Graham StaffinG ServiceS, inc. www.grahamstinc.com
R
uth Graham, founder of the Washing ton, D.C. –based Graham Staffing Services Inc.,
knows a good personnel fit when she sees it. Graham sizes up job candidates, both
for her own shop and for the clients who hire her to place temporizes, temp-to-hire and
permanent employees. She started her business with a staff of two and worked six days a
week until she was able to hire additional staff. Today she has around 25 employees, not
counting the hundreds of temporaries she hires out to client firms.
Graham is proud of her company’s longevity, something she attributes to the reputation
her shop has gained for its reliability and quality of service. D.C. is in many ways a small
town and word of mouth both among clients firms and prospective job candidates
can make or break a staffing company. This is why Graham Staffing is dedicated
to developing successful long-term relationships with its clients, its permanent
candidates and its temporary personnel.
How does a business insulate itself against hard times? Graham notes that
having formed a solid relationship with clients when times are flush is impor-
tant. “Right now, we have a very strong client base to carry us through this.”
According to Graham, Graham Staffing is “sort of a family environment; we’re
looking out for everybody. We always pride ourselves on the honesty of our
organization.”
When Graham started she soon learned that growing a business also means
being responsive to clients. For instance, her intent was to run a temp agen-
cy, but when clients began asking her to locate candidates for permanent
hire, she shifted gears to provide that service. “It was not our original vision,
[but] we were satisfying clients.”
In Graham’s estimation, success and longevity in business ultimately hinges on a
basic element; “You really need to love what you’re doing, because there are ups
and downs, you have to be willing to utterly dedicate yourself.”
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