Using the criteria below, the Employee of the Quarter is voted on by the entire Aureus Group staff:

• Positive communication with other team members
• Consistent professionalism (appearance and communication to our internal/external customers)
• Obvious focus on the major responsibilities of his/her role on the team
• Execution of production goals
• Dedication and dependability to our teams’ mission
• Strong commitment to our policies and procedures

Q1 Aureus Group Employee of the Quarter, Jeff Kovar, Recruiter

Aureus Group has voted Jeff Kovar the Q1 Employee of the Quarter.

Here’s what the team has to say about Jeff:

“Jeff Kovar is willing to do whatever it takes to help his team be successful. He researches industries and develops innovative recruiting strategies ensuring we have the best talent available. He understands the firm with the best candidates wins. His commitment to constant and never-ending improvement is refreshing. He tries to hone his skills everyday and it shows in his candidates’ satisfaction levels and on the money board. He earned team status and quarter bonus in Period 2 alone.”

“Ultimately the Employee of the Quarter is decided using multiple factors and not exclusively on GM [Gross Margin].  That said, Jeff has done an outstanding job over the last quarter putting a lot of GM up on the board, and has done so through hard work and effort.  Jeff is a team player who is always happy to share and secrets or new tricks of the trade he has picked up along the way.”

“Jeff is a true recruiter. He knows the markets well and where the good candidates are and where they want to be, and he has a knack for getting hard-to-find talent. He also has outstanding online search tricks.”

“Jeff has really grown professionally in his 1 1/2 years with us.  The diversity in recruiting he has shown jumping from banking to actuaries to accountants sometimes within the same day has been very impressive. His hard work has also recently paid off in his production this quarter qualifying him for his first quarterly bonus and making team status!” 

“What more can you ask of a recruiter? Jeff continuously fills the candidate funnel with the best talent in the market and even closes deals when given an opportunity. Moreover, Jeff is easily one of the most likable people I know and adds to a great work environment on his team. Congratulations to Jeff on a tremendous quarter!”

 “I would use a phrase to describe Jeff that he uses on great candidates he finds for us…’Plays the guitar with his teeth.’”  That’s Jeff’s fun way of saying, ‘Rock star, you need to present this guy today,’ and that’s what I think of Jeff. Jeff has helped us find very niche and hard-to-find folks who have really made a positive impact on our client relationships. He is very versatile and flexible and great at working effectively with all of the different styles and functional areas in our team. We love Jeff, and could likely only improve on him by making a copy of him.”

“I would like to nominate Jeff Kovar for employee of the quarter. What can I say about Jeff? He works hard, very hard, maaan, he is always on the phone, but here’s the kick, he always has a smile on his face, a joke or a laugh for everybody! He makes his job look simple and the results are great!”

“My vote goes to Jeff Kovar! Jeff demonstrates all the qualities I want in a teammate. He works smart and hard and always brings a positive attitude to work each day. He’s so approachable and always willing to share his knowledge with other teammates. For example, I’ve gone to Jeff for advice on performing specific LinkedIn searches and he always provides me with great suggestions and will take time out of his busy schedule to show me specifically how to put together various queries. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know Jeff and believe he has a great, successful career ahead of him at Aureus Group! He’s earned every bit of the success he’s achieved thus far!”

A staffing industry veteran of 22 years, Linda A. came to Aureus Group and its Systems team just short of a year ago. During the course of her career she’s worked for various firms and even run one herself. Now, she says, she’s in the right place.

“I am so glad to be here,” she says. “In fact, I just dreamed about it just last night.”

Q4 Employee of the Quarter, Linda A., Aureus Group

Linda is a high energy ball of fire who is passionate about what she does. “I absolutely love my job. I love the recruiting business. I love coming to work every day.”

She’s fit in so well and made such an impact, from mentoring team members and pitching in to her positive attitude which kicks off each day, she’s already been recognized as an Employee of the Quarter.

Helping clients find the right person is what drives her. She acknowledges it’s demanding but reasons, “There’s high risk and high return. If you’re willing to put in the time it will all pay off. If you’re making your client happy, the rest will come.”

Over the years, Linda has weathered the storms of markets headed south only to see them cycle back up again. She says there’s no hidden secret to coming out on top. “You get your head down, get to work, and work harder.”

She understands because she’s been there before, demonstrating optimism and perseverance all while clients are wary of hiring. “I didn’t used to think of myself as a resilient person, but it has to be like water off a duck’s back. It took me a lot of years to figure that out.”

Staying the course with more than two decades of experience and well-practiced techniques under her belt, tough times don’t rattle her. But that doesn’t mean it’s business as usual.

“Because there are more people in the market, we just have to screen that much more. There’s more volume, it’s more competitive, and there’s more sifting. We have to ask the tough questions of candidates and get to the heart of it.”

Today, she views her role as more of a consultative one with clients and also candidates. “We’re looked at as a trusted advisor more so than a vendor.”

During her career, Linda has worked alongside hundreds of other recruiters but can’t say enough about her co-workers on the Systems team.

“Our team is unique because of the level of talent – a seasoned staff who all see the bigger picture. I work with a phenomenal group of people.”

