Yesterday morning, Chamber Ambassadors visited Temp Associates, known by their tagline, “providing jobs since 1986.” At the heart of this local employment agency are Claire Burch and Brittany Hamilton, who are committed to secure Grinnell residents with opportunities to work again. Having recently experienced unemployment and starting over in their careers, they recognize the importance of bridging together applicants and potential employers.
Burch and Hamilton primarily help place local residents in the manufacturing field, particularly in light industrial and warehouse jobs. Temp Associates begin their process with an application and in-depth interview, making sure that an employee and potential company are a good fit for one another. In some cases, placement goes well enough that clients will convert their temporary employees to full time workers. Burch and Hamilton attribute their success to analyzing their applicants’ strengths and determining which job locations they would work best in. This way, they prevent turnover on behalf of their clients as well.
Temp Associates provides a quick hiring turnaround on behalf of employers, too — they promptly post job openings, run credit and background checks, and set service agreements in place. The result? Jobs are usually filled within a week, with some slight variation in between. It’s a win-win situation for both clients and employees, who are ready to hire and work.
“Most of our applicants are second chance employees, too,” shared Burch, meaning that applicants are applying with a lack of resources and work experience. Burch explained that applicants who have been laid off often only have that one particular work experience on their resume or lack other resources, like housing and transportation.
“One applicant, for example,” recounts Burch, “walks an hour to our agency because he doesn’t have a drivers license. When he called us to say he scheduled his drivers license exam, we were so excited.” As someone who had to pivot in her career, Burch says she loves to hear her applicants’ career goals and success stories — even outside of work. So far, she has celebrated applicants who have moved out of their parents’ house and have bought their first car.
Temp Associates also connects applicants with resources, such as housing, job fairs, and more. If you know someone who is looking for a new job or career, or is a business needing to hire employees, call Temp Associates at 641-236-9220 or visit their website, www.tempassociates.com.
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