Everyone says they want "top talent." But most recruiters look for it in all the same places. The same résumés, the same titles, the same predictable career paths.

And now, with LinkedIn doing most of the heavy lifting, many recruiters have forgotten how to actually recruit. They inbox, keyword search, and wait for the algorithm to serve up the same recycled profiles, and then wonder why their placements feel interchangeable.

Talent rarely looks the way you expect it to. Sometimes it's the Ivy League grad working as an accountant for a supermarket chain; a role most recruiters would scroll right past. Or it's the veteran executive who's been at the same company for twenty years, quietly waiting for someone to show him what's possible beyond his comfort zone. Sometimes it's the former trader who rebuilt his life from scratch after the market changed overnight.

A résumé is just a piece of paper; what matters are the intangibles that reveal how someone will perform, lead, and grow when the next challenge comes.

That's the philosophy that drives Northbound Executive Search. For managing partners Jay Kondrup and Justin Brower, recruiting isn't about taking orders or chasing volume; it's about reading people. They don't waste time shuffling candidates that "might fit." They educate clients, challenge assumptions, and bring them the one person who will actually change their business.

How did they end up in the recruiting business? What drives the success of Northbound Executive Search?

In this episode, Jay and Justin talk about how real recruiters think beyond résumés, keywords, and LinkedIn algorithms, how they uncover talent in unexpected places, and why the future of this business belongs to those who combine new tools with old-school instincts.

Guest Bio

Jay Kondrup and Justin Brower are managing partners at Northbound Executive Search. Northbound Executive Search offers a genuine, hands-on approach to recruiting. They provide both Permanent and Temporary/Consulting recruitment services to companies looking to hire high-performing professionals in the NYC metro region. Northbound Executive Search has been consistently recognized as the premier recruitment firm servicing a variety of industries, including Private Equity, Hedge Fund, Asset Management, Investment Banking, Trading, Brokerage, Real Estate, Technology, Media, Entertainment, Insurance, and more. Their proven approach, developed over many years of best-in-class recruiting, continues to deliver exceptional results for a select group of clients and candidates we serve. They are a team of dedicated professionals motivated by providing a much higher level of commitment, expertise, and service to the companies and professionals they partner with. Connect with Jay on LinkedIn and Justin on LinkedIn.

About Your Host

Vince Holt is the founder and CEO of Management Recruiters of Mercer Island. With 35+ years of industry experience, he is the only MRINetwork team member to win CSAM of the Year, Person of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement Awards. In addition to spending time with his wife, children, and grandchildren, Vince has raced motorcycles for over 50 years, winning 5 National Championships.

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm, so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

In manufacturing, people are always talking about innovation. But very often, the focus on automation, robotics, and AI leaves out the real key to performance and progress.

The frontline workers who make everything run.

For decades, the frontline workforce has been managed like machinery: interchangeable, replaceable, and measured only in hours worked or units produced.

But if you've ever walked a plant floor, you know the truth: one great employee can change the entire rhythm of production. The right people aren't just cogs in a process; they are the process.

The challenge is that most systems don't make it easy to see or support them. Supervisors are promoted for technical skill, not leadership ability. HR teams are buried in compliance. And the best workers often go unnoticed, until they leave.

What if we could bring clarity, accountability, and real-time recognition to the people driving performance on the floor?

That's the question Mike White set out to answer when he founded Secchi.io, a platform designed to make invisible work visible.

What mistakes do companies make with their frontline talent?

In this episode, we talk about what most manufacturers miss when it comes to frontline performance, how recognition can transform daily operations, and why clarity, not control, is the foundation of effective leadership on the floor.

We also explore what's next for American manufacturing and how focusing on the human element might be the key to unlocking the next wave of productivity and retention.

Guest Bio

Mike White is a speaker, thought leader, subject matter expert, and the founder and CEO of Secchi. Mike is passionate about revolutionizing how companies manage their frontline teams. With a focus on streamlining operations and fostering deeper human connections, his mission is to help businesses optimize team performance while minimizing paperwork. By leveraging technology and actionable insights, Mike enables companies in food and beverage, grocery, and manufacturing to empower their people and drive real results. As an HR Leadership and Business Partner with the responsibility of 60+ manufacturing facilities globally (including Fortune 500 brands), Mike has led a human resource team, including managers, supervisors, generalists, recruiters, trainers, coordinators, and operations managers. Every day, Mike works to ensure that Secchi delivers solutions that not only meet but exceed the expectations of their clients, providing real value and making an impact on their business. To learn more, go to https://secchi.io/, and connect with Mike on LinkedIn.

