For some, delegating comes easily. For others, perhaps the entrepreneur who has grown her business from a one-person to a ten-person firm, letting go is next to impossible. You’ve heard this type of person referred to, in hushed voices, as a control freak or a micromanager. Still others keep theirs as a one-person company, and their refusal to hire help causes them and their business problems. Failure to delegate may even make someone go out of business, leading this person to have to get a job working for someone else. For those who are not self-employed, the inability to delegate may lead to time and project management problems.

1. Choose what you wish to delegate!
What defines you and sets you apart from everyone else? That’s what you should be doing with your time. Pick as many non-priority tasks that others could do as well as you, and delegate those efforts. Focus on your priority task.

2. Pick the best person to delegate to.
Learn the traits, values, and characteristics of those who will perform well when you delegate to them. Pay attention to whether someone asks questions at the time a task is assigned. Listen and observe. You’ll find out quickly about people who are willing to take on responsibility if they’re already taking it on their own.

3. Trust those to whom you delegate.
Along with trust, you also have to give the people to who you delegate the chance to do a job their way. There is more than one acceptable way to do a task in most cases. You have the right to require that whatever you assign is done accurately and well.

4. Give clear assignments and instructions.
One of the most frustrating things to any employee is not having clear expectations or the resources to meet those expectations. Think about what you would need to know if you did not understand how to do what it is that you are attempting to explain. Think back to that time when you were learning, when you were a neophyte.

5. Set a definite task completion date and follow-up system.
Establish a very specific deadline at the beginning of the project, including several mini-deadlines. In this way you may follow up and check on the job’s progress, rather than waiting until the final deadline. This is especially important if you’re not yet comfortable with the skill level of the person to whom you delegated this project.

6. Give Credit. Give Credit. Give Credit.
It can’t be said enough. Ah… give credit. There. You will inspire loyalty and a wish to serve if you give other people credit for their achievements. It can be as simple as letting others know about the help someone is giving you when you introduce that person. Weekly, monthly, or annual performance reviews are another obvious place to give credit to those whom you delegate work.

Molly Hallgren, Celebrity Staff Senior Account Manager

About the Author, Molly Hallgren
Molly Hallgren has worked with Celebrity Staff since August of 2009. As a senior account manager Molly searches for top talent by networking, sourcing, and through referrals. In previous positions, she has managed marketing activity for a national N.P.O. and directed corporate salon sales for aNebraskadistributor. She also writes movie reviews for a radio station inChicagoand enjoys sharing her critiques on air. Originally fromCleveland,OH, Molly graduated with a B.B.A in Marketing and Communication. Outside of work she enjoys basketball, bike riding, and road trips.

Goals are the essence of success characterized by a feeling of being in control of your own destiny. Think where you are and where you want to go. With clear goals, you will fly straight like an arrow toward your dreams. Yes, you’re busy. But are you “good” busy? How will you know what good busy is if you have not taken the time to figure out what your goals are for today, this week, this month, this year, and even over the next five or ten years? Having a clear idea of what you want to do with your time is what goal setting is really all about.

Examples abound of just how powerful goals can be in shaping behavior. Clear organizational goals can drive employee efforts throughout an organization. But if employees do not know what the organization’s goals are, those goals lose the ability they have to energize employees toward achievements. Communicating organizational goals to employees is essential for achieving desired outcomes. Bob Danzing, former Hearst newspapers executive who is now a motivational speaker and author, shared how goal setting helped him when he was a child in foster care on his journey to one day becoming a CEO: “The social worker simply told the 11 year-old child, ‘You are worthwhile’ every time she met with him. Those three words invited that child, for the first time in his life, to see possibilities for his life. Goals, as it were. I never forgot her words. They were with me as I took my first job as a teenage office boy at the Albany, New York, Times Union. Her goal-inviting words were with me as I became publisher of that newspaper and remained as an ongoing incentive when I became nationwide CEO of all Hearst newspapers for twenty years. Early goal seeds can sprout to become a lifelong garden.”

If you have not been goal-oriented recently, it’s not too late to start or rethink your career (or personal) aspirations. Goal setting goes hand-in-hand with another fundamental principle of optimum time management: planning. You need goals in order to plan better. Better plans usually lead to greater efficiency and improved results. Of course, I have to remind readers about “the best laid plans of mice and men” and Murphy’s Law, that anything that can go wrong, will. Goal setting and planning do not mean you can completely control the world or the outcome of your actions or the actions of those with whom you work. There is; however, a greater likelihood that you will achieve your goal if you have a direction and a strategy in mind.

