may be additional steps to take during your first few days, not to mention needing extra time to simply find your way around.

Establish pre-work routines.

Working in a warehouse is demanding, both physically and mentally. Get into the right pre-work routine to ensure ongoing productivity and success.

Do some dynamic stretching before your shift. This gets your blood flowing and your muscles warm, so you’re ready for walking, lifting, repetitive motion, and other demands on your body.
Review and key performance indicators for the day. For instance, most warehouses prioritize speed, which is measured by the number of orders fulfilled Know your goals and your employer’s expectations so you can focus your energy and resources appropriately.

Smile and say hello.

It’s normal to be nervous at first, but tackle it head-on by smiling, staying positive, and introducing yourself to team members and others with whom you come in contact. Don’t beat yourself up by thinking you have to remember everyone’s names yet, but set the foundation for getting to know people better, building healthy work relationships, and perhaps even some lasting friendships.

Know what to do in case of an emergency.

Hopefully, you’ll never have to apply this knowledge, but be aware of what to do in the event of a crisis or emergency in your work area. For instance, where are mast shut-off valves located? And what about the closest emergency exits? And of course, follow current social distancing and other policies around preventing the spread of infection. Help your new company achieve and maintain a zero-incident safety culture.

To learn more about working in a warehouse or to find the position that’s right for you, contact PrideStaff today. Even in today’s unprecedented and ever-changing climate, we can help you find the temporary, contractual, or temp-to-hire role you’ve been looking for.

The Best Books to Read to Help with Self Care

Fall is a natural time for learning. While this year may look different than any other, as summer winds down, your mind still tends to want to crack open a book – literally or figuratively, if you opt for an audio or electronic version.

It’s also a good time to focus on self-care and improvement. There are hundreds of options out there, but if you had to narrow your choice to five, you might want to read:

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Steven R. Covey

Despite the title, this time-tested classic (the current publication is the 25^th-anniversary edition) is about much more than just becoming effective. It’s based on Covey’s premise that to change any given situation, we must change ourselves, using seven steps:

Be proactive.
Begin with the end in mind.
Put first things first.
Think win-win.
Seek first to understand, then to be understood.
Synergize
Sharpen the saw.

Each one is packed with more wisdom than the last.

Think and Grow Rich: The Original 1937 Unedited Edition by Napoleon Hill

Napoleon Hill was a young magazine writer who studied more than 500 self-made millionaires to develop his Law of Success philosophy. There’s a reason it still works amazingly well after 83 years: It covers all the basics from planning, decision making, and persistence to more advanced techniques like transmutation and what we can learn from fear.

Hint: Don’t cut corners and read an edited version. You might miss some of the magic.

Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success by John C. Maxwell

Everyone fails at one time or another. Maxwell, known nationally as an expert on leadership, has published more than two dozen books. Thee basis of this one is that the major difference between ordinary people and achieving people is their perception toward and way of reacting to failure. The secret lies in moving beyond it, learning from it, and treating it as a stepping stone to success.

Simplify by Joshua Becker

Even the title is simple: Just a single word says it all. Becker, who inspires hundreds of thousands via his personal blog, offers a basic, rational and powerful approach to minimalism in life in just 42 pages. The book calls for the end of seeking and accumulating more things and the enjoyment of living with less. Read it in under an hour!

Love Yourself Like Your Life Depends on It by Kamal Ravikant

Self-love is the fundamental basis of all true self-improvement. Ravikant professes that when you love yourself, life loves you back. He advocates the daily practice of repeating the phrase, “I love myself.” He notes that as he repeated and practiced his mantra, he surprised himself as he began to do it automatically. Even if you don’t believe it, you can still lay the foundation for it: connect the neurons, and your body and mind will respond.

Happy reading!

As you focus on self-help and building your future, let the career development experts at PrideStaff Fresno help you achieve your personal and professional goals. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.