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Stepping Aside

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How often do you take breaks and reflect on how you can better steward the people and resources around you? The following guest post covers this topic and highlights a Biblical passage where Jesus and his disciples took that very opportunity. We desire to be an excellent Atlanta recruiting firm and offer other ways of serving the executives we work with. This post is one element of encouraging our clients to seek out times of solitude and is part of a series we published for the YouVersion Bible App entitled, Bible on Business. Staffing Atlanta companies is our greatest pursuit, but we could not be effective without moments of solitude along the way.

Stepping Aside

Jesus and His followers ministered tirelessly each day to the crowds that followed Him. His mission and love were so strong that He would not turn anyone away. His schedule included teaching, healing, and ministering-while walking from town to town.

His disciples did not understand most of His actions so they were constantly asking questions and openly showed their frustration. One day very soon Jesus would have to leave them and He knew they had to receive His wisdom if they were to carry on His mission. So, at times, He would take them aside for some one-on-one.

We, as Christians, face many of the same problems. We work hard at our vocation, because we must set the example for others to follow. As God’s business leaders we are called to teach, lead, perform, and show compassion each and every day. Then, we have our church activities that requires meetings, services, visitation, teaching, and giving. We just get stretched to our limits and need help.

In these moments, Christ wants to take us aside so we can have a little talk with Jesus. We need to be far removed from the demands, noise, and pressing of those around us. We need a time to clearly hear our Master as He renews our mind, revives our spirit, and refocuses our attention-to His way and will.

Paul understood how the pressures of this world can cause us to lose our focus. In Romans 12:2 he declared: “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Stepping aside with God will make us better Christians, family members, and business people. Getting away will produce great dividends in the future!

Danny Callahan is the Pastor of Kettle Creek Church and the author of “Triumphant Warriors in a Turbulent World” and “Vessels of Victory.” Follow along with Danny on Twitter at @pastorcallahan.

 

Get Bitter or Get Better

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It’s no secret that launching a business can be a long, difficult journey. We are here to help you in more ways than one. Staffing Atlanta’s start-ups with talented refugees is our main focus, but we also have had the opportunity to compile a devotional plan for the YouVersion Bible App called Bible on Business. The following guest post was provided for this series.

Get Bitter Or Get Better

 

It´s like this when you live the story of being an entrepreneur: The first part happens fast.

You throw yourself into establishing a business, and you´re out on the water; the shore is pushing off behind you and the trees are getting smaller. The distant shore doesn´t seem so far, and you can feel the resolution coming, the feeling of getting out of your boat and walking the distant beach. You think it´s going to happen fast, that you´ll paddle for a bit and arrive on the other side by lunch. But the truth is, it isn´t going to be over soon.

 

The work is harder than you imagined. But the point is not just about getting to the other side; achieving your visions and seeing results. It´s much more about your character getting molded in the hard work of the middle.

 

At some point the shore behind you stops getting smaller, and you paddle and wonder why the same strokes that used to move you now only rock the boat. You made the network and got influence through business, but you just don´t know if you have enough to make it through. You´d rather work for someone else, and live a common life, because the far shore doesn´t get closer no matter how hard you paddle. The shore you left is just as distant, and there is no going back; there is only the decision to paddle in place or stop, slide out of the hatch, and sink into the sea.

 

When something hard happens to you, you have two choices in how to deal with it. You can either get bitter or better.

Gods call to you today is clear: don’t get weary of doing good, for in due season you will reap, if you do not give up.

 

It´s like this with every crossing. You paddle until you no longer believe you can go any farther. And then suddenly, well after you thought it would happen, the other shore starts to grow, and it grows fast. The trees get taller and you can make out the crags in the cliffs, and then the shore reaches out to you, to welcome you home, almost pulling your boat onto the sand.

 

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace while you´re paddling your distance today. And may He grant you power to continue the crossing.

 

Anne Maria Leune is the owner of Rocks´n Rivers and resides in northern Norway.

