 |
| |
Frazee Assists Blue Cross ITS Department
|
Frazee Recruiting has been pleased to provide supplementary staff to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana’s ITS (Inter-Plan Operations) Department since Spring 2008. The ITS project consists of three areas of service: Special Claims, Adjustment Processing and Customer Service. The Frazee employees, termed “bubble staff” by BCBSLA, are working as fill-ins for permanent employees while they complete new software training.
BCBSLA's Inter-Plan Operations Team Members
According to Jeff Fletcher, BCBSLA’s Director of Inter-Plan Operations, the ITS area “is enjoying a very positive business relationship with Frazee Recruiting and the individuals they have directed to us. They are all important members of the team. The Frazee/BCBSLA team is implementing a new system that will allow BCBSLA to deliver high quantity, quality, and flexible service to all stakeholders. We are proud of the progress thus far and know we will be successful in this endeavor.”
Frazee Project Lead Erica Jarreau recruited employees with a variety of skills. For some of the positions, medical office background was needed, particularly in medical coding, ICD9 and CPT. Most of the candidates that were selected for these positions previously obtained a Medical Training Certificate from one of the many local medical training colleges. Frazee recruited candidates that were goal-oriented, career-minded and customer service-oriented — all of which are needed to start a career path with BCBSLA.
All bubble staff went through departmental training, provided by the Blue Cross Learning Institute. Average training time was approximately eight weeks. At the completion of each session, all trainees were assessed on the skills they learned during training.
Some of Frazee’s ITS supplementary staff have had an opportunity to move into full time positions with BCBSLA, which has been a big incentive to many of the staffers. Completion bonuses were given to staff that successfully completed the training period. Frazee held a congratulatory party at the end of the training period and handed out several awards including perfect attendance.
|
Top Ranked Interview Questions
Make sure you're prepared for these! |
Most of us have experienced the “pre-interview jitters” when looking for a new position. The best cure for “acing the interview” is preparation — knowing in advance what to ask, how to respond, and more importantly, preparing yourself for the interviewer's questions. According to award winning career and job search site Net-Temps, the interviewer is looking for a few minutes of “dialogue about your work history.” One of the best ways to approach this is showing “how your career has taken a logical progression.” Here are the questions that you need to be prepared to answer:
1. What are your greatest strengths? Don’t be modest — go ahead and let them know what you consider these strengths to be, and give a few examples.
2. What are your weaknesses? Give an example of one weakness and how you were able to overcome it and turn it into a strength.
3. What were your major contributions to your last position? You need to demonstrate, by example, how you were valuable to your company in your last position. These examples need to be both quantifiable and qualifiable. The interviewer wants to know how you can positively impact their company and how quickly you will be able to do this.
4. What are your career goals? Be able to define both your short-term and long-term career goals and talk about how your current skill set fits within these goals. You also need to make a direct connection between these goals and the position you are interviewing for. The interviewer wants to see how logical you are in your career goals and what plans you have made to attain them.
5. What are some of your most significant accomplishments? Be able to relate both your personal and career accomplishments, specifically in your past job.
6. How do you work under pressure? The interviewer is trying to determine how much work you can handle and how you are going to deal with it. You may be asked to explain how you would delegate work, what type of management style you have, and your past difficulties in managing people. You want to be able to put a “positive spin” on how you managed these difficulties. For example, you could say, 'I had a lot of work on my plate and was unclear on the priorities. I talked with my manager and he/she clarified my duties in order of importance.' This tells the interviewer that when you need help, you aren’t afraid to ask for it.
7. How would others describe you? Include your colleagues and your boss. Lastly, how would you describe yourself? Be honest, yet positive!
8. Do you consider yourself to be a team player? Do you work well with others or do you work better independently? It’s important to be able to work with a team and contribute to it. Give an example of how you have accomplished this in the past.
9. How do you feel about your current/last position? Tell the interviewer what you liked and disliked about the position, why you are leaving, and how you felt about your boss. The interviewer is looking for relevant experiences you have with your current position and how it relates to the position you’ve applied for. Again, be honest, but remain positive.
10. Why should we hire you for this position? The interviewer is looking for skills that you can bring to the job. Be prepared to “sell” yourself by discussing the specific skill set this job requires. It could be your analytical or problem solving skills; it could also be your computer/equipment skills. If you have done your homework before the interview, you will know which of your skills to discuss. What attracted you to our company/the position? List the items that you found interesting in the position and in the company that you are applying to.
11. Why are you changing jobs/careers? Be honest with the potential employer and let them know why you are leaving your current position and/or changing careers. The interviewer is looking to determine any risk factors there may be in hiring you. You want to remain upbeat and positive when answering this question.
