Taking Trading Partner Relationships to a New Level, Part 2
(Editor’s note: This is the second part of a two-part blog post about a unique Trading Partner relationship forged by two Preferred Members of Top Echelon’s recruiting network. Click here in order to access the first part of this blog post. And I thank you.)
After communicating with the client, Hemminger immediately got in contact with Sgro. The two of them met for lunch to formulate an outline and game plan for the meeting and then made an on-site visit with the company.
“We talked with them face-to-face and communicated which of us had what role in the process,” said Hemminger. “I managed the hiring process, while Dave was involved with the technicalities of the search. I explained to the hiring manager that I was definitely the main contact, but that Dave and I were working as a team when it came to IT openings.”
“Going out to the client with Maria really helped me to understand the client better than if she just called me on the phone and tried to explain it,” said Sgro. “By getting a first-hand glimpse of the people, the work environment, and the location, I was able to more accurately target the right candidates and sell it to the candidates.”
At the end of the meeting, both Hemminger and Sgro handed their business card to the hiring manager. As far as Hemminger was concerned, she had no reservations about doing so.
“I trust Dave,” said Hemminger. “If that company contacted Dave directly, I know that he would call me and say, ‘Let’s go down together and partner again on this search.’”
Hemminger took the job order on April 6, and with the help of Sgro, she was able to submit her first candidate on April 15. The company extended an offer to one of Hemminger and Sgro’s candidates on June 8, and by July 1, the candidate had started employment at the company. All told, Hemminger presented six candidates to the company, which interviewed four of them on site before making an offer to one of them.
“The search did take a while because of geography issues,” said Hemminger. “None of the candidates were in their geographical region.”
Hemminger would have no hesitation partnering with Sgro again to fill another IT position in the future.
“Even with a current client with a need in IT, I would still take Dave with me, no matter what,” she said. “I still sent the candidates that we found on our own with this last search to Dave because we knew he was going to screen them from a technical standpoint. He was open to working the way that I like to market. From a presentation standpoint, he was very flexible.”
“This working relationship Maria and I have is outstanding,” said Sgro. “She brings me in like an extension of her company, and it works beautifully. We have no issues with explaining the relationship to the client, and not only did they understand, they appreciated it. They were working with someone who really knows their business—Maria—and someone who knows IT and the IT market, and it didn’t cost them a double fee! How could they not like it?”
According to Hemminger, when MJ Recruiters receives an IT job order from a client in the future, the first thing she’ll do is contact Sgro and express her interest to work the job order with him again.
“I would definitely do it again, with no hesitation,” said Hemminger. “As far as I’m concerned, Dave is an excellent Trading Partner.”
“I’m very impressed with Maria and how MJ Recruiters works,” added Sgro. “Maria’s relationship with the client and control of the process was eye-opening for me and makes me want to partner with Maria again and again. Through the Top Echelon conferences and Core Groups, Maria and I have built a trust, and really a friendship, which enables us to work this way together. Rest assured, you’ll see more of these placements coming from the MJ/True North team!”