A funny thing happened on the way to work
A chance meeting in a bar puts former comic on new career path
An executive recruiter and a standup comic walk into a bar …
That’s pretty much the story of how Chris Garvin landed a job as a research associate with leading executive recruitment firm Waterstone Human Capital in Toronto, Ont. A parttime standup comic and a bartender by trade, Garvin’s outgoing personality so impressed Waterstone president David Kinley that he was offered a chance to join the firm.
Having worked in the field for more than a year now, Garvin feels he has finally found his calling.
“I did a lot of things before getting into this. I studied geography at university, travelled to Taiwan where I taught English for seven years, then got into standup comedy and worked as a bartender.”
That diverse background made him the perfect candidate for executive recruiting, he believes.
“If you think about it, all my previous work involved connecting with people. At school I had to connect with students, in bartending there’s a lot of social interaction and in comedy you have to connect with an audience. So really, this career makes perfect sense.”
As a research associate, Garvin’s job is all about contact with people. He works closely with client-management teams to discuss their needs and learn about their industry and company culture.
“Then my next challenge is to find people that fit those. It’s a lot of detective work. But that’s what makes it so exciting.”
Garvin is a great example of the fact that successful executive recruiters are not always cut from the same cloth, said Marty Parker, CEO and founder of Waterstone. Their 28 recruiters come from a broad spectrum of business backgrounds, from pharmaceutical to media to professional services.
“Where they come from is not as important as the attributes they bring,” said Parker. “What we look for, first and foremost, are people that love and appreciate business, like learning about their culture and how they work and have great customer-service skills.”
They also need to have great judgment.
“That’s one of those things you really can’t teach anyone. And a sense of humour is a great attribute because it helps you to break down walls with people and make them feel comfortable through the process.”
Executive recruitment work includes contingency recruitment, where the job is to find someone as quickly as possible and fees are paid upon placement. Waterstone does retained recruitment, in which they work on a consultative basis with clients to manage their recruitment processes.
Given the importance placed on industry experience and maturity, executive recruiting is typically a second or third career choice, Parker said.
“There are very few 20-somethings in this business. You’re working a lot with senior executives, so you have to have the sensibility and experience to deal with them.”
Parker added that executive recruitment is not a job for the faint of heart.
“This is a very labour-intensive business that demands an enormous amount of drive and energy to succeed. Sometimes you have to push through difficult circumstances or find ways to make something from nothing.”
Even though Garvin does the occasional standup gig, executive recruitment is where he wants to be.
“I really like this job and I love the industry. When I can help companies find candidates that fit with their needs and culture, it gives me a big sense of accomplishment.”