For most of our Commercial Banking and Commercial Finance recruiters, 2023 was slower than usual. High interest rates, demand for deposits, and suppressed credit appetites stifled growth. This year, though firms are still facing the same uncertainties, they are beginning to make some strategic hires. This article is a high-level, brief overview of the current hiring conditions of each sector…
Resignations can be difficult and a little awkward, but—like growing pains—they are the necessary first step toward beginning a better opportunity. As you prepare to resign, here are a few steps to follow. Gather your thoughts and remember your ‘why’: Take some time to reflect. Write down your reasons for leaving your current job and for taking a new job.…
Elise Gay just received the 2023 Ralph Mosley Award, ThinkingAhead’s highest honor given to one recruiter who truly exemplifies integrity (check out our core values for how we define integrity in recruiting). A 6-year veteran in our Life Sciences Practice, Elise represents our shared commitment to the highest standard of ethics in recruiting. But as a jobseeker or hirer, how…
The Life Sciences industry witnessed a tumultuous year in 2023, marked by mergers, acquisitions, and financial setbacks. This upheaval resulted in over 9000 professionals finding themselves unexpectedly in the job market, navigating a landscape shaped by automation and AI-driven hiring processes. As AI embeds itself deeper into the hiring landscape, both job seekers and hirers alike are experimenting with cutting…
JW Heflin is an Equipment Finance and Leasing Recruiter of 8 years, leading the Equipment Finance and Leasing practice at ThinkingAhead Executive Search. Like many other areas of banking and commercial finance, JW’s niche faced uncertainty in 2023, causing him to reflect on the true keys to success in his role and the roles he services. JW likes to say…
Have you ever received a counteroffer from your employer? You handed them your resignation, and they presented you with an offer for more money, more benefits, a more flexible work schedule, or something similar. How did you respond? We coach our candidates to be extremely cautious of counteroffers. They are a rushed effort from an employer to keep their talent…
As recruiters, we comb through thousands of LinkedIn profiles. With so many people moving across our screen, we look for “green flags,” or commonalities in the profiles of our strongest candidates. Here are some profile elements that the best candidates do not miss: A Quality Photo of Yourself: Your profile photo is the first impression of your LinkedIn profile. Missing…
Imagine this: you know you need to hire higher-level talent for your organization, but you are not sure how to go about finding it. You’ve had many successful hires on your own before, through in-house hiring managers or talent acquisition specialists, but you also know there are executive search recruiters who specialize in your specific field. How do you know…
I used to lead a large faith-based nonprofit. In that season, my leadership team and I cashed in every relational chip we had to bring in great talent, but eventually our connections ran dry, and we decided to start outsourcing recruiting help. The first time we used a recruiter, we paid the full fee upfront, they sent us lackluster talent, and…
Not all recruiters do it right. Many take a high-volume approach, capitalizing on unsure job markets, an urgent need for employment or workers, or unknowing talent. Our legal recruiters have seen a rise in what they call “resume spamming:” A recruiter will find a resume and then hand it out to as many law firms as possible without notifying or…
