February 25, 2011

LMP2 Training Week 3

The third week of training at Comrise was, in my opinion, the most interesting of the three. As the trusted Sales Support Associate at Comrise, I found the Account Executive aspect of this business rather intriguing. Recruiting is certainly the cream of the crop when it comes to the staffing industry, so learning about sales seemed like a breath of fresh air. Nonetheless, this was the last week of training for us LMP2s and we came out more knowledgeable about IT terminology than we’ve ever been. Basically, this week was all about dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s to see how the entire staffing process came together. We learned about the art of cold calling and that there did indeed exist a more friendly type of calling, known as warm cold calling. I found that the differences between being an AE and a recruiter are quite vast, though often run parallel. While being a recruiter requires being able to spark a conversation and build rapport out of thin air each candidate at a time, an AE’s focus is more on the long run, maintaining that relationship for future job reqs.

What I really liked about training was being able to shadow senior level Account Executive's and Technical Recruiters and see the different tactics and techniques everyone uses, making each style work for them. I find it so interesting and yet still ponder on how I will fit in that picture. I am looking forward to seeing what I can do to help further Comrise as a company and more importantly develop in my own career.

February 18, 2011

LMP Week 2

Well it has been 2 weeks since we started the LMP2 program and we have officially gone through the entire recruiting process and I was able to see what I would eventually be doing while working at Comrise. We had sessions in the morning and then the afternoon was followed by shadowing the recruiters. This gave us an opportunity to see how different recruiters have different styles and tactics they use to find candidates for jobs. Next week we will get an opportunity to learn about what the account executives do which is the other half of the staffing business. All of this training will lead up to our final exam after which we dive right in and contribute to this fine company.

This past week was also a lot of fun because we had an opportunity to go a great Chinese restaurant to celebrate Chinese New Year. This was a chance to relax with the entire Comrise staff and get to know one another while eating some great food.

I am looking forward to starting my job as a recruiter and working with the entire staff here at Comrise. Everyone here has been very helpful and friendly and working with them will be a very rewarding experience as well as a lot of fun. The leadership and mentorship program here is definitely a great way to start within the company and will provide you with all the skills necessary to be successful in this business.

February 16, 2011

Comrise China announces new President, Robert Fonow

Comrise Board of Directors announced this morning our new Comrise China President. We are happy to have Robert on board and have high hopes for him. He comes from a rather experienced background: Fonow serves on the board of three other Chinese companies and is a highly experienced international turnaround manager, executive troubleshooter and government affairs expert in manufacturing and services. Fonow graduated from The London School of Economics and then the University of Wales, following service in the US Air Force. Over the course of his career, Fonow has published several monographs and numerous articles on international telecommunications and management troubleshooting.

Working with Liana Pan, the company’s General Manager, Robert will oversee the organization’s efforts to rapidly expand in the growing China market, as Comrise plans to open five additional offices in China within the next two years.

On behalf of the Board of Directors for Comrise China, Sincia Liu said, “Bob was nominated and selected based on his track record and background in executive management and leadership with Global companies on their development and expansion efforts in the Asia Pacific regions. He will be able lead and guide the team to deliver best in class service in talent planning, acquisition, and management for our Multinational and local clients in China. We also expect closer collaborations between our US and China offices to enrich our customers’ experiences on both shores.”

Regarding his new position, Rob said, “The Human Resources sector in China continues to grow rapidly and this will provide Comrise with a unique opportunity to integrate operations into an organization with global reach and success. I’m impressed by the energy and capability of Comrise China staff, and look forward to helping Comrise continue its growth into a leading international HR and consulting firm in China and Asia – beginning right now!”

We love Robert's high spirits as it fits perfectly with the Comrise environment.

Welcome to the team Robert, we are glad to have you on board!

February 11, 2011

Happy (Belated) Chinese New Year

One of the best Comrise traditions that we like to celebrate as a company is ringing in the new Chinese year. Although we are a diverse group and may not have always celebrated this tradition with our own families and previous roles, it is a Comrise company tradition I've personally come to enjoy.

