The Story Behind Elysian Staffing

Recruiting has been known to have a bad rep amongst job seekers. So common that our industry has inspired a Reddit forum called "recruiting hell".

I'm reflecting on this as Elysian Staffing celebrates our ninth anniversary. And as I remember the inspiration behind starting the company and selecting the name.

Over two decades ago, I arrived in New York City and quickly broke into creative staffing. This was when it was common practice in the early 2000s to messenger creatives' portfolios across town to eager clients.

It was hard not to fall in love with the work.

Partnering with creative boundary-pushing, forward-thinking designers, writers, editors — artists — and big-name entertainment and advertising companies was thrilling to me, a writer at heart.

Not everyone I worked with appreciated recruiting in the creative industry, though. And some preferred a competitive, number-driven environment for recruiting instead of a collaborative, customer service-oriented one.

Three agencies over 10 years later, I saw what worked and what didn't while I pondered the idea of starting my own staffing agency.

So, in 2014, as a new mom (and homeowner!) who had long wanted to create a business and, ultimately, the kind of staffing agency that spoke creative professionals' language — and provided a respectful, pleasant and transparent service — I started this agency.

Your experience at Elysian Staffing is the center of what we do, just as I wanted it to be at the company's founding.

The trickiest part was translating this vision into the name.

But, as I learned from the many designers and writers I worked with, inspiration is everywhere.

In this case: the 2014 Winter Olympics.

As I watched the inspiring stories of Olympians and Paralympians who had overcome intense challenges to meet success, I decided to find the name of my staffing agency in the same origin as the Olympians. Elysian is the paradise or heavens of the Greek Gods following death, many times following war.

Bingo!

The perfect name of a service for those who had less than stellar experiences with other staffing agencies.

Instead of feeling like a number or being ghosted or pushed, professionals and companies would step into Elysian Staffing for a premier, empathetic and dedicated service.

Looking back on nine years with Elysian Staffing — the many candidates we've helped through the often challenging time of a job search and placed with the most incredible creative departments and agencies — I'm proud of our community and my team.

"Recruiting hell" might reflect the bad in recruiting; I believe Elysian Staffing reflects the good.

Thank you for trusting us with your careers and your hiring needs!

Warmly,
Jessica

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