Life and Work in St. Louis: Why We Love The Gateway City
Since 2018, when Crew Members worked our first Bluecrew jobs in St. Louis, we have been proud to be part of this thriving community.
Our first St. Louis jobs were warehouse positions, picking and packaging for a local fulfillment center. After that initial entrance, we grew. Bluecrew has staffed a wide variety of positions from drivers at an automotive lot to assemblers as local factories to binders at a local printer. We’ve also held strong partnerships with a number of hospitality companies, and Crew Members have worked as servers, banquet staff, cooks, and more.
We’re proud to be part of the St. Louis community and to help the nearly 4,000 local Crew Members in our network find hourly jobs that fit their lives.
On March 13, the city of St. Louis declared coronavirus a public health emergency. Since that initial proclamation, the city (like most large American cities) has shut down not just large gatherings but also non-essential businesses. Our operations in St. Louis have changed a lot since then, and we have been exclusively hiring for essential jobs in local warehouses that are part of the national supply chain.
It has been difficult, but we’re excited to be nearing the end of “shelter-in-place” in St. Louis. We love helping people find great jobs that fit their lives, and we’re looking forward to being able to bring everyone back to work and help businesses reopen.
One thing many people don’t realize about Bluecrew is that we’re far more than just an app or a staffing platform. We have local team members on the ground who help recruit and onboard new Crew Members, make sure our St. Louis clients get what they need to stay fully staffed and operational, and keep their fingers on the pulse of everything going on with temporary staffing in St. Louis.
With reopening on the horizon - Missouri is already opening businesses, and St. Louis may be following in the next few weeks - we tapped a few of our St. Louis staffing experts to share what they love about the city and what they’re looking forward to in the future. Here’s what they had to say.
Meet Kayla and Rocela, two members of our St. Louis Bluecrew team.
Kayla Melton, Account Executive
Known for: Her great use of gifs on Slack
Rocela Ginther, Account Manager
Known for: Her secret talent as an amazing singer
What do you love about St. Louis?
Kayla: There is always something to do! I love that (not right now, but usually) there is always a show to see, a festival to attend, a game to play, or a fun new place to explore. St. Louis never leaves you bored.
Rocela: The city has a really diverse culture, as well as some great places to eat!
What is it like to be part of our Bluecrew St. Louis team?
Kayla: Bluecrew is a company that I am proud to work for. We are changing and adapting to what the current needs and climate are and we work hard to get better every single day. In St. Louis, I’ve seen Bluecrew give so many people the opportunity to quickly find jobs and land long-term positions. It’s so common to send out resumes into cyberspace and not know if anyone will see it. I’ve definitely done that before. But Bluecrew puts people in the driver’s seat to accept jobs on-the-spot. It’s different, and it really makes a difference for people.
Rocela: Jobs are high-stakes. Before coronavirus, we were helping hundreds of Crew Members each week earn a living to support their families. That’s huge.
What has shelter-in-place been like in St. Louis?
Rocela: It’s been pretty quiet - most places are shut down. I am glad though that Bluecrew has continued to work with essential businesses. We’ve been able to continue connecting workers with St. Louis jobs, and those companies are really working hard to keep our city running. I’ve missed getting together with friends for drinks and meals - one of my favorite pastimes (I mentioned St. Louis’ great food already!) - but know we’ll be back at it soon.
Kayla: I’ve loved to see everyone working together as a community (even though we can’t see each other). There are a lot of people working hard to support our local businesses, and it gives me hope to see those who can helping businesses keep their employees working. There are a lot of Facebook groups talking about the best curbside pickup and buying gift cards to local hair salons for later use. I really miss seeing my family - I’m dying to teach my nephew how to ride a bike - but I’m glad to see all of St. Louis staying inside to keep people safe. We’re all in this together :)
What are you looking forward to most about getting everyone back to work?
Kayla: It has been hard to see so many people struggling during the pandemic. I look forward to my community being in a happier and more stable place.
Rocela: I’m excited to just feel normal again!. It will feel great to be able to meet with friends and socialize normally.
What’s your favorite St. Louis Bluecrew memory?
Rocela: One of our Crew Members is from Africa. He really stood out to me because last summer, he was working soooo hard, and so many hours. When I saw him on a job site, I asked him if there was a particular reason that he had increased his hours so substantially. He let me know that he was saving to go to Africa. I remember seeing the joy in his eyes later that summer when he told me that he was going to take a leave and go back home. It was great to see him accomplish that goal and to know that Bluecrew helped make it possible for him to return home and visit his family.
Kayla: One of our St. Louis employers really wanted to find someone they could keep on full time. We matched them with one of the hardest-working Crew Members on our team, someone who not only works full time with them but also picks up extra shifts at a different employer as well. Eventually, he felt stable enough to stop taking the extra jobs and stick to a full-time position. He’s been very happy with the company, and they love having him on their team. It worked out for everyone - he has the long-term stability of a full-time St. Louis job and the company found a fantastic, loyal employee they love!
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