Career Report July 2016 – Issue 197

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BERMAN LARSON KANE   Career Report July 2016

Feature Story

HOW TO HIRE THE RIGHT EMPLOYEES

Successfully recruiting new employees to your team can be a grueling process. It can take months to find someone who’s the perfect fit for both the position and company culture – and sometimes, when the going’s really rough, it can be tempting to settle on someone who’s good…but not great.

But according to an article published by the blog Hubspot.com, bad hiring decisions are not only frustrating for you and your team, they can also jeopardize the longevity of other valuable employees, slow down productivity, and cost your company money.

So what should hiring managers look for in candidates to ensure they aren’t setting themselves up for failure?

According to the article, when looking for prospective employees, focus on those who you feel possess the following six qualities:

  • Values Match the Company’s Message – Knowing what values the individual is looking for in a company helps better understand whether or not they will fit the organization office culture.
  • A Desire to Learn – Hiring managers want individuals on their team who want to continue learning. During the interview process, look for candidates who show excitement towards growth.
  • Long-term Potential – With turnover being extremely costly, look for new hires that show a long-term interest in the company and aspire to work their way up the corporate ladder.
  • Enthusiasm For the Position –For a new hire, you want someone who is assertive in performing necessary responsibilities, portrays excitement for daily tasks and is inspired to contribute to the company.
  • Good Communications Skills – It is necessary to have employees who can respectfully communicate and articulate the company’s message clearly to business professionals and clients so that the organization’s reputation remains positive.
  • Trustworthiness and Responsibility — An employer needs to be able to put full trust in their employee’s ability to perform and complete tasks accurately in order to maintain a positive and productive office culture. Look for employees who are good with taking direction and take responsibility for their work.

By staying focused on these six qualities, you’ll be weeding out those who can have a negative impact on your business and enhance your chances of hiring someone who can contribute to your organization’s growth and success.

NEWS FROM BLK

Our last month prediction of an active favorable summer for job-seekers was confirmed in the release of the June job creation numbers.  With close to a ¼ million new jobs created in July.

We are Berman Larson Kane continue to be optimistic for the remainder of July and August.  We are extremely positive for the continuation of high job creation for the rest of the year.

The hiring cycle is becoming more competitive as skill shortages continue to materialize in additional sectors.   So if you are a job-seeker this in the best we have witnessed in the past 8 years.

Enjoy the rest of your summer knowing that your skills will continue to increase in value.

 

 

 

 

Career Advice Becomes a Summer Must-Read

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Bob-BLK-head-shot

BERMAN LARSON KANE 

Career Report June 2016

 Feature Story

CAREER ADVICE BECOMES A SUMMER MUST-READ

Summer is typically a time for breezy novels and thrillers. But this  season, books dishing out career advice and inspiration are making a strong showing, as people young and old, employed and not, seek an edge in the  job market.

While overall book sales were down  for the year through April,  retailers report that sales of career-burnishing books have been on the rise.

Clearly, the season will bring  fresh demand for classics like “What Color Is Your Parachute,” a comprehensive guide to job-hunting by Richard N. Bolles that has sold 10 million copies since it was first published in 1970, and “Knock em’ Dead: The Ultimate Job Search Guide,” by Martin Yale. Both titles are updated annually.

Moms who are returning to work can pick up “Back on the Career Track,” by Carol Fishman Cohen and Vivian Steir Rabin, while baby boomers might opt for “Finding a Job After 50,” by Jeanette Woodward.

And while there are books for most every situation, publishers are rushing out new titles to address demand from anxious consumers.

Wiley & Sons “Get the Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring,” by Ford R. Myers. Ten Speed Press in Berkeley, Calif., has career books.. One of them, “Strategies for a Successful Career Change,” by Martha E. Mangelsdorf, a journalist, grew out of her experience writing a monthly column profiling successful career changers. The other, “The Job-Hunter’s Survival Guide,” by Bolles, is a pared-down guide for job-seekers who may not have time or patience to read his 400-page “Parachute” book.

