Corporate2 min

Always Active, Mary Susan Costa Assembles Our On-demand Workforce

When Mary Susan Costa joined Working Solutions as a contractor in 2003, she was one of only two people in human resources. “I was brought in to provide overflow relief to Kristin Skiko (vice president of Talent Management) in adding agents,” Mary Susan said. When Mary Susan became a full-fledged employee in 2006, the company’s name recognition was growing and so was the appeal of remote work.

“By the time Kristin appeared on the Dr. Phil Show to laud the benefits of working from home, we were flooded with applications—26,000 in all. Suddenly, or maybe not so suddenly, we had a great impetus to expand our team.”

Skyrocketing Growth

The company’s hyper-charged growth also demanded further automation of the application process. “We implemented a system that streamlined evaluations and triggered assessments’”

Mary Susan, who now serves as director of Virtual Talent, was amazed at the company’s growth trajectory. Over a 10-year period, her virtual talent team expanded from five to 13.

“I am honored to be part of such a high-performing company,” she said. “Everyone is so intent on doing the right thing. And this motivation comes right from the top. Kim Houlne has an amazing ability to select top performers.

“This company started so small, but, even with its growth, the culture has remained the same,” Mary Susan said. “We still place a lot of emphasis on regional corporate gatherings. We work remotely, but there’s never a doubt we are part of a tight team.”

On the Move

Mary Susan has traversed quite a bit of the U.S. in her life. Born in western Kentucky, she grew up in New Mexico and has spent the past 25 years in Colorado. While her family’s 5-acre property just outside of Colorado Springs may sound rural, Mary Susan said it really isn’t. “There is a lot going on really close by.”

It’s rural enough, however, for them to own horses. She, her husband and their two teenage sons stay busy hiking, riding horses and playing hockey. “I’ve been riding horses my entire life, and I don’t plan to ever give it up.”

She also loves the remote business model. “This arrangement has allowed me to balance work and family. I was always home when my kids came home from school, and we’ve had the flexibility to travel.”

Mary Susan has no doubt the company’s strong and supportive culture will serve it well over the next 25 years. “Even as we’ve grown large, Working Solutions remains like a second family to all of us, and we are committed to its success.”