 

 

Resolute Leadership

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Leadership is all about influence and we believe Jesus Christ was the greatest leader that ever walked the face of the earth. The YouVersion Bible App allowed us to compile a devotional plan entitled Bible on Business of which the following guest post is one of the entries. The reason for all of this, is simple. We see ourselves as more than an Atlanta recruiting company, but a business providing leadership advice and encouragement to everyone.

Resolute Leadership

I’ve always been intrigued by Luke’s phrase “and Jesus fixed his face for Jerusalem” (9:51). Others have translated this action as “resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” Regardless of the translation, it is clear that Jesus adopted a posture of focus on the mission and he calls business leaders to do the same. And if we’re going to follow Jesus in this regard, let us consider three leadership principles from this passage:

  1. Good leaders know the mission.

Throughout Luke 9, we see Jesus reveal significant aspects of his character and work to the followers. Although often misunderstood, the gospels paint a picture of Jesus as one with clear purpose and passion — that he pursued resolutely.

  1. Good leaders pursue a purpose beyond themselves.

From the miracles to Simon Peter’s proclamation to the Apostles debate over greatness, Luke 9 weaves together several instances where Jesus could have easily decided to pursue his own greatness. In fact, it seems that the disciples in their misunderstanding actually believed that to be His intent. In the end, Jesus knew his purpose was to pursue the will of the Father and only in His “leastness” would “greatness” be found (9:48).

  1. Good leaders strive for goals that require the work of others.

Luke opens chapter nine with Jesus’ commissioning of the Twelve and follows with multiple instances of Jesus doing work that required their participation. From managing the crowds (9:13-17) to conversation about His identity (9:18-27), the disciples were integral to Jesus’ mission.

So, the work of business leaders is to build culture and lead organizations that create value. In order to do these things, Jesus’ lessons from Luke 9 encourage us to (1) be clear on the mission, (2) make sure that the mission is more than our personal gain and (3) pursue goals big enough to require the work of others.

Dale Gauthreaux teaches leadership and organizational behavior in Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business in Atlanta, Georgia.

Required for Business

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Social entrepreneurship upholds a greater purpose for business than simply profit to shareholders. This guest post was written for the Bible on Business devotional plan for the YouVersion Bible plan. We desire to not only provide excellent Atlanta recruiting services, but Biblical leadership advice as well. Staffing Atlanta’s great companies with the talented refugee workforce is our passion, which allows us to operate as a socially good company.

Required for Business

Making business decisions can be difficult. We never have all the information we need. The decision is never without a certain amount of risk. Doing business in a way that honors God can add another layer of complexity to how we make decisions. What does God expect of us?

The passage in Micah 6:8 comes in the middle of God’s discourse with His people. They are saying that its too hard to follow God’s ways. He expects too much.

And then the Lord responds: How have I burdened you? Here is what I have done for you: led you out of Egypt, redeemed you out of slavery, taken care of you in the wilderness. And now do I expect you to make great sacrifices for Me? Give your firstborn for your sin?

No, not at all. He shows you the simple way of His requirements: to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

To act justly is a legal concept that is both procedural and substantive. Doing justice is about taking up the cause for the weak, orphans and widows — those who have been wronged. When we do business justly, we see our business in context of the system in which we live. Its not just about profit, but what does our business practice do to or for the people around us. Does it provide jobs? Good jobs? Does it pay people fairly?

Loving mercy can be translated as Kindness or Loyalty. Are we loyal to our Lord in our Monday practices as well as in our Sunday practices. A business that blesses individuals, families and communities shows our faith and loyalty to the Lord in practice, not just in words.

Walking Humbly with our God is the spirit of knowing that God is sovereign and that all of our business belongs to Him. Its asking Him to be part of my decision process for my businesses. Taking time to pray before I make a decision. Quietly submitting all of it to Him.

Complex? Yes, business IS complex today. But simple too in that He isn’t requiring great sacrifices, but just simple obedience to His ways and plans. He has said if we lack wisdom, we should ask and it will be given to us.

