In this Issuu: A Word From Rob Duncan . . . . .2 Employee Corner . . . . .3 Employee Recipe Box . . 4-5 SYKES News . . . . .6 Creative Corner . . . . .7

A WORD FROM ROB DUNCAN

SYKES Home Team,

As the holiday season is fast upon us, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the hard work you put in to contribute to the success of the company. SYKES is on track for a really great 2014, and this would not have been possible without you. You should be very proud to be a part of the home-based region, as this region was one of the three top growth drivers for the company this year. This region also was recently recognized as a standout market leader in home-based agent outsourcing by Ovum, a market-leading analyst house. We have launched new clients, we have successfully managed our largest year to date on the current IT platform, and we also unveiled the SYKES Employee Relief Fund to assist employees in times of need.

There are exciting things on the horizon for 2015 as well. We are continuing to execute and perfect the People First culture. Things are brewing in IT, including the development of a new platform, called OneSYKES. This platform will begin beta testing in early 2015 and will help us continue to provide innovation to our current and future clients.

My hope is that you get to enjoy the holiday season with your friends and family and that you come back ready to attack 2015 with the same can-do attitude you exhibited this year. I am honored to lead such a talented and driven group of individuals, and I look forward to another great year! Best Regards,

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EMPLOYEE CORNER

A Journey for Changeid you know that 1 in 68 children in the US

are diagnosed with autism every year? Did you also know that signs of autism can emerge in children as early as 6 to 12 months? Despite these facts, the average diagnosis age remains close to 5 years.

But to fully understand my purpose and goals of writing this, I need to take you back to 2010, where my struggle began. My youngest son had just turned 3 years old. I had noticed that he was not talking and communicating like my other 2 sons had at that age. Even though I knew something was not right, I couldn’t get the medical community to acknowledge my concerns. To make a long story short, after going to 3 separate specialists, my son was eventually diagnosed with Autism. At that point, I was in “Mommy mode” trying to get the best possible care for my son. My journey led me to State agencies for children with disabilities, in order to get him the proper care he needed in his daycare/public school system. I started to notice that these agencies did not have a specialized focus on children with Autism. They only had a generalized treatment of care for children with all disabilities. Then I realized there was no proper staffing or procedures

After learning of her son Bryson’s diagnosis, Stacey was searching for answers and came across Autism Speaks, a non-profit organization whose goal is to change the future for all who struggle with autism spectrum disorders. Autism Speaks is dedicated to funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a possible cure for autism. They also raise public awareness about autism and work to bring hope to all who deal with the hardships of the disorder.

Since finding Autism Speaks, Stacey and her family have been involved with research studies in hopes of finding a cure or possible link to the reason why the number of children diagnosed is on the rise and why more boys are diagnosed than girls. They have all given blood in this effort, and Stacey is also looking into participating in the annual 5k walk put on by Autism Speaks, which takes place in June.

Stacey is also involved with the Board of Education within Bryson’s school, in hopes that they will provide additional training and awareness for teachers that have students

for the therapeutic support staff (TSS) to maintain a consistent level of care for my son. We literally went through 5 TSS’s in one week, and they gave me no reason or explanation for their untimely departure. This left my son regressing in his progress, and leaving him without that support for many days on end. These things left me completely confused and frustrated as his parent.

I later found out that there is no national absentee policies for the Therapeutic Support Staff (TSS). It raised my question, how can they not have an absentee policy but the educational system has to have one in place? Why is there such a separation between the standards in the State Education System and those in the Behavioral Health System, which is also run by the State?

Please join me and show your support by contacting your State Representative and requesting a change in the procedures and policies of the Behavioral Health System. Let us be the voice of Autism.

with disabilities in their classrooms. It is her mission to raise awareness for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and to bridge the gap between how the behavioral health system identifies ASD and how the Department of Education views it.

By getting involved with both Autism Speaks and the Board of Education, Stacey has found that she has a better understanding of Bryson’s diagnosis. She also feels that her involvement has offered her many avenues for support as a parent. Her two older boys have gained a healthier understanding of what their baby brother is going through and have found better ways to communicate with him.

While it has been hard, Stacey says that, “My little boy is my inspiration every day. He is my hero, and I am truly blessed to have him in my life. He has taught me the true meaning of patience and understanding. He doesn’t let autism define him, he defines it.”

To learn more about ASD and how you can support Autism Speaks, please visit www.autismspeaks.org.

DBy Stacey Spencer, CCP Navigator, CCP and Team Captain on iWireless

Stacey and her 3 boys

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EMPLOYEE RECIPE BOX

Butter Crescents (makes about 5 dozen)From the recipe collection of Keith Mosgrober’s (GE Lord & Taylor) mother

Ingredients:2/3 cup sliced almonds1/3 cup sugar1/4 teaspoon salt2 sticks of butter, softened12/3 cups flourPlastic cling wrap

Directions: Put nuts and sugar in blender and mix until nuts are finely ground. Set aside butter in large bowl. Add the nut/sugar mix; beat until light and fluffy. Gradually mix in flour and salt until well blended. Shape dough into large disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 1 hour or until firm. Combine topping ingredients and set aside. Separate about 1/4 total dough. Make a ball of dough the size of a quarter. Roll into the shape of a log, then bend into crescent shape. Place on cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Bake 14-16 minutes until set, but not brown. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes. While still warm, dip into cinnamon/sugar topping mix, turning gently to coat.