2011 marks "The Year of the Rabbit" (beginning on February 3, 2011). This Chinese zodiac, one of 12, is most well known for velocity and agility. As a company, Comrise hopes to take on the year with motivation and adaptability. We're excited about many new successes and projects that are sure to emerge during this year. Even better - the last "rabbit year" was 1999 which brought many companies economic group at the height of the dotcom boom. We know this year will not disappoint!


Our entire US team took time to celebrate this upcoming year by sharing a luncheon together at Crowne Palace in Marlboro, NJ. What better way to ring in a new year full of hopeful prosperity and luck?

February 9, 2011

1st LMP training week

My first week as a LMP associate was an eye opening experience with an intense training program; to effectively prepare me for my future career endeavors within Comrise. The staff and management took the time to instruct concise, informative lectures and programs. In the first week the conductor of the class was a former LMP associate, Todd Snider. He took on the challenge to revamp and extend the LMP program, while making it a more detailed training program. Our first week topics were the recruiting and sales process, a formal introduction to Comrise and effective candidate screening. As the weeks follow, I am looking forward to learning more about negotiation tactic, closing deals, time management and maintaining good relations with our clients.

The Comrise management team is also one of the warmest and kindest staffing team anyone could ever meet! Comrise has truly invested their time not only into their clients and consulting, but to their LMP associates as well. They prioritize solid relationship with their LMP associates because they truly want to see us succeed develop in our new careers here at Comrise.

P.S. The next LMP Class has a great path in front of them. No matter what they do, they will grow! No “mess-up” is a mistake…it’s a real life learning experience!

Looking Back - Part 2

I am a recent May 2010 graduate from Rutgers University who was brought onto the Comrise team as a part of our LMP Class 1. I began my career here with Comrise learning the core of the staffing business as a recruiter. I then went on to further learn about Sales and Marketing. I primarily serve as the Marketing Associate along side as the Supplier Diversity Coordinator, Community Chair, and Business Development Associate. I enjoy serving in many areas within the company and find that working in all of these functions has allowed me to fully learn about the business world, staffing in specific.

A further look into what I’ve worked on while at Comrise:

- In the marketing arena, I currently carry out all marketing duties including: creating marketing material, website design, working closely with our e-marketing initiatives, etc.
- I fully embraced the importance of diversity and was given the privilege of attending the NMSCD Supplier Diversity Conference in Miami. I was able to leverage the contacts I made to build trustworthy and fruitful business relationships with Fortune 500 companies.
- I have also held many community events, including: a blood drive, toy drive, food drive, while many more community outreach events are on the way.
- With my sales activities, I was able bring in a new client, allowing Comrise to break into the European Market.


To read about Todd's experiences, please see Looking Back - Part 1.

Looking Back - Part 1

I joined Comrise in June 2010 as a fresh college graduate, entering the Leadership and Mentorship Program. After training in multiple aspects of the business, I now serve in multiple roles throughout the company. I am a member of the Data Team, keeping a watchful eye over Comrise’s proprietary database, running reports and looking for ways to increase efficiency in how the database is used. I serve as an Account Executive for several clients, with a focus on financial firms in the tri-state area. My primary role is to lead up the new Mobility Practice that Comrise is launching, developing a specialization in mobile technologies. This role includes new business development as well as technical recruiting in that area. I have also recently begun leading the training of more recent college hires, ensuring that future classes of college graduates receive the best possible training upon joining the company.

I look forward to ensuring the continued success of Comrise in the variety of roles that I perform in the company.


To read about Mansi's experiences, please see Looking Back - Part 2.

February 3, 2011

Comrise Food Drive

At Comrise we hold high expectations for ourselves when it comes to community efforts. We confidently pledge to serve our community in all areas possible and for this month of February when the shelves at the food bank are at their lowest level Comrise will be holding a much needed Food Drive. We will be partnering with the Monmouth Ocean County Food Bank to collect non-perishable food items to fight hunger one family at a time.

WHO: Comrise In-house NJ Team, Clients and Comrise Consultants

WHAT: Food Drive for the Monmouth Ocean County Food Bank in Red Bank, NJ

WHERE: Comrise Headquarters in Hazlet, NJ

WHEN: February 1st - February 28th 2011

We would like for our community base to support us in our endeavor of being a local company working towards a global scale. If you have any input or food items, please share with us.