| Nissen Staffing Continuum Awarded Mid-Market Growth Award |
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Reprinted from The Business Journal, 10/20/06
Scott Nissen knew about the temporary staffing industry before he started Nissen Staffing Continuum in 1997.
As the prior owner of a company that experienced seasonal fluctuations, Nissen's workforce would jump from 50 employees to 30 employees, and then back to 50 again in an average year.
His experience taught him about the temporary staffing business and also made him analyze where the greatest demand existed in staffing services. The search took him to Waukesha, where growth was outpacing the amount of workers needed to fill many of the non-white collar jobs.
"Blue collar skills and semiskilled labor is difficult to find in that area, so I targeted companies that I felt I could get an end result from, companies where I could actually located and recruit the talent they needed," he said.
Since its inception, Nissen has increased its scope and size and is placing an average of more than 900 blue-and white-collar associates on any given day. Three years ago he joined forces with David Karst, a former temporary staffing business owner who is now equity partner with Nissen. The partnership is a prime reason the company's revenue increased nearly 62% from 2003 to 2005.
As part of their strategy to diversify the kind of businesses they work with, Nissen tries to represent only a few companies in any one industry so they aren't all competing for the same resources. To find quality candidates for either temporary or permanent vacancies, Nissen works with more than 90 community-based organizations to find workers.
"We have a large database and referral network through these community based organizations," he said. "What's really important and overlooked is taking the time to understand what the needs of the associates are.... and how their immediate needs fit into the bigger picture of their career goals."
Nissen compares his company to a giant scale that has to work each day to stay in balance.
"When the scale gets out of balance the relationships break down and that isn't good for one party or the other," he said.
-Peg Masterson Edquist