Suwanee Staffing Firm Keeps the Faith

Jason Smith owns and operates a business that most people will need at some point in their lifetime, job placement.  iStaff is a Suwanee-based recruiting and staffing firm that specializes in job placement for the information technology (IT), finance, and accounting industries.  Smith exemplifies the passion you would expect from an entrepreneur. But it’s not the act of running a business that excites him; it’s the mission and purpose of his work.

“iStaff is a faith-based business” Smith said.  It’s not a requirement to be part of any particular faith to work at iStaff, but Smith said the company mission is at the forefront of all client and customer interactions.  The mission reads:

To be salt and light in the recruiting industry by honoring God in all that we do through honesty and integrity.

iStaff provides recruiting for both contract and permanent positions.  Some clients are contracted to provide continued recruiting and placement services,  while others use the services for placements as needed.  The client base is mainly located in Georgia and around the Southeast, but services are not restricted to local areas.

Additionally, iStaff maintains a database of professional résumés. Individuals can upload résumés directly on the iStaff website to be considered for current and future placements.

Smith founded iStaff in 1995 as a general staffing firm recruiting for clerical and light industrial positions. About a year later, he started to focus more on IT jobs,  because these jobs had higher money per placement. 

Then in 2001 the IT industry went into a recession in a time many have called the dot-com bubble bust. Smith was forced to downsize his own company from 22 to three employees.  Yet it was a time during which many of his close competitors completely closed their doors.

In a move to diversify his business, Smith started additional placements in the accounting and finance industries in 2002.

During the next and broader economic recession of 2009, Smith used the slowdown in business as an opportunity to invest in iStaff. “I hired top-tier talent to grow the business at a time when others were cutting staff,” Smith said.  “It has paid off.  My numbers are stronger now than they were in 2005-2008 during a peak time in staffing.”

Smith has accomplished that with half the staff numbers he carried before the dot-com bust. He firmly believes that top talent attracts top talent.  It’s a formula that makes his firm a viable and strong partner for clients.

Smith started in the staffing and placement industry not long after completing a business degree from Florida State University.  In 1992 he went to work for his aunt at AccuStaff, which eventually became Modis.

But his ultimate goal was to be his own boss. In 1995 he moved to the Atlanta area and founded iStaff. With an initial boost from his strong network of business contacts, Smith was able to establish the firm and operate in the black immediately. Last week, iStaff celebrated 16 years of continuous service.

Smith didn’t start iStaff as faith-based business. In the early days he describes iStaff as a highly charged type of environment.  Five years after the business started he had a life-changing moment when he became a Christian. This event started a transformation not only in his personal life, but in his business as well.

“I believe that God owns this business and that I am a steward of that business,” Smith said. “Before I looked at it as mine, now I look at it as His.”

Smith has been a Suwanee resident since 1997. He is actively involved in the community as the sponsorship director on the board of the North Gwinnett Baseball and Softball Association (NGBSA), a youth sports coach, and an Elder at Perimeter Church.

Additionally, Smith is an active member of the C12 Group for CEOs.

For more information on Jason Smith and iStaff:

Istaff.com 

iStaff profile on LinkedIn

Jason Smith LinkedIn profile

Jason Smith Twitter feed