Riverway Celebrates 25 Years in the Staffing Industry
January 1st is a day away again and 2015 is quickly coming to a close. Riverway Business Services joyfully celebrated its 25th year as a staffing company this year! We've been reflecting on our huge milestone and how the staffing industry, and particularly our company, has changed over this past quarter century. We thank our clients, employees, and candidates for their contributions to our continued success.
Our company started out as Riverway Personnel in 1990 when Margo Costello decided that she could assist her clients much more by providing a temporary placement service on top of her direct hire search and placement service. Adding a temporary placement program added benefit to Riverway's clients on top of becoming the first step in Riverway's growth. Throughout the years, we have worked with a diverse range of clients because our recruiting methods can be used successfully across several industries and the different positions that we fill. We continually enhance and perfect our business process to come up with creating new and innovative ways to help our clients.
To learn more about Riverway from the backbone of our great company, we've put together a question-and-answer interview with Margo Costello, President of Riverway Business Services.
How Riverway Got Started
Q: Tell me a little about yourself and why you first got into the staffing industry.
A: I got into staffing right after I graduated from the University of Houston. I had a degree in Marketing and didn’t know which direction to go in for my career. I interviewed with an “employment agency” as they were called then. They asked if I would be interested in going to work for them. I accepted their offer and have loved it ever since. Everyone always teases me that since they couldn’t find me a job—they just hired me. I feel very lucky to have found what I love so quickly after graduation!
Q: What is your first memory of Riverway when you started the company as Riverway Personnel in 1990?
A: I had actually gone into business as an independent recruiter 2 years prior doing direct-hire placement—but I wanted to get into the temporary market, so I incorporated and started Riverway. My first memory with Riverway was hiring my first real employee. I had always worked by myself. We had a very small space and shared an office. It was very cozy—and a lot of fun!
The Business of Staffing
Q: When you think about your business, what business are you really in?
A: I love my business. Staffing is really the people business. It is fun to be able to make a living helping people find a career path and it feels great to be able to solve the hiring problems of our client companies.
Q: Does Riverway serve businesses, job seekers, or both?
A: Definitely both! Companies have a need, and people need a good job. We get to play matchmaker.
Q: Which industries does Riverway specialize in staffing for, and how has that changed over the years?
A: The neat thing about what Riverway does is that we work with all industries. When we first started we just did clerical placement. All industries need clerical help. Since then we have expanded to do clerical, accounting and finance, call center, human resources, along with oil and gas specific positions (after all—we are in Texas!)
Q: What is one key component that you feel has dramatically changed the staffing industry within the last 5 or 10 years?
A: I don’t think this is specific to the staffing industry—but definitely the way technology has affected our industry. One of our core values is innovation. This is because I feel it is so important for our future to be on the cutting edge of technology.
Q: What is one thing that hasn't changed at all in regards to Riverway meeting the needs of its client companies?
A: We always put the client first and never take them for granted. We appreciate the business they trust us with and always strive to give them our best!
Q: What makes a recruiter at Riverway successful?
A: This is a two-answer question. First, we work together as a team. So every recruiter’s success is important to the whole team. Secondly, we invest in constant training for our recruiters. This enables them to constantly improve and grow in their careers.
Riverway Business Services is a full-service staffing and search firm, dedicated to helping client companies find the best temporary, contract, and full-time employees possible, while helping job seekers find the right jobs. Our staff takes pride in providing assistance to companies in all aspects of administrative/clerical, contact center/customer service, accounting, finance, human resources, analytical, and other professional recruiting.
Finding the right people for our clients is not just our goal, it's our mission. Because employees are one of a company's most valuable assets, it's our job to find the best employees possible. For job seekers, we understand that a job can be more than just a job—it's a way of life. Since you spend so much time at work, we want you to be happy doing what you're doing.
Please contact us if you are seeking a new career opportunity or if you are hiring for a highly qualified professional to join your team! We are a Women's Business Enterprise (WBE), certified through the Women’s Business Enterprise Alliance. Riverway is a Historically Underutilized Business certified by the state of Texas. The ability to serve our clients is the culmination of over 75 years of experience in the staffing industry.
We are excited to start working with you! Happy New Year and cheers to 2016!