30 years of staffing the staffing industry

30 years mee derby staffing

Robin Mee Mee Derby Staffing 30 yearsWhen I founded Mee Derby 30 years ago, neither I nor my colleagues could have imagined what we would become.

 

I knew I wanted to start a search firm, and immediately decided to focus on search for the staff industry. Having spent 7 years in the industry, it’s what I knew best. I had great training from Adecco and Intersec. With my experience and passion for the staffing industry, I launched right in. Our mission was to become the leading search firm for staffing, but it has also been about building community.

 

I knew I couldn’t do this by myself so quickly tapped in to the American Staffing Association (ASA) and Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA), which was in its infancy at the time. Peter Yesne, who founded SIA, was my first boss in staffing. He was a great mentor and supporter of mine. I joined ASA knowing I needed to be part of something bigger than myself. The decision to focus on search for staffing and to be active with those two major organizations led to hiring a strong internal team. Mee Derby built its reputation one placement at a time. As we added staff, we grew.

 

My experience positioned me as a subject matter expert, and I started presenting at industry events. The company began winning awards, and I did too. In 2011, we earned an Inavero Best of Staffing Client Satisfaction Award for providing service excellence. Our clients have consistently rated us as exceeding client expectations for eight years since then. I began volunteering with ASA, leading several initiatives and sitting on many committees and councils. I have been recognized by both ASA and SIA many times with leadership awards.

 

Early on, Peter Yesne said something to me that continues to ring true: “You get out what you put in.” So, I put in a lot. When you’re the leader of a small company, you’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done, demonstrated by many early mornings at my desk before dawn. And I hired a team of people who have that same embracing mentality. We work amazingly well together; we’ve got each other’s backs and we go the distance.

 

This 30 year anniversary has created time for reflection. Looking back, I realize that we value relationships above everything else. Our success has been built upon integrity, honesty and ethical service to our industry. Thank you all for your part in our 30 year journey.