Michelle Benjamin – CEO of Benjamin Enterprises

In today’s economy, it is clearly understood that U.S. businesses face workforce challenges unparalleled in the memories of most company owners and executives. Although current staffing levels are at a record low, owners are expected to provide superior customer service and products at a competitive price. An employer’s challenge is to create a team that can deliver the levels of excellence required by its customers at the least possible cost.

In a service business, the largest cost to an employer is the labor cost. Companies that hire undocumented workers are clearly in an unfair advantage because their labor cost potentially is lower than a company that is following by the rules. Although fines and penalties currently exist to deter unfair hiring practices, rarely are they ever imposed.

Our company, Benjamin Enterprises, provides workforce solutions to help businesses to hire, train and manage employees in the industrial, commercial and federal government markets. We regularly bid on contracts that require unskilled and semi-skilled workers to provide facilities maintenance and security guard services nationwide. On several occasions, potential contracts have been lost to the lowest bidder contractor, who, when you do the math, could not be paying the statutory State prevailing or minimum wages. As a result, we see good contract opportunities awarded to companies with questionable hiring practices.

To be within compliance of our current immigration laws, our HR department conducts an extensive background inspection of all potential hires. We begin our application process by requiring at least two forms of identification. We have found it beneficial to look at the individual’s original social security cards to confirm that it is not a copy. Copies of identifications are not acceptable. E-verify along with similar electronic databases are used to check the accuracy of social security number, driver’s license and criminal background information. We have found the E-verify system to be precise, easy-to-use and efficient.

To hire and train an employee cost over 40% of the employees wage (The Frugual Entrepreneur1). That’s expensive and many small businesses need help to continue to grow. It is clearly documented that workers employed by small businesses make up 52% of the national workforce. That’s 47.7 million Americans that work for companies that employ less than 500 persons (U.S. Department of State Department2). Acknowledging these facts, our government should recognize that small businesses are more likely than giant corporations to hire from within their communities. Unlike large, conglomerate corporations that have mega headquarters and stockholders to answer to, small business are more likely to reinvest in their communities through local purchases of products and services. Government programs that encourage and enhance the growth of small businesses ensures a strong future for the American economy.

Too often, the small business struggles to sustain employment for their workers within the constraints of very small profit margins. Too often, employee hiring and training suffers. Government spending geared towards the improvement of job skills for our workers would be money well invested in America’s future.

Michelle Benjamin is the Founder and CEO of Benjamin Enterprises. She has created Workforce Solutions through Labor Management and Training for major corporations for over 25 years. She can be reached at 800.677.2532 or mbenjamin@benjaminenterprises.com

Michelle Benjamin – CEO of Benjamin Enterprises

Outsourcing offers strategic and financial benefits that are too important to ignore. When it works, companies decrease costs, increase flexibility, enhance expertise, increase core competencies, and are allowed to focus on the core business.

Today’s agile businesses use outsourcing all the time. Commonly outsourced tasks include janitorial, transportation, bookkeeping, payroll processing, telephone answering, IT technical support, printing, insurance, and legal services.

For organizations exploring the pros and cons of outsourcing, the following are the questions to consider: How do you make outsourcing work? And, how can you avoid the pitfalls that can occur in the outsourcing process?

Perks of Outsourcing

• Cost Savings: The costs associated with an in-house employee are generally higher than the cost of an outside provider. For example, it’s frequently cheaper to hire an outside bookkeeping service to keep track of your accounting, even though their hourly rate is high, because you only need them for a few hours a month. You also don’t need to provide office space and all the related overhead related to an in-house employee

• Access to Expertise: Highly skilled work is generally performed most cost efficiently if it is outsourced. An outside provider with specialized knowledge of computer programming or legal services can work on an hourly or per project basis which is more cost effective than hiring a person in-house.

• Quality of Talent: Outside providers are specialists, delivering services your business may lack expertise in. This in turn allows your business to focus efforts on your own area of expertise. The outside provider is also usually able to provide a more consistent level of service than you could with in-house employees.

• Risk Mitigation: Many functions related to your business, though not core to your business, are critical to the success. For example, it may be essential that your customers be able to receive technical support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You may find that by providing this service through an outside contracted provider is more efficient.

• Relief from Employee Management: This is one of the major reasons for outsourcing work. The hiring, firing, management of vacation and sick time of employees, along with the accompanying requirements of employment benefits, testing, training, record-keeping, payroll processing, tax-reporting, is a function that many businesses would rather outsource so they can focus on their core business.

