KOP Insiders: Marcia Zaruba-O’Connor, President & CEO of The O’Connor Group

KOP Insiders delves into the stories of the people who make King of Prussia one of Pennsylvania’s most dynamic live-work-play-stay destinations.

In depth interviews provide insight into the companies that make up our diverse business community and put a face to the individuals behind the business. In this edition, we are joined by Marcia Zaruba-O’Connor, President & CEO of The O’Connor Group.

Tell us a little bit about your background and The O’Connor Group.

I’m Marcia O’Connor, CEO and Founder of The O’Connor Group. We are an outsourced Human Resources and Talent Acquisition solutions company based in King of Prussia. We started on September 1^st of 2007 and recently celebrated 16 years in business. We have about 73 full-time employees on staff and have locations all over, including Alaska, Texas, Nevada, Florida, and Connecticut.

The O’Connor Group specializes in talent acquisition, human resources, and other outsourcing solutions for companies. We provide HR solutions, typically for companies under 300 employees, including infrastructure, strategic HR, benefits, compensation advice and more. Basically, we manage all your HR needs inside and out if you don’t want to hire a full-time person. On the recruiting side, we either become your recruiting team or we complement your recruiting team. We are not a commission group. What makes us unique is that we work on an hourly basis which has companies coming back to us again and again because they save time and money by utilizing our services.

What brought The O’Connor Group to KOP?

We chose to open a location in KOP because of its accessible location being right next to the Schuylkill Expressway, the Turnpike, and the Blue Route. We have all the amenities you could possibly want, including so many great restaurants. Then there’s the fact that there are so many other businesses around us, it makes for a nice environment for the company.

But I don’t just work in King of Prussia, I live here too. Most people don’t realize King of Prussia is about 70% commercial and 30% residential. When choosing an office location, I wanted to work somewhere close to where I live. Opening an office in King of Prussia was not only convenient but it’s been a great place to work. It’s a safe and clean area and we’ve had major improvements in Renaissance Park.  I’m proud of our office and the interior is very modern and fresh – people often come in and say “Wow, I wasn’t expecting this!”

We’ve been growing rapidly after COVID-19. Companies that did not expect to need HR suddenly had a demand for HR solutions. We’ve filled that demand and continued to expand. Recently, we’ve been doing a lot of work in healthcare facilities, and we’ve been fortunate to hire so many amazing people.

What makes KOP a good fit for your employees and company culture?

At The O’Connor Group, we are huge about our culture. Our mascot, a little squirrel named CECI, stands for our four core values of collaboration, execution, curiosity, and integrity. When thinking about the location for the business, it was important that the office be conveniently located where people could get to us from all over. King of Prussia was and still is the perfect location. It’s not too big or too small and you have access to a ton of different things; it’s like finding a diamond in the rough. Not to mention the taxes here are phenomenal. Being in KOP makes you feel safe and protected, which is what we want for our business and our employees. 

What are some of your favorite things to do in the KOP area?

I love the mall and how close it is to me. I can pop in and out on a weeknight without having to battle the crowds. The parks are a second favorite of mine. My husband and I do a lot of walking, so you can often find us at Valley Forge Park or the Memorial Gardens where it’s secluded, quiet, and beautiful. Upper Merion also has a good recreational league, so playing a team sport like pickleball is always fun.

I truly love living in KOP. In my neighborhood, we all know each other because we moved in around the same time and now our children have grown up together.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about moving their company to the KOP area?

I would ask them, “How much do you want to grow?” If you want to grow with people and have an enticing place to work, I highly suggest King of Prussia. It’s easy to recruit because people are willing to come from all over because of the great “middle” location, from Bucks County, Philadelphia, Delaware County, to even Lancaster.

King of Prussia helps build company culture. Something as simple as being able to have lunch somewhere close by makes an impact and that impact creates culture. It builds a bond and creates something to look forward to when coming to work. All those little pieces around you, make a difference, especially for building a company.

I would say if you looking to relocate or try something new in your business, KOP is a great place to be. With the amount of group activities like Topgolf that just opened, you can find a cool event to do with your team. There’s opportunity and space all over King of Prussia where it’s open, clean, and easy to get set up.

The floor is yours. Tell us anything you’d like to share about yourself or your company.

The O’Connor Group is big on community. We have a group called Connectors Who Care, which leads our philanthropic initiatives. Once a month, an employee chooses a charity to work with. We maintain a relationship with this charity by networking, volunteering, and donating. It’s important to our company that we not just focus on ourselves but take the time to help others around us.

About The O’Connor Group

The O’Connor Group is a talent acquisition and human resources outsourcing company. Their industry-specialized experts work as an integrated part of your team to help attract and retain the best employees while building the HR infrastructure a company needs to thrive.

3700 Horizon Dr.
King of Prussia, PA 19406
tocgrp.com