The Client
The client is a major environmental remediation contractor leading cleanup efforts across the Midwest and Eastern U.S.
Background
Planet Forward’s relationship with the client began in the wake of a catastrophic train derailment in the winter of 2023 in East Palestine, Ohio. This derailment led to massive chemical HAZMAT damage to the soil, water, and air of this small town and surrounding areas. Several organizations, including our client, were tasked with leading the cleanup and remediation efforts. This put the client in critical need of Environmental Field Technicians.
Challenges Finding A Qualified Environmental Field Technician
While these Environmental Field Technician roles don’t require specialized degrees, they do require a 40-hour certification. They’re also labor-intensive and necessitate an ability to pass drug and background screenings that many candidates at the outset were unable to pass. Even candidates who interviewed well ended up not working out due to their inability to pass these screenings, which are required for working on such hazardous sites.
Even when candidates made it through the interview process, the client faced rapid and high turnover rates due to the strenuous and hazardous nature of working on the frontlines of these cleanup efforts. The client’s HR department became overwhelmed and turned to staffing experts like Planet Forward to help shoulder some of the burden of these talent acquisition and onboarding efforts.
Planet Forward was able to immediately benefit the client by providing industry experience, a dedicated recruitment team, and nationwide reach that broadened the available talent pool and effectively expanded their HR resources. Planet Forward’s recruiters successfully found, vetted, and placed an Environmental Field Technician to work on this cleanup.
Expanding Reach
This initial success led to further engagements on a variety of the client’s cleanup projects across the U.S. including major remediation efforts in the wake of a factory fire in Rockford, Illinois.
Well-versed in the construction and manufacturing industries, Planet Forward has relationships with experienced individuals who are not only capable and willing to take on labor-intensive roles, but are also able to pass the screenings and trainings required to work these cleanup projects.
If otherwise qualified candidates do not have their 40-hour certification, Planet Forward facilitates the necessary training to get it, and make sure they go through a HAZWOPER physical to ensure they are fit enough to work with hazardous materials in respirators.
While the client was initially working with several other staffing providers to help fill these roles, Planet Forward’s team quickly established itself as the go-to resource for qualified talent in this sphere. To date, Planet Forward has successfully placed more than 10 candidates into contract-to-hire positions, many of whom were hired by the client full-time almost immediately.
Planet Forward is proud to be a continued trusted partner in supporting these environmental cleanup efforts across the U.S.
Photo Credits: Canva