John Galt Staffing employees commit to hard work and collaboration

Two key words in the mission statement of John Galt Staffing, Inc. help explain why the IT and engineering staffing firm has won a spot on Staffing Industry Analysts’ Best Staffing Firms to Work For list.

The mission is “to be the best place to work for those who are committed to excelling,” said Bob Siemering, chairman and co-founder of the Burlington, Mass.-based firm, which was founded in 1997 and has about 40 internal employees.

The use of “excelling” — a verb — is significant. “We view this as a continuous journey: Everybody can get better, every day,” Siemering says.

The word “committed” is also key, Siemering says. “Everybody likes excellence, but not everyone is willing to do what it takes to be excellent.”

The company’s culture “all flows from there,” Siemering says. “We put all our focus on giving our people what they need to be very successful. Ultimately, that flows through to our customers: Our customers’ experience is basically an experience with all the people that work here.”

Hiring the right people — people who will buy into the company’s mission statement and values — is crucial. There are several key ways the company’s culture stands out:

* Focus on development. New employees go through a rigorous 12-week training program, which includes both classroom instruction and practice talking to candidates. All employees have access to ongoing training, as well.

* Hire people who want to learn. “The same things that excite people about our industry would drive some people away,” says John Racho, principal. One example: being comfortable having to learn something new. “So many people’s idea of success and confidence in the job comes from being the smartest person in the room. But in this industry, you have to have the humility to know that you are always going to be learning.”

* Follow a process. Some of the company’s best employees took a year or more to become successful. “It’s a tough industry — you can do all the right things and still not get the right result,” Siemering said. “We’re very focused on process, and we’re very patient. If you follow our process and work hard, you will get results over a period of time.”

* Align rewards with goals. “We’re really focused on having the entire organization in alignment: each individual employee, the team they’re working on and the company itself,” Siemering said. “People who do well can earn a lot — there are no caps. But when our people are doing very well financially, we’re doing well as a company and their team is doing well. Everything is in alignment as a win-win.”

* Take a team approach. “Our sales people are customer-focused and our recruiters are candidate-focused, and neither can do their job alone,” Siemering says. “It really is a situation that requires teamwork to be successful. The competition is not across the aisle — it’s across the street or across the country.”

* Have fun. Each year, the company sets a companywide, growth-related goal — and if the goal is met, the entire company gets to take a trip. This year, every employee will spend a three-day weekend at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach in Miami. “We bring every single employee,” Siemering says. “If we’re successful, we’re successful as a team. If you work for our company, you share in the success.”