• Increased Flexibility: Businesses that experience fluctuations in their work requirements can be assisted by an outside provider who has access to a significantly larger pool of talent.

• Access to Better Technology: The lifespan of technology is so short that most businesses can’t afford to provide the latest technology for every employee.

• Increased Productivity: When you outsource a business function, you are turning it over to a business that can perform the task more efficiently. Increased efficiency leads to increased productivity, which saves money and increases profits.

Perils of Outsourcing

• Social Responsibility: When work is outsourced to a third party, you are eliminating possible jobs in your own company that can cause low morale among your existing employees. The employer should use this opportunity to educate employees that by outsourcing services, they are able to save money which can be better spent on improving customer engagement experience.

• Language or Dialect Barrier: When a function requires high volumes of telephone calls, outsourcing to a foreign location is likely to decrease customer satisfaction due to language or dialect issues.

• Loss of Control: If the vendor relationship is not handled properly, you will likely have less control over your business when you outsource part of it. To mitigate this risk, processes should be put in place to support the ongoing supplier relationship built on good communication and reporting procedures.

• Inadequate Company Knowledge: Expectantly, an in-house employee will have more current knowledge about the business than would an outside contractor. If the outsourced vendor is not positioned as a threat to the in-house employee, the outsourced vendor can partner with a trusted employee to quickly gain the needed company knowledge in a timely fashion. With consistent exposure to your company, the outsourced vendor will become knowledgeable and proficient in much the same way that an in-house employee.

• Security Issues: Since it is more difficult to protect sensitive company information when outsourcing, it’s imperative to make sure your provider has procedures in place to safeguard information and can provide some sort of warranty against unauthorized access.

In the end, outsourcing business work functions can be a great way for businesses to gain productivity and save money. Nevertheless, the wrong decision can threaten the survival of your business and be very costly for your company. Taking the first steps toward outsourcing can be time-consuming, but figuring out how to build your business through outsourcing work functions can offer increased efficiencies and economies of scale.

Michelle Benjamin – CEO of Benjamin Enterprises

Baby Boomers – born between 1946 and 1964 total more than 78 million strong, and account for 26% of the total U.S. population. As Boomers age, their choices about work differ from those of their parents. Today, Boomers want to remain active longer, postposing retirement to work full or part-time or to volunteer.

Yet, 10,000 Boomers retire each day taking with them years of work experience and career knowledge.

With current staffing levels pared back as far as they can go, organizations are challenged to transfer this experience and knowledge to the next generation of workers.

Competitive pressures have increased the demand for superior performance as a means to keep or acquire customers. The organization’s challenge is to bring the team’s knowledge-base up to the required levels of excellence with the least disruptive impact on operations.

Enter the Millennials. Born between 1980 and 1995, Millennials are entering the workforce at a rapid rate, taking over from the baby boomers who are now passed 65.

The millennials are ahead in the game because they are tech savvy, with every device known to man almost becoming an extension of their bodies. They multitask – text, talk, walk, listen to music, play videos and type.

School has taught millennials to work in teams in diverse groups. They are a generation most accepting of differences. Social media has made this generation the most connected in history, with the ability to use technology to demand societal change.

Progressive and confident, they want diversity and demand challenge in their work

To share knowledge between boomer and millenial, we must recognize each group’s differences, yet acknowledge the value that each group can bring to work setting. Adults learn from doing, it’s a fact. But, we all learn differently. Some are visual learners, others may be auditory or tactile learners. Your system of knowledge sharing from boomer to millennial must relate to all types of learners.

Each learner is slightly different. Using this 5 step process will help to reach all types of learners.

Try incorporating this 5 step process with the 4 strategies listed below to maximize the knowledge share experience between boomer and millennial -

1. Honor Diversity

- Capitalize on the millennials desire to work in teams. Leverage the baby boomers ability to lead groups. Build groups with a 6 to 4 split, boomer to millennial.

2. Use technology to foster cross-functional collaboration

- Take advantage of the millenials computer abilities. Create work that allows the millennials to transfer their computer skills to the baby boomers. Free apps, like DropBox , Sandbox or Google Docs can be used to manage projects across several departments. Ask boomers to team with millennials to create an electronic version of work processes.

3. Create a Mentorship Program

- The millennial has an affinity for networking. Comfortable with teams, the millennial can co-lead teams with boomers. Human Resource consultants can be used to structure a mentorship program with commitments and milestones to measure progress and success.

