This is an interview with Interim HR, an HR Staffing Agency & Contract Recruiter.
What’s your story?
“As President of Interim HR, I promote a culture and company that really values our employees. We not only promote a work-life balance, but we have instituted a lot of measures to foster this part of our culture. At Interim HR, we offer unlimited vacation time. We often push our employees to take additional days off when we know they are visiting family, have family or friends in town visiting, or simply just want to catch a day game at Wrigley to watch the Cubs. No city is better than Chicago when it comes to the summer. That is why we have instituted summer hours so our employees can enjoy Chicago’s beautiful summer weather and many outdoor activities. As a company, you can often find us outside at Grant Park, at a rooftop bar, or just strolling around the city for a patio lunch together. Even when it is not summer you will find us shutting down shop early to let everyone enjoy a little extra free time and to prevent burnout. To do recruitment, you need to be refreshed and on your “A” game. Our clients and consultants expect and deserve the best from us.” -Daniel Keller
“I am the General Manager and have known Dan Keller my whole life. He lived across the street from my parents when I was born. Fast forward 31 years and I joined the team in January 2019. I happened to be hanging with Dan at one of our favorite spots in Chicago, Kingston Mines, a world-famous blues club when I mentioned I was looking for something new to do with my career. Dan told me not to say another word and that we would talk further in the coming week. After a few sit downs the following week, we came to an agreement, shook hands and toasted to each other.” -Michael Bratta
“I am the Vice President of Client Relations and joined Interim HR Consulting in January of 2017 to help our clients find the perfect fit for their Human Resources teams. It’s a great feeling knowing that you helped an organization discover the talent they’re looking for while helping a professional in transition find the next step in their career.” -Graham Timion
“I am the Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Client Relations, Graham Timion. I began my journey with this company by having been around the company and their culture for over two years now. I have come to grow a real admiration for Interim HR itself and how the company had developed over the years. Dan has built this company from the ground up for the past 15 years, and I couldn’t have asked for a better company to be a part of. Dan has made this company and its culture something to be excited about when coming into work every day. Knowing I have job security and a real chance to grow within the company has motivated me to improve myself within my role at Interim HR.” -Katrina Donnelly
“I am our Talent Acquisition Specialist and moved to the city to follow my girlfriend while she pursued her DNP. I took a chance at an industry I knew nothing about, and not only did I find satisfaction in building relationships with eager professionals, but more importantly I found comradery in abundance at Interim HR. It’s all about the people; my team is the catalyst to my success and the reason I enjoy walking in the door each day.” – Andrew Hiner
“I am one of our Recruiters. I was attracted to Interim HR because I enjoy being in an inclusive, collaborative environment with people who share the same dedication to providing quality service to our customers. Every day is fast-paced but rewarding, and being with a great team makes it all the more worthwhile.” -Rachael Jalbuena
“I am one of our Recruiters. A fast-paced, collaborative, and ever-changing environment encouraged me to get involved with the company. I wanted to connect and develop relationships with employers and consultants to successfully impact organizations and talent. InterimHR has given me the opportunity to showcase my diverse set of skills and with the resources provided, I can achieve success by constantly pushing myself to be the greatest version I can be to lead and perform better.” -Kaylee Morales
What exactly does your company do and who benefits from the service?
“We deliver superior client communication and provide higher quality HR talent faster than our competitors.” – Interim HR Consulting’s Core Focus
“Interim HR Consulting is a staffing firm located downtown Chicago, helping organizations of all sizes and industries find the talent they need. We focus on Human Resources positions, and pride ourselves on excellent client communications and our extensive consultant network.” – Graham Timion
“Interim HR Consulting is a staffing company with a focus on Human Resources. We service most of our clients in the Chicagoland area, but in the past couple of years, we have expanded nationally to big markets such as Connecticut, Washington, and Florida.” – Katrina Donnelly
“We provide top talent in the HR field across all industries. The hiring managers we partner with are benefited by our fast turnaround from intake call to placement in 48 hours or less. We take client service very seriously which is the bedrock of our brand.” – Andrew Hiner
“Our recruitment team seeks out quality talent and matches the client’s core values to the candidate. We also strive to maintain clear communication with the client and our consultants. We give our clients the quality talent they need on an interim and direct hire basis.” – Kaylee Morales
What makes you unique?
