Recently Parallel Employment Group downsized their operations in Illinois. This decision was made due to the rising cost of workers’ compensation and unemployment with industrial positions in this state. These operations contributed a small portion of payroll while accounting for almost 90% of workers compensation losses.  For the last four years, our Company has experienced this type of disparity. We believe that even with new legislation it will not have the desired effect of offsetting the cost of this type of business in Illinois. Parallel will continue to focus on Professional and Educational recruiting in Illinois as our Worker’s Compensation losses in those fields have remained low.  Our employees have been placed with another agency and we worked with each client to provide a smooth transition. Parallel has always been and will remain a growth-oriented company; ultimately, we believe this decision will help us continue to grow in markets where we remain very profitable.

If you would like to learn more about Parallel Employment Group, please view the website, Facebook page, or Twitter feed.

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We grow up in a world that says we can make a difference.  Most of us as children think "I could be the next President" or “I will find a cure for cancer".  We will also say we want to be doctors, lawyers, singers, dancers, Astronauts.

I myself wanted to be a corporate lawyer or social worker.  These things could still happen, if I wanted it to but life has given me other opportunities to embrace. Most of those things we want to be as children do not always come to pass but that does not mean you can't make a difference right where you're at.  I always think the key to success is an amazing attitude towards life. 

Do we wake up happy and excited everyday?   If we are honest we will say no (but if you are, I am jealous you do not have to work as hard as the rest of us do) but the more you practice being positive about your surroundings the more you appreciate what life is offering.   Just by waking up in the morning and getting out of bed is a great start (even if you have to press the snooze button several times before actually doing it, it still counts!).    

Getting to work with an attitude that says “I am ready world, what do you have for me today”?  is not something most people embrace.  As a matter a fact, most of you are probably laughing at the very thought.  Over the years however, I have noticed average people do simple things that change other people’s lives extraordinarily.  A simple hello, a firm handshake, or a smile can lift a person’s spirits, even taking the time to give directions to someone who is lost, or being the ear for someone who is upset and needing to vent.  These are all things that just take a tiny bit of our time but make a lasting impression on the people we interact with everyday. We are the key.

This reminds me when I went through a seminar early on in my hotel management years (prior to Parallel) about seeing the world in a more positive way.  If you wrote down throughout your day between 3-5 positive events that occurred, after 30 days you will have formed a habit of looking for the positive things in your daily life (believe me I was quite the cynic when I first heard this). So, I thought why not and started this on a checklist for all of my employee’s.  In less than a month it made a huge impact on how they treated customers as well as each other, not only at work but also in their personal lives.  I know some might read this and say “yeah right, that can’t work”, and I say it cannot hurt to try (I did). 

I know from personal experience that some days it can be so very hard to find the positivity especially when you have clients yelling, employee’s upset , but you have the ability to let it affect you or to look at it as a challenge to turn the situation around for a solution to benefit all parties involved. 

One of my favorite things I enjoy doing is taking a person who is generally negative and trying to win them over.  For example, when I started working for Parallel Employment Group we had a man who came in most of the time with an attitude.  He would complain about pretty much anything that was bugging him that day.   It came to a point where most people in the office dreaded this man coming in. Now I must say this guy was a tough one to crack but after about 2 years of meeting each negative with a positive, this man is completely different around us.  He comes in, chats, socializes, and honestly has an amazing personality but we would have never known it if we had we just ignored him during his weekly rants.  It started with a simple smile, a Thank you, and the occasional we really appreciate you.  Quite  a few people told me it was useless because he was always like this but I am quite a determined person in this area and have had years of practice.  I am a firm believer that all things are possible and all it takes is just one person to take the time someone needs to be encouraged, listened to, and made to feel they are worth your time.  I also love sending out quotes to encourage people and here is one I hope you will enjoy:

 “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”-Charles R. Swindoll

It starts with you. 

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On October 10^th, I became a father for the first time. As any parent will tell you, this is a very stressful time and one in which you need the support of everyone around you. I started working at Parallel Employment Group on January 1^st of this year, so I knew I would not qualify for FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) benefits. This being the case, I wondered how management would react when I needed to leave early for doctor appointments and birthing classes. Being with the company for only a short time, I also worried about how much time I would be able to spend with my new addition when he arrived.

After having informed my employer of this life-changing event, I received something I did not necessarily expect from a company of this size and that was their full support. People I had never talked to before were sending me congratulations and wanted to know all the details about my future child I could provide. The management team assured me they would work around whatever appointments I had and allow me the ability to leave early and make up time during the same pay-period. It was such a welcome view from a company I had only been with a few months and what came next surprised me even more.

About two weeks before my wife was due, one the managers asked if my wife could come in for lunch because they had a surprise for us. She was able to come in and when we walked into the conference room, there were decorations, food, and a plethora of presents. It was great, the corporate team came to wish us well and talk with my wife about the pregnancy. We all ate pizza and my wife opened the gifts with everyone giving us advice and letting us know how great it was going to be when our son arrived.

