Throughout my career, I have always handled the needs of my clients with the upmost care. But it wasn’t until I became a parent that I was truly able to understand how individualized the needs are of my clients and how I need to treat them differently as I do my own kids.
I am the proud father of two boys, both very different. Both have different talents, different needs and need to be nurtured in very different ways. But I love them for all their common traits and individuality. They both act differently towards me now as well. One is getting old enough to be direct, while my youngest still runs across the room and jumps in my arms when I greet him.
Like my kids, my clients are diverse and need to be nurtured in their own ways. There is no master solution that fits all their business needs. This was made evident to me once again when I recently met with two of my clients. Meeting with them reinforced my belief in treating clients individually.
One client is a very large financial services company. I placed one of our consultants there for an 18-month project to manage a team and upgrade their HR systems. At the time of the placement, the Hiring Manager was looking for someone who had the skills to manage a project, finish it on time and within budget. Understanding this need, I was able to match the right consultant with this project. The Hiring Manager was very thankful I was able to find him the right technical and management fit and that everything worked out perfectly.
My other client is a small technology firm of around 100 people. They were looking to hire a Talent Acquisition Specialist for a one-year project to help them grow by at least 30% in the sales and technology areas. Unlike my other client who just needed a consultant to come in and finish a project, this client asked me to find them someone who could be very flexible in working with business and technology leaders as well as C level executives and be able to prioritize ever changing requirements and adjust on the fly in the world of constant motion. I was able to find them the right person who became a fulltime employee. It was all about the right cultural fit. The Managing Director was happy we found someone who was able to embrace their culture and make a very large impact to the overall growth of the company in a very short time.
I really do love my clients as I do my kids. Being a parent has only made my relationships with the people I work with even stronger because I am able to listen to and appreciate their differences and work hard to provide them with what they need.
