MELVINDALE – As many logistics companies are aware, the trucking and warehouse industry has been faced with a serious staffing shortage.
Evans Distribution Systems, a full-service 3PL of warehousing, transportation and value-added solutions, became so adept at recruiting and retaining employees to fill its own openings, that it saw an opportunity to offer the service to companies in need of logistics support. This includes positions such as material handlers, certified forklift drivers, truck drivers and more. In response, Evans Resource Solutions (ERS) was established as its staffing services division.
Based on a customer’s specific requirements, ERS will recruit qualified candidates and handle all the pre-screening, testing and training required.
“Because we’re a logistics company, our staffing division truly understands the business needs of our customers and that helps us recruit people accordingly,” said Evans Distributions Systems President John A. Evans. “We may bring somebody on for a short-term project, but we’re also looking at them for long-term employment. We look for the right experience and abilities to match what our customers are looking for. That keeps everyone satisfied.”
The staffing division currently has more than 400 employees placed at outside companies. Evans’ overall revenue has grown 49 percent since 2009, its warehousing revenue is up 21 percent and its transportation revenue has seen 105 percent growth since 2009.
With so many positions to fill inside the company and for customers, Gaston Santos, the human resources manager at Evans, sometimes interviews 15 to 30 people a day. He carefully screens potential hires and considers job history, longevity at previous jobs, warehouse experience and other skills they may have. Evans also trains new hires for specific positions and Santos keeps a database of candidates.
“Even if we’re not hiring, we’ll talk to somebody, identify their skill set and track them so that we’re ready to go when the need arises,” Santos said. “We’re good at responding very quickly with the right people. We have a proven track record of success working with short lead times, even when clients need a lot of people.”
