Five Reasons You Want to Work at Broadreach

You know that a recruiter’s role is to help you fill an open position in your organization. But did you know there are different ways to use a recruiter to your advantage?

Life is short. At Broadreach, we don’t have time for work we don’t enjoy or people we can’t respect. That goes for our clients, and our team as well. We love what we do, we do it with good people—and we do it really well. 

That’s led to some “good problems,” of late: Broadreach is growing, and to meet client demand we’re adding a few more savvy recruiters to our ranks. And as recruiters, we know that finding a good fit is a two-way street. So first, we want to tell you what’s so great about us. 

Five reasons Broadreach Staffing is a killer place to work

1. We hire good people.

Our commitment to hiring the best means you get to work with the best. Many Broadreach recruiters—including me—come to recruiting by way of professional, industry, and business experience that undergirds our recruiting chops. We know what our clients need because we’ve done the jobs we recruit for. 

And “good people” goes beyond just being talented, creative recruiters. We know that emotional intelligence is just as important as any other kind of smarts. Our team is full of people with integrity who we respect, whose opinions we value, and who we want to spend our time with. 

2. We build businesses.

Broadreach goes beyond basic recruiting to provide senior-level business consulting. Other recruiting agencies focus much more narrowly on one position, and on netting a commission. We see our role as one of helping each client shape the open position to lead to long-term success, and adapt their organization to sea changes that affect hiring and retention. From advising on compensation to updating hiring practices, we have the deep satisfaction of doing so much more than just filling holes. 

3. Fun is one of our core values.

Stephen Stills sang, “I don’t do business that don’t make me smile.” We agree. We’re pros, we’re fast, and we’re fun. We work with good clients, and we celebrate our successes—including with an annual all-expenses paid President’s Club trip. As one of my recruiters puts it, “We work hard and play hard and we laugh a lot—mostly at each other.” 

4. We pay well.

We know you’re wondering, so we’ll set your mind at ease. We pay higher than any company in the industry. We want to hire the people who do the job well, and pay them handsomely so they want to keep doing it.

5. You’ll never close alone.

The truth about the Broadreach team is that we’re truly a team. While each of us has the freedom to work independently and play to our strengths—and doesn’t need a boss breathing down their neck—we value the collaboration that makes all of us even better.

I founded Broadreach, but I work here too. And I value my time too much to settle for working anywhere that isn’t, frankly, as good as it gets.

Did you come into recruiting with an industry or business background, fall in love with it, and now you want to work with the best? We want you on the Broadreach team. 

Send us your resume.

Tough Time Finding Perfect Talent? Then Hire the “Best Available Athlete!”

In this historically tight labor market it can be extremely difficult for hiring organizations to find “the perfect fit” – a candidate that has all the required experience, skills and demeanor to jump into a role immediately and be insanely productive out of the gate.  Yet, many hiring managers are holding out for just that profile – the perfect applicant that’s available right now, flawlessly moves through the hiring process, takes the comp package as-is and jumps right in to the role as if they had been performing in it for 10 years.  Unfortunately this type of unrealistic hiring mentality is holding many organizations back in terms of growth, and highly qualified candidates that can help the organization are being overlooked in favor of almost mythical profiles that never step through the hiring door.  What’s our advice to companies that are stuck in the perfect fit syndrome?  Be flexible, be realistic and look to hire (with a nod to New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick) the “best available athlete.”

For the NFL uninitiated (or Patriots haters) the phrase “best available athlete” refers to a player drafting technique (often used by Belichick) in which a team will select the best overall athlete left when it’s their turn to pick on the college draft board – even if that player does not currently fill a specific current positional need.  Teams will go with the best athlete that remains on the board instead of drafting a potentially lesser player that may fill a role on the depth chart.  Why do teams employ this draft approach?  Truly elite athletes tend to be highly flexible and can learn other roles.  They can adjust and, with the proper training and support, can learn a new position quickly and make a contribution to the organization relatively quickly.  Top athletes are usually resilient, determined and self-motivated.  They enjoy and respond well to challenges, like learning new positions and helping the team in any way they can.

As the founder and president of a recruitment firm that prides itself on finding hidden gems that others can’t, I will tell you that this approach can be adapted for businesses with tough-to-fill roles in tight talent markets. In particular, companies that have multiple roles to fill would benefit from this sort of flexibility.   Here’s an example of how this can work.  Not long ago I was meeting with one of our clients, a VP of Technology, that was seeking two experienced, talented software engineers with a very specific technology skill-set.  Our client knew the market is incredibly tight for folks like this and after some discussion we agreed to find the “best athlete” that already works in the same vertical business sector but perhaps the tech stack may not align perfectly. He acknowledged they could learn the technology while still being productive in the role and that it would not take them long to get up to speed given their other related skills.  By taking this approach, we were able to present him with multiple candidates for the two open positions and he was able to bring them aboard quickly  – within a month of working with us.  Now, he could have waited 75, 90 or even 120 days or more to hold out for the perfect fit, but he understood the value of getting talented people in seats that want to learn and grow, rather than waiting several months to find the needles in the haystack while watching his projects stall out, his current staff get frustrated by a lack of help, and his lost opportunity costs rising every day.  We believe the most forward-looking technology managers are seeking talent over exact matches, and that’s how they win.  Talented, committed employees are happy to learn new skills and managers are happy to keep projects on schedule.