Do Justice, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly. This is the path to peace and contentment in business.

Nora Hughes is the director of Business 4 Blessing providing resources for businesses throughout Asia.

47 Fears

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The following guest post was developed as part of our Bible on Business series for the YouVersion Bible App. The devotional plan was created to help companies, not only with Atlanta recruiting, but also with leading their companies according to the Bible, the authority on life and business. Staffing Atlanta’s companies with the talented refugee workforce is our passion and we do this from a belief that God created each of us to be fulfilled in our work.

47 fears

Days before launching a business venture I prayed the most arrogant prayer conceivable. In essence, I said, “Dear God: Here’s my plan. Please bless it.” How foolish, how prideful of me! I was due for a large dose of humility, and that’s exactly what I got. Within 30 days, the business went upside down and so did I.

For the next few years, subtle fear replaced pride as my constant companion.

Two core issues I see many business leaders wrestle with are pride and fear. On one hand, leaders are often ridiculously competent and make amazing things happen. On the other hand, they sometimes doubt whether they really have the right stuff to keep it all together. Left unchecked, these can become calling cards for pride and fear.

Scattered throughout pages of Israelite rule lists between chapters 18-26 of Leviticus, in a span of roughly thirty minutes of reading are forty-seven(!) occurrences of the most humbling, centering and liberating phrase resounding through the ages: “I am the LORD” or “I am the LORD your God.” Forty-seven times!

Look at one example: “When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.”

Our desire to squeeze ever-more profitability from our work and save for college, retirement and vacations at the expense of our humanness of generosity, for example, didn’t catch God by surprise. He responds to our pride and fear simply and profoundly, “I am the LORD your God.”

What are your top 47 concerns, fears or sources of pride?

Go ahead: name them.

What’s God’s response to each one?

“I am the LORD.”

I am here. I love you. I have your back. Trust me. Join me. Abide with me. I’m for you. I’m pursuing you. I’m with you. I’m making all things new – even your darkest fears and self-satisfied pride. Because I am the LORD.

Todd Kemp is the Convene Chair in Denver, Colorado. You can follow along with Todd on Twitter at @KToddKemp.

Atlanta Job Report

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Jobs in Atlanta are about to #RiseUp!

In 2013, 60,000 jobs were created in our industrious city. The economy favored Atlanta even more in 2014 as over 100,000 jobs were created. So will the uptick continue? Economists are answering in the affirmative, estimating over 140,000 new paying positions in the metro area.

The only time Atlanta has come close to 140,000 jobs was in the glory days of 1996. The Centennial Olympics were coming to town and 147,000 ATLiens were hired to ensure we were ready when the whole world was watching!

So what does this mean for you? There will be more competition than ever for great jobs and Atlanta job recruiters will be busy matching up the right people to the right open positions.

In this type of market where competition is high, you’ll need our help in staffing Atlanta and the surrounding metro area with the top talent.

As job growth and job creation spikes, more refugees will be entering the United States than in previous years, meeting the job growth demand perfectly, right? Wrong. This incredibly talented workforce has so much to offer the American marketplace, but they are also incredibly invisible. They could serve as the backbone to the economic growth our country would experience as jobs are filled, turnover decreases and manufacturing and production is reliable once again. Unfortunately, unless things change, many jobs will go unfilled while many capable and intelligent refugees sit idly hoping for an opportunity to work. The system is against them, but that does not mean we have to be!

Capitalism solves so many problems our country faces and this is certainly one more. Refugees are streaming in our borders as legal citizens, ready to work and provide for their families. Atlanta recruiting may hold the key to Atlanta’s growth and economic impact over the upcoming few years. Staffing Atlanta and the surrounding area with talented refugees is our passion!

 

Inspiration from Dr. King

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As Martin Luther King Day approaches, I must take a moment to inspire action in all of us, by using some of my favorite quotes from one of the most intelligent men and gifted orators that ever lived:

#5. A man who won’t die for something is not fit to live.
First things first, you have to stand for something. Figure out what makes your blood boil or what makes you cry or what causes you to rise from your slumber and then ask yourself why you care so much. In your answer, you may find your life’s calling or at the very least discover a cause that is worth living for.

