“I truly didn’t know what I didn’t know. There wasn’t a choice but to succeed” she said, after explaining that going into business was what she wanted to do. What kind of business was the first question, however.
With a background in HR, Julie Tappero knew that one bridge spanning the Tacoma Narrows was a factor in the type of business she would start. The vision was to keep workers where they live, in their communities. That was the important part. And so, with this in mind 25 years ago, West Sound Workforce became a reality.
As I sat with Julie talking about the start of our company (the one she started, and I purchased five years ago now), I heard the stories, the thinking, the stress, the excitement of how our organization came to be.
A staffing company in Gig Harbor, on this side of the bridge, was needed. She checked out a book on the staffing industry from the local library. Her first hire was a sales manager who had a background in staffing. Smart, since Julie’s background was in business operations and full-scale HR.
Together, they decided whether to pursue clients or employees as a first step. The answer? Get both, quickly! It wasn’t long before her Rubber Maid tub was full of hand-written applications and job order requests from companies seeking the assistance of West Sound Workforce.
Fast forward 25 years. We are still headquartered in Gig Harbor and have an office in Poulsbo as well. We partner with hundreds of employers throughout the west sound area and have placed over 9,000 people in employment – whether they be in temporary or permanent positions, based on their needs and wants.
I asked Julie what she was most proud of in West Sound Workforce. “Quality and integrity”. The team working at West Sound Workforce are quality people who know and understand human resources deeply, not just recruitment, but all of it so that clients can turn to us as their partner. And that we have always practiced with integrity, doing the right thing when it’s difficult, because that’s what needs to happen. It is why people feel valued when working with us, and why they return to us when looking for their next position or career move. Our commitment to both is how we can maintain our reputation of being a top-notch employment firm in the Pacific Northwest.
We have grown, yes, but the fundamental vision from our beginning is still true: we aim to help people work where they live.
Celebrate with us all year long by following us on social media! We’ll be doing some fun things each month because we only turn 25 once, and we’re making the most of it, with you!