Of course there are scenarios where unexpected things come up and for whatever reason, the interviewee is unable to make it to their scheduled interview. I’m certainly not suggesting that there are no valid excuses for missing an interview.  My frustration lies with those situations where a candidate makes a last minute decision not to go through with an interview because their interest level has changed suddenly, or another appealing opportunity has surfaced that they’d rather explore. 

As much as it pains me to admit this, I’ve had to deal with these unfortunate scenarios on a few occasions.   Whenever a candidate decides to cancel their final interview at the last minute, the hiring manager is going to be disappointed. I always pride myself on working hard to develop a great rapport with the candidates we’re representing, to develop a relationship that is based on trust and mutual respect. Unfortunately, when you’re in the “people business,” unexpected things will happen on occasion and certain decisions that are made shock me.

Oftentimes, the candidates who cancel interviews last minute indicate that they’ve decided to accept other opportunities. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m always glad to hear that someone has found a new job they’re excited about accepting. I’m in the business of helping people find their next great job opportunity. And while I would love to be the one to place every single candidate we work with in their dream job, I realize that’s just not always going to happen. People use many different sources to pursue new opportunities in their career and I support that strategy 100 percent.

My question to all of you who are reading this blog spot (thank you, by the way!) is what is the most appropriate way to handle this type of scenario?  I realize there will always be certain exceptions to the rule, but generally speaking, how do you think you should handle a scenario like the one I’ve outlined here? 

From my perspective, I feel like it’s always best to follow through on one’s commitments. Canceling a final interview at the last minute tends to leave the hiring managers with a negative impression. You never know when you might cross paths with that person again and, in my opinion, it’s best to avoid making decisions that would lend the hiring manager to believe you lack professionalism. 

A second key point to this debate, in my opinion, is that by cancelling the final interview, you’re denying yourself an opportunity to make a final assessment of whether this could be that next great job for you to pursue in your career.  This final interview might offer you the exact insights you needed to gain in order to make the best decision. 

What is the harm in staying true to your commitment and following through with the final interview? I’ve been in my position with Aureus for more than six years now and there have been times in the past where a candidate has expressed a desire to cancel a final interview.  After discussing these points with them, the vast majority of candidates follow through and, more often than not, end up thanking me for encouraging them to go through with the interview.  Even if the candidate doesn’t receive or accept an offer for the position in the end, that person feels good about the fact that they followed through with their commitment and they left the hiring team with a good impression.

Again, this is just my perspective! I welcome some healthy dialogue on this topic and look forward to hearing other’s opinions.

Stephanie Miller, Aureus Group Account Manager

About the Author, Stephanie Miller

Stephanie Miller has worked for Aureus Group for five years.  As a senior account manager within the Finance and Accounting division, Stephanie partners with organizations throughout the state of Iowa and provides staffing solutions within the accounting, finance, and human resources departments. She has a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Nebraska Wesleyan University, and recently earned a master’s degree in negotiation and dispute resolution at Creighton University; she is also a certified professional consultant.

Stephanie reports that two of the most rewarding aspects of her job is seeing how pleased the client is when she’s successful in identifying a professional who meets the level of experience/skills the company desires for a particular position and also helping a candidate make a successful career change. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband, Chad, and their two dogs, Benny and Olive. She also loves to travel, check out new restaurants, watch movies, run, attend sporting events and theatrical performances, and volunteer through the United Way a few times per month.

I’d also like to share a little insight into our mission, values, and key success factors at the Aureus Group.

Our mission is to be the staffing provider and employer of choice by helping people and companies achieve their goals.

I’m excited about the optimistic views we continue to hear from our customers, candidates, and employees.

We wish you a prosperous and happy 2012.

Chris Carlson, Aureus Group Regional Manager, CPC

About the Author, Chris Carlson
Chris is an experienced executive in the staffing industry. She has extensive experience in developing and implementing operational analyses and programs and has assisted hundreds of firms streamline processes and upgrade the competencies of its workforce. Finding innovative ways to generate new business and build teams is her passion. She has developed and executed many successful strategic marketing plans. Chris began her career at Aureus Group, a full-service professional recruiting firm, in 1994 and currently serves as the regional manager of Aureus Group specializing in the Finance & Accounting, Systems and Executive search areas.

In addition, Chris is a Certified Professional Consultant, and has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Have you ever thought about one or even several of these as possible New Year’s resolutions? Let’s change it a little! Let’s write down what you want to accomplish by when.

