SkyWater Blog

Regional Executive Search Firms Have an Undeniable Edge in CFO Recruiting

Finding the right person for a Chief Financial Officer role is one of the most consequential executive search challenges that a Fortune 500 organization will ever face. Lately, I’ve been watching a trend emerge in CFO recruiting where BODs and CEOs are interested in a more intimate search approach. The days of working with a “sales” guy out of New York who gets their candidates from “his recruiter” out of Chicago are losing their luster. Needless to say, the trend is shifting and it’s been a fun recruitment shift to be a part of.

Over the past eighteen months, the competition for marketing talent has continued to tighten throughout the Twin Cities. Here at SkyWater Search Partners, client demand for marketing executives has continued to skyrocket. In response to that need, we are thrilled to welcome one of the Twin Cities’ most well-known and respected experts in marketing recruiting, Laura King, to lead our Marketing practice.

A trend is emerging among mid-market, publicly traded companies that we'd like to share: The perfect candidate profile for a Chief Financial Officer is shifting. I'll explain who we're being asked to find, why, and how this impacts you...

While the events of the past eighteen months have driven major disruptions to hiring and staffing processes throughout the business world, few leadership roles have been as impacted as that of the CFO. Today, as organizational leaders continue to sort through the lessons learned from this challenging and unprecedented time, there is growing recognition of the importance and influence of the CFO position.

In a recent post, I talked about how the post-COVID economic recovery has intensified the battle for FP&A talent throughout the Chicago area. My focus was on how today’s successful hiring managers are moving decisively, rapidly, and engagingly to fill open positions, from the moment a top-tier candidate’s resume is received, through onboarding.  Those who don’t move fast lose out.

President Biden has introduced a new infrastructure plan that dedicates a substantial budget to improving transportation, water & sewer, high-speed broadband, energy, and building projects throughout the united states. If passed, the plan will invest billions of dollars in infrastructure improvement projects this decade. For those of us who follow the construction employment market closely, this smells like jobs and lots of them. But jobs at what level, in what discipline areas, and potentially most importantly, for whom?

6 Elements of a Perfect New Employee Announcement

If you’re hiring, here’s something you already know: you’re competing with other top employers for a handful of superior candidates. 

But if you’re not currently hiring, here’s something you may not have considered:  you’re still competing.  Every day.  And the competition is fierce.  All of your employees, from new hires to old-timers want to feel welcome, engaged, challenged, successful, and appreciated.  Every day.  If they don’t, greener pastures are just a recruiter’s email away.

What happens when your number one job candidate turns down your best offer?  Here’s what happens:  you’re suddenly breaking all speed records to reach back out to Finalists Two and Three (and maybe Four).  But if they were so great, they may no longer be available.  And if they’re no longer interested, you’re starting all over again, re-working your network for the same job. The repeat calls, emails, postings, conversations and negotiations cost you time, money and credibility.

Happy Father's Day!

On this very special Father's Day, we would like to take the time to recognize the dads of SkyWater for their hard work, both in and out of the home.

Tomorrow is June 19th, also known as Juneteenth. Juneteenth is not a new day of recognition but it has become a more mainstream holiday across a growing number of communities in recent years. You may have become aware of this important day in history in recent decades, or in recent years.  This year, 2021, Juneteenth was signed into law as a federal holiday. 

It’s one of the great dilemmas of candidates across all industries, especially during a pandemic. You find a great job, you know you’re a perfect fit but your application is greeted by a wall of silence or a standard letter stating “We’re sorry but other applicants more closely matched our requirements.” Perhaps, like many others, this company was forced to eliminate a number of jobs in order to financially keep afloat,  making the competition even more fierce for the remaining jobs.