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Oyster Pointer Salutes: The Lee Group: Hiring the best for the best
By Tess Goldblatt

Surf the net to the home page at www.theleegroup.com. The logo captures the eye and one’s curiosity. A “swoosh” separates the top and bottom parts of the letter “L.” The swoosh looks like a floating, spinning three-dimensional disc. Since The Lee Group brings together the best employers and employees through professional search and staffing services, the disc seems to symbolize the obstacles that keep the best employees and employers from finding each other. For more than 30 years, The Lee Group has been in motion making change happen with personalized service. At the company’s heart beats extraordinary social action nourished by the company’s most recent owner, Michelle Jacobs.

Walk into The Lee Group’s real-world home page on Thimble Shoals Boulevard. Immediately, the walls and tables tell another story about The Lee Group. “Make a Wish” sculptured hearts thank The Lee Group for its continued support. “An Achievable Dream” photos (and a personal note from founder Walter Segaloff) thank Jacobs for sponsoring an entire graduating class with college scholarships.

A framed newspaper article reports the same and extols Jacobs’ social actions. Photo albums capture a Make a Wish youngster’s trip to Disney World. Jacobs’ presence dominates—except in the interview room, where she is not. That’s the news.

Three of the long-term executives acquired the company from Jacobs in January. “But I feel Michelle’s presence is here. She’s in the walls and in this room and in everything we stand for. She made this company and taught us you have to give back to the community. We buy bikes for Boys Clubs and have adopted a family through Edmarc, providing in-home hospice care for children,” explains Principal Walt Graham. “Michelle’s our Director Emeritus and accountant, and she enjoys semi-retirement. But she’s very much with us every day.”

Jacobs’ mother founded The Lee Group as a placement agency for employees looking for work and willing to pay a fee to find it. Principal Dave Walters cryptically adds, “There seems to be lots of interesting history about how we got the name ‘The Lee Group’ but none of us knows exactly what it is!”

Principal Eric Kean explains that over time, the law of supply and demand in the available workforce caused their methods to change. Today, local and national employers pay The Lee Group to search for the right professionals. The local staffing side of their business thrives as they provide temporary staff and “temp-to-hire” options. Employers pay those fees as well and benefit from The Lee Group’s human resources consultation services.

Walters dissects the “search” process. “It’s not about finding a job for the unemployed. The Internet has brought dramatic changes to the way people do that on their own. What we’re about is searching for the best possible person to fill one of our client’s key positions. That means using our very extensive network of people—not resumés—to find that perfect match, even if that person is currently working somewhere else. In fact, the happily employed are often our best prospective candidates.” Part of the matching process includes finding out what it would take to make that person even happier, so it’s a win-win for everyone.

Walters adds a heartfelt summary, “We’ve been doing this with a very personal touch for more than 30 years. You don’t stay in business this long unless you’re providing the client with what he needs. Still being here in Oyster Point is a lasting testimony, so we must be doing something right!”