|
About This
Issue
For many of us, this winter has
seemingly dragged on forever. But in just a few days, spring will be
here (officially, anyway, since some of us might still see
snow.) Spring brings with it a sense of newness, and this issue of
The Animal Science Monitor welcomes a new addition, too,
namely guest writer Debbie Fledderjohann of Top Echelon
Contracting, Inc. We'll also discuss how to build your team
like a wise investor, and let's not forget our popular "Video Link
of the Month" feature. We hope that you enjoy this issue of The
ASM, as well as the advent of the spring season. And of course
. . . Happy St. Patrick's
Day!
-Dan & Don
Build Your Team Like a Wise Investor
(By Dan
Simmons)
Warren
Buffett, one of the world's leading investors, is quoted as saying,
"A simple rule dictates my buying: be fearful when others are
greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful." Many wise investors
are cherry-picking the ruins of today's stock market to build vast
fortunes tomorrow. You can apply
this same principle to building your team. Just as there are
under-performing stocks that you should cut from your portfolio and
great value stocks to buy, you should review your staff,cut the
under-performing members, and recruit top available talent that
fearful or down-trodden employers are laying off in order to build a
stellar team for tomorrow.
By assessing your
organization and recognizing where new people can add to your
strengths, key people can be brought on board to prepare for your
next growth period. In better business times, it is likely that this
same level of talent may not be available to you or
will demand a much higher salary.
As the U.S. and
global economies rise and fall on a weekly and even daily basis,
it's easy to get the feeling of being a leaf tossed about by a
windstorm. Experts are split on when the turnaround will actually
happen, but everyone agrees that it will take place
eventually.
And yet, during
this time of economic uncertainty, considerable wealth will be
amassed by wise investors who are bold and confident enough to make
great selections in the stock market in the coming weeks and months
for the purpose of adding significant value to their portfolios.
Excellent companies have had their stock prices reduced, and for
people willing to inspect and act upon their decisions, they're able
to add stellar companies to their
investments.
Just like a great
stockbroker can help you build your portfolio for the nextg rowth
period, a wise recruiter can help you strengthen your team and
prepare to take advantage of the growth our country will experience
in the future.
If you need
additional information on identifying, attracting, and acquiring top
talent to strengthen you rteam, feel free to contact me at dan@consearch.com or (888)
276-6789.
The Advantages of Hiring on a Contract
Basis
(By Debbie Fledderjohann, President,
Top Echelon Contracting)
Hiring a
new employee can become a rather large investment in terms of
time,energy, and money, and even after that investment is made up
front,sometimes the employee doesn't work out. In such a situation,
not only does the company not receive a return on
its investment, it also suffers due to lost productivity.
Losing
an investment is not something that a company wants to do in any
kind of market, but especially during down economic times. Risks can
be great, and rewards could be few. However,business still has to be
conducted, and project deadlines and assignments still have to be
met. As a result, hiring candidates on a contract
basis instead of full time helps to minimize the risk and
greatly increase the odds of receiving a reward - or in other words,
a substantial return on your investment. What makes
contracting so attractive, not to mention easy, is that there are
numerous advantages for both the company and the contractor.
Consequently, it truly is a win-win situation for everybody
involved. We'll start with the company side of the equation. Below
are the major objectives that companies are able to accomplish
through contracts taffing.
Company
Advantages
- Increase staffing flexibility
- Outsource accounting issues (payroll, timesheets, tax
filings, etc.)
- Outsource human resource issues (workers' compensation,
benefits, etc.)
- Immediate access to candidates with specific skill
sets
- Option of temp-to-perm conversions ("try before you
buy")
- Reduction of unemployment exposure
- Maintain budget controls (operating budget vs. capital
budget)
- Eliminate pre-hire costs (advertising, background checks,
drug screening, etc.)
- Avoid
office politics
Now
let's consider the candidate. There are candidates who prefer to
work contract positions as opposed to full-time jobs because of the
flexibility and freedom that contracting offers. Plus, they love the
fact that they get paid for every hour they work, including
overtime. Below are the primary advantages that contracting offers
to candidates.
Candidate
Advantages
- Higher earning potential
- Flexible lifestyle
- Opportunity to travel
- Variety in work scope
- Enhanced resume (acquiring new skills)
- Weekly paycheck
- Full
benefit options
- Get
their foot in the door (if they eventually desire a full-time job
at the company)
Does
contract staffing fit into your hiring plans? If not, would your
company benefit if it did? Conduct an analysis of your current
situation, using the "Company Advantages" bullet points above as a
guideline. You might be surprised at how contracting can help you
enjoy a greater return on the investment you make in terms of hiring
key employees.
If you
have any questions about contract staffing or about how contracting
can help your company, feel free to send an email to dan@consearch.com.
Article reprinted by permission of Top Echelon Contracting,
Inc.
The ASM 'Video Link of the
Month'
Our first
two 'Video Link of the Month' features in 2009 included a
dog. We figured, why stop there? Especially when one of
the most popular online videos in recent weeks starred, you guessed
it, a dog. That dog, whose
name is apparently Bizkit, was fortunate enough (or unfortunate,
depending upon how you look at it) to have somebody videotape its
sleepwalking episode. However, as you can see by clicking
hereto view the video, the
episode was relatively short-lived. Will next month's 'Video
Link of the Month' also feature a dog? Tune in to find
out.
In the meantime,
remember that we're currently accepting submissions for the 'Video
Link of the Month,' which will typically run in the last issue of
the month throughout the year. These videos can be humorous in
nature, like the one above, or they can pertain to a university or
organizational production regarding research or development.
Above all, of course, they must deal with animals or animal
science.
You can
send your video links to matt@animalsciencemonitor.com. As always, The ASM staff reserves the
right to reject any submission for any
reason.
Send In Your Press
Releases!
The Animal Science Monitor is pleased to announce
that we're now accepting press releases for inclusion on the
ASM website. These press releases can be submitted by any
group involved with animal science and/or animal nutrition. The
topics of the releases can also be wide ranging—from new product
announcements to training events to research findings - but once
again, they must pertain to the animal science
industries. Each press
release submitted will be assessed by the ASM staff, which
will ultimately decide whether or not it will be posted on the
website. Please keep in mind that The ASM reserves
the right to reject any submission for any reason. (But don't let
that dissuade you. We're generally a fun-loving group! You can
submit yourp ress releases by sending them via email to matt@animalsciencemonitor.com.)
Coming Up in the Next Issue . .
.
Feeling
a little down? It's difficult not to be, considering what's going on
in the economy. If that's the case, the next issue of The Animal
Science Monitor is just what you need! That's because two of
the topics we'll tackle include passion and
optimism, as Dan and Don return with their "Tips
for the Boss" and "Managing Your Career" columns. After all, who
couldn't use more passion and optimism in their life, regardless of
current circumstances? The next
issue of The ASM is scheduled for publication on
Tuesday, March 31 |
Hot
Jobs:
Brought to you by AnimalScienceJobs.com
To
view our hottest jobs today, please visit:
Animal
Science Jobs
|