By setting goals, you know where you’re going. Goals are necessary, at work or in your leisure time. Without goals you’re more likely to flounder and react erratically to opportunities and problems, with too little perspective on the effects they will have on your personal and professional life. You must have long-term goals to keep you from being frustrated by short-term failures.

How many goals should you have? One? Six? Nineteen? How many can you handle at once? Working on three ambitions simultaneously and being very busy in its pursuit might be completely age and situation appropriate for some, while others can effectively take on more or less.

A crucial step in time management is to decide on your long-term and short-term goals. The next all important action is to write down those goals. By putting them down on paper (or doing so electronically) you are reinforcing those goals and your commitment to them. Date your list of long-term goals so you can review it from time to time; create a schedule to review your goals and proceed to ask yourself if you are moving toward achieving the goals or if you need to substitute different ones. Be as concrete as possible in formulating your goals. Avoid vague statements such as, “I want to be rich,” or “I want to be more creative.” The key is to establish specific measureable goals that you can work toward in clear-cut steps.

Molly Hallgren, Celebrity Staff Senior Account Manager

About the Author, Molly Hallgren
Molly Hallgren has worked with Celebrity Staff since August of 2009. As a senior account manager,  Molly searches for top talent by networking, sourcing, and through referrals. In previous positions, she has managed marketing activity for a national N.P.O. and directed corporate salon sales for a Nebraska distributor. She also writes movie reviews for a radio station in Chicago and enjoys sharing her critiques on air. Originally from Cleveland, OH, Molly graduated with a B.B.A in Marketing and Communication. Outside of work she enjoys basketball, bike riding, and road trips.

Looking back, now a recruiter, I never realized how comparable the two professions are. For starters, we both work on a contingency basis – most recruiters are not paid until after you hire their candidate. We both adhere to strict confidentiality – many times we have signed agreements regarding trade secrets, intellectual property, and keeping pending layoffs or releases on a “need to know” basis. Also, we both advise individuals how to proceed through stressful and difficult situations. Aside from who you marry and what (if any) religion you choose, deciding whether to leave a company or where to start your new career is one of the three biggest decisions you’ll ever make. Unfortunately, our industries also have negative perceptions; “sharks” vs. “headhunters”. The similarities are endless.

However, one thing that does differ is how much disclosure the client offers their representation. Attorneys deal in full disclosure. Based on the information you provide, they need to form a game plan, brainstorm with their team, work long nights, fact check, find credible references, prepare you for questions or objections that may arise, source experts in their fields; whatever it takes to help you win. Yet, when it comes to some of our clients as recruiters, we are expected to deliver with limited information. I’ve had orders for “an administrative assistant who knows Excel and is professional” – that’s it. Working in a metro with a population over two million, a lot of people can fit that bill! When you partner with an attorney, the first thing they ask is for you to tell your story: The who, what, when, where, why, and how. You’re advised to be up front and as detailed as possible. After all, if your attorney doesn’t know what they are working on how can they possibly be an effective partner?    

Partnering with a recruiter should be no different. We also need to know your story. If you have an opening, I’m going to need at least 20-30 minutes of your time to fully understand your situation, starting with your urgency. Why the position is open, what methods have you already taken, what you’ve been looking for that you haven’t found yet, what happens if this position goes unfilled and what is your “drop dead” date. I’m not here to waste either of our time. So, if there’s no way you’ll have approval to hire somebody until May due to an unwavering, iron-clad budget, you don’t need to interview my candidates in December.

For job specs, I’ve had many clients that will forward descriptions they’ve spent hours preparing and posted on their websites. While they may be descriptive on the day-to-day duties and qualifications, rarely have I seen any that include what makes a good cultural fit. People make hiring decisions for weird reasons. If it was strictly the specific skillset they were looking for, we’d have a much better interview to placement ratio and our clients probably wouldn’t need us. No, they also want someone who will get along with their coworkers, take initiative, be reliable, etc. Companies not only expect us to make good technical and chemistry matches, but if they do make an offer, they want us to find a candidate that will accept the offer.