4. Provide a Flexible Work Environment

- Millennials expect to have fun and make friends at work. To build strong teams, millennial and boomer can play on company sports leagues and jointly work on community events. Balance high work standards and team collaboration with fun events. Popcorn Fridays and occasional Ice Cream Sundae afternoons can keep work fun.

Our challenge is to help millennial employees to learn new skills quickly through the sharing of knowledge and positive past experiences from boomer employees. Using this system of knowledge sharing will help you to achieve your organization’s plan of succession.

BEGreenReady™ Certifications were presented to David Ferguson, Supervisor and Leonard Miller, Operations Manager for successfully completing BEGreenReady training.

What is BEGreenReady? Benjamin Enterprises has developed an exclusive green cleaning process that emphasizes the core green concept of “Reuse, Reclaim and Recycle”. We use a holistic approach to both cleaning and maintenance of a facility. Green Seal certified cleaning chemicals and high performance cleaning equipment can be purchased directly through our warehouse and delivered to your facility. Our cleaning methods and products are environmentally-friendly, preserving both the environment and human health.

How will BEGreenReady™ improve your workplace?

We will help you lower the environmental impact or footprint of your business

We will reduce cost

We will improve air quality

We will improve efficiency

Congratulations to all our newly certified personnel.

Benjamin Enterprises is offering American Heartsaver training at our Middletown location. This class is open to the public. This class can benefit everyone and especially staff working with the public or in occupations prone to injuries. The skills learned in this class will help you to be confident in emergency situations. Upon successful course completion, American Heartsaver CPR/AED and First Aid certification is issued.

American Heartsaver certifications were presented to David Ferguson, Supervisor and Leonard Miller, Operations Manager for successfully completing training.

Benjamin Enterprises staff interested in taking this course can sign up through their supervisor.

Course dates:
Go to our website for information and registration for each course offering by clicking on the links below:

AHA CPR/AED/First Aid:

Michelle Benjamin – CEO of Benjamin Enterprises

Small and midsize businesses face operating challenges unparalleled in the memories of most owners. With staffing levels pared back as far as they can go, current staffing levels are at a record low. Nonetheless, competitive pressures have increased the demand for superior workforce performance as a means to keep or acquire customers. The business owner’s challenge is to bring the team’s skills up to the required levels of excellence with the least disruptive impact on business operations and cost.

While all this seems obvious, very few companies use the opportunity of ‘on-demand’ skills training to discover opportunities for process improvement.

We have developed an efficient yet simple system companies can use to find new ways to train workers. Our method of training, which we call on-demand training, breaks down the training initiatives into a series of discrete process steps. One distinct advantage that on-demand training offers is the flexibility to meet the job task requirements of any work environment. By deconstructing a job task into its smaller parts, a company can gain a complete view of all the points at which a worker might desire more help from a training perspective. With a carefully designed on-demand skills training program in hand, a company can analyze the inefficiencies within the process that workers currently use.

With the explosive recent growth of eLearning coursework now available on smartphones and tablets, managers now have the means to empower employees to take required training opportunistically, such as during an unexpected opening in their schedules due to a meeting cancellation, or before and after normal work hours. In fact, with the selection of well-crafted online courses, managers and their designated training supervisors can receive testing results and ‘satisfactory completion’ certifications as soon as the employee has successfully finished the training. This direct feedback mechanism is essential for ensuring that training objectives are being met, and employees receive validation of their increased efforts to improve their performance capabilities.

Training for enhanced work performance as a way to address process inefficiencies and productivity shortfalls is the most common reason why training programs are implemented. To be most effective, on-demand training should take place at the time that the worker’s inefficiency or shortfall occurs. During these opportune times, the training is best received as relevant by the worker, creating an effectiveness that maximizes the return on the training investment. While an immediate pain point, such as low productivity, system errors or safety violations are motivators for the adoption of on-demand training; there is an equally important reason that is less intuitive.

According to many leading business publications, the employment forecasts tell us that staffing levels will remain low for the foreseeable future. Yet, smaller teams mean that there is little or no “depth” internally to cover the proficiency deficit. Finding replacements that are already trained to skillfully work the processes that are essential to satisfy customers is difficult because so many candidates have been unemployed for so long. Too often, the dislocated worker lacks the freshness and immediacy of comparable work skills to deliver customer expected results. In current market conditions, there is a very real skills deficit among workers. Successful job integration will require a well-defined on-boarding program that includes on-demand skills training.

