Press Releases: Candidates

Press Releases

Talent Resource Solutions provides relevant and timely updates on our activities and services, as well industry and economic trends, for use by our clients and candidates. Check back often for the latest news, information, and updates.   

TRS in the United Kingdom (October 2010)                  

Newsletter: Q2 2010 (May 2010) 

TRS Acquires IT Contract Staffing Business (April 2010)

Newsletter: Q1 2010 (February 2010)

TRS Third Quarter Review (November 2009)

Manufacturing on the Leading Edge of Recovery (October 2009)

Newsletter: Q2 2009 (attachment)

Leading Edge of Job Market Recovery (July 2009) 

Hiring Freeze Problems? We Have a Solution (February 2009)

May 2010 Newsletter

Industry Update

As we communicate and strategize with our clients in a wide range of industries and functional areas, the Talent Resource Solutions team gains unique insight into trends developing within the world of talent acquisition. About this time last year, we reported signs of newfound optimism among our clients, who were beginning to plan strategic high-level searches and contemplate future hiring initiatives. In the midst of last year’s recession, we were excited to detect the emergence of a more positive, forward-looking attitude.

Today we are pleased to report that what began as cautious optimism a year ago has gained momentum and is now driving major initiatives among many of our clients. In the past several weeks, we have spoken with many HR leaders who want our input on specific, realistic hiring projects being planned for the near future. These companies are joining a growing number of organizations that are implementing ambitious talent initiatives. These companies agree that now is the time to step up their talent levels as they seek to take maximum advantage of a recovering market.

Case Studies

The following are just a few examples of client projects currently underway or scheduled to begin in the second quarter.

• A global adult beverage company plans to launch a significant sales and marketing talent upgrade in the early summer of this year.
• One of the largest financial services firms in the world recently completed a thorough talent review, and has identified the need to hire 80 to 100 people in its Human Resources function to replace talent lost during the recession. It is continuing to review its talent needs in other functional areas.
• A large international food ingredient company recently launched a leadership upgrade across all major functions in the United States, with particular focus on sales and marketing, finance, and strategic sourcing.
• A large private equity firm is working to double down on talent across all its holding companies, and Talent Resource Solutions is playing a key role in the strategy and execution of this initiative. Over the past few months we have been involved in as many as 30 searches for one of the manufacturing companies owned by the firm, working to fill key positions across a wide range of functions, including sales, business development, engineering, design, finance, and production.
• Three of our major retail clients are currently investing heavily in design, product marketing, and customer-facing talent, forecasting around 100 hires by the end of the year.
• A leading national cable provider has retained TRS for a major hiring initiative in its business services division, which will be rolling out a new product across all markets within the next 18 months. The company expects to hire hundreds of new salespeople, and chose TRS to deliver top sales and sales leadership talent across the mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions.
• A large department store chain has retained our Tampa team to place up to 30 merchandise planners as part of a companywide expansion. This retailer is experiencing positive growth and is making a strategic investment to ensure continued success by strengthening its merchandising organization.
• TRS has recently begun working with two IT market leaders, both of which have hired TRS consultants within the last month.
• A major European IT consulting/outsourcing company is introducing a large employment initiative, which will be staffed by our IT contract/consulting business.
• One of the world's largest IT companies is employing TRS consultants on a contract basis to implement a  migration from Lotus Notes to MS Exchange Server.
• The State of Texas is using TRS to supply temporary IT consultants across various technical skills and lines of business.
• A major multinational enterprise software company has given TRS contract staffing orders for its divisions in New York, California, and Houston, which includes EDS affiliates.
    

Analysis

The scenarios described above are not isolated incidents. Our observation of increased hiring activity is paralleled by recent reports on national employment trends. On May 7, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the economy added 290,000 jobs in April. While unemployment rose slightly, the change represented a substantial increase in the number of active candidates on the market, suggesting growing confidence among jobseekers. Recent months have also seen a growing number of people voluntarily leave or change jobs. Economic conditions remain challenging, but the consensus outlook is very positive.

What does all this mean to you? As the employment market improves, top talent is in ever greater demand. Increased candidate mobility will benefit companies looking to lure key players away from their competitors; it will also lead to increasingly fierce competition for the top players in each field. Many of our clients are facing a shortage of high-potential leaders (individuals with the capacity to succeed in the next one to two jobs in their career progression), especially at the level of middle management. Our recent search experience has made it clear that the demand for world-class manager and director-level talent greatly exceeds the current supply. At this level and others we are seeing more and more top candidates receive strong counteroffers from their current employers, as well as competing offers from multiple organizations. Our conclusion: your organization needs to aggressively pursue the talent that will drive your future success.

