Workshifter had a conversation recently with Marina Marchese, Owner of ATD Healthcare Services Metro Detroit. Marina talked about her story as a young immigrant and how her push to succeed paved the way for the opening and growth of her business.
To see Marina in person, attend Workshifter’s Healthcare Leadership Empowerment Breakfast, February 21st at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, MI where she will particiapte in our expert panel.
So, how and when does your story begin?
In 1991, I immigrated to the United States from the former Soviet Union. As a refugee in a new place, I was driven from Day One by the dream of being my own boss. But getting there took hard work and determination. So, as a new arrival to the USA, Land of Opportunity, I started working at a Wendy’s on my third day here.
Later, I was able to get parttime work as a Dental office clerk and receptionist.
Having both jobs represented a great opportunity for me and challenged me to overcome a big barrier faced my many immigrants who come to this country: I did not speak English at all. Not one word.
It wasn’t easy, but being surrounded by English-speaking people helped me make progress. Plus, I discovered that my own intuition and love of dealing with people pushed me toward the career that I eventually was able to create.
My initial experience with the staffing industry was made easier because of the experience I gained at the dental office. I really enjoyed helping other people fill job openings in dental related fields and I found that people were excited to work with me due in part to my dental company experience. Over time, I grew as a human resource professional and took on responsibilities like recruiting and hiring for direct or temporary job placement opportunities. Growing into this role was, for me, very exciting because I was learning so much. Other than being my own boss, this was the best job I ever had, and it last over 15 years.
The value in those years was really the opportunity to develop great personal and business relationships. Those, whether with clients, employees, or other partners, would support me in whatever I wanted to do next.
So, next, I went to school! I got my Bacherlor’s Degree and then a Master’s in Business and Healthcare Administration. Soon after that the person who had hired me all those years ago asked me what my long-term goal was. I reminded him of what I told him in our first conversation: to be my own boss.
He then told me that he was interested in selling his company – to me! That conversation, where I eventually decided not to pursue that opportunity, really propelled me to the next step in my journey. After doing a lot of research, I found my opportunity: a franchised medical staffing company. I was attracted to the franchise model because it offers a business structure and means that some of the support that every business needs (training, marketing, business processes and tools) comes with the franchise agreement.
So, I called ATC Healthcare and visited their corporate headquarters in Long Island, New York. They seemed very excited to work with me to establish a new ATC Healthcare location in the Metro Detroit area. Even that milestone meant, for me, more to learn. With a background in the dental field, I worked hard to learn everything I could about medical staffing. Growing a successful startup meant that I needed to really get to know my clients and my staff to understand the ins and outs of this industry.
And, six years later, here I am. We grew up!
In the process, we have expanded into two more territories in the Metro Detroit area – offering staffing services in Washington, Wayne, Oakland, Livingston, and Macomb areas.
Looking back, I would say that my American dream came true.
How has working in the staffing space influenced the ways you treat people?
My unique background makes me more compassionate I think. When I meet an applicant who needs extra help, I remember how hard it was for me when I first arrived with no knowledge of English. My passion for different ethnic groups is really the way I think about people in general. I honestly feel bad when somebody struggles or when somebody thinks thy are not good enough. It is in those situations that I play the role of coach and say “You can do it—maybe you just need a little more training or moral support.” Making a difference for others is what drives me – after all, if I am going to work 24/7, I should be doing what I love.
Doing what you are passionate about is great, but it has its risks. If you care deeply for people, it is rewarding when they do well, but it really hurts if they do not.
What is the value of a company like ATC Healthcare Services?
I love the relationship building that we do every day. It involves really caring for my clients and my field employees. Without one, I cannot serve the other. So, more and more, it becomes my job to visit with an educate decision makers – like administrators or directors of nursing – about the value of working with a staffing company.
Those conversations remind me that there is a big, kind of generic, staffing industry. And then there is what we do – specialized services that require specific skills, and that are very important to many of us. We refer to our employees as provisional team members because they are not “temps” in the way that word might suggest a lack of commitment – our team members stay with us for years – we rely on them, and they rely on us. So, for our clients looking for staff at long term / short term facilities, hospices, and home care, we offer the talent that they have a hard time finding, and we take care of all of the administrative tasks and costs associated with employment.
It is a lot of work to employ a person. It can cost a lot of money. Clients forget that it is not just a matter of hiring somebody for $20-30 dollars an hour – add the many hidden fees associated with employing someone, then add the time, the constant turnover, issues with punctuality or performance … and realize that we take care of that headache for you.
For the people we put on assignment, I also know that we offer them opportunities that fit with their lives. Most of these professionals have families, many have kids, and it is good for them that they don’t have to commit to working mandated hours and overtime or doubles. They benefit from choosing the hours that they want to work. Plus, even with this flexibility, we offer all the benefits that they would get if they were a full-time employee working at a facility.
The flipside, for employees, is that we are strict when it comes to pre-screening candidates. We only hire people who are reliable. We check references and we take care of all the credentialing and background checks. Again, we may not be right for everybody, but we are a great fit for people who are looking for that long-term relationship and that flexibility.
So, it works! I would say 80% of my employees have been with us since we opened up.
The big global staffing companies don’t have the advantages of a specialty offering like ATC Healthcare Metro Detroit. We have strong local relationships and, the big differentiator, I approach every person in a way that is unique to me, and unique to ATC. Here’s a story:
It was a snow day. I still remember clearly – about a year ago. One of my LPs was scheduled to work in Pontiac. Typically, she’s reliable, but that day she couldn’t make it. And the client needed to have someone there. So, I jumped in the car, drove to Detroit, picked her up, and we went to Pontiac. And we did it again the next day.
I am proud of that story – it strengthened my relationship with my employee and with my client. It was good for the business. It felt good to jump in and help!
And it was exactly the kind of support that young immigrant needed all those years ago.