Judy Madrigal has never forgotten where she came from. The owner of the Northern California contract staffing company that bears her name, she started her career as a receptionist, trying to survive on $6 an hour.
"My management philosophy centers around the Golden Rule," Madrigal explains. "I always try to appreciate both sides of any situation and treat people as I would like to be treated. When I see an employee experiencing difficulties, I know that could just as readily have been me, and do all I can to help. "Moreover," she continues, "I never tell anyone to do something I wouldn't do. The president of a company should not be too good to do anything. I answer phones, empty garbage cans if they are full - whatever task needs to be done."
Not to be confused with temporary staffing or employment agencies, Madrigal's company functions as a human resources department for small businesses. She purchased the firm in 1991 from the original owner who wanted to get out of the business.
"There are many rules and requirements an employer must know and contend with, such as labor laws, OSHA (Occupational and Safety Hazard Administration) regulations and what questions you can and cannot ask in a job interview. In addition, owners of small firms typically don't have the money to offer the same degree of benefits large corporations can afford. So, the 'star' employees often go to the bigger companies," contends Madrigal.
"We help small businesses compete in the job market. We hire, fire, take care of W2 forms - all the things that take time away from growing an operation. We also offer a terrific benefits package."
The package, in which she herself participates, is another reflection of Madrigal's Golden Rule management philosophy. "I firmly believe the person who purchases the package should have to use it," Madrigal emphasizes. "Often the company president has a much better package than the employees. I try to demonstrate to my staff in everything I do that we are all in this together."
Madrigal worked for her firm for 12 years - eight as vice president and account executive - before purchasing it. She has built successful relationships with her clients and strives to provide the full array of human resources services.
"We have a 24-hour answering service where the caller talks to a person, not voice mail," says Madrigal. "This way, if a manager is having a problem with an employee and wants to talk to us privately, the manager can call whenever it's most convenient.
"We also conduct performance evaluations, counseling and career motivation," she continues. "And we offer in-service training in client offices to help employees do their jobs better. Our goal is to completely eliminate staff turnover for our clients."
A committed advocate of equal employment opportunity, Madrigal has a complete lending library from which employees can borrow training tapes and other materials to improve their skills. And if a potential employee doesn't score high enough on skill tests, a company counselor indicates which areas need improvement and encourages the individual to come back and try again.
"When employees have problems," notes Madrigal, "we counsel them and give them every opportunity to keep their jobs. I don't believe in the disposable employee syndrome that seems to be sweeping society. In fact, I have a scrapbook of letters from people whose jobs we have saved."
Madrigal's Golden Rule philosophy is paying off handsomely. In the six years she has owned the company, business has quadrupled. She has 1,000 employees in the field and 10 in-house. And, she says with pride, she has never had to advertise.
"The management style I use with my staff sets the tone for our company culture," concludes Madrigal. "We give our clients much more than they expect. And as a result, no one compares with us in terms of the level of service provided."
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