Speaking of team, she and her colleague Jillian are trying something new in Aureus Group – a modified spin on the team concept. Jillian finds the business and Linda finds the talent. While still supporting other members of the Systems group, they work as a pair. “It’s going very well – fantastic, actually!”

Life for Linda revolves around work, faith, and family and she approaches each day with renewed enthusiasm.

She and husband Vince have been married 27 years. Together they have three children, ages 25, 24, and 16.

Middle child Mandy is getting married in October. The youngest, Andy, whom she likens to a budding comedian, “sucks the life out of me.” And once out the door, the oldest, Alex, is back inside, while getting on his feet. “It’s fun to have him back. My husband and I are going to Kansas City and he’s able to stay home with our 16 year-old. There’s no way I’m leaving him home by himself. Not going to do it.” Andy, she says with a laugh, is a handful.

The couple is very involved with their church – he’s a cantor and she plays the piano.

Music is something she gravitates to regularly. She had just several years of lessons while growing up but says now is when she’s getting her joy out of it.

“I play the piano like a fiend. I play everything,” she says, her eyes lighting up with excitement. “Right now, I’m playing ‘Mamma Mia’ and ‘Wicked’. I play a lot of Lorie Line’s music, too. I love her music.”

Beyond the keys, she’s into cookies and cardio. She loves to bake, cookies being her specialty. “Gabe [an Aureus Group co-worker] always asks me why I don’t bring in samples!” And to cope with stress, along with obvious health benefits, Linda works out every day. “I’m religious about it,” she says. “I do cardio every day and strength training three times a week. I feel better have more energy and am more productive in all I do.”

For Linda, “living each day to the fullest” isn’t just a cheesy quote on a coffee mug, it’s truly how she approaches every aspect of her life – defying gravity, despite the negative tugs that accompany any challenge or obstacle.

Just an observation: her career with Aureus Group has already taken off.

Recognition takes on many forms from the informal, “Good job”, after a completed project, to the formal Employee of the Year prizes awarded at company-wide events.  Each has a specific place in the recognition spectrum of importance and is a win-win for companies and employees alike.

Aureus Group is honored to have some of the region’s most talented professionals working for us sharing in the company’s mission of being a staffing provider of choice. C&A, parent company of Aureus Group, recently announced the company’s four Q4 Employees of the Quarter, selected by their peers and based on several key criteria. I’m proud to announce that Aureus Group’s very own Linda Aughenbaugh earned this top honor for the Commercial / Professional Staffing Divisions category.

Linda Aughenbaugh, Aureus Group Account Manager, was named one of four C&A Industries' Q4 Employees of the Quarter

Here are some of the comments from Linda’s nomination forms: “Linda has been with our Aureus Group team just about six months. In this time Linda has done everything asked of her and more. She brings an over-the-top positive attitude and a tremendous amount of energy and passion to the job. She has been in the industry for more than 20 years and yet never once has she acted like any job or learning opportunity is beneath her. Linda is a terrific mentor and is always more than willing to fill in wherever needed. Linda burns up the phone line every day, always focused on her goals. She talks to her clients and candidates with such enthusiasm and passion it’s no wonder she’s doing so well – they can’t help but want to work with her! What a great example Linda sets for our group and the organization.”

Not only do I want to congratulate Linda on a job well done, I want to challenge all employers to find ways to recognize their top employees for their contributions.  Our employees are the life line of our companies and now more than ever we need to share our appreciation with them for all they do for us.

Stay tuned . . . our next newsletter will discuss the top 5 motivators top talent candidates provide us when asked why they want to leave their current roles and their criteria in selecting new employers.

Aureus Group was the proud winner of several awards including the team Business Builder Award for the Executive division and individual awards for Mike T. with the Finance and Accounting division, who won the Rising Star award, and Jon D. from the Executive division, who won both the Highest Gross Margin and President’s Club awards. Congratulations to all of the winners!

 These employees and so many others at C&A continue to illustrate how hard work and dedication can garner amazing results, but their achievements go far beyond recognition for top sales. Being a standout employee is about more than earning an award, it’s about earning the respect of your peers, just like Aureus Group’s top employees have done. To become a star, focus on the process, not the results.

Here are some suggestions:

• Stay on top of your industry. Spending just 15 to 20 minutes per day doing some research on your business and industry will keep you more up to date than most of your peers.
• Find out how you can be more valuable. Ask managers how you can contribute more. You may get a chance to work on innovative projects that help the company achieve its goals.
• Take up the tough assignments. Volunteer for jobs others don’t want to tackle. Your team peers will appreciate it—and the boss will notice, too.
• Lend your colleagues a hand. When others are struggling to get their work done, offer to help them. But don’t take on too much; you don’t want to get distracted from your own work.
• Give others credit. Don’t hog the glory. Acknowledge the help you receive from your co-workers, and they’ll be more willing to support you in the future.
• Be patient. Becoming a star won’t happen overnight. If you expect too much too soon, you’ll just set yourself up for disap­pointment. Keep a sense of perspective about getting ahead.