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Sit Up! Stop Fidgeting!

August 18, 2014... Understanding the

importance of Body Language in a job

interview can determine whether you

make it past a firm handshake & the first

30 seconds. Most of us can remember

one, if not both, of our parents firmly

whispering, “Sit Up! Stop Fidgeting!”

during Sunday morning service when we were kids. Unbeknownst to

Mom and Dad, they were training us for the very job interview which

would set their little clones loose on society.

Body Language is something we rarely think about but use every day; so

sit tall and try not to break eye contact during your interview. You have

entered a No Sway Zone, so find your childhood’s “Keep Still” longitude

and stay there. While crossing your arms or putting your hands in your

pockets can indicate things like being physically cold, in a job interview

you may come across as being defensive, and uninterested in the

conversation. You should also avoid touching your face or hair because

this signals nervousness and a lack of confidence. Women often twirl

their hair to relax, flirt, or because they are preoccupied with something,

which sends the wrong message to a prospective employer. Many

candidates will use hand gesturing when making a point; this is alright, but

avoid any chopping or pointing which will disrupt the space between you

and the interviewer and seem overly aggressive. Men will often use

exaggerated hand gestures when explaining a talking point which I am

most definitely guilty of.

If you want to improve your chances of success, practice entering and

leaving a make-shift interview room. Have a friend or family member help

you prepare for your interview. It is always better to have another person’s

prospective on your Body Language. Always remember, the interview

starts in the parking lot, you never know who is looking out the window

and sizing you up.

HR Associates Newsletter Fall 2014

In This Issue

* Sit Up! Stop Fidgeting!

* Our Peeps

* Office Peeps

* Burger Perfection

* The Interview Pregame

* Around The Water Cooler

~December Blue

~ Cherubini: Firenze to Kissimmee

* From The President’s Desk

Testimonial

“HR Associates does a great

job placing new employees in

our facility as they weed out

the job jumpers better than

any agency I have dealt with.

The staff is professional and

always follows up. I would

recommend them to any

business looking for help.”

Allen Francis

Production Paint Finishers, Inc.

July 18, 2014

(Source: Manta Business Page)

Burger Perfection

The perfect burger eludes even

the most experienced Grill

Master. Try these pointers:

Choose the right meat, fat

tastes good & 80/20 is

cheaper

A Tennis Ball sized portion

of ground beef gently

shaped and flattened

Secret to skinny burgers,

simply use your thumb to

create an indentation in the

middle of the patty

Add Kosher salt, fresh

ground pepper, & Garlic

Powder.. Opt. Cayenne

would kick it up a notch

Use High Heat & Cook

Fast with the lid open

Be gentle with the meat &

don’t squish please

Flip only once, the heat

pushes the juices away

from the heat source

5-6 minutes until juices

sweat, then over for

3-4 more.. The USDA

recommends 160 degrees

Let stand for 5 minutes

while you toast a few

French buns from your

grocer’s bakery.

Skinny Burger Secret

Our Peeps:

Office Peeps

While at work, we have all had colleagues, associates, & co-workers who have

touched our lives but it’s our Office Peeps who are most memorable. As we travel

through our careers, we meet all sorts of unique individuals that will leave their mark

on you forever. Take notice and let them know you appreciate them.

As HR Associates is hitting its stride, we have seen several of our Peeps move on

and up in their careers. We like to think the indomitable HR Associates as being a

spring board in their quest for the American Dream. We know they miss being here

because we miss them.

Always have a camera handy for those impromptu extraordinary days at your place

of business. You never know when the day will come that one of your Peeps will

decide on a new career which will take them out of your daily life. We all say we will

stay in touch, but only by chance do we meet them face to face again to have a real

conversation. Facebook is awesome but it’s just not the same as direct Facetime

communication with your Peeps. Tomorrow is just around the corner and you will

want to open up that Office Pics folder on your desktop and visit with them. You

may even get a little chuckle out of your visit.

Visit us online: www.hr-ps.com

September 3, 2014..Once you have an employer’s attention with your résumé, it is

time to sell yourself in The Interview. Your (single page) résumé has had it’s 30

seconds of fame and you now have 2 minutes to make a good impression. With the

pressure on, you allow all that you have learned about communication with others

to come into play and you get the job. Wait, it’s never that easy.

Let’s back up to your Interview Pregame first. Do your homework, get to know

everything, online and off, about your prospective employer. Look for the

company’s past achievements, accolades, and landmark days that have occurred.

Give yourself ammunition for starting a conversation during the interview process

which will boost your confidence. I much prefer leaving nothing to chance.

Never, ever depend on Google Maps or MapQuest to route & time your drive to The Interview. You will inevitably

show up late and at that point you may as well go home. Being on-time means knowing where you are going before

hand. If you have never been to the location before, visit the site a day early. I much prefer leaving nothing to chance.

