Southwestern Family of Companies

The Internal Conversation

By Rich Weinman, Practice Lead, Architecture/Mechanical Construction

The psychology of every employee is differently complex. While most feel fortunate to have a respectable job and are grateful for the opportunities they’ve been presented, many also ponder if the grass is greener elsewhere- it’s just human nature. But although these thoughts may seem like an ungrateful intrusion, asking “what if?” is perfectly natural. Recruiters are experts at seeing…

Why Posting Jobs is Not Enough to Get Good Candidates

By Christy Farrell, Partner, Healthcare Technology & Innovation

You’re encouraged, but also overwhelmed: a single job posting has brought in hundreds of applications. Executives are so busy they can barely find time to sort through the most qualified candidates — and it’s doubly frustrating when less than 10 percent of applicants are qualified for the role. What’s going on? Where’s the top talent? If this scenario sounds familiar, you may need the expertise of…

4 Ways to Keep Your Millennial Employees Engaged

By Courtney Rice, Partner, Banking

We all want the same thing – a rewarding job filled with opportunities for growth and career development. Although these younger employees has been increasingly dissected and analyzed, perhaps the most overlooked aspect of their generation is that they do indeed value stability, contrary to the stereotype. Having grown up in a sluggish economy and dealt with profound challenges from student…

Why should I talk to a recruiter if I am happy in my job/with my company?

By Jay Boone, Partner and Manager, Banking

At its core, a recruiter’s job is to create happiness. Recruiters work hard to ensure employers and employees are perfectly matched and positioned to create success, cultivate growth, and enjoy an excellent quality of life together. Why, then, should an employee who is already content with and fulfilled in their current position contact a recruiter in the first place? Know…

Applicant Tracking Systems may Not Always Capture the Best Candidates

By Cathy Moll, Manager and Partner, Life Sciences

Empowered by job-seeking sites and online career boards, candidates no longer have to diligently type out and mail resumes and cover letters to the jobs they’re genuinely interested in. Instead, with a single click, they can apply to numerous jobs at a time. For job seekers, this makes things easier and saves enormous amounts of time, but for businesses, it’s…

Secrets to an Accepted Offer: Get the Buy-in Early

By Sean Sposeep, Partner, Life Sciences

How quick is your company’s average time to hire? If it’s hitting the one-month mark, you could be wasting valuable resources interviewing candidates and making offers — only to repeat the process when a candidate turns you down. According to DCRTrendline, the average time to hire is currently around 28 days, which is an all-time high. At the same time, hiring experts…

Contingent vs. Engaged Recruitment

By Matt Lewis, Partner and Practice Lead, Banking

Defining and managing expectations is critical for every client-recruiter relationship to ensure that the objectives for every search are reached. As such, clients and recruiters typically agree to either a contingent recruitment or engaged recruitment plan in order to define and manage those expectations. Clients managing costs would love to conduct each and every search under a contingent arrangement. What…

How Managing Human Bonds Creates Truth in Recruiting

By Christy Farrell, Partner, Healthcare Technology & Innovation

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines human bonding as “the formation of a close relationship (as between a mother and child or between a person and an animal) especially through frequent or constant association.” As a recruiter who specializes in healthcare technology and innovation I realize that I am working with clients and candidates who have so many other relationships in their lives: family, friends,…