#4. A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.
Once you have found your passion, do not be afraid to take action. Be bold and courageous and effect the masses.

#3. Means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek.
Now that you have begun this pursuit, there is no turning back. It will be difficult, but that does not mean you cut corners, bend rules, or take performance enhancing drugs. You may want to throw in the towel at many points in this struggle or even worse, you may think about taking the easy way out. Let Dr. King’s words remind you in these moments to press on with integrity and conviction.

#2. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.
The mark of excellence is reached by few in life simply because they forget the dignity and importance that comes along with their struggle. Do not let mediocrity happen to you. Allow the passion to continue to ignite your best effort.

#1. Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.
When you have reached the end of the struggle, and you look back on the accomplishment, may you say it was worth it for those who fought along with you and for those to come that may know nothing of your fight.

Rise & Grind…

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…It’s the new battle cry for a host of professionals attempting to make their mark on the world.

From creative freelancers to innovative entrepreneurs to corporate ladder-climbers, it seems everyone is celebrating hustle.

Perhaps this obsession with diligence in our work is linked to the downturn in the economy. Good jobs and good pay are harder to come by and may not be as secure as advertised, so in order to provide for our families and obtain our desired standard of living, we are adopting a determined “storm the castle” mentality. We will take matters into our own hands and not take no for an answer. We will push and persevere until we arrive. We will wake up with a fire raging in our bellies to be successful at any cost.

But what are the costs? What sacrifices do we have to make to get there? Are they worth it?

Most would answer this question with a resounding YES! And here’s why:

Purpose. More than just recognition and fortune, many professionals in today’s marketplace are guided by purpose. For many of them, the rise and grind describes their personal sacrifice of sleep to get 2 hours of work on their start-up in before their kids wake up, before they clock in to their 9 to 5, or before class starts. Most of these folks will do the same at the end of the day when they have taken care of all their other responsibilities. From people who recently found themselves unemployed to single parents, when a better future is on the line, nothing is impossible.

The Apostle Paul’s words in Philippians 3:14 speak eagerly into this context: I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul encourages those in the Philippian church to press on to that which God has called them to. For those following the teaching of Christ, our “calling” is first to our families and second to be faithful to the work before us. Though the type of work may be different to each person, we can affirm Paul’s message was to press on, to grind, to hustle toward our unique calling. In faithfully pursuing the success of your business, the calling before you in this season of life, you are also pursuing Christ.

So jump out of bed and get to work knowing every client you book and each sale you make is worship unto God.

And when you are ready to work with an Atlanta recruiting firm, we’ll be glad to find you more hustlers like yourself. Staffing Atlanta and the metro area with the talented refugee workforce is our passion!

Job Tryout

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As the expenses to onboard a new employee continue to increase, so does the pressure to get every hire right the first time. There is no margin for error and it starts with us as job recruiters.

So how can you be sure a job candidate is the right fit for the role? A Job Tryout!

Job tryouts are an innovative way to get a sense of a candidate’s on-the-job skills and how they may behave in certain situations. For example, someone applying for a sales role may be given a press release about a new product and asked to make a pitch to a specific target audience.

A call center applicant may participate in a job tryout in which they have to respond to several customer service scenarios.

A retail store manager applicant could attend a job tryout on location in the store and create a plan for reaching annual goals.

The simulations we could mimic on a job tryout are endless and it’s one of our most successful strategies in determining the best fit for your team.

Job tryouts allow the recruiter and those making the hiring decision to further gauge the applicant’s character, competence, and chemistry. A job tryout also gives the candidate another opportunity to better understand the company and the expectations of the position he or she is considering.

The job tryout phenomenon was highlighted this morning in the Wall Street Journal.

