In January of 2002, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers was playing in theaters and How You Remind Me by Nickelback was the number one song in America. Nokia cell phones were the top-selling mobile phone, and the first Apple iPod was barely a few months old. In Edina, Minnesota, Mary Younggren had just purchased the staffing agency she’d been leading for eight years, renaming it Advent Talent Group.  

Over the next 20 years, Advent Talent Group was The Little Engine That Could, achieving success through hard work and positivity. Not only did the organization thrive during economic booms but also through seemingly impossible challenges like the Great Recession, the Covid-19 Pandemic, and much more.   

Throughout its 20-year history, Advent Talent Group has created a delightfully unexpected experience for job seekers and hiring managers alike, with its people-first approach to providing staffing solutions in the Twin Cities. Advent’s unwavering commitment to improving the staffing experience has contributed to its remarkable success. In fact, despite the Covid-19 downturn of 2020, the company experienced substantial growth from 2019 to 2021.  

When asked how a small company creates this kind of loyalty and longevity in such a competitive industry and job market, Mary says, “The thing we hear most often from our clients and candidates is how different we are because of the personal attention people receive from our caring team. It’s so rewarding to hear that we’re changing the way people feel about staffing.”

“It’s so rewarding to hear that we’re changing the way people feel about staffing,” says Advent Talent Group Owner, Mary Younggren.

She adds, “Living our values is critical to the Advent difference. We try to bring our five core values into every interaction we have with people. We create processes, make hiring decisions, reward our employees, and design business strategies with these values in mind.” 

Mary emphasizes that one core value in particular has remained a strong focus for the organization over the past two decades: Make a Difference.  

 In the past year alone, Advent has:  

• Expanded their nonprofit business partnerships fourfold, including increased support of the important work of the GTCUW 211 Project 
• Connected hundreds of people with rewarding employment 
• Continued their support of the Girl Scouts River Valleys, The Brand Lab, Avivo, and the newest addition - Thrive-Ed! 
• Nominated and celebrated Advent employee Souphak Kienitz as the 2022 National ASA Employee of the Year – Sou was selected out of thousands of applicants nationwide 
• Celebrated Mary’s acceptance of the NAWBO-MN presidency for 2022 – NAWBO-MN helps women business owners gain access to education, peers, and support to guide them through scalability, stability, and succession 
• Continued their equity work both internally and externally through Mary’s professional associations, including WPO, NAWBO-MN and ASA 

In honor of their 20th anniversary, Advent Talent Group has selected Make a Difference as their company promise this year. Keep your eyes on the Advent team as they carry this value forward and celebrate their exciting company milestone throughout 2022.

 About Advent Talent Group

Advent Talent Group helps businesses build teams driven by extraordinary people with uncommon strengths. We specialize in Office Operations, Marketing, and Creative and our services include temporary staffing, direct placement, retained search, and payrolling options.  

Our small, award-winning team puts people at the center of everything we do. Every year, we give back more than 10% of our profits through our giving program, Advent Cares. We are committed to partnering with organizations that share a dedication to service, collaboration, and equity. Our core values are Be You, Make a Difference, Save the Day, Have Fun, and Always be Growing.