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O P I N I O N
A s I was discussing the need for a lead architect with a small firm in Nebraska, I was reminded of a quip by General Patton: “Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory.” Purple unicorns and mountain climbing Recruiting top talent to small markets is an adventure, but with persistence, you can ride the horse all the way to the summit.
This is relevant to any recruiter in the A/E industry. There is always a mountain to climb when presented with a difficult position to fill. But once the right person is found and placed, the exhilaration of accomplishment makes all the hard work in the recruiting process more than worthwhile. “Every company has a need to fill that seems daunting. We often call these hiring needs ‘purple unicorns’ since the position description can paint a picture of someone that doesn’t exist.” More importantly, every company has a need to fill that seems daunting. We often call these hiring needs “purple unicorns” since the position description can paint a picture of someone that doesn’t exist. In this firm’s case, it needed an
individual to not only relocate to a tiny city in Nebraska, but he would also need his AIA and NCARB registrations. The firm had previously engaged an outside recruiting agency that managed to present one candidate over the course of six months. As a result, the Nebraska firm had remained frozen on step one of a questionable process. I was then told that it had become obvious the outside recruiters had no formal plan of execution once the candidate disclosed that he would retire within the next two years. This was indeed a “purple unicorn” for the recruiting firm with little A/E experience. But not for us. So what did the Zweig Group executive search team do differently? First and foremost, licensure does matter. AIA and NCARB registrations reflect not only a commitment to hard work but they demonstrate a dedication to bettering one’s
Chris Patton
See CHRIS PATTON, page 12
THE ZWEIG LETTER September 19, 2016, ISSUE 1168
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