Shopping Product Reviews

7 Staff Tips to Remember as COVID-19 Cases Rise

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It is hard to believe that a second wave of COVID-19 cases is on the rise. This week alone, the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients increased 5% in 36 states. Additionally, this week the US reported an average of nearly 70,000 new cases every day (from October 20 to October 27). This has been the highest seven-day average so far, according to a CNBC analysis. And in Chicago, where I live, indoor dining at restaurants will once again be suspended.

All of this feels like we’re right back where we started in March. In fact, it resembles the movie Groundhog Day, where Bill Murray’s character, Phil Connors, wakes up and relives the same day. While a second wave is not good news, the good news is that we have experienced this before and have learned from it. Below are 7 tips staffing businesses need to remember to stay on top and succeed as we head into the winter months.

  1. Switch to a cloud-based staffing software solution

If you don’t already have a cloud-based workforce software solution, now is the time to make the switch. One of the main reasons is so that your staffing business can operate safely and productively from home. Even if your business goes into the office now, it’s critical to be prepared in case it’s no longer safe to have the entire team in the office. As we know from last time, the situation changed quickly like the switch of a button. One minute our team was in the office and the next minute we were gone and wouldn’t be back for months.

Cloud-based staffing software gives your team the ability to work from anywhere. While this is important during current times, in normal times it is also a huge benefit as recruiters are on the go visiting clients. They can easily enter their notes while jumping between clients.

Another important benefit is the security aspect. There has been an increase in compromised data during the pandemic. As if we didn’t have enough to worry about, hackers are on the prowl. They have been targeting remote workers as they know companies had to fight and implement patchy security protocols. A good cloud-based staffing software solution will invest in high-level data security. However, it is extremely important to note that not all staffing software vendors invest in the same amount of security. It is essential to ask yourself how secure your data will be when you switch to a cloud solution. Never assume your data is secure. Characteristics of a secure cloud solution include:

  • The data is stored in a high-level data center. Tier 3 and 4 data centers provide the highest security with approximately 99.982% and 99.995% uptime, respectively.
  • Cloud data is stored in multiple data centers, so in the event that “the cloud goes down”, your data will still be backed up and safe in another.
  • There are multiple security protocols in the data center, including extensive backup power sources, fingerprint access between rooms, locked cages, 24-hour monitoring, and armed guards. Only a few key IT people at the software company should have access to physical data.
  • Backups run daily. Ideally, incremental backups are done throughout the day with a full backup at the end of each day.
  • Multiple layers of firewall protection are in place.
  1. Invest in the right technology for interviews

If your staff is working from home, candidates will also not be able to attend an interview.
Find the right interview platform for your company. Whether it’s simply through a webinar platform or professional video interview software. Finding the right solution for your company is imperative so recruiters can continue conducting interviews without missing a beat. Investing in the right interview technology is important not only to keep your business running smoothly, but also to look professional from a candidate’s perspective during an interview.

  1. Partner with high-demand industries

This may mean the need to venture into new lines of business that you have never worked in before. If you haven’t already tapped into high-demand industries during the pandemic, now is the time to get into these lines of business. Some of the industries with high demand include: food/alcohol/grocery, medical personnel/devices, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, delivery services, trucking/rail, paper products, antibacterial/cleaning products, and more. These are all industries worth targeting to keep your business going. Having a diversified portfolio in difficult times is more important than ever.

You should also look for companies that hire in large numbers. Every day in LinkedIn News, LinkedIn updates its “Here’s Who’s Hiring Right Now” list. It’s a list worth checking every morning to see if there are any companies you could partner with.

  1. Use the capabilities of your ATS/CRM

The data stored in your ATS/CRM is more valuable than you think. Think of all the clients and candidates you have stored in your database. You may have hundreds or even thousands of clients and candidates. You can find new business and candidates right in front of you! The key is knowing how to look.