In addition to positive developments in the overall employment market, TRS is seeing particularly strong hiring trends in the Information Technology arena, with a high demand for highly-skilled contract workers. This too aligns with nationwide economic trends, reflecting the high levels of business investment in technical equipment and software reported by the U.S. Commerce Department at the end of April.

Based on the high volume of work already undertaken by our recently-acquired IT contract staffing business, our new service offerings are meeting important, immediate client needs. Our IT staffing clients appreciate our solution-centered approach, reconfirming our belief in the importance of concentrating on six key needs that drive all technical specialties:

• Managing the relentless growth of information;
• Reducing the total cost of IT operations;
• Improving the energy efficiency of data centers;
• Improving the security and protection of information;
• Automating and simplifying information and infrastructure management;
• Achieving the highest possible levels of business continuity.

TRS is excited to offer our clients fast, unfettered access to world-class IT talent through our efficient and economic contracting service. For more information on how our expert IT consultants can help your company achieve new levels of success, get in touch with Managing Director Chris Velissaris (cvelis@trsolutions.cc) or any member of the TRS team.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like to learn more about our recent work or discuss your organization’s talent needs. Our team looks forward to helping build your team!

For Immediate Release

TRS Acquires IT Contract Staffing Business

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 – Talent Resource Solutions is pleased to announce that we have recently acquired and fully integrated a highly successful IT contract staffing business. The management has been retained, with Chris Velissaris joining us as a Managing Director based in our Chicago office.

With global spending on information technology expected to exceed $1.3 trillion this year, TRS is acutely aware that companies large and small face ever-expanding technical demands and often need expert help to stay ahead. TRS clients will now have access to a proven system that can deliver outstanding IT talent with the speed and accuracy your business requires.

Our IT contract staffing business is rooted in extensive experience helping clients overcome the six most common information management challenges faced by organizations every day:

• Managing the relentless growth of information
• Reducing the total cost of IT operations
• Improving the energy efficiency of data centers
• Improving the security and protection of information
• Automating and simplifying information and infrastructure management
• Achieving the highest possible levels of business continuity

We have the ability to work with clients who deal in speed and volume, and can deliver outstanding results within 24 to 48 hours. Our IT contract staffing team is committed to providing the speed, quality, and execution that will drive our clients’ success.

About TRS
Talent Resource Solutions is a global search firm focused on providing recruitment solutions for client organizations across multiple industries and a wide spectrum of functional disciplines. We partner with companies who understand the significance of acquiring and building top talent at the mid-level of their business. Our global reach and dedicated focus on speed, quality, and execution allow our clients to continually strengthen their organizational talent level and grow tomorrow’s business leaders.
 

Contact:

Tammie Do, CEO
tammie@trsolutions.cc
847-715.2006

Chris Velissaris, Managing Director
cvelis@trsolutions.cc
847-715-2023

February 2010 Newsletter

Promising Signs of Growth

Like most other observers, we were heartened to see the positive trends highlighted in the U.S. Commerce Department’s advance report on GDP growth in the fourth quarter of 2009.  Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, measures the total market value of all final goods and services produced in a country, regardless of the producer’s nationality.  In other words, it provides a window into the work being done in the United States at a given time.  According to the government report released on January 29, the economy was growing at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.7% at the close of last year.

General Observations

• Based on recent reports, we expect continued growth in the national GDP. This is likely to translate into slow growth in hiring, as companies continue to exercise caution, doing more with less.
• While we do not foresee wholesale hiring increases in the near future, we are seeing many companies working to strategically upgrade their talent in areas that will drive revenue, innovation, and new corporate initiatives.
• In the current environment, candidates in the top ten percent of their field tend to be very hesitant to move; they are also in short supply.
• In recent months we have seen a significant increase in manufacturing activity. While this has been widely reported in the news media as a sign of economic recovery, some of our clients have encountered difficulties because their suppliers are incapable of keeping up with increased demand. For this reason, we have seen a surge in new searches focused on strategic sourcing and supplier validation.
   

Sales Outlook

TRS recently interviewed several heads of domestic sales with $1 billion to $10 billion revenue responsibility.  All reported that they anticipate a static headcount or only small increases in their department for the near future.  These sales leaders were also consistent in telling us that they do not expect macroeconomic developments to drive major revenue increases; rather, they believe that they must gain market share account by account, through hard work in the field.

