In the summer of 1974, amidst an era of corporate barriers for women, Carmella Calta planted the seeds of Staffing Solutions Enterprises (SSE). “That was a time when there was a glass ceiling, and I didn’t think that the corporate environment was quite right for me at the time,” Carmella said. Fueled by an entrepreneurial spirit and over five years of professional experience in HR, she noticed a gap in the temporary staffing sector. “I knew that the temporary companies providing temporary employees were not doing a good job. I knew I could distinguish myself in the market.”

Humble Beginnings and A Vision to Transform Staffing

Minute Girls Temporary Help Service, as SSE was initially known, was founded by Carmella Calta on July 1, 1974, focusing on clerical placements. Carmella, with just one recruiting employee, made it her mission to market and sell the vision of Minute Girls. Even before officially launching, she began interviewing potential candidates. The ‘70s marked a challenging era with a recession, but Carmella was determined in her vision for the business to help connect companies to talent they would eventually need. Despite initial reluctance from employers and a hiring freeze due to economic downturns, Carmella invested a year dedicated to groundwork in marketing the brand and building relationships through door-to-door outreach, scheduled appointments, the distribution of brochures, and extensive networking. This investment paid off as when employers were ready to resume hiring, they knew they could rely on us.

Evolution of Minute Girls to Minute Temps

In the early days of Staffing Solutions, Carmella and the team wore distinctive red, white, and blue scarves, infusing their unique personality with a professional touch that became a symbol of their brand. Towards the late ‘70s, we underwent a strategic rebrand from Minute Girls to Minute Temps. Throughout the rebrand, the primary focus on building lasting relationships through marketing and recruiting, remained consistent.

Staffing Solutions’ Personal Approach

In the 1970s, Staffing Solutions Enterprises, under Carmella’s guidance, thrived in an era defined by hands-on operations and interpersonal connections. Communication relied on traditional phones, and personal engagement was at the core of recruitment. Face-to-face interviews, paper tests, and typewriters characterized the hiring process. To better meet the needs of our employees, our office extended its Friday hours. References, applications, and tests were all distributed and reviewed by hand in this era. Carmella’s hands-on approach was evident as she prioritized local employees, fostering meaningful relationships during weekly in-person check pickups. This hands-on approach defined Staffing Solutions’ personal touch in the technology-limited decade.

Building the Foundation for 50 Years of Transparency and Integrity in Staffing

Staffing Solutions Enterprises (SSE) distinguished itself with a set of core values that has guided us from the 1970’s to where we are today, 50 years later. As Carmella Calta, our founder, emphasized, “The basic core value is honesty and integrity whether it is with the assignment employee or the client.” This commitment to doing the right thing was not without its challenges. “In any business, there are times you can slide through without being entirely honest or not communicating freely about something. We were always forthright, handling every interaction with complete honesty, and leaving no grey areas,” Carmella said.

Reflecting on her interactions with employees in the early days, Carmella said,  “At that point in the history of the company, I had a lot of interaction with the employees,” she recalls. People recognized her at job fairs, sharing stories of personal and professional growth within SSE. This reaffirmed the importance of our mission in maintaining quality placements, focusing on skills tests, interviews, reference checks, and assessing the right attitude for a perfect fit. This commitment to honesty and fostering genuine connections laid the foundation for SSE’s unique identity, ensuring a legacy marked by transparency, integrity, and a pursuit of excellence in talent acquisition.