When Tyler Three Groothousen was born, I received text and emails of congratulations from the entire company. In regards to the time off, management let me know I could take off any days that I needed to ensure the transition from hospital to home was smooth. I took a few extra days to ensure my wife and son were adjusting well and when I came back to the office, everyone I worked with was very welcoming. Before I was even able to get back to my growing workload, my co-workers wanted to know all about the baby, and to see any pictures I had of him.

This has taught me that companies can be flexible when it comes to work/life balance and can make a difference in the lives of employees well beyond just providing a paycheck. The entire experience is one I will never forget and I am so grateful to have the support of everyone at Parallel Employment Group.

In closing, I would just like to say Thank You to everyone at my company, and that I will definitely keep you all updated on any other life-changing events in the future.

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Check out this information provided by D Singh.  It is a great look at the top reasons to seek employment through an employment service.

The major benefit of working with an employment service is the flexibility to venture into new areas with a multitude of opportunities, while keeping you engaged.  Many prospective employees believe they will never land a top position if they begin the relationship as a temporary employee. Unfortunately, this is a misconception because many temporary opportunities pave the way to permanent positions.

Here are some more advantages of working with an Employment Service.

1. Contract based opportunities can help you maintain a fixed source of financial earning.

2. Recruiters frequently utilize employment services when promptness is required for special projects or when notice is short. They can fulfill their requirements quickly by using an employment service. Hence, this is helpful for the individuals who are looking for immediate job opportunities.

3. Plenty of large companies execute recruitment of their staff through employment services.  In many cases, the employer will call the employment service for a temporary job opportunity and if the applicant satisfies the employers, they will hire the individual on permanently.

4. Contractual jobs widen your chances of interacting with new professionals thereby developing a wide business network. This may prove beneficial in gaining a job in the future.

5. Temporary opportunities help you become acquainted with different kinds of positions. Apart from this, for an individual who has a solid work ethic but lacks experience this could be the best option to gain exposure.

6. Working with employment services is also helpful for those who have not worked for some time. These interruptions in their career, at times, become obstacles when attempting to gain full-time employment. Your attachment with an employment service will reduce such breaks in career. Moreover, this will not affect your career adversely.

7. Additionally, some employment services provide additional benefits like health insurance. Do not forget to inquire about the benefits when applying with the employment service.

8. If you have any special expertise or developed skill sets, you are capable of gaining stable employment.  Make sure you pick the right job from the employment service to match your skills and interests. Never fall into the misconceptions that you cannot get well-paid jobs from an employment service.

9. The aim of many employment services is to have candidates with good expertise readily available. This is why some services provide training and development sessions. For example, if you need to polish your computer knowledge, many services will provide computer training.

10. Candidates enrolled with an employment service enjoy plenty of variety, which helps them to attain steady career growth.  These opportunities will never come your way if you are not affiliated with the employment service.

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At The Keystone Group, our associates come from 19 different countries.  Therefore, for some English is a challenge.  For many of our associates, English is their second language.  Comprehension of the English language is especially important for a client that is OSHA and FDA regulated.

Because of this challenge, the Keystone group has decided to offer onsite English language evaluations for all of their employees. 

The goal of the program is to improve their English language skills and prepare them for new challenges within the work place.  The hope of the program is that everyone can be a success story and better prepare themselves for new possibilities in education and employment.

The Keystone Group is a division of Parallel Employment Group.

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This month marks my 14^th year with Parallel Employment Group.  During those 14 years, I have had the opportunity to witness the many changes that have taken place in the staffing world.  While many staffing agencies have been forced to close their doors due to economic issues, Parallel Employment Group has continued to grow, and we now have offices in Illinois, Wisconsin, and New York.  We continue to offer new opportunities to our clients and employees alike.  I feel fortunate to be able to work for an organization that has always been there to support their staff. If there is a question to be answered or an opinion to be heard, you know that there will always be someone to listen and lend a helping hand.  Knowing that you have the support of your corporate office gives you the confidence you need to take on more tasks, move out of your comfort zone, accept new challenges and achieve new goals. 

I am proud to be a part of such a wonderful company and look forward to the years ahead.

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Planet hunters refer to some planets as, “Goldilocks Planets.” These planets are within the ideal range of their star, usually around 93 million miles – the distance between the Earth and our star, the Sun – indicating they could feasibly harbor liquid water, one of the building blocks of life.[1]

Much like a star’s proximity to its respective planets, companies can sometimes be too big or too small for their customers, despite what they might say to the contrary.

At Parallel Employment Group, we pride ourselves on being just the right size to accommodate both large and small companies. We like to say that we have the flexibility to cater to fortune 500 corporations and smaller companies with equal attention to detail and customer service. We do not answer to a stock price, or a parent company hundreds of miles away.

If one of our customers picks up the phone to call us with a question or comment, they will not be reaching a call center somewhere. They will be talking directly to a single point of contact.

Availability is one of the many benefits of utilizing Parallel Employment Group as your staffing vendor of choice; when it comes to choosing a service, take a page out of “Goldilocks” and go with the one that is “just right” for your company.

