Jessica Ozrek shares her entrepreneurial Journey with Elysian Staffing

Jessica Ozrek is the powerhouse behind Elysian Staffing – a boutique recruitment agency that revolutionizes creative and marketing hiring. Their Proven Process brings efficiency, effectiveness & humanity to the table; ensuring top talent acquisition in record time for clients looking to expand their teams with professionals ranging from mid-level all the way up to executive positions.

Tell us about yourself and Elysian Staffing.

I’ve been in the staffing industry as a professional for over 18 years. Being an entrepreneur at heart, I founded Elysian Staffing in 2014 to revitalize creative staffing and provide clients and talent with first-rate service. In order to assist agencies and brands in fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, I volunteered as the Global Co-Chair for Women in Wireless, a group that is now a part of She Runs It. I was also a member of the ANA’s Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing (AIMM). Outside of my busy office, my husband Lona and I are raising our three children, Evren, Tabitha, and Tolan. I enjoy watching soccer matches, going skiing, playing tennis when I can, listening to my most recent Audible indulgence, and writing.

Elysian Staffing is a woman-owned mid-to-executive level recruiting firm for professionals in operations, marketing, and advertising. We link leading talent across the United States with creative agencies and big and small businesses.

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever gotten?

Throughout my career, I’ve received a lot of compliments about my strength, my ability to excel at what I do, and how quickly I respond to inquiries.

How would your parents describe what you do?

Throughout my career, I’ve received a lot of compliments about my strength, my ability to excel at what I do, and how quickly I respond to inquiries.

What does your morning routine look like?

I like to start each day by giving thanks, followed by a challenging activity like a challenging workout or a chilly shower. This teaches my brain that I am capable of tackling difficult tasks. My top ten goals are then written down, and I get ready for the day by getting my kids ready and out the door for school.

What motivated you to start Elysian Staffing? How did the idea come about?

Since I can remember, I’ve desired to launch my own company. Before beginning Elysian, I worked for three different staffing firms to get experience in the creative and marketing staffing industries. This experience helped me identify the aspects of hiring that I loved and believed should be improved. It felt like a logical next step to start Elysian Staffing, so when the chance arose, I seized it.

What was your mission when you started your business?

I wished to rekindle creativity in the hiring of creative and marketing personnel. Unlike other sorts of hiring, placing creative and marketing talent demands a different strategy; understanding and valuing the creative side is essential.

What do you attribute your success to? Is there a trait you have or a person who helped you along the way?

I had a vision for my life when I was young, and it changed as I got older and started working. I cherished the thought of turning an idea I had in my head into reality. I would say that my drive was the key to my achievement.

When times get tough, what would you say motivates you to keep going? to not hit the snooze button and to keep fighting for your goals.

To make the work I’ve already put into Elysian Staffing worthwhile, I’ll need discipline and to keep in mind what I’ve previously pushed myself through.

Employees are one of the most important players in the success of a business. What do you look for in an employee?

Although it may sound cliche, we are only as good as our people. I’m looking for workers who are self-driven, thoughtful, caring, and team-oriented. They must also comprehend and be interested in marketing and creativity. Being creative and having an eye for design over a broad spectrum are crucial in these subjective areas. As we counsel and service customers, some of whom are at the forefront of what’s new in the creative sector and who entrust us with the most valuable component of their business: their people, it is crucial that they have the willingness to learn the newest technologies and industry innovations.

What is unique about your business? Is there a competitive advantage that you have over the others?

We differ from other agencies due to our tried-and-true approach. We evaluated what works and doesn’t in creative staffing for ten years before developing Elysian’s Proven Process. I’m happy to report that, 90% of the time, clients who trusted us with their searches had good, satisfying outcomes. Additionally, for candidates, the job search process may be an emotional one. We make it a point to respond quickly and speak with you regularly. It is sometimes forgotten that in addition to doing searches, a recruiter also works to safeguard a company’s employer brand. We consider this seriously. Thanks to Elysian’s tried-and-true approach, we have standards for establishing a rational and compassionate experience based on respect, communication, and empathy for both the client and the applicant.

Equal attention, time, and importance are given to each position. We relieve our clients of all responsibility for recruiting, selling, and negotiating.

Have you ever had a disappointed client or customer? If so, how did you handle the situation?

I’m happy to report that it’s actually quite uncommon for a client or candidate to have a bad experience with us. Even job applicants who might not be hired for a position have had pleasant experiences. Despite this, disappointments do occur. In those situations, we have inquired as to whether the person has time to connect, ideally through phone or video. I and my staff pay attention to the person. Then we seek out and provide a fix to put things right. Following this, we hold a team meeting internally to identify lessons learned from what went wrong and internal guidelines to avoid making the same mistake again. Another advantage of a close-knit team, in my opinion, is that regular and open communication keeps everyone on the same page.

Is there a type of marketing that has worked amazingly for Elysian Staffing? If so, how did you stumble upon it?

In order to inform potential customers and talent about the services we offer at Elysian, we are always experimenting with new marketing techniques.

Is there any resource or resources that helped you on your journey to becoming a business owner?

Yes, I hired a business coach when I was ready to launch my own company but unsure of how it would look or when I would start. It is helpful to me to have a coach or mentor who can direct me and help me think through concepts.

What are the three best pieces of advice that you would give to women starting a business? What do they need to know from the very beginning?

Create a clear vision that includes your motivation for starting your business. Going for it with a can-do attitude will lead to the discovery of resources you were unaware were accessible. Whether it’s your partner, a business coach, an accountant, a lawyer, etc., put together a support system and lean on it. Make sure they can each contribute something to the various divisions of your new company.