A new, only-in-Memphis certification will be given to staffing agencies for fairness and equity, the first concrete result from the Greater Memphis Chamber’s program called From Protest to Progress.
That program brought together about 50 Memphis activists, clergy members, and business leaders 10 days after the city’s first protest of the public killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020. The overarching goal for the From Protest to Progress plan is for a more positive Black economic impact in Memphis.
The new Gold Standard Certification is a direct response from the group concerned with staffing agencies, the Chamber said, and “addresses concerns about equitable hiring practices and fair treatment of people finding work through staffing agencies.”
Chamber president and CEO Beverly Robertson said, “The Gold Standard Certification was created to address the real need of people in our community to know which staffing agencies will treat them fairly, equitably, and with the dignity they deserve.”
Five companies will get the designation each year. This year the certification was given to CTD Staffing, LLC; Prestigious Placements, Inc.; Prologistix; Staffline, LLC; and Summerfield Associates, Inc.
To be eligible for certification, staffing agencies must operate in Memphis or Shelby County for three or more years, demonstrate a commitment to ethical and professional standards, submit letters of support from an employee client and business client, and support the success of all of their employee clients.
