The Situation
Nate Skow, a Senior Partner with Chicago-based MRINetwork firm HireneXus, has a long-standing client relationship with a $400M industrial safety equipment manufacturer. The organization, which has mainly grown through acquisitions, has talent needs in offices all over the world.
To start, Skow primarily dealt with the local Chicago office, so when they asked him to help fill a role in Manchester, U.K., he turned to his Network. “The biggest thing for me when working with any partner,” he shared, “is to make sure that it’s going to be worth it for the client.” It was — he connected with Hill Group’s Sandra Hill whose Manchester search practice was located just twenty minutes from the client’s headquarters.
Following a successful first placement, Skow and Hill built an ongoing split business partnership to continue helping their client. Through MRI’s Working Together Globally (WTG) program, they have been able to fulfill jobs in Romania, the UK, and the Netherlands.
When the same company needed a Global Sales Director in their Hong Kong office, Nate and Sandra knew they would need another partner with region-specific experience to find the right fit. Sandra had previously collaborated with Teh Kwan Koon (KK) of Humana International, MRI’s Malaysian office. Though this firm was based in Kuala Lumpur rather than China, over half their staff spoke fluent Mandarin, and they had a history of filling placements in China.
The Approach
As two MRINetwork managing partners, Sandra had a level of trust established with Teh Kwan Koon and felt comfortable recommending him. With the right team in place, the next step was to establish roles and responsibilities for the search.
Nate was also able to provide critical client intel and past experience filling similar roles. “Nate showed real ingenuity in mentioning acquisitions,” Hill said. “He has a great mind’s eye in terms of how to think about things.”
Hill started by taking the brief, then KK and his firm did the initial screening and first round of interviews. Hill stepped back in for a second round of interviews to assess the candidates’ English skills.
The quality of the candidates proved excellent. The client was blown away that Skow, Hill, and KK helped them locate an outstanding individual for a demanding role based halfway around the world:
“In the past 5 years we have grown through acquisitions that included several international locations. I mentioned to Nate we had openings internationally and he quickly offered to help us find partners for recruiting in any of the countries where we needed assistance. Nate and HireneXus are an additional arm of our HR organizational chart that really helps us to be successful in finding the right candidates for our business.”
CHRO, HireneXus client
The Results
Thanks to their effective partnership, a qualified candidate was hired and working in the position within eight weeks. Skow took a 10% commission, while Hill and KK agreed on a fair split for the rest of their fee.
“Clients are thankful that if I need a partner anywhere around the world, I have this community,” Skow says of the Network, emphasizing its value both for recruiters and their clients.
By connecting top recruiters and business owners around the world, MRINetwork facilitates valuable partnerships and collaboration. As demonstrated in this 3-way split, it allows recruiters to break into previously inaccessible markets, becoming a total talent access partner to their clients — regardless of geography.
“Over the past 25 years, the relationships I’ve built with fellow network managing partners have enabled me to deliver top talent to clients globally,” shares Hill. “Working together with other Network members has enabled us to support our clients’ goals while achieving our own business goals. It’s an invaluable value add to being an MRINetwork member.”
Harness the power of the Network by joining MRI today, and get the support you need to keep reaching — and surpassing — your business goals.