Dress properly

• Wear several layers of loose-fitting clothing to insulate your body by trapping warm, dry air inside. Loosely woven cotton and wool clothes best trap air and resist dampness.
• The head and neck lose heat faster than any other part of the body. Your cheeks, ears and nose are the most prone to frostbite. Wear a hat, scarf and turtleneck sweater to protect these areas.
• Wear warm socks, insulated gloves and snow boots if possible

Frostbite: What to look for

• The extent of frostbite is difficult to judge until hours after thawing. There are two classifications of frostbite:
• Superficial frostbite is characterized by white, waxy or grayish-yellow patches on the affected areas. The skin feels cold and numb. The skin surface feels stiff and underlying tissue feels soft when depressed.
• Deep frostbite is characterized by waxy and pale skin. The affected parts feel cold, hard, and solid and cannot be depressed. Large blisters may appear after re-warming.

What to do

• Get the victim out of the cold and to a warm place immediately.
• Remove any constrictive clothing items that could impair circulation.
• If you notice signs of frostbite, seek medical attention immediately.
• Place dry, sterile gauze between toes and fingers to absorb moisture and to keep them from sticking together.
• Slightly elevate the affected part to reduce pain and swelling.
• If you are more than one hour from a medical facility and you have warm water, place the frostbitten part in the water (102 to 106 degrees Fahrenheit). If you do not have a thermometer, test the water first to see if it is warm, not hot. Re-warming usually takes 20 to 40 minutes or until tissues soften.
• What not to do
• Do not use water hotter than 106 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Do not use water colder than 100 degrees Fahrenheit since it will not thaw frostbite quickly enough.
• Do not rub or massage the frostbite area.
• Do not rub with ice or snow.

If Your Car Breaks Down in Winter

Remember these tips so you can act wisely in case of emergency. 7 Tips to help you survive in freezing temperatures.

Car breakdown?

• If you’re stranded in a car and can’t drive further, don’t get out. Call for help if your car broke down. Run the engine occasionally for warmth but keep a window Be sure the exhaust pipe isn’t blocked by snow.

Run out of gas?

• f the car runs out of gas, keep all the windows shut. Stay on the lookout for help. Make sure your windows are cleared of snow so passing drivers can see that there’s someone in the car.

Stuck for a while?

• Exercise or move your arms and legs for warmth and keep yourself awake. Don’t go to sleep under any circumstances

Caught outside?

• f you’re caught outside while on foot, head to the nearest shelter. Tie a scarf over your nose and mouth to protect your ears and face and to prevent suffocation from the wind and snow.

Stuck in a snowbank?

• If your vehicle is really stuck, don’t wear yourself out shoveling it out, according to the News Wheel. Instead, save your energy and concentrate on staying warm.

Ice scraper breaks?

• Prepare for a broken ice scraper ahead of time by making sure to include a back-up scraper and brush in your vehicle. Even better, also invest in a windshield protector that will make de-icing much easier.

Getting thirsty?

• The last thing you want to do when you’re stranded is eat snow directly, according to the News Wheel. The energy your body expends warming up the snow makes it harder for you to retain body heat. If you happen to have an empty container, though, you can place snow inside of it and drink it after it melts.

We know you can work out in the elements, but for how long?

• Take breaks in shelters, away from the wind and cold
• Drink warm liquids slowly
• Make sure your clothes are dry. Take a change of clothes in your car
• Don’t forget to pack some extra socks
• Cover all skin safely possible
• Allow more time to commute to your destination
• Fill up with gas
• Have plenty of food, water & milk for several days

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Marine, Trillium Technical, Trillium Environmental, Trillium Hospitality and Trillium Techs. With approximately 100 offices nationwide and nearly 450 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

(Pictured above – Map of All Trillium Locations)

According to Glassdoor.com, the following cities are the top picks for job satisfaction (scored on a scale of 1-5) according to company reviews.

1. San Francisco, CA – 3.6 score, 108,000 jobs available
2. San Jose, CA – 3.6 score, 88,000 jobs available
3. Washington DC – 3.6 score, 145,000 jobs available
4. Oklahoma City, OK – 3.5 score, 19,000 jobs available
5. Seattle, WA – 3.5, 74,000 jobs available
6. Salt Lake City, UT – 3.5, 29,000 jobs available
7. San Diego, CA – 3.5, 40,000 jobs available
8. Boston, MA – 3.5, 109,000 jobs available
9. Austin, TX – 3.5, 45,000 jobs available
10. Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL – 3.5, 59,000 jobs available.

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Marine, Trillium Technical, Trillium Environmental, Trillium Hospitality and Trillium Techs. With approximately 100 offices nationwide and nearly 450 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

Computer Resource Team was founded in 1995 by Keith Warman who has developed a diverse business portfolio in IT staffing, allowing the organization to become a leading provider of IT staffing of contract to hire and permanent positions throughout the eastern United States. The team at the former Computer Resource Team, specializes in the recruitment and placement of IT professionals in a wide range of positions including Program Managers, Systems Analysts, Software Developers, Database Administrators and Desktop Support roles.

