Celebrity Staff Employee of the Year, Cathy F. poses with Celebrity Staff KC Branch Manager Brad Lewis before the Awards Ceremony.

Celebrating with professionals from each of the staffing divisions within C&A Industries, Inc., Celebrity Staff was thrilled to recognize the accomplishments of our 2011 Employee of the Year, Cathy F. at our Annual Awards Dinner on Thursday, September 15.

Our annual awards occurred during National Staffing Week, which is a time to give much deserved accolades to the millions of people employed by staffing companies across the country on any given day. This year Celebrity awarded Cathy with our highest honor. We are proud Cathy chose to join the Celebrity Staff team!

Here is just a little bit about Cathy:

Cathy has been with her current assignment as an administrative assistant for the past three years.  Since she began, she’s broadened her responsibilities, a clear sign of how much she’s valued by our client.  Cathy says going to work every day is like meeting up with family.  She and her co-workers support each other through thick and thin. 

Cathy describes herself as eager, a quick learner, unafraid of obstacles.  Her Account Manager with Celebrity Staff sings her praises, citing her reliability, exceptional work ethic, and unflappable positive attitude.  He says she constantly goes above and beyond to handle whatever is thrown her way, without missing a beat.

It’s no surprise to our client that Cathy would be recognized for her efforts and abilities. We all cannot think of anyone more deserving for Employee of the Year than Cathy F.

The majority of my assumptions about what they do were quickly proven wrong. As much as I think I understand the generalities of an organization, I simply base it off previous experiences, educated guesses, or hearsay. None of that screams factual.

Even before I started with Celebrity more than five years ago, I assumed I knew how staffing firms worked. They were put in place to immediately find people jobs. But of course, not every agency is structured that way, including Celebrity. Here are some common misconceptions about our company and further clarification on how we actually operate.

“Why won’t you tell me the name of the company? Is it a real company?”
Yes. The opportunities we post, present, and work are all real and legit. Put simply, we work with all parties on a confidential basis. There are candidates we represent who are currently working; they don’t want their current/previous employers to know they are looking to make a change, or for a variety of other reasons they wish to keep their job search private. The same holds true for our client companies. Some are making a replacement, reorganizing departments, handling medical leaves, or have an opening for which they don’t want hundreds of responses. While we may not be able to give out the company name when we initially talk to you, rest assured, it is a real opportunity and we will go into full disclosure before you interview with them.

“I’ve been working with you for three weeks, why haven’t you found me anything yet?”
Are you truly working with us? There can be many reasons why a candidate hasn’t been placed by x-amount of days, weeks, etc. Our hope is that everyone we represent finds their dream career through Celebrity, on their own or even (gasp!) with another staffing firm. However, that’s not always the case. Sometimes the positions we are recruiting for may require certifications, degrees, experience, or a skill set you’re simply not qualified for. Other times, the opportunity may be out of your preferred salary, length of commute, advancement opportunities, desired day-to-day duties or several other knock-out-factors. Again, we work with you to not only present positions you are qualified for, but also ones we think you’ll be interested in. The more flexible you are with your career pre-requisites, in general, the quicker the placement process. Also, if you feel it’s been awhile since we’ve communicated or there’s a position you are interested in learning more about, give us a call.

“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t have done that/dressed this way/said that in an actual interview”
Then why are you doing that with me? Our clients hire us to do the initial pre-screening for them. The way you act with me is how I assume you will act in front of them. This includes tardiness, cell phone usage, attire/appearance, communication, eye contact, attitude, and overall professionalism. While there is no cost to you to be evaluated and represented by Celebrity, we are paid by our clients to only submit candidates worth their time. I’m not damaging my relationship with a client, just because I met with you. You are not entitled an introduction with them. You only get one chance to make a good first impression. For our clients, the first impression begins (and sometimes ends) with me. Come to our interview prepared and ready to set yourself apart from the hundreds of other candidates we’ve spoken with. If nothing else, it’ll be great practice.

Our mission is to be the staffing provider of choice by helping people and companies achieve their goals. That is our actual mission statement found on the back of every business card, on our websites, and on every mouse pad in each of our offices. We not only believe it – we live it. Unfortunately, that sometimes means being the bearer of bad news and telling people what they don’t want to hear. While we’d love to help everyone who reaches out to us, it’s unrealistic. If you do work with Celebrity or another reputable firm, keep in mind it’s a process and a partnership. Don’t assume you know how the process works – ask questions! With your next career at stake, you owe it to yourself to ensure you have the right people in your corner. Who knows, a staffing firm could be one of them.

Brad Lewis, Celebrity Staff Kansas City Branch Manager

About the Author, Brad Lewis

Brad joined Celebrity in 2005 and currently serves as Branch Manager for Celebrity’s Kansas City branch office. Prior to joining Celebrity Staff, Brad was a business consultant in the communications industry for five years working specifically in the Kansas and Missouri districts. As branch manager, Brad concentrates on ensuring excellence in the overall operations of the Kansas City branch for both clients and employees. Outside the office, Brad enjoys spending quality time with his wife and their family.

The annual initiative, sponsored by the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce and Baird Holm, recognizes a select number of companies based on the results of surveys which measure employee satisfaction and engagement.  C&A has been named in the category of organizations with more than 250 employees.

“To once again be recognized as among Omaha’s best serves as yet another affirmation of the fantastic people who work at C&A.  Our employees make it one of the finest companies to work for and a national leader in the markets we serve,” said Scot Thompson, Chief Executive Officer.  “This award is not only an honor for our organization, but also for each employee who has helped to make C&A what it is today.  Thanks to their passion, effort, and dedication, we’ve achieved incredible growth and success – and our future is even more exciting.”

C&A will be recognized along with other Best Places to Work recipients during a luncheon on May 5, 2011.

C&A is a national leader in staffing and recruiting.  Through its affiliate firms, Celebrity Staff, Aureus Medical Group, Aureus Group, and AurStaff, C&A has provided Human Capital Management Solutions to a wide variety of industries for more than 40 years, including supplemental, contract-hire, and direct hire programs. Non-staffing divisions of C&A include AurTravel, a full service travel agency; AurHomes, specializing in corporate housing; FocusOne Solutions, a managed services provider; and its philanthropic arms, The Kim Foundation and Career OutReach. C&A is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, with subsidiary offices located in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska; Kansas City, Missouri; and Des Moines, Iowa.

Then, on Friday, October 29, C&A employees enjoyed the fall season once again taking part in the annual Trick-or-Treat Event. Children of employees arrived at C&A Plaza and the Lakeside office, decked out as their favorite characters, football players, and scary monsters. Our little trick-or-treaters had a ball, as they happily moved throughout our divisions and departments collecting goodies to satisfy their sweet teeth.

The Marketing and Training departments got into the Halloween spirit, too, with a pumpkin carving contest.

To view photos from C&A’s family fall events, check out our photo gallery.