Webber Kerr Associates Providing Services to City of Spartanburg

May 19, 2016 – Executive search firm Webber Kerr Associates has been retained by the City of Spartanburg, SC to attract corporate organizations through the firm’s talent and market research services. Spartanburg is looking to draw global attention to businesses to its growing downtown and nearby surroundings. The area has a history in manufacturing and as a cost friendly environment.

Webber Kerr is specifically providing the city with services that include talent mapping, market analysis, leadership research and a general regional assessment as it relates to human capital, business competition within industrial manufacturing, housing, economic and relocation motivators.

Webber Kerr’s recommendations and opinions will be based both its professional experiences of working with organizations to hire in markets with limited talent pools and that are considered ‘less desirable,’ while incorporating direct industry sector expertise within industrial manufacturing.

“Spartanburg is gaining national recognition as a home of choice for companies and their employee’s interest. Webber Kerr has been a very important partner to us in painting the complete picture for business stakeholders,” said Will Rothschild City of Spartanburg communications manager.

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Adam Lloyd, Webber Kerr’s president, said that offering these types of non-traditional executive search services to clients is a new calling and a bit of what the future is going to like for talent management experts. “Working with municipals is a fairly new avenue, yes, but consulting engagements to help organizations make decisions regarding potential acquisitions, office startups, and identifying optimal talent pools have been both ‘lead-in’ to search and stand-alone engagements that we support. We are seeing more and more companies looking for these types of decision making tools before even beginning their hiring discussions.”

Many recruiting firms have been expanding their business platforms to include more than traditional core search services. It is a trend that continues to gain traction.

“I don’t think traditional search is going away, and I always note that this is our core,” said Mr. Lloyd. “But, when I have conversations with talent and HR leaders to gain their perspective and feedback on these types of offerings, the responses are ‘innovative,’ ‘progressive’ and ‘game-changing,’ which is very encouraging. We have provided these types of services in the past, and we’re just now starting to name, package and introduce them.”

The key to future success is to never lose focus of what you do well, he said, while proactively exploring ways you can accommodate the unique needs of the organizations you support. “We’ve been providing market tests and research as initial phases of end-to-end searches and thought why not offer this as a stand-alone service? Not every situation calls for a full search.”

Webber Kerr is taking on similar assignments. The firm is currently working with a global engineering company to help them decide in which business lines and markets they will expand. “This assignment also begins with the initial assessment, research and mapping of competitive talent in the potential markets, costs involved and then the difficulty grade of moving employees into these markets,” said Mr. Lloyd.

Hunt Scanlon Media has recently reported on other search firms offering more than just traditional search services. Here’s a closer look at just a few of them:

Eg.1 opened a new office in New York City to support its continued growth in the U.S. The firm’s expanded team and new office will enable it to provide improved business intelligence and local, on-the-ground executive search support services to its clients;

Ryan Search & Consulting formed a partnership with the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) to provide clients with a deeper array of leadership development resources. A global provider of leadership development, CCL works with individuals, teams, organizations and companies to help them achieve their objectives through leadership development & organizational guidance, coaching, change leadership, culture transformation and succession planning. For over 40 years, the firm has worked with more than one million leaders at all levels in more than 130 countries worldwide;

In February, Heidrick & Struggles acquired Decision Strategies International (DSI), a Philadelphia-based strategy and leadership advisory firm. Founded in 1990 by Paul Schoemaker, DSI has advised some of the world’s best-known organizations; it specializes in strategic planning and decision making in uncertain operating environments, leadership development, and talent strategy. This acquisition comes on the heels of Heidrick’s acquisition of Co Company, a London-based advisory boutique specializing in leadership services that accelerate organizational performance. Both firms have now been merged into Heidrick’s leadership consulting business;

Executive search firm Conroy Ross recently partnered with Optimum Talent, a privately owned integrated talent management firm. Together, they provide clients with a full offering of leadership solutions including executive search, leadership development, coaching, organizational psychology and career transition;

Four months ago, Korn Ferry finalized its acquisition of Hay Group for $452 million. Hay Group now includes Korn Ferry’s former Leadership and Talent Consulting segment. Hay Group, founded 72 years ago, is a global leader in people strategy and organizational performance and is sure to give Korn Ferry the heft it was seeking to service clients well beyond its executive search services core offering.

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