Whatever you do, don’t call Bowen Workforce Solutions Inc. a staffing agency. While the Calgary-based firm does provide conventional recruitment services, says president and CEO Shannon Bowen-Smed, it’s so much more: “We’re doing everything from recruitment to payroll to benefit management, performance development right through to outplacement services.”
Since taking over the family business in 1996, Bowen-Smed has worked hard to steer the firm from recruitment to one-stop HR shop. And her efforts have paid off. Annual revenue in 2005 soared to more than $34 million, up 644% from five years earlier, a performance that landed Bowen Workforce in 101st spot on the 2005 PROFIT 100.
We asked Bowen-Smed to reveal her secrets of success.
PROFIT
What’s the basic explanation for your company’s growth?
BOWEN-SMED
I think we are really good at listening to our clients. We’re really good at asking ourselves questions, and we have this desire to set some real industry benchmarks. We’re always looking for ways to raise the bar. A combination of all of that has been significant in the development in particular of our contract management and outsourced HR solutions divisions.
The contract workforce is growing at five times the rate of permanent workers. We started to see that about three years ago and developed a technology platform that would help us manage that workforce effectively. We also started asking our clients about what they wanted from Bowen in the future.
PROFIT
What has been your biggest challenge to growing your business, and how have you addressed it?
BOWEN-SMED
For the first 25 years of our organization we were a really solid temporary and permanent staffing agency. And moving into these other areas, basically in leveraging that expertise, some of the challenge for us has been rebranding how people know us. “It’s quite different to say ‘can I count on you for your next temporary order?’ than, ‘can you count on me to manage 600 of your contract workforce in a way that’s actually going to improve efficiency and productivity in your organization?’ That shift is internal as well as external.
One of the key ways we’ve overcome this is by hiring additional resources. For example, we wanted to open a technical division. What better way to gain some leverage and credibility than to bring in a mechanical engineer who has an outstanding reputation in the energy industry. We wanted to get into outsourced HR services. Well, what better way to do that than to hire someone who has been an HR generalist and well known in the industry. Bringing that expertise to the table and having people understand how we’re going to integrate that expertise, then having those leaders reinforce and develop internal skills, has been quite successful.
PROFIT
Tell us how philanthropy has helped build your business.
BOWEN-SMED
There’s a lot of things that work in tandem, including media exposure, community presence. I think my profile has helped our organization. The fact that local TV and papers will call me now as an expert on any employment-related issues, so as a result of that our company is seen to be the expert. I also would say that our community presence has been significant. Bowen is very engaged in giving back to the community. We do a charity golf tournament every year, we sponsor other charity tournaments in the city, we’re very involved in operation Christmas Child and I’m the co-chair of the United Way.
When I ask clients why they were attracted to our organization, they say it’s because they want to be with an organization that believes in community and giving back.
PROFIT
What’s your best marketing advice for entrepreneurs?
BOWEN-SMED
Don’t assume that you have the right answers. I love marketing and sales and I’m quite passionate about it, but it doesn’t mean I know how to do it. I’m a huge believer in surrounding myself with experts. Make the time and make the investment to get the right expertise at the table to talk to you about strategy and execution.
PROFIT
What formal practices or initiatives does your company have to improve the quality of your workforce?
BOWEN-SMED
For our internal workforce we have quite a significant employee handbook called The Edge. We have a comprehensive benefit program. We have flex days, we have an a la carte benefit, so Bowen will pay for family benefit coverage, but if I’m single, I can take the balance of that and either roll it into my income or I can buy a gym membership or I could buy paid parking. I can buy and sell vacation time, and I can buy and sell flex time.
We’ve got a very aggressive communication commitment with our people. We meet the first Wednesday of every month. We bring in breakfast and talk about our progress and our goals for the month.
We also do a town hall every month that ends in dinner and drinks. We take that further and once a year do a one-day offsite development day. We bring in experts to do performance development and team-building exercises.
PROFIT
What’s your best HR advice for entrepreneurs?
BOWEN-SMED
You really have to understand where your company is going. I think to move forward you have to hire people that have been there, done that. Historically, we’ve been hiring people for what we need to get done today. But the truth of the matter is that Bowen won’t be the same company six months down the line, so we’re looking at someone who’s not equipped to be where we need to be six months later. That’s not fair to them, and it’s not healthy for the company.
