Tag Archives: career

Working from Home for Working Parents

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Some parents who work in an office all day think working from home is a dream, especially when they’re struggling to balance work responsibilities and parent responsibilities. But the truth is, working from home with the kids is way harder than it seems. With the constant distraction, it’s tough to get all your tasks done. Don’t get us wrong, working parents are known for their extreme multi-tasking, but when is it too many tasks? If daycare has been out ruled, here are some tips to help you work from home with those little rascals:

  1. Create a Schedule.

    If you think you can get most of your responsibilities done in the early morning when your kids are eating breakfast, during their naptime, or late at night when they are all in bed, let your coworkers know that these are the times you’ll be online. It’s likely your work hours will not be the traditional eight hours. Look for spontaneous work moments. If your child is occupied for a short moment like watching an episode of Paw Patrol, get some work done that you can easily put a pause to in case they need your undivided attention again, like answering emails.

  2. Make sure the children 100% know that you are working.

    Have a talk with them, let them know the situation, and tell them there needs to be minimal disruptions throughout the day. Let them know they are part of the “team” as well and their job is to make sure you stay busy all day.

  3. Give your children incentives.

    Tell them if they’re good until lunchtime, you’ll take them to the park or out for some pizza. You can also give them task incentives. These could be “if you don’t disrupt mommy on this work call, I’ll give you a popsicle.” Then, that popsicle should keep them quiet for a little while longer *winky face*.

  4. Have boundaries

    . If you have a job that requires your undivided attention for long periods of time, create a home office. Let your kids know that when you’re in your “work space” you are not to be disrupted. Not only is your attention on your work, but you also won’t feel that pull to your children.

  5. To-Do lists save lives!

    Okay, not really. But they do help immensely. When you’re doing your work, give your kids a list of fun educational activities to do and if they finish that, give them a to-do list that involve chores (But don’t write “chores” on it or they won’t want to do it!) Some of these jobs could be to clean the playroom or set the table for dinner. This will keep them occupied for a little while.

  6. Entertainment is key.

    If toys and TV just aren’t cutting it, create a “boredom bowl”. In the “boredom bowl”, have fun little things they can do. Some examples are: build a Lego tower as high as you can or draw a self portrait of the family. As they get older, you can tie in some of your work responsibilities into the “boredom bowl”, such as filing.

  7. Ask for help.

    If you are knee deep in work, can’t seem to get anything done, and you’ve run out of options, don’t be ashamed to ask for help. Sometimes it’s necessary to ask a friend, relative, or hire a nanny to get in a couple uninterrupted hours of work done.

Being a parent isn’t easy, especially while you’re working. Equip yourself with the right tools and mindset to succeed and be sure to keep open lines of communication with your employer.

How to Make a Good First Impression

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A career in healthcare offers many rewards: there is job growth and security with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics noting that the healthcare industry is projected to grow by 26% through 2022, not to mention the high earning potential due to the high demand and sensitivity of the job; as well as the ability to make a direct difference in the form of delivering quality healthcare to your patients. However, depending on the niche and the cost of entry, entering the industry can be very competitive. If you finally landed an interview with a potential employer or a recruiter, here’s how to prepare yourself and ace that interview.

It starts by getting on a recruiter’s radar. You will need to understand how recruiters function: recruiters get paid to find candidates not easily found by other recruiters or by competing companies. Start by investing in a quality LinkedIn profile, and investing in networking and forging authentic connections. Alternatively, you can invest in curating a professional blog that will describe your expertise in the healthcare industry, as well as pontificate about your shortcomings and how you were able to prevail. A public persona can position you as an authoritative figure in the healthcare industry and will attract the attention of potential recruiters.

