Tag Archives: joy

Associate Spotlight: Lonnie Cain

Associate SportlightExpress Employment Professionals is often placed in the business of building hope. When news and world events seem to spread sad and gloomy stories, it’s refreshing to read something positive. There are a lot of inspiring stories going on within Express, and we’d like to share.

We are always looking to showcase exceptional associates on Movin’ On Up. It’s important to give credit where credit is due, and Express loves to share the stories of our associates as an inspiration to you while you strive to achieve professional success.

What makes this associate so special isn’t what he did for himself or how he overcame obstacles. Rather, it’s what he brings with him and shares with co-workers that makes him unique. Our spotlighted associate, Lonnie Cain, has an amazing ability to spread cheer and happiness to not only his Express office, but also to the companies to which he is assigned.

Lonnie Cain

After years of working as a route manager, Lonnie Cain retired from Aramark. Even though he was retired, Lonnie still wanted a flexible job that allowed him time to travel. One day, he noticed a classified ad for a medical supply driver posted by the Express office in Springfield, IL. After applying and interviewing, he was quickly hired for the job and became an example of the Express values to everyone at work.

Lonnie has proven to be dependable and skilled in his job as a driver for several doctors in the Springfield community. Since 2006, Lonnie has worked more than 7,500 hours and has only called in unavailable once. His sheer commitment and contagious smile have made Lonnie an outstanding worker and a valuable associate to Express.

“He represents Express with a professional and cheerful attitude,” said Julie Hamilton, Staffing Consultant for the Springfield Express office. “He’s the most requested driver by the physicians.”

As a medical driver, Lonnie transports medical files to different hospitals. He relates well with the doctors and medical staff at the hospitals. The Springfield office continuously receives high praise for Lonnie. The secretary of a client, Dr. Raghu Kolluri, called Express just to say, “Lonnie is a great driver, very personable and reliable.”

If you’re looking for the same success that Lonnie is experiencing, find the the Express office closest to you for more information and help with your job search. Express is always looking for associates who would be a great candidate for our associate spotlight. If you have an Express associate you’d like to feature on Movin’ On Up, let us know in the comments below.

Celebrate Have Fun at Work Day!

Have Fun at Work DayGet out your noise-makers and party hats, because Jan. 28 is National Have Fun at Work Day! It’s not a widely known holiday, but it can be a very important one. Employees can only take so much when it comes to long, intense work schedules, stressful deadlines, and little to no freedom of expression before morale and productivity start to slip.

I don’t know how many times I’ve quoted Willy Wonka, “A little nonsense now and then is treasured by the wisest men,” or Jack Nicholson, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” when discouraged from injecting some harmless fun in school or work.  What most people don’t realize is that in most modern work settings, the more grueling a schedule or job is, generally the less productive people become.

Science Has Your Back!
There have been several scientific studies that connect fun with productivity. There are also reports of major companies like Google and LinkedIn shifting focus to their employees having fun by paying for activities like volleyball or bowling, or having rooms dedicated to foosball so employees can play a game when feeling stressed.

Use your imagination, and a little bit of best judgment, to come up with ideas to de-stress yourself and ease the tension among your co-workers and supervisors. It could be as small as bringing a festive game to share with co-workers to playing with a beach ball with fellow colleagues during a break if the weather is nice enough.

Laughter is The Best Medicine
A survey published by the professional development magazine “Training and Development” revealed that 84% of HR managers said employees with a sense of humor do better work. Since most adults spend a large part of their time at work, there should be more opportunities to have a laugh and enjoy yourself.

Despite what most people may think, laughing doesn’t always mean someone is goofing off. Having a good laugh can ease workplace tension, reduce conflict among your peers, and can fight lost work time caused by boredom. In many ways, laughter can lead to a more productive and meaningful work experience.

The famous inventor and businessman Thomas Edison said, “I never did a day’s work in my life. It was all fun.” While you may not have as much fun as Mr. Edison, take some extra time this week to enjoy yourself. You’ll be surprised how much you’ll accomplish without realizing that work is actually getting done.