1. Briefly describe your Consultis journey.
My Consultis journey started in April of 2018. I was referred to Jamie by the prior Managing Director, who had been with Consultis for 17 years. Jamie wanted someone new to come in and shake things up! I was blown away with the amount of support and help I received from all the Consultis team in my initial on-boarding. Especially other Managing Directors and corporate leadership. After analyzing what we had in Orlando there were a couple things that I felt the team needed. One, the Orlando team needed someone to keep them at bay in what seemed to be a bit of a stormy period for the team. Two, we also needed to add some “anchor” accounts to help move us forward. These two overly punned reasons are why I chose the name “AnchorFish”. We had a lot of foundation level work to do before we could set sail! Fortunately, the team consisted of some excellent recruiters. This is a blessing not to take for granted in this current climate. We were also fortunate to have the opportunity to offer Tony Court a sales role on the team. With some time and grinding, we started to turn things around in Orlando. Thanks to the hard work of this team, our revenue numbers have sky-rocketed YOY and our client base is more diversified. We have grown our consultant base and each recruiter has a full pipeline of candidates within our core competency skill-sets. I feel at home with Consultis. My experience in the past has been with both extremely small start up staffing companies and with the biggest staffing company in the world. Consultis is the perfect balance of the two and they really do allow for freedom of thought, opportunity to express AND IMPLEMENT new ideas, flexibility and overall great work experience for employees. This balanced atmosphere makes my job easier as a middle manager on the front lines. Which also of course flows to the candidate, client and consultant experience when interacting with the Consultis team.
2. What do you love most about your job?
What I like most about my job is the people and the industry of course! The people on the Orlando team are a special group. We have a small team of 4 with a combined total of over 50 years of experience in IT Staffing specific experience. That level of experience is not common. As a manager this allows me the opportunity to have higher level conversations and frees up some time from training. It also gives clients and candidates a lot of confidence! Overall though, I just love recruiting. This job can be so rewarding when done right. We are assisting and guiding people towards the next chapter in their life! That is a big deal and I try instilling that reminder in the team so it doesn’t become a routine thing. We are also helping companies achieve the next chapter in their story by adding that next critical team member. We are matchmakers and it can be a whole lot of fun to do!
3. What is your favorite thing to do in Orlando?
My favorite thing to do in Orlando is to spend time with my wife and three boys. We are blessed to live in a city that we love, attend a church that we love and live in a state that allows for year round outdoor activities (aside from the peak of summer 😊). We spend a lot of time at soccer tournaments and practices. I volunteer where my son’s were born, Winnie Palmer Hospital and I volunteer as a musician at our church. We love exploring the seemingly endless selection of restaurants, theme parks and beaches all over the state!
4. What is your top piece of advice for clients, candidates, or those who are new to the staffing industry?
Clients: First and foremost work with a company you both like and trust. Good agencies will want to know your business inside and out. They will ask you to take the time to go over specifics prior working any role. Secondly, in this market “time to fill” is the most critical metric to measure when you want to have your offer accepted. Work with your agency to come up with ideas to help shorten the time period from opening the job to having someone accept an offer. The shorter you can make it, the more likely we all will be successful. Lastly, thank you for choosing Consultis as your partner!
Candidates: Most candidates we work with are already employed. Working with agencies is a great way to discreetly put yourself out there with the ultimate goal of putting you in a better situation than you are currently in. Could be a pay raise, a location, a job title or an environment that better suites your personality. Our job at Consultis is to talk to you and find out what that better situation would look like. Otherwise, we are just randomly guessing. My advice is when you get an email from a friendly recruiter, take the time to meet with them or talk to them about what it is you want, even if you aren’t actively looking and even if they do not currently have a role open for you. We see new opportunities open up everyday and we are always circling back to people we have spoken to when we receive these opportunities. Also, never hesitate to call a recruiter and ask for advice about interviewing, fixing your resume, negotiating or any other questions you may have. We may not be as technical as you but we are experts at all things recruiting related! So use us! It is free! Really!
Those new to staffing: First, welcome to our crazy business! Like anything else it takes time, practice, repetition and plain old hard work to master this art of recruiting. As mentioned above, never forget that we are dealing with people in one of the most stressful transitions in their lives. Never lose sight of that and always be kind to those who we interact with. Always remember what it feels like to change jobs and go on an interview. It is scary! With time, this can be the most rewarding career out there and AI is not replacing us anytime soon…. I hope.
5. What has been your proudest moment at Consultis?
My proudest moment at Consultis has been watching this team have their best month in over a year in February of 2019! Hard work paying off is always motivating and inspiring 😊
6. One piece of life or career advice I’d give to a mentee:
Learn to listen. Really listen to anyone you are interacting with. Be in the moment, holding the space for what they are telling you. Don’t think about your response until after you have digested their words. I fail at this everyday and I practice at this every day. When someone listens to me in this way I feel better and I remember that individual because of how they made me feel heard. It seems simple but improving your listening skills will make you stand out in aspects of life. Be honest. Be kind. Be patient.