Our favorite example of a type of job tryout is described by Patrick Lencioni in the book The Advantage. Lencioni shares about a company working with a job recruiter to hire their next CFO. The company culture was very laid back and they were concerned a rigid CFO could come in and ruin the vibe they had going. To protect their culture, as each of the CFO candidates arrived in their power suits for their final round of interviews, they were given a pair of khaki shorts and white socks to change into before the interview would begin. A few candidates left on the spot, feeling insulted by the request. Some made the wardrobe change, but were obviously uncomfortable wearing a dress shirt, tie, shorts, and tube socks. However, one candidate seemed to enjoy the fashion statement and nailed the interview.

We’ve experienced many cases where several candidates appear to be evenly matched on paper and perform well through the job interview. However, during the scenarios presented throughout the job tryout, an obvious fit for the role will emerge.

A job tryout is truly the most successful strategy an Atlanta recruiting firm can employ to determine the best fit for your growing team.

A job tryout is included with our pro package. Let us know if we can design a job tryout for your company.

Don’t Muzzle the Ox

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Are we an Atlanta recruiting firm or an oxen rental company?

Whether you have ever realized it or not, the Bible is full of statements and stories that apply to work and business. I regularly read Scripture with an eye for these revelations and try to relate them meaningfully to our context. I hope you’ll consider this wisdom on business below.

A peculiar verse of instruction is written in the Old Testament passage of Deuteronomy 25:4: “Don’t muzzle the ox while it is threshing the grain.”

As an ox would thresh, or press wheat into grain for the farmer to sell in the marketplace, it is conceivable to believe the animal would get hungry and desire to snack on the very grain it was threshing. A muzzle keeps an ox from being able to eat the grain, the fruit of its labor.

It’s a peculiar admonition, because it was common sense. An ox was an asset, an economic engine for farmers able to afford one. Allowing the ox to eat some of the grain during its threshing would mean less grain is produced and some time is spent waiting for the ox to finish chewing, but the advantages of an ox that is cared for and maintains its strength far outweighs any losses.

Based on the surrounding context, the only way this passage makes sense is if we consider a farmer was borrowing or renting a neighbor’s ox to thresh out his own grain. This was a far more common practice because every family could not afford an ox. In this case, a farmer who rents an ox from his neighbor may be tempted to keep the ox from eating the farmer’s grain. The farmer has no immediate concern for the well-being of the ox, as long as there is one available whenever he need it to thresh out his grain. In effect, he feels no responsibility to care for the ox, because he does not own it.

It’s very similar to the way we treat rental cars. It’s no secret rental cars wear out quicker than cars owned by an individual. A rental car is not our property, so driving it hard and getting air on those speed bumps is part of the fun. As long as we avoid any additional charges, we turn the rental back in and the worn out shocks and smoking brake pads are someone else’s responsibility.

Is it beginning to make sense now? The author’s instruction compels the farmer renting ox from a neighbor to care for the ox as if it was his own.

So what does this have to do with your business? I believe it applies to the way we treat our employees. If you see them merely as rented oxen, you will create a toxic work environment where everyone feels micromanaged, burdened by the work load and frazzled by the constant stress placed upon them.

However, when we choose to view our staff as creative individuals, made in the image of God, with limitless potential to solve problems and produce excellent results, it changes the way we treat them.

For your business, maybe it means giving shares of company stock. Perhaps it simply means fostering a more autonomous culture where your team feels the freedom to set their own hours as long as the work is completed with excellence. In the food service business it means a free meal when you work a shift. I’ll let you apply it to your own situation, but I encourage you to consider this concept.

How are you caring for your employees and how do you allow them to take part in the fruit of their labor?

As a staffing and job recruiting firm, there is nothing we love more than placing candidates in jobs where we know they cared for as the creative and gifted individuals they are. In fact, open jobs with more flexibility on work schedule and strong benefits packages are filled much quicker and with better qualified candidates than those lacking this perspective.

Let us know how you care for your staff or ideas you plan to implement as a result of this post!

Thanks for selecting us as your Atlanta recruiting firm. We appreciate your business!