Buying a book will not magically find you a job, of course, but the best career guides offer time-tested advice, exercises to pinpoint strengths and interests, and a motivational boost.

Mark N. New, a career counselor and recruiter in Belle Mead, N.J., who has read dozens of career advice books, said job seekers can pick up useful nuggets on the mechanics of an employment search from books like “Parachute” and “Knock’ em Dead.” For those who have recently lost jobs, he suggested reading a motivational book from authors like William Bridges, a consultant who has written several books on managing change, or Stephen R. Covey, author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”

“You have to emotionally be in the right place to put your best foot forward,” New said. He also urged job-seekers to become adept at social networking and personal branding. Here, he said, a book like “Me 2.0” by Dan Schawbel, can help.

NEWS FROM BLK

Although recent announced job creation numbers were the weakest seen in months, we at Berman Larson Kane are anticipating a very active summer for job-seekers.  We continue to witness a skill shortage in an increasing number of disciplines as the talent pool continues to grow shallower.

Bob Larson. CPC President of Berman Larson Kane says “I believe this will be the most favorable summer for job-seekers in the past decade”.  As I talk to clients they are all asking us to line up talent and keep the pool full so they can hire on fast and on demand.

 

OPEN PAY POLICIES COULD BECOME GROWING TREND

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Bob Larson, CPC
Bob Larson, CPC

BERMAN LARSON KANE 

Career Report

May 2016

 Feature Story

OPEN PAY POLICIES COULD BECOME GROWING TREND

Picture this: your client company has an open pay policy — where salary bands and compensation of individuals are visible throughout the organization.  Such a proposition may be a heart-stopping notion but, according a Monster.com article, recruiters and other staffing professionals would be wise to ponder the challenges and opportunities posed by pay transparency.

Why? Among other things, the article pointed out, it provides a means to overcome a job candidate’s potential doubts, fears, and objections around compensation during the job offer process.

Elements of open pay, a widespread practice among government entities, have recently gained momentum as a legal requirement for many private-sector firms. About a dozen states, including California and New York, adopted laws in 2015 that strengthen workers’ rights to: ask their employees about compensation, discuss pay with coworkers, and disclose their salary to others.

The primary goal of these laws intends to advance pay equality. Indeed, these state measures typically expand on longstanding Federal protections for pay rights.

Indeed, companies that choose a fully open pay policy — giving every employee access to everyone else’s salary — remain rare. Still, this phenomenon may potentially become a growing trend, especially if more upstarts follow the lead of tech firms like New York-based SumAll, a data analytics company and San Francisco-based Buffer, a web-based platform that helps share social media content.

What does all this mean for recruiters selling opportunities to candidates who may see salary transparency as an ill-considered scheme?  Here, according to the Monster.com article, are some top considerations, from the mouths of open-pay experts and practitioners:

Putting chips on the table can avoid wasting everyone’s time. With open pay, compensation is typically addressed toward the beginning of the recruitment process. This means candidates can quickly learn whether a job is worth going after, says compensation consultant Jim Brennan.

“Candidates no longer have to wonder what’s real and what isn’t,” says Brennan. And hiring managers, HR people and compensation specialists may no longer have to suffer through a series of candidacies that may well result in a stalemate or counteroffer ping-pong match.

Known salary bands can make negotiation more straightforward. “Open pay lowers the stress level in the hiring process,” says Dane Atkinson, CEO of SumAll, the 28-employee firm founded in 2011. At SumAll, a team comes up with the salary offer by comparing their appraisal of the candidate’s potential with the performance of current employees and then looks for an approximate match.

An open-pay search may increase the recruiter’s workload. Open pay is not all good for recruiters. With transparency, no manager can expect a company to make an exception to its internally published pay bands for an exceptional candidate; and recruiters can’t eliminate applicants who have been underpaid — mostly women and members of minority groups.

