Executive Suite: Merrill Lloyd Banks

Forty years ago Merrill Lloyd Banks founded Lloyd Staffing, a one-man shop that has grown to include four locations and four franchisees.

Banks got his start in the late 1960s as a typewriter salesman. Looking for a new opportunity, he visited a friend at a Manhattan employment agency and noticed how many placements were being made. He recalls saying, "Maybe I'm going to interview with your boss," which led to his being hired to place sales staff.

Lloyd Staffing now connects employers with temporary and direct-hire employees in fields including architecture, engineering, sales, finance, human resources, information technology, administration and marketing.

To mark its 40th anniversary this month the firm is reaching out to Long Islanders in need by donating 80 gift cards for Thanksgiving turkeys to be distributed through Long Island Cares -- the Harry Chapin Food Bank, and the Family and Children's Association.

What's a new development in staffing?

"Part of the excitement of the business has been identifying talent for job titles that didn't even exist a few years ago but were created through new technology -- for example, director of blog content," as well as enterprise mobility manager. "Now, they're talking about clouds!"

What business adversity have you overcome?

At first when the job boards came along, "we thought our business was over. How were we going to compete?" By not panicking, Banks says, he saw the opportunity to use the boards to find and qualify candidates to send to companies. Without an intermediary, clients were saying, "We don't want these [job hunters] coming to us. We need to hire people in order to handle these people." The boards "became a useful tool for us, rather than an obstacle."

What do you look for when hiring your own staffers?

The company hires people with expertise in the sector for which they'll be recruiting -- be it sales, human resources, information technology. Along with that, "I look for a person who doesn't mind going through the process." That means helping a job candidate with resume writing, preparing for interviews, yet being OK when the person says, "By the way, I think I'll stay where I am."

What early influences prepared you to run a business?

Growing up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan with the name Merrill, given to him by his mother, who always told him, "Merrill, you're going to be a leader." "So, it was her telling me I was a leader and living with a name like Merrill, especially on the Lower East Side."

What's your most fun workplace perk?

A golf putting hole in his office: Sometimes, "I close the door, take out my putter and I putt for 20 minutes."

If there were a fire alarm, what in your office would you grab first?

"I still have my placement book from 1971 . . . I placed seven people in my first month [in business]."

CORPORATE SNAPSHOT

NAME: Merrill Lloyd Banks, chief executive of Lloyd Staffing in Melville

WHAT THEY DO: "We're the agent for bringing people and companies together."

CORPORATE STAFF: 86 full time, five part time in roles such as recruiters, talent researchers, account executives, administrative staff

REVENUE: $30 to $40 million.