Mary Kraft Staffing and HR Solutions

Ravens, Baby!

2010-01-15T16:23:00.020-05:00

Having a co-worker who isn't a fan of your home football team is unfortunate. Having a co-worker who is a fan of another football team is even worse, especially when that football team was your home team 25 years ago! Ravens fans are known for being very prideful and a little brash, and for good reason – we love our team, darnit! As a demonstration of our pride and lack of support of our co-worker’s dedication to the Colts, we decided to decorate her office in anything purple and Ravens we could find. View the "making the cubicle" video here:

The process of pulling everything together was unbelievably fun (the fact that we were pulling a secret prank on a co-worker helped!). Take a look at a few of the photos:

No one will be more embarrassed than us if the Colts win. Which they won’t.

Enjoy the weekend! Go Ravens!

Jessica Knott, Editor-in-Chief, MK Publications

December 2009 Client/Candidate Update

2010-01-05T16:07:00.004-05:00

Cultivating gratitude in the workplace can be a very challenging task. It also has the potential of yielding terrific results. Gratitude can completely change the dynamic of a workplace, the success of a company and the happiness of a company's employees. In a time when businesses are being forced to develop creative strategies to ensure their survival, it's time to stand on top of that box you've been thinking outside of.

To view December 2009's Client Update, click here.

To view December 2009's Candidate Update, click here.

Happy holidays!
Jessica Knott, Editor-in-Chief, MK Publications

Wait...Was That Social Media Appropriate?

2009-12-28T10:11:00.006-05:00

You may notice that our "Meet Erin O'Keefe" blog has changed dramatically since the last time you visited our blog. When we published it, we realized that it was outrageously over the top. We decided to go with it, though, because the topic we were addressing - and the picture we were addressing - were equally outrageous. I had fun writing the article, and when I showed it to Erin, she loved it! After receiving hesitant approval to post the blog (and posting it with the same hesitation - I'm telling you, it was outrageous!), we published it, and I held my breathe. And then it came - a worried phone call from a respected member of the Mary Kraft family. And with that, out came my editing hat and off I went.

Be sure to use social media as a means to boost the success of your company and its marketing campaign by maintaining the voice and brand that makes your company so unique. Your clients are your clients not only because they love the service you provide, but because they love how you provide that service. If you're launching a social media campaign, do some research first. Unfortunately, it's nearly impossible stop the meddling of business and personal social media pages. Since you can't stop it, make sure you're aware of it! If someone else's inappropriate profile or picture pops up along with your very professional profile, address the issue immediately. You certainly don't want a valued client to think the picture that popped up of Jane Doe consuming alcohol via beer bong is the same Jane Doe they've been communicating with for the past several months. When utilized in conjunction with your marketing campaign and with the input of your trusted colleagues, social media can be a wonderful tool through which to increase your company's visibility, virality and success.

Have a question, comment, issue, or anything under the social media sun we can help you with? Don't hesitate to contact us!

(410) 296-0655
jessica@marykraft.com

Jessica Knott, Editor-in-Chief

An Introduction to Erin O'Keefe.

2009-12-08T11:11:00.002-05:00

We'd like you to meet Erin O’Keefe, Human Resources Specialist at Mary Kraft Staffing and HR Solutions.

Here's the reason we'd like to give you a personal introduction to Erin: if you perform a Facebook search for Erin O'Keefe (and you should - search for our entire staffing department, company fan page and group while you're at it!), the first result will be a Facebook group called "I Love Erin O'Keefe" picturing not our Erin O'Keefe donning nothing but a strategically placed guitar. As the professional utilization of social media increases, it is important that each company be aware of and address the meddling of personal and professional content.

Back to Erin (who, by the way, doesn't even own a guitar).

Erin began working for Mary Kraft Staffing and HR Solutions in September 2006. She began her employment with us as an Administrative Support Specialist, and quickly crossed over into the staffing department as a Human Resources Associate. Recognizing her dedication and hard work, Erin was asked to fill the much needed role of Human Resources Specialist in March 2008, and has been manning the medical desk ever since.

Erin also acts as our company’s comic relief. She’s always the first to start chair races down narrow hallways, dance around the office like most people only dance behind closed doors, and deliver a sarcastic comment at the perfect moment. She keeps everyone on their toes and makes us crumple to the floor in laughter on a regular basis. Erin has a 3-year-old son most popularly known as Batman, and we’re all pretty sure she’s somehow found a way to harness energy from him because Erin is always, without fail, full of it (energy – not the other stuff you can be full of).

My favorite Erin moment occurred very recently. At Mary Kraft Staffing and HR Solutions, we celebrate each employee’s birthday with their favorite cake, cards, off-key singing and jokes at their expense. For our picky, I-don’t-like-cake Account Manager, Jon, we made an exception this year. He likes pie. Homemade apple pie, to be specific. So we decided to have a pie bake-off luncheon for his birthday. We had spaghetti pie, shrimp cocktail pie, breakfast keish, apple pie, berger cookie pie, and – certainly the best of the bunch – crème pie. After everyone finished eating, we pulled up a seat for Jon, and Erin told him that the two of them were going to have a pie eating contest. “So wear this rain poncho – we don’t want you to get pie on your suit,” she said. Jon hadn’t been sitting for more than 30 seconds when Erin smashed the crème pie into Jon’s face! It was absolutely priceless. See for yourself:

It was a good day.

