Paces Staffing, I was told repeatedly had weathered the economic storm and was in a strong financial position to take the business to the next level. I have a background in attorney recruiting and my brief was to set up an attorney search division, open new offices around the US, and essentially build the business enough for Ms Stanley to sell it. The time had come (she is mid/late 60s) for her to smell the roses, and spend more time at her beach condo. It was an interesting opportunity to build what I believed was a successful business into a national staffing chain.
Ms Stanley was so volatile that even her husband kept business information from her to avoid her rages. On one occasion, a client had effectively avoided paying a $40,000 invoice for temporary staff. Ms Stanley was not told, and all staff were told that it was absolutely never to be mentioned. It was not mentioned to her at all during my time at the company, likely not to this day.
I was truly shocked at this point. It was not what Ms Stanley had represented in any of her many many meetings with me on the subject.
In January 2010, the recruiter who had introduced me, then warned me about Paces Staffing resigned. She could no longer tolerate it.
In March 2010, Paces Staffing could no longer afford to pay my already reduced salary. My lawyer had told me that there was an option. I could opt to go on a leave of absence, and this would release Paces Staffing from having to pay me. It was interesting that the day after I shared this with the administrator, Ms Stanley told me they could no longer afford to pay me. I left shortly thereafter on a three month leave of absence. It was one of the lowest points of my career to date, having to lie to the staff about my reasons for leaving the company.
They eliminated my position via voicemail. Gary Ascher had to do this. Ms Stanley likely, was too embarrassed after her twisting and turning over the last few months.
There are some ethical issues that Paces Staffing fell foul of, certainly in regard to presenting their candidates to clients. That is their business and I dont feel the need to address it at this point.
After having left the organization, I spoke to several former recruiters including the head of the medical group. Most shared my experiences (the former head of medical had precisely the same experiences with me with his share agreement). One said that Ms Stanley was disgusting, and another that Gary Ascher could not be trusted as far as he could be thrown. A slippery snake was the quote.
At this point, I do feel for Ms Stanley. Her dreams of selling the business for millions of dollars are gone. I would imagine she will be liquidating her assets, the biggest being a home in Atlanta imminently, and planning a more modest retirement. I wish her the best. I hope that her leaving the business will finally allow her the peace that she has not had since her best recruiter, Kimberly left.
Despite the Administrators record at the company (15 or 20 years) and her loyalty to Ms Stanley, she knows, as I do, that everything in this statement is true.
E Bowman
Atlanta,#2UPDATE EX-employee responds
Thu, June 06, 2013
I would like to offer a rebuttal to this post, made by a disgruntled former employee, who clearly is not being truthful.
I, too, am a former employee of Paces Staffing. I was their Internal Accounting Manager for several years. I never saw anything but the highest level of integrity and business ethics. I was shocked to read these things written by someone who only seeks to cause harm to another person, without regard for the truth!
During my time with Paces Staffing, I worked closely with Kay Stanley and Gary Ascher. Mr. Ascher was the Business Manager and, as Accounting Manager, I was priveledged with the company's financial data. I found only the highest ethical standards applied to all business that took place within this company. All clients were billed timely and collections were carried out in only a professional manner. As in any business, you will have customers who are not completely satisfied for one reason or another. Each time I saw this occasion arise, both Kay Stanley and Gary Ascher handled this situation with the utmost of concern for customer satisfaction.
When the economy took a downturn and business across the USA slowed, Paces Staffing was affected. At that time, as with millions of businesses across the counrty, Paces had to face the difficult decision to downsize the office staff. I was part of that downsizing. I can tell you with complete honesty, that I was treated with complete respect and sensitivity. Ms. Stanley made very attempt to assist me in finding new employment and has always been willing to do whatever she could to help me professionally. She is the type of person that never forgets to show respect for people, no matter what the circumstance that has arisen.
Please allow me to close in saying that I would gladly stand up next to Kay Stanely any day! She is one of the most honorable women I have ever met. She has made a tremendous impact on me, a young widow, when my timing was in need of security, and I can only hope that I exhibit the class and grace by which she carries out the tough decisions that take place in daily business of any sort. I am honored to know her and consider it a priveledge to defend her honor and intergrity.