Kim West
Controller
Working in the Finance area of Integrity Staffing is nothing short of non-stop excitement and rewarding challenges! My typical day is about partnering with our Field and Sales teams to ensure win-win situations for our Associates and clients.
While Finance likes numbers and spreadsheets, our ultimate goal is to present meaningful, actionable data. An analysis is only value-added if someone uses it to improve the business!
Full Interview
Let’s talk about your role:
Q: What is the most rewarding facet of dealing directly with clients?
A: The Integrity Team is made up of genuinely caring individuals. It is gratifying to work toward a challenging end goal with people who recognize the importance of people’s contributions beyond just what the numbers say.
Q: What is Integrity’s driving force behind our Finance Team?
A: Finance is about processing and reporting accurate, timely, and meaningful data. We know people care about their paychecks & our clients care the invoice is correct! The Finance team rallies behind assisting the Integrity Sales and Field teams to truly understand the numbers and make the best long-term decisions possible!
Q: What have been your most significant accomplishments on our team?
A: Over the past few years, my team has made strides in simplifying and automating our reporting. However, we continue to push forward and are taking our reporting to the next level. For example, our CFO has introduced the concept of providing access to everyone via data self-service model. It is an exciting step forward that will allow individuals to understand their data (vs. just consuming a report) and track their progress on initiatives.
Q: Who are some of your biggest inspirations within the company?
A: I am inspired by how Todd Bavol & Sean Montgomery’s care and compassion for Integrity’s staff and place in the community, their commitment to long-term investment, and their entrepreneurial spirit of making things the best the market has to offer runs deep through all of our decisions, discussions, and processes. They created, breathed life, and continue to nurture a generous culture – when they could have been so easily only about the bottom line.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Jaime Donnelly – she is a role model for me, as I am sure she is for so many in the company. She gets kudos for remaining down-to-earth and relatable as she manages her career and family. She handles things as she knows best and expects you to do the same; I always feel like she honors the situation and does not try to apply cookie-cutter solutions to a more complex world. I also love that she shows up as she is – and asks everyone to do the same (with all our uniqueness and quirks)!
Q: What’s the most unique part about working here?
A: In today’s world, I find it rare to be part of a company that genuinely values and honors the impact we have on our communities. Integrity allows my team (and numerous teams around the country) to participate in local community service events; additionally, the company supports our Associates directly through Project Home by offering assistance to those in need; and through the traditional, but still impactful, direct financial donations to various local organizations.
“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: I spent one year in China teaching university-level English. It was an absolute eye-opening and humbling. It made me grow in my respect for the diversity of thought and for honoring people’s life experiences.
Q: How did you first learn about Integrity Staffing?
A: In 2018, I applied for a job, and while everyone had heard of our clients, I had not heard of Integrity Staffing. Nevertheless, I was impressed from the moment I jumped on the Integrity website – through the interview process – through today!
Q: How do you balance your career at Integrity Staffing and your family?
A: Having just transitioned to remote work has been a blessing – it has allowed me to strike a different balance between career and family. It also has challenged some of my preconceived notions about what success should look like for my team – and be more inclusive of situations vs. assessing situations only based on office ‘face-time’. As a result, we are all the better at nurturing an environment that keeps us connected and leverages remote work’s advantages.
Q: How has Integrity helped you in your career development and how have you grown professionally while on our team?
A: Before Integrity, I was primarily in the manufacturing space. While I knew that world very well – I have grown so much from learning about the staffing industry and all its nuances. I appreciate everyone who has invested in me, coaching me to develop my technical and leadership skills (whether through formal training, ad hoc conversations, or ongoing reviews).
Q: What advice do you have for prospective Integrity candidates?
A: Be open to learning new things and trying new ways to improve current processes. Integrity needs people who are willing to ask questions and openly discuss challenges vs. just doing what is told!
What do you like most about Integrity?
I am honored to be a part of this team. Every day, we challenge each other on how to be better – for our Associates, our Clients & our Integrity team.