We have Three Uniques:
- We are HR specific. There are a lot of staffing agencies but not everyone has the niche for HR like we do.
- Our outbound reach. We do not sit back and wait. We have very active outbound searches, which all start with superior client communication.
- We are faster than our competitors. In 24 to 48 hours we will have 4-6 higher quality HR talent than our competitors.
“We treat every project with care, and client satisfaction is our number one priority.” – Graham Timion
“What makes Interim HR unique is knowing that every client we have is in secure hands with receiving experienced consultants at a fast turn around rate. Having a talent acquisition team in our downtown Chicago office six days a week vs. five days a week really sets us apart from other firms and gives us a leg up on our competitors.” – Katrina Donnelly
“We are exclusive to HR, we have a well-equipped team capable of all levels of positions from entry level recruiters to VP’s of HR. Also, I really like wearing shorts in the summer – upper management is a generous, and kind, overlord.” – Andrew Hiner
“We conduct searches faster, have a wider reach through multiple platforms, and head-hunt for the best fit. We also go the extra mile in terms of assisting our candidates, making sure they are fully prepared for every interview, and that they have the best compensation. On the flip side, we make sure our clients have the best selection of HR talent and that we are able to find individuals who check all the boxes on their qualification wish lists.” – Rachael Jalbuena
What are you most excited about for the future of your company?
“We are constantly growing. Our clientele has consistently been growing out of our Chicago based network. We are based in Chicago but work all over the country. There might come a time when the winters here become too much and we decide to open an office in a warmer climate. Outside of our regular local company outings, we are always looking forward to the company trips. Two of our favorites are attending the Waste Management Phoenix Open and going to Turks and Caicos.” – Michael Bratta
“Our goal is to continue growing nationally, relying on superb results.” – Graham Timion
“Interim HR likes to hold team-building company outings, making sure we each have enough vacation hours to make up for the hard work we put in for the rest of the year.” – Katrina Donnelly
“We continue to make great strides in the pursuit of positive and viable change, always keeping a weathered eye on current market trends enabling us to further our brand from Unsung Hero to Trusted Partner. We may be a small team, but we walk among giants.” – Andrew Hiner
“We hope to expand our services to a wider market, to more US states.” – Rachael Jalbuena
“We want to make our work enjoyable; we want to demonstrate leadership at all levels, we want our employees to have a winning mentality to succeed constantly, and we want them to have accountability. We want to grow our company by investing in our employees and extending our market reach. There are truly no limits to what our employees can achieve when they take advantage of the support provided by the senior leadership.” – Kaylee Morales
Do you have core values at your company? If so, what are they and how do they impact your business operations?
We have 5 Core Values:
- Kaizen – We believe in continuous improvement in all activities and in all employees.
- Winning Mentality – Everyone must have a winning mentality. Winning becomes habit.
- Leadership – Everyone must have the traits to one day become a leader.
- Accountability – Everyone must be willing to accept responsibility.
- Enjoyable – You must be enjoyable to work with. We spend a lot of time around each other.
What are some stats that help showcase the impact your company has?
We’ve established a 1-year and 3-year plan to track our progress to reach our 10-year target. We sit down every quarter as a team and go over our numbers to make sure we stay on track to reach all of our goals. We have company rocks and individual rocks that everyone must strive to attain. If more than one person is accountable for a rock then no one is accountable.
If you could give your clients one piece of advice, what would you say?
“I never want to stop growing and developing my own personal skills within my role. Setting personal quarterly and annual goals to keep track of my progress throughout the year has helped me evaluate the long term success I want to achieve. It might not just be strength in numbers and how many people you employ, but rather the quality of work and the goals each employee sets for themselves to achieve on a quarterly and yearly basis.” – Katrina Donnelly
“Job markets have continuously evolved and will continue to do so. Keep abreast of the worth of your employees and the talent they provide. It is both intangible and often irreplaceable. We work with professionals, not materials, high-caliber talent drives the market, not a predetermined budget.” – Andrew Hiner
“Hard work is something that moves mountains. If there is one thing I can advise our clients on, it is this – “hire for attitude, train for skill”. Sometimes the people with the most potential for longevity could be the ones who don’t look as accomplished on paper. Look for the intangible qualities that make each candidate unique.” – Rachael Jalbuena
