With a downturn in the economy and so few companies looking to hire, it would stand to reason that an employment agency would fall by the wayside. But The Concorde Staffing Group, a full-service staffing agency based in White Plains, not only weathered the economic storm, it emerged virtually unscathed.
Founded in 1986 by staffing industry vet Anita Greenwald, the company handles both permanent and temporary placement of employees at all levels in a variety of fields, including finance, banking, real estate, HR, accounting, and digital marketing. Regardless of the specific industry, though, “we try to fit whatever needs the client has,” says Anita’s husband, Richard, who took over as president of Concorde in 1994.
And over the years, client needs have changed. In 1989, when many companies were seeking temporary hires, Concorde created a separate company, Concorde Temporary Staffing, to address those needs. When the economy sank in the second half of the last decade, the company shifted its focus to meet the needs of the times. For instance, it began working with clients such as BJ’s Wholesale Club to staff employees to hand out food samples in the store. By focusing in those areas, along with moving to a smaller office space, the company was still able to gross nearly $2 million and to place, on average, 10 to 15 individuals each month leading into the economic downturn in 2008.
Since 2010, when the economy began to pick up, revenue has grown by about 10 to 15 percent annually so that they’re now grossing more than $2.5 million, and placing 30 to 40 people into jobs each month. Concorde, which employs six people, has worked with thousands of clients, many of who are repeat clients including Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Affiliated Healthcare, American Sugars, and eScholar LLC.
“Concorde Staffing is very responsive, has a great pipeline for outstanding talent, and they go the extra mile to ensure they understand our business and culture,” which is why, says Amy Bouman, SPHR, director of human resources of Allstar Products Group in Hawthorne, a Concorde client, “they are able to find a candidate or long-term temp for a hard-to-fill position.”
John Boyle, assistant director of Admissions for The College of Westchester, says, “Rich and his team over at Concorde take a real personal approach. When there is a position I need filled, they talk to me to get a better understanding of my needs before they start sending people my way.”
Says Greenwald: “Overall we are working for the greater good, so I want everyone involved to be happy with the outcome of a placement. I believe if you do the right thing, it will come back to you.”
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