Kimberlee Shelley is a seasoned branch manager with a track record of accomplishments in the staffing and recruitment sector. She possesses strong company growth and customer service abilities, as well as a love for the community and encouraging others. She is proficient in executive search, HR policies, management, leadership, and interviewing.
Below are highlights of the interview conducted between World’s Leaders and Kimberlee Shelley:
Describe who you are as a person, inside and outside of the workplace.
I’m an author, community and political activist, speaker, and HR professional. Based on my professional accomplishments and community work, I’ve had the honour of receiving several awards, including She is the recipient of several awards, including:
- * Mississauga Board of Trade (MBOT) Business Person of The Year
- * RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award
- * CIBWE TOP 100 BLACK WOMEN TO WATCH
- * BRAMPTON TOP 40 UNDER 40
- I was also honoured with a bench located at Humber College (North Campus) in 2021.
- Beyond that, I’m a people person and very outgoing and adventurous. I value my family.
- I’m passionate about my faith and my community.
Describe your background and what did you do before you started/joined the company?
Prior to branch managing Universal Staffing, I did schooling in paralegal education, did some pro-bono work, and I worked in two separate staffing companies, the first as HR administrator, the second as staffing consultant, and later as senior consultant and account manager. As sis from that, I did lots of community work, served on several boards, worked with grass-root organisations and different levels of government to champion issues surrounding racism, equity, women’s empowerment and religious freedoms.
In addition to being branch manager at Universal Staffing, I recently acquired a new role as Advisor, Stakeholder Relations with the Office of Graham McGregor – Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Brampton North.
What has made you successful? What do you value?
I think what has made me successful is working hard, maintaining focus, paying it forward, setting goals and having something that grounds me, and for me, that’s my faith.
Which are the major services of the company and how do they the company to get ahead in the competition? What value-added services does the company provide?
For over 20 years Universal Staffing has been giving people the opportunity to find their calling.
Specializing in connecting candidates with opportunities where they can excel, whether temporary, contract or permanent, Universal Staffing provides effective staffing solutions across a broad range of industries. This has resulted in the utmost satisfaction for both employees and customers. We have achieved these results by understanding our customers’ core business and their reasons for using a staffing agency. This has allowed us to cater our services to each and every customer, satisfying their staffing needs and requirements. We have also assisted each applicant in finding work that is both financially and personally rewarding to them.
Universal Staffing thrives on challenges. Whatever your requirements, we’ll work with you to customize a solution that fits perfectly with your needs.
Whether you’re a job-seeker looking to join a close-knit team that’s passionate about providing great service or an employer in need of experienced and motivated help without delay, we’re ready to exceed your expectations of what a staffing service can do for you.
What are the most important aspects of a company’s culture? What principles do you believe in and how do you build this culture?
Company culture may be the most complex aspect of running a business. There are an almost endless number of variables to consider when trying to get a group of people to work together in a way that has a positive impact on people’s lives and consistently produces great results.
In order to make the biggest, positive impact on company culture in the least amount of time, it is essential for leaders to identify and focus on the most important element of the organization’s culture.
At the most basic level, an effective company culture is one in which people work well together to achieve a common goal.
There is no question that company culture is just as important as strategy, if not more important. These are the principles to adhere to.
What is the significance of innovative ideas in the company?
Innovative ideas are significant in a company because it’s how you implement new business ideas successfully. Innovating allows us to improve our existing products, processes, and methodologies, as well as create new ones from scratch.
We’ve used a number of approaches to introduce something new. Each model involves innovating a different aspect of the organization. The 3 most common ones are :
- Revenue-model innovation
- Business-model innovation
- Industry-model innovation
Give us your opinion on; do organizations rely heavily on individual heroics or team processes?
Every organization is different and both are used across industries. However, while I’ve experienced the benefit of some individual heroics, I prefer to focus on processes and systems as this builds a truly scalable business.
What are your responsibilities as the Branch Manager of the company? What is the happiest part of your daily routine?
As branch manager, there are a number of things I’m responsible for, but in a nutshell, I maintain the overall operations of the office, do day-to-day management of internal, train and orient all new staff as needed, and implement policies and procedures for all staff accordingly. Additionally, maintain an effective balance of time spent on people and business development, maintaining positive employee morale and relationships with clients.
The happiest part of my routine would have to be being able to make an impact on individuals’ lives by providing them with a shop so they can support their families and sustain themselves. It’s even more rewarding to see them progress and evolve into different roles.
What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?
Let me start by saying that stepping into a leadership role is one of the most courageous decisions in one’s career.
That said, I would say remain humble, be open to learning, and remember that a good leader is a good listener. Additionally, they follow:
- Adopt a growth mindset
- Build rapport with everyone you can
- Start one on ones with your team right away
- Master the art of managing up
- Get to know your peers
- Look for some quick wins
Finally, know that no one is immune to facing new challenges New leaders must understand the problems, identify what needs to be done now, and how they can impact the organization.
