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Executive search firms have long had a reputation for being resume’ mills, where recruiters flood the markets with resumes in hopes that something sticks—a numbers game. “This is not how we operate,” says Blaine Nelson, president and CEO of BLNelson Group. “We believe all senior positions in a company are key positions, and who fills those roles will have great influence on that organization. Our candidates fit the detailed descriptions of what our clients are looking for.”
BLNelson Group differs from traditional recruitment firms in that it’s about more than getting someone in a chair; it’s about coaching both clients and new employees on how to make effective contributions post-hire.
Nelson’s growing company also uses proprietary software that uses algorithms in searches which are then applied to databases to find the right talent, always tweaking the program for the best fit. Nelson is a pro at “best fit,” in that he’s responsible for matching Jaap van Zweden with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra—among hundreds of other successful hires. “We bring a level of professionalism that normally doesn’t exist in recruiting,” Nelson says. “We have a strong success rate. Every time we call on a new client, we get hired, and we aim to keep it that way.”
There are two types of recruits, Nelson says—active pursuits and passive pursuits. His firm’s clients prefer passive pursuit candidates, as they are usually in the top 50 percent of candidates for the job. This is where BLNelson Group excels. “They can usually be talked into at least exploring the opportunity, and our scientifically developed scripts help generate a better response,” he says. “People have said they responded to us because they were amused by our scripts. We are pretty persuasive.
At least seven out of nine candidates will go ahead and send a resume’ at the end of our conversation. We make a promise no other recruiter makes; we won’t send a resume’ without a candidate’s express permission. We also reformat the resume’ so it is easier to read and more fully captures their skill sets because we know what our clients are looking for. We have a very bespoke type of shop. It’s common for our clients to say they struggle with which of our referred candidates to hire because they are all exceptional.”
