Randstad Puts Hundreds to Work Every Week

By Nicole Zaro Stahl, Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Mark Rivard, Division President of Randstad USA's West Division, is very conversant with the performance numbers generated by the territory he oversees. Every Friday the 136 Randstad branches that make up the West Division - a long stretch that reaches from Seattle to San Diego and east to Las Vegas - put 1,700 new people to work and issue paychecks to 15,000 plus contract employees.

Randstad, the second largest staffing organization in the world, provides "a really worthy service," Rivard notes. It's one of those rewarding, win-win scenarios." Our customers need people, and our job is to properly qualify and send candidates that are a good match. On the other side, people need work, and we land them something they can be comfortable with."

Still, there is a lot of responsibility involved to make sure each job order has a productive outcome. Whether in a warehouse or at a legal firm, every placement has a different set of specifications, and it is up to Randstad personnel to make sure the candidates they send are the right fit. "We do a good job, and we have a lot of happy customers," Rivard comments.

In addition to furnishing immediate work, contract employment frequently leads to a permanent position. Applying to a company directly can be a lengthy process, Rivard observes. "With us, the need is immediate. Customers trust us to make the right match, and then our employees have the opportunity to prove themselves on the job. Every company is looking for good people, and candidates can fast-track their way in the door through us."

As confirmation of the company's match-making success, Rivard notes that every week many Randstad-supplied people are hired permanently. "Our temporaries are getting full-time employment-secure jobs with big name companies-because of the introductions made through our services."

Over the years, the skill sets in demand have demonstrated increasing diversity. Along with one of its core areas, administrative assistants, Randstad fills openings in customer service, inside sales, marketing, accounting, maintenance, and warehouse management. CNC operators, currently in short supply, constitute one of the top placement areas. Beyond these general staffing categories, Randstad has specialist divisions that focus on higher-level or more complex functions, for example, in technologies, healthcare, engineering, and manufacturing and logistics.

Across the board, the company's West Division metrics indicate that employment is trending positive. "Confidence levels are up," Rivard reports. "With our vast client network, we have a consistent flow of promising opportunities for our valued applicants."

The bustling business recently prompted the regional office to expand from Stoneridge Drive to larger quarters at 4305 Hacienda Drive, where a 10 person team provides support functions such as compliance, risk management, and accounting for the region's branches, which include 40 locations that are Randstad In-House Services, a business solution that includes on-premise staffing and management. Local recruiting and placement activities take place in a separate office, near Stoneridge Mall.

Headquartered in Diemen, the Netherlands, Randstad has grown into a $22.0 billion global provider of HR services since its founding in 1960.

For more information, go to www.randstadusa.com.

Photo: Randstad's Pleasanton team provides employees to local businesses of all stripes.

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