Employers Overload is a full-service staffing company that began in 1947. Owned by members of the Szambelan family, with Tom Szambelan acting as the Chief Executive Officer and John Vanderkin as the President, the company has 14 offices. There are two in Southwest Washington, nine in Oregon, two in Central Ohio, and one in Nashville, Tennessee.
Since 1960, the company has served the Portland and Clark County areas, focusing primarily on finding clerical, professional and light-industrial employees for temporary, temp-to-hire and direct placement. Today, the company employs approximately 7,000 individuals at about 200 different worksites in four states.
“Employers Overload came to Clark County several decades ago because it was a natural addition to our Oregon business,” Vanderkin said. “But once we landed here, we found a community that was growing, supportive of one another and in need of our brand of service – it was a natural fit. The public/private partnerships, strong business engagement, robust social support services and passionately involved residents make Clark County a thriving community that we love to be a part of.”
When the company opened its Supported Employment Division, which helps provided career support service and employment for individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities, they experienced great responses from the community and businesses alike. Employers Overload helps these people identify job goals while preparing them for work, then aids them in finding employment with an area business. Today, the company works with 176 clients and 129 of those are actively employed.
Employers Overload uses a well-rounded recruitment strategy that has been one of the key components to the company’s growth. The company utilizes creative job fairs, social media campaigns, mobile recruiting vans and community outreach to help build awareness of their services and connect job seekers with prospective employers.
“Our team is not content with sitting back and waiting for job seekers to find us,” Vanderkin said. “We aggressively pursue every avenue we can think of to find the right job seekers for our customers.”
As to what makes the company stand apart in the plethora of staffing agencies, Vanderkin explains that their approach to consultative service has been a key part of their success.
“We spend the time to help our customers define a staffing strategy that will meet their current and future needs,” Vanderkin said. “We strive to understand, not only the needs of the position, but the culture and environment of the organization. When done properly, we are able to find the employees with the right skills, as well as the right temperament and values to succeed long term in that organization.”
The future continues to look very strong for Employers Overload. The company is currently investing in resources to help service current markets but is also looking to expand their reach to include additional sites in Washington, Oregon and the eastern United States.
“The Employers Overload team has a heart for people and we understand that many of life’s challenges start to be addressed with a job and regular income,” Vanderkin said. “We take pride in working with job seekers and businesses to find that perfect match that allows everyone to reach their goals. We love helping people succeed.”
