Phil Castle, The Business Times

Nina Anderson believes it’s her job to fill jobs — to help companies find good employees and employees find good companies. And she loves her job.

Since opening an Express Employment Professionals franchise in Grand Junction in 2007, Anderson estimates her staffing agency has played a role in putting nearly 9,000 people to work.

She says she’s endured over the years the ups and downs of the labor market and her business. Moreover, she’s had to find new ways to connect employers and employees. But she says she’s no less excited about the end result, and that’s helping people succeed. “I still love what we do.”

Anderson and her Express Employment Professionals recently celebrated 15 years in business. “It’s kind of validating for me.”

The business provides companies and job seekers temporary and full-time staffing solutions in a range of industry sectors  — including administrative, professional and technical positions.

Anderson’s operation is part of a network with a total of  more than 830 franchises in the United States and four other countries. The network employed a total of 586,000 people in 2021.

According to a report from Staffing Industry Analysts for 2020, Express Employment Professionals ranked fourth among the top firms in the industry with more than $3.1 billion in revenue. Express Employment Professionals received additional recognition in 2021 in receiving the ClearlyRated 2021 Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards. The awards are based on the results of surveys of associates and clients — 68.1 percent of associates and 67.9 percent of clients rated the firm with a nine or 10 on a scale of 10.

As a human resource executive with a medical device manufacturer with operations in Colorado as well as Arizona and Minnesota, Anderson says she used to work with Express Employment Professionals to fill jobs at facilities in the three states.

She says she was familiar with Express Employment and their processes. When she learned a franchise was available in Grand Junction, she purchased it and opened an office.

The move also brought Anderson back to Grand Junction and Western Colorado. “It was a good way to come back.”

She says she lived in Grand Junction for about 10 years after graduating from high school and growing up in Craig.

Anderson also worked as a training manager for new hires for a convenience store chain and operate an in-home day care.

Anderson attended Regis University in Denver and received a human resource degree.

She says she’s worked in human resources for more than 20 years because she enjoys seeing people succeed — whether they’re job seekers landing jobs and pursuing careers or hiring managers filling positions. She says she still feels a jolt of reward in making connections.

At Express Employment Professionals, Anderson says the process begins for job seekers with an evaluation of what they can do, what they will do and want they want to do.

Each applicant goes through an International Organization for Standardization 9001:2000 certified selection process that includes information and employment verification, an interview, skills evaluation, a hiring decision and an assignment that meets an employer’s needs.

The company works with business to understand their needs and preferences, she says. That often includes tours of their facilities.

The goal, Anderson says, is to find matches that result in long-term employees.

What differentiates Express Employment Professionals, she says, is the personal relationships that staff develops with businesses and job seekers. “The difference is in the people.”

While businesses can “post and pray” — advertise job openings and hope to attract good candidates — it can be more efficient and less expensive to work with an employment agency, Anderson says. There’s a cost, she says, to leaving positions open.

The types of positions Express Employment Professionals helps fill has changed over the years, she says. About 80 percent of the positions used to involve temporary work and 20 percent involved candidates who’d undergo evaluation before hiring. These days, 70 percent involve evaluation to hire and 30 percent temporary jobs.

Social media platforms and referrals play a greater role in recruiting employees, she says.

Anderson’s own staff has grown over the years and now includes staff consultants, a marketer, bookkeeper and office controller. In 2015, she opened an office in Montrose.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the labor market and, in turn, her business, she says. The pandemic prompted people to reconsider their priorities, and many opted for retirement. The so-called gig economy has grown.

While businesses face challenges in filling positions, more people are relocating to Western Colorado, she says. “I think it’s starting to settle out.”

What hasn’t changed over the years, Anderson says, is the core function of her business — or what she finds most rewarding. Anderson believes it’s her job to fill jobs. And she loves her job.

Express Employment Professionals operates offices at 725 Pitkin Ave. in Grand Junction and 525 Main St. in Montrose. For more information, call 242-4500 or visit www.expresspros.com/GrandJunctionCO.