• Based on these observations, we are advising our clients to carefully evaluate their sales teams from the individual contributor to regional level.
• Individual sales people need to be at the top of their game to build market share for their company.  They also need outstanding leadership at the regional level.  In this environment, having excellent talent is essential for success.
• Companies that hope to grow cannot afford to keep C-players on their teams.  After assessing the existing sales talent, we recommend establishing a constant pipeline of top talent to replace underperformers.  A-players will drive far more revenue than C-players, giving their employers the chance to win market share.

Action Items

• Assess sales talent: identify who is driving growth in the field, and who is not.
• Enter some type of shared-risk sales pipeline recruiting model, whether internal or external.
• Constantly interview.  Not only will this allow you to upgrade your team, it will also give you the opportunity to benchmark your strength against the competition’s, and learn from the best practices of others.
   

Human Resources Outlook

Based on our understanding of the current economic and employment situations, we recommend investing in world-class HR talent at the manager to director level.

• To grow in today’s economy, companies must mentor and promote their A-players while developing B-players into A-talent, and either developing or upgrading C-talent.
• Building teams in this manner is not possible without the leadership of excellent, business-savvy HR talent at the field and regional levels.

Action Items

• Take a detailed assessment of your HR organization, and look for opportunities to develop and upgrade talent.  The key to building strong teams and growing companies is cultivating A-level talent.
• For each of your key functions, develop a line of sight on the top 10-15% at each level.  Work with your HR business partner on retention, succession, and back-filling plans for each of these players.
• Top players want to receive rewards and promotions based on performance, not tenure.  Companies that neglect their top players risk losing talent to competitors who offer a more advantageous advancement model.
   

Product Development and Innovation Outlook

Product Development is an area that always has the potential to generate game-changing events.  Over the last quarter, we have interviewed a number of CEOs who are putting significant emphasis on the search for talent who can look forward and drive the innovations that will take their companies to the next level.

• Top players in this area will identify products and services that customers want, and translate these ideas into real solutions that drive revenue and market share.

Action Items

• Assess your existing internal talent for ability to develop new products, services, and ideas, as well as the business acumen to work in a matrix environment that will allow for vetting ideas and making decisions as quickly as possible.
   

Contract Engagements in Middle Management

As many companies maintain strict limits on permanent hiring, some organizations are faced with significant backlogs of work. Clients are searching for non-traditional solutions to these problems.

• We have seen several of our clients come to us with similar problems: they need a manager or director-level individual with excellent capabilities in a particular functional area (e.g. Sales, Marketing, Product Development, Design, Human Resources), but they do not have headcount approval for a permanent hire.
• TRS has the ability to locate and deliver middle management talent for contract engagements. We have found that in the current economic environment, we are able to engage candidates whose qualifications and experience would prevent them from considering temporary employment in a more robust job market. This gives our clients access to a strong pool of talent even while facing hiring caps.
• We work with a variety of client companies to place and manage candidates who deliver quality, expertise, and commitment to accomplishing organizational goals, often finishing ahead of schedule.

Action Items

• Consider whether an interim middle manager could help solve problems within your organization. Contractors can fill significant gaps created by downsizing and hiring freezes, resolving backlogs and completing assignments that permanent staff cannot finish.

For Immediate Release

TRS Third Quarter Review

Wednesday, November 11, 2009  – As the Talent Resource Solutions team looks back on our third-quarter activity, we can identify a number of very positive long-term trends.  Although we have not seen a repeat of the second quarter, which was marked by a steep increase in the number of active searches undertaken by our clients, we are now observing steady, focused investment in high-impact positions that will drive value and market share in 2010 and beyond.  While unemployment numbers continue to rise, albeit at a reduced rate, many key indexes show positive signs.  The Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index, for example, recently reached its highest level in three and a half years, indicating that companies are experiencing renewed confidence and willingness to invest in the upcoming year.

In our recent interactions with our client partners, we have seen a consistent emphasis on talent who can work “outside the box,” thinking across and beyond traditional corporate boundaries to form dynamic relationships with channel partners and other key constituencies.  We are seeing demand for top talent across a variety of industry segments, and within each segment the companies with the strongest overall brands have been the first to upgrade their talent.  In terms of functional areas, we are seeing many of our clients make significant investments in sales, business development, marketing, product development and innovation, and business HR talent.

