For years, the Utah Legislature has argued that it makes the tough and often unpopular decisions it does to make the state an attractive place for businesses to relocate. Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. largely ran on that platform in 2004.
One of Park City’s newest residents said the tactic worked for him.
Bill Humbert, a recruitment strategy specialist and consultant, moved to Utah in mid-May after months of struggling with the Iowa Legislature over unfair tax policies.
Humbert’s business, found at RecruiterGuy.com, helps companies maximize their recruitment resources and hire the best possible personnel. After meeting with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and the Park City Chamber/Bureau, Humbert realized Park City was the best fit for his business and family.
“I’m originally from Washington, D.C. my wife is from Buffalo, so we both like snow,” he said. “Very few states are truly business friendly.”
After doing his homework and meeting with local officials, he found Utah an even more enticing place for entrepreneurs than he’d originally thought, he said. To make things even better, his best friend from childhood was already in Park City.
Humbert got into recruiting through sales. He was born eight blocks from the White House and thought getting fresh air meant playing street ball, but after college he found himself selling fertilizer to farmers in Maryland.
He first tried recruiting in 1981, one of the lowest points of the nation’s economic history, and made about $3,500 that year. Despite his struggles, he said he realized something all great recruiters know: it works best when treated as a form of sales.
A job opening should be marketed like a product, and once a pool of qualified, interested candidates is assembled, a company needs to sell itself as a great employer, he said.
Effective recruiting has never been more important, Humbert explained. The Baby-Boom generation is preparing to retire and will amount to a mass exodus of experienced workers. America lucked out this year because the first wave old enough to retire largely held onto their jobs as they watched 401k’s plummet. As the economy picks up, those people, plus the ones slightly younger, will all begin leaving at the same time.
“If your recruiting isn’t done by January, you could be hurting,” he warned.
Unlike many recruiters, Humbert only works with one company at a time and contracts for a flat-monthly fee.
The first thing he does is look at a company’s website. Every employer should have a “dot jobs” URL so openings are easy to find. He also warns against making a casual searcher click on too many pages to find jobs.
Next, he looks at job descriptions.
As a young man working construction, he apprenticed under a famous D.C. area builder who told him that nothing is more important than getting footings right. The structure builds itself after that. Job descriptions are the footings for recruitment, Humbert said.
He also writes a blog at RecruiterGuy.com giving tips to companies as well as job seekers on how to present strengths and avoid pitfalls.
In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Humbert was a leader in professional associations and community groups. He said he and his wife can’t wait to jump into Park City life.
“We’re looking forward to becoming active in the community here,” he said.
R. Ian Davis of Davis & Company Human Capital Strategists in Pennsylvania said via email that Humbert is a recruiter of the highest caliber.
“He’ll take the time to match a client with a candidate not merely on a ‘skill’ basis level but also on a ‘fit’ basis. He understands better than most recruiters that a successful organization, especially at the higher levels, is a function of the collaborative environment that exists within the team,” he said. “If you want it done right call Bill.”
Robert Cenek of the Cenek Report has also worked with Humbert and said via email that he was “first rate.”
“An astute judge of people and their level of character, he brings a level of professionalism to his work that clearly sets him apart from many of his peers,” he said.
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Bill Humbert
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