There’s a hidden aspect of our role that a lot of clients don’t realize. In order for our candidates to be interested in interviewing with you, oftentimes, we have to sell them on your opportunity. Why are you better than any other job opening right now? Why would you be better than the career the already have? Next to a divorce or death in the family, changing careers is one of the most stressful times someone can go through. Changing careers though, is something they can sometimes control or choose to do. Sell me on your company, not just your salary and benefit package. Give me the vision. Will this person be challenged? Is there advancement? Are you on the rise? Are you a stable company? Why do you like working there? If you can’t open up to me and sell me on why this is a good opportunity, I won’t be able to ensure my candidates are excited about you. Case closed.

I don’t regret my decision to forgo a legal career. Working in a legal niche, I’m able to stay abreast of the terminology, jargon, and industry. I still wear suits to work and I’ve even thought about buying a nice briefcase, but I’m not sure what I would put in it. In the end, we both maintain the best interests of our clients and all parties involved. We’re here to help you. There are few things more rewarding than finding a match for our client, they thought would be impossible. When it happens, I still have my Danny Kaffee moments – frozen, excitedly stunned, with a “Did I just do that?” look on my face as it all sinks in. I did the unthinkable. Hopefully more clients will see the benefits of full disclosure with their recruiters. Until then, the defense rests; I’ve always wanted to say that.

Brad Lewis, Celebrity Staff Kansas City Branch Manager

About the Author, Brad Lewis
Brad joined Celebrity Staff in 2005 and currently serves as Branch Manager for Celebrity’s Kansas City branch office. Prior to joining Celebrity Staff, Brad was a business consultant in the communications industry for five years working specifically in theKansasandMissouridistricts. As branch manager, Brad concentrates on ensuring excellence in the overall operations of theKansas Citybranch for both clients and employees. Outside the office, Brad enjoys spending quality time with his wife and their family.

The Economy Isn’t as Bad as Reported
The US economy has now risen above pre-recession levels. In Q3 2011, the US economy grew at a pace of 2.5%, and the GDP grew to $13.35 trillion. This exceeds the pre-recession high of $13.33 trillion during the last quarter of 2007. Companies are also beating Wall Street expectations for the eleventh straight quarter. A total of 220 out of 295 Standard & Poor’s 500 Index companies have exceeded forecasts for the third quarter, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

More Money, More Hiring
Middle management is ready to offer their staff some “workload relief” and are pushing company leaders for bigger budgets. With more cash on hand companies will be granting management requests, and middle management is licking their chops to start strategically rebuilding to their pre-recession staff levels. This has resulted in a rash of hires by companies and doesn’t even take into account holiday hiring or stretched small business owners looking to add key positions to support new business. Simply put, the demand for candidates is going up dramatically. 

More Hiring, Fewer Candidates
Since 2008, it’s been the proverbial land of milk and honey for candidate sourcing. Throw out a job posting, and voilá instant qualified candidates! Candidate pools were bursting with outstanding talent itching for the next opportunity. That pool however has been depleted. The top tier talent that lost their jobs during the recession is already back to work. You can no longer cherry pick the resumes that come in from job postings because it won’t get the results you want. In addition, companies with seasonal projects and temporary assignments are snatching up second level candidates as well.

Top Candidates Aren’t Coming To You
We’re not on easy street now.  You will be at a competitive disadvantage if your in-house recruiting tactics primarily consist of job ads. This will not help you reach the largest source of untapped talent – those who are currently employed. Of potential talent, 84% are happily employed making good money. They are not going to the job boards and looking at your postings, they’re trying to produce excellent results for their current employer. You can no longer rely on these passive recruiting tactics, or you will have a weak candidate pool.

If You Wait, You’ll Lose
The weakened candidate pool means there’s less of a chance you’ll be able to find someone else. If you have a candidate that you like, hire them. The days of having all the time in the world to make a hiring decision while an excellent candidate waits are over. Recently, I’ve had two clients miss opportunities to bring on great talent because they waited too long. They decided to wait on an offer to look at other candidates, and by the time they interviewed those other candidates it was too late. When they came back, the original candidate was long gone, hired by someone else.

Are you having a challenging time finding the right candidates for your opening? Have you felt the sting of the shrinking candidate pool? That’s where Celebrity Staff can help you! Call us today to speak with an account manager about your specific needs.

Adam McCoy, Celebrity Staff Senior Account Manager

About the Author, Adam McCoy
Adam has been in the staffing and recruiting industry for more than two years combined with more than 10 years of client services experience. As a Senior Account Manager, he is responsible for mentoring new employees and cultivating strong relationships with key accounts vital to Celebrity Staff. Adam’s talents include managing accounts across the country, business development, coaching, and employee development. He has been recognized as a key contributor throughout his career through various awards and recognition. 