“Pay transparency is bad for recruiters and good for candidates,” says Brennan. “It’s much easier for recruiters to use prior pay as a proxy; with open pay, recruiters may have to work harder and do more research.”

Transparent pay can reduce inequities among demographic groups. With salary out in the open, unfair pay practices tend to quickly diminish — an objective that sometimes eludes even those employers that make serious efforts to treat equally all workers’ requests for raises.

A system weighted toward equity is doubly important for aforementioned women and minorities, who often tend to be weaker salary negotiators, according to studies cited by a Penn State Law Review article. Thus, open pay can be a great selling point to candidates who are members of protected classes.

Open comp companies can speak fluently about pay for performance. When each of your employees knows what everyone is paid, it requires some transparency about compensation differences among people doing similar work.

“You can think of open pay as a call to action to organizations to communicate about how comp is derived and how it links to performance,” says Salary.com CEO Kent Plunkett. “The biggest problem I see with open pay is how you feel if you’re in the bottom third” of the pay band.

Open pay can exemplify a transparent company culture.  “Pay transparency is an opportunity for a company to communicate culture and employer brand,” says Plunkett. Open-pay companies are likely skilled in communicating their culture to recruiters and the candidates they source.

Transparent pay can reassure candidates about working for a smaller employer. Candidates may have heard horror stories from friends who went to work for an exciting small company but become mired in a low to middling pay range. Visibility into your client’s open-pay structure may help overcome such objections.

“At companies with fewer than 50 workers, it’s more likely that employees will feel that pay is not systematic and open pay can mute this concern,” says Plunkett.

Openness makes compensation systems more self-correcting. Open-pay systems tend to keep themselves honest. “Once you publish a pay rate, it becomes consistent, because there’s pressure to keep it so,” says Brennan. And pay transparency makes it harder for executives to create exceptions.

Transparency tends to help employees keep up with market pay rates. “Open pay brings vitality to the whole talent acquisition process,” says Brennan.

Clearly, the article pointed out, with company-wide visibility into pay data, changes in compensation can quickly sweep through a given employment classification, helping to boost employee morale as inequity is addressed, Brennan believes. Another possible benefit of open pay: while labor costs may tend to be higher in the short term, they will be lowered in the long term due to reduced employee attrition.

NEWS FROM BLK

“April Showers they Bring May Flowers” we are not sure of this east coast weather but we are super pleased to report that May has brought a new blossom of job orders.  Segments that are getting warmer for the hot summer are scientific, pharma, marketing, sales and information technologies.   Shortages have appear and top talent competition continues to heat up.  Hot times are on the horizon for the job-seeker.

We are also pleased to report that our infrastructure improvements continue to assist our clients in stream lining the talent acquisition cycle.  If you would like to learn more give Bob Larson, CPC a call 201-556-2887 or email him at larson@jobsbl.com.

 

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN HIRING FOR CULTURAL FIT

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Bob Larson, CPC
Bob Larson, CPC

April 2016 Issue # 194

 Feature Story

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN HIRING FOR CULTURAL FIT

Cultural fit is a concept that can be hard to define but, when it’s missing, everyone in an organization can clearly recognize it, an article in Business News Daily points out.

 For example, imagine a company founder who believes that an open-office plan and team projects promote creativity and progress, but whose employees are overwhelming introverts. Or think about the ambitious employee stuck in an organization that offers no training, tuition reimbursement or room for advancement.

According to the article, at its core, cultural fit means that employees’ beliefs and behaviors are in alignment with their employer’s core values and company culture. Many employers understand the importance of hiring for cultural fit, and research shows that people who fit well into their companies express greater job satisfaction, perform better and are more likely to remain with the same organization for a longer period of time.

In fact, a 2015 survey of international employers found that more than 80 percent of managers named cultural fit a top priority when hiring new staff.