Never, ever look like you just rolled out of bed when you get to The Interview, good hygiene should be an

Every-Day-of-Your-Life habit. Regardless of the job you are interviewing for, you should dress as if the interview is for

the CEO’s position. Your Sunday Best is always appropriate because dressing well will give you an edge over most

candidates. I much prefer leaving nothing to chance.

You have arrived on time to The Interview and are ZZ Top’s Sharp Dressed Man (or Woman); now you have just two

minutes to make a first impression. Always offer up your best smile, which should be in-part attributed to your use of

Crest and Scope before you left home. Follow that smile with a great (firm) handshake and a “Hi, nice to meet you”.

Gentlemen, that handshake shouldn’t leave them with thoughts of the emergency Room and X-rays for broken bones.

And Ladies, leave the tea-party wimpy handshakes at home too. If nervous and you have the dreaded Sweaty Palms ,

please wash your hands or just wipe them on your pants. A sweaty palm displays nervousness and a lack of

confidence. Bottom line, your handshake should be quick, firm and forgettable. I much prefer to leave nothing to

chance.

During The Interview you need to do a little evaluating of your own. Try to gauge the mood of the recruiter, are they

coming across in a fun and relaxed posture or do they just mean business? Every recruiter has different objectives to

achieve, one may be getting you comfortable to see if you will say too much; try not to volunteer unnecessary

information. Any negative comments are a no-no and never, ever bad mouth your old employer. You can have fun but

an interview is a formal occasion. I much prefer to leave nothing to chance.

The interview process can be intimidating but if you show up prepared & informed, you will be amazed at the

confidence you will demonstrate. Confidence will give you an edge over the majority of candidates and increase your

odds of scoring a goal.

The Interview Pregame

Factoid: HR Associates’ website, www.hr-ps.com, has 378 pages indexed by Google.

(source: Northcutt.com)

Around The Water Cooler

December Blue

September 15, 2014… Moderate blue will be the wall color for the new

arrival, Dominic Michael Horner. Michelle is 29 weeks along with Dominic

who is set to be delivered via the “adebar” Stork on or about December

1st.

The Horners have bee busy putting the finishing touches on Dom’s

bedroom. (Sorry MJ… that is gonna be what his friends will call him)

Besides a fresh coat of paint, they have added a crib which has a

changing table built in and can be converted to a full size bed later. You

could say MJ is getting a real kick out the experience.

Cherubini: Firenze to Kissimmee

The diverse Cherubini family includes an 18th Century Florentine

composer, a contemporary Florentine food blogger, and a Piqua recruiter.

HR’s newest recruiter, Tawny Cherubini, may not be able to propose

mouth watering receipts like simonaskitchen.com but she can assist you

in your career search. Tawny can help you land “Thē Job”.

Tawny, a Gator turned Buckeye and a graduate of Troy High School,

brings 6 years of “People Service” to her job. From Daycare toddlers to

Alzheimer patients, Tawny knows patience and customer service.

As distractions go, Tawny Cherubini likes to craft, hunt ,fish and going

on a good hike. Tawny is a big fan of country singer, Thomas Rhett, along

with his other 870K Facebook fans. Tawny, and best friend Paul, recently

saw a Rascal Flatts / Sheryl Crowe show at Riverbend in Cincy.

From The President’s Desk

September 18, 2014… HR Associates has seen a sizable increase in client workforce needs & orders. The company

has taken on two new large clients which has been keeping everyone very busy filling orders. Heather stated that

employee wages seem to be on the uptick because of the current competitive market and low unemployment rates,

currently at 5.1% in Miami & 4.9% in Shelby Counties.

In August, Heather attended Ultra Staff Software’s client meeting in Chicago. HR Associate’s President is

contemplating taking the database to the Cloud. The Ultra Staff Cloud would eliminate the risks associated with

having your staffing software and data on an in-house server which requires daily backups.

On The Home Front

Heather’s Wright State Sophomore has decided on Mechanical Engineering, she hopes. He is also attending Apex

Community Church in Kettering and enjoys the contemporary atmosphere.

HAT’s Senior and Freshman are currently playing Fall Baseball in the Frosty Brown Hitting League in Troy. This is

the first time the boys have been able to play on the same team.

Recently, Heather geared up and joined 8 family and friends for a few rounds of Paint Ball as they all were

celebrating her son’s15th birthday. Forty-five hundred paint balls later, it was time for a few of Marion’s pizzas.

Contact us today for more

information about our

services.

HR Associates

314 N. Wayne St.

Piqua, Ohio

45356

Office: (937) 778-8563

Fax: (937) 778-8569

Email: info@hr-ps.com

Visit us on the web @

www.hr-ps.com