 Originally from Monticello, IA, Adam is married with two children and stays busy with ministry and family activities. He also enjoys reading about and tinkering with the latest technology and is a self-professed “egghead”

Pushers use deadlines and required benchmarks to motivate employees. Pushers are vocal and provide feedback, but most often when things aren’t going well. They also tend to be very reactive when handling situations. Employees avoid interaction with Pushers as it usually means they have done something wrong. Pushers often give their employees the impression that their own success is more important than that of the company. This approach makes employees think that the bottom-line is all that matters. 

Pullers are quick to highlight successes and praise performance. They motivate employees with incentives and recognition. Pullers give regular feedback regardless of whether performance is up or down. This is because Pullers take a proactive approach to management. Employees enjoy interacting with Pullers because they will receive constructive criticism and praise.  This approach makes employees feel valued and a part of the success of the organization.

Now that we’ve defined these management styles, which do you think is more effective? Having worked for both, I can tell you that Pullers get more from their people. Why? Because fear and intimidation rarely push employees to succeed. The reaction is usually very much the opposite as employees tend to “push back”.  When employees only hear from a manager when they drop the ball, they feel unappreciated. They begin looking for a new position where they will be more appreciated.  Many employees will settle for less money in order to leave a Pusher in the hopes of finding a Puller.

If retaining top talent is important to your organization, then adopt a Puller’s mentality. It takes a conscious effort to be a Puller, but it is worth the work.

Celebrity Staff Account Manager, Matt Demmel

About the Author, Matt Demmel
Matt began working for Celebrity Staff in November of 2010. Prior, he worked in the financial field for seven years hiring and training sales professionals. With extensive experience locating and developing premier talent, Matt takes pride in helping match qualified candidates with companies that can utilize their skills. As an account manager, he is responsible for cultivating long-standing relationships with local businesses and job seekers.

Originally from Kearney, Neb., Matt graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. He is married with one child and stays busy with outdoor activities and playing and watching sports.

Celebrity Staff Employee of the Year, Cathy F. poses with Celebrity Staff KC Branch Manager Brad Lewis before the Awards Ceremony.

Celebrating with professionals from each of the staffing divisions within C&A Industries, Inc., Celebrity Staff was thrilled to recognize the accomplishments of our 2011 Employee of the Year, Cathy F. 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 Celebrity awarded Cathy with our highest honor. We are proud Cathy chose to join the Celebrity Staff team!

Here is just a little bit about Cathy:

Cathy has been with her current assignment as an administrative assistant for the past three years.  Since she began, she’s broadened her responsibilities, a clear sign of how much she’s valued by our client.  Cathy says going to work every day is like meeting up with family.  She and her co-workers support each other through thick and thin. 

Cathy describes herself as eager, a quick learner, unafraid of obstacles.  Her Account Manager with Celebrity Staff sings her praises, citing her reliability, exceptional work ethic, and unflappable positive attitude.  He says she constantly goes above and beyond to handle whatever is thrown her way, without missing a beat.

It’s no surprise to our client that Cathy would be recognized for her efforts and abilities. We all cannot think of anyone more deserving for Employee of the Year than Cathy F.

However, have you ever returned from a vacation to find your desk or work in complete disarray?  Who does your job when you aren’t there? Some companies have a team system where groups of people cover for each other. Other firms don’t have that luxury and simply ask another employee to pull “double-duty” and take on your job in addition to theirs while you are out frolicking. Many companies call Celebrity to provide a temporary employee to fill in and keep the work flow moving so no one gets behind. 

Whatever your company solution, it is important you prepare to be out of the office. Save yourself some headache when you return!  This sounds so simple, yet I am amazed at how many people don’t take the time to do just one simple task before heading out. What is it, you ask. Are you ready? Brace yourself, it is Earth-shattering. MAKE A LIST of things you need done while you are out. Wow, a list? Yes! It’s that simple.

Whatever your tool of choice:  email, paper, spreadsheet, a simple list of things that needs to be done while you are out can make sure the person covering for you can meet your expectations. After you make that list, review it with the person who is responsible for making sure all of those items are done. This way they can ask for clarification so it is done right. 

