Talent Hunters

The construction world currently has a skills trade shortage of up to 1 million jobs, and it's 50 years in the making. Even though they have so many benefits, trade jobs just aren't as cool as they used to be.

For decades, educators and parents have steered their kids away from working with their hands. People don't see the possibilities a trade job offers and as time has progressed, blue collar has become a dirty word.

As recruiters, we're in the perfect position to show people that there's a huge need for these skills, as well as a lucrative career path with a low barrier to entry.

Ultimately, construction jobs are important to the US economy, so we all need to come together to make construction jobs cool again.

How did we end up with this huge skills shortage in construction jobs? What can we do about it as an industry?

In this episode, I'm joined by Director of Franchise Support at HireQuest, Renée Manning and TradeCorp franchise owner, Chris Clyde. They talk about the trade job crisis and how the recruiting industry can solve it.

Guest Bio

Renée Manning is the Director of Franchise Support at HireQuest. She is a director with a demonstrated history of working in the staffing and recruiting industry. Renée is killed in Sales, Contingent Workforce, Staff and Financial Management, Interviewing, and Business Development. She has over 25 years of experience in corporate operations and franchise support engaged with senior level executives, franchise owners, recruiters, account managers and client stakeholders. Connect with Renée Manning on LinkedIn.

Chris Clyde is a TradeCorp franchise owner. TradeCorp specializes in skilled trade staffing in mechanical, electrical and plumbing - and helping skilled tradespeople advance their careers.

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!

When it comes to setting young people up for successful careers, the importance of education can't be overstated. Here's the question: is the current model of learning set up for the world we're moving towards? Does it equip all children with the skills they need to thrive? Does it address the needs and challenges of teachers? This is the work Governor Jeb Bush's foundation, ExcelinEd is focused on.

They are on a mission to empower parents, support educators and put students on a path to achievement and ultimately, a great career trajectory. From Pre-K all the way to high school, ExcelinEd is working to move the needle in an area that's very important to our nation.

In this episode, HireQuest Inc CEO, Rick Hermanns welcomes the 43rd governor of Florida and founder of ExcelinEd, Gov. Jeb Bush to the show. He talks about the work his foundation is doing in education across the globe.

Guest Bio

Jeb Bush is the 43rd governor of the state of Florida, the Chairman and Founding Partner of Finback Investment Partners, and founder of the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd). After leaving office as Governor of Florida in 2007, Jeb Bush has focused on education reform, business ventures, and public service. He founded the Foundation for Excellence in Education, an organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes, which has influenced policies nationwide, advocating for school choice, higher accountability, and technology in education. In the business sector, he joined boards of several major companies and worked with private equity firms. To learn more about ExcelinEd, visit https://excelined.org/.

Prior to and after his tenure as Florida's chief executive, Governor Bush has been actively involved in the private sector, helping to build the largest full service real estate company in South Florida and owning and operating successful consulting and investing businesses. Governor Bush is also the Chairman and Founding Partner of Finback Investment Partners which is a private equity firm that takes active minority interest in middle market and growth-stage companies.

Governor Bush maintains his passion for improving the quality of education for students by serving as the chairman of the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a national non-profit organization he founded to work with education leaders, teachers, parents, and advocates to develop and implement reforms that lead to rising student achievement.

Rick Hermanns is the President and CEO of HireQuest Inc. He has 30 years of experience in the staffing industry. Previously, Rick served as Chief Executive Officer and Secretary of HireQuest, LLC, after the company's founding in 2002, and similar capacities for predecessor entities since July 1991. Prior to founding HireQuest, Mr. Hermanns was the Chief Financial Officer of Outsource International, formerly known as Labor World USA, Inc., and an Assistant Vice President at NCNB National Bank, now Bank of America. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance from Barry University and achieved a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Southern California. To learn more, head to https://hirequest.com/ or 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.

