Bill Fries is the president of Hiregy and the coffee cup on his desk says it all: “World’s Greatest Boss.” Sure, Bill bought that cup himself, but let’s not get bogged down in irrelevant details. Who better than Hiregy’s head honcho to explain “What Are We?”
Q: This section of the web site is called “What Are We?” So, Bill, what are you? What is Hiregy?
A: “Hiregy is a professional staffing and recruiting firm. Basically, Hiregy is a talented team dedicated to helping companies hire administrative, accounting, legal, customer service and IT professionals.”
Q: Who can benefit from the services offered by Hiregy?
A: “We work closely with business owners, HR administrators, and hiring managers to recruit, screen and hire professionals. Our clients include Fortune 500 companies to small start-up companies.”
Q: The Hiregy logo includes the phrase “Hiring for Success.” What does “hiring for success” mean to you?
A: “When I described what we do to my good friend Alan Spector, he said “gee, you ‘hire for success!’ It’s true. A company can only grow through its people. Hiring the right talent is critical to a business’ overall success. At Hiregy, we take this process seriously. For example, we meet directly with each company to learn about their business and hiring “fit” and then, we meet each of our potential candidates face-to-face as part of a thorough screening process.
Q: The Hiregy name is relatively new in the staffing industry. However, your team has been together for quite awhile and the company actually has deep roots in the Tampa Bay area, right?
A: “Yes and no. Not one member of our team is from Tampa; however, this is indigenous to the area. What makes Tampa so great is the mix of people and cultures from all over the world. As far as deep roots, at Hiregy, we are very fortunate to have very little turnover. Nicole, for example, has been with our company since the beginning and has experience in our industry going back 15+ years. With the strength and longevity of our team, we get to know our clients and candidates personally and they’ve commented on how nice it is to know that when they call us, they always know who’s answering the phone.”
Q: The Tampa Bay area has been good to Hiregy and, in turn, Hiregy has been good to the Tampa Bay area. How do you and your team get involved in the community and why is that important?
A: “The saying goes…the more you give, the more you get back. At Hiregy, community service is an integral part of who we are as a company. There are several things we specifically support.
Ahmy, our operations coordinator, introduced us to Operation Shoebox. Each month, we send out boxes to soldiers in Iraq that we’ve adopted. From Cups of Noodles to beef jerky, we load up a shoebox full of goodies along with some stories and fun from our office to say ‘thank you’ to those who are serving.
Shaun, our account manager, started Operation Career Wear. Each month, we collect nice, used professional clothing from businesses all over Tampa and donate them to Volunteers of America and Metropolitan Ministries. The clothes are distributed to less fortunate individuals who are interviewing for jobs and maybe need more professional clothes for their job.
I serve on HR Tampa’s Workforce Readiness Committee where our mission is to help folks in the community prepare for the workforce in a variety of ways. Along with the help of Kim Boulahanis at Health Integrated, we helped build the new employment lab at Metropolitan Ministries. Currently, we’re working on a large career event for high school students where we’ll present free sessions on interviewing, filling out applications, dressing for success and more.
Q: The economy has been through some turbulent times with employment being a key factor. How have you dealt with this at Hiregy?
A: “There’s no denying that the economy is tough and job opportunities are certainly more limited; however, companies are still hiring. What we’re finding is hiring managers are evaluating their current talent and hiring individuals who can function in more than one role. Also, companies are being more cautious before adding staff. Temporary to Hire options and temporary employment is very popular right now as businesses gauge when the recession will end and how quickly their demand with increase.”
Q: One more question, Bill. What is the deal with the Bucs?
A: “No clue.”