January was a great to start to the 2024 Business Year. Excellent candidates are always hard to find and the “candidate driven” market for talented professionals continues. This business has never been easy but with the likelihood of a recession fading in the rearview mirror, I have found experienced and talented professionals are more open to listening to the opportunities our firm is representing.

The reason I’m Impressed? Regardless of tenure, it has been proven again the really talented professional will always do their homework. Certainly before they decide whether they want to be presented to our client, but once they agree to meet that client their professionalism really kicks in. Early career or senior executive, they research the company on their own using multiple sources. One young candidate even listened to my client’s archived interviews with a local radio station. Beyond their research, these same talented professionals are highly interested in what we can share regarding our client and also in our sharing our expertise on how to be best prepared for each interview.

What has your experience been if you are interviewing talented professionals? Are those you choose to pursue most often those who are best prepared for each interview?