It is that simple! Be true to yourself and know what you can and will accomplish. Planning is great and half the battle, but execution is key to accomplishing your 2012 goals/resolutions! Set S.M.A.R.T. goals.

S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Achievable
R = Relevant
T = Time-bound

What goal have you attempted every year but have not yet achieved? Does it need to be revised? Can it even be achieved?

Be true to yourself, plan, and execute – it is just that easy.

Happy New Year!

Nuria Archer, Sales Manager, CPC

About the Author, Nuria Archer
Núria Archer has been with Aureus Group since 2003 and has more than fifteen years of business experience, including a prior career in the accounting field at an international organization, having worked in Spain and the UK. Núria holds a degree in hotel business and tourism from the University of Girona in Spain, where she is originally from.  During her tenure with Aureus Group Núria has received accolades earning recognition as a top performer, “Presidents Club” awardee, Employee of the Quarter, promotion from Account Manager to Sales Manager and most recently transitioned to the Executive Search team. Núria has also earned designation as a Certified Personnel Consultant.

The story of Tim Tebow will not fully be told for many years, but the polarizing nature of Tim’s existence in sports and pop culture is captivating. Tim is the hero of this story for most, but for a very vocal minority he takes on the role of villain and they root for him to fail for reasons known only to them. His obstacle today is to become what nobody thinks he can, a successful NFL QB.  The subtext around this fairy tale in the making is wonderment of what it must be like to be Tim Tebow. What would this story look like being told through his eyes? I am amazed at the way he has handled his fame, and icon status at such a young age. This year I have watched the first act in the story of Tim Tebow, and have derived five lessons I am carrying forward in becoming a better leader.

1.  Always be humble
Perhaps Tebow’s “gee whiz, golly” personality is a bit over the top and dripping with cheese, but it’s hardly unlikeable. Arrogance, on the other hand, is fun to hate and it will kill your career. Tebow does a phenomenal job of highlighting his team in very public forums when things go well.  For you, in great times, deflect praise to those who support you and it will come back tenfold. Your team will work harder and with more passion for the shared vision of success that is necessary on winning teams.

2.  Always accept responsibility when things go wrong
Even if you possess transcendent skill and ability in your field of focus, you will most certainly lose from time to time. How we handle defeat is not just about learning from the defeat, it is how we react immediately after when emotions are still running hot. Your people are looking to see how you handle these times, and if you accept the burden of defeat and are accountable for it, respect and gratitude will follow. Winning the hearts and minds of those you lead isn’t just about selling your vision. It’s also about dealing with adversity and overcoming obstacles. Tebow, like all great leaders, makes no excuses for his performance and pledges to get better when losses are experienced. Accountability typically goes hand-in-hand with humility, and must be present in great leaders. 

3.  Have faith in something greater than yourself
This is not me preaching that you need to be as devout as Tebow is with his faith, or even share the same beliefs. However, peace of mind is present in those who achieve on the biggest stages, and is only possible under two scenarios: 

1. You have zero accountability and feel that there are no repercussions to your actions. Children and sociopaths fit this description, but you don’t because you are reading this right now. Or,
2. You feel deep in your soul that what you do has meaning and its ripple effects are infinite. 

This can simply be genuine care for your team, and you knowing the decisions you make effect more than just yourself. It can also be a state of being where you accept that there are certain things that you can’t alter or control, such as the economy or the personal lives of your teammates. Once we submit to this, we can move past these mental barriers of success where we use obstacles as excuses, rather than catapults to great achievement. 

4.  Stay true to who you are — be authentic
The media portrayal of Tim Tebow is nothing that he can control. The only thing he can do is be himself. It has been told, by every sports journalist covering the Tebow story that I have read, that he is exactly what you see on TV.  His teammates swear it is this authenticity that allows him to lead so effectively. His team has bought into who he is, and what he is all about. The polarizing existence of Tebow is nothing of his own doing, and more about disbelief in what people think an NFL quarterback should look, talk, walk, and play like. It is a result of how the media has built him up to a point that you are forced to have an opinion on him, even if you care little for football.

In your office, the backroom and lunch table chatter is very similar to the media chatter surrounding public figures such as Tim Tebow. If you pay close attention, or even if you don’t, you will most certainly come into contact with what your people think of you. Your people will not likely unilaterally agree with every decision you make, but they will respect a consistent and deliberate approach forged by your core values and beliefs. 