Looking for Clients

Searching by industry, state, and customer location is the most basic, yet powerful search. If you’re trying to target those industries with high demand, it would be helpful to search by industry, location (start with businesses near you), and an inactive status (meaning you’re not currently doing business with them). A “full text search” is another powerful search feature that allows you to search for key terms in each customer profile. If you want to search for “doctor”, it will search for all customers who have the word “doctor” somewhere in their profile, be it in an email, a text message, a note, a comment, etc. Not all ATS/CRM solutions have “full text search”, but if yours does, you’ll want to be sure you’re taking advantage of it.

Searching by Last Contact, Job Orders, and Candidate Employment History are also unique searches that may be of value to you. Last contacted, would allow you to search for companies that you have not worked with recently, eliminating companies that you have recently contacted and that did not need services. Searching by work order is beneficial because it can identify companies you have worked with in the past. There may be clients on the list that you haven’t contacted in a while who could use your services. Searching for Candidate Employment History is a unique search that may not immediately come to mind. This allows you to search a candidate’s profile for companies they have worked for in the past. It is a way to find new customers that are not yet in your system.

As you find customers you want to communicate with, be sure to add them to a pipeline. This is an efficient way to track the businesses you found in your search so you can start connecting with them.

Looking for Candidates

Similarly, you can use the search features of your staffing software to find candidates. Searching by position, skills, and industry is a good basic search to start with. One thing you might consider is looking for candidates who work in industries that are not doing well. They may be looking for work or even out of work. You may find an overlap in their skills or employment history that would qualify them to be placed in a different industry that is in higher demand. As with clients, searching by Date of Last Contact is also a valuable search to identify candidates you haven’t contacted in some time. As you find candidates you want to contact, be sure to also create a candidate pipeline, so you can easily review the list when you’re ready to contact them.

  1. Continuous communication with customers

Remember to maintain frequent communication with clients, even if they don’t have staffing needs. Keep relationships with your clients strong by communicating and being a resource to them, so when they’re ready to hire again, you’ll be top of mind. Businesses can simply send resources to clients every other week, such as blog articles, ebooks, information on industry webinars, webinars you’re hosting, and more. These are all ways to continue building relationships with your customers in a long-term partnership.

  1. keep marketing

The marketing budget is often the first item cut in tough times. If we’ve learned anything from the pandemic and past recessions, cutting back on your marketing resources may be the worst thing you can do. Marketing your business in tough times is crucial for a couple of reasons:

  1. Clients and candidates know that you are still in business.
  2. Your company looks strong.

If a prospect or client visits your website or social media pages, you want them to know right away that you’re in business. If you stay quiet and they don’t see activity, they may assume you’re no longer in business. This also applies to email marketing. If customers, prospects, and candidates don’t see email communication during these times, they’ll quickly forget about you. Don’t forget or get lost in the shuffle. Keep communicating and promoting your company!

By communicating through social media, emails, and other marketing channels, your business looks strong too. Candidates and clients will see that you are still an active company and will see you as an industry leader they can turn to.

  1. stay positive

Perhaps the last and most important tip (perhaps the hardest tip) is
stay positive. The idea of ​​going backwards instead of forwards with the state of the COVID-19 pandemic can be difficult, but you must keep your head up and put in the effort. Maintaining a positive attitude will help you succeed and will also help your team members stay motivated. Also make sure you find time to do the things that make you happy and relax, whether it’s cooking, doing yoga, going for a walk, watching shows on Netflix, etc. Taking the time to do the things you love will help you stay positive!

Sports

4 Most Valuable Topps NHL Rookie Cards from 1957-58

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The four most valuable rookie cards in the 1957-58 Topps hockey card set feature players entering their third year in the National Hockey League. Because it was Topps’ first set since 1954-55 and Parkhurst was also lacking a set in 1956-57, several players were represented on cardboard for the first time.

The 1957-58 Topps game consists of 66 hockey cards featuring players from the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Rangers. Gordie Howe and Glenn Hall are at the forefront of the most valuable cards in the set. As with most sports cards, the 1957-58 Topps series celebrates the achievements of the previous year.

Glenn Hall-Chicago Blackhawks

Card number 20 belongs to Glenn Hall, goalie for the Chicago Blackhawks. The card is not only the highest value rookie card at $400, but it is one of the most valuable in the set. In fact, Hall played two games for the Detroit Red Wings in 1954-55 before playing all 70 for the Red Wings in 1955-56 and 1956-57. In 1956-57, he posted an average of 2.23 goals while recording four shutouts.