Over the last few years, we've seen that remote work has many benefits for both employers and employees, but the downsides are becoming more evident, especially for young professionals.

Older workers went remote with developed careers and established networks and relationships. These things can't be built over the internet, so in many ways the younger generation is starting on the backfoot.

Many companies opted for the fully remote option without considering how it might harm the workforce and long-term health of the business. In-office still has immense value and by doing away with it, companies risk throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

The solution? Choosing the business model that provides flexibility without sacrificing culture, cohesion, camaraderie and career development.

How do leaders create a culture that sustains the business and makes the workforce happier? How do we mitigate the downsides of remote work?

HireQuest Inc CEO, Rick Hermanns welcomes the 43rd governor of Florida, Chairman of Finback Investment Partners, and founder of ExcelinEd, Gov. Jeb Bush to Talent Hunters. The governor shares his insights on the trilemma of remote work/ return to office/ hybrid models, and how CEOs can decide the right model for them.

Guest Bio

Jeb Bush is the 43rd governor of the state of Florida, the Chairman and Founding Partner of Finback Investment Partners, and founder of the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd). After leaving office as Governor of Florida in 2007, Jeb Bush has focused on education reform, business ventures, and public service. He founded the Foundation for Excellence in Education, an organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes, which has influenced policies nationwide, advocating for school choice, higher accountability, and technology in education. In the business sector, he joined boards of several major companies and worked with private equity firms. To learn more about ExcelinEd, visit https://excelined.org/.

Prior to and after his tenure as Florida's chief executive, Governor Bush has been actively involved in the private sector, helping to build the largest full service real estate company in South Florida and owning and operating successful consulting and investing businesses. Governor Bush is also the Chairman and Founding Partner of Finback Investment Partners which is a private equity firm that takes active minority interest in middle market and growth-stage companies.

Governor Bush maintains his passion for improving the quality of education for students by serving as the chairman of the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a national non-profit organization he founded to work with education leaders, teachers, parents, and advocates to develop and implement reforms that lead to rising student achievement.

Rick Hermanns is the President and CEO of HireQuest Inc. He has 30 years of experience in the staffing industry. Previously, Rick served as Chief Executive Officer and Secretary of HireQuest, LLC, after the company's founding in 2002, and similar capacities for predecessor entities since July 1991. Prior to founding HireQuest, Mr. Hermanns was the Chief Financial Officer of Outsource International, formerly known as Labor World USA, Inc., and an Assistant Vice President at NCNB National Bank, now Bank of America. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance from Barry University and achieved a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Southern California. To learn more, head to https://hirequest.com/ or 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.

For businesses everywhere, covid completely disrupted how we show up to work and whether we have to show up to an office at all. The world of work today is incredibly complex - we are far from the traditional 9 to 5 Dolly Parton sang about.

Remote and distributed work has unlocked both personal benefits for employees and financial wins for employers.

But this has created a new challenge. How do we maintain the gains of remote work without sacrificing human connection and the need for teams to achieve together?

In order to sustain a distributed work model, we need to have the best of both worlds. Collective benefits like connection with individual benefits like flexibility and better work-life balance. That's why Sophie Bailey and co-founder Sally Page built WorkTripp®.

How is remote work changing how companies compete for talent? What challenges are teams facing within this remote/hybrid/in-office model? In this episode, the founder and CEO of WorkTripp® shares the idea that sparked her business, and how she's helping businesses navigate this new world of distributed work.

Guest Bio

Sophie Bailey is the co-founder and CEO of WorkTripp® - the offsite platform for growing teams. WorkTripp® is on a mission to connect 2000 global teams by 2027. How? They're building the go-to platform for work for the largest generation of new leaders - GenZ. Why? Because the industrial model of work is on the way out. 85% of people are disengaged at work and that's an $8tn problem. Today's unicorns access global talent and operational agility, with flexible work and quarterly offsites. WorkTripp®'s mission is to unlock this for every team, by saving 70% of time and exceeding expected impact. They believe that how you connect your team will transform your business. They're customers include TaxScouts, Talentful, Molten Ventures, Climate TechRadar, and Bodyswaps. Connect with Sophie on LinkedIn. Connect with co-founder Sally 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!

