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Andersen
and Associates - "Family" is the key to success
The answer is: Family.
The question: "What is the driving force for Lou Ann Andersen,
a Marshalltown human resource recruiter who was recently honored by the professional
membership group Top Echelon Network as the top producing recruiter in the Midwest
and the third highest producing recruiter in the nation for 1999?"
Andersen, owner of Andersen and Associates, Marshalltown, said family doesn't
only refer to immediate family members who also help with her agency, but to
her network of associates, clients and candidates. "I
consider everyone I work with to be a part of my extended family," Andersen
said. "I'm selective about who I represent. I look for
values similar to mine - strong Midwestern values like trust, honestly, loyalty
and dedication."
The firm specializes in executive and information technology placements, she
said. To be successful, Andersen said she puts her 20-years of recruiting experience
to work to match client needs to candidate strengths. "I ask for a lot of information from both the client (company) and candidate
(job applicant)," she said. "I'm unique among search
firms by being selective and doing the research necessary to have successful
matches."
With today's tight labor market and a traditional high turnover in technology
related job categories, Andersen said she prides herself on hired candidates
meshing well with their new employers and vice-versa. "If both aren't happy with the fit, then that candidate will probably leave,
which reflects back on my services and how well I do my job," Andersen
said. "I take the time to ask the right questions and
I really listen to the responses."
Dan Grizzle, Clive, a business systems analyst
with Wells Fargo Services, Co., West Des Moines, said Andersen was the only
recruiter he worked with who actually listened to his needs - both professional
and personal - in placing him. "I found Lou Ann on the
Internet," Grizzle said. "I was living in Houston.
My wife wanted to move closer to her family in Iowa. I was working with several
recruiters, but Lou Ann was the first one who took the time to really understand
who I was." Grizzle said he was impressed with Andersen's "desire to
be a partner with both you and the client (company)." "Most of the recruiters were disinterested in me. They wanted to sell me on
a job but they weren't listening to what I wanted. You aren't just another prospect
to her."
Grizzle was hired by Lynn Arnhart, who was recently
transferred by Wells Fargo to Scottsdale, Ariz. Arnhart, a vice-president of
application and design development, said he learned about Andersen from an associate
who had used her firm. "Andersen took the time to understand
what I wanted - she didn't just flood me with resumes," he said. "She
took the time to really check references and she provided the documentation
to those searches. Most won't do that."
Phil Worrell, a project manager with Nims & Associates
of Bloomington, Ill., said he was working for EDS in Mexico City, Mexico, when
he decided to relocate to the Midwest. He said another recruiter referred him
to Andersen. "She took the bull by the horns to find me
the right job," Worrell said. "She is dedicated
to her candidates; she takes a personal interest in each of us. She personally
takes you through the process." Worrell added that Andersen has even
made a trip to Bloomington to visit the 70 people she has placed with this consulting
firm. "She keeps in contact with everyone; she wasn't
working when she came to visit us. We are like family to her."
Andersen said her approach to matching job and candidate is value added to the
client company. "I save them a ton of cherished time," she said. "My clients are all busy, professional people.
I take the time to screen the candidates so that they don't have to." Her advice to anyone considering entering the placement field is to persevere
and never get discouraged, become part of the e-commerce train, and treat everyone
just the way you would like to be treated. Just like family.