Trillium Named One of Forbes America’s Best Recruiting and Staffing Firms in 2024!

Trillium is excited to announce their appointment to the Forbes America’s Best Recruiting and Staffing Firms List for the second time in 3 years!

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Trillium Celebrates 40th Anniversary In Business

René Poch founder and CEO of the Trillium brand of staffing companies, announced the 40th business anniversary of the Kalamazoo, Michigan based staffing business.

Originating in Battle Creek, Michigan in February 1984, Poch has grown the brand of staffing companies to extend to more than 100 locations nationwide and several brands including Trillium Staffing, Trillium Professional, Trillium Driver Solutions and Trillium Construction Services.

Trillium has received several national recognitions over the years including Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the US, Best Staffing Company to Work For, National Best and Brightest Company and more.

“We’re delighted to celebrate this major milestone in business and the growth and development of not only the business but more importantly our talented teams. Our compilation of diverse niches, client companies, talented field staff and dynamic internal staff have allowed us to continue to grow while not losing sight of the most important piece of what we do, which is helping talent grow personally and professionally”. – René Poch, CEO

Trillium will be celebrating their 40th anniversary year by conducting more than 40 acts of giving back to the communities that have welcomed and embraced their business.

 

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides 40 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Marine, Trillium Technical, Trillium Environmental, Trillium Hospitality and Trillium Techs. With approximately 100 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

Trillium Construction Announces the Acquisition of American Craftsmen

René Poch founder and CEO of the Trillium brand of staffing companies, announced the acquisition of American Craftsmen, based in Washington state effective July 10, 2023.

American Craftsmen was founded in 2015 by Jim Hyde and Kenneth Gerig who developed a diverse construction staffing business in the pacific northwest.

The addition of the American Craftsmen locations will allow the Trillium Construction team to continue their expansion in the pacific northwest region providing skilled commercial construction and industrial skilled trades talent in addition to construction managers for short and long term projects.

The former American Craftsmen locations will be lead by previous owner Jim Hyde and  Area Manager Toby Copeland who’s former company was also acquired by Trillium Construction.

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides nearly 40 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions and Trillium Professional. With approximately 100 offices nationwide and more than 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts among the Largest Industrial Staffing Firms in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S.  and a repeat winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

 

Up In Smoke: After NJCREAMMA, Can Employers Enforce Drug-Testing for Non-CDL Holders?

The recreational use and sale of marijuana was first legalized in the state of Colorado in 2012. Since then, 19 other states have joined their ranks in terms of recreational use, with a total 38 states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam allowing the medical use of marijuana. However, as most people know, the use, sale, and possession of any cannabis or cannabis-derived product with more that 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is illegal in the U.S. at the federal level. These state vs. federal discrepancies create something of a legal paradox.

Marijuana legalization is creating the same kind of problem regarding what to do about professional drivers who test positive for marijuana. For CDL drivers, it’s easy. It is prohibited for CDL drivers to use marijuana under any circumstances, even if the substance is legal in the state in which they reside. Even if a driver consumes a prohibited cannabis product in their off hours in a state where it is legal, if they test positive for it later, they may still be in violation of the Department of Transportation’s zero-tolerance policy at the federal level.

For non-CDL drivers, the employer testing is optional. However, if a driver with a CDL license tests positive for marijuana use, they are also prohibited from driving non-CDL vehicles until they pass the return-to-duty test: another drug test administered under direct supervision. Does that all sound confusing? That’s because it is.

Add to this already tangled web of marijuana laws and efforts to keep the roads safe from drivers under the influence the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Enforcement Assistance and Marketplace Modernization Act (NJCREAMMA), passed in February of 2021. Among other things, NJCREAMMA prohibits employers from taking adverse employment action against employees who test positive for cannabinoid metabolites in their blood or other bodily fluids.  In theory, this means that an employer cannot refuse to hire, fire, or discipline an employee who has been shown to have used cannabis. However, NJCREAMMA also upholds the right of employers to maintain a drug and alcohol-free workplace. Therefore, the regulation allows employers to make rules regarding the consumption, use, or influence of marijuana or marijuana products while at work.

At the time of the Act’s original issuance, employers could require employees to submit to a drug test under the following circumstances:

  • Upon suspicion of impairment from cannabis/cannabinoid substances while performing work duties
  • Upon finding any observable signs of marijuana/cannabinoid use at work
  • Following a work-related accident

Under NJCREAMMA, the term “drug test” has been redefined to mean a process using reliable, scientific drug-testing methods administered at work, during work hours (blood, urine, saliva tests) AND an evaluation of person certified as a Workplace Impairment Recognition Expert (WIRE). If both the bodily fluid test and the WIRE evaluation show the employee is under the influence during work hours, the employer may then take adverse employment action. The problem? The state had yet to issue guidance or training protocols for the WIREs.

To that end, the state issued interim guidance in September of 2022 until WIREs can be identified and trained for each workplace. The interim guidance essentially upholds the previous legislation regarding prohibition of adverse employment action unless evidence-based documentation of physical signs of cannabis use or signs of impairment are present. This stop-gap guidance also provides suggestions to help identify signs of impairment due to marijuana use, according to SafetyNews Alert.

California has also recently passed similar legislation preventing adverse employment action against employees who test positive for cannabinoid metabolites. The New Jersey and California laws do not apply to those in certain industries (including CDL holders, as well as federal agency contractors and grantees) and cannot preempt any state or federal laws that require a clean drug test as a condition of employment. However, non-CDL drivers can theoretically use cannabis outside of working hours within these states.

