Allison & Taylor sees uptick in people looking to climb career ladder

Allison & Taylor is one of those intriguing companies to watch if you want some clues about what direction the economy is heading. The Rochester-based firm checks the references for corporations and individuals. For instance, Allison & Taylor will check the past work references of people looking to land a new job. Since the recession hit a few years ago, it has been handling work for the newly unemployed. Today it's a combination of that workset and people who are employed and looking to climb the next rung of the career ladder. Those people are often the types who have been employed at the same job during the recession and looking to make the next step up, or to pay their bills took a job for which they were overqualified. "Many of these people are looking for jobs that are more in their skill set," says Jeff Shane, executive vice president of Allison & Taylor. Another growing part of the company is its cease-and-desist letter service. If Allison & Taylor finds that a former employer is giving a subpar reference, its attorney will send a letter asking that person to stop making the recommendation or face legal action. "The cease-and-desist letter service demand has been strong in the last two to three years," Shane says. Source: Jeff Shane, executive vice president of Allison & Taylor Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.