“We can teach someone to do a job. We can’t teach someone to love the way we operate,” said Lauren Kolbe, a founder of brand media agency KolbeCo. “An employee who is not aligned with the culture and is not committed to living it can wreak havoc pretty quickly, even if they bring a great deal of skill and experience to their craft.”

The first step in hiring for cultural fit is to be able to articulate what values, norms and practices define your business. Once that’s in place, it should be clearly expressed in all of your communication materials, including your website and recruiting tools.

Your job ads, in particular, must reflect your business culture and connect back to your core values, said Ian Cluroe, director of global brand and marketing at Alexander Mann Solutions, which helps organizations attract, engage and retain talent.  “You can do this by emphasizing some of the qualitative things you want in a candidate,” Cluroe told Business News Daily, the publication that aims to provide solutions and inspiration to entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Any members of your organization involved in interviewing potential employees also must have a good grasp of your business culture and refer back to it throughout the hiring process, Cluroe noted. It is not sufficient to ask candidates if they will fit into the corporate culture because “a smart candidate will know what you want to hear and give you the right answer,” he added.

To dig deeper, Barnes-Hogg recommended that interviewers ask probing questions that move applicants beyond canned answers and require them to demonstrate how they deal with uncertainty, solve problems and approach new challenges. Then, interviewers must determine how a candidate’s responses align with company culture and business goals.

Additionally, the article, by contributor Paula Fernandes, pointed out that employers can assess candidates for cultural fit by asking them to take personality tests like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and arranging for them to meet with team members from a range of levels across the organization. A potential employer may even ask prospective hires to spend a day in the office to learn about the inner workings and culture of the business or invite them to join the organization for a trial period.

However, employers should avoid confusing personal similarities with cultural fit. “When cultural fit is used to hire a homogenous workforce, the resulting lack of diversity will often manifest in poor creativity and undermine a company’s competitiveness,” said Pavneet Uppal, a managing partner with law firm Fisher & Phillips that represents employers in labor and employment matters.

“Focusing on hiring based on shared background or experiences may also lead to discriminatory practices,” Uppal added. “Refusing to hire someone because of an alleged lack of cultural fit will not save an employer from legal liability if the real reason for the employment decision is that an individual is perceived to be too old, too black, or too disabled.”

Asking candidates about personal issues — such as age, citizenship status, health, family history or ethnic background — can never be justified on the basis of cultural fit, Uppal stressed in the article.

The end goal, according to the article, is to identify and hire the very best candidates whose skills and attributes match the organization’s core values. Cluroe said this objective is achievable when organizations have a “culture that’s based on positive values that are open enough to enable a diverse selection of people to embody them in their own way.”

News from BLK

The second quarter of 2016 has seen a continuing increase in competition for top talent in numerous sectors.  Leading specialties s experiencing the most competition include scientific, digital media, healthcare and engineering.

Although recent data suggests a small increase in the unemployment rate and a decrease in New Jersey job creation numbers.  The overall direction of our clients continuous with planned additions to staff.

A sign that competition is increasing are the number of counter offers has increased greatly over the past few months. Employers using VORP models are sweetening the compensation as employees resignations trigger their current market value.

 

 

 

Junior Accountant Contact Assignment Livingston NJ

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Junior Accountant Contact Assignment

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Primary responsibility is to assist with the preparation of financial statements and

support schedules according to corporate time lines

  • Excel knowledge, creation of tables and organizing accounting data
  • Assist with the monthly close procedures
  • Prepare account reconciliations (cash, liabilities, fixed assets, payroll accruals)

and supporting sub-ledgers

  • Research and resolve account reconciling items
  • Assist with documentation and testing of internal enterprise reporting system

upgrades and modifications

  • Journal entries and Accounts Receivable
  • Assist with preparation of audit sampling package for external & internal audits
  • Billing experience a plus but not required
  • Support other team members as necessary
  • Other projects as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Recent college graduates encouraged to apply
  • 4 year Accounting or Business related degree required
  • Must be highly detail oriented and organized
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with a customer service focus
  • Ability to act and operate independently with minimal daily direction from

manager to accomplish objectives

  • Proficiency with email and Microsoft Office application; especially Excel
  • Fund E-Z would be a tremendous plus
  • Ability to work cooperatively and collaboratively with all levels of employees, management, and external agencies to maximize performance creativity, problem solving, and result

forward resume to:  jobs@jobsbl.com

RECRUITING AND HIRING TOP-QUALITY EMPLOYEES

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Bob Larson, CPC
Bob Larson, CPC

