Liberty Staffing has an exciting announcement to make. Lorna Faires, Regional Business Manager, and Paula Stewart, Business Development Representative, have recently celebrated their ninth anniversary of working together at Liberty Staffing’s Guelph branch. Congratulations on nine years, Lorna and Paula!
What a milestone! Maintaining a low turnover rate is valuable for our company, assignment employees, and clients. Liberty Staffing has assignment employees and clients who have worked with us for years. Having Lorna and Paula’s familiar faces in our Guelph Office for the past nine years assures our assignment employees and clients that they are in reliable hands.
We had a chance to sit down with Lorna and Paula to discuss their nine years together at Liberty Staffing Services. Here is an interview with Lorna Faires and Paula Stewart.
An interview with Lorna Faires
Question: Do you remember your first day at Liberty Staffing?
Answer: I started a few months before Paula did, in 2006. I was hired and started working within about two days, and was left alone in the office for the day in my second week. Talk about jumping in with both feet!
Q: How has Liberty Staffing changed and improved through the years?
A: Liberty Staffing has changed a lot in the nine years that I’ve been here. I think we have a new focus which positively reflects on the company’s morals and values.
In terms of technology, we used to have all paper files instead of scanned applications. If we wanted a resume we had to go search in the filing cabinets. We didn’t have LinkedIn or Twitter or anything like that back then. We did everything over the phone and only used email on occasion. It’s very different now.
Q: Would you say that you and Paula work well together?
A: I think we complement each other well. We balance each other out. I am very detail oriented and like to follow processes, while Paula likes to make it up as she goes along. That’s the difference between sales and service, I think. Paula likes to make small talk whereas I get down to business. So whenever we go out to appointments with clients or safety tours, we take both sides of Liberty Staffing with us.
Q: How do you think your nine years has benefitted the company?
A: I think it makes it enjoyable for the people that we deal with on a daily basis. Having a high turnover rate in service is disruptive, not only for the company itself, but for our assignment employees and clients. We have people calling in daily asking to speak with us. We also have people who come into the office after years of being away and say, “You’re still here?” Yes, we are both still here. This just goes to show how strong, reputable, and reliable Liberty Staffing is.
Q: To what do you owe your success?
A: A lot of agencies throw their temps into positions just to fill them. Liberty Staffing takes the time to get to know what our applicants want so that they will be a good fit for our clients. We treat people like people. Our workers are never “just a number”. We try to find the best fit for everyone. Paula and I treat everyone with decency and respect.
Q: Can you think of a funny story involving Paula in your nine years together?
A: Paula and I have been through a lot together. One time we were touring and inspecting an outdoor job location. I had on steel toes and pants which were hemmed for heels. Here we were, wading through mud, holding our pants up, trying to keep them clean, and wearing hard hats and vests. Needless to say, I had mud all over my pants by the end of that!
Another time, we went on a tour at a food processing facility, and I got stuck in the boot scrubber. Paula had a hard time getting through that tour without laughing at me.
Follow Lorna on LinkedIn and Twitter.
An interview with Paula Stewart
Question: Do you remember your first day working with Lorna?
Answer: I remember Lorna calling away, offering people jobs. Our office was a lot smaller back then, with only me and two other staff. It’s amazing to see how much we’ve grown over the years.
Q: How have you seen the company grow?
A: There’s been a lot of positive change in the last nine years. Liberty Staffing made it through the recession. During that time we had minimal work for our applicants, but we persevered and came back on top. We have more offices now, and are fully networked, so it’s easier for us to fulfill our clients’ needs.
Q: How have you grown in nine years?
A: When I started with Liberty Staffing, I was relatively new to Sales. Over the years, I’ve grown in confidence and ability, which has helped grow our office sales. I’ve developed strong relationships with our clients over the years, and my commitment to Liberty Staffing has kept them loyal to us long term.
Q: Can you think of a success story in your nine years with Liberty Staffing?
A: Through persistence, I was able to get an appointment with a company in Guelph, and was up against two other agencies to compete for their business. By selling the entrepreneurial aspect of Liberty Staffing, coupled with our excellent commitment to service, I was able to land the client.
Q: Do you and Lorna have a lot in common? What makes you work so well together?
A: Actually, I don’t think we have a lot in common, which is probably why we work so well together. I think our personalities complement one another. Lorna is very organized, whereas I like to think outside of the box. We balance each other out. Also, Lorna is my Excel tech support.
Q: Can you think of a story involving Lorna in your nine years together?
A: Lorna and I have relied on each other throughout the years. One time I fell in the stairwell at the office and sprained my ankle. Lorna was at home that day, but she came in and rescued me. Another time, Lorna had a severe allergic reaction in the office, and I came rushing back from a client site to take her to the hospital. I guess you can say we’ve saved each other at least once!
Q: How will you and Lorna celebrate your anniversary?
A: We will probably go out for lunch. We usually make it a point to go out every year around our anniversary.
Follow Paula on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Liberty Staffing Services staffs office, warehouse, and industrial positions in temporary, temporary to permanent, and permanent opportunities. We connect great people with great jobs.
Our flexible staffing solutions will save your business time and money by finding the right people quickly.
Liberty Staffing’s Guelph office has won Diamond (first place) in the 2015 Guelph Tribune Readers’ Choice Awards for Favourite Employment Agency, and Gold in the Guelph Mercury Readers’ Choice Awards for Personal Services in the Employment Category.
Contact our Guelph office today!
203 – 55 Cork Street East
Guelph, Ontario
Phone: 519-823-9697