If you or your organization is having trouble finding the right talent to hire, please feel free to contact us to discuss your needs.  We would be happy to have a consultative conversation to review the challenges you’re facing and how Broadreach Staffing can help.

4 Key Things Top Candidates Do When Preparing for a Job Interview

As the founder of a national recruitment firm and someone who has been involved in the recruitment industry for many years, I have personally worked directly with hundreds of candidates helping them to prepare for a job interview.  Despite all the changes over the years in the recruitment process, one aspect has stayed consistent; at some point the candidate and the hiring manager will sit down across the table from each other (either virtually or in-person) and the hiring manager will ask what they consider to be key questions that will have a very significant impact in whether or not the candidate is offered the position.  At Broadreach Staffing Solutions, part of our role is to ensure the candidate is ready for the job interview process with our clients.  As such, here are 4 key things top candidates do when preparing for a job interview.

  1. They do their research and homework. Top candidates will always take the time to thoroughly research the hiring company and corporate websites and LinkedIn are the first places to start.  Great candidates have a solid understanding of the company’s products/services and their place in the overall market space (Are they a market leader?  Who are their main competitors? Are they global or nationally-focused? Are they public or private, who’s on their leadership team, etc.)?  There is simply no excuse for a candidate not to have done proper research on a company (beyond what their recruiter and recruitment firm representing them has provided) before the first set of interviews.
  2. They have properly planned the interview day. Proper planning also means nailing the basic logistics of the interview, which – incredibly – is the downfall of many poorly prepared candidates.  Top candidates are always on time, have made sure to know exactly where the facility is, how long it will take to get there, where to park, who to initially ask for and what floor their meeting is on.  Great candidates also know who they will be meeting with during the interview process, what their respective roles are and where they fit into the company equation.  Once again, LinkedIn is a great place to start.  Check out each interviewer’s LinkedIn profile and get an idea of their role in the company as well as their backgrounds.  In addition, check out common connections (either internally or externally).  Identifying mutual connections and common ground are always helpful in interview situations.
  3. They understand where they fit in to the equation. Candidates that stand out from the pack always thoroughly understand the role they are interviewing for and where they specifically can add value.  Not every hiring situation is a perfect fit between candidate and role, so it’s up to the candidate to be able to articulate to the hiring manager how their unique skills and experience can fill the gap.  In preparation, candidates need to have a thorough understanding of the job description, identify areas of strengths as well as weakness relative to the role, and be ready to walk a hiring manager through the tangible value that they bring to the table.
  4. They engage the interviewers. Strong job candidates are not only prepared to answer interviewer’s questions, but they also come prepared with their own questions. One of the biggest turn-offs for hiring managers is when candidates don’t engage them during an interview and don’t have any follow up questions.  The interview process should be a conversation, not a monologue, and it is up to the job seeker to come prepared with meaningful, thoughtful questions that show the interviewer that they have more than just a passing interest in the opportunity.  For senior and executive-level roles, it is absolutely expected that candidates will have key questions that are important to them as they move through the process.  Some important areas for candidates to inquire about would be company goals (revenue goals, market share, new products, etc.), company culture (entrepreneurial or process-oriented, top-down versus bottom-up, measured or fast-paced, casual or button down) and how success is measured in the role and when is impact expected.

Great recruiting firms will help top candidates prepare for the job interview process. At Broadreach Staffing Solutions, we take pride in working with the best talent to help them showcase their skills to our clients.  If you’re looking for a new opportunity in enterprise sales, technology (startups, IT or Education Tech), Financial Services or related areas, please check out our career center today to explore our hottest jobs, or contact us and one of our recruiters would be happy to connect with you and have a conversation regarding the next step in your career.

9 Reasons to Use Retained Search for Your Key Hiring Needs

In the recruitment world, most candidate searches conducted by agencies are categorized into two main fee options for the hiring company: a retained search or a contingent search.  For those that may be unfamiliar with these terms, they can be defined as the following:

Contingent search: the fees associated with the candidate search are not paid to the agency unless and until the candidate presented to the hiring firm accepts a position with the company. These fees are usually based upon a percentage of the candidate’s first year salary.  Agencies tend to be engaged for contingent searches by companies that are seeking non-executive level candidates for currently open jobs.  They are usually competitive searches, with several firms working on sourcing candidates, including the hiring company’s HR department.  A premium is placed by the hiring firm on speed and a volume representation of viable candidates.