Drug test manufacturers and concerned employers are looking for ways to test for actual impairment on the job, such as employee tests against their own baseline performance and tests for the presence of active THC, the compound that creates the high, in the blood. Until these testing methods have been established, employers must keep a watchful eye out for signs of employee impairment in non-CDL drivers in New Jersey and California.

Disclaimer: This document and any discussions set forth are for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice.

Trillium Awarded on the Forbes America’s Best Temporary Staffing Firms 2022 List

Trillium is excited to announce their appointment to the Forbes America’s Best Temporary Staffing Firms 2022 List!

“It remains a humbling experience any time our incredible staff is recognized for their performance. Our teams work exceptionally hard to partner the best possible match of talent and career opportunity so this award being based off of the direct feedback of clients and job seekers is incredibly special to us.” -Jenna Mathieu, Director of Marketing

Trillium was ranked 113 out of more than 22,000 nominations in the country. The award ranking is based on an independent survey of peers and clients. Feedback from external recruiters, hiring managers at client companies and job seekers are considered. The full list of winners is available on Forbes website.

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Accounting and Finance, and Trillium Technical. With approximately 100 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a 2021 winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

 

Why Would I Work For A Staffing Agency?

Why should you work for a staffing agency? Great question. While back in the early 90’s working for staffing firm may have come with a stigma, in today’s work environment that is heavily fueled by freelance, entrepreneurship, and independent contracting work; working for a staffing agency fits the bill.

Most employees today are looking for a job that offers them the opportunities to grow their skills and abilities and the flexibility to meet the needs of their personal lives. The current pandemic has had major impacts on school and daycare arrangements, making the need for flexible options even more critical.

Partnering with a reputation staffing agency, should present you with multiple job opportunities to help you make an educated decision on which opportunity is the best fit for you. Please take a few moments to view the video below to see what real Trillium employees have shared about their experience. We’d love to help you too!

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Technical, and Trillium Environmental. With approximately 100 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 35th Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a 2018 winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

Results are in for the 6th Annual “Trillium Takes on the Town” event!

The annual “Trillium Takes on the Town” event results are in! Each Fall, we challenge our staff across the nation to select a cause or organization in their community to support. As we are in the 6th year of this fantastic event, we can’t help but be overwhelmed at the level of support our local branch offices provide their respective communities. Please click on the image below to view the highlights of their accomplishments.

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Feeling Overwhelmed at Work? Try These Tips!

I think it is safe to say that all of us at some point in our career have felt overwhelmed while on the job. If this is the case for you and it feels like it happens more often than not, take a look at the tips below to try and help reduce your daily stress and ultimately reduce your feelings of being constantly overwhelmed.

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So You Were Ghosted as an Employer…What To Do Now?

One of the biggest fears of any hiring Manager or Recruiter is having your new hire ghost you on their first day on the job. Unfortunately, day 1 arrives and your hopeful new employee is no where to be found, no call, no text, no email…nothing! What happens now?

Frustrated Worker

Don’t get too discouraged or be hard on yourself. Unfortunately, although this type of behavior is frowned upon and can be considered to be in poor taste, recently ghosting an employer has become a part of the hiring landscape. It all started with candidates just not showing up for interviews and has since escalated into straight up not showing up for their first day of employment. Unfortunately, this new behavior can, in fact, hurt a company’s bottom line. With the cost of recruiting continually on the rise, what can an employer do if and when this happens to them?

  • Sit back, take a breath and look over the hiring process. Was there something within your hiring process that may have deterred the candidate? Was the candidate frustrated or anxious at any point or were they strung along for too long? While it can be easy and human nature to automatically place blame on the candidate, sometimes the underlying reason could fall back on the company itself. However, in such a tight job market, keep in mind that it could have come down to something as simple as they got a better offer.
  • Don’t stop recruiting: Even if you feel like you have a candidate lined up and ready to start, you should continuously keep recruiting. It is never a bad idea to have a few candidates within an arm’s reach should you need it. Also, it is highly likely that you interviewed and screened more than just one candidate. Take a look back at your previous applicants and see if there are any worth a second look before starting the process over.
  • Simply move on: In the event that you or your company is ghosted, you may never know the true reason as to why that individual never showed up. Taking solace in this, you have to keep the hiring process moving forward. Work on any kinks in on-boarding and improve the relationships that your Recruiters are building with the candidates. It is in these relationships that candidates will begin to feel vested with your company and less likely to vanish, without a trace.

It is rather unfortunate that ghosting is infiltrating the workplace and most likely a culture shift could be to blame. However, that doesn’t mean that your company can’t arm itself to better prepare and even prevent ghosting from occurring within your organization. Make the necessary changes, updates and improvements to your hiring process to secure a prospective employee’s faith in your company and how they fit into it.

The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Marine, Trillium Technical, Trillium Environmental, Trillium Hospitality and Trillium Techs. With approximately 98 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 25 Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.

 

Results are in for the 5th Annual “Trillium Takes on the Town” event!

The annual “Trillium Takes on the Town” event results are in! Each Fall, we challenge our staff across the nation to select a cause or organization in their community to support. As this annual event continues to grow and build steam, we can’t help but be inspired by the passion that our local offices have for their communities across the country. Their drive and determination to give back is truly awe inspiring. Please click on the image below to view the highlights of their accomplishments.

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