This goes for managers as well, and sometimes it is the manager who is the worst at delegating or communicating expectations during an absence. I learned to do this long ago when I take time off. I send an email to the person handling specific tasks to make sure they are aware of my expectations and call them so I may answer any questions they might have. When I return, that person is the first one I call to get an update on how things went during my absence, challenges they encountered, and anything I should revisit now that I’m back.

There you have it.  Let’s recap just in case you missed it, there are three simple steps to stress-free vacation planning at work:

1. Make a list of things that need to be done while you are out
2. Review the list with the person before you leave for vacation
3. Follow up when you return.

Now, go out and enjoy the sun and don’t forget to call Celebrity Staff to schedule a temporary employee for those vacation coverages! Pre-planning will help your Celebrity account manager recruit and identify talent in advance, reducing training time and increasing productivity. It’s my blog; therefore I must put in my plug, right? 

Patty North, Celebrity Staff Regional Manager

About the Author Patty North, CPC, SPHR, Celebrity Staff Regional Manager

As the regional manager of Celebrity Staff, a leading staffing and recruitment firm, Patty North has assisted organizations across a four-state region with the development and implementation of best practice strategies in the areas of talent acquisition and talent management. Her collective insight and expertise on workforce planning, garnered from her 16 years in the staffing industry, has enabled clients ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 corporations to improve performance and gain a competitive advantage in their respective markets. Celebrity Staff is based in Omaha, Nebraska with offices located in Lincoln, Nebraska and Kansas City, Missouri.

In the business world, the turn around means many of us who were forced to reduce staff or leave vacant positions unfilled the last two years will need to add employees to our staff. Some may be ready to begin expansion plans and hire key staff needed to grow. Others may see that their current staff does not possess the skills their business needs in these changed times. Whatever the reason, many of you will hire someone this year and trust me, that is good news! Now ask yourself, are you ready? 

When is the last time you conducted an interview? Hiring mistakes can be costly and there’s nothing worse than making a job offer to a candidate and it being turned down. Make the time to prepare for your upcoming interviews and sharpen your skills so when you have the right person you want to hire, they say yes! 

Watch my free, one hour webinar recording Moving Forward During the Turn Around and explore quick and easy ways to review position expectations, gather ideas to help you establish a hiring process that is consistent, get interview questions to incorporate, and review common interview pitfalls to avoid. 

Patty North, Celebrity Staff Regional Manager

About Patty North, CPC, SPHR
As the regional manager of Celebrity Staff, a leading staffing and recruitment firm, Patty North has assisted organizations across a four-state region with the development and implementation of best practice strategies in the areas of talent acquisition and talent management. Her collective insight and expertise on workforce planning, garnered from her 16 years in the staffing industry, has enabled clients ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 corporations to improve performance and gain a competitive advantage in their respective markets. Celebrity Staff is based in Omaha, Nebraska with offices located in Lincoln, Nebraska and Kansas City, Missouri.

Many people feel that there is a lot of available talent out in the market, but in reality there is not. “Recruiters say they continuously have trouble finding candidates for many skilled positions, and once candidates are found, hiring managers are taking longer to pull the trigger,” according to a The Wall Street Journal, March 7, 2011 article. Managers feel that with the high unemployment rates there should be many qualified people out there looking, but that’s not the case.  This in turn is causing the hiring process to take much longer and it may not bode well for your company.

We have seen this situation play out at Celebrity Staff over the past couple of months. One of our clients originally interviewed two of our top candidates and felt one of the candidates had the experience needed to do the job. The candidate received excellent references and would be a good fit, but the employer continued to interview to see if there was one more person out there who was just a bit better. In what could have taken only a week to complete the hiring process turned into weeks. This in turn made our candidate feel that they were no longer interested in them and they became skeptical about the employer.  You may be surprised to hear that the company did end up making an offer to the original candidate six weeks after the first interview and the candidate declined. 

Would you blame the candidate for declining the position? If you were in the dating scene and went out for coffee with someone and didn’t hear back for six weeks, wouldn’t you be a little skeptical? I would think most of us would so it shouldn’t be much different for candidates interviewing for a position. When the hiring process takes this long it causes the prospective employee to lose interest in the position and makes them feel like they have to put things on hold. 

Being a hiring manager myself, I understand the desire to make a hire count and find the right person, but taking weeks, even months searching for that perfect person isn’t the answer. The truth is, extending your search to find the quintessential “perfect” candidate might cause you to lose the talented, top rated candidates you currently have in your pipeline.

