Thank you, William, for expertly representing a top-notch AurStaff employee. We love having you on our team!

AurStaff Employee of the Year, William B. (center) poses with AurStaff Account Manager Annette Pace and AurStaff Regional Manager Mark Wamsley before the Awards Ceremony.

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

Here is just a little bit about William:

Having been born and raised in Southern Sudan, Willam B. came to America seeking a better life for him and his children.  He found AurStaff at the suggestion of a cousin, then a student in Omaha, and has been working as a contract professional ever since.  On the same assignment for five years now, William works in various areas of production with a leading agri-business company.  He has become so valuable that he’s now training new contract employees onsite.

William also feels part of the team.  When our client found itself nearly under water due to the flooded Missouri River, William and his co-workers began sandbagging the building’s perimeter. 

His supervisor cites William’s can-do attitude, his attention to detail, and his positive relationships with his co-workers as just a few of the many reasons that he’s such an outstanding employee.

William says working for AurStaff has enabled him to support his family and give them the fresh start and future he had hoped for when he came to America.

And we cannot think of anyone more deserving for Employee of the Year than William B.

AurStaff Q4 Employee of the Quarter, William B., poses with AurStaff Account Manager Keely Heese after receiving his award for being nominated as Employee of the Quarter.

William B. has been employed with AurStaff for seven years; the last six spent on the same assignment. William has energy and enthusiasm on the job that is noticed by all around him. In fact, he is the go-to person for training new hires. His positive attitude is infectious and he truly makes a difference to his team. We are proud to have William as an employee and are excited to honor him as Employee of the Quarter!

Congratulations to Ronald W. AurStaff’s Q3 Employee of the Quarter. Ron has been with AurStaff since July 2010 and is a perfect example of an AurStaff employee. Ron is very flexible, goes to work early, and always volunteers for overtime. His quality of work and his initiative go above and beyond the required work performance level is truly admirable. Ron definitely deserves this distinguished honor. Congratulations!

AurStaff Account Manager Annette Pace poses with AurStaff Q3 Employee of the Quarter Ronald W.

Ronald will receive a $25 gift certificate from Omaha Steaks for his achievement as Employee of the Quarter.

AurStaff Q2 Employee of the Quarter Matt W. poses with AurStaff Account Manager Keely Heese.

Congratulations to Matt W., AurStaff’s Q2 Employee of the Quarter!

Matt W. has worked with AurStaff since August of 2006 with several clients. Always eager for a new challenge, Matt learns quickly and performs at peak capacity. The supervisor at his current client states, “Matt is very dependable, flexible with job duties, works any shift, and will change shifts with no notice. He is known as the “go-to” for any project.” We are proud to have Matt on the team and congratulate him for a job well done!

AurStaff Operations Manager Stephanie N.and Account Manager Mike B. (right) pose with the AurStaff Q1 Employee of the Quarter Frank F.

“I want to sincerely thank you for providing the opportunity for us to employ Frank F. the past few months. Frank has been a delight to our staff. He is always willing to work in any environment and his positive attitude has been infectious to his coworkers. He has a tremendous work pace that is always consistent. He cares about what he does and is always aware of his surroundings, trying to make his process more efficient. I want to nominate Frank for Employee of the Quarter and Employee of the Year when it applies!”

Thank you Frank, for all of your hard work for AurStaff and our clients!

The announcement is featured in the magazine’s January/February 2010 “Best of Omaha” issue.

“This is very exciting for C&A, to have been recognized not only this year but for two years in a row,” said Scot Thompson, Chief Executive Officer, C&A Industries. “Whether in prosperous or challenging times, our mission is to be the staffing provider and employer of choice. To be named as among Omaha’s best employers says a great deal about C&A.”

Since 1992, Omaha Magazine has been awarding, based on public vote, the “Best of” in a wide variety of categories, including restaurants, arts & culture, retail, and more.

Omaha Magazine is a regional lifestyle publication that serves a readership of more than 100,000. For more than 20 years, Omaha Magazine brings its readers captivating stories on area politics, home and garden, leisure life, food and dining, style, the arts, entertainment and travel, as well as service articles and compelling features on the area’s most interesting people and places.

Here’s how to break the cycle without compromising your career prospects:
• Examine your attitude. What are you afraid of when you say no? The answer will help you understand what drives you: the approval of others, the desire to prove yourself, the need for control, or whatever. Once that’s clear in your mind, you’ll be able to set priorities more effectively. What kind of control do you really have, if you’re too busy to get things done?

• Discipline yourself. As with any other habit, resisting the urge to say yes calls for self-discipline and control. Teach yourself to pause before answering a request. Remember that you have other responsibilities. Think through the implications of a positive response before committing yourself.

• Offer an alternative. Instead of saying no outright, make some kind of counteroffer: “I can’t lead that task force, but I’d be happy to look at the final report before you submit it.” This lets you contribute without tying your hands.

• Negotiate. See whether you can delegate or eliminate something from your to-do list in exchange for saying yes. You’ll free up some time, and the other person will realize just how much you’ve got on your plate.

Choose from among these categories:
• Factual. “What did you have for lunch?” or, “What is 357 times 62?” Some questions have only one correct answer — truth that can be objectively confirmed.

• Interpretive. “What does that painting look like?” Even if a question has more than one correct answer (“A blue cow,” or “a blue dog”), an interpretive question calls for evidence, some kind of supporting material that others can validate.

• Evaluative. “Do you like eggplant parmigiana?” Questions regard­ing opinions or beliefs have no correct or incorrect answer, but they can tell you a lot about the other person’s point of view.

• Empowering. “What would you do about Sarah’s problem?” Sometimes you want to urge someone to action, without directly telling him or her what to do. In these cases, ask ques­tions to show you’re interested in the other person’s ideas and trust his or her judgment.

• Broad vs. focused. The questions above can be asked in different ways, depending on whether you want a lot of information or a single answer: “How many different animals could that painting look like?” vs. “What specific animal do you see?” Think before you ask, so you don’t have to backtrack.

• Follow-up. “What do you mean by that?” This is one of the best questions you can ask in almost any category, because it invites the other person to think more deeply and share more information.

• Know the hazards. Different workspaces have different hazards. Make sure you know where the danger zones are—from cords that run across the office floor to other objects you could trip over.

• Use shock-absorbing insoles. This is especially important if you do a lot of walking or standing on hard floors at work.

• Wear the right shoes. When it comes to feet, choose comfort over fashion. Safe shoes have an inner side that’s straight from the heel to the end of the big toe. They should grip the heel firmly, allow you to move your toes, and have a low, wide-based heel.

• Buy with care. At the store, measure both your feet, as they’re frequently different sizes. Get shoes that fit the larger foot. Try on and buy shoes late in the afternoon when your feet will be their largest, especially if you’ve stood on or walked on them throughout the day. And buy a shoe that really fits—don’t assume a tight shoe will stretch in time.