Jen Padelford

Director, Client Services II

My typical day includes meetings with my team, internal partners, and client teams. My day always kicks off meeting with my team, this enables me to ensure they have what they need and help remove any barriers or work through issues that may have come up.

Other than that, no day is the same…but, that’s what I like! You can also find me working on projects, in Quarterly Business Review meetings, and traveling to visit clients and field teams depending on the day or week. Working with and developing my team is what I enjoy most about my role. A close second is working with client teams and partnering on their staffing solutions.

Full Interview

Let’s talk about your role:

Q: What do you love most about your team?

A: I’m a people person and I love to interact with my team and our company peers. The collaboration, teamwork, and problem solving is the most rewarding part for me. It’s truly amazing when great minds come together to make the impossible possible.

Q: What is Integrity’s driving force behind our Client Services team?

A: The driving force of our Client Services Team is our people. Our staff advocates for our associates daily; to help them achieve their career goals and to identify when someone needs some extra help to get them through struggles they might be having. Our teams are also building great relationships with our clients to ensure we are supporting their business as well, acting as a strategic partner. This focus on our associates and clients is at every level of our team.

Q: What are your proudest accomplishments?

A: Over the past few years, I’ve had several team members receive promotions and step into bigger boots within our organization. I take team development to heart and it’s great to see them grow, develop and advance their careers. Additionally, I’ve launched new sites for some of our existing clients and also implemented new clients. Building strategic partnerships with clients and helping them achieve their goals is so rewarding!

Q: Who inspires you at the company?

A: My team inspires me every day. Seeing them grow and develop in their roles continues to make me want to be a better leader myself. All our teams inspire me. Helping our candidates and associates in their career journey and advocating for their success.

Q: What’s the most unique part about working here?

A: We all have a voice, and our voices are heard! I’ve worked for large companies in the past and when you worked on large projects or initiatives, it was rare that they would get implemented into process change for the organization. You didn’t feel like you made much of an impact. At Integrity, it is vastly different. My input and perspective have been listened to since I first started with the company. Progressive improvement is a continual focus, to learn and drive forward positive change. Listening to all levels of the organization including our associates. In my experience that is unique and what I believe makes everyone feel valued and appreciated.

Company Culture and Core Values:

Q: What has your experience been with our company culture?

A: We truly live our company culture here. It’s not just a list of items to us. It’s what we believe in and do each and every day. I have many examples of this but one that hits home for me is one from many years ago. We had a married couple who both worked for us at a client location. They were in a car accident. The husband was injured; however, his wife did not survive the crash. They had three small children at the time and this happened right before Christmas. Our Integrity team jumped to action to assist this family in every way we could, not just from a financial perspective but providing support and resources during such a tragic time. I remember arriving at their home with a carload of wrapped presents for the family. The smiles on the kid’s faces as we brought the gifts into the house and put them under the tree are something I’ll never forget. Bringing them a little joy during that time was so special. Thinking about it still brings me to tears.

Q: What is your favorite Integrity Core Value, and why?

A: Helping people is my passion, so my favorite core value is “Advocating for Our Associates’ Success.” It is the foundation of what we do. Our associates are why we are here, so it always starts with them. It is critical for the success of our overall business to provide a positive candidate and associate experience. But above all else, it’s the right thing to do.

Q: What parts of our mission/vision do you connect with?

A: I connect most with our vision – Our clients succeed when our associates succeed. We are in a people business and that is where the focus should be…on our people. When we find the best fit and solution to place a candidate, the results follow. You in turn get a happy employee who performs better for the client. This approach works! We’ve been able to provide feedback to clients and improve workplace conditions resulting in better metrics for the client. It’s a win, win!

Q: Which attributes do you feel set Integrity apart from other staffing agencies?

A: Our associate-first approach sets us apart from other staffing agencies. Our associates are valued, they are our brand. Putting them first allows us to focus on their needs to ensure an appropriate placement resulting in a happy employee. We’ve seen many success stories with associates working up through organizations moving from the associate level up into management roles. This all starts with our associate-first approach!

“We’ve seen many success stories with associates working up through organizations moving from the associate level up into management roles. This all starts with our associate-first approach!”

Personal Journey

Q: Before working at Integrity Staffing, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?

A: While living in Las Vegas I worked for a major beverage company and managed our customer equipment department. My department installed and serviced equipment such as bar guns, coolers, vending machines, and soda fountains. At the time we had a large portion of the casino business on Las Vegas Boulevard. It was fascinating to see casinos from a behind-the-scenes perspective. The most interesting was when we were a part of a new casino build and I was able to see the project through from groundbreaking and construction to the final product. When setting up a casino we would run miles of tubing for our soda lines throughout the casino. It was quite the project!

Q: How did you first learn about Integrity Staffing?

A: I first learned about Integrity Staffing when one of our clients was launching their first Fulfillment Center in Las Vegas, NV where I lived at the time. I honestly had never thought about pursuing a career in staffing. However, the more I looked into the company it seemed a perfect fit. I was able to bring all my previous experience in operations, warehousing, logistics, safety, and leadership to the role. I took a chance, but it has definitely paid off!

Q: How do you balance your career at Integrity Staffing and your family?

A: Balancing career and family can be tough at times, this has been something I’ve struggled with throughout the years. I was previously a single mom and needing to travel for work was difficult to work through. However, having a great support system makes it achievable. My husband is my biggest supporter and holds down the home front when I have to be away, I couldn’t do it without him. And thank goodness for technology! Being able to FaceTime with my son makes it a little bit easier when I’m traveling.

Q: How has Integrity helped you in your career development and how have you grown professionally while on our team?

A: During my time at Integrity, I have grown and developed. There have been many times that I had to push outside of my comfort zone or do something new, but each time I’ve gained a sense of accomplishment and learned something valuable. I’ve advanced in my career from initially starting as a Site Leader to taking on bigger roles within the organization including my current role as Director of Client Services. Over the past 14 years, I have become a better leader, employee, mentor, problem solver, and strategic thinker. I was able to get better through the opportunities I’ve had while working here. And what’s great about Integrity, is anytime I was pushing or challenging myself or just facing something new, I always had a team that supported me as needed.

Q: What advice do you have for prospective Integrity candidates?

A: My advice to prospective candidates is if you are looking for a workplace where –

There is a strong company culture that isn’t just talk but a true culture where folks walk the talk.
You can make a difference in people’s lives and find fulfillment.
You have an opportunity to challenge yourself and grow professionally.
You can be a part of a great team with tenacity and vision toward the future.

Then you have found what you are looking for! You will not get bored, I promise you!

What do you like most about Integrity?

Our people and culture are what I like the most about Integrity. We have great people throughout our organization who are doing amazing work and making a difference. There is such passion and ownership and every level. I think it is because of our strong company culture and associate-first mentality, it produces great teams and a place to work where you feel empowered. I’ve worked with some very talented people throughout the years, many of whom are still here at Integrity. I’ve learned a lot from each of them. When I think about why I stay, the top reason is the people.