March 2016 Issue # 193

 Feature Story

RECRUITING AND HIRING TOP-QUALITY EMPLOYEES

 As all employers quickly learn, there’s a world of difference between a worker who’s correctly matched to their job and their organization, and one who is not. But how does a company find and match the right people to the right jobs? According to an article published by Entrepreneur.com, a well-structured recruiting and selection program is essential.

The key to successfully developing such a program, the article points out, is to follow a proven recruiting process for positions you need to fill. And be certain to resist the temptation to omit steps, as shortcutting the process can shortchange your results. Here from the article are action items you should consider:

  1. Develop accurate job descriptions. Your first step is to make sure you have an effective job description for each position in your company. Job descriptions should reflect careful thought as to roles the individual will fill, skill sets they’ll need, personality attributes that are important to completing tasks, and any relevant experience that would differentiate one applicant from another. This may sound basic, but you’d be surprised how many small companies fail to develop or maintain updated job descriptions.
  1. Compile a “success profile.” In addition to creating job descriptions, it’s important to develop a “success profile” of the ideal employee for key positions in your company that is critical to the execution of your business plan. These might include team leaders, district managers and salespeople. For example, let’s say you have 20 salespeople. Within that group, you have four top performers, 12 that are middle-of-the-road and four that aren’t quite making the grade. If you could bump the number in the top group from 20 percent to 33 percent, that could have a dramatic impact on your company’s performance.

To accomplish this, you need to profile everyone in the sales group to identify skills and attributes common to the top group but missing from other groups. Using this information, you’ll be able to develop a profile to help select candidates most likely to succeed in the position.

  1. Draft the ad, describing the position and key qualifications required. Although some applicants will ignore these requirements and respond regardless, including this information will help limit the number of unqualified applicants.

 

  1. Post the ad in mediums most likely to reach potential job candidates. Of course, the Internet has become the leading venue for posting job openings, but don’t overlook targeted industry publications and local newspapers.
  1. Develop a series of phone-screening questions. Compile a list of suitable questions you can ask over the phone to help you quickly identify qualified candidates and eliminate everyone else.
  1.  Review resumes you receive and identify your best candidates. Once you post your ad, you’ll start receiving resumes…sometimes many more than you anticipated. Knowing what you’re looking for in terms of experience, education and skills will help you weed through these resumes quickly and identify potential candidates.
  1. Screen candidates by phone. Once you’ve narrowed your resumes to a handful of potential applicants, call the candidates and use phone screening questions to further narrow the field. Using a consistent set of questions in both this step and your face-to-face interviews will help ensure you’re evaluating candidates equally.
  1. Select candidates for assessment. Based on responses to phone interviews, select candidates you feel are best qualified for the next step in the process.
  1. Assess your potential candidates for their skills and attributes using a proven assessment tool. A resume and phone interview can only tell so much about an applicant, so you’ll need a dependable assessment tool to help analyze core behavioral traits and cognitive reasoning speed of applicants. For example, a good test will provide insights on whether the individual is conscientious or lackadaisical, introverted or extroverted, agreeable or uncompromising, open to new ideas or close-minded, and emotionally stable or anxious and insecure.

The success profile for each position will help determine which behavioral traits are important for that position. These assessment tests can be administered in person or online. Online testing can help you determine whether the applicant should be invited for a personal interview.