1957-58 was Glenn’s first year with Chicago and he is shown on the billboard as a member of the Blackhawks. Hall went on to play in the NHL until the end of the 1970-71 season. Along with the Red Wings and Blackhawks, Glenn also played for the St. Louis Blues. Glenn Hall was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975.

Johnny Bucyk – Boston Bruins

Card number 10 is Johnny Bucyk’s rookie card and has a book value of $250. Like Glenn Hall, Bucyk played for the Detroit Red Wings in 1955-56 and 1956-57, with 1957-58 being his first year with the Boston Bruins. In 1956-57, Johnny scored ten goals and assisted eleven for 21 points in 66 games.

In that first year with Boston, the Bruins went straight to the Stanley Cup Finals before falling to the dynastic Montreal Canadiens. Bucyk played in the National Hockey League through the 1977-78 season, all with Boston. John Bucyk was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981.

Norma Ullman – Detroit Red Wings

Card number 46 in the 1957-58 Topps set belongs to Norm Ullman and has a book value of $250. Like the two previous players, Ullman played for the Detroit Red Wings in 1955-56 and 1956-57. Unlike the other two, Norm remained with the Red Wings until a trade sent him to the Toronto Maple Leafs midway through the 1967-68 season.

In 1956-57, Ullman scored 16 and assisted on 36 for 52 points in 64 games. He was third in team scoring behind Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay. His 36 assists tied Norm for eighth in the NHL with Henri Richard of the Montreal Canadiens. His 52 points put him 10th in the race for the Art Ross Trophy.

Norm played in the National Hockey League until the end of the 1974-75 season, appearing only with Toronto and Detroit. He spent another two years in the WHA with the Edmonton Oilers in 1975-76 and 1976-77. Norm Ullman was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982.

Pierre Pilote – Chicago Blackhawks

Pilot’s 22nd rookie card has a book value of $100. Pierre played in 20 games for the Blackhawks in 1955-56 and played the full 70-game schedule in 1956-57. In that 1956-57 season, the defenseman scored three and assisted on 14 for 17 points over the last-place Blackhawks. His 117 penalty minutes placed him fourth in the NHL.

Pierre played with Chicago from 1955-56 to 1967-68 before playing one final season in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1968-69. Driver won three consecutive Norris Trophies from 1962-63 to 1964-65 as the best defenseman in the NHL. Pierre Pilote was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975.

Tours Travel

Mountain Town Living – Enjoying the Good Life

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There is a huge misconception that living in a mountain town is not as good as it seems. This urban legend comes from people who have lived in these towns before they were really developed or are in poor locations. The truth is that mountain towns offer many benefits over larger cities. If you are looking to relax and enjoy the good life, then living in a mountain town may be exactly what you are looking for. Here’s a quick look at some of the benefits you could get from living in the mountains.

1. Ultimate Vacation

One of the greatest benefits of living in a mountain town is that you are on vacation all year round. Very few cities rely solely on one thing, which is usually skiing. They have branched out and diversified to ensure that they attract visitors in the summer and fall as well. If you really want to enjoy the good life, living in a mountain community can offer you a year-round vacation.

2. Tourism

Some people automatically think that living in a city that relies on tourism would be terrible. However, these are often some of the best cities in the country. The reason for this is simple. By living in these towns, you can experience all the special events that tourists do, only you can do it whenever you want. Also, you never have to miss any. There’s nothing worse than choosing a vacation spot, only to find that the week after you leave, there’s a big festival going on. If you live there, this is never a problem.

3. Outdoors

Mountain towns rely on their rustic and natural appeal to attract tourists. This emphasis on preserving the natural environment makes it a great place to sit back and enjoy the good life. Not only can you hit the slopes in season, but you also have access to other outdoor activities like rafting, fishing, and much more. Hiking is a popular option and can be done throughout the year. One of the reasons these towns are so unique is because they are based on creating an environment that allows people to relax.

