FGP Expands to Asheville!
We are excited to announce that FGP will be opening an office in Asheville, NC--our first venture into the beautiful mountains of  North Carolina! As our business has grown, we've seen a unique opportunity in Asheville to help all the great companies of the area grow by helping them find, develop, retain and transition employees.
Jes Garner Williams, former Director of Resource Development at United Way in Buncombe County, will be leading the team in the Asheville office. Final office negotiations are still in place, but we wanted to give you, as our clients, the first heads up on the news! If you know of anyone in the Western North Carolina area who would like help building a great company, give Jes a call at 828.242.6263 or e-mail her at jes@fgp.com.
Managing Your Employees' Friendships At Work...and Your Own
By Betsy Anthony, Staffing Operations & Training Coordinator
 Every employer has a different view on how to manage their employees’ socialization. Some keep it to a minimum as much as possible, positing that it interferes with employees’ productivity. “Ken Siegel, a psychologist and president of the Impact Group, a psychologists' group that consults with business management, says he doesn't believe workplace friendships are real. True friendships, he says, can't exist when there are issues such as money and status at play.” In addition, the article goes on to say, friendships at work can harm productivity.
Other companies, such as Tony Hirsch’s Zappos, foster employee relationships as much as possible. “When employees log in to their computers,” he reports, “we ask them to look at a picture of a random employee and then ask them how well they know that person -- the options include 'say hi in the halls,' 'hang out outside of work,' and 'we're going to be longtime friends.' My hope is that we can have more employees who plan to be close friends."
So what's your view on fraternization between employees? Or -- for a more realistic scenario--how do you handle employees chattering away in their cubes? An interesting HBR blog reports that "once you're on the job, having a best friend at work is a strong
predictor of success. People might define "best" loosely (think of this
as kindergarten where you can have more than one "best" friend), but
according to a Gallup Organization study of more than 5 million workers
over 35, 56% of the people who say they have a best friend at work are
engaged, productive, and successful while only 8% of the ones who don't
are." An interesting study!
What have you found useful in your management of office friendships? Let us know here!
Will Technology Replace the 'Human' in Human Resources?
By Caroline Callison
One of our primary goals when we enter into a partnership with a client is to reduce the stress and strain on the person who is handling HR needs. One of the most common dilemmas we see relates to the use of technology within HR. HRIS systems are so comprehensive that many companies will actually use them in place of an HR professional. Many of our clients are concerned if this is the best way to go, and we understand that concern. When the most important resource is your workforce, you want to manage it with care and efficiency. For most of our clients, the most efficient and accurate way to manage your “human capital” is by allowing technology to help.
Contrary to many preconceived objections, technology doesn’t have to take the place of human interaction in the workplace. It can actually provide more time for face-to-face  communication and individual attention if used correctly. We typically recommend a thorough evaluation of the available technology in order to determine which technological application will work best for your company.
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Our Values
We firmly believe that our values comprise the core of who we are as a company. These values grounded us during the recession of the early 90s—and the economic struggles so many companies and people are going through now, in 2010. They are what determine how great we can be and the degree to which we can help you build a great company.
As a company, we commit to:
Demonstrate a dedicated client focus by always exceeding expectations.
Be entrepreneurial in spirit by taking risks and embracing change.
Live with a passion for winning and never, ever give up.
Build authentic relationships through respect for and honest communication with each other.
Create opportunity and financial wealth through FGP profitability and growth.
Consistently show integrity in all business dealings, building the unconditional trust of our clients.
Contact Us
We'd love to help you build a great company. If you have any questions or if we can help you in any way, please contact your account manager or Steve Hall, VP of Business Development, at 864-297-0000 or steve@fgp.com.
FGP Announces New Hires!
We are excited to welcome Jes Garner Williams and Carla Meeks to the team! Jes is the former
Director of Resource Development at the United Way in Buncombe County,
and will be managing the new FGP office in Asheville, NC.
Carla Meeks
joins FGP Technology as a business development professional. She brings
with her an extensive background in the technology staffing and
recruiting industry.
We are
confident that both of these new team members will bring a high degree
of excellence and expertise to our clients, and we are excited to have
them on board!
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