Staffing issues can present a challenge to any growing business, even those whose business it is to find labour solutions for other companies.
Staffing issues can present a challenge to any growing business, even those whose business it is to find labour solutions for other companies.
Formed in 2003 on the cusp of the resources boom, labour hire company Industry Partners specialises in sourcing contract or permanent workers for the mining sector throughout Western Australia, for short- or long-term projects.
As the company began to experience rapid growth in its first year of operation, the existing staff, consisting of the two founding partners Owen Kenny and Peter Van Haleywyn and Owen’s wife, Dierdre, were stretched to the limit.
Mr Van Haleywyn said that, before hiring additional staff, the company had to manage cash flow carefully and make measured investment decisions.
“Adding staff prematurely would mean overheads too large for the size of the business, and too late would mean we would be under-resourced to capitalise on the opportunities provided by the burgeoning mining labour market,” he said.
The company then pursued a strategy to initially increase turnover, growing the company to a point where more structure and better business systems were required.
A year later, once targets were reached, the company appointed a sales manager, followed by two recruiters within a year after that.
While not using a formalised recruitment process, the owners found that relying on word-of-mouth recommendations from people they knew and trusted worked effectively in finding the right people.
By 2006, the business had grown to more than three times its original size, starting out with only three staff and increasing to 10 within three years.
Recognising a need to add structure and systems to their growing business, Messrs Van Haleywyn and Kenny enrolled in the Curtin University Business School Growth Program.
On the advice of their business mentor (allocated through the Curtin program), they hired Michael Petrossian in early 2006 as general manager, a role that required him to oversee the day to day running of the business.
“These key appointments provided the foundation for the company to double in size every year,” Mr Van Haleywyn said.
And the results speak for themselves. With frontline sales and recruitment staff freed up to focus on driving sales, and a strong supporting office team, the company experienced significant growth in sales and revenue, doubling its turnover in 12 months.
Finding a measured solution for Industry Partners’ internal staffing requirements, and increasing its presence on the frontline of WA’s mining industry by opening an office in Newman, has the company well placed to continue to capitalise on the state’s resources boom.
