As the sun shined outside and the Lane College choir sang, Staff Management | SMX Recruiter Jenicia Whisnant looked around the lobby of Jackson, Tenn.’s historic Mt. Moriah Church and saw opportunity.
Whisnant’s relationship with Mt. Moriah Baptist Church goes back more than a decade. So when the church hosted a Black History Month event with history presentations from local children and a performance from the choir at Lane College, a local, 140-year-old HBCU, she was thrilled to be invited to participate.
“Community service means a lot to me,” she said. “It’s my way of giving back to the community. Community service is my medicine being a helping hand to assist the community, giving my time trying to better the community and lift the community up.”
The Staff Management | SMX team handed out chips, bottled water, green beans and corn to parishioners and community members. During the event, Whisnant made plates, attached Staff Management | SMX flyers to each individual plate, mixed and mingled with the congregation and passed out flyers directly.
It was an energizing day, and one that reflected Whisnant’s view on recruiting: that it means building relationships, being there for the community and finding ways around obstacles.
“Recruiting, I feel, is the hardest job to have right now,” said. “You have to be a force in the community to find out what the obstacles are so that we can eliminate obstacles to employment and follow up with the community through the workforce to make them more engaged. This helps create opportunities for our company, associates and community.”
Mt. Moriah Baptist Church works with community organizations and companies like Staff Management | SMX to provide support through education, feeding the community or employment. Lane College has also been a key partner, inviting Staff Management | SMX to job fairs and advertising open roles. For Whisnant, community partnerships began with the church.
“I got involved with Mt. Moriah back in 2007 or 2008,” Whisnant said. “My aunt is a member of the church, and after my mother passed, I started visiting the church from time to time. Staff Management | SMX and Mt. Moriah formed an outstanding relationship through the years, and they are always eager to support when needed.”
After attending the church for a while, she formed a partnership with the pastor, Ronald Benton, who offered his support when, in conversation, she mentioned she was a recruiter for Staff Management | SMX.
“Through the years he would stop by the Staff Management office and refer people to me,” she said. “Pastor Benton would also have me make an announcement to the congregation about whatever opportunities that Staff Management had at the time. Mt. Moriah has always had an open door with Staff Management. They keep us informed with what they are doing in the community and connect us with opportunities to bring jobs to people.”
