President Jason Leverant Discusses What Makes the Staffing Franchise Stand Out
AtWork is a staffing franchise that helps businesses find great employees while giving franchise owners the chance to make a difference in their communities. In this interview, AtWork President Jason Leverant talks about the brand’s story, which started in 1992 when founders John and Glenda Hall saw an opportunity to do staffing differently. Leverant explains what sets AtWork apart, from its tax-friendly business model to its focus on diversity and inclusion. He also shares what life looks like for franchise owners and the company’s big plans for growth.
1. Can you share the story behind AtWork?
AtWork was launched and began franchising in April 1992 by John D. Hall Jr. and his wife, Glenda. John’s idea to franchise came well before 1992, though, when he originally started his journey in the temporary staffing industry in 1986 with Upgrade, a local East Tennessee-based executive search firm that was interested in adding contract staffing to its service offerings. John looked into an existing staffing franchise at that point and realized there wasn’t an opportunity focused on delivering maximum profits to the franchisee. That gap in the market stuck with him and motivated him to begin franchising in 1992, transitioning his Upgrade contract staffing offices to AtWork — and the rest is history!
2. What makes AtWork a unique and attractive franchise opportunity?
AtWork stands out from other staffing franchise concepts due to its ingenious structure, where franchisees serve as the employer of record for their respective associates. This setup provides tremendous tax benefits to franchise owners and offers a level of risk mitigation. Additionally, AtWork’s significant size allows franchisees to experience unique financial benefits through economies of scale, including large-volume operating costs despite the risk-siloed model. AtWork continues to shine compared to competitors in service delivery, franchisee satisfaction and other measurable categories. Taken together, these benefits make AtWork the clear winner among staffing franchise models.
3. What qualities do you look for in potential franchise owners?
We want proven winners in the AtWork franchise family! We look for owners with a driven, results oriented mindset. We prefer candidates who know the market they’ll be opening in, have experience in sales and have led successful teams. Business-to-business sales experience is a big plus, along with previous business ownership. Staffing experience isn’t required but does provide a significant advantage and typically leads to faster growth.
4. How does AtWork prioritize diversity and inclusion within the franchise network?
Our goal is to help proven winners with the right skills and experience find success in the staffing industry, regardless of race, ethnicity or background. Rather than rely on subjective measures that could allow bias to creep into the franchising process, we focus on objective, clear-cut measures to evaluate readiness and fit. Additionally, we partner with lenders who provide financial assistance through grants and loans to underrepresented entrepreneurs, opening doors that were previously closed due to limited access to capital.
5. Where is the headquarters based, and how many units are open?
Our headquarters is in Knoxville, Tenn., and we have more than 100 locations open today, with more than 10 in the opening process.
6. Could you describe the business model?
A contract staffing organization generates revenue by sourcing, screening and employing talent at client companies. Client companies request talent from our local branches, and our teams place the screened talent with these clients.
For every hour one of our associates works, we charge a contracted bill rate to the client. This rate includes the talent’s payroll, related taxes and insurance, and our profit. The goal of a thriving staffing business is to put as many people to work as possible — generating profits and making a positive impact in the community.
7. Describe a typical day in the life of a franchise owner.
Our optimal franchise owner is an owner-operator who is involved in their business daily. A typical day begins at 7:30 – 8 a.m. with opening the branch and managing both the salesperson and the staffing coordinator or recruiter.
Owners engage with prospective and active clients who are employers in the market who need employees, and with applicants and employees seeking jobs. Work-life balance is excellent in our industry, with hours typically running Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Many offices close for one hour for lunch.
We train franchise owners to excel in both sales and recruiting, enabling them to lend their skills to the team while leading them to growth and success in their communities.
8. Anything to add?
The staffing industry is ripe for service-focused disruption. Talent shortages exist across the U.S., and employers need help finding great talent. By partnering with a staffing firm that focuses on high-touch, industry-leading service, it becomes a huge win for both clients and talent!
For more information about the AtWork franchise, visit the company’s website.