What kind of program makes sense?

Over the past 27 years, we have created training programs to match the demands of customer jobs in dozens of service categories that span semi-skilled and unskilled labor categories. Our work has revealed three fundamental principles about jobs training.

1. Jobs can be divided into steps.

Every job, from unloading trucks to making hospital beds, is comprised of a set of process steps that can be broken down into teachable parts. The starting point for identifying training opportunities is to involve the worker so that you will understand the steps involved in executing a particular job. Once the steps are defined, a company can create training which will add value in a number of ways – by improving the execution of specific job steps; eliminating the need for particular inputs or outputs; removing an entire step from the responsibility of the worker; addressing an overlooked step; rearranging the steps; or enabling steps to be completed at different points in the process.

2. Every job has a common structure.

This universal structure is not dependent on the worker, and has the following process steps: defining the expected job results; identifying the necessary input; preparing the physical environment; executing the job; evaluating the results; making modifications as necessary to achieve the expected results; and finishing the job. Recognizing that problems can occur at any point along the process, most jobs also require a process exception step. Some steps are more critical in execution than others, but each step is required to complete a job successfully. For example, a security guard might prepare for her shift by reading the prior shift notes. Opportunities to create on-demand skills training reside within each job step.

3. Jobs are different from the solution.

Too often companies are focused on the end result of a job, yet lose sight of the steps that are required to yield the desired outcome. When the desired outcome is the focal point, companies can back into the job to add innovation and efficiencies into the process, thus improving their current offerings. When a major utility company required parking coordination in an urban environment, as an example, we focused on training directional orienteering to the workers and workflow process management to achieve superior end results.

These fundamental principles when put together form the foundation of a company’s search for opportunities to create on-demand skills training programs.

Typically, some combination of scheduled training during the business week and opportunistic use of online coursework with feedback capability is deployed. On-demand training can either be provided by a dedicated company job mentor who is proficient in the skills being taught, or by company employees that have undergone a more formal “train the trainer” preparation at a recognized training institute. A well-crafted program, while initially implemented to address an immediate pain point, be it process or productivity based, should include a commitment to continuous training as a means to strengthen the worker’s skills as a motivation tool to ward off unexpected employee turnover, and to generally improve employee confidence and satisfaction.

Conclusion

Focusing on a job’s desired outcome can create opportunities for innovation and skills training. Improving job skills requires continuous training, and is best received when on-demand training opportunities are present. Engaging worker feedback to accomplish the business needs will result in increased worker motivation, enhanced skills confidence and job satisfaction. With an on-demand training program, especially one with a capable employee-mentor, skills training can be refreshed on an as-needed, on-demand basis.

Through our GSA Schedule 736-1 contract, Benjamin Enterprises screened, hired and trained Business Developers / Customer Service personnel for the client. The successful candidates required a keen knowledge of sophisticated databases. Our technology screening isolated the ideal candidates for the position. Within 2 months, the U.S. Federal customer increased our labor order. Our 3 month written evaluation of our screening techniques for our technology personnel, plus our corporate support of the U.S. Federal government yielded the highest customer satisfaction score possible.

Many benefits resulted from our expertise:

• Technology customer service representatives corrected the inefficiencies in the department.
• Cost savings allowed U.S. Federal government to hire an additional Business Developer for the Customer Service department

Technology applicant screening process included:

• Pre-hire assessment, national background check and drug screening of candidates to determine best fit
• On-board training and implementation of industry best practice.
• Management of workforce to drive for results and expectations
• Payroll, I-9 and W-2 personnel support

Please welcome Samyria who joined the group in February 2012.

Michelle Benjamin – CEO of Benjamin Enterprises

With 2012 growth goals set at Benjamin Enterprises, I have tasked my team with the responsibility to extend our footprint deeper into government contracting. At first, this may sound as though we are taking on quite the battle, but not unlike the ancient story of David v. Goliath, there is always that one “little stone” that can win the battle and bring success. For small businesses looking into government contracting, that stone is “relationship development”.

For Benjamin Enterprises, building relationships with government agency personnel, industry partners, associate contractors and the end-users provides us insight into the market, the competition and most importantly, the client and their exact needs. On the client side, we provide a clear understanding of our services and training products, fostering trust in our capabilities. As with any relationship, trust is built with face-to-face engagement.

Benjamin Enterprises will attend conferences throughout the upcoming year where government agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security and the General Services Administration will be in attendance. For us, this translates into an opportunity to present our story and value proposition face to face, and help us gain an understanding of the client’s goals and processes.

