Vision of Excellence

Committed to an exceptional work experience

Providing unparalleled service to stakeholders, employees and clients alike and creating a strong sense of purpose in work are the guiding principles for certified minority-owned staffing firm LeadStack. In 2016, Dave Singh and Kazi Ahmed co-founded the company with a vision to create a staffing solutions company with a stellar internal work culture, an exceptional employee and client-partner experience, and a strong commitment toward improving diversity, equity and inclusion.

Seven years later, Singh and Ahmed are excited to see the seeds they planted start to bear fruit as they continue to reach new levels of success, receiving multiple industry recognitions along the way. Ahmed attributes LeadStack’s success to “a process of committed and unified vision of excellence.” Singh adds, “Our employees are our biggest strength, and their contribution and success clearly reflect in our performance and client delivery.”

Drive and Determination

While many companies typically prioritize skills and experience as benchmarks for candidacy, LeadStack digs deeper, looking for people with drive and determination. Then, the company creates the foundation that nurtures them to their full potential. “We’re looking at skills, but we also assess the long-term growth potential and the propensity to succeed once given a chance,” Ahmed explains. The company looks to provide people with opportunities, entrust them with a set of goals and then create a space for them to grow, he says. With the right support system, they’ll succeed. “We bring employees who are a fit in that they share a passion, enthusiasm and a curiosity in our work and, ultimately, champion the shared vision and values we espouse as a team.”

This mindset is also echoed by Account Manager Luke Graves, who joined the organization in 2021. Although he already had several years of experience in staffing under his belt, he could see a difference in how LeadStack operates. “The key for LeadStack is the people factor. Management provides the right level of oversight and guidance without micromanaging,” he explains. “The results speak for themselves.”

Key principles of transparency, trust, teamwork and a constant desire to improve the status quo drive excellence in the organization, a testament to the shared vision of constant learning and improvement that reverberate across the entire team. “LeadStack is a stakeholder-centric organization,” Singh says. “Our clients and employees are our biggest stakeholder and asset. This has a huge positive impact on our success.”

Cohesive Team

However, getting the right people in the door is only one piece of the puzzle. Once you have a team, the culture is critical to ensuring that everyone is able to gel — and when it comes to supporting each other and ensuring that everyone has the tools they need to be successful, the culture at LeadStack excels. Employees are encouraged to take on new challenges, expand their horizons and find creative ways to contribute to the organization’s success, whether by developing a training program or stepping outside their comfort zone into a role with the full support of leadership; the encouragement to grow and blossom within the organization is consistent. “We are a team that works together to build staffing solutions for our clients with the same professional and personal goals,” Singh explains. “We want to do our best, and that is reflected in our performance at every client we partner with.”

In the post-pandemic era, most of the LeadStack team works remotely. While this could cause employees to feel disconnected and unable to effectively communicate in some firms, that is not the case in this organization. “We’re constantly communicating within our teams. Whether it’s being copied on emails, calling up to discuss an idea or getting feedback on an issue, there’s a lot of talking amongst each other,” explains Heather Silvey, director of strategic accounts and partnerships.

A seamless communications process and structure ensure that all team members have the appropriate visibility with clients and projects, which makes a highly client-centric focus part of the organization’s intrinsic culture.

LeadStack places the highest value in its people and their wellness. Employees are strongly encouraged to take the time they need to ensure they stay refreshed and productive, prioritizing mental health. To that end, employees are entitled to unlimited PTO, but the company makes a point to award extra wellness days each quarter as part of its rewards and recognition programs to ensure employees do take the time off they need.

Cherished Values

As a certified minority-owned business, LeadStack is passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion and promotes a culture that embraces and celebrates DE&I efforts. They specifically work with underserved communities to bring underrepresented representations into the workforce and have programs in place where they hire, mentor and coach members from underserved communities for integration into the workforce.

When asked about the overall key to LeadStack’s success, Ahmed highlights the staff’s shared vision of creating a culture of excellence and a commitment toward an unparalleled level of service, which have resulted in a strong sense of purpose in their work. They’ve accomplished this by developing an environment of trust, collaboration, transparency, respect, empathy, determination and a clear set of goals. “Notions of making a meaningful difference through our work, creating an inclusive culture that welcomes all, celebrating diversity of thought and experiences as a path towards progress, pursuing excellence through the ‘lens of humanity,’ and providing a fair and equitable opportunity for all are shared values that we cherish and champion as a team each day.”