At Ethan Allen Workforce Solutions, we’ve got a team of industry experts and experienced staffing professionals connecting businesses with quality local talent. Our employee spotlights introduce you to the people behind our services and the work they do to ensure Hudson Valley businesses and job seekers get the help they need.
This week meet Amy Van Tassel, Industrial Division Manager at Ethan Allen.
Tell us about what you do at Ethan Allen.
I am Ethan Allen’s Industrial Division Manager and I’m involved in every aspect of hiring, employee, candidate, and client relations, and everything in between for our industrial staffing division.
What do you find most interesting about working with the Ethan Allen team?
No day at Ethan Allen is ever the same. Each day is different and interesting and takes you in a direction you could never have planned for. Ethan Allen employees, both internal and temp/temp-to-hire have different personalities. Some keep you on your toes, and some are so interesting that you want to sit down with a cup of coffee and hear all the stories they have to tell.
How does Ethan Allen support your career and personal goals?
Ethan Allen is absolutely the most honest and organized company that I have ever worked for. The management team knows that, in order for the company to grow, they need to develop and promote employees. I was able to grow from Personnel Assistant answering phones and processing new candidates to Division Manager in less than 2 years. The company’s ownership not only wants to hear ideas on how to make the business grow, but they work with you and provide the resources to back your idea. In my 10 years with this organization, my team has expanded into territories that required us to open new offices in those areas to support the growth. Ownership saw the need and worked with me to expand and grow. As far as my personal goals are concerned, Ethan Allen allows employees to have a work-life balance and that is really appreciated in a world that is constantly plugged in.
What’s the number one quality you feel is important to achieving success in the staffing industry?
Patience and perspective go hand in hand as the number one quality. You can’t control every situation and no two clients or employees will communicate with you in the same way. Some people like to talk for a long time, some people are short and sweet, some think that they can make demands rather than requests and aren’t the nicest during your interactions. Everyone has their own outside influences that they bring to the tone of even the simplest of conversations. Keep in mind that you can only control yourself and your reaction to how someone is speaking to you. Sometimes that little bit of perspective can help you to change the interaction and future interactions with a person which will lead to an easier, mutually beneficial relationship in the future.
What’s the biggest benefit to partnering with a staffing firm in a job search?
Where do I even start!? Ethan Allen has been in the area for over 50 years, we work with some of the most desirable organizations in the Hudson Valley, and we have excellent client and employee reviews. With the amount of time and cost associated with posting jobs online, a LOT of companies will come to us looking for candidates. The reason companies choose Ethan Allen isn’t only because of the cost associated with posting jobs and screening through all the candidates. It’s because we’ve worked together for so long, we know what the companies are looking for, and we’ve been successful with placing employees in the past. Some of the company’s hiring team may have come from Ethan Allen themselves.
This means that when your resume is presented by Ethan Allen, you are most likely going to be considered before any candidates who apply through their website. Also, if things don’t work out with that position, as long as you didn’t violate any policies and were reliable and hardworking, we can present you to another client for consideration. You don’t need to reapply, interview again, fill out new onboarding paperwork, etc. Everything is done!
If you could give one piece of advice to a candidate, what would it be?
When you’re looking for work, always try to be as self-aware as possible. It’s great to be friendly but speaking with a potential employer at length about your personal life isn’t a great idea. It doesn’t matter what you’re sharing – the good stuff or bad – the impression that the employer is going to get is that you’re chatty and they might have a hard time keeping you on task. If you’ve been turned down a lot in the past by potential employers, try to make sure that you don’t have a chip on your shoulder. Every new company that you speak with is a new chance to prove that hiring you is a good idea. If you start the conversation by speaking poorly about previous employers or saying that every other company you’ve spoken with has turned you down, the rest of the conversation is an uphill battle to sell your good qualities. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. If someone were saying these things to you, would you want to work side by side with that person every day? Probably not. I always advise my employees to keep the conversations positive and business relevant.
What’s your favorite thing to do in Poughkeepsie?
My absolute favorite thing to do in Poughkeepsie is to attend First Friday events and festivals that the different organizations sponsor. Specifically, San Genaro at the Italian Center and Mayfest/Oktoberfest at the German Center.
Do you have a unique skill or “stupid human trick”?
I seem to be good at lightening the mood when things get too serious.
What else do you want to share about yourself?
I am fascinated by people and love a good biography or true crime book. The events in people’s early lives or the crossroads that they encountered and their choice of path is extremely interesting to me.
Are you looking for your next industrial job opportunity? Amy and the Ethan Allen team are ready to help you find the job that’s right for you. Contact Ethan Allen today to get started!
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