5.  Never give up
Seems a bit generic to mention this perhaps, but then again, so is a blog post about Tim Tebow, right? Thanks for getting to the end of this and not giving up on what the premise of my little story here is: “Those who never give up can lose, but will never fail.” What will become of Tim Tebow, and how will his story someday resolve itself? I will not offer my guesses, but I bet it will sell some books, and a few movie tickets. I bet it will include many losses, just like the one he had this past weekend. But I’ll tell you what. I don’t see him failing.  His will is too strong, and he will simply find a way to keep pressing on.

Success can be measured by wins and losses to be certain, but it can also be measured by the impact you have on individuals within your sphere of influence. It can be measured in what is overcome in order to get your team to pursue a shared vision. It can be measured in what influence you had in getting your team to this promise land, or to defeat, and then redefining the vision in a way that outdistances contentment or despair. 

Your sphere is smaller than Tebow’s for sure, but no less impactful to those who follow you. Accepting this burden of responsibility is a crucial step in becoming an elite leader. 

Nate Elgert, Aureus Group Senior Account Manager

About Nate Elgert
Nate was born and raised in Lincoln, Neb., graduated from Lincoln East High School, and went on to The University of Missouri at Kansas City (UMKC) where he was a four year letter-winner on the men’s golf team earning a bachelor’s degree in communication in 1999. Nate took a winding road back to Lincoln that led through Phoenix, Des Moines, Chicago, back to Kansas City, and then finally Lincoln once again in 2005. Before coming to Aureus Group in 2006 as an account manager in the Lincoln Accounting and Finance office, Nate was a golf professional, an advertising rep, and a mortgage lender. Currently, Nate is a senior account manager. He enjoys playing basketball, golf, and time with his wife Angie, and daughters Sofia & Cecilia.

Our lives tend to get so hectic, particularly during this time of year. Sitting there, watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” with my husband, I was reminded of how important it is to take a step back and reflect on all that’s happened in my life during the past 12 months. From a work standpoint, this is a great time of year for self-reflection and assessment. What goals did I set for myself at the start of 2011? Did I achieve all of these specific goals? If the answer is “no,” what seemed to stand in my way? 

Every single one of us faces work related challenges during the course of the year. Instead of using those challenges as an excuse for why we weren’t successful in achieving all that we’d set out to accomplish this year, take the time to examine the challenge(s). Ask yourself how you could have potentially overcome the obstacle. Reach out to a trusted mentor and ask for their insights on different ways to break through the perceived “road block.”

Sometimes we are so wrapped up in a particular situation that it’s challenging for us to take a step back and accurately access the circumstances. Reaching out to someone you trust who has an objective view of the situation can offer some incredibly valuable insights. These insights can then be used as you move forward in 2012, set new goals, and face new challenges in the workplace.

Finally, through this reflection process, consider how you’ve impacted other people’s lives this past year. This can be on many different levels. Consider the relationships you have with co-workers. Examine your relationships with clients/customers/vendors. How would you categorize these relationships? Did these different relationships experience any “hiccups” in 2011? Consider not only how you perceive these relationships, but how the other parties would describe working with you. How can you strengthen these relationships in 2012?

Wishing you all a wonderful and safe holiday season! Cheers to fostering a productive and fulfilling workplace for all of us in 2012!

Stephanie Miller, CPC, Aureus Group Senior Account Manager

About the Author Stephanie Miller
Stephanie Miller has worked for Aureus Group for five years. As a senior account manager within the Finance and Accounting division, Stephanie partners with organizations throughout the state of Iowa and provides staffing solutions within the accounting, finance, and human resources departments. With a bachelor’s degree in communication studies fromNebraskaWesleyanUniversity, Stephanie is currently pursuing a master’s degree in negotiation and dispute resolution atCreightonUniversityand is a certified professional consultant.

Stephanie reports that two of the most rewarding aspects of her job is seeing how pleased the client is when she’s successful in identifying a professional who meets the level of experience/skills the company desires for a particular position and also helping a candidate make a successful career change. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband,Chad, and their two dogs, Benny and Olive. She also loves to travel, check out new restaurants, watch movies, run, attend sporting events and theatrical performances, and volunteer through theUnited Waya few times per month.

By now, as adults, we all realize that the axiom “actions speak louder than words” is absolutely true. But, we are more than adults; we are professionals who desire a path toward actualization in our career. We seek comfort in knowing our contributions add up to the greater whole of our organizations. So how do we get to this place? What will the road look like? Here is one option we all have at our disposal: Be ever thankful, and with ultimate sincerity, to everyone who impacts what you do in your organization.

