For One Staffing Company, Giving Back to the Community Boosts Employee Morale
In the staffing industry boomtown of Omaha, Nebraska, millennial leaders, competitive professionals, and an award-winning company culture have propelled Fusion Medical Staffing beyond many of its competitors.
Fusion, which has experienced a 333 percent growth rate since 2012, nabbed the No. 1216 spot on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. It also charted as one of Omaha’s best places to work in 2016 according to the Omaha World-Herald and was named both “Best Staffing Company to Temp For” (across all industries) and “No. 1 Travel Company” by the therapist-specific social network Therapist Centric.
Remaining engaged with their employees and promoting positivity throughout the broader community helps President Sam Wageman and Chief Operating Office Scott Wehner preserve Fusion’s central goals: enhancing the careers of its staff members and fulfilling the needs of its clients.
Millennial Leaders with Passion and Know-How
Wageman attributes his company’s continual and rapid growth to the fact that he and his employees never allow themselves to become content. In 2009, Wageman and Wehner started Fusion in a basement in Nebraska, creating a business that aims to positively contribute to the health care industry.
Maintaining effective communication within the growing organization remains a top priority for these millennial leaders.
“Scott [Wehner] and I have offices, but it just doesn’t feel right if I am not up roaming and engaging with each person several times a day,” Wageman says. “It gets me fired up, and most importantly, it gets [the employees] fired up.”
By staying in the middle of it all, both founders are able to uphold an open-door policy.
“Each employee knows they can come to Scott [Wehner] or myself for anything, whether it is a question, concern, or idea,” Wageman says.
Celebrating Wins
At the end of 2012, Fusion had fewer than 20 employees. Today, as the company approaches its seventh anniversary, more than 130 employees work at Fusion, and the company continues to hire in the Omaha area. Growth has been so rapid it necessitated a recent build-out and a move into new office digs.
Fostering internal support is key to motivating the staff as Fusion expands in both size and scope.
“We celebrate our own wins but also each team member’s wins,” says Wageman. “No one feels like they’re competitive against each other, but instead that they’re invested in growing Fusion and spreading all the great things our company stands for.”
Employee Engagement Through Giving Back
Fusion continues to innovate in its approach to talent management, reinforcing the power of company culture both locally and nationally.
Those who join the Fusion team find a welcoming environment, with the company offering a comprehensive benefits package and access to a variety of professional healthcare resources.
“When we look at how quickly we’ve grown but still been able to maintain a strong culture, it really gets us going,” says Wageman. “We are always having fun, and we’re pretty competitive professionals, which boosts morale.”
Fusion hired a full-time nonprofit program manager to oversee its official “give back” program, known as #FusionGives. Beneficiaries include the Stevens Center, YES House, QLI, ALS in the Heartland, and more.
“Giving back has always been a big part of who Fusion Medical Staffing is and what we stand for,” says Wageman. “As we’ve grown, it’s become even more important.”
As the company remains active in its community, it establishes numerous ways for employees to give back. This includes using extra PTO hours for their favorite causes and attending monthly “give back” events as a group. Wageman states that performing community work “is a way not only to give back, but also to bring employees closer together.”
Positive company culture has played a huge role in Fusion’s rapid growth over the last seven years, as have its commitment to hiring remarkable health care professionals and its dedication to giving back to its local and national communities. The company’s forward-focus and emphasis on strong interpersonal employee relations has driven Fusion to the top of the competitive staffing industry.
“When we have a big win, we celebrate,” says Wageman, “but [we] immediately focus on what comes next.”