For ambitious recruiters who want to keep growing their businesses, there are 2 options. Diversify your dig or expand your geographic territory. Both offer a way to keep our businesses steady through the dips that our digs go through. What if you did both at the same time? Sounds like a lot, but this giant step towards diversification is what Amanda Sell-Sande has taken on. In the last year, she's added 8 branches to her business, all while working a desk!

How did she take on such a huge goal without losing her sanity? What inspired her to start HireQuest Northwest?

In this episode, the owner of Julison Sell Search Team, talks about her recruiting journey, her exciting new venture and advice for recruiters who want to diversify.

Guest Bio

Amanda Sell-Sande is the owner of Julison Sell Search Team. JSST is an established and trusted women owned and operated banking and finance recruiting firm and they deliver talent acquisition and management services to entities of all sizes nationwide, filling financial roles—from C-level to individual contributor positions—across all applicable industries. For more information, head to https://julisonsell.com/ and connect with Amy 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 today's episode, we're joined by International Headhunter and Managing Director of The Hill Group, Sandra Hill. After deciding to become a recruiter at age 16, Sandra has built an incredible career and track record on one key pillar - caring about clients and candidates. She also listens to both sides of the recruiting relationship and only works with companies she herself would work for.

Sandra and Vince Holt discuss her journey, what makes her such a great headhunter and the secret to making a sincere match.

Guest Bio

Sandra Hill is an International Headhunter and Managing Director of The Hill Group. At age 16, Sandra's ambition was to own and run her own recruitment company, and for over 25 years she has led and developed the executive search experience for both clients and candidates. She specializes in industrial engineering, which includes Automotive, Aerospace, Oil and Gas, and Power Generation, focusing on key areas such as mechanical and electrical, interiors, rotating equipment, coatings, supplying OEMs, first-tier suppliers, and the service/aftermarket sectors. Sandra works across multiple geographies and has a deep understanding and appreciation for diversity and inclusion in all forms. Sandra has a unique ability to build strong relationships with her clients and understand their needs through in-depth questioning to ensure she understands what they expect from this new member of staff or team. She has a track record of successfully placing exceptional talent who not only drive business transformation but also fit well in terms of culture and core values. To learn more or to connect with Sandra, go to https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandrahillmri/

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!

Without question - remote work is the biggest labor force shift we've seen in decades. When it comes to its ramifications, the truth is, we just don't know enough yet.

We haven't fully appreciated the impact that remote/in-office work has had on client companies, candidate careers and the economy as a whole.

That's why a lot of companies find themselves in a tricky "trilemma" - should they let their staff go fully-remote, hybrid or work in the office full-time? This decision can be the difference between catastrophic business failure and dramatic success.

As recruiters, our ability to do right by the people we serve comes down to understanding this trilemma. We should be on the frontlines of advising companies and candidates on the model that sets them up for success.

That's something HireQuest CEO, Rick Hermanns is really digging into. His team is working on a paper on the trilemma. Their goal is to educate and empower recruiters with vital information to advise their clients better.

What are some of the nuances and effects of remote work? How do we help our clients pick the right strategy for them? In this episode, Rick shares why the remote/in-office work challenge should matter to all recruiters.

Guest Bio

Rick Hermanns is the President and CEO of HireQuest Inc. He has 30 years of experience in the staffing industry. Previously, Rick served as Chief Executive Officer and Secretary of HireQuest, LLC, after the company's founding in 2002, and similar capacities for predecessor entities since July 1991. Prior to founding HireQuest, Mr. Hermanns was the Chief Financial Officer of Outsource International, formerly known as Labor World USA, Inc., and an Assistant Vice President at NCNB National Bank, now Bank of America. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance from Barry University and achieved a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Southern California. To learn more, head to https://hirequest.com/ or 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!

