Since its founding in 1969 by Joe Malone, Malone Workforce Solutions has always been a family-owned and led business. That changed when Beth Delano arrived on the scene. After several years of driving success, expanding the company’s footprint nationally, and overseeing a massive rebrand and marketing-first strategy shift, Beth Delano was recently named the company’s first-ever CEO.

“I’ve always worked to do my best and believe that if you work hard and you follow the rules, in the end, you’ll get to where you want to be,” shares Beth about her recent promotion to the C-suite. “After the announcement was made, I was humbled that I was chosen, that they’ve empowered me and believe in my leadership and vision, as well as the team that I’ve built.”

Beth shares that what makes Malone so special, and successful, is rooted in its people-first and “keeping it real” culture, which is a key aspect of all interactions with clients, candidates and colleagues.

Re-branding and National Expansion

As part of the company’s recent nation-wide growth, acquisitions and branding efforts, Beth led the charge in hiring several key executives and spearheaded the strategy to shift the company to a “marketing-first” strategy. She was also a fierce advocate for the company’s rebrand, and felt that it was key to moving the company forward.

Beth says, “The big reason we needed it was to scale on a national level. Operationally before that, we weren’t ready. This is especially true in staffing because, as I like to say, ‘When the rubber hits the road, you have to fill the orders.’”

While it was a significant investment, Beth shares that it has already paid off in huge dividends, and she suggests that other leaders facing similar decisions on whether or not to rebrand use data to show the ROI. Beth says, “We’ve already reaped the rewards in a very short period of time and that’s because we have the tools in place to show the dollars and cents to leaders.”

Diversity and inclusion

Beth and Leslie also talk about Malone’s focus on culture, and how at the core of it, they’re truly people-first and “keep it real.” When Beth interviews potential leaders for their organization, she always tell them, “We love people. Whether it’s a client, a candidate or a staff member. We value people at our core… it’s not just fluff, it really ripples through our entire organization. All of our decisions truly do start there.”

A big part of Malone’s people-first approach is centered around diversity and inclusion, which the company truly makes a priority. “We really do look at every process, every part of the organization through the eyes of the people and how it will impact their day-to-day and what their experience will be like… We don’t think of people’s roles, or status or gender when we’re thinking about their impact.”

She truly believes that “It makes life so much easier when you can honor the person first.”

Beth also offers advice for women in business looking to move up in their companies, whether in staffing or otherwise. “It’s hard as a woman coming up and you have to find your voice. You have to be able to share that information with people in a very professional, yet very timely, manner.”

Beth also shares how she finds her own inspiration and recommends that others, “Find your voice. Speak. Say what you believe. If it’s coming from your heart, it’s most likely coming from the right direction.”

Leslie and Beth close their conversation with tips on how to be your own career champion, why confidence is key, as well as the importance of mentorship.

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