Southwestern Family of Companies

December Hiring: Why the Fourth Quarter is the New First Quarter

In the season of celebration, Hallmark movies, and ugly festive sweaters, holiday hiring may appear impractical and ineffective compared to the robust and opportunistic pace of the new year. In fact, the month of December has been notoriously recognized as a “holiday hiring freeze” when job searches are limited, candidates are scarce, and budgets are maxed. However, new research shows…

Shayne Merrick: Doing Things That Matter

For Sales Division Leader Shayne Merrick, recruiting is anything but ordinary. In his 13th year with ThinkingAhead Executive Search, Merrick has successfully placed over 400 candidates worldwide and laid the foundation for innovative sales recruiting. Growing up in New Palestine, Indiana, Merrick’s competitive spirit was developed through a passion for soccer and in a round-about way led him to Purdue University.…

A Winning Profile in the Game of LinkedIn

In an age where LinkedIn currently has over 610 million active members, the world’s largest professional network refuses to be just another bookmarked site. Boasting the membership of 90 million senior-level influencers and 92% of Fortune 500 companies, LinkedIn remains one of the fastest-growing social media networks. In the world of recruiting, more than 90% of recruiters use LinkedIn as…

Candidate Abandonment: Why Your Offers Just Aren’t Cutting It

Is your company facing candidate abandonment? In an era of swift decision-making and unnecessarily long hiring processes, 10 -15 % of your best candidates will abandon your position for every inessential week of delay. However, long hiring processes may not be the only reason you’re being disregarded by your top applicants.  Candidates who interview with poorly reputed companies and experience…

Beyond the Screen: Real Connections in Remote Teams

In a world where over 70% of employees work remotely at least once per week, virtual isolation is becoming increasingly common and overwhelmingly visible in the secluded workforce. The recognition of digital possibility has forced employers to give remote work a second glance and embrace the flexibility and efficiency of this new and arguably improved career style. Despite countless studies…

Making the Most of Your Interview

By ThinkingAhead

When it comes hiring and the interviewing process, there is a lot of talk about acquiring good talent and retaining good talent. Unfortunately, one of the challenges is that the interviewing PROCESS is often outdated. Hiring managers are sometimes asking the same questions that don’t always allow them to find out of the candidate is actually the right fit. Did…

10 Reasons Why People Quit Their Jobs

By ThinkingAhead

Every day more and more Baby Boomers retire, and with the workforce gap between the Millennial Generation and Baby Boomers, employers are going to have to work harder at retaining employees. Money is not the only factor in keeping the workforce alive, management is the key reason an employee decides to leave or stay within a company. So how do…

Spotlight on Whitney Morris, Medical Affairs Search

By ThinkingAhead

ThinkingAhead would like to congratulate Whitney Morris on another great year! After 3 years in a row of growing her business, Whitney was our top recruiter for 2018. Prior to entering the world of executive search, Whitney was a pharmaceutical representative for five years.  Whitney is a genuine, self-deprecating, and modest person, and might even say she had no idea…