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Well, almost four years ago, I placed my first substitute teacher with a charter school in Milwaukee.  I am very proud to say that we are still going strong and have added many new things to our Education offerings.  We still are placing substitute teachers, teaching assistants, clerical and food service workers with choice and charter schools in Milwaukee.  Some of the areas we are excited about for the 2011-12 school year include:

·     Our Milwaukee division has grown, and we have added two Coordinators/Dispatchers to fill school requests, interview candidates and provide exemplary customer service to both our candidates and clients.  Congratulations to Linda and Joanne for their positive attitudes, diligence and for truly caring about the success of our program!

·     More online services are now available to our candidates so that things like applying online, having access via our Web center to obtain their employee information and accessing our database for placing themselves on assignments are just some of the many convenient options we offer each candidate.

·     Our “client” side also has many upgrades so that schools can enter the orders if they so choose, access reports and see billing or specific information about completed assignments at their school.  Many thanks to all of the hours and time put in by our IT team to get this done!  David, Jason and Eric have worked endlessly to get our new systems in place and make sure that things are running smoothly!

·     We now have expanded our geographic area that we service!  Parallel Employment Group provides Education professionals from Milwaukee, south to the Illinois border and now in the state of Illinois as well!  Susan is a dynamic sales professional who has opened up the Chicago market.   Great opportunities and a well laid out plan make Parallel a preferred vendor for these schools!

·     We offer a new program called MAPE, which stands for Music, Art, and Physical Education.  This program is a solution to some of the cutbacks that many schools and districts are experiencing.  Parallel provides a licensed teacher, in their corresponding area of expertise, for a block of 6 weeks, a semester or for a customized program that can be developed for each school based on their individual needs.

·     More than ever before, our school clients are reaching out to us to fill “direct hire” positions, which means that a candidate is placed directly on the payroll of the school if offered a job.  Parallel does the interview due diligence and background checking and then schedules a select few to interview with the school.  This is proving to be a very cost effective alternative for schools so that they only spend time interviewing candidates that directly match the requirements.

Schools have started in both Wisconsin and Illinois and we look forward to continued growth.  It is very exciting to provide such a valuable and necessary service to schools!  Our existing clients have described how our Sub Program has streamlined their staffing efforts, and we have truly formed partnerships with them versus just being a vendor!

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Turning 18 was an extraordinary memory; but trying to find a job at 18 with the economy being down was extremely difficult. My friend found a job by using a staffing agency and suggested I try one as well.  At first, I did not know which one to choose, as there were five agencies within 10 minutes from my house. I chose Parallel Employment Group since that is where my friend went, and I scheduled time to go in to fill out an application and interview. I was fortunate as it turned out they were looking for help inside the office, and I was a good fit with the skills that were needed. At first, I was very nervous, but once I got the hang of things, I loved doing my job. I have only been here for 2 years working during the summer because of school but I have learned and grown so much in that short period.

                Sometimes doing this job can become very stressful but the overall achievement really pays off in the end. This summer we have been so busy which makes the day fly by and the team I work with is very committed to their job. We recently received a new application system where all applications are applied online. I had to learn the system quickly because I work in our front office and cannot believe how much I was able to learn in one week. I think talking to the future employees of Parallel, one-on-one in an interview really pays off where they can ask questions, and we can stress the rules/expectations to them. The new system is very efficient.   It has made my summer job a true learning experience, one where I have obtained more knowledge to take back to school with me in the fall.

                I would definitely say I couldn’t ask for anything more from my first job and all of the co-workers are friendly and pleasant. Parallel has its difficulties, but I would say we are a great company to work for and I have been fortunate to find employment with this company.

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 I have learned in the last 21 years that treating people the same way you want to be treated goes a long way in this industry. I receive great pleasure out of helping people find employment that have had a stroke of bad luck by either losing a job or being laid off.   

This story happened to me a couple of years ago while working at an employment agency, and I would like to share it with you now. A man named Alfredo came into the office who was encountering several circumstances of misfortunes.  He no longer had a home, no vehicle for transportation, lost his children, was living on the street and he had no job.  As he was telling me about all of his bad luck, I felt I needed to say something that would offer him some encouragement.  It was then that I made a promise to Alfredo to do my best to find him a job. One week had passed when I received a call from one of my clients. This client was looking for someone to quickly package parts and learn the operation of their assembly line. Alfredo came into my office to check in because, obviously, he did not have a phone. We discussed the position and I tested his ability to move objects quickly using our pegboard test. He tested great and the client agreed that his score would make him a great placement for this position. He accepted the assignment, and after two weeks of working, was able to rent a motel room and ride the bus to work. After a month of working, he purchased a cell phone and new work clothes. Three months went by, and the client hired him on permanently and gave him a $2.00 raise. He came back into my office after four months of working with a dozen roses and a box of candy as a thank you for helping to improve his quality of life. He also showed me his car and let me know he was no longer living in a motel room but had an apartment that he could call home. 

This is what makes my job special and is the reason why I plan to retire in this industry.

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