About Your Host

Vince Holt is the founder and CEO of Management Recruiters of Mercer Island. With 35+ years of industry experience, he is the only MRINetwork team member to win CSAM of the Year, Person of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement Awards. In addition to spending time with his wife, children, and grandchildren, Vince has raced motorcycles for over 50 years, winning 5 National Championships.

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm, so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

Businesses everywhere are facing the same challenge: trying to meet financial goals, production goals, and staffing needs, all at once. Budgets are tightening, teams are shrinking, and hiring has become a constant uphill climb. The pressure to "do more with less" isn't just a slogan anymore, it's reality for nearly every organization.

That's the landscape where a new partnership between HPS, a 75-year-old member-owned group purchasing organization, and HireQuest is taking shape.

It's arriving at a moment when organizations need more than contracts. They need collaborators who can help them operate smarter, faster, and with more confidence.

When demand spikes or key people leave, most organizations don't have the luxury of time. They need qualified support fast. In that kind of environment, having a partner who can respond rapidly and reliably isn't just helpful, it's essential..

What do HPS and HireQuest aim to accomplish together? What can organizations learn from a model built on collaboration rather than competition?

In this episode, HireQuest's Director of National Accounts, Matt Wilkerson, and HPS's Director of Clinical and Ancillary Contracting, Nathan Stock, talk about this exciting new partnership; how it began, the challenges it's designed to solve, and why collaboration and trust are becoming the most valuable currencies in business today.

Guest Bio

Nathan Stock is the Director of Clinical and Ancillary Contracting at HPS. HPS is a member-owned group purchasing organization (GPO) providing member-focused solutions to over 5,000 Members across 37 states. Nathan plays a key role in developing National and Regional vendor relationships and contracts. He manages over 130 contracts and business partnerships, sales data and marketing communications coming in from vendors. Nathan develops new processes to improve both internal and external systems and communications for the sales team and members. He also develops training manuals, conducts staff training sessions, and leads a team of contract analysts helping bring solutions and savings to HSP's members. Connect with Nathan on LinkedIn.

Matt Wilkerson is the National Accounts Director at HireQuest. With over 15 years of experience in the staffing industry, he's built his career helping businesses solve one of their toughest challenges - finding dependable, high-performing people. Nathan leads strategic partnerships with organizations across the U.S., delivering workforce solutions through the network of brands including: HireQuest Direct, Snelling, and TradeCorp. The National Accounts program provides clients with a single point of contact for flexible, scalable staffing across multiple locations. Matt and his team design programs that align with business goals, improve efficiency, and ensure consistent service whether supporting a national construction firm, a logistics network, or a manufacturing operation. Connect with Matt on LinkedIn.

About Your Host

Vince Holt is the founder and CEO of Management Recruiters of Mercer Island. With 35+ years industry experience, he is the only MRINetwork team member to win CSAM of the Year, Person of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Awards. In addition to spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren, Vince has raced motorcycles for over 50 years, winning 5 National Championships.

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

Public health is one of the most misunderstood fields in the job market. It's full of people who quietly hold entire communities together, designing prevention programs, managing data, and saving lives. Yet they're often underpaid, overlooked, and invisible to recruiters.

The irony is that the very professionals trained to serve others often struggle to advocate for themselves.

They're taught to be humble, to focus on the team, and to chase the same oversaturated government jobs as everyone else. It leaves brilliant, mission-driven people stuck, and a huge pool of untapped talent hiding in plain sight.

The problem has never been a lack of skill, but rather a lack of visibility. The industry doesn't teach them how to translate their experience into the language of opportunity.

And recruiters who claim there's a "talent shortage" are often just looking in the wrong places, or using job titles no one in public health would ever search for.

That's the gap Dr. Desiree Strickland set out to close with The Public Health Club, a community that helps public-health professionals uncover new career paths, build digital portfolios, and market themselves with confidence.

What can recruiters do to serve the public health dig better?

In this episode, the public health entrepreneur, consultant, and professor shares why public-health talent gets overlooked, what recruiters are missing, and why visibility, not credentials, is the new currency of opportunity.

