President's Message
Past experience with search professionals… As indicated in my biography, I have enjoyed a successful career as both a hiring manager and recruiting consultant. From this experience I learned that the search industry is really no different from other service industries, such as real estate, law, or medicine…there is a wide spectrum of capabilities, professionalism and ethics. "The good, the bad, and the ugly" pretty much sums up my past experience in working with search firms both as a candidate and hiring manager. From the positive experiences, I saw what tremendous positive impact and influence a true search professional can have on both the client company and the candidate. However, I also saw search firms which did not appear to listen or understand my needs and requirements, and instead, tended to inundate me with resumes hoping to see "what would stick." At the other end of the spectrum, some of the retained search firms tended to be somewhat haughty, were expensive, and were very s-l-o-w in providing me with qualified candidates. I particularly begrudged the "hidden" or "tacked on" costs, such as "research fees" and "administrative costs". As a candidate I felt like either a prince or a pauper depending on whether I was "in or out of the hunt." It is surprising that some recruiters do not appear to understand that candidates can become hiring managers or prospective clients in a very short time frame. Both the negative and positive experiences helped establish the blueprint for the way I wanted to conduct my search business.
Creating "Win-Win-Win" or "Triple Win" Situations…In my first Biotechnology industry position I saw how vitally important ONE key hire, even at a more junior level, can have on the success, or failure, of a company. Similarly, for most of us, our job has a tremendous impact on virtually every facet of our lives and on our overall quality of life. In fact, other than family and/or close friends, there is nothing more important to most professionals than their job. For the search professional, what else could be more rewarding and satisfying than finding "the right" client company/candidate match or creating Triple Win situations?
Our passion and knowledge, network, and experience - in Life Sciences…I've found that perhaps the single most important trait that differentiates "high achievers" from others is having a true passion in life or being passionate in pursuing certain things in life. My whole career has been dedicated to making a difference in the fields of Life Sciences: Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology, and Medical Devices/Diagnostics. Therefore, our firm's choice is to be entirely focused and specialized in this very fascinating and stimulating field. Not only is it important to pursue one's passion, but also to focus and specialize where we can bring the greatest value. From the knowledge of the jobs and industry niche segments ("having been there and done that"), as well as having an extensive "Platinum Rolodex" or network of industry contacts - many of whom see us as former colleagues and not solely as search consultants, we believe that these elements, combined with Our Core Values, truly help to set our firm apart.
"The Best of Both Worlds"…We believe that our firm represents the best of the two ends of the executive search spectrum, from the "specialized boutique" type of firm, to that of the large, highly leveraged, multinational conglomerate firm. Being affiliated with the sixty-five worldwide offices of Sanford Rose Associates® gives us the leverage and wherewithal to compete effectively with the large search firms, and our local ownership provides our customers the benefits derived from doing business with a small business.
Thank you for the opportunity to share with you some of my personal insights. Please do not hesitate to contact me if we can be of assistance.
Sincerely yours,
Richard ("Rich") J. Carter, Ph.D.
President
Sanford Rose Associates® - San Francisco
1255 Treat Blvd., Suite 300
Walnut Creek, CA 94597
Office: (925) 472-6576
Fax: (925) 472-6579
rjcarter@sanfordrose.com
"Finding People Who Make a Difference®"
