We're Hiring!

Please pass the word along...  we have openings and we're looking for passionate team members who want to make a difference in the lives of children and educators one product at a time.  Here's what we're looking for right now:

Brand Manager - Learning Resources

Business Systems Analyst - ETA hand2mind

Digital Graphic Designer - ETA hand2mind

Forecast/Inventory Analyst - Learning Resources

Marketing and Sales Business Analyst - ETA hand2mind

Payroll Supervisor - Fairway Talent

Product Development Manager - ETA hand2mind

Purchasing Manager - ETA hand2mind

Sales Manager - Latin America - Learning Resources

Sales Operations Manager - ETA hand2mind

Senior Marketing Manager - ETA hand2mind

Vice President of Human Resources - Fairway Talent

Annual Gift of Learning (and bikes!)

So the holidays got a little brighter for both our employees and a group of pretty lucky kids today. We did something different for our Gift of Learning event this year that pulls our hard-working team members away from their busy jobs for a chance to develop skills while doing some holiday socializing (and eating too, of course... we always get a great lunch out of the deal!).  Instead of a speaker or a presentation, we invited the group from Corporate Teams to lead their Build-a-Bike program!

Employees were divided into groups and each completed challenges to "earn" pieces of the bike they were to assemble and decorate for their chosen child.  A couple pictures below show our teams building balloon towers - working together, they had only the breath in their lungs, a few balloons, and a roll of tape to construct a ceiling-scraping tower.  We all did it!  Other challenges included balancing 10 nails on the head of one nail and keeping a piece of paper aloft for 30 seconds (much harder than it sounds!). In the end, the bikes were safety checked before we got to meet our kids and hand over the finished bikes, complete with a helmet and a lock.  The large space even allowed them to hop on and ride!  Have fun, kids - enjoy those shiny new bikes!  We sure enjoyed putting them together for you (and we all got a little better working as a team in the process!).

It's all about the children and their families this holiday season at ETA hand2mind

ETA hand2mind team members fulfilled the wish lists for several families needing a little extra cheer this holiday.  From toys to housewares, coats to bedding, not an item was missed as the elves at ETA hand2mind joined in the spirit of giving.  Donations were carefully wrapped, labeled, and deposited at our front desk before being packed into cars for the ride to a local school.  Teachers then set them aside for delivery to our adopted families - we wish them and all a very happy holidays!

Tips to prepare for our favorite time of year... performance review time!!

Make the most of your performance review time as we end the year and gear up for 2015! Prepare ahead of time and consider this an opportunity to connect with your manager and celebrate what you've accomplished and where you're headed.  Check out this quick article for more How To details.
http://hrweb.berkeley.edu/performance-management

Holiday Celebrations at Educational Insights

Fun times and holiday cheer in Gardena, California when the Educational Insights team and a few representatives from our Learning Resources team got together to kick off the season of celebration.  Festivities were held at the Monkish Brewing Company with pizza provided by Chef Joseph Boness of Vella Pizza - yum!  2014 has been a great year for both teams with lots of growth and new employees joining the ranks - they certainly have good reason to raise their glasses in a toast to current and future success!    

Ugly Sweaters? Must be Friday Fun day at ETA hand2mind!

Members of our ETA hand2mind team took a break from their busy year-end to don their fun (and over-the-top) holiday sweaters and hang out with the Purchasing team.  Lots of food and good cheer as well as make-your-own cutout snowflakes.  Good times!

Are you ready to make your New Year’s [fitness] resolutions yet?

Okay, so it's a little early, but just in case that holiday food is starting to take its toll already, here's a great link to 10 easy exercises you can fit right into your work day.  From taking the stairs to twisting in your swivel chair, these are sure to help keep the extra pounds (and maybe a little stress?) at bay.

Link: Exercise while you work!

Got Shoes?

Members of our Educational Insights and Learning Resources teams are gearing up for a shoe drive! The donated shoes will go to The Pacific Garden Mission, a shelter in Chicago serving 400-800 men, women, and children every night. Way to go, team - T'is the season for giving, especially with the cold Chicagoland winter coming!