Guest Bio

Dr. Desiree Strickland is an award-winning Public Health Entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Strickland Health Consulting, and The Public Health Club. She is also an Adjunct Professor at South University. Dr. Strickland is a visionary public health professional with over a decade of experience in health equity, strategic planning, and career development. As Founder and CEO of The Public Health Club, she has built a dynamic network of 560+ members, providing mentorship, workshops, and career coaching that have helped professionals secure jobs, launch consulting careers, and achieve significant financial growth. Dr. Strickland is a proven leader in public health consulting and project management, specializing in health equity-focused initiatives. She has developed training programs and needs assessments impacting professionals across the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Her work addresses critical topics like overdose response, workplace equity, and community engagement, earning her recognition for creating scalable solutions tailored to diverse populations. With expertise in public health policy, program evaluation, and partnership development, Dr. Strickland has served in leadership roles at the Georgia Department of Public Health and the Florida Department of Health. She has managed multimillion-dollar programs, directed strategic planning efforts, and developed health equity-driven frameworks to tackle chronic disease prevention and health disparities at local, state, and federal levels. To get in touch with Dr. Strickland, send an email to [email protected].

About Your Host

Vince Holt is the founder and CEO of Management Recruiters of Mercer Island. With 35+ years of industry experience, he is the only MRINetwork team member to win CSAM of the Year, Person of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Awards. In addition to spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren, Vince has raced motorcycles for over 50 years, winning 5 National Championships.

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

Companies constantly talk about hiring and supporting veterans. While that sounds patriotic and well-intentioned, they often miss the mark on execution.

Recruiting campaigns, hiring pledges, and onboarding slide decks look good on paper, yet the results are sobering: too many veteran hires fail.

It's not because they can't lead, it's because both sides underestimate the culture shock of the transition.

Employers assume an officer's leadership skills will automatically translate. Veterans assume their adaptability in uniform will carry them through. Those unspoken assumptions collide, and the fallout results in wasted investment, disillusioned veterans, and a cycle of churn.

Most companies think they need veteran hiring strategies when they need veteran employment strategies. Hiring is only the first mile of the journey.

What actually determines success is everything that comes after: how veterans are onboarded, how managers are prepared to lead them, how performance is defined, and how careers are grown.

How can we bridge the gap between military leadership and civilian work? What do hiring authorities need to stop asking veterans in interviews?

In this episode, we're joined by military transition educator, bestselling author, Master Certified Coach, and the CEO of The Grandinetta Group, Emily King Grandinetta. We talk about the right way to hire and onboard veterans, and why so many companies fall short.

Guest Bio

Emily King Grandinetta is a military transition educator, bestselling author, Master Certified Coach, and the CEO and President of The Grandinetta Group. She holds a Master's Degree in Organizational Development and Applied Behavioral Sciences from The Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School and a Leadership Coaching Certificate from Georgetown University. Emily is also an International Coach Federation Master Certified Coach (MCC) and an Agile Certified Professional (ACP). Emily is passionate about using her executive and leadership coaching skills to support military veterans transitioning to civilian employment. Connect with her on LinkedIn or go to https://www.grandinetta.com/.

About Your Host

Vince Holt is the founder and CEO of Management Recruiters of Mercer Island. With 35+ years of industry experience, he is the only MRINetwork team member to win CSAM of the Year, Person of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement Awards. In addition to spending time with his wife, children, and grandchildren, Vince has raced motorcycles for over 50 years, winning 5 National Championships.

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm, so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

In construction, hiring used to be about finding people with the right technical skills. Post-pandemic, it’s become a race to keep up with demand as the nation builds faster than ever.

Infrastructure, energy, and industrial projects are booming, but the workforce pipeline hasn’t caught up. 

Skilled trades are aging out, mobility is down, and the next generation isn’t stepping in fast enough. If we don’t rethink how we attract and grow talent, the industry will hit a wall.

Recruiters and HR leaders are at the heart of this challenge. It’s not just about filling today’s roles. It’s about building a workforce engine that will power the future of construction.

But how do you balance immediate project deadlines with the long game of developing skilled trades? How do you convince a generation raised on remote work that opportunity also lives on job sites? 

These are the questions the industry is wrestling with right now, and they demand more than quick fixes. They call for leaders who can see both the ground-level realities and the long-term horizon.

In this episode, we’re joined by Tom Simms, Director of Human Resources at Kiewit, one of North America’s largest construction and engineering organizations. Tom shares how Kiewit is tackling one of the industry’s biggest paradoxes: record-breaking demand for projects, but a shrinking pool of skilled talent. 

Guest Bio

Tom Simms is the Director of Human Resources at Kiewit. In his 9 years with Kiewit, Tom has helped initiate, build, and continue to optimize HR service delivery from a fully decentralized to an enterprise-wide shared services organization. Along the way, he’s had opportunities to learn organizational development, change management, talent acquisition, and development. Connect with Tom on LinkedIn. 

About Your Host

Vince Holt is the founder and CEO of Management Recruiters of Mercer Island. With 35+ years of industry experience, he is the only MRINetwork team member to win CSAM of the Year, Person of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement Awards. In addition to spending time with his wife, childre,n and grandchildren, Vince has raced motorcycles for over 50 years, winning 5 National Championships.