Living thanks is hard to do at times. It challenges our patience and pride. Living thanks is about trusting, and giving up control. Living thanks is about collaboration and connection. Living thanks is also about building up political capital in your organization. Trust and appreciation of others will lead to them trusting and believing in you as well. Over time, if your teammates know that you appreciate their contributions, they will work harder for you. What’s better, this hard work will be driven by respect rather than fear. There will be a positive emotional connection to how everything adds up. Your team will want to make you look good, and will want to be part of the win because they know you absolutely care and appreciate what they are doing. 

What about those who don’t choose to get on this bus? They are the toxic element to your team and sometimes not as easy to spot as you would think. Based on conversations I have had with organizational leaders and managers in my five plus years in recruiting, I believe there is one common thread among these individuals. The “what about me?” factor that seems to be their mantra.  They think “me” over “team”, and suck themselves into the mire of negativity whenever their precious little world is upset.

Here is an unsettling fact. Nearly all of us are this person at times. It is what makes us imperfect human beings.  After all, we are hard-wired to look out for number one. The problem is that this attitude can be destructive to the team. Fortunately, there is also a drive and desire within each one of us to be part of something greater than ourselves. This is where you, as a leader in your organization, can have the greatest positive impact to your team. 

Never feed the negative appetite of those who are sucking the team dry of positivity. We need to starve them of their craving for you to sulk with them, and listen to their “woe is me” tales. Tell them that you will not listen to this kind of talk, and that this team requires the full attention to what is possible, not impossible. Tell them exactly how their actions are taking away from the team. You must be specific in these cases. But most importantly, show them through your actions how living thanks works. We do this by not giving up on these people. When we address the negative behavior, we must reinforce and be thankful for their positive contributions. Over time, we will see these people keep doing the things that get them genuine and sincere praise. Once the well of negativity has run dry, there will be a choice to make: run toward the door or the rest of the team. Not everyone can be healed, and some will simply leave your team and like a virus go infect a different company.

There is a myriad of variables that lead into what makes a great team. No matter how vigilant we are at chasing that perfect team harmony, there will always be opposition. Countless people have come to me wanting for a better job, and through my conversation with them it became evident that they were the problem and the reason they were talking to me, whether they knew it or not. Through proper background research we almost always corroborate our instinctive beliefs and find that these people are not our most placeable candidates.

Negativity has a way of clinging to a person’s personae for a long, long time. Take stock of who you are on your team. Ask bluntly of those you trust to tell you if you are part of the team, or part of the problem. If you find out you are on the wrong side, there is still hope. Look around and note all that is positive, and be thankful for it. Really take notice of those who support the work you do, and generously give thanks. When someone has an achievement, resist the temptation to be envious, and tell them how happy you are for them.  Over time, this sincere approach to giving thanks becomes living thanks, and it will fuel you and your team toward new heights.

Finally, this is a professional blog, and my thoughts are always geared toward you achieving greater results in your job, and in some cases, your job search. That being said, we give a lot to our careers, and sometimes our family can take a back seat in these pursuits. This attitude of living thanks has a much greater impact than simply how it advances one’s career. Those who are thankful are happier everywhere, not just at work. The ripple effect from that has a viral effect on everyone we interact with, and beyond.

Mahatma Ghandi truly captured it best by uttering perhaps his most famous quote. “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

I’d love to hear how you show your thankfulness? Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Nate Elgert, Aureus Group Senior Account Manager

About Nate Elgert
Nate was born and raised in Lincoln, Neb., graduated from Lincoln East High School, and went on to The University of Missouri at Kansas City (UMKC) where he was a four year letter-winner on the men’s golf team earning a bachelor’s degree in communication in 1999. Nate took a winding road back to Lincoln that led through Phoenix, Des Moines, Chicago, back to Kansas City, and then finally Lincoln once again in 2005. Before coming to Aureus Group in 2006 as an account manager in the Lincoln Accounting and Finance office, Nate was a golf professional, an advertising rep, and a mortgage lender. Currently, Nate is a senior account manager. He enjoys playing basketball, golf, and time with his wife Angie, and daughters Sofia & Cecilia.

I’m honored to pass on my interpretation of Carla’s “pearls of wisdom”. 

You can’t do it alone. In order to reach your full potential you need advisors, mentors, sponsors, and team mates. 