Nana’s Pull Apart Coffee Cake (makes 24 rolls)From the recipe collection of Keith Mosgrober’s paternal grandmother

Ingredients:1 package frozen dinner rolls, thawed (24 rolls)1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted11/2 cup sugar1 tablespoon cinnamon1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions: Lightly grease Bundt-cake pan. In small bowl, mix sugar, cinnamon and nuts. Flatten on roll at a time, dipping both sides into butter, and then into the sugar mixture. Stand each roll upright in the Bundt pan, side by side, until the pan is completely fill. Drizzle the remaining butter on top of the rolls, then sprinkle some of the remaining sugar/cinnamon/nut mixture on top. Let the dough rise in the pan until it doubles in size. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Serve on cake plate.

Hello Dolly BarsFrom Bob Bliss (Mitchell International)

Ingredients:11/2 - 2 cups crushed cinnamon graham crackers1 cup chocolate chips1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips1 cup butterscotch chips2 cups shredded coconut11/2 - 2 cups chopped cashews1 - 11/2 14 oz cans of sweetened condensed milkToffee bits2/3 cup butter

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crush graham crackers and put in 9x13 pan or similar size pan. Melt butter, then pour over graham crackers, mix well to make a crust. Place in layers on top of the crust the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, coconut and nuts. Evenly pour sweetened condensed milk over the top. Sprinkle toffee bits over the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes until light brown. Let cool at least an hour. Cut into squares and enjoy.

Variations: You can use whatever kind of nuts you prefer, as well as any kind of chips that you think

will go well together. You can add more chips, nuts and coconut if you want as well.

For the topping:1/2 cup sugar1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Tasty Holiday Treats

EMPLOYEE RECIPE BOX

5 Ingredient Easy Fudge (25-50 pieces)From Sherry Alabbasi (Life Coach, Pearson K-12)

Ingredients:3 cups semisweet chocolate chips14 oz. can condensed milk4 tablespoons butter1 teaspoon vanilla extract1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions: Line an 8x8 pan with aluminum foil. Lightly coat with cooking spray and wipe away any excess.

In a microwave safe mixing bowl, combine the chocolate chips, condensed milk and butter. Microwave on high for about 1 minute. Remove from microwave and mix with a rubber spatula. This may take a few minutes as you want to let the items melt together from the heat of the bowl. If you need to microwave a bit more, you should not need more than 10-15 seconds.

Once all the chocolate chips are melted and the ingredients are mixed well, add the vanilla extract and salt. Stir until well mixed. Once it is all mixed, pour the mixture into the 8x8 pan. Place in refrigerator and let it sit for around 2 hours. Once the fudge is firm, remove it and then lift up the foil to remove the fudge from the pan. If you turn it upside down, you can peel the foil right off.

From here, use a large knife to trim the uneven edges and then cut the fudge into whatever size pieces you want. If you want large pieces, make 5 rows of 5 for about 25 pieces. If you want bite-size pieces then you can cut those 25 pieces in half for a total of 50.

Macaroon KissesFrom Bob Bliss (Mitchell International)

Ingredients:1/3 cup butter, softened3 oz. cream cheese, softened3/4 cup sugar1 egg yolk2 teaspoons almond extract11/2 cups all-purpose flour2 teaspoons salt5 cups flaked coconut, divided48 milk chocolate kisses (may also use candy cane kisses for a holiday taste)

Directions: In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar together. Beat in egg yolk and almond extract until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in 3 cups coconut. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until is easier to work with. Roll into 1-inch balls and roll in remaining coconut. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. After removing from oven, immediately press a kiss into the center of each cookie. Let cookies cool on pan for 2-3 minutes or until chocolate is softened, then transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Strawberry Banana Cheesecake SaladFrom Kayla Arellano (Sprint Ocean)

Mix together:1 bag of mini marshmallows16 oz of vanilla yogurt1 tub Cool Whip1 package of no bake cheesecake filling

Stir in: 1 container of sliced strawberries4 sliced bananas

Variations: Other fruits can be substituted or added as desired. Serve chilled and the same day, so bananas don’t discolor.

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SYKES NEWS

ore of our SYKES A+ Agents have shared great advice on things that make them successful at their job. Think about implementing these into your routine if you’re not doing them already! M

A great tip is to use the word RESOLVED! You can use this throughout the call. For example: “Mr./Mrs. Customer, I am so glad that I was able to RESOLVE this for you today.”“Mr./Mrs. Customer, would you say this has RESOLVED all of your issues today?”This will help you with your First Call Resolution metric. It will help the customer forget about past experiences and make the fact that YOU resolved their issues on the first call with YOU! ~ Savanna Adams

What makes me successful at my job on Xbox? First

off, I am a true gamer. I relate to my customers. I

let them share with me their frustrations, their joys,

their excitement in gaming, and in turn, I share my

own with then. I try to strive to make EVERY SINGLE

CALL the best experience that a customer can receive

with Xbox. Even if I see a tough situation, I do my

best to turn it around into a positive experience for

the customer and make sure they leave me as happy

as they possibly can be. I joke with my customers

a lot. I give them A LOT of positive reinforcement

when they are having trouble with certain situations.

