Some achievements come with a title. At TEEMA, one of them comes with an orange jacket.
Each year, the orange jacket is awarded to TEEMA’s top-performing sales member. On paper, it’s an award for performance. But ask the people at TEEMA about it and it’s pretty clear that it has become something more than that.
It’s part of TEEMA’s history, and a tradition that has stuck around as our staffing and recruitment community has grown.
A Tradition Worth Carrying Forward
Since TEEMA’s early days, the Orange Jacket has given members something to work toward and a way to recognize an incredible year.
That still matters today.
Recruitment is competitive. The people who come to TEEMA are experienced, driven, and want to do well. But there’s also a collaborative side to the community. Members share knowledge, lean on each other, and want to see the people around them succeed too. The orange jacket has become a reflection of both.
It recognizes the results, of course, but also the hard work, resilience, and consistency it takes to get there. According to the American Staffing Association, recognition programs like these honor individuals who are outstanding performers and exemplify the promise of staffing employment industry-wide, not just at TEEMA.
When Jeremy talks about the jacket, he connects it to TEEMA’s “past, present, and future.” It’s a tradition that recognizes the people who have helped shape TEEMA over the years, while giving today’s members something meaningful to work toward. As TEEMA continues to grow, carrying that tradition forward helps connect each new generation of members to the culture and accomplishments that came before them.
More Than a Sales Award
So, what does earning the orange jacket actually mean?
For Jeremy, the answer was simple: accomplishment.
It means a member took the opportunity in front of them and made something of it. They found their way of working within TEEMA, built strong relationships with their clients and candidates, and ultimately had an exceptional year.
But it isn’t only about hitting a number.
The orange jacket also represents a lot of what TEEMA values as a community. Accountability. Trust. Having a voice. Finding solutions for clients. Supporting the people around you while still pushing yourself to succeed.
Those things are harder to put on a leaderboard, but they’re a big part of what the jacket has come to represent.
Recognition That Has to Be Earned
There was a small moment in JP and Jeremy’s conversation that probably says as much about these jackets as anything else.
TEEMA also has a blue jacket, which recognizes achievement in Direct Hire. When it came up, Jeremy was quick to point out that he doesn’t have one.
He never earned it.
And that matters.
You don’t wear the jacket just because you’ve been around for a long time or because you hold a certain position. You earn the right to put it on.
That’s part of why the jackets have held onto their meaning over the years.
A Piece of TEEMA Culture
As TEEMA has grown, a lot has changed. But traditions like the orange jacket give members something that connects back to where the organization started.
Every person who earns one has their own story behind it. Different goals, different challenges, different paths to getting there, and each year, someone new gets to become part of that history.
At the end of the day, the orange jacket recognizes an individual achievement, but it has also become part of something shared across TEEMA. You have to earn it. And that’s exactly why it means something when you get to wear one.
For experienced recruitment professionals looking for a place where they can continue growing their career with the support of a collective, the orange jacket is just one glimpse into the culture we’ve built at TEEMA.
Interested in what it looks like to build your career at TEEMA? Contact us.
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