• Advisors understand the dynamics and technical nature of your work. You take professional advice from these smarty pants and eventually you share a tid-bit with them.
• Mentors are people you share your personal good, bad, and ugly stories with. They will help you regain emotional intelligence.
• Sponsors sit at the table and go to bat for you when that promotion decision is being made. You share all the benefits and value you want to give with your sponsors so they have all the ammunition they need to pound a fist on the conference room table on your behalf when all the chips are down.

Be self-aware.  Ask your network about how you are perceived.  Listen and be open to change! This is how people deal with you.

Take risks. If you are under 35 you probably fear failure, so you stay in your comfort zone. If you are over 35, you may think it’s too late to reach your full potential because you are juggling a family, career, etc.  Who has time to live in the fear zone? Everyone should take a little risk now and then.

Be authentic. It’s impossible to build genuine relationships if you don’t bring the real you to the meeting. 

Carla’s wisdom aligns with all the leaders I admire including my Dad who said, “Surround yourself with people smarter than you are.” -Bruce Carlson

It’s that simple! 

Chris Carlson, Aureus Group Regional Manager, CPC

About Chris Carlson
Chris is an experienced executive in the staffing industry. She has extensive experience in developing and implementing operational analyses and programs and has assisted hundreds of firms streamline processes and upgrade the competencies of its workforce. Finding innovative ways to generate new business and build teams is her passion. She has developed and executed many successful strategic marketing plans. Chris began her career at Aureus Group, a full-service professional recruiting firm, in 1994 and currently serves as the regional manager of Aureus Group specializing in the Finance & Accounting, Systems and Executive search areas.

In addition, Chris is a Certified Professional Consultant, and has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Professionally, texting has totally changed the way we are partnering with our clients and candidates. And for me, this is where the love/hate relationship comes to play. As I mentioned, I love the convenience of being able to connect with a hiring manager or candidate via text when I know this is the only readily available avenue through which we can communicate during an otherwise hectic work day.

My concern is that we are gradually finding more and more ways to communicate less and less directly with one another. In previous blogs we’ve examined the importance of “knowing your audience” when determining the most appropriate communication avenue. Texting is quickly becoming the preferred method for communication when I consider the professionals I’m working with (more on the candidate side versus hiring managers), so regardless of my personal opinions about texting in the professional world, I realize I have to jump on the train, adapt, and evolve.

Still, there’s no replacement for having a “real time,” direct conversation. Having the opportunity to speak directly with a candidate over the phone provides me with so much valuable feedback. Those non-verbal cues that I love to examine when I’m communicating with someone in person or over the phone (yes, I was a communication studies major in college!) simply aren’t available in the texting world. As a professional who is working in the staffing industry, this is concerning. When I’m working with a candidate who never answers their phone and only responds to text messages, I worry about our ability to foster a successful partnership based on such a limited communication foundation.

Call me old-fashioned, but when it comes to one’s job search, I believe it’s important to engage in regular dialogue with those trusted professionals who are serving as a resource. Talking over the phone is more personal than sending text messages back and forth. These regular phone conversations help me really learn what a candidate’s key factors are in their quest for a new job opportunity. These conversations give me a sense of the type of work environment a candidate is going to be happy in, the type of management style this person responds best to — basically the “platform” for me to gather all the information I need to help match this professional with the best job opportunity and help my clients craft an offer that the candidate will be excited to accept!

Don’t get me wrong — texting is a great option and something that makes sense for us to use with clients and candidates. I do think it can be overused, however. Whenever an important discussion needs to happen, picking up the phone and having a direct conversation (or even better — meeting in person) is absolutely the best option! The chance of the message being misinterpreted is much greater if you decide to communicate via text. I know the effort of having to dial a phone number and speak directly to another human being might seem like too much work and a bit overwhelming (can you sense my sarcasm here?), but when it involves the future of your professional career, believe me, it’s worth the effort.

Stephanie Miller, Aureus Group Account Manager

About the Author Stephanie Miller
Stephanie Miller has worked for Aureus Group for five years.  As a senior account manager within the Finance and Accounting division, Stephanie partners with organizations throughout the state of Iowa and provides staffing solutions within the accounting, finance, and human resources departments. With a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Nebraska Wesleyan University, Stephanie is currently pursuing a master’s degree in negotiation and dispute resolution at Creighton University and is a certified professional consultant.