Retained search: the fees associated with retained search are paid upfront to the agency and the agency is hired on an exclusive basis to create a short list of candidates to present to the client. Typically, the unique skillsets of these roles tend to be geared more toward executive or “C-Level” leadership and requires the agency and the client company to work very closely together during the process, with the agency essentially acting as an extension of the hiring company.  Due to the importance and senior nature of the position, these searches can often take several months to complete.  Candidates are often “passive job seekers,” requiring agencies to leverage all manner of search tools, networking and communication to find the right fit for the role.

Both retained and contingent search have their own unique benefits for clients, depending on their hiring needs and the level of role they are looking to fill.  At Broadreach Staffing Solutions, we have the ability to work with our clients using either approach.  If your firm is considering engaging in a retained search, here’s a list of benefits of the process for you to consider:

  1. Retained search involves a focused and sustained effort by a dedicated team of recruiters that’s necessary when seeking senior level, experienced candidates.
  2. Retained search enables the agency to work very closely with the client’s hiring team, particularly if it’s an exclusive. This gives the agency the ability to attract higher quality candidates and engage them in specific details about the role versus the vagueness that can be inherent to contingent.
  3. Retained search increases external branding and market-awareness of your company
  4. Retained search provides you with intelligence about your competitors and your position in the market place.
  5. Retained search yields a higher rate of return phone calls/texts/emails, as top talent knows the opportunity in more detail (not just a hunting expedition).
  6. Retained search attracts currently employed and highly successful candidates (passive candidates).
  7. In retained search, candidates are targeted for one specific opportunity. There’s no “shopping around” of resumes, which gives candidates a comfort level in sharing their resume.  This also keeps highly desired candidates engaged in the client’s interviewing timeline until the candidate has completed the process with the client.
  8. Retained search makes it easier on the hiring manager; working with one recruiting firm is seamless and can save time and effort instead of juggling agencies and schedules.
  9. Retained agencies provide weekly status reports to keep employers/hiring managers informed on the progress of a search so there are no surprises in the process. Agencies are held accountable for their weekly performance.

Looking to fill a critical role in your organization?  Broadreach Staffing Solutions stands ready to help.  With our experience and outstanding track record in delivering for clients on retained searches, we’re confident we can find the game-changing candidates you need to lead your company to the next level of success.  Contact us today to discuss your needs.

Broadreach Staffing Solutions Announces New Metro-Boston Office

Delivering Personalized Talent Search Approach to Clients and Job-Seekers

Broadreach Staffing Solutions (www.broadreachstaffing.com), an IT and sales staffing firm, today officially announced the opening of its Marshfield, MA location and the expansion of its staffing service offerings to clients and job-seekers across New England and the US.  Formed in November 2013, Broadreach has grown rapidly over the past several months due to its unique approach in servicing clients who need top talent and candidates who are looking for a personal touch in what can often be an impersonal hiring process.

“I’m very pleased with the success we’ve had out of the gate,” said John Schnauck, president and co-founder of Broadreach Staffing Solutions.  “I’ve been very fortunate to put together a team of highly experienced, dedicated and talented staffing professionals who truly understand the IT and sales staffing world, while also sharing the same vision I have in creating a staffing firm that adds unique, personalized value to both the client and the candidate matching process.
It’s clear that hiring companies and job-seekers have long been looking for a better way to get connected, so I’m not surprised that we’ve been embraced as quickly as we have. ”

Broadreach was conceived during a year-long sailing sabbatical Schnauck took with his wife and two children. Said Schnauck, “During my trip, I met a number of fantastic people with very diverse backgrounds, all of whom were very high performers in their various fields.  After spending time discussing careers with individuals from so many disparate industries and roles, I had the opportunity to be introspective about the aspects of my career that I enjoyed the most.  Recruiting is the one role where, when done well, it creates enormous tangible value to both clients and applicants.  Finding the perfect fit for candidates and clients in terms of business culture, professional, and financial goals is by far the most rewarding thing I have done in my career.  When I returned from my trip I was determined to reconnect with the best recruiters I worked with in my past and share my vision with them to form Broadreach Staffing Solutions.”

In building Broadreach, Schnauck assembled a team of veteran recruitment professionals that provide a platform of expertise and a track record of success that have helped to significantly differentiate the firm with clients and candidates alike.  Broadreach’s senior technical recruitment team includes Ralf Pirozzi, Eddie D’Zmura, and Teri Pirozzi, who combined have almost 100 years of total industry experience.

Broadreach provides candidates and clients a refreshing approach to the talent search, focusing on the personalization of the hiring process.  Unlike other staffing firms that provide large volumes of poorly selected and unscreened candidates to clients, Broadreach approaches search in a targeted, high-touch manner. “We spend a substantial amount of time with every candidate we choose to work with,” said Schnauck.  “We meet them in-person, over the phone or both a number of times throughout our interview process.  We really want to get to know them, build a relationship and serve as an advisor that truly understands what they’re looking for in their next role, and we take the same approach with our clients.  Unlike many other firms, we actually listen to what candidates and clients  have to say and try to hand pick applicants to match our clients’ opportunities – it’s a bit of ‘new recruitment meets old school personalized touch’ but we realize the need to personalize and target the process to ensure long-term success for both client and candidate.”