4. Cultivation

The vast majority of towns have a very strong base of artists and other craftsmen. These artisans live there year-round, not just during peak tourist season. This means that you will be able to expose yourself to everything they have to offer throughout the year. Also, the local community is usually tight-knit, which means you’ll often get extra benefits from being local.

As you can see, there are a host of reasons why living in a mountain community is a great way to enjoy the good life. You get all the benefits that tourists get, just without the expensive hotel fees, plus you get to experience what the city has to offer year-round. In addition, you will be able to experience all that the natural environment has to offer throughout the year. Finally, you get constant exposure to local artisans and all the creativity and inspiration they have to offer.

Technology

History of Ogwashi-Uku: The Battle for Sectional Supremacy

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”A people without knowledge of its past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots”, (Marcus Garvey).

Thus we define history as the study of past events, particularly in human affairs, or rather the entire series of past events relating to a person, thing, community, nation, or even an empire. Today, we have reams of documented stories of people, places, or countries whose history cannot be denied or contradicted. The Bible provides a classic example from history that has not been contradicted even though the new generation of ‘men of God’ are twisting the Bible to suit their purposes.

Ogwashi-Uku as a community is not isolated from finding the ‘real and true’ story of their origin and possibly having it instead. Having this history in place has suffered severely as the prevailing oral history that is always available often lacks attributes such as research backing with precise dates and events. In addition, factual content, empirical knowledge and peculiarities that can guarantee an authentic history of the kingdom are unfortunately lacking. Most people have been limited by the fact that they cannot read or write and therefore have not seen a written story. I note, with some trepidation, that there is a vibrant literate class trained as historians, and who, for some reason, may not have treated the idea of ​​a history book for their homeland lightly, but simply put off its execution, thus resulting in high ideas that are gradually extinguished in their memories and programs.

People like F. N Odum, lived and died for the cause of history written by the beloved homeland. In contrast to the baseless oral history common today with different kinds of variations, the Ogwashi-uku story is a distillation of standard versions from medieval times to the present, full of events, adventures, and heroism. Writing the history of Ogwashi-uku may not be complete without mentioning those renowned men who made Ogwashi-uku terrible. These include war legends such as Nwabuzo Nwaiyogolo and his celebrated counterpart, Agbambu Anika, and other brave and successful men who, by their deed and strength, seemed larger than the kingdom itself.

The closest documented history of Ogwashi-Uku, though not conclusive, is the work of Ben Nwabuwa, who at the age of 39, with the encouragement of Mr. A. R Okaeme, had written a well-documented book on the Kingdom of Ogwashi-Uku. uku. In writing this, I pay tribute to this great son of the earth in the effort to find who we are as a people.

Before now, I have pointed out the difficulties associated with stories. This could be due to the fact that it is often forged, or that the person who wrote it did not do the necessary research before drawing their conclusions. And then there are other individuals who can make no effort to ascertain the authenticity of anything, but are quite apt to condemn the work of others, especially if such history does not see them or considers them first before anyone else. In this sense, I think this is absurd, despicable and delusional. It is more destructive than constructive. In my opinion, we should be chasing the form more than the substance, and denounce any disproportionate interference if we want to move forward in the search for our true root or, at best, accept what has been written so far.

A few weeks ago I published the dynasties of Ogwashi-Uku and later, the Nine Federative Units of Ogwashi-Uku on Facebook. Those posts went viral. On the dynasties, I got more than 50 likes and more than 30 comments, while 17 people sent me thank you messages for that post. One person specifically said that he thought that Obi Izedinor alone was the only Obi that Ogwashi-uku had had so far.

There were others who joined the thread, without the slightest knowledge of the subject under discussion just to prove that they are from the “royal family”. Others argued that it was incomplete, wrong, and misleading with no genuine reason(s) to back it up. A careful reader or critical thinker would have looked at the list of enumerated monarchs and perhaps highlighted the question marks placed on most of those monarchs to see the gaps and lapses. Those gaps and lapses show that the quest for kingship has been going on for decades in the Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom. What precisely was “incorrect, incomplete or misleading” in the post? At what time were the names mentioned incomplete? Unanswered! Apparently, these groups fell into the categories of people mentioned above. They would rather be happy to see the history of Ogwashi-uku modeled around their own neighborhoods, or mention the names of their ancestors under whom Ogwashi-Uku could never have existed.