We're hiring in Q4!

Check out the openings we're actively recruiting for:

Brand Manager - Learning Resources

Business Systems Analyst - ETA hand2mind

Customer Business Analyst - Learning Resources

Digital Graphic Designer - ETA hand2mind

Inside Sales Consultant - ETA hand2mind

Marketing and Sales Business Analyst - ETA hand2mind

Product Category Marketing Manager - ETA hand2mind

Product Development Manager - ETA hand2mind

Purchasing Manager - ETA hand2mind

Sales Manager - Latin America - Learning Resources

Sales Operations Manager - ETA hand2mind

Vice President of Human Resources - Fairway Talent

Check us out at Toys R Us!

This blogger stopped by at Toys R Us to check out the Learning Resources and Educational Insights shelf space at Toys R Us.  It didn't take long to find us in the learning section.  Thanks to my teammate Cari for playing Vanna for the Hot Dots end cap picture.  So much fun to see the products that our companies produce at a major retailer and one step closer to being in the hands of happy (and learning) children!

Halloween Fun!

Our team members took time to enjoy some Halloween fun on Friday.  Between the food, costumes, and games, we managed to have a great time in spite of the cold temperatures that prevented all but the bravest to participate in the planned 5K Fun Run/Walk... brrrr.  Enjoy the pictures!

  

Working at Wellness - The 2014 for your Well Being Health Fair

So many vendors and so much information!  Our employees had a great time this month at our health fair, which offered something for everyone.  Chair massages, make-your-own granola, aura readings, flu shots, and time to chat with BCBS, Prudential, Legal Shield, and some wonderful local vendors gave our employees the chance to take a "time out" for wellness. Attendees could also sign-up for our Halloween fun run and entered to win well-stocked gift baskets with all sorts of healthy goodies.  We even had representatives from Kind Healthy Snacks (yum!) and the Japanese Culture Center.  Thanks to the HR team for organizing this great event and for helping us all be a little more healthy.

Have we got tenure or what?

This month's town hall meeting for Learning Resources and Educational Insights gave us a chance to celebrate in a big way.  Our very own Ted Casey, Facilities Manager has been with us for 40 years! Way to go, Ted!  Below, Rick Woldenberg, CEO, with microphone in hand, called Ted up to the front of the teams to share his appreciation and recognize Ted for his dedicated service through the years.  Many thanks to Ted for all he does, and have a great time on that extended weekend trip to Lake Geneva!

Current Openings!

Click on the job titles below to learn more and/or to apply online.  If you know someone who might be interested, please share!

Accounts Receivable / Credit Manager

Learning Resources – Vernon Hills, IL

Brand Manager

Learning Resources – Vernon Hills, IL

Customer Business Analyst

Learning Resources – Vernon Hills, IL

Forecast/Inventory Analyst

Learning Resources – Vernon Hills, IL

Marketing Content Manager

Learning Resources – Vernon Hills, IL

Payroll Supervisor

Fairway Talent Shared Services – Vernon Hills, IL

Purchasing Manager

ETA hand2mind – Vernon Hills, IL

Sales Manager-Toys

Learning Resources – Vernon Hills, IL

Vice President of Human Resources

Fairway Talent Shared Services – Vernon Hills, IL

All Companies Picnic - 2014

The rain didn't get in the way of us taking time to enjoy some good food, games, and raffle prizes on Friday. We had a blast!  Thanks to the Picnic Planning Committee for all their hard work with the details; from the bags/ladder games, to the water blasters, to the plentiful spread of yummy food, to the highly coveted gift baskets, we ended our summer on a great note!

Golf Outing... past and present!

Each summer, employees have the chance to grab their golf clubs and head to the course for a company golf outing!  No experience required, just a desire to eat good food, have a good time, and hit a few golf balls (if luck is on your side...).  Below are some pictures from past and present... you can tell we have some serious fun!