  1. Schedule and conduct candidate interviews. Once you’ve selected candidates based on the previous steps, schedule and conduct the interviews. Use a consistent set of 10 or 12 questions to maintain a structured interview and offer a sound basis for comparing applicants.
  1. Select the candidate. Make your selection by matching the best applicant to the profiled job description.
  1. Run a background check on the individual. The goal is to uncover any potential problems not revealed by previous testing and interviews. 
  1. Make your offer to the candidate. The information you collected during the interview process will provide important insights as to starting compensation levels and training needs.

Finally, some additional pre-recruiting tips from the Entrepreneur.com article:

Before you start the hiring process, determine your strategy relative to how people fit into your organization. What is your process for making sure they’re a good fit with your company’s culture? Decide whether your approach to the cultural question should include a second interview. Also, who else, if anyone, do you involve in interviews to help make this selection and judge the candidate? Your goal is to have a plan that will help determine whether you have a qualified applicant who will fit into your company’s culture.

In addition, decide whether you’re going to conduct pre-employment testing. How much is it worth for you to know an individual’s strengths and weaknesses, not just as a hire/don’t hire test, but as a coaching tool to help determine their training needs and best approach to maximize the person’s productivity? Pre-employment testing is often overlooked, when it could be a very valuable tool.

Clearly, if you want your business to attract and retain good clients, your comprehensive people strategy must include a recruiting and selection strategy that attracts and retains quality employees. Following a well-thought-out, structured process will help you best match the right people to the right jobs in your company.

News from BLK

As Spring begins we continue to see an increase in hiring across numerous sectors with scientific leading the charge.  Numerous clients are looking at adding to staff during the 2nd quarter.  We at Berman Larson Kane continue to be very optimistic for the remainder of 2016 and beyond.

One major observation is that contract-to-hire appears to be the preferred model by several clients.  So job-seekers should be open to various employment arrangements besides direct hire.

As the unemployment rate continues of decrease competition for top talent and will continue to increase as we have witness many job-seeker acquiring multiple job offers.   As a reminder the BLK talent discover team will always bring to your attention the best talent the market has to offer.

Field Support Engineer, Medical, Central Pennsylvania, Wonderful Package

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Field Support Engineer
Central Pennsylvania
Description Summary: Plans and coordinates activities concerned with installing instrumentation, investigating and resolving customer reports of problems with instruments, and minimize future operational or service difficulties by performing the following duties.

Job Duties:
Installs instruments at customer’s facility, sales demos, product shows, etc, to ensure full functionality according to specifications.
Analyzes, reviews, and inspects findings to determine source of problem, and performs troubleshooting, repair, replacement, or other corrective action.
Documents and records information to be included in the repair records in accordance with company policies and regulatory agencies.
Adheres to all company policies and procedures.
Timely completion of TSB’s and preventative maintenance procedures.
Demonstrates proper operation to end users.
Coordinates problem resolution within Field Support Group & other personnel to expedite repairs, including timely escalation.
Provides a communication link between the customer and the company to help ensure that effective service is provided to the customer.
Responsible for effective management of company resources.
Conducts basic on-site in-service training of proper operation of company instrumentation.
Provides application assistance/troubleshooting as required.
Supports Sales and Marketing departments.

Skills:
Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner
Manages difficult or emotional customer situations
Strong PC skills, including knowledge of database & internet software; Windows NT, XP and DOS

Education & Requirements:
High School diploma or general education degree (GED) required with minimum 3 years related experience troubleshooting and repairing diagnostic equipment with field experience required; or
Associate’s degree or equivalent from two-year college or a certificate from a Technical/Military School in a related field;
Bachelor’s degree in related field from four-year college or university preferred.
Valid driver’s license
Ability to travel outside of designated territory, if needed. Up to 50% overnight travel dependent upon territory. Occasional weekend/holiday on-call coverage for the region.

forward resumes to jobs@jobsbl.com

Saying Goodbye to a Job Gracefully

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Bob Larson, CPC
Bob Larson, CPC

Career Report

February 2016 Issue #192

 Feature Story

Saying Goodbye to a Job Gracefully

As the unemployment continues to go down and new jobs are being created it is estimated   the percentage of job-seekers will continue to increase rapidly. In fact, one recent survey, by consulting firm Right Management, revealed that as many as 60 percent of workers say they are planning to leave their jobs as the economy continues to  improve. And while it may be tempting to give the boss an earful if you do land a new job, workers need to keep in mind that the way they quit can have a long term impact on their career.

