RESPECT of Florida is the central non-profit agency for the State of Florida that helps employ more than 1,250 Floridians with disabilities through the production of commodities and contractual services that are sold to government entities. If you would like to learn more about us or browse our catalog, visit us at:
respectofflorida.org.
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A Message from Executive Director Ryland Musick
November welcomes the holiday season and gets most people thinking about what they are thankful for most in their lives. For many of us, that is family, friends, good health, a good job, etc.
Here at RESPECT, we are most thankful for our government customers who actively honor our mandated priority when purchasing and those that advocate to others on our behalf. We appreciate the individuals who take the time to review what we offer and work with us to ensure our goods and services are meeting their needs.
Without our customers, we could not fulfill our mission of creating jobs for people with disabilities. Each commodity or service purchased, provides meaningful work for a Floridian with a disability, who is truly thankful for their job.
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Facebook is one more way RESPECT wants to connect with you. Click above to like our page.
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Meetings, Training, and Events
Jan. 24-27 - SUPRA Conference, Savannah, GA Feb. 9 - RESPECT Oversight Committee Meeting, Tallahassee
TBD - Regional Training, Orlando
TBD - Regional Training, West Palm Beach
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Commodity of the Month
Dental Supplies
Smile, RESPECT has dental supplies including blue bibs, friction grip burs, and fluoride varnish.
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Outstanding Employees
RESPECT South Florida Project Manager Nancy DoVale presented awards to the Gulfstream Goodwill winners at the I-95 Martin County rest area.
Pictured left to right:
Jack Needham was chosen by Gulfstream Goodwill because of his work ethic and desire to improve. He is always positive and is a joy at work. Jack goes above and beyond and never complains.
Ophelia Darville is an invaluable member of the Gulfstream Goodwill janitorial crew. She takes pride in her work and is the go-to person for on-the-job training. Ophelia builds team morale, has a strong work ethic, and has an extraordinary knowledge of her job.
Wayne Rioux has shown great initiative to be a better employee. He pushes himself to complete each and every task to perfection. Wayne had some barriers in the beginning, but has overcome them and is now one of Gulfstream Goodwill's best employees.
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RESPECT Provides Regional Training
On November 14 and 15, RESPECT staff conducted a training for its partner organizations at the Goodwill in Panama City. Topics on the first day covered RESPECT program basics and a presentation on janitorial chemicals and quality assurance.
Attendees on the second day were trained on the ISSA Cleaning Professional 101 Certification. ISSA is a global trade association that includes thousands of cleaning organizations. All participants that completed the training received a certificate, demonstrating they have proficiency in the Cleaning Industry Training Standard's (CITS) Cleaning 101.
RESPECT offers a variety of training opportunities to its partners to assist in building knowledge and ability to offer quality services and products to government customers. Two more regional trainings are scheduled in Orlando and West Palm Beach after the first of the year.
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Employment Center Spotlights
Louise Graham Regeneration Center was recently featured in 83 Degrees, an online publication in the Tampa Bay region. Louise Graham produces desk calendars, remanufactured toners, and provides shredding services through the RESPECT program.
Louise Graham helps individuals with intellectual disabilities learn valuable and transferable job skills. Employees at the center work on sewing projects and assembly, as well as learning about cooking and socializing.
Additionally, the article featured Scott Adams, 2016 winner of the RESPECT Employee of the Year award for commodities. Adams, like many other workers at the center, demonstrate how meaningful a job can truly be. For the full article, visit
83 Degrees online.
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The Pine Castle Mop Shop
The Florida Times-Union recently published an article about Pine Castle, a partner organization of RESPECT of Florida. At the heart of the article, is the Mop Shop, one of the ways that Pine Castle employs people with developmental disabilities.
The mops are manufactured onsite from the raw material components like yarn, mop heads, and handles, and then built to specifications. Pine Castle is a member of the First Coast Manufacturers Associations and undergoes rigorous compliance reviews and inspections of the mop products.
The center works on several other independent contracts, as well as supplies drug testing products and kits through the RESPECT program. Pine Castle's Mop Shop and other employment opportunities empower individuals with a choice in what they do each day, allowing them to earn a paycheck and feel the pride and appreciation for a job well done.
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Like Bigfoot, the 'Perfect' Hire Does not Exist
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HR & Compliance Manager, Dayna Lenk |
Every manager has one common dream. They think that with the next hire their dream will finally be realized. They will have built the perfect team. This new team will conquer any sales goal, solve any problem, and everyone will finally get along.
I hate to stomp on anyone's dream, but it is not going to happen, at least not unless the manager hires for more than a person's qualifications.
Of all the people who get hired in the next 18 months, 46 percent will fail. They will receive a poor performance review, get written up or be fired, according to Mark Murphy, the author of
"Hiring for Attitude"
. Even more surprising, 89 percent of those who fail will stumble as a result of factors such as a lack of coachability, emotional intelligence, motivation, and personality.
Building a team takes time. The first hurdle is you must understand what type of role the person will fulfill, the personality type that makes someone successful in the role, and a deep understanding of company culture. Next, you must be able to train your employee on any missing skill sets, and finally the manager must have the ability to cut ties quickly when they realize the hire was a mistake.
A smart employee can learn most jobs extremely quickly once they are thrown in the deep end. With the proper coaching, within three months an employee can usually know the ins and outs of a role.
Instead of focusing on the perfect hire, look for a candidate who meets specific criteria that will improve your workforce.
Qualification should be looked at, but only after everything else. Great qualifications do not count for anything if they are not partnered with broad-ranging experience and a winning personality that will fit in with your company culture.
The characteristics that make for a good hire are listed below in order of importance of consideration. If at any point you determine that the candidate does not fulfill one, stop considering him or her for the position.
- Hire A Great Personality. You can train a person to increase their skill level, but there is nothing you can do about a bad or incorrect personality. Some positions require a certain personality type - administrative assistants need to be friendly, firm and organized, while customer service representatives should be outgoing, articulate and persuasive.
- Look for Potential. The best person for the job often is not the candidate with the longest resume - it is the one with the greatest potential to succeed. Seek self-starters who can learn skills quickly, as they can easily adapt to any situation. The business world is constantly changing and you need someone who can keep up.
- Gauge Cultural Fit. Look for a candidate whose values and behaviors align with that of your organization. If you hire someone who clashes with your culture, there is a very good chance they will not last very long with your company.
- Find Someone with Broad Experience.Find people with transferable skills - you need team players who can pitch in and try their hand at all sorts of different jobs. While specialists are sometimes necessary, versatility should not be underestimated.
- Only Focus on Core Required Skills. Qualifications on paper are important, but they are certainly not everything. You have to be flexible about the applicant's work history. You want someone with the training, education, and experience, but do not be afraid to settle for two out of three. Some skills can be taught so do not write off a candidate just because they lack a few qualifications. Prioritize your core needs, and then go from there.
Every time you hire someone who is not a good fit, the entire organization suffers. Bad hires not only drive away business, but they affect the people who work with them and manage them. Bad employees create problems for the entire company. Morale suffers, productivity decreases, and absenteeism increases and, your life as a manager, is miserable. And once again the managers dream of building the perfect team is lost.
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