Stephanie reports that two of the most rewarding aspects of her job is seeing how pleased the client is when she’s successful in identifying a professional who meets the level of experience/skills the company desires for a particular position and also helping a candidate make a successful career change. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband, Chad, and their two dogs, Benny and Olive. She also loves to travel, check out new restaurants, watch movies, run, attend sporting events and theatrical performances, and volunteer through the United Way a few times per month.

In talking with hiring managers at these dynamic, market leading companies, they recognize that leaders have an “it” quality that must be “felt” rather than calculated. They realize that the makeup and proper execution of leadership has infinite variables. Even within these limitless possibilities are commonalities that all of their true leaders possess. One such denominator is the power of influence.

Okay, so this is not exactly stop the presses material. I will raise the stakes a bit, however, by stating that all leaders must have tremendous influence. With that, the task for organizations then becomes how to identify traits that eventually lead to having great influence. Most of us come into an organization with none, or very few of these traits. Influence is fluid and dynamic, just as leadership is. You can build influence through definable achievement, but it can only crest into new heights if something else co-exists with one’s accomplishments. Real influence, i,e., the power to impact  change and gather momentum behind you, comes from a simple and sincere trait that I believe all great leaders have: empathy.

Empathy is innate to an individual, but can be feigned by the disingenuous. That being said, sincerity in a truly empathetic person is consistent and unwavering over time. Empathy allows an individual to see both sides of a story, and make decisions that are crafted from the highest moral and ethical standards. Empathy is crucial to creating rapport, and establishing lasting and real relationships.

Look at it this way, when the ‘you know what’ hits the fan, you want your most empathetic person to re-build those washed away bridges. Within empathy is care and compassion, which are the foundational elements of kindness. What the most talented organizations are doing is identifying these traits very early on in an employee’s career, and tracking these individuals for bigger roles. There are clearly other factors in play when deciding who gets what opportunity, but only those who possess the critical leadership elements are to have the opportunity at all. 

I absolutely love working for clients who get this. There is nothing better in my job than getting to partner with a self-actualized client. In talking to the hiring managers, I always feel a genuine care and compassion for the job that I am doing for them. Now, they still demand excellence, and they should. But, they demand it in a way that you know they empathize with the process involved in what we do. I find myself working just a bit harder for these clients than others. I would imagine that the employees of this company likely feel the same way.

Nate Elgert, Aureus Group Senior Account Manager

About the Author Nate Elgert
Nate was born and raised in Lincoln, Neb., graduated from Lincoln East High School, and went on to The University of Missouri at Kansas City (UMKC) where he was a four year letter-winner on the men’s golf team earning a bachelor’s degree in communication in 1999. Nate took a winding road back to Lincoln that led through Phoenix, Des Moines, Chicago, back to Kansas City, and then finally Lincoln once again in 2005. Before coming to Aureus Group in 2006 as an account manager in the Lincoln Accounting and Finance office, Nate was a golf professional, an advertising rep, and a mortgage lender. Currently, Nate is a senior account manager. He enjoys playing basketball, golf, and time with his wife Angie, and daughters Sofia & Cecilia.

Aureus Group Employee of the Year Jacque C. (center) poses with Aureus Group Senior Account Manager Stephanie Miller (left) and Aureus Group Branch Manager Chris Walker before the Awards Ceremony.

Celebrating with professionals from each of the staffing divisions within C&A Industries, Inc., Aureus Group was thrilled to recognize the accomplishments of our 2011 Employee of the Year, Jacque C. at our Annual Awards Dinner on Thursday, September 15.

Our annual awards occurred during National Staffing Week, which is a time to give much deserved accolades to the millions of people employed by staffing companies across the country on any given day. This year Aureus Group awarded Jacque with our highest honor. We are proud Jacque chose to join the Aureus Group team!

Here is just a little bit about Jacque:

Jacque found Aureus Group through a friend’s recommendation, at a time when she was at a career crossroads.  Today, she’s on assignment with a leading warehouse and transportation company.  Her contract position began three years go and they value her so much, she’s been there ever since.  She says her co-workers are like family.  Her supervisor praises her work ethic, friendly nature, and says she is constantly exceeding expectations.  Her Account Manager calls her a “breath of fresh air who is always positive.”

It’s no surprise to our client that Jacque would be recognized for her efforts and abilities.  And while she’s not big on being front and center, being named Employee of the Year is an honor that means a great deal to Jacque.  She says she’s delighted and overjoyed to be recognized for what she says is, “just being me.” 

We all cannot think of anyone more deserving for Employee of the Year than Jacque C.