12. What type of salary would you expect for this type of position? This is always the touchiest question. It’s important to know that there are a couple of schools of thought on this. Some say that salary shouldn’t be discussed at the first interview, and if it’s brought up, answer in a way that expresses simply you’re finding out about the job and what kind of a fit you would be. On the other hand, you should still be informed of the salary ranges for similar positions within the industry, and if they still want to know what you expect, give them the industry standard range. This is the type of question that you should deal with in a way that is comfortable for you.
13. Do you have any questions for me regarding the company and/or the position? Always be prepared to ask questions about the company, the position, and/or the industry — this shows that you have done your research!
|
Resume Fluffing on the Rise
|
Society of Human Resource Management recently released a trends report by background screening firms citing an increase in resume falsifications — or resume “fluffing” as it is commonly known. According to the July 2008 article by SHRM on-line editor Theresa Minton-Eversole, this resume fluffing has a direct correlation with the current economic downturn.
“The problem is bigger than has been previously reported,“ according to Kevin Connell, CEO of pre-employment screening firm Accu-Screen. The company’s historical data on resume falsification has recorded “spikes” correlating with economic downturns and weak labor markets. According to the most recent data, approximately 43% of resumes and job applications could contain false information.
J.J. Keller & Associates, Inc., a leading provider of risk and regulatory management solutions, says, “these results are consistent with similar studies, but they may be even worse than they appear.” Of the 161 human resource professionals J.J. Keller surveyed, 55% said they have discovered outright lies on resumes or applications during the pre-employment background or reference checks.
Is this another trend that is directly related to the our country’s economic woes? What can human resource professionals do to insure that the people they are hiring are who they say they are? Employment screening firm EmployeescreenIQ also states that the “state of the current job market could lead some individuals to stretch the truth in order to secure employment.”
What can we, as human resource professionals, do to combat this problem? Being aware that this problem exists is a first step. “Employers need to be especially vigilant during these periods," said Connell. "Job seekers must know that more employers than ever use rigorous background screening procedures to vet the information contained on their resume.”
Although a good interviewer can often detect resume “fluffing,” that’s simply not enough. Even though reference checking and background screens involve staff time and money, they are very valuable tools for the human resource professionals to utilize consistently. It’s important that hiring professionals check with their employment screening firms to ensure that these firms are conducting thorough, detailed background checks. If you are using a staffing and recruiting firm to assist you with new hires, you need to verify their reference checking and pre-employment screening procedures. According to Frazee Recruiting Consultants President Marianne Frazee, “Our company has used the local Accu-Screen branch for years with successful results.”
While many job seekers are honest individuals, just remember, there are just as many who aren’t. Those are the ones you need to look out for!
Source:
Background Screens Even More Crucial During Economic Slump
By Theresa Minton-Eversole, July 2008
|
Join Frazee at the Storybook Ball!
by Marianne Frazee |
Work and family — sometimes, they don’t always blend together smoothly! Sometimes families need a little extra help. With that in mind, Frazee Recruiting Consultants would like to take this time to introduce our readers to a very worthwhile, non-profit organization whose mission is helping families - Family Road of Greater Baton Rouge.
Family Road is a private, non-profit organization that coordinates the services of more than 104 non-profit, private, public and governmental agencies to families in one central location. Their vision is to create a stronger, healthier community enriched with loving, productive families. Their mission is to strengthen families through leadership, collaboration and coordination of community services in a warm and welcoming place.
They offer a variety of classes including parenting, banking & technology, and education & training. They also have counseling programs and support groups that address many key issues affecting the family today.
Please join Frazee Recruiting in support of Family Road’s FIRST ANNUAL
STORYBOOK BALL to be held October 10, 2008 6:00 – 10:00 pm at the Celtic Studios, 10000 Mayfair Drive, Baton Rouge, LA. According to Family Road’s Communications Coordinator Alice Lubowicz, this gala event is the first fundraising event for Family Road and proves to be an enchanted and magical evening for the entire family! Information on tickets can be obtained by going to www.familyroadgbr.org or or by calling Family Road of Greater Baton Rouge at 225-201-8888. Hope to see you there!
Board of Directors:
Dena C. Morrison,
CEO and President
Stafford Kendall, Chair
Bobby Yarborough,
Vice Chair
Jan Ross,
Secretary
Joe Alton,
Treasurer
Genevieve Silverman
Indra K. Jayasinghe
Jamie Roques
Kizzy Payton
M. Gregory Smith
Rebecca Nelson
Sheri J. Thompson
Susan Low
Tammie Guillory
|
|
|
|