If your company has implemented a social media plan, you unfortunately cannot control whether the Bob Smith whose profile picture includes no shirt and a beer funnel pops up when searching for your employee, Bob Smith’s professional Facebook profile. The best thing you can do is address the issue head on. If you have similar issues or are concerned about the muddling of personal and professional social media pages, don’t hesitate to ask us for assistance! Clearly, we’ve experienced this issue and are handling it in the best way possible.

So, there you are – your formal introduction to the best Erin O’Keefe around. If you ever search for her on Facebook, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

-Jessica Knott, Editor-in-Chief

Guest Post: How Mary Kraft Staffing & HR Is Using Social Media

2009-12-02T13:16:00.001-05:00

Mary Kraft Staffing and HR Solutions' Marketing Coordinator, Jessica Knott, appears as a guest blogger on Kareem Ahmed's blog. The subject is how you can benefit from using Twitter. Please read!

Guest Post: How Mary Kraft Staffing & HR Is Using Social Media

-Jessica Knott, Editor-in-Chief

A Pig’s Clout

2009-11-03T15:47:00.001-05:00

Whether you think it’s nothing more than media hype or you’re wearing a mask to work and furiously washing your hands every day to prevent infection, every company should be addressing the H1N1 epidemic. Colder weather always results in higher rates of absenteeism in the workplace. With a brand new strain of influenza floating around, the start of this year’s flu season has preceded the cold weather. As an employer, what should you do?

Businesses and employers play a big role in protecting the health of their employees and limiting the impact of an H1N1 outbreak in the workplace. H1N1 takes about 5-7 days (in comparison to 2-4 days for other flu viruses) to clear from one’s system – as absenteeism rates rise, businesses are guaranteed to feel the affects of two influenza viruses floating around. If you don’t have pandemic plans in place, now is the time to start! If your company has implemented pandemic plans, be prepared to change them if your company experiences a serious outbreak.

Here are a few ways to keep H1N1 infection and panic rates low:

Discourage presenteeism.
You may have been planning on using those last few PTO days for a mini vacation, but please, for the sake of your co-workers, stay home. You don’t like being sick. Neither do we. And if we get sick, too, employers will be left with slim pickings when it comes to picking up the slack of absent employees. Presenteeism can be more debilitating to a company than absenteeism – coming to work sick guarantees catastrophic levels of absenteeism. If multiple people in one place of business become infected with H1N1, it’s best if it doesn’t happen all at once. Unfortunately, the list of ways to feel better faster doesn’t include forcing yourself to come to work so you don’t miss out on that Ocean City weekend with your college buddies. Employers don’t want anyone to become ill, but unless your genie still owes you a wish, you can’t do much about it beyond taking care of yourself in general. What you can do, though, is stay home, get well, and subsequently take care of your co-workers by not being the one to expose them.

Implement flexible office and leave policies.
Absenteeism in the workplace may spike for reasons other than employees falling ill. Many may have to stay home to take care of loved ones. In the midst of an already severe flu season (and it’s not even winter!), businesses should be prepared to implement flexible leave policies for employees. Some of these cases may be covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Ask your employees to participate in the development of these policies. And don’t forget to ensure that your policies align with public health guidelines!

Don’t require a doctor’s note to return to work.
Getting an appointment with your doctor in a timely manner can be difficult and downright impossible during the flu season. Imagine how hard it will be during a pandemic! Requiring a doctor’s note in order to validate an illness or return to work will likely increase the amount of time your employee is absent. Instead, ask them not to return to work until they’ve been free of a fever for 24 hours.

Practice “social distancing.”
Public health officials recommend increasing the amount of physical distance between employees. Unless necessary, avoid large meetings. Cancel unnecessary travel. Support working from home for employees who can conduct their business remotely. Some employees – those with weaker immune systems or within the groups most affected by H1N1 – may be afraid to come to work once a co-worker becomes ill. Practicing social distancing may provide comfort for some employees.

Sanitize your office.
Keep tissues well stocked. Install hand sanitizer dispensers near doors. Ask employees to wipe down their area with anti-bacterial wipes frequently. Take small actions like these are a minor annoyance and make a big difference.

And of course, practice personal sanitary habits. Wash your hands often. Cover your nose and mouth when you cough and sneeze.

Have we already mentioned to wash your hands often?

If vaccinations aren’t offered on-site, consider giving employees time off from work to get vaccinated.
This may make the difference between losing a few hours and a few days of your employees’ time. Ask your health care provider if they’ll cover the cost.

Every company needs to address the H1N1 epidemic. We hope these tips help you in the development of your pandemic plans. Please help us expand upon our pandemic plans by leaving comments and suggestions below.

Thanks for reading our first blog! We look forward to your feedback. Is there a specific topic you’d like us to address? Leave a comment here or email us – we’ll be happy to address the topic or point you to the information you want.

-Jessica Knott, Editor-in-Chief