The Perfect Fit
As CEO and President of Staffing Solutions of Hawai‘i, it seemed as though Lisa Truong Kracher had achieved the highest title possible in her industry—that is until it doubled. In July 2019, Staffing Solutions of Hawai‘i acquired Kahu Malama Nurses making Kracher President and CEO of two successful local staffing agencies.
“I’m really excited about the opportunity of the acquisition and to expand in the healthcare division,” said Kracher, “Not only does it complement Staffing Solutions of Hawai‘i, in that it’s an extension of our staffing services to the local community, but now we’re also servicing more job opportunities and developing more relationships.”
Kahu Malama Nurses was founded 37 years ago by Kathy Newkirk Leong, who approached Kracher about continuing her company’s legacy when she retired. Kracher’s “once in a lifetime opportunity” has come with double the responsibilities and double the workforce; however, with 11 years of experience building Staffing Solutions’ policies, procedures and training in a sustainable way, Kracher is confident in her ability to navigate a new company.
Having grown up in Loma Linda, California, Kracher is no stranger to the medical industry—with two sisters in the dental field, two in the medical field, and a mother who works as a nurse. Prior to taking the helm of Staffing Solutions in 2008, Kracher worked as a Senior Consultant in Process Improvement at Kaiser Permanente in Southern California.
“It’s all healthcare which I’m familiar with,” said Kracher, “but I still need to learn the clients and the different disciplines. I think that’s where the challenge is now, just knowing how to direct my team in the best way possible to service our clients in the healthcare setting versus the commercial setting.”
When Kracher first took the reins of Staffing Solutions, she faced a very different set of obstacles. New to Hawai‘i and its business community, Kracher faced quite a learning curve when jumping from a corporation like Kaiser Permanente to entrepreneurship. As a young woman new to the island, she found it difficult dealing with local Hawai‘i business owners who were older, more knowledgeable, and had all the connections.
She adopted a sink-or-swim attitude, and—in order to prove to herself that she could succeed in the position—she studied the staffing industry, joined HR organizations, took staffing seminars, spoke with business owners and joined the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), where she served on the board of directors.
“I held true to my values and customer service and treated my clients the way I would like to be treated.”
“If I knew then what I know now, then I would have excelled faster of course,” says Kracher, “but I did the best I could when I started. I just went in there and held true to my values and customer service and treated my clients the way I would like to be treated.”
With Hawai‘i’s unemployment rate hovering around 2.7% it may seem difficult for a Hawai‘i staffing firm to fill positions with such a small pool of applicants; but, as Kracher has learned from experience, hiring from a local agency can reduce potential turnover rates and lead to a better fit overall.
“We know how Hawai‘i is unique in the culture, the aloha spirit and business operations,” said Kracher, “we know our candidates, we know the community, and we know what it takes to fill an open position and find the right match.”