Studies are showing the percentage of candidates having more than one offer to consider is up to 51% in 2011 compared to 35% in 2010, according to an USA Today, March 28, 2011 article. Considering these statistics, time is not on your side.

Elizabeht Meyer Ambri, Celebrity Staff Lincoln Branch Manager

About the Author, Elizabeth Ambri
Elizabeth Meyer Ambri has worked for Celebrity Staff since 2003. She was hired as an account manager and since then she has been promoted several times to her current position of branch manager. Elizabeth is responsible for cultivating new business, servicing her customers and the overall operations of the Lincoln branch. Elizabeth has a master’s degree in human resources, a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and psychology and is working toward a CPC. Off the clock she enjoys spending time with her husband and their family. Elizabeth also enjoys hiking, biking and playing golf.

The kiss is not an easy one to achieve, however. To get to the stone, first you must climb up the steps of the ruins of the castle, ascent to the castle’s peak, then lean over backwards on the parapet’s edge. There is always an assistant to help you lean backward as there is definitely a real risk. Once upon a time, visitors had to be held by the ankles and lowered head first over to reach the stone. Today, they are more cautious and have you hold onto an iron railing while leaning backward. The Stone itself is still set in the wall below the overhang. It is said that the prize bestowed upon kissers is the gift of eloquence or the gift of gab.

This experience was one that I will never forget, but it had me thinking about the truth in its powers. Could there be such a thing as giving someone the gift of eloquence; is that even possible? Or perhaps, is the gift of gab learned or within us as we grow up and develop into adults?

I am a recruiter and have been for the past 11 years. I talk to people for a living and find out about their interests, desires, and needs pertaining to work and employment. I love what I do and wouldn’t be doing it if I genuinely didn’t enjoy the interaction involved. Some days I struggle as I can’t help everyone, but the ones I can help make my job rewarding and fulfilling.

I believe that there is something to be said about being born with the gift of gab versus having it bestowed upon us. My father was in international sales and my mother worked in the student life office at a local college. I think I was destined to work with people based off of my parents’ professions alone. Although it took me a bit of soul searching to discover this work, once I did I was hooked!

A previous boss of mine once told me that I sell and work with a flawed commodity. I agree with her that when we work with people as our product, it becomes difficult to predict everything that could happen. It can also be a bit cloudy to judge the best candidate as no two people have the same experiences or skills.

There is not an exact science to selling or delivering the goods when dealing with people. What if the scope of the position changes? What if the candidate decides they don’t like the job? What happens if two of the people working together just don’t get along? So many variables play into making a solid match of candidate to employer.

In these situations, I have discovered that visiting the clients face-to-face and understanding their needs first hand help overcome a lot of these challenges. Seeing and observing the environment in which my candidate will work allows me the opportunity to select the right person based on what their daily surroundings will be. But the real importance comes by asking the right questions.

Questions I have found to be very important include the following:

• Describe a person that has been successful in this role?
• What made this person a success?
• What is driving your need for someone?
• What are your expectations of this person?
• What have been your challenges or frustrations?

In interviewing candidates, I ask questions ranging from describing their previous experience, education, personality, and what they are looking for at this point in their life. The KEY is all about asking the right questions to both the clients and the candidates.

I often ask my candidates to take a step back and look at themselves from the outside in. I ask them to review their background and qualifications rather than just look for the next best thing. I tell my clients to look at their open positions in the same light. I tell clients to really evaluate what they need and what expectations they are looking to achieve – no bull$h*t.

Having the ability to articulate your needs and wants when it comes to employment and staffing is more than just having the gift of gab. It takes a genuine, concentrated effort to reflect on goals and analyze what you want. More often than not, it will help lead you down the path of finding happiness and success for both parties involved.  

Celebrity Staff Account Manager Karla Keegan-Smith

About the Author Karla Keegan-Smith

Karla began working for Celebrity Staff in 2009 as an account manager; 2011 marks her eleventh year in the staffing and recruiting industry. She has worked in several large cities throughout her career and secured business in a wide variety of industries ranging from call centers, banking, manufacturing, mortgage, utilities, real estate, medical, and many more! Karla has helped countless people find rewarding careers and is responsible for cultivating new business.

Originally from Green Bay, Wisconsin, Karla graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Human Development with a minor in music. She is a member of Human Resources Association of the Midlands (HRAM) and is on the HRAM media relations committee. She is also a member of the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce.

Outside of work, Karla stays busy with her two children, traveling, and spending time with good friends. She is passionate about helping people and her community.