The second post was more or less technical. Ogwashi ebo-iteni (Ogwashi, the 9th federative unit). I understand people’s frustration at not seeing their own neighborhoods on the list, but that’s the way it is. You just can’t change things that have been there for a long time. We can misunderstand things like the new generation preachers mentioned above, but there are things we can’t vehemently change. Those who fought over this issue knew the truth, but the question was, who is the author and who gave him the nerve to broach such an issue without acknowledging them or their quarters? Is he one of the first settlers or from the royal family?

But, here’s the deal. I grew up in Ogwashi-Uku, living with my grandmother whose fondness for the history of the kingdom of Ogwashi-Uku was invaluable; and a father who lived to see the relentless murderous carnage carried out by the feared Nwabuzor Nwaiyogolo of Azungwu. Can I start writing now, using my dad or grandma as my source? How can I quote them to portray them as heroes? Would anyone in their right mind ever believe me? This is definitely an issue for me. I was barely 18 years old when I started collecting information about the Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom. Those materials, including those from the Ibadan National Library, and those given to me free of charge by the late Professor Andy Ajiduah from the education department at the University of Lagos. There are other materials including photocopies from the British Library in Euston Road, King’s Cross, London, and finally a book that I hold dear; Ogwashi_uku Kingdom; 1,000 Years of Traditional Democracy and Cultural Life: 950-1940, by Ben Nwabuwa.

At relevant times, none of these materials have been questioned, denied, refuted or contradicted; and perhaps the most important reason why anyone who tends to challenge me on this issue must be fully prepared and, when necessary, present a constructive argument to convince me otherwise.

To make a thoughtless falsification of history for personal or one-sided gain is the last and worst depth to which any scholar or anyone can descend in life. This counterfeiting may do more to prevent or trigger an erosion of human development than ever known to mankind. As people, we need to learn where we have failed, and whether we accept it or not, it is of paramount importance as this may herald an erosion of people’s right to know and a clear threat to a legitimate investigation that is very likely to set a precedent. dangerous to the intellectual knowledge of our revered community. In all of these, we owe it as an obligatory duty to our children who are prone to asking questions.

I have previously argued that no form of informative or scholarly research has been successful using a source. Research methodology on any given topic may include publication research, interviews, surveys, and other research techniques, including historical information if required. By the time our preliminary research is complete, we need to narrow our focus, organize that information, access scholarly sources, and subsequently evaluate and analyze all the materials we’ve collected. In doing this analysis, all of the above procedures must be considered, including oral interviews, and before long, in the course of our evaluations, we can see, without being told, where fiction gives way to reality and vice versa. It is, in my opinion, on the basis of these that we can authoritatively and categorically quote our source without any panic or anxiety.

Asking Diokpa Okafor or Nwafor because he is 120 years old is not enough and over time, we must question diokpa’s mental capacity to answer such questions as he has shown, in most cases, that one’s knowledge of a subject given tends to decrease. along with age. If diokpa cannot tell us precisely “what happened, when, where, who was involved and how it happened”, it is unlikely that any information collected in such a way would be used by a sane mind as a reliable source, on the ground. only diokpa is 120 years.

However, it would be highly unfair to suggest that diokpa’s contribution is unimportant. It should be noted that experience has continually shown that most of them in this category are intellectually sound, even when most of them cannot remember when they were born. Anything we’ve been told needs to be cross-checked with other sources before we can come to any meaningful conclusions.

We can play with the development of our community and even play politics with it, but I guess we can’t play with the valuable history of the kingdom of Ogwashi-uku. We can never move forward as a community riddled with cheap lies, innuendo and unacceptable fabrications that see us first before anyone else in the Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom.

Despite our differences, I pray that we can all challenge ourselves to delve into the deepest resources of our hearts; cultivate an atmosphere of understanding, acceptance, tolerance and compassion.