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The Kleinbach Group |
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February 22, 2016 Issue |
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The Most Powerful Name In Corporate News and Information |
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National Diagnostic Recruiting Specialists Focused on Sales, Sales Management and Marketing Opportunities for Fortune 500 and Start Up Companies |
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President
The Kleinbach Group
Interview conducted by: Lynn Fosse, Senior Editor, CEOCFO Magazine, Published – February 22, 2016
CEOCFO: Ms. Kleinbach, the tagline on Kleinbach’s site is “Experience and dedication to serve your human needs.” What does that mean for The Kleinbach Group? Ms. Kleinbach: We are an executive recruiting firm with 25 years in the medical industry. We have built strong relationships and trust amongst diagnostic company leaders. Our recruiting process is solid and proven; we work tirelessly to find the best fit! We work with diagnostic companies across the United States, bringing talented people to organizations in the Sales, Sales Management and Marketing arenas.
CEOCFO: What are some of the challenges specific to the industry? Ms. Kleinbach: The diagnostic industry has been very good to us for 25 years. The challenges that the industry faces as a whole are technologies coming to market, sometimes too soon and they cannot continue or the FDA being a bit slow to approve a product. Our challenge every day is to identify and recruit top talent, the “A” players in our industry.
CEOCFO: In many businesses, corporate culture is almost more important than the skills needed. Is that the case here or as it is so knowledge oriented is corporate culture less important than it might be elsewhere? Ms. Kleinbach: I probably put them even when I speak with my clients about their needs and we are identifying what the problem is that we are looking to fix. As we hire for positions, we talk about skill set and we get very specific. The other piece of it is always the human factor and whether they fit into the culture or not. You could have someone who has the exact right profile but they need that other piece as well. I would say they are equally as important.
CEOCFO: Are there many companies in your space specializing in this arena? Ms. Kleinbach: Absolutely. It is a multibillion dollar industry.
Ms. Kleinbach: On the client’s side, I get a lot of referrals and know the key players in our industry. I certainly continue my networking on a regular basis to reach out to folks I know and meet new people. We do ongoing research, identifying new companies or following friends in the industry leading new organizations. There is networking. There is what I would call some “warm calls” being made from the candidate’s side. We have a huge database at this point and usually someone is in that database whether they are the candidates or they are referring someone. A great deal of referrals, and a great deal of networking is usually how we do it.
Ms. Kleinbach: Absolutely and constantly.
Ms. Kleinbach: I think people are mostly looking for technology. They want to work with the next best thing on the market and sell the next best thing. Molecular is hot. Next to gen sequencing and genetic testing is hot. We have clients that work in those areas. They are also looking for the culture piece and just quality of life. Over the last ten years, people have leaned more towards that. I do not know if that has to do with the things that have gone on in our world or not but people seem to be much more focused on quality of life, a good manager, a good working environment. When we work with clients, we try to hone in on those items.
CEOCFO: Are you able to help companies create an atmosphere and are you able to encourage a company to look at newer technologies and some of the things that the current generation wants that people who are a bit older have not seen as important? Ms. Kleinbach: We do not really get involved in any kind of consulting in terms of technology. I think what we do provide is getting a feel for the organization and the type of culture and people and team they are looking to build. We spend a lot of time up front with our clients, understanding that. We get to answer that question by bringing them the types of people that will create that culture.
Ms. Kleinbach: We always start with the big picture question of what the problem is that we are looking to fix and where we want to be in the next five to ten years, so more of a strategic approach at the front. We listen to what the companies needs are and then we start drilling down into the tactical part like what a team that is going to be able to do this looks like. Then we start building profiles for candidates of all ages such as sales managers, marketing folks etc.
CEOCFO: You make use of unique practices to target talent, according to your site. Is what we just talked about part of it? What else do you do differently to achieve the desire result? Ms. Kleinbach: People say to me on a regular basis that we are not like any other recruiter they have talked to before. I try to qualify that because it is a great compliment and I want to make sure I keep doing it. When I qualify that, I usually get that it is about taking the time, understanding what a candidate’s or a client’s true needs are and then responding accordingly, listening and spending the time to understand that. That is not done a lot. Recruiting can be a very fast, lucrative business and many people get into it thinking just that. It is the time that is spent with the folks up front, understanding needs and identifying value. That is what truly sets us apart.
