Georgia Staffing Firm leverages software from VCG Inc

When Melissa Hulsey first started Ashton Staffing in 1995, surviving my first year was her short-term goal. This year, after growing the Kennesaw, Georgia (north Atlanta) based business 82 percent in 2003, and 90% in 2004, Hulsey and her staff of 23 will celebrate the accomplishment along with their families aboard a cruise liner.

I’m confident that we’ll hit $15 million in revenues in 2005, said Hulsey. We’re going from ’good to great’ ñ and my goal is to make sure that everybody in the company is buying into that vision. That vision includes a commitment to, as Hulsey puts it, focusing on the details of great customer service, in the manner of a hotel like the Ritz Carlton.

Delivering that level of service day in and day out would be a challenge for many staffing firms. Especially when your clients include ADP, IBM, Bank of America, Plymart, Kawasaki, and Republic Mortgage Insurance, among others. But Ashton Staffing, winner of the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce 2004 Small Business of the Year award, has an ace in the hole with the software they use to run their business operations.

In a relationship business like ours, timing is critical to service, Hulsey commented. Having all the information you need on a client, a temporary employee or a direct-hire candidate at your fingertips is often the difference between getting the business or not. We’ve invested in specialized staffing software that helps us do just that. And it makes a real difference.

The software, from VCG Inc., a Roswell, Georgia based developer, is specifically designed for the unique needs of staffing firms like Ashton Staffing. We’ve put over a quarter of a century of staffing industry experience into its development, said VCG’s President Steve Taylor. With that deep experience and ongoing feedback from hundreds of staffing firms and thousands of staffing professionals used to improve its capabilities, the software helps firms like Ashton Staffing deliver exceptional customer service.

For example, the pressure on Ashton Staffing from clients looking for temporary or direct-hire candidates can be intense. That pressure can lead to staff burnout and turnover that often exceeds 40% according to surveys conducted by the American Staffing Association. One of the things our clients like is the low turnover of our internal staff, says Hulsey. If you don’t keep your own staff happy, you can’t keep clients happy.

VCG’s staffing software helps reduce the stress on Ashton’s staff and improves retention. We can document everything needed to manage the details of quality customer service, said Hulsey. Our efficiency is improved with a network that allows staff to access the software from their home, which improves customer service as well as the quality of life for our staff. They are no longer tied to a desk.

Quality of life for staff is important to Hulsey’s customer service strategy. We’ve got a great team here, she says. And everything I do as a business owner and manager, from purchasing our own professional business offices to the technology we use makes a statement of respect for our staff, as well as our temporary associates, our candidates, and our clients.

Ashton Staffing now has three divisions; Ashton Staffing, which focuses on industrial, legal, and administrative placement; the Ashton Group, which handles direct hire placement and contract staffing; and Ashton Medical Staffing, which works to staff doctor’s offices and hospitals. In addition to our offices in Kennesaw, Calhoun and Roswell, we are expanding our operations to Dalton, said Hulsey. And with that growth, the staff metrics reporting available from the VCG software is increasingly important as it keeps me up to speed in real time.

Coming through for clients with the kind of personnel they need, backed by the personal touch that builds repeat business is Ashton Staffing’s key to success for 2005. And with a dedicated staff and customer relationship management software from VCG Inc., Hulsey is confident that they’ll reach their goals. The system is the lifeblood of our company, she says. With all of the challenges we face, whether from clients, candidates, or competition, it’s good to have software from a business partner like VCG who understands the business and helps us deliver.