Here are some tips from the newspaper article on how to resign from a job on good terms:

  • Be prepared. Review your employee handbook or employment contract before announcing your decision, so you know what your company policy is regarding resignations, severance, return of company property, and pay for unused vacation time. Also, find out the company’s reference policy to see what information will be disclosed to a prospective employer. If you have another job lined up, be sure to have your offer in writing before you resign.
  • Use it or loose it. If you haven’t used vacation time and will lose it if you quit, you might want to use your time before leaving or link it to your resignation date. But if you don’t want to burn any bridges, don’t take vacation and announce your departure just after your return.
  • Make an appointment. “Be formal and make an appointment with your boss,” recommended Tanya Maslach, a San Diego, Calif., career expert who specializes in relationship management issues. “Be prepared and engaging—and be transparent,” Maslach said. She also recommends asking your boss how you can help make the transition easier. After the discussion, put your resignation in a hard-copy letter that includes your last day and any transitional help you’ve offered.
  • Give Two weeks Notice. Two weeks advance notice is still standard but experts recommend offering more time if you’ve worked at a company for more than five years. Importantly, though, you also need to be prepared to leave right away—some companies require it.
  • Don’t take the stapler. “It’s not worth it,” said Michael J. Goldfarb, president of Northridge, Calif.-based Holman HR. “If there are security cameras or coworkers with a grudge, stealing from the company doesn’t look good.” In some cases, you could also end up getting billed for the missing equipment—or even taken to court, he said.
  • Scrub your digital footprint. Clear your browser cache, remove passwords to Websites you use from work, such as your personal email or online bank account and delete any personal files on your work computer that aren’t relevant to work. Don’t delete anything work related if you’re required to keep it.
  • Be honest but remain positive. Be helpful during the exit interview, but keep responses simple and professional. Don’t use the session to lay blame or rant about the workplace. “Whatever you do, don’t confess about how much you disliked working there,” said Maslach.
  • Stay close. Consider joining an employee alumni association, which often serves as a networking group for former employees. It can be a good way to keep up with changes in the company and industry—and find leads to new jobs down the road. Lastly, make an effort to keep in touch with coworkers you worked with; they may end up in management roles.

News from BLK

We continue to see an increase in hiring across numerous sectors with scientific leading the charge.  Numerous clients are looking at adding to staff during the 2nd quarter.  We at Berman Larson Kane continue to be very optimistic for the remainder of 2016 and beyond.

One major observation is that contract-to-hire appears to be the preferred model by several clients.  So job-seekers should be open to various employment arrangements besides direct hire.

In our continuous cycle of quality improvement we have adjusted our ATS system to better track your career progress and service our clients needs.

 

 

 

Quality Systems Analyst, Parsippany NJ Pharma Medical Device

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Quality Systems Analyst

Description        Summary: The Quality Systems Analyst continually improves the Quality Management System through the analysis of processes and the development of key performance indicators (metrics). S/he is a key contributor to Management Reviews. S/he manages the Purchasing Controls/Supplier Quality subsystem. The analyst seeks synergies and efficiencies as a super-user of all QMS software applications. The analyst leads the CSV/software validation efforts within NA. Essential Duties

Job Duties/Responsibilities:

Develop, improve, track, and report meaningful and actionable metrics for improving the Quality Management System.

Share ideas and collaborate with others throughout the companies to share best practices.

