Boston's Rockstar Recruiters | Q1 2016

~ The West Wing -- most Emmy wins (9) for a Drama Series in its first season
~ Breaking Bad -- most Emmy wins (9) for a Drama Series in its final season
~ The Simpsons -- most Emmy nominations (9) for an Animated Program in a single year

These are indicators of high standards of performance on the acting stage.

In the recruiting industry nine remains the current standard for performance.  Technical recruiters need nine to make The List.  They need nine LinkedIn recommendations to make The List of Boston's most-recommended recruiters -- Boston's Rockstar Recruiters.
 
Boston's Top 100 Technology Recruiters

In the fall of 2012 Beantown Web asked the question, "Who are Boston's Rockstar Recruiters?"  Welcome to the 14th installment of The List.

To begin the quest, Beantown Web identified more than 450 technology recruiters via LinkedIn.  Most are located in the Boston area.  Some are located in New Hampshire and Rhode Island and conduct a significant amount of business in the Boston area.

Beantown Web then turned to LinkedIn to identify customer satisfaction scores.  In particular, how many people were willing to provide a public recommendation for each recruiter?

Actors have Emmys and Oscars and Golden Globes.  For those of us who perform on different stages, we have LinkedIn recommendations to recognize our performance.  Less than 100 out of 450 technology recruiters in the Boston metro area has earned Boston Rockstar Recruiter status with at least nine LinkedIn recommendations received.

Boston's Top 10 Technology Recruiters

Boston's Top 10 Rockstar Recruiters perform to a higher standard.  The best in the recruiting business have received at least 48 LinkedIn recommendations each.

Here are the Top 10 Boston Rockstar Recruiters for the first quarter of 2016 [number of LinkedIn recommendations received + given]:

1. Chris Fountas [107 + 9] -- Hollister Staffing
2. Scott Dunlop [96 + 6] -- The Bivium Group
3. Brendan Andersen [79 + 20] -- CyberCoders
4. Doug Schade [79 + 11] -- WinterWyman
5. Jamie LeBlanc [76 + 2] -- The Bivium Group
6. John VanderSande [65 + 2] -- WinterWyman
7. Roy Evans [53 + 20] -- CyberCoders
8. Danielle Lief [50 + 8] -- InnoTECH Staffing
9. Maureen Lawson [48 + 57] -- Clear Point Consultants
10. Phil Hurd [48 + 18] -- Oculus Search Partners LLC

Top 10 in Assists

Some actors are valuable because they receive the most applause.  Other actors are less heralded; they are particularly good at setting the stage for others.  This second list ranks "assists."  It answers the following question:

"Of the recruiters listed in the Top 100, who are the most generous in offering recommendations to others?"

The Top 10 most generous Boston Rockstar Recruiters for the first quarter [number of LinkedIn recommendations given + received] are as follows:

1. David Perlman [59 + 19] -- Grenadier Search Group
2. Maureen Lawson [57 + 48] -- Clear Point Consultants
3. Scott Ragusa [38 + 25] -- WinterWyman
4. Tim Halloran [33 + 10] -- JVT Advisors
5. Marsh Sutherland [31 + 12] -- Walden Recruiting
6. Carol Taylor [30 + 18] -- Private Clients
7. Andrea Williams [25 + 28] -- Career Minded Recruiting, LLC
8. Brendan Anderson [20 + 79] -- CyberCoders
9. Roy Evans [20 + 53] -- CyberCoders
10. Sean Dowling [19 + 24] -- WinterWyman

Congratulations to Maureen Lawson, Brendan Anderson and Roy Evans for attaining Top 10 status on both the receiving and giving lists!  If you had only three recruiters to contact, why not start with these three?  [Full disclosure: I had the pleasure to have worked with Maureen Lawson at CDIA.  You can review my recommendation on her LinkedIn page.]

Team Scores

Now, for the team scores.  The following teams placed the most recruiters (at least three) in the Top 100 [number of recruiters in the Top 100]:

Gold Category:

• WinterWyman [7]

Silver Category:

• CyberCoders [5]

Bronze Category:

• PeopleSERVE Inc. [3]

Suggested Strategy

There are no live broadcasts on network television that document technical recruiting excellence.  In fact, there is no single measure we can all agree on to decide which recruiter or recruiting firm might work best for you as a candidate or as a hiring manager.

However, there is one place to start your search.  It is the same place many of us start when buying a car, or looking for a plumber or finding a dentist.  That place is personal recommendations.  LinkedIn provides personal recommendations.

If you have technical skills and believe you offer above average value in the marketplace, then consider working with recruiters who have consistently demonstrated above average customer service in the form of personal recommendations -- both receiving them and giving them.

The List of Boston's Rockstar Recruiters is made available exclusively to the 400+ Web Design and Web Development alumni of CDIA, some of the most talented designers and developers I have had the pleasure to teach, mentor and collaborate with.  You will hear more about the CDIA Alumni in the very near future.  Until then, rock on!

The list of the most recommended technical recruiters in the Boston metro area is being counted down throughout the quarter on the Beantown Web page on Facebook.

[ NOTE: You can follow Beantown Web on Twitter @webapprentices and become a Fan of Beantown Web on Facebook. ]