This summer, Groome Industrial Service Group faced a problem that threatened to slow development on its national expansion – namely, they didn’t have enough safety coverage in their key markets.
With nearly 1,000 employees and operations spanning power plants, paper mills, and heavy industrial sites nationwide, Groome’s leadership knew safety coverage wasn’t something they could leave to chance. Nor was the search something they could spend more time on.
The company needed qualified Safety Specialists in Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Salt Lake City. But the search was dragging on, and the clock was ticking.
Chris Lynn, Groome’s Vice President of Environmental Health & Safety,had only been with the company for about a year and a half. Yet, he had already seen firsthand the gaps in safety coverage created by rapid growth and multiple mergers. From his home office in Oklahoma, he wanted people he could trust to step into the field and strengthen Groom’s safety culture – without him having to micromanage from home.
The Tipping Point: Turning to ResponsAble
For weeks, Groome’s in-house team sifted through resumes but came up short. The candidates either lacked the right certifications or they had no industrial site experience. And, they hadn’t even started to consider the culture fit.
“They were busy hiring operators and mechanics,” Kevin McCann, Direct Hire Recruiter at ResponsAble explained, “Chris wasn’t getting qualified safety resumes, and he didn’t have time to waste.”
That’s when Chris made a decisive move. He bypassed the internal pipeline and reached out to ResponsAble.
“He signed with us without hesitation,” Kevin recalled, “He just wanted the job done right.”
Defining the “Right” Safety Hire
Chris wasn’t simply looking for a stack of credentials, though those were certainly non-negotiable. The right candidate needed OSHA 30, OSHA 500, OSHA 510, as well as industrial site experience, confined space training, and DOTD awareness.
But, his top priority was something you can’t always ascertain from a resume or job seeking platform profile: soft skills. While these might seem secondary for a safety management leadership position, they were pivotal to the long term success of the placement.
“He’s all about attitude,” Kevin said. “He wants people who are direct communicators and can really take ownership without a ton of hand-holding. For him, personality was the biggest factor.”
Finding the right Safety Specialist role meant finding a leader who could build trust, roll out safe driving programs, and work shoulder-to-shoulder with crews in the field.
That meant Kevin had to look deeper than job boards. So, he leveraged his personal database, pulled referrals from project managers, and strategically filtered candidates from LinkedIn and Indeed.Within days, he had a curated list of more than ten qualified Safety Specialists ready for review.
Introducing the Hires for Houston
Houston was Groome’s most urgent need. Within three weeks of receiving the order, Kevin had screened, interviewed, and submitted candidates for final review.
Chris quickly connected with two standout candidates. While Groome originally planned to hire only one Safety Specialist, the scale of the Houston operations demanded a great deal. And, with two, incredible candidates, a new opportunity presented itself.
“One guy can’t cover Houston,” Kevin told Chris. “You need more than that.”
The solution? Hire both. ResponsAble even provided a deal on the second placement to make it work. By early September, both hires were both on-site, fully onboarded, and working to strengthen safety coverage in one of Groome’s busiest regions.
After the Hire
The impact was immediate. Houston gained double the coverage, which allowed Groome to:
- Increase field presence and oversight at multiple job sites.
- Reduce gaps in coverage that left crews vulnerable.
- Begin building out a more consistent safety culture across its growing footprint.
Meanwhile, interviews are already underway for Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Salt Lake City.
“From the moment he gave me the order, I was submitting qualified people within two to three days,” Kevin says. “I handled the scheduling, ran the interviews, prepped the candidates, and stayed in constant contact. It was about making the process seamless for him.”
Candidate Experience: A Hire’s Perspective
ResponsAble’s success is measured in two ways: 1) by our client who sought to fill a safety staffing position, and (2) by our safety candidate. George P., one of the Houston Safety Specialists, described his experience this way:
“I first connected with ResponsAble when Kevin responded to my application. The process was smooth, and I felt supported the whole way. Kevin kept me well informed throughout the hiring process and helped me prepare for the interview with insightful suggestions.”
Achieving Long-Term Success with the Right Safety Hire
Groome Industrial’s experience shows what sets ResponsAble apart: it’s not just about speed, though that certainly helps. It’s about finding people who check the boxes technically, but also fit in with the culture of the company and the personalities on each team. ResponsAble manages the process end-to-end, so leaders can focus on operations, not recruiting.
By prioritizing communication skills, cultural alignment, and responsiveness, ResponsAble helped Groome expand its safety staff during a critical growth stage. And the partnership is only getting started.
Ready to Hire Once, and Hire Right?
ResponsAble Safety Staffing specializes in direct hire placements for safety roles nationwide. Whether you need Safety Specialists, Safety Managers, or EHS leaders, we’ll help you find excellent candidates who exceed your expectations.
Request Talent with ResponsAble
FAQs About Safety Staffing for Industrial Growth
Q: What made the Groome Industrial hires unique?
A: The emphasis was on soft skills and cultural fit as much as technical safety credentials. ResponsAble delivered candidates who could build trust and leadership in a dispersed organization.
Q: How fast did ResponsAble deliver?
A: From order to onboarding in about three weeks, with qualified resumes in hand within days.
Q: Does ResponsAble only recruit in Houston?
A: No. ResponsAble supports industrial safety hiring nationwide — including Atlanta, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, and beyond.
Q: What qualifications are most in demand for Safety Specialists?
A: Common requirements include OSHA 30, OSHA 500/510, confined space training, TWIC cards, and increasingly, clients are also requesting Board of Certified Safety Professional (BCSP) credentials.
Q: How does ResponsAble screen for soft skills?
A: Beyond resume checks, candidates are interviewed for communication style, problem-solving approach, and leadership presence. ResponsAble can provide coaching to candidates to prepare them on how to best speak to client expectations.
Q: Can ResponsAble support companies with multiple openings at once?
A: Yes. Groome’s case is a prime example — ResponsAble is filling multiple positions in different cities at the same time.