Every year, National Staffing Employee Week shines a spotlight on the millions of temporary and contract professionals whose contributions help businesses and communities move forward. At Lloyd Staffing, we take that opportunity to celebrate someone who represents the very best of our LloydEmployed workforce.
We are proud to name Ruby Gutierrez as Lloyd’s 2026 Staffing Employee of the Year.
Ruby’s story is a terrific example of how a contract staffing opportunity can become an important career milestone. Originally from California, Ruby made the ambitious decision to move approximately 2,500 miles to Conover, North Carolina. She was looking for an opportunity where her background in quality compliance and cleanroom environments would be recognized—and where she could continue to grow professionally.
Lloyd Staffing connected Ruby with a six-month contract assignment supporting a global life sciences compliance and regulatory consulting firm. She worked on-site at one of the firm’s affiliates, a major pharmaceutical company, in a role where precision, accountability and attention to detail are essential.
Ruby quickly made an impression.
Her assignment was extended several times because of her performance and work ethic, and the client described her job skills and demeanor as exceptional. Ultimately, the contract opportunity opened the door to a permanent position.
For Ruby, that transition reflects exactly what a contract role can offer when a professional approaches it with commitment and purpose.
“Honestly, moving from California to North Carolina was a massive leap for me,” Ruby shared. “I needed an agency that would actually look at my background in quality compliance and cleanrooms—not just glance at a resume and move on.”
She credits Lloyd with finding a role that made the cross-country move worthwhile and gave her the opportunity to grow.
Turning a Contract Opportunity Into a Career Milestone
Ruby’s work in sterility assurance carries significant responsibility. In an environment where product safety is on the line, there is little room for error. She understood that from day one—and made ownership, reliability and consistency part of her approach.
“It got my foot in the door,” Ruby said of her contract experience. “In sterility assurance there’s zero room for error, so showing up every day and taking full ownership built trust with leadership pretty fast. That’s what ultimately turned my contract into a permanent role.”
The experience also gave Ruby a personal confidence boost. Relocating across the country and succeeding in a high-pressure professional environment proved to her that she could take on a major challenge and make it work.
Her advice to other professionals considering staffing is straightforward: don’t think of contract work as simply temporary.
“Treat every shift like you’re building a long-term path for a rewarding career, keep open communication with your recruiter, and take pride in what you do on the floor,” she says. “If you deliver, a good agency will advocate for you.”
It is advice that reflects Ruby’s own experience—and one of the reasons her story resonates so strongly with the Lloyd team.
Life Beyond the Workplace
While Ruby takes great pride in her career, her greatest source of motivation is closer to home.
“My whole world is my family,” she says. Her husband and three children are at the center of her life, and she describes building and securing a strong future for them as her primary focus.
Family time often means road trips, exploring scenic outdoor spots and attending live music shows together. Ruby also has a creative side that keeps her busy when she is not working. Her hobbies include laser cutting and engraving, 3D printing, vinyl design, landscape and night-sky photography, home design and cooking traditional Mexican dishes from scratch.
Her favorite saying captures her approach to both work and life:
“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” — Michael Jordan
Ruby clearly puts that philosophy into action.
Celebrating a Standout LloydEmployed Professional
Melissa Matos, CSP, Vice President of Operations, leads Lloyd’s nationwide contract talent initiatives from Lloyd’s southern hub in Boca Raton. She says Ruby represents the qualities Lloyd looks forin its consultant community.
“Ruby embodies what we value at Lloyd — trusted consultants who take pride and care in their assigned responsibilities. She represents our consultant community with excellence and has earned outstanding feedback as a valued member of our client’s contract workforce. We are pleased to give her this honor.”
Ruby says the nomination means a great deal to her, particularly after the challenges and opportunities that came with moving 2,500 miles from California to North Carolina.
“Working in sterility assurance comes with real responsibility since product safety is on the line. I’m just really grateful to Lloyd for supporting me through the transition and helping turn a contract role into a real milestone.”
That is the heart of Ruby’s story: a major life change, a new professional opportunity, a commitment to doing excellent work—and the trust that grew from it.
Lloyd Staffing is also proud to have recently been named a 2026 Best of Florida Regional Employment Agency by Guide to Florida. Recognition like this is especially meaningful because it reflects the relationships we build with the professionals and clients we serve.
Congratulations, Ruby, on being Lloyd Staffing’s 2026 Staffing Employee of the Year! We are proud to have you as part of the LloydEmployed community and grateful for the excellence, dedication and professionalism you bring to your work.
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Interested in a contract assignment? Search current job openings on our website under FIND WORK.
If you need qualified contract or temporary associates to support your workforce needs, Lloyd has the solution. Reach out to us at HIRE NOW.
To learn more about the staffing and recruiting industry, visit americanstaffing.net.
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Written by Nancy Schuman, CSP is the former Chief Commuications Officer for LLoyd Staffing.
A recruitment and career specialist, Nancy has more than 40 years in the staffing industry – 27 of them with LLoyd. Now semi-retired, she remains an advocate for career education; she has advised thousands of candidates on their resumes and job searches while also serving as the Careers columnist for a large weekly Long Island newspaper. Nancy has written 11 popular books for job seekers and business professionals. You can find her Author’s page and books on Amazon. She continues to blog for Lloyd and coach job seekers at all levels, offering advice for today’s competitive workplace.