“I am delighted to welcome the staff and clients of Computer Resource Team to the Trillium brand of companies. The compilation of diverse client companies, talented field staff, and dynamic internal staff made CRT a great addition to the Trillium brand. Keith and I have known each other for several years and I’m delighted that he entrusts us to continue to grow the business he’s worked so diligently to build over the past 23 years.” – René Poch, CEO

The addition marks the latest expansion of the Trillium brand of staffing companies who also acquired ESW Staffing and Roy’s Staffing in 2018. Clients in the eastern region will now receive the additional benefit of Trillium’s leading recruitment processes as well as the existing talent pool of nearly 2 million candidates.

The former Computer Resource Team is led by Regional Vice President Jay Miron who leads the Trillium Technical division of Trillium with a focus on IT and Engineering staffing.

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Marine, Trillium Technical, Trillium Environmental, Trillium Hospitality and Trillium Techs. With approximately 100 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

Employee retention and engagement seems to be on the minds of managers and supervisors everywhere, for good reason. However, those same managers need to make sure that they are not standing in their own way by allowing emotions and stressful situations to cause employees to second guess their employment. According to VitalSmarts, a leadership training company, 1 out of 3 managers have a difficult time handling stressful situations and this, in turn, adversely affects their employees. In fact, the report also found the following in regards to teams that are led by anger fueled leadership.

• 62% of individuals would consider leaving their job
• 56% would simply shut down dialogue and stop participating
• 49% would be less likely to try any harder than the bare minimum
• 47% would become angry and frustrated themselves

The bottom line is that anger tends to breed anger and frustration. The best way to solve any stressful situation in the workplace is to come together as a team. Getting angry, placing blame and withdrawing from the team dynamic can only make matters worse. In order for any workplace team to feel comfortable with handling stressful situations, the management and leadership teams need to make sure they are not only setting a positive example but also setting a precedence of what is and is not acceptable behavior in those circumstances.

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Marine, Trillium Technical, Trillium Environmental, Trillium Hospitality and Trillium Techs. With approximately 98 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

Many of you may already notice a few similar trends going into the new year. For one, Technology will continue to stand at the forefront for companies and applicants alike. The paper resume is becoming more and more scarce and obsolete and the need/desire for instant communication and gratification will only continue to increase. The advent and application of new technologies such as AI (artificial intelligence) and text messaging capabilities in the recruiting, hiring and job search process will continue on an upward trajectory.

In addition, mobile traffic and usage when it comes to searching for jobs is only expected to grow. According to glassdoor.com, 45% of job seekers use a mobile device at least once per day in their job search and 89% use mobile platforms throughout the entire job search process. With this said, only 16% of applications are typically submitted via mobile. It is possible that with new technologies and the progression in smart phone capabilities that this too could be on the rise. Now is the time to beef up and improve the efficiency of not only your desktop platforms but your mobile platforms as well.

The long and short of it is simple, if you and your company are already paying close attention to these trends and understand their implications, you’re already a step ahead as we enter 2019. However, if that is not necessarily the case, do some research and try and determine where your recruiting process is missing the mark. Gone are the days of posting an ad and waiting for applications to pour in. Recruiters need to engage with potential candidates before, during and after the hiring process to cultivate a true relationship. This will, in turn, increase candidate retention and could even increase referral traffic!

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Marine, Trillium Technical, Trillium Environmental, Trillium Hospitality and Trillium Techs. With approximately 100 offices nationwide and nearly 450 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

What is our best line of defense right now, in the middle of the chaos? Simple, across the board, the average hourly earnings in the construction industry are higher than the average of all private sector positions (excluding farming) by over 10%! Not to mention that a large majority of construction trades do not require a college degree, this should be a fairly easy sell, right? Unfortunately, that is proving to not be the case.

The conversation regarding skilled trades opportunities has to start before today’s youth hits the workforce. This information needs to be getting in front of parents, guidance counselors, educational leaders, and the students themselves at a younger age. There seems to be a miss-conception and stigma attached to positions in the construction industry, that they may not be able to make a living wage. This couldn’t farther from the truth as James Haas, a learning coordinator with Capital Region Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) reiterates.

“We’ve got to get mom and dad, we’ve got to get the guidance counselors, we’ve got to get the kids to understand that it’s not always a baccalaureate degree (that’s necessary),” Haas said. “Laborers are making real, living wages, that have good benefits, that have a Monday through Friday work schedule. And they’re probably making $1500 a week.”

BOCES has been partnering with school districts for over 70 years in an attempt to better garner and promote evolving and necessary educational programs. For more information on how you or school district can get involved with BOCES, please visit their website at www.boces.org.

This could and should be powerful information that needs to be getting in front of families and educational institutions. We all need to keep in mind that the shortage of workers in the skilled trades industry ultimately can affect everyone in the economy. The shortage can lead to public and private sector construction projects taking longer, costing more money and in the end stunting overall economic growth. It is up to all of us, including our educational system to once again get students excited about the skilled trades industry. There are and will continue to be excellent skilled trades opportunities out there, just waiting for the next generation to step in and take the charge.

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Marine, Trillium Technical, Trillium Environmental, Trillium Hospitality and Trillium Techs. With approximately 98 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.