Basically, I treat them as I would like to be treated.

I never want them to be able to say, “Thomas did not

do everything he could to help me.”

~ Thomas Mullins

Ingredients for Your Recipe for Success

Heartbeat of SYKES Campaign Concludes With Another Great Year

The U.S. employee Heartbeat of SYKES campaign to benefit the American Heart Association concluded on November 15th, and as a company, we were able to raise an incredible $151,724! Our virtual teams contributed $7,936 to the campaign. The dollars raised by our virtual employees will allow the American Heart Association to…

For the 5th year in row, SYKES beat our annual campaign goal, meaning that in those five years, employees have raised over $720,000 for the American Heart Association. Thank you for your support of the campaign!

♥ HELP 9,000 individuals get active using online tools such as the Start! Walking Programs Tracker, which records physical activity. (Costs AHA $5,000)

♥ SEND a heart disease or stroke survivor to AHA’s annual Heart and Stroke Lobby Day in Washington to educate decision makers about issues that affect the nation’s cardiovascular health. Recent efforts include funding for education and prevention of childhood obesity. (Costs AHA $2,000)

♥ TEACH more than 2,500 children how to avoid obesity and live longer, stronger lives through AHA’s nutrition and exercise educational materials. (Costs AHA $500)

♥ SEND a researcher or cardiologist from around the globe to present the latest scientific findings at the annual Scientific Sessions conference, the world’s premier annual meeting on cardiovascular science. (Costs AHA $400)

♥ EMPOWERS 25 underserved African-Americans to help end stroke by educating them on topics such as risk factors, prevention and healthy eating. (Costs AHA $25)

♥ PROVIDE informational videos and brochures to lead a Power to End Stroke campaign and heighten awareness of the impact of stroke in the African-American community. (Costs AHA $10)

Do YOU consistently meet or exceed your metrics? If so, we want to hear from you! This section of the newsletter is devoted to SYKES A+ Agents -- a forum for employees to share and learn what other agents do routinely in order to perform at a consistently high level! Please email the key ingredient of your recipe for success to Home-GetSYKED@sykes.com.

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To this day, Tugs By Tots is going strong, with their top seller being personalized dog bandanas. They make bandanas for every holiday and occasion, and they serve super creative customers. Men have purchased bandanas to propose; how can anyone say no to a pet wearing a “Will You Marry My Daddy?” bandana with an engagement ring attached?!? Most popular though is a bandana announcing a pregnancy to family, like the one pictured above. They can put almost anything on a dog bandana!

Krista has always been creative; she used to make jewelry and sold charm bracelets. But the dog bandanas and tugs are something she and her husband can do together. Neither could finish a project withour the other – Krista sets up and gets the packaging ready, while Don embroiders. Then it’s back to Krista to finish up the sewing and get the item ready to be shipped.

While at times it can be difficult to spend a few hours sewing and getting bandanas done after a ten hour work day at SYKES, Krista appreciates the time that the business allows her to spend with her husband. She views Tugs By Tots more as a hobby, and the time she spends on it doesn’t feel like work. Krista appreciates the flexibility shown to her by her Senior Team Leaders, allowing her to schedule shows on the weekends or whenever they might be.

Krista is currently a Team Leader on the AT&T Android program. Five years ago, she was hired as an agent on the Sprint program. She has also worked on the Microsoft Xbox program, where she helped launch the Kinect device. She worked on Cigna Dental, until she was hired as a Trainer on the Cigna Medical program, where she was able to travel to host trainings. She was also a Team Lead on that program, before moving over to AT&T in the same role.

Krista and Don have started selling their emroidered items on Etsy, and custom orders can be placed at www.tugsbytots.etsy.com. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, message Krista through the Etsy store, and she can probably create it! They also recently expanded into emroidering sweatshirts too. Krista loves a nice warm sweatshirt, and some of her favorites are the ones they make!

bout five years ago, Krista Watts and her husband Don were shopping in downtown

LeClaire, Iowa, when they saw a store selling dog tugs for $18 apiece. The ones they saw weren’t very high quality, so this got them thinking, “we can make these better.” Krista and Don immediately bought some fleece and got started. Tugs By Tots was born!

Early on, they were selling their creations at Farmers Markets and craft shows, attending as many as they could. One day, Krista decided it would be best to offer a variety of products, so she started making dog treats and dog bandanas, in addition to the tugs. She even purchased an embroidery machine to make the sewing easier.

Tugs By TotsA Do you have a hidden talent? We want to hear

from you! Email us pictures and info about your talents to Home-GetSYKED@sykes.com.

CREATIVE CORNER

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