Provide key metrics to Management Review.

Set targets, analyze data trends, investigate anomalies, etc.

Develop, administer, and maintain the Purchasing Controls/Supplier Quality process for SNA.

Assure compliance with 21 CFR 820.50. Act as Purchasing Controls Subject Matter Expert during inspections/audits.

As software applications are adopted for the QMS, act as super-user/SME. Understand underlying processes and formulate local User Requirements Specifications.

Lead the Computer System Validation (CSV)/Software Validation program for SNA.

Act as SME on this topic during audits and inspections.

Assure compliance with 21 CFR 820.70(i) and 21 CFR Part 11.

Maintain knowledge and training required to perform internal audits.

Assist with internal audits as necessary.

Increase/maintain knowledge of applicable FDA, Health Canada, and ISO laws, standards, and expectations.

Continually challenge QMS processes and recommend improvements for better compliance and efficiency.

Perform Biennial document reviews.

Education/Experience:

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Science, or related field required. Master’s degree a plus.

Minimum of 5-7 years’ experience in a regulated industry (e.g. Medical Device, Pharmaceutical, Aerospace, etc.)

Prior QMS experience or formal quality systems training is required.

ASQ certifications a plus. Internal auditor certifications a plus. Quality training certificates (e.g. ASQ) a plus.

Skills:

Strong analytical skills a must

Mastery of Excel and analytical tools required. Ability to quickly learn new

software platforms is required. Proficiency with graphical presentation software a strong plus.

Ability to present complex data to all levels of the organization in a clear and

understandable way is required.

Travel: Up to 15% travel may be required.

forward resumes to: jobs@jobsbl.com

 

Account Manager Seattle WA International Healthcare Manufacturer

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Title Account Manager
City Seattle
State WA

Description Summary: Represents and sells company products and services; inclusive of all products where applicable.

Job Duties:
• Required to meet company assigned sales objectives, inclusive of all products where applicable.
• Travels throughout assigned territory to call on existing and prospective customers to solicit order.
• This includes on site visit to customers as applicable.
• Maintains contact with customers by phone and/or e-mail when not on site.
• Displays or demonstrates product features and benefits, using all available and supported tools, and emphasizes salable features.
• Responsible to keep account activities and CRM up to date.
• Develops and maintains customer relationships with all pertinent account contacts.
• Sell Satellites to select market segments. This includes demonstrations of the instruments, if required, as well as the preparation of all financial and administrative documentation. Where applicable the Account Manager will sell Compacts.
• Work closely, and share information with, Sales Administration to ensure their ability to effectively handle the sequestering process for a designated percentage of “sequestering accounts” in the Account Manager territory.
• Prepares reports of business transactions and keeps expense accounts.
• Generates, qualifies and develops lists of prospective customers for use as sales leads.
• Investigates and resolves customer issues.
• Demonstrates excellence in understanding and selling “focus” products, which translates into achieving sales goals.
• Quotes prices and credit terms and prepares sales contracts for orders obtained.
• Estimates date of delivery to customer, based on knowledge of own firm’s production and delivery schedules.
• Attends trade shows and demos products.
• Serves as a model of excellence in sequestering and inventory management.
• Prepares reports of business transactions and manages expenses within company guidelines.

Skills:
• Should have knowledge of Contact Management systems; Database software; Order processing systems. Spreadsheet software and Word Processing software experience required.
• Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees of the organization. Related Scientific/Technical Knowledge.
• Ability to learn to calculate reagent & control requirements for annual usage. Create instrument acquisition options including cash purchase, Reagent Rental and Cost per Reportable.
• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.

Education & Requirements:
• High School Diploma or general education degree (GED) required; Bachelor’s degree (B.A) from a four year college or university preferred; Medical technology degree or MT Certification preferred; 1 to 2 years related experience.
• Valid Driver’s License.
• Must be able to travel up to 60% of the time.

 

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