The Lee Group Difference. Employee Story: Anthony Freeman

A search and staffing agency serves two customers – the employer and the employee. Successfully addressing the needs of both requires many refined skills and lots of expertise. One critical skill is the ability to listen carefully and understand very specifically what each party wants – and then sticking to it and delivering. Too often agencies will try to force fit an employee with an employer, and in the end, that never works out.

Here’s the story of Anthony Freeman. He had something very specific in mind when he went to The Lee Group, and because they listened, he ended up with exactly what he – and the employer – wanted.

Anthony Freeman had been out of work for two months when a friend, who was working for Stihl in Virginia Beach, told him about The Lee Group.

Freeman had some very specific desires for finding a position and he shared them with Sarah Fulton, branch manager at The Lee Group, when he met with her.

“I told Sarah specifically that I wanted to get a job with Stihl and I wanted to work first shift,” Freeman said. “People want to work for Stihl. It’s a great company and pays its employees a good wage, offers matching 401K, paid holidays and has very good insurance program for employee and their families.”

A month after Freeman met with The Lee Group, he had an interview with Stihl for a temporary, first shift position. The Lee Group helped him prepare for the interview and Freeman got the job.

“During that month after first meeting with them, The Lee Group never tried to push me elsewhere even though I was unemployed. They listened, knew what I wanted and knew they could get it for me because of their partnership with Stihl.”

While he was a temp with Stihl, Freeman learned as many positions as possible. He did that to increase his hours and expand his knowledge and skill base.

After 17 months as a temporary employee, Freeman is now a direct employee for Stihl. For the past seven months he’s been working first shift on the assembly line as the last person to touch the merchandise and pack it into its box.

“I don’t know how I could have gotten a job with Stihl without going through The Lee Group. I only saw engineering, degreed positions on the Stihl website. But then my friend told me Stihl uses a staffing agency for its hourly employees. Now I share that information with my friends and refer them to The Lee Group.

“Anthony has referred four people to The Lee Group. He receives a monetary award once his referral has been on the job for 160 hours. That’s how we show our appreciation for employees and the partnership we have with them,” Fulton said.

“I’m very comfortable sending my friends to The Lee Group," Freeman said. "I had a great experience working with the team there. They listened to me, cared about my needs and worked patiently with me until they could make what I was looking for a reality. They’re pros in every sense of the word.”