During an average week, the American Staffing Association says more than three million workers head off to temporary jobs throughout every industry across the U.S. Some stay in their positions for just a few hours, some for years.
So, it stands to reason that making the right match between employee and employer is key to making the staffing industry work. And it happens to be the specialty of Virginia-based staffing agency Lewis-Price & Associates, Inc. – a specialty that garnered them a spot on the 2019 Inc. 5000 list, which ranks the nation’s fastest-growing independent small businesses.
Joshua President, the agency’s chief of staff, says Lewis-Price has been able to achieve this level of success because they’re not solely focused on getting the right person for the job. In fact, he says that’s only the beginning.
“The biggest misconception of staffing firms that employees have is that we just put you there and everything drops off,” President said recently on the Business Innovators Radio Podcast.
“At Lewis-Price, we’re not just putting people in seats; we’re developing young professionals. We feel if the person we put in a position is happy and motivated and ready to go to work,” he continued, “that’s how much more proficient and efficient they will be.”
“We have absolutely assessed the needs of the client to make sure the team members we put in place are technically qualified,” President said, “but to us, it’s about more than what’s in that person’s resume – it’s about professional development of a team member.”
Temporary and contract staffing is big business; Staffing Industry Analysts project that temporary staffing will reach $135.6 billion through 2020, continuing an 11th consecutive year of growth. For Lewis-Price, part of being successful in that big business is doing the small things well.
“Having motivated employees,” President said, “is one of the keys to our agency’s success.” He cited Lewis-Price’s various employee recognition programs, including team-building events, a tuition assistance program, and a Team Member of the Quarter Program, among others.
“We’re not just a staffing firm; we’re a career-development firm,” President said. “We encourage our team to not only find out what benefits the client, but anything that benefits Lewis-Price or their career development as a professional, because we think it’s important that team members want to invest in themselves.”
The best way to motivate employees is to make them feel valued — and that begins at the executive level, he said. “Communication builds and cultivates strong relationships across all of the team members. If they have any questions, they know we’re going to be quick to communicate and give them an answer,” President said. “The important thing is that the team member feels like they’re just as important as the C-suite. They feel like they’re an asset to the overall team.”
Lewis-Price’s success seemingly comes not only from the C-suite’s dedication to employee motivation, but from the fact that those at the top are willing to stay innovative.
President ruminated, “Our CEO, Ken Coleman, often says ‘we don’t mind adhering to the best practices, but at Lewis-Price, we’re thought leaders, and we want to create the next best practice.”
About Lewis-Price & Associates, Inc.:
Founded in 2003, Lewis-Price is an SBA 8(a) certified staffing company committed to providing solutions to their clients and teaming partners alike. Grounded in the values of integrity and intention, they staff diverse, engaged leaders in IT, cyber security, program management, training, and other high-demand areas.
