ST. PETERSBURG, FL \u2014 A St. Petersburg entrepreneur has launched a business aimed at helping employers bring job candidates and new hires to the Tampa Bay area with a more personal touch.<\/p>\n
The Welcome Standard<\/a>, founded by Tori Smith, works with recruiting and human resources teams to plan tailored visits and early relocation support for people considering a move to the region.<\/p>\n The business focuses on both the pre-hire and the post-hire experience with services that include customized on-site visits for candidates and concierge support during a new employee\u2019s first 90 days in the area, she told Patch.<\/p>\n Find out what’s happening in Sarasotafor free with the latest updates from Patch.<\/p>\n Recruiting teams can use the service to show candidates how their lives, families, and futures could fit in St. Pete and the greater Tampa Bay area, Smith said.<\/p>\n She built the company after about a decade in recruiting. Before starting The Welcome Standard, she worked in sports and corporate recruiting, including as director of on-campus recruiting for Ohio State\u2019s football program from 2016 to 2020.<\/p>\n Find out what’s happening in Sarasotafor free with the latest updates from Patch.<\/p>\n That role taught her how to connect talent to a community, not just a position.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a really cool job. I was in charge of anything the recruits were seeing while visiting Ohio State and it was really curated to them and their parents,\u201d Smith said. \u201cWhen they were on site, I figured out what they needed to feel comfortable going to school there and relocating.\u201d<\/p>\n Working at Ohio State also taught her the value of such services.<\/p>\n \u201cI learned how expensive relocating and recruiting people is. The dollars behind it are very quantifiable,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n A turning point also came during her husband\u2019s medical residency in Utah, when Smith saw doctors being recruited with help from community advocates who showed families how life in a new city could work beyond the job itself.<\/p>\n At the time, she was working as a recruiting manager for a trucking company in Utah. While it brought home a paycheck, she couldn\u2019t shake a recurring thought: \u201cI am bored to death.\u201d<\/p>\n When she and her husband relocated to St. Petersburg three years ago, after his residency ended, the wheels started turning for her, as she thought about how the efforts by the community advocates at her husband\u2019s residency could be applied to other sectors.<\/p>\n The Ohio native originally landed in St. Petersburg in the fifth grade, attending Northside Christian School. She deeply loved the city even then, and when, just a few years later, her family decided to return to Ohio while she was attending Osceola Fundamental High School, it was devastating for the teen.<\/p>\n She vowed to return one day, and kept in touch with her friends in Florida, including Jeremy, her best friend at Northside Christian and future husband, according to her website.<\/p>\n So, Smith was excited to be back in St. Pete after so many years, and even more excited when she learned she was pregnant with their first child.<\/p>\n She was still working remotely for the Utah-based trucking company, but knew it was time for a big career change.<\/p>\n \u201cI was pregnant and realized that I want to be the mom that actually sets a good example; the mom who does the things she says she is going to do and has the courage to do it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Recognizing St. Petersburg\u2019s growth and the entire region\u2019s appeal, as well as her love for the area, Smith took a calculated leap about a year ago to launch The Welcome Standard.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like St. Pete is growing \u2026 and I think it\u2019s important that people, when they are moving here, we\u2019re making these investments in the community and plugging in and making them a part of the community,\u201d she said, adding, \u201cIt\u2019s a deeply personal mission, I guess, because I also want to like the people in St. Pete. Companies are feeling these really important positions and I want the best of those people in St. Pete. This is kind of giving [businesses] that edge of attracting people that fit into the cool culture here.\u201d<\/p>\n Smith went public with her concept for The Welcome Standard in December 2025, participating in St. Pete Pitch Night organized by the St. Pete Greenhouse and the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce.<\/p>\n Her pitch to community business leaders earned her the Audience Choice Award and a $500 prize.<\/p>\n \u201cThat pretty much paid for my chamber membership,\u201d Smith said. \u201cIt was the first time I\u2019ve ever pitched anything. And when I did it, I was like, \u2018That was awesome. Now, I\u2019ve set it out into the universe.\u201d<\/p>\n Since then, she\u2019s worked with employers in healthcare, finance, tech and education. Her service can include outreach before a visit, recommendations based on a candidate\u2019s interests, and help connecting new residents with local events and activities after they move.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all completely tailored to them,\u201d Smith said. \u201cHaving a connector point is a really big value add. \u201cThere are studies that show you normally make up how you feel about your move in 45 days. That\u2019s a short window where your mind is made up on how long your tenure in a location will be.\u201d<\/p>\n While she\u2019s focused mainly on Pinellas and Hillsborough counties at the moment, she anticipates expanding into nearby Pasco and Manatee counties over time.<\/p>\n She also plans to launch newcomer events where adults can meet and make friends this summer.<\/p>\n Are you a local business owner? Post a business listing on Patch! It\u2019s an easy way to reach a local audience and connect with customers close to home. Go here<\/a> to get started today.<\/p>\n