About SSmith Advisors
Identifying and hiring the right talent at the right time is a strategic imperative for most businesses focused on growth. This is difficult in a low unemployment economy and until the recent COVID-19 global pandemic it was a “candidate’s market” and while that has changed, it will probably shift back.
Do you have the right people leading your talent acquisition organization, are they asking the right questions, have you allocated enough budget for them to achieve the business goals?
Often, recruiting is a numbers game and rarely focuses on the tools to make the tasks easier and the processes to drive excellence across the entire candidate lifecycle.
I have seen these problems from several different perspectives:
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COO of a technology-focused direct selling start-up business
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Head of Sales and Engineering for an Inc. 500 technology firm
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Head of Executive Recruiting for a Fortune 500 (#49) business
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Principal and Managing Director at two different global search firms
These roles have provided a unique perspective and an ability to operate at a strategic level to see the forest through the trees and yet be able to assess, select, and implement both strategic and tactical solutions that improve business outcomes through talent acquisition excellence.
Scott Smith
Founder and Principal
Senior Operating and HR executive who understands how to identify top talent, leverage technology, and implement streamlined processes to improve productivity. Focused on providing both strategic and tactical leadership to ensure business objectives are consistently met.
With over twelve years of experience in both executive search at Spencer Stuart and internal talent acquisition and HR roles at Bridgewater and Aetna, I have a broad HR background. In my most recent role at Aetna leading Executive Search, I managed a team of five and rebuilt our systems and process to improve service levels, lower time to fill and create a sustainable talent community that can be leveraged for future needs. My team and I identified, qualified, and hired over 100 executives per year.
Before this, I spent over seven years working at large global and boutique executive search firms and learned how to ask questions to understand business needs, culture, and hiring manager strengths and weaknesses which enabled me to rapidly identify candidates that matched these criteria. I worked across multiple industries and roles with a focus on operations and technology.
Besides the experience highlighted above, I spent the first part of my career as a technology entrepreneur and was a partner in an Inc 500 systems integration firm leading sales and service operations. I also started and ran a direct selling business, which became the second-fastest startup in this segment. I have been able to leverage this deep operations experience and understanding of what it takes to build and run a business as a strategic HR Business Partner and Talent Acquisition Leader.