Acing Your Interview

First impressions matter

You are very much well aware that you should wear professional attire to your interview. However, what matters is to how you approach the recruiter and how you answer their initial questions. When they ask to tell them about yourself, what they really are asking is: “are you qualified enough? Personable enough?” Make sure to keep steady eye contact and describe relevant experiences in your field. But also do not be afraid to add personal details. This is the time to show how your personality traits and life goals are assets and lend themselves nicely to your career path.

But do not become too familiar

Telling the interviewer more than they should know could be a fatal mistake. They want individuals who can process information and have a strong backbone while doing it. Remember that as a healthcare professional, you’re going to be placed in precarious, emotional, and highly charged situations through your career. Being too personable can be a detriment. Be friendly, but do not divulge into personal information during the interview. If you are not able to gauge familiarity, then follow the lead of the interviewer and mimic the demeanor of the person interviewing you.

Ask curious questions

When the interview concludes, many candidates will be asked if they have any questions — and unfortunately, most will answer with no, and nervously leave the room. It is imperative to ask questions and demonstrate an interest in the industry. Asking questions will also reveal if the workplace is the right place for you.

Are you Dreaming of a White (and Worry-Free) Christmas?

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year! People’s cubicles and offices are decorated in all things merry, seasonal candles are being burned, and holiday music is flowing out of speakers. Everyone’s getting antsy and they know it’s almost time to get out of town to be reunited with their families. Some people may have mentally checked out already, these people are part of the Great Christmas “Click Off”. December 16th is the day of the Great Christmas “Click Off”, meaning this day is the point when productivity plummets in the office. Don’t be a part of the “Click Off”, push until the holiday. We even made it easy for you by brainstorming some ways to make sure all your responsibilities are done, and you are worry-free before heading home for holidays!

  • When you know the dates of your vacation, let your manager and coworkers know. Put your hours in early and make sure it’s not around any important deadlines or meetings.
  • There is nothing worse than coming back into the office from a long weekend and having your desk be a mess. Before heading out for the holidays, go through your drawers and organize them. Get some Windex and give your desk a wipe down. If someone needs to find a file in one of your drawers, it will be easy for them to find. Plus, you’ll be all set to grind in the new year!
  • Have two separate to-do lists. One needs to be time-sensitive. These involve things that absolutely must be done before you leave. The other list includes things that aren’t as time sensitive but still need to be done before you go. Also, check your calendar and see if there is anything coming up when you get back from the holidays.
  • Clear your schedule for the last two hours before you leave for the holidays and the first two hours you get back from the holidays. A coworker may have an important, last minute task that you need to attend to or someone might need your undivided attention as soon as you return.
  • Find a coworker to cover for you. Make sure they have everything they need during your time off. Meet with them before you leave and answer any questions they may have. Tell your coworkers and boss this person will be filling in for you while you’re gone. Lastly, bring them back a little something for all they’ve done!
  • People who are out of the office might want to put an automatic email responder. You should include how long you are going to be away from your email for, when and if you’ll ever be checking into your email, and who to contact in case of an emergency. Even add a touch of holiday to them, if you’d like.

Some good examples:

For the Grinches –

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out. Unfortunately, I will be out of the office from December 21st to January 3rd for the holidays. I will be checking my email sporadically throughout the week. If this is an emergency, please contact John Doe at johndoe@company.com.

Wishing you a happy holiday.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

 

For the people with some holiday cheer –

Happy Holidays,

Thanks for your email! You caught me on my holiday vacation in Colorado! I will be out of the office, away in a cabin, with little to no service, making snowmen from December 19th to January 5th. If there is an emergency, contact Bob at bob@company.com. Until then, I’ll see you all in 2019.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,

[Your Name]

 

For Buddy the Elves’ –

Ho-Ho-Hello there,

It’s my favorite time of the year! That means I’m at the north pole, helping Santa pack up the last of the gifts! I’ll be up here in the land of the holly and jolly until January 2nd. In the meantime, if you have an emergency you can contact John at john@company.com. I’ll try to check my emails every time Santa gives us a break, most likely every couple of days!

