As a leader of Boston’s placement firm and a Top 100 Women-Led Business, Hollister Staffing, Director of Recruiting Katie Buchta is helping to build upon a culture of inclusion and diversity. Also recognized as a “Best Place to Work,” Hollister Staffing is a leader at connecting skilled talent with companies looking to fill key positions within their organizations.
Founded in 1988, the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) certified company, along with leaders like Buchta, have helped new and existing employees feel comfortable just being themselves. Buchta, reminiscing, stated, “I still remember the first few times walking into the office at Hollister when I was a temporary employee, before even starting there internally, and I remember thinking – there is something different about this place – people truly seem happy, engaged, and to enjoy being at work.”
By valuing various points of view, unique personalities, and different perspectives, Hollister Staffing’s holistic approach is refreshingly unique and paying dividends. With the CEO and the executive team serving as role models to new and seasoned employees, personal development and mentorship are propelling the company to new heights. As Buchta states about her CEO, Kip Hollister, and VP, Ally McCabe, “They are my mentors and have taught me so much about leadership and inspire me on a daily basis.”
As the Director of Recruiting, Buchta is helping recruiters connect talented people to jobs. But as she emphasizes, “ The role of a recruiter is to connect people to jobs but it’s also so much more than that. You’re helping to shape people’s professional lives, you serve as a coach and cheerleader to them, and you can help turn someone’s life around by helping place them in a job they love.” This deep focus on the well-being of their employees is appreciated and invaluable to new hires and existing staff.
With integrity, passion, open communication, and community as the driving values for all employees, Buchta embraces her role as a leader and mentor and is excited to show new talent that recruiting can be hard but meaningful work. She says, “What has kept me at Hollister for so long is the culture. Hollister truly fosters an environment where you can be your full authentic self at work. This comes from the top down. Kip, our CEO, truly cares about everyone that works at Hollister and makes an effort to get to know everyone on a personal level.”
As an example, a recently implemented initiative, called flexible Fridays, allows employees to wrap up their days by 1 pm. This has brought a level of energy and excitement to the workplace but has also played a role in encouraging mental health and a desirable work-life balance. Even during the challenging times of the Covid pandemic, communication and a fun environment have thrived. “Through COVID and working remote, we stay as connected as possible – we do a company-wide kickoff meeting every Monday morning, as well as team meetings 1x a day, as well as bi-weekly trivia,” said Buchta.
Besides the awesome culture, Hollister Staffing is getting the job done and attracting top talent to join the growing team. With a variety of options for bringing on new talent, like many traditional methods, Buchta and her team also get creative. For example, she has partnered with various Workforce Development organizations to hold events for organizations. “I do about one event a month with a variety of organizations in Boston, whether it’s sitting on a panel or conducting a training on interviewing or job searching. This has allowed me to reach groups of people who may not have considered a career in recruiting and oftentimes, aren’t people we would find from some of our more traditional networking techniques.”
Buchta’s leadership has ensured a bright future for this women-led business and for the future of recruitment. As hiring processes adapt to a new world and workforce, combining in-person interviews and processes with their virtual counterparts, recruiters and staffing agencies will need to adapt as well. That adaptation comes easier within companies like Hollister Staffing, as many years of development and culture have her team prepared for what is to come.
“I think now more than ever people crave connection. Relationship-driven recruiting is going to differentiate recruiters and be the way of the future. We pride ourselves at Hollister for being relationship-driven and for serving as a support system for job seekers,” says Buchta. That support system and pride is invaluable to the recruiters as well as to those looking to work within the company. As job seekers enter or re-enter the workforce, a strong relationship with a placement firm facilitates the entire process. More importantly, it may also lead to a better-suited position and organization as the recruiter has a deeper understanding of that job seeker’s personality and needs.
Additionally, Buchta and her team are committed to a diverse workforce to be “representative of the diversity within the community we serve.” Truly advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion has helped shape and drive an innovative business environment. Buchta states, “I also think a continued emphasis on hiring diverse talent is going to be a major component of recruiting. Companies want to have company cultures that are representative of all sorts of perspectives. Having a culture made up of diverse employees and an inclusive environment will foster innovation, creative ideas, and new perspectives to grow business.”
With the entire organization focused on helping businesses find the ideal candidate, helping those who seek work to find the perfect position and helping the people and companies in the Boston area thrive, Buchta and the Hollister Staffing team are sure to keep enticing rising talent to join the team. For many recruiters and industry professionals, knowing you have the experience, the right work environment, and a great support system behind you can be hard to find. But many new hires are having that similar experience as Buchta, noticing that there is something different and reassuring at Hollister Staffing. In turn, the company, job seekers, and the industry as a whole will continue to strengthen and benefit.