Whether it's the fax machine, email, online job boards, LinkedIn and now AI, the evolution of technology has made recruiters nervous. Could new platforms and capabilities make us obsolete? Are we in a fight against the disruption of our entire industry?

Well, technology can be a threat, a crutch, a challenge or a tool - the choice is entirely ours. If we leverage it the right way, it will enhance what we do, but never replace it. The key to success though, is never letting technology take us away from what moves the needle in recruiting - talking to people.

How are recruiters handling the technological changes? What can tech do, and what will it never be able to do?

In this special episode, we highlight some of our past guests as they talk about how tech is impacting their businesses.

You'll learn;

-How to use tech to supplement your business, not cannibalize it

-How to chase tech without losing traction

-Why the phone will never become obsolete

-How to leverage AI to make your business more efficient

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!

No one goes to school to be a recruiter, but it's clear that some people are born to do this job. 3 generations of the Milius family have run a successful office, and today, they celebrate an incredible 50 years in the business!

Recruiting is the toughest simple job in the world. What we do - connecting clients to candidates - isn't complicated, but it is hard to show up and do it everyday.

The ability to dig in, deal with rejection and perfect the basics is a critical component of success and longevity. This is how to build a business that outlasts economic downturns, industry collapses and stays standing for half a century.

How did Sean Milius build a $3 million office 3 times? What does this huge milestone anniversary mean to him? How does he see his role as the leader of his office? In this episode, we're joined by the President and CEO of The HealthCare Initiative, Sean. He talks about his journey, the pillars behind their success and he also reflects on what 50 years in business means for him and his family.

On the hunt for talent to drive your business to big goals and big growth?

Connect with an MRINetwork office today.

We have a network of 250 search firms globally, many of whom have years or decades of experience in the industries they serve before transitioning into talent advisory. They bring deep networks and industry connections.

For more details, visit MRINetwork.com and click "Employers."

Guest Bio

Sean is the President and Chief Executive Officer of The HealthCare Initiative. As the visionary leader of the organization, Sean is responsible for both the tactical execution as well as the long-term direction of the firm. Under his leadership, the firm has increased its revenue almost 300% since 2001 when he first joined The HealthCare Initiative. Sean brings a deep understanding of what it takes to be successful. By following and directing a philosophy of putting the needs of others first, The HealthCare Initiative generates great client and candidate loyalty and consistently outperforms their competition. Sean believes it is extremely important to fully understand the goals and challenges of each individual and/or organization he works with, before offering any solutions. By finding out what is important to their clients and candidates, the consultants at The HealthCare Initiative are much more likely to be able to offer relevant advice that leads to a positive outcome. To learn more, go to https://thehealthcareinitiative.com/.

Meet the 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.

In industries and specializations full of recruiters, the last thing you want is to be lumped in with all the other salespeople selling staffing. The truth is: in competitive digs, there are a lot of headhunters who promise the world, but deliver nothing.

There's only one way to escape this category. You have to prove you're not just another service provider draining the resources of clients and wasting the time of candidates.

The secret to doing that is building authentic relationships and being a genuine partner for both sides of the recruiting process. Ultimately, what we're selling is excitement and solutions, and the more we lead with that, the better off we'll be.

Does technology factor into what we do? How do we win both clients and candidates? In this episode, I'm joined by the owner of DirectPath Recruiting Services, Scott Clark. As a new owner, he shares why he chose MRI and how he sets himself up for success.

On the hunt for talent to drive your business to big goals and big growth?

Connect with an MRINetwork office today.

We have a network of 250 search firms globally, many of whom have years or decades of experience in the industries they serve before transitioning into talent advisory. They bring deep networks and industry connections.

For more details, visit MRINetwork.com and click "Employers."

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.

Meet the 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.