Me, in a Nutshell
Introducing Myself: Insights from a Restaurant & Food Service Search Consultant
Since this is my first blog post, I thought I’d break the ice by sharing a little bit about myself.
As a Search Consultant for the Restaurant and Food Service industry, I’m hoping to use this platform to express my opinion, provide information on relevant industry topics, continue education and share ideas.
First off, I think it’s important to understand more about my background and the company I work for. The industry as a whole has always stoked the fire within me, but my employer, The Carlisle Group (TCG), is where I get the inspiration to press forward in such a challenging sector. I am extremely proud to represent TCG.
With 16 years committed to the restaurant and food service industry, my career began at a very early age working for Tim Hortons in Canada. I started out as a food production worker at fifteen, and from the very beginning, I was hooked on the energy of working in a restaurant environment. I immediately took tremendous pride and care in all the small things and was always competing with myself to be faster and all-around better.
I have always been an artist, and working in the restaurant industry provided me with an outlet to create art that other people could enjoy through sight, smell, and taste! I ended up being a full-time baker for several years with Tim Hortons before moving on to explore other concepts within the industry. I have worked front and back of the house in casual and fine dining environments and eventually worked in management with one of the most recognizable international brands in the world (Subway).
In 2009, after marrying my husband (who is American), I relocated from Canada to Carlisle, PA, and as soon as I was legally able to do so, I found a job in the hospitality industry. There, I was approached by a guest who took note of my knack for connecting with people. She happened to be the Regional Director for a temporary and contract staffing company. She asked me if I wanted to come and work for her company, and after going through the interview process with her and learning more about what recruitment would entail, I decided that this might be an interesting avenue to take. I spent a few years in the contract staffing world before finding my home with management and executive search.
The Carlisle Group has been my home for the last 4 years – we are a specialized recruitment firm with a focus on food. We strive to be responsive to changing business issues, ethical and professional and respectful to our business partners. I lead our Restaurant/Food Service Division.
(From left to right, Steve Bond – Search Consultant, Tony Frey - CSO, Bert Wendeln - President/CEO, Andy Buffington – Search Consultant, Danica Bennett – Search Consultant, Kaitlyn Vinson – Search Consultant, Mark Engle – Operations Director)
The Carlisle Group is a part of the MRI Network which is the largest recruitment firm in the World.
We are in the top 3% of over 550 global recruiting offices.
We have 6 nationally-recognized Industry Training Experts in our office.
We have been the recipient of the Presidents Gold Club award 15 years running.
We have successfully executed over 2600 searches since 1996.
We have a 97% customer satisfaction approval since 1999.
We have achieved 15% year over year growth since 2002.
Personally, I have...
A 97% candidate retention rate
A 3:1 candidate placement ratio
And have received the title of Top 4 Project Managers at MRI
Long story short…. my job allows me to be wholly entrenched in the world of restaurants and food service. In my opinion, recruitment is the best job in the universe. I happen to have the privilege to perform it with the best company in the universe. I can’t tell you how much I have grown as a person and a professional since joining The Carlisle Group. Our senior leadership team is the most committed group of individuals that I have had the pleasure to work under. The job is NOT easy, but when you have an environment like we do here, it is a whole lot easier.
To be good at what I do you have to be a serious people person, you have to be service oriented, you have to be malleable and you have to love food. This is me in a nutshell.
I hope we connect soon, reach out and say hi.
And here’s a picture of a s’mores I made this summer, because...yum.