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

A successful acquisition takes place when an organization that sees something special to invest in meets a company that will be propelled further through a partnership.

It's a perfect marriage allowing both sides to achieve more together than they would separately.

This is what HireQuest looks for when they're looking to acquire a business. It's not about money - in a people-facing service-based industry like recruiting, the true asset of a business is its employees.

An acquisition is about empowering and pouring into organizations that are bringing value to the industry. That's why HireQuest focuses on not only investing into great companies, but also into talented employees who have the potential to become leaders in their own right.

For the target company, the acquisition is an opportunity to escape the corporate administrative burden a lot of businesses are cursed with, which fuels even more growth!

In this special replay episode, we're joined by two people who were on each side of an acquisition - HireQuest Direct and Snelling franchise owner, Kevin Semerad and HireQuest's VP of Corporate Development, David Hartley. They share why this partnership is the perfect marriage in the recruiting and staffing space.

Guest Bio

Kevin Semerad is a Franchise Owner at HireQuest Direct and Snelling. He has 35 years experience in multi-unit growth and management within the staffing industry and 11 of those years were in independent and franchise operations and 14 were in a public setting. Initially, Kevin built a regional staffing company from the ground up (1 to 16 units) that he sold in 2006. His experience is that consistent execution is achieved by hiring the right people for the right positions, clearly communicating goals and expectations, and empowering them while continually providing the training, tools, and support that is required to be #1. Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn.

David Hartley is the Vice President of Corporate Development at HireQuest Inc., specializing in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), strategic growth initiatives, and corporate strategy. With nearly a decade of investment banking experience prior to joining HireQuest, including the 2019 HireQuest-Command Center merger, David brings a wealth of expertise in deal execution, valuation, and integration strategies. At HireQuest he has led 13 acquisitions of staffing/recruiting companies and franchisors significantly expanding the size and breadth of HireQuest's franchise network. Before investment banking, David honed his skills in corporate development within the medical device industry. He holds an MBA from NYU's Stern School of Business and a BA from Johns Hopkins University. Connect with David on LinkedIn.

About Your Host

Vince Holt is the founder and CEO of Management Recruiters of Mercer Island. With 35+ years industry experience, he is the only MRINetwork team member to win CSAM of the Year, Person of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Awards. In addition to spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren, Vince has raced motorcycles for over 50 years, winning 5 National Championships.

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

In healthcare, hiring used to be about credentials and clinical experience. Post-pandemic, it became a desperate race to fill open shifts. Care delivery has exploded beyond hospital walls. It's expanded into outpatient clinics, rural settings, and even tech-driven virtual care. The problem is, healthcare workforce pipelines haven't caught up to this change.

If we don't radically re-engineer how we bring in nursing talent, the system will buckle under the weight of an aging population, chronic illness, and burnout.

Recruiters play a huge role in this.

It's not just about solving today's vacancies; it's about building a long-term talent engine that will serve the industry for generations to come.

How can we bring more people into healthcare? How can technology help the talent pipeline catch up? Are recruiters approaching healthcare hiring authorities the wrong way? In this episode, we're joined by VP of the Cancer Service Line at The Nebraska Medical Center, and Clinical Lead for the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Theresa Franco.

We unpack how she's reimagining workforce strategy in one of the most critical and complex areas of medicine - nursing.

Guest Bio

Theresa Franco, MSN, RN, is a retired Vice President of Cancer Center Clinical Operations at the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center across the Nebraska Medicine NM) / University of Nebraska Medical Center(UNMC) enterprise. She was responsible for the comprehensive management of cancer care activities in the inpatient and ambulatory environments. She spearheaded strategic planning, workforce development, program creation, physician recruitment, and service partnerships. She served as Vice President of Pharmacy and Diagnostic Imaging for the health system. Theresa was volunteer faculty in the College of Nursing at UNMC, has published and presented on a variety of care topics, and served on national and regional advisory boards. She also accepted the role of clinical consultant for Project NExT, a transformational public-private partnership to create a federal, all-hazard health security disaster response space that extends UNMC /NM's global leadership in infectious diseases and biopreparedness. Connect with Theresa on LinkedIn.

About Your Host

Vince Holt is the founder and CEO of Management Recruiters of Mercer Island. With 35+ years of industry experience, he is the only MRINetwork team member to win CSAM of the Year, Person of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement Awards. In addition to spending time with his wife, children, and grandchildren, Vince has raced motorcycles for over 50 years, winning 5 National Championships.