CEOCFO: Did you understand that day one? Ms. Kleinbach: I realized it as time went on for sure. I have been blessed to have a couple of very strong mentors and by following them, listening and learning, I have been able to build my own business and now nine years running strong, after being in another firm for 15 years and learning the business.
CEOCFO: Are clients in the US or worldwide as well? Ms. Kleinbach: We are strictly in the US, nationwide.
CEOCFO: How are you able to take advantage of newer technologies to keep your database and systems up to date and easy to utilize? Ms. Kleinbach: We use LinkedIn. It is a wonderful tool for people are not really looking and kind of passive until I call them and tell them about a great opportunity that they did not know about. I do not post jobs, I never have. I go by word of mouth networking, but I do use LinkedIn as the probably the only tool out there besides my database.
CEOCFO: On your site it mentions consulting and training. What else do you offer? Ms. Kleinbach: Consulting and training is part of the client process and building a new client. That is sitting with them up front and understanding where we want to be, the strategy and then helping them understand how we are going to go about it, how it should look like. Oftentimes we have companies that are based globally. I am working with one right now based in Germany. They want to start a new sales force in the US. They do not know how to do that. We start talking about major metro areas where people are usually located. We are putting together compensation packages. We are helping them understand how to put benefits together. That is a service we provide. Over the years I have “trained” some of my HR managers and some of my big clients. When I bring them people and they say they could not get those people and ask how I did it, I am always very open and willing to share my practices. That is a lot of the client training. The candidate training and consulting would probably be in the preparation time that we do. Before interviews, we do some pretty intensive work with them in order to help them with their presentation and we carry them all the way along through the process up until the end and the close of a deal. There is a lot of training and work that goes on with candidates as well.
CEOCFO: What might be different a year from now for Kleinbach Group? Ms. Kleinbach: More recruiters and more clients.
CEOCFO: How do you find recruiters that understand your philosophy and the in-depth service you provide? Ms. Kleinbach: It is a difficult. As a recruiter, one would think that I would know a great recruiter when I found one or know exactly how to find one. It is difficult in this industry because people that are really good recruiters are doing it on their own and they understand why you want to work on your own. I mostly look for people with strong sales skills and work ethic. Many people say that they want to make unlimited income but they do not really know what that means. I am looking for people that like to make a lot of money. There is also attitude and energy. A great deal of our work is done over the telephone. I spend quite a bit of time talking to them on the phone and listening to them and their energy. Someone has to be a real self-starter. This business in not about someone standing over your desk and telling you what to do every minute, you have to be able to pick up the phone and being willing to hear “No” fifty times before you hear “Yes” once and know this is the person.
CEOCFO: Why choose The Kleinbach Group? Ms. Kleinbach: You choose The Kleinbach Group because the experience you get will be complete. From the first conversation that we have in terms of what you are looking for as either a client or a candidate, the in depth time that we spend, taking the next step and targeting, being willing to make the cold calls, being willing to network with and now have 25 years of network. Following through with the process, I have incredible follow up in terms of feedback, in terms of going the extra mile with whatever information you need, doing potential referencing, cross checking. My clients want people from their competitors and I go right after them. If I get them, I present them and if I cannot, I let them know what happened. There is a lot of communication in the process. We make goals, goals for hiring dates and we hit those goals. Time and time again, one client is being referred form another client because of that experience.
CEOCFO: It sounds like you enjoy what you are doing and that makes a difference as well. Ms. Kleinbach: I do. After 25 years, I can honestly say that I jump out of bed every morning excited to get down here and see what is going to happen today. I thank God for that. It is a blessing. |
“You choose The Kleinbach Group because the experience you get will be
complete. From the first conversation that we have in terms of what you are
looking for as either a client or a candidate, the in depth time that we
spend, taking the next step and targeting, being willing to make the cold
calls, being willing to network with and now have 22 years of network.”
The Kleinbach Group
Contact: Lyn Kleinbach 916-797-1224
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Lyn
Kleinbach