The client, a leading international general contractor, needed to fill a critical CFO role for one of their major subsidiaries. They required a candidate who not only had the financial acumen but also possessed the specific attributes to succeed within their high-performance corporate structure.

The Adams Partners Collaborative Process:

• Defining Success: “Jerry did a great job of spending time on the job description, the attributes needed to be successful, and in understanding how we work.”
• Targeted Screening: “Presented 4-5 screened candidates.”
• Expert Negotiation: “After short list interviews, Jerry helped with negotiations. Jerry had had preliminary discussions with each candidate on expectations for relo, compensation, etc., so he advised on compensation planning.”
• Principled Vetting: “Jerry did all reference checks on short-list candidates.”

The search was completed in less than two months, resulting in a hire who is now one of the top performers at the company.

A top national contractor needed to fill high-level financial roles. They required a search partner who could identify a diverse set of candidates and, most importantly, find individuals who would thrive within their specific company culture.

The Adams Partners Collaborative Process:

• Focus on Culture: “Good at culture fit…Jerry has good feel for who will be right fit.”
• Diverse Sourcing: “Did well at finding diverse set of candidates – hard to do in construction.”
• Seamless Execution: “Assisted with scheduling, coordinating, travel planning…lots of check-ins and excellent follow-through.”
• Dedicated Follow-up: “…excellent follow-through including after placement and most search firms won’t do that.”

The outcome was two successful, high-level financial placements who were a strong match for the company’s culture, leading to a trusted, ongoing partnership.

The challenge was sourcing high-caliber executive talent in a difficult geographic market (central PA) where the candidate pool is limited and it is hard to attract talent from major metropolitan areas.

The Adams Partners Collaborative Process:

• Deep Needs Analysis: “Astute at determining company needs/culture, dialed into what candidate needs to do. Eliminates lots of time and unnecessary work.”
• Consultative & Frank Advice: “If job description isn’t attractive or working to get candidates, Jerry will be frank about that and help retool the position, company story/plan, etc. to restart the search.”
• Extensive Reach: “Pleasantly surprised that a Chicago-based firm could find candidates in central PA. Jerry is really well connected in construction industry.”
• Partnership Mentality: “Working with Jerry is more of a partnership than straight customer-provider; Jerry will always field calls and try to help company.”

The result was a successful placement in a challenging market, and a relationship that has evolved beyond a single transaction into a true, long-term partnership.

The CEO of a top national firm needed a search partner who was as passionate, detailed, and responsive as they were to fill multiple critical leadership roles.

The Adams Partners Collaborative Process:

• Immediate Responsiveness: “Jerry was only one that called right away. Others took a week to respond.”
• Personal Involvement: “Stays involved throughout process.”
• Thorough Screening: “Great job at screening people (Jerry interviews person first).”
• Value-Added Tools: “He does psychometric testing. It was something new for us, and we found it to be helpful, but not the end-all and be-all. It confirms our gut feeling.”

The result was three successful C-level placements, a fourth search underway, and a trusted advisory relationship built on responsiveness and a hands-on, detailed approach.

The challenge was finding executive leaders who could not only perform the job but also successfully integrate into a company culture that is not naturally accepting of outsiders.

The Adams Partners Collaborative Process:

• Mastering the Culture Fit: “Our company’s culture is not that accepting of outsiders. Jerry found candidates that matched our culture, and the people he placed have stuck with us through their hard work of fitting in and gaining acceptance.”
• Mentoring the Client: “Example – tried to get 2 jobs into one position and couldn’t find anyone with those skills. Jerry counseled splitting position into 2 jobs.”
• Setting Clear Expectations: “Very clear on what he expects company to do.”
• Character Judgement: “Trusts Jerry’s judgement of character.”

The result was three successful, long-term placements who have thrived by overcoming cultural challenges, thanks to a search process focused on deep cultural assessment and honest, consultative advice.