Below is a partial sample list of positions we have filled for clients in the past few months:

• Director of HR (Health and Welfare) for a major energy company.
• Director of HR for a national specialty apparel retailer.
• Director of HR for a custom packaging manufacturer.
• Multiple Sales Directors and Managers (part of a major expansion initiative) for a leading cable company.
• Several Sales Directors for a regional network services provider.
• Multiple General Managers and Sales Managers for a national network services provider.
• Sr. Sales Director for a large floor-care company.
• Sr. Sales Manager for a top apparel manufacturer.
  Several National Account Sales positions for a diagnostic imaging company.
• Account Executive for a new distribution channel for a $1-billion floor-care company.
• Vice President of Marketing for a popular maker of kitchen electrics.
• Sr. Director of Brand Marketing for a top-three sporting goods retailer.
• Sr. Manager of Marketing Communications for a top-three sporting goods retailer.
• Marketing Manager for an online TV retailer.
• Sr. Category Manager for a global food company.
• Manager of Consumer Insight Research for a top-three sporting goods retailer.
• Director of Engineering for a large floor-care company.
• Designer for a specialty line at a top apparel manufacturer.
• Director of Sourcing for a major giftware company.
• Sr. Director of Finance for a luxury hair care product manufacturer.
• Director of Finance for a custom packaging manufacturer.

As our clients begin to strategize for the coming year, many have spoken to us about their intention to undertake ambitious hiring initiatives in 2010.  While these developments are still in the planning stage, this trend is a major sign of confidence that we did not see at the end of 2008.  The following are a few examples of the types of plans our clients are currently discussing.

• A major manufacturing company requested a proposal for 100 hires in Asia and 50 in Europe.
• A major apparel manufacturer asked us to develop a proposal for upgrading their design talent in the United States and sourcing operations in Asia.
• A large electronic gaming company has indicated that its 2010 head count will increase by around 300 employees.
• A major packaging company is adding 27 customer-centric sales and marketing positions in North America, and similar numbers in Europe and Asia.
• Several clients in the $200 million to $2 billion size range are planning aggressive across-the-board talent upgrades for the near future.

Please contact Talent Resource Solutions CEO Tammie Do if you would like to learn more about our recent work and current capabilities, or if we can assist your organization in any way.

Contact:
Tammie Do
tammie@trsolutions.cc
847-715-2006

Thursday, October 1, 2009 – At first, the expectation was that economic recovery would come from green energy. Then talk shifted to a rebound in real estate, which was the catalyst for the recession. Then Wall Street started to show some life again, posting record profits and it looked as if finance might take the lead.

But a funny thing happened on the way to recovery: manufacturing. The industry once thought to be long dead, an American industry that could no longer survive in the global marketplace, seems to be waking up.

In the week ending September 19 (the most recent reporting period) of the 15 states that reported large drops in new unemployment claims, 10 said the bump came from decreases in manufacturing layoffs. 

In September, The Institute for Supply Management reported that its Purchasing Managers Index hit 52.9 percent, its first indication of growth since June 2007. This number may falter as stimuli, like the Obama administration’s CARS program, work their way out of the system.

Yet, once federal stimulus runs its course, and retailers and distributors have refilled their dwindled stocks, other conditions will soon step in to support American manufacturing.

In the near term, the dollar’s lower value is making it cheaper to purchase domestically rather than from the E.U. and China. Additionally, the lower value of the dollar is adding demand for U.S. goods overseas, where countries are for the first time in years able to get discounted American products.

More long-term, the rising cost of energy is making domestic manufacturing more cost-effective, and will likely be the largest driver of a sustained manufacturing resurgence. Importing cheap products from the other side of the world has been made possible by an abundance of inexpensive fuel powering massive cargo ships. However, fuel prices are already higher than in the past and will only go up further in the future adding a prohibitive cost to the importing of many goods.

“If we were to come out of the recession led by real estate or dot-coms or finance, there is a good chance we would be setting ourselves up for another bubble,” says search industry expert Tony McKinnon. “Seeing a sector like manufacturing starting to take the lead, however, is a very different story. A successful manufacturing sector sets the foundation for a true and lasting recovery.”

Today, robotics and automation mean that assembly lines can employ a fraction of the workers they once required. Nonetheless, a profitable manufacturing sector in the United States means that more money flows domestically rather than overseas. That money aids all the engineers, accountants, marketers, insurers, lawyers, bankers, shippers, trash collectors and others who are needed to keep the plants running.

“We are seeing a consistent flow of demand from our manufacturing clients in the contract staffing arena, and over the last 90 days have seen an increase in the number of clients converting contract labor to permanent head count, and releasing permanent head count searches in the areas of product development, supply chain, and business development,” said Patrick Sylvester, Chairman of Talent Resource Solutions.