Until then, I hope your stuffing your face with Christmas cookies, making snowmen, and decorating your tree with tons of Christmas Spirit! – Oh, Santa’s looking for me, I got to go finish these dang wooden horses!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night,

Santa’s little helper [Your Name]

Make sure you’re enjoying yourself over the holidays, you deserve it. Recharge and be ready to come back fresh for the new year! And, if you want some more career advice, subscribe to our blog here !

9 Ways to Foster a Positive Environment in the Office

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These days, most of our time is spent in the office, working our tails off, constantly being surrounded by the same people. It’s the same thing every day of the week and it’s hard not to get caught when there is a negative vibe going around. So, how do you establish a positive work environment? It’s simple. Encourage your employees to have positive attitudes. How do we do that? Here are a couple examples:

  1. Make your employees feel appreciated. Constantly.

I can’t begin to express how important this is. The best feeling you can achieve is feeling good about the work you have done. You’re doing so much, and some might not realize just how much blood, sweat, and tears you are actually putting in to your projects. Let your employees know all their hard work isn’t going unnoticed.

I appreciate you doing this…

I am really impressed by…

You are doing a great job doing…

I admire the way you…

The team wouldn’t have been so successful if you didn’t…

Thank you so much for doing this…

Something so little as a small compliment can do a 180 on someone’s attitude.

  1. Flexibility

Most of your employees have families. Some need to be home by a certain time to pick up their kids from school. Others need to schedule doctor’s appointments but they are almost impossible to get because of our work schedules. Offer your employees some flexibility in their work hours. Give them the chance to work remotely, even if it’s just for a little bit at the end of the day when all their kids are in bed. Allow them a little freedom to choose their own schedules and in return you will have less stressed-out employees.

  1. Random Acts of Kindness

Do something simple and sweet for one of your employees. Catch them off guard with some sincerity. Bring them a sweet treat from a bakery, a nice-smelling candle from a store, or write a positive, motivational quote for them and place it on their desk while they are at lunch. You never know the mood some people could be in and you don’t know what they are going through so sweeten up their day with a random act of kindness.

  1. Now, Walk it Out, Walk it Out, Walk it Out

Get with some employees and go for a little walk around the building or to the cafeteria. This is a great way to learn more about your employee’s lives outside of work. Also, walking improves your mood, increases your heart rate, and burns calories. I can’t think of a better way to burn calories than to walk around the building while gossiping about the latest Kardashian scandal!

  1. “Fun it Up”

Allow your employees to fun it up a bit with their cubicles, offices, and outfits. Have “Costume Tuesdays”, “Casual Fridays”, or “Workout Wednesdays”. Is it the holidays? Give your employees a chance to dress up their cubes in all things Christmas. Someone’s birthday? Decorate their office by sprinkling confetti on their desks, blowing up balloons, or creating a cute poster for them. Have music playing throughout the office with the latest hits. Get creative with it, everyone loves having fun!

  1. Don’t you Dare Micro Manage

No employee likes to be constantly looked over their shoulder by someone, especially their boss. Give your employees space to do their work and allow them to have the freedom to do their own thing. Macro managing will build trust and honesty throughout the company by giving them the satisfaction that they are bettering the company on their own.

  1. Company Incentives, YAY

Your employees will work harder if there is something in it for them as well as the company. If your sales team meets a goal, treat them to lunch or a round of drinks after work. Have company weekend trips for people who break records. Motivate your employees by giving them something for all their hard work.

  1. Exude Happiness

This one’s easy. It doesn’t take much. It’s easy to turn around someone’s day. They could be having the worst day of their life and need a sign of something good. This could be giving them a smile, asking how they are and listening to what they are saying, holding the door open for them, or cracking a joke and making them laugh. Show happiness everywhere you go, after all, your employees are human beings too.

