Sean Lindsey doesn’t see himself as a leader.
PGS Worldwide’s founder is a teammate, a teacher, and a fan. His idea of leadership is letting the skill set of his staff shine while giving back to his community. Specifically, Sean started PGS with the goal of supporting fellow veterans with opportunities when they return home.
“There’s the potential that your life is in the hands of your comrades, and their life is in yours. I think that changes a person. This is an extension of what I learned in the [Army],” Sean said. “You take care of your own.”
In 2011, the then-accountant was approached with a unique opportunity to run a staff-owned hiring agency looking to create a diverse talent acquisition company supporting transitioning military members.
“What really intrigued me about it was the ability to help other veterans find jobs,” Sean said. “In addition to a good business model, I’d be able to give back.”
The work started with one local ammunition company. From there, the success of PGS processes allowed the company to support staffing programs for leading Aerospace prime contractors working on key NASA and Department of Defense programs. The continued commitment to excellence led to PGS being named one of the country’s top five fastest growing companies in 2020, according to Staffing Industry Analysts. Every day, PGS Worldwide connects these ever-advancing industry leaders with an experienced and specialty-skilled pool of candidates that can often only be found with a military background.
“Our clients produce the equipment that the soldiers have already used,” Sean said. “It’s an easy transition.”
Just like in the military, PGS works as a team to efficiently support clients and candidates alike.
“This whole thing is an engine. Every part and every team’s important,” Sean said.
PGS works to create synergy between recruiters, administration, Human Resources, and resume writers, creating systems that get great candidates jobs faster than its hundreds of competitors.
Sean believes that every day, the team comes together in exciting ways. One specific event he references is the Hypersonic Missile program in Courtland, Alabama.
“Every once in a while, a special project will drop. In this case late last year, we found out several positions would be opening in a state-of–the art facility,” Sean said.
Within hours, the company had developed a strategy and identified top talent, ultimately placing 15 out of the 36 positions. In a pool of hundreds of skilled recruiters nationwide, a team of 20 people in Independence, Missouri won out and executed their purpose in placing their candidates (mostly veterans) in life-changing opportunities.
Part of this successful synergy is created by treating everyone as family. From personally sending out paystubs to hundreds of employees, to ensuring his chosen family gets to share in the opportunities for growth, Sean wants every person in PGS to know they’re valued.
“To our candidates, our goal is to help them get their dream job whether it be by building them a better resume that highlights their skills or advocating for them during hiring. To all our employees, I would like them to know I consider them family, and that’s not always the feedback our industry gets. I don’t want any of our people to feel like we didn’t take care of them,” Sean said. “To our clients, our goal is to make their lives easier, not harder, because they already have a hard job. To our corporate office employees, we want you to feel like you have a place to grow and a home for a long time.”