On March 6, we will attend the Alliance Mid-Atlantic 2012 Conference at the Atlantic City Convention Center. There, we will have the opportunity to attend seminars such as “Doing Business with Homeland Security” where Anthony Bell, the Small Business Advisor for the Department Homeland Security will provide valuable insight to his agency and to government contracting overall. We will participate on the Prime Contractor Panel, where supplier diversity and small business procurement representatives from Merck, Turner Construction, the Port Authority NJ/DE and PEPCO Holdings, Inc. will answer our questions with regard to subcontracting opportunities and what exactly prime contractors are looking for in a small business partner.

Additionally, we have scheduled matchmaking sessions with US Department of Commerce, NJ Division of Purchase and Property, FirstEnergy, US Air Force (McGuire) and the US Army of Small Business Programs. These short but effective meetings will be the start of relationship development with government agencies and business entities that in turn can lead to opportunities and valuable resources for Benjamin Enterprises.

If you are attending Alliance Mid-Atlantic 2012, do not hesitate to reach out and join us in the effort of relationship development. Together, we may be the “little stone” that wins a battle.

Diana joined Benjamin Enterprises with over 15 years of progressively responsible experience in Marketing Communications and Business Development encompassing the promotion of products/services through various pre-sales efforts such as sourcing, bid/Request for Proposal (RFP) process and a wide range of marketing efforts.

With a solid understanding of the government new business process and a fervent ability to cultivate relationships, Diana serves as Benjamin’s primary liaison to the government by maintaining relationships, sourcing government bid and subcontract opportunities, managing the organization and execution of the bid process and working closely with other Benjamin departments to ensure smooth transitions and continuous compliance with contract requirements/SOW/PWS.

Prior to joining Benjamin Enterprises, Diana served as Director of RFP & Contract Administration at SOS Security Incorporated, where she managed the new business processes and continuous contract administration for a team responsible for approximately $14 million in awarded government contract business as well as other non-government business.

Previous to this, Diana held positions such as AVP of Marketing (Rothschild Asset Management Inc.), Manager of Business Development (Pzena Investment Management, LLC), and AVP Marketing & Client Service (Schroder Investment Management NA Inc.).

To contact Diana, e-mail her at ddiaz@benjaminenterprises.com.

Michelle Benjamin – CEO of Benjamin Enterprises

As my team plans for our participation as an exhibitor at Globalcon 2012, the energy, power generation and facilities management show being held in Atlantic City, NJ (March 7 and 8), I am reminded of the increasing complexity of business issues driven by continuing economic uncertainty, rapidly changing workforce composition with diminishing skills, and technological changes that impact the nature of how work is performed.

Over the years, my company has consistently invested in workforce training and development, coupled with advances in workforce automation technology. This has enabled us to rise above the general population of labor providers that focus solely on simple team assignments or straightforward staffing augmentation. We have grown successfully because we have tackled complex process issues, typically with many moving parts, and have brought a fresh perspective to the problem. Our solutions have been creative and cost-effective.

As many of the Globalcon attendees know well, the day to day processes in the energy and power generation industries involve coordinated workforce deployments across a spectrum of factors including extended geographic territories and technologically advanced infrastructure. In such environments, workforce deployments are 24/7 and require rapid responses to critical service interruptions. The aggregation of deployments is, quite simply, a complex logistics exercise that never ends.

For example, when you see a utility crew working around a manhole in a busy street, how do you think they were able to access the site to begin work? Maybe the site is in a bus stop, or at the intersection of a main thoroughfare. You can imagine that traffic is a constant factor, night and day. The coordination of labor and information to initiate, acquire, and maintain the necessary workspace “on the ground” in high traffic, high density environments, is an intensive, 24/7 process. It requires the real time deployment and supervision of a significant number of trained team members, and coordinated communication with police, fire, transportation and other public agencies to ensure that all notices and alternative processes are set before the utility crew commences work.

The more complex a process is, the greater the difficulty companies face when trying to manage it on a consistently efficient and qualitative basis. When we look at situations like this, ones with many moving parts and urgency to resolve, we apply our expertise to the efficient design of workforce deployment that will establish order and control in an otherwise chaotic process.
Helping companies to focus on their core competency by taking over the non-core processes – and doing them more efficiently – is the core competency of my company.

If you are attending Globalcon, please visit with us at Booth 634. Let’s discuss how we can provide a fresh perspective to your most complex process issues.