  1. R-E-S-P-E-C-T *cue our girl, Aretha*

Back in kindergarten we learned one very important rule that is forever engraved in our brains. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Take this one to the grave and I promise you’ll have a more positive attitude because of it.

Here at HealthCare Support we encourage our employers to have positive attitudes day in and day out. It’s part of the reason our employees love coming to work. We have employees celebrating 5, 10, and 15-year anniversaries. It also plays a big factor in our ratings on Google, Glassdoor, and Facebook.

If you’re looking to partner with a positive team of staffing professionals, look no further than HealthCare Support.

This HEDIS Season

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HEDIS season is upon us and what better way to get a HEDIS position than teaming up with our recruiters here at HealthCare Support! At HealthCare Support, you’ll work with one recruiter and they will have up to ten positions to submit your resume to.  We have positions on the Pursuit Teams, Abstractors Teams, Research Teams, and Over Read Teams.

To apply for a HEDIS position, go to hcs23.wsoa.biz and click the ‘Job Openings’ in the ‘I want to work’ section. Type in HEDIS in the search bar and apply! Make sure you read the description carefully and answer calls from numbers you may not recognize. Please note: when you are applying for a remote position, you MUST be in the state where HEDIS position is based in.

HealthCare Support starts looking to hire for a HEDIS position around October and these positions usually go from January to May. Some candidates may get the chance to be rolled over into other positions during the summer once HEDIS season is over. To maximize your chances of employment this season, be sure to connect with our recruiters on LinkedIn and respond to emails and voicemails in a timely manner.

We’d love to answer any questions you have about HEDIS Season! You can reach any recruiter from HealthCare Support at 407-478-0332.

How to Achieve that Work-Life Balance

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These days, a work-life balance can be pretty much impossible. It’s especially hard when you’re not really “logged off” and calls, texts, and emails come straight to your cell phone well after 5 PM. We know that people are exhausted when they come home from work and we know people need to take care of themselves. There are other factors that come in to play when talking about a work-life balance, such as, having to entertain your kids, relaxing, or socializing with your friends. These things help us obtain a healthy lifestyle. So how do you accomplish a healthy work-life balance?

  1. Exercise

There’s a lot of things we make time for, including eating, sleeping, and scrolling aimlessly through social media. But, shouldn’t we also make time for exercising or meditating? Working out for at least 30 minutes a day has some major health benefits that will impact you at work. Working out boosts your energy and it also makes it easier for you to fall asleep at night. It reduces stress and is healthy for your heart, brain, and your overall happiness. Most offices have gyms onsite or offer a discount for gyms that are close by; make sure you’re taking advantage of this.

  1. Unimportant people and activities

We all know that it’s easy to get sucked into surfing your social media pages or watching funny videos on your phone, but you should be using this time for other important things. Make a list. Write down important people you should be connecting with or important things you should be doing every day. These things can range depending on the type of person you are, but writing a list ensures you get this stuff done every day. Whether it’s calling your mother, cleaning your surroundings, prepping lunch boxes for the next day, or even a little time for yourself to read a book, you need to put aside what is wasting your time and what is necessary for you to do.

  1. Turn it off

When you are done for the day, turn off your work notifications. You don’t want to get sucked into replying when this time is supposed to be yours. In fact, put your phone and computer fully away so you have time for your family, friends, a book, or even that Netflix series you want to catch up on.

  1. One word: No.

Are you the type of person who, when asked a favor, says “yes”? Well, we’re here to tell you it’s alright to say no. Taking time for yourself over others isn’t selfish because if you don’t do it for yourself, who’s going to?

  1. Prioritize and structure at work

It’s important to make sure all your urgent tasks are getting done first. Determine what work is most important and then structure your day around them. Tell yourself you’ll do activity 1, 2, and 3 and then reward yourself with a walk around the building for 10 minutes. Breaks are important too! Take more personal moments for yourself to daydream or compliment the weather.

