Dee Saidi in front of Home Good in McMinnville

On October 16th, MV Advancements celebrated National Boss’s Day by delivering over 600 donuts across Yamhill, Polk, and Marion counties to all the employers who partner with us and the people we support.

One employer we got to celebrate that day was Dee Saidi, the store manager of Home Goods in McMinnville. Saidi has over 17 years of experience running department stores like Home Goods, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls. When TJX, the parent company of these stores, decided to open a Home Goods store in McMinnville last year, they asked Saidi to be the person to oversee it.

As Saidi began building her team for the new store, she knew exactly the kind of employee she was looking for. “I wanted to build an engaged team that is eager and happy to come to work,” she said. “I try to cultivate that kind of environment by celebrating success publicly and providing opportunities for advancement.”

Many employers share this sentiment of hiring engaged and eager team members, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to find this kind of employee, according to Saidi. When tasked with opening the Home Goods in McMinnville, she ran into issues finding staff that fit her model.

That is until she met Vicki, a long-time supported individual in MVA’s services. Vicki was attending a job fair at the McMinnville Community Center where Saidi was recruiting for the grand opening of Home Goods.

When Vicki saw the Home Goods booth, she knew she had to have a job there. She marched right up and introduced herself, made a great first impression, and Saidi decided to hire her on the spot.

“Vicky brought a lot of energy to the interview,” Saidi said. “I like to see a fully engaged associate, it is okay if they don’t have experience as long as they want to learn.”

Vicky was one of the first employees hired at the McMinnville location and she has surpassed the company’s standards of productivity and dedication, according to Saidi.

“I love my job at Home Goods,” Vicki said. “It’s exciting and I’m fast and good at it.”

Since hiring Vicki over a year ago, Home Goods has hired two more employees supported by MVA.

“I like how [Saidi] was open to hiring more of MVA supported individuals,” Vicki said.

MVA is proud to partner with Saidi and the Home Goods company. She is an employer who values dedicated employees, understands how hiring the right person positively impacts the success of the business, and certainly deserved a donut on National Boss’s Day.

If you are looking for your next great employee, we can help with that! Email us at [email protected] or give us a call at (503) 835-2971