Continued positive movement in the manufacturing space in October’s BLS report will only add more credence to projections that it will emerge atop of the economy.

Contact:

Tammie Do,

CEO, Talent Resource Solutions

tammie@trsolutions.cc

847-715-2006

Talent Resource Solutions, a leading executive search firm with offices in North America and Asia, announced today that the index it uses to track potential search activity over the next 90 days took a significant uptick for the first time since November 2007.

TRS’s forward-looking index tracks the potential permanent hire and high-level contracting needs of U.S.-based companies from approximately fourteen industries, and representing an aggregate client sales value of approximately $1 trillion.  TRS’s Senior Partners engage in business conversations with heads of Human Resources and Talent Acquisition at these companies on an ongoing basis, discussing potential hiring needs over the next ninety days.  Real-time information from these conversations is compiled and analyzed to form the basis of the index.  After consistent month-on-month slides since the first signs of recession became apparent in Q4 2007, this February saw a triple-digit increase over January’s numbers in TRS’s expected search revenue.  Based on their extensive experience in the search industry, the TRS leadership team views this development as the leading edge of a job recovery.

TRS’s CEO, Tammie Do, reports that she saw strong demand from clients in multiple industries, indicating that many organizations are looking to start adding high-impact talent in key functional areas, with the majority of new searches coming in the areas of sales, marketing, and new product development.

Ms. Do also noted that the majority of the potential open positions are coming from the ranks of middle management (Manager to Senior Director), where key hires will make an immediate impact.  She added that so far she is seeing this development mainly from small and mid-size companies (less than $10 billion), while larger corporations are taking slightly longer to adjust to changing market dynamics.

Another interesting trend seen in TRS’s recent activity is a significant increase in the number of clients who are hiring high-potential talent on a contract basis to fill positions at the level of Manager to Senior Vice President.  Many organizations are bringing on permanent-caliber talent to work on a contract basis while they monitor changing macroeconomic conditions.  Most TRS clients have expressed the desire to convert these contract roles into permanent positions once they feel comfortable that markets have stabilized.

Ms. Do said in closing that she believes progressive companies are starting to recognize that this is a buyer’s market for talent.  They are identifying areas where high-potential talent will add both short- and long-term value to their organizations, and selectively adding talent to their teams.

Contact:

Tammie Do,

CEO, Talent Resource Solutions

tammie@trsolutions.cc

847-715-2006 

February 6, 2009 – Talent Resource Solutions (TRS), an executive and management search firm, today announced its launch of a new temporary employment service designed to meet its clients’ pressing needs in today’s challenging economy.

Companies across the United States are facing similar challenges due to the current economic climate.  Budgets are tight, layoffs are widespread, and hiring freezes are common – but the work still needs to be done.  Furthermore, when every dollar counts, it is more important than ever to staff your business with the best talent available.

TRS looks to alleviate some of these difficulties by working with our clients to develop their strategic use of contract staffing.  Many companies have found that working with temporary employees is an excellent way to meet pressing business needs when times are tight.  They have also discovered, however, that it can be difficult to attract the best candidates – the type of high-potential talent that would maximize their return on investment – to temporary or contract positions.  The new services offered by TRS help bridge this gap.  By taking full in-house control of payroll and compensation for our temporary employees, we will be able to offer candidates an attractive benefits package that includes health insurance with employer matching, 401(k) services, and paid time-off accruing with length of service.

TRS is confident that by improving the contracting experience for candidates, these services will help companies attract and retain high-caliber temporary employees.  Workers who feel comfortable, secure, and well-compensated are more likely to accept temporary placement, and to remain with a company over the long haul.  Employers can be confident in having skilled staff on hand through slow economic times, and will be ready to capitalize on the first opportunities of recovery by converting well-qualified, pre-trained contractors to permanent staff when the economy improves.

CEO Tammie Do developed this business solution in response to her clients’ needs.  “Over the last 90 days almost every one of my clients has come to me with urgent needs that must be met under a hiring freeze.  They are looking for high-potential talent to work on a contract basis, but this level of employee wants benefits that are unavailable under the traditional temporary model.  My clients and I have found this solution to be very effective while working with positions in the $40,000 to $200,000 compensation range.”

TRS is pleased to unveil this new contract staffing model, and looks forward to continuing to offer high value-added services to candidates and clients alike. 

Contact:

Tammie Do,

CEO, Talent Resource Solutions

tammie@trsolutions.cc

847-715-2006