  1. Company holidays

When work holidays are coming around, use this time to recharge yourself. Relax. We often end up “spring cleaning” or hitting our to-do lists but you also need some down time. You want to be in the right mindset before you go back to work. Take a day trip to the beach or the city to take your mind off work and give yourself some personal time to reflect on your life.

Let us help you find the perfect job. We have positions with hundreds of companies across the nation. Visit our website to see our current openings, or join our Talent Network to stay connected with future opportunities that match your interests.

Economic News Release: Employment Situation Summary

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October 2018

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate of 3.7% remained unchanged in the month of October. Hurricane Michael had made “no discernible effect on the national employment and unemployment estimates.” The unemployment rates showed little or no change for the major work groups: adult men (3.5%), adult women (3.4%), teenagers (11.9%), Whites (3.3%), Blacks (6.2%), Asians (3.2%), and Hispanics (4.4%).  However, job gains did occur in manufacturing, construction, transportation, warehousing, and health care.

The average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 5 cents to $27.50 for the month of October and it rose by 83 cents for the past year. In October, the average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls went up by 0.1 hour to 34.5 hours.

There were 36,000 added Health Care jobs including 13,000 in hospitals and 8,000 in nursing and residential care facilities. In ambulatory health care services went up by 14,000. The employment grew by 323,000 over the past twelve months.

Over the past three months, job gains have averaged 218,000.

Sarah Krufka

HSS Social Media Specialist

The Impact of Body Language

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Something so little as a slouched posture can decide someone’s fate of getting their dream job. But is that how it should be? Most bad body language happens when people are stressed and uncomfortable, and these feelings come out during a job interview. Is it right to base your first impression on someone’s body language during an interview? Most of the time that’s not how the candidates act all the time. So, why is body language so impactful?

Let’s break it down first: What is body language?

Body language, or nonverbal communication, is not about what you’re saying but about how you say it and what your body is doing while talking. Body language is a way to better your conversation by using your facial expressions, hand gesticulation, and posture in your favor.

Some examples of body language:

Eye Contact:

Eye contact is a very controversial thing and a matter of opinion. In some countries, constant eye contact is rude while in in others it shows politeness and good manners. Some may think that too much eye contact is intimidating and consider it staring, which we all know is a very ill-mannered thing to do. Eye contact also exhibits interest, honesty, and confidence.  So how much eye contact is enough and how much is too little? It’s a delicate subject but during an interview, keep enough eye contact and keep it consistent. If you’ve been making great eye contact the entire interview then start blinking or fidgeting with your eyes, that is a sign of nervousness.

Body Posture:

Slouching is never a good thing. Not only is it bad for your back, but it shows a lack of interest and respect for your interviewer. Remain upright and lean forward, this shows that you are engrossed in the conversation. Just like other types of body language, you can overdo it. Don’t get too close, everyone needs their own personal space.

Fidgeting:

Fidgeting is a major sign of nervousness. Whether if it’s picking at your nails, constantly touching your hair, or shaking your legs, the interviewer will get the sign that you’re uncomfortable. So, keep your hands placed on your lap and cross your legs so you don’t get the urge to twitch.

Handshakes:

Have you practiced your handshakes with a friend before your interview? You should. Do you know when a handshake is too much versus when it’s too little? The limp handshake can be just as detrimental as the cutting-off-your-circulation handshake. Have all your items in your left hand so you’re prepared to shake someone’s hand. If you have sweaty palms, go for a subtle wipe of your hand on the side of your pants before shaking so you don’t give a clammy handshake.

Facial Expressions:

Smile! Giving someone a smile puts them at ease and conveys a sense of calm, control and confidence.  Smiling also reveals enthusiasm for the position and the company.

Body language can make or break you during interviews, even if you aren’t a fidgety person in your daily life. There are many ways you can positively express yourself through nonverbal communication, which can bump you up in the position standings. So, keep eye contact, sit up straight, and give them that million-dollar smile!