This is third in a series related to clients I learn from and admire. Mike Klockenga is the President/Owner of Progressive Electric in Lincoln. I have known Mike since 1990 when we both worked for Sundstrand Aerospace (now Hamilton Sundstrand). Mike was a Plant Manager for Sundstrand in York, Nebraska and I reported to him [...]
As an Austin retained executive search firm, we have a fiduciary duty on behalf of our company clients to know when a candidate for a position will not work out in the end. In other words, when it becomes clear that you will not be able to help the client hire the candidate because of [...]
About 50% of my retained executive search practice is made up of long term clients in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska. Omaha and Lincoln are usually not on everyone's top 5 places to live but it does offer a wonderful quality of life. In selling candidates on the Big Red State, I discuss the following positive [...]
As an Executive Search Firm based in Austin, Texas, I am often asked for references on an executive candidate that clients have a great deal of interest in and may offer the position to. As I have mentioned before, I learn a great deal from my clients. Vickey Thayer Kleinsmith, the former VP of Human [...]
This morning I sent a wonderful person some names of business people she may want to contact in the Austin community. This person is looking at a career change and is interested in pursuing networking referrals that will eventually lead to her next job. When I decide to help someone with networking referrals I try [...]
This is a continuing series about clients I learn from that have helped me become better at what I do as an Austin area Executive Search Firm owner. I am blessed with some wonderful, long term client relationships since I started in the Executive Search business in 1997. The first person I wrote about recently [...]
Business leaders sometimes forget about selling the location of the job opportunity or don't take the time to do that. This week's recruiting activities brought this squarely in mind for me. We had an excellent, top executive fly down from another state to Austin for an interview. I took the lead to pick up the [...]
One area that most executive search firms and staffing agencies do not do particularly well in is saying "thanks but no thanks" to candidates who do not receive the offer. Personally, I consider this as part of our job and a way to establish a long term relationship with the candidate who was unsuccessful. If [...]
I do best my thinking in the shower. Heard the song 1999 by Prince this morning and that song led to a thought about the current economy. It suddenly feels like 2007 from an economic perspective. My Austin based Executive Search firm has received five executive searches this year and it is only early March. [...]
I have met and connected with a local Austin consultant who has become a role model for me. This person is younger than me (may be wiser too) and leads by example as a consultant in our community. He is always available to help and adds value to any issue I am working on. His [...]
