June 12, 2006
Getting it right | A chat with Barbara Hart, founder of Hire Well in South Portland.
By Whit Richardson
Founded: December 2005
Employees: One
Startup costs: $5,000
Projected revenues, year one: $25,000
Projected revenues, year two: $65,000
Contact: 221-3489
50 Market St., PMB 287,
South Portland 04106
www.hirewellmaine.com
Tell me about Hire Well.
Hire Well helps small companies hire key personnel ˆ getting it right the first time. And I don't think I'm the first person to say this, but I think a lot of growth that Maine is going to have is in the small companies, companies that are emerging and growing. And very often the entrepreneur that's starting that company has a lot of skills, but they don't include hiring the key people. They're using me because they know it's not something they do well, or because they don't have the time to do it. And I take over for them and make it happen.
What prepared you to start your own hiring agency?
I worked in a traditional headhunting and recruiting agency for six years and really enjoyed the job and the people. There's a really good reason for that model, for what they do, for what they charge, for how they operate, but that's not always the best model for small companies who do not have an HR manager.
What challenges do you face branching out on your own?
I think the biggest challenge is marketing. [Hire Well] is not what people expect when they think of somebody who's a recruiter or hiring consultant. I don't have a group of candidates in my back pocket that I can immediately place. That's not what this is all about. So, for me, it's all about getting my name out there with people who either will use the service or can refer me to someone who will use the service, and that's a big part of what I'm doing right now.
Who do you view as your competition and how do you differentiate yourself?
As far as actual competition, of course there's a traditional [recruitment] agency. But, in an analysis of my prior employer that I did, less than 10% of their clients are the people I'm going for now. So, I guess my competition is the client trying to do it him or herself. What I like to teach them is the real cost of hiring the wrong person and doing the process all over again. And if we can get the right person in the first place that's a huge savings, even after they pay my fee.
Take me through the process.
When [a client] hires me I make them meet with me for 45 minutes to an hour because I want to find out about them and their company and what the challenges are. I receive all the resumes ˆ the job is listed under my name ˆ I review all the resumes, I respond to all the resumes. The top candidates I'll call and do a lengthy phone interview and I get a lot of information out of that. Then I send via e-mail all that information to the client with my recommendation for who we bring in for a face-to-face. And then we pick the top candidates, and from there I will do reference checks, background checks if required.
Sometimes the client then brings in the candidates again on their own. Then I'll make the offer and place them. I offer a 90-day guarantee that's unconditional. So, if the person leaves for any reason ˆ I mean if they have a sick family member in Ohio and have to move back there I'll go through the whole process again at no charge.
What is your fee?
$2,500 flat fee paid in three increments during the process.
What are your plans for growth?
I think this is a model that can be taught. It has to be taught to the right person; it has to be someone who has some intuitive skills and can really make the right fit and not just slot somebody into a job. I'd like to be too busy in southern Maine so that I have to have someone in the Bangor region. I'd love to see that happen.
Do you have any pointers for job seekers out there?
I think the things that stick in my mind lately have been really horrible resume submissions, and it's people who should know better. I had a person who had 10 years of fairly high-level experience in Maine as a CPA submit a resume for a controller position and did not submit a cover letter with the resume, which I find not good. And this person's e-mail to me had absolutely no capitalization in it whatsoever. If you're not representing yourself any better than that, how well will you represent your company?
New Entrepreneurs profiles young businesses, 6-18 months old. Send your suggestions and contact information to wrichardson@mainebiz.biz.
Employees: One
Startup costs: $5,000
Projected revenues, year one: $25,000
Projected revenues, year two: $65,000
Contact: 221-3489
50 Market St., PMB 287,
South Portland 04106
www.hirewellmaine.com
Tell me about Hire Well.
Hire Well helps small companies hire key personnel ˆ getting it right the first time. And I don't think I'm the first person to say this, but I think a lot of growth that Maine is going to have is in the small companies, companies that are emerging and growing. And very often the entrepreneur that's starting that company has a lot of skills, but they don't include hiring the key people. They're using me because they know it's not something they do well, or because they don't have the time to do it. And I take over for them and make it happen.
What prepared you to start your own hiring agency?
I worked in a traditional headhunting and recruiting agency for six years and really enjoyed the job and the people. There's a really good reason for that model, for what they do, for what they charge, for how they operate, but that's not always the best model for small companies who do not have an HR manager.
What challenges do you face branching out on your own?
I think the biggest challenge is marketing. [Hire Well] is not what people expect when they think of somebody who's a recruiter or hiring consultant. I don't have a group of candidates in my back pocket that I can immediately place. That's not what this is all about. So, for me, it's all about getting my name out there with people who either will use the service or can refer me to someone who will use the service, and that's a big part of what I'm doing right now.
Who do you view as your competition and how do you differentiate yourself?
As far as actual competition, of course there's a traditional [recruitment] agency. But, in an analysis of my prior employer that I did, less than 10% of their clients are the people I'm going for now. So, I guess my competition is the client trying to do it him or herself. What I like to teach them is the real cost of hiring the wrong person and doing the process all over again. And if we can get the right person in the first place that's a huge savings, even after they pay my fee.
Take me through the process.
When [a client] hires me I make them meet with me for 45 minutes to an hour because I want to find out about them and their company and what the challenges are. I receive all the resumes ˆ the job is listed under my name ˆ I review all the resumes, I respond to all the resumes. The top candidates I'll call and do a lengthy phone interview and I get a lot of information out of that. Then I send via e-mail all that information to the client with my recommendation for who we bring in for a face-to-face. And then we pick the top candidates, and from there I will do reference checks, background checks if required.
Sometimes the client then brings in the candidates again on their own. Then I'll make the offer and place them. I offer a 90-day guarantee that's unconditional. So, if the person leaves for any reason ˆ I mean if they have a sick family member in Ohio and have to move back there I'll go through the whole process again at no charge.
What is your fee?
$2,500 flat fee paid in three increments during the process.
What are your plans for growth?
I think this is a model that can be taught. It has to be taught to the right person; it has to be someone who has some intuitive skills and can really make the right fit and not just slot somebody into a job. I'd like to be too busy in southern Maine so that I have to have someone in the Bangor region. I'd love to see that happen.
Do you have any pointers for job seekers out there?
I think the things that stick in my mind lately have been really horrible resume submissions, and it's people who should know better. I had a person who had 10 years of fairly high-level experience in Maine as a CPA submit a resume for a controller position and did not submit a cover letter with the resume, which I find not good. And this person's e-mail to me had absolutely no capitalization in it whatsoever. If you're not representing yourself any better than that, how well will you represent your company?
New Entrepreneurs profiles young businesses, 6-18 months old. Send your suggestions and contact information to wrichardson@mainebiz.biz.
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