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

Contract staffing used to mean plugging holes; covering maternity leaves, bridging gaps until a full-time hire came on board, or filling in while HR caught up.

But in today's economy, it's something very different. In a world that has grown comfortable with gig work and fractional talent, contract staffing has become a strategic weapon.

The rise of the gig economy normalized the idea that not every role needs to be permanent. What started with Uber drivers and freelance creatives has now permeated every sector where fractional and project-based work is not the exception, but the norm.

Add to this a landscape filled with volatility, and contract staffing becomes more than just a stopgap. It's a survival tool. A way for companies to keep moving forward while staying nimble enough to pivot tomorrow.

From seasonal demand spikes to large-scale project rollouts to executive-level interim hires, contract staffing is the flexible, scalable answer for companies that can't afford to be rigid.

And in an environment where hesitation can mean losing the best candidates, on-demand labor isn't just convenient, it's a competitive advantage. Why is contract work the perfect staffing solution for today's world? What's currently happening in the recruiting space?

On this episode of Talent Hunters, Tim Ozier, Senior Director of Sales at HireQuest, pulls back the curtain on how contract staffing has evolved into a solution built for uncertainty. With more than three decades in the industry, Tim explains why today's smartest companies are treating contract staffing not as a fallback, but as a core part of their workforce strategy.

Guest Bio

Tim Ozier is a Sr. Sales Director, HireQuest Inc. Tim brings close to 30 years of experience in staffing and recruiting to MRI, where he leads the contract staffing division. Having worked for three of the five biggest staffing companies in the world, Tim is an expert in global workforce solutions and has helped countless organizations ranging in size, structure, and industry scale their operations with strategic contract hires. His main focus is on contract staffing for IT, accounting and finance, engineering, legal, life sciences, and similar professional roles. Tim is highly skilled in business development, account management, and expansion. He is a hands-on leader, consultative strategist, and clear communicator. Visit https://mrinetwork.com/ or https://hirequest.com/ to learn more.

About Your Host

Ashley Smith is the Head of Marketing at HireQuest Inc. She is a seasoned marketing executive and powerful relationship cultivator with 30 years of experience in the entertainment, staffing/recruiting, and sports industries. Ashley has a track record of developing marketing strategies that generate effective reach, drive digital conversations that translate to customer conversions, and grow brand awareness. She has expertise in partnership development and execution, marketing team architecture, and integrated marketing campaigns. Ashley is an innovative leader with experience overseeing $40M+ marketing and media budgets, achieving revenue growth, and fostering team excellence. Visit http://hirequest.com/ to learn more.

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

Today's recruiting landscape is full of challenges, hurdles, and hiccups. Tariffs are squeezing certain sectors. AI has brought change to the industry. Economic uncertainty is making candidates hesitant to move. Hiring managers are harder to reach.

And when business does come in, it's often from existing relationships, leaving you wondering how to keep your pipeline alive when the phone stops ringing.

For recruiters, the temptation is to hunker down and focus only on current searches. But in this market, stopping your marketing is the fastest way to run out of work.

The people who are still growing are doing three things well: keeping relationships warm, carving out time every day to market, and even partnering with competitors to fill client needs they can't meet alone.

Scott Clark knows this firsthand. A 25-year recruiting veteran and founder of DirectPath Recruiting Services, Scott joined us last year to talk about his transition from recruiter to recruiting office owner.

Now he's back to share how the past year has gone, the surprises, the hurdles, and the strategies that are working right now to generate business when the market's slow.

In this episode, we unpack the realities of recruiting in 2025's manufacturing and automotive sectors and the unconventional moves that can keep your desk profitable when others are treading water.

Guest Bio

Scott Clark is the Owner of DirectPath Recruiting Services. With over twenty-five years of rich experience in talent acquisition leadership, his expertise lies in orchestrating end-to-end recruitment strategies that align with organizational goals at DirectPath Recruiting Services. DirectPath's mission is to bridge the gap between leading manufacturing firms and exceptional talent, particularly in the automotive, defense, and solar sectors. Rooted in the values of building strong relationships and cultural fit, Scott is committed to enhancing the recruitment landscape with a focus on diversity, innovation, and client satisfaction. To learn more, go to DirectPathrs.com and connect with Scott on LinkedIn.

About Your Host

Vince Holt is the founder and CEO of Management Recruiters of Mercer Island. With 35+ years of industry experience, he is the only MRINetwork team member to win CSAM of the Year, Person of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement Awards. In addition to spending time with his wife, children, and grandchildren, Vince has raced motorcycles for over 50 years, winning 5 National Championships.

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!