Kulper & Company | LLC Executive Search Firm

Kulper & Company | LLC Executive Search Firm

With Thanksgiving, the presidential election and Hurricane Sandy all behind us and the hoped for positive resolution of “fiscal cliff” deliberations forthcoming in December, 2013 appears to be shaping up as a real “Lucky Thirteen” year for the US and Global economies.   The secular decline in residential real estate values appears to have ended and because mortgage rates will remain low for most if not all of 2013, could we be set for break-away economic growth?    We were taught many years ago in business school that it is important for executives to have a view of the direction of interest rates but are there any reliable ways to do that? 

 

My favorite professor, at the Stonier Graduate School of Banking, Ed Siegfried, PhD, keeps track of economic indicators and encourages his clients and students to do the same thing.  Regularly keeping track of key economic indicators makes it much easier to view changes in key indicators that can signal important economic inflection points.   Dr. Ed’s Economic Chart is a handy tool for anyone to review and study on a regular basis.  Armed with good information an executive decision maker can greatly enable the achievement of strategic goals for his or her business or university.    

 

Take a look at the most recent version of Dr. Ed’s Economic Chart ---what does it tell you?

Here are a few quick observations of the trends it clearly reveals:

·         Housing Starts are UP

·         GDP is increasing

·         Unemployment is decreasing

·         Rates are stable at all-time lows

·         Inflation is very low

 

Dr. Ed urged us to look at the data and then form our own opinion about the direction of the economy so that we could be effective executive decision makers not adherents to sentiment.  Based upon the trends we are seeing now it is apparent that the economic indicators are “bullish”.   Hiring should be up in an environment like this and assuming Congress resolves the threat of the “fiscal cliff” and we can avoid being drawn into a new war, we should be in for quite a nice period of firm economic growth during 2013-14.  

 

Here is what I think this means for KULPER Clientele----higher education institutions with a focus on research and high quality education and corporate innovators focused on bringing new and better products to market.

 

For UNIVERSITIES:

·         FED Government Agency Funding for Sponsored Research Grants will be UP

·         Enrollment will be UP

·         Long term Debt/Bond funding availability will improve//but slightly higher interest rates are likely after mid/late 2013 as economic growth rates accelerate and the bond market responds.

 

For COMPANIES

·         New product innovation will accelerate and create important competitive advantage/economic growth---this will be a 3 to 5 year trend.

·         Hiring of top talent will be increasingly challenging as the economy gains momentum and the unemployment rate drops.

·         Factory utilization which is running close to 80% right now will continue to increase; new factories will be built and fitted out with state of the art production equipment to accommodate re-tooling requirements.

 

There are more conclusions to be drawn from the data, so I would encourage you to do your own analysis and make use of these objective “headlights” to illuminate your thinking and decision making and then move forward with confidence.

Search Climate: Great time to Look & Seek

As we enter the last month of the first quarter of 2012, I would like to say:"if you are thinking about looking for a new opportunity or seeking to hire right leaders the time is just right".

We have seen quite a few hiring and firing cycles over the past 15 years and as the economy continues to swing in the right direction the time for organizations to hire and individuals to seek career development/advancement through a job change could not be better right now. I think that this periond will last for a while---maybe two years or so, before organizations start to get into a hiring frenzy which will signal the end of the rush. Yes, it is going to get a lot better for individuals seeking to improve their careers during the next 12-24 months, for organizations endeavoring to achieve competitive advantage ----and of course, the overall economy as well.

Organizations seeking to gain market share by aggressively seeking out and recruting top talent during this current period will find themselves ahead of their key competitors in the race for topline revenue and bottom line results--particularly in areas that demand top engineering, science and technology leadership. Likewise, for academic institutions seeking to improve research funding, faculty quality and overall ranking.

The decision makers must be savvy enough to sense that the time is ripe to seek out and hire top talent and then act....or they may miss the currently open window of opportunity.

All the best,
Keith

Keith D. Kulper, President KULPER & COMPANY, LLC Executive Search: Jobs Report--a pleasant surprise...

Keith D. Kulper, President KULPER & COMPANY, LLC Executive Search: Jobs Report--a pleasant surprise...: What will the pundits and naysayers have to say now? Unemployment is now officially reporting in at 8.3 % with over 200,000 jobs being crea...

Jobs Report--a pleasant surprise...

What will the pundits and naysayers have to say now? Unemployment is now officially reporting in at 8.3 % with over 200,000 jobs being created in January 2012. President Obama must have a big smile on his face this morning----the market is reacting positively---should be a great day.

OK----this story has been building for quite a while. Rates have been at historic lows for several years and the FED is promising low rates for another 2 years! We'll see about that, but the Treasury Yield Curve has been pointing the way towards steady recovery for quite some time for anyone who has been paying attention. We, of course, need to remember what brought the world economy down and keep an eye out for those who promote excess, greed and recklessness in the way a school yard bully might. Remember: bullies hate it when someone calls them out and fights back so always have the courage to do that if you see bad behavior in your enterprise, community or institution...you will sleep better at night and you will be taking responsibility for a better future for everyone.

Innovation---entrepreneurship and hiring of bright people focused on making good things happen in their own enterprises and institutions can take heart from today's jobs report. Our business here at KULPER & COMPANY is very solid and we are forecasting a banner year in our area of where "academia meets corporate innovation". The economic pendulum has inexorably swung in the right direction. Yes, there are threats, concerns, issues etc., but this is the time for positive people to take center stage to boldly drive growth, innovation and growth in an honest and sustainable manner.

Bravo! This is great news--enjoy it.

Now let's all get to work and keep our focus on innovation, entrepreneurship and growth and undoubtedly more good things will happen for our economy which will clearly have a positive effect on our families, communities, businesses and, of course, this beautiful world on which we are so blessed to live.


Happy SuperBowl Weekend.....and....Go Giants!
All the best,
Keith

New Client Relationships

Welcome to 2012. If there is one thing that all university presidents and corporate leaders share in common it is in the importance of their professional relationships with key clients and constituencies. It is what they must focus on every day ---all day long. It makes me think: how can I perform in a way that will continuously surprise, delight, challenge and help my clients?

Right now, I am researching the background of a major potential client in the hope of encouraging the prospect to select KULPER & COMPANY for a major search assignment. I have already been told that the search we will undertake for them will be critically important to the success of the company. There is so much information available about the company on the web, their leadership, their products, their operating philosophy, etc. that it is a bit overwhelming; but, I was instructed many years that there is nothing like taking the time to prepare for an important meeting. It is fascinating to learn about the culture of this company and how they have grown and developed over the years through the many concerted efforts of their employees and executives. With many companies, words and phrases like---"commitment to innovation", "entrepreneurial culture", and "minimal bureaucracy to encumber decision making"----are often used as a way to deflect people from what the culture of the company is really all about. After all, in America and the world the biggest buzzword in higher ed and the corporate world is, innovation!

The more we cross reference our research, though, the more we test if our prospective client is blowing smoke or is genuinely for real. We are at a point in the development of our firm where we know that we can tackle and succeed in any assignment we accept. We have done it consistently now for 15 years and will continue to do so. It is thrilling to meet other business and university leaders who feel the same way and can back it up---when that happens we end up working on many search assignments together.

I will let you know in my next blog how my prospective client visit goes. We are, frankly, thrilled to be considered as a finalist to handle their search need. The prospect company sought out KULPER & COMPANY because of the work we are doing with our current corporate and university clients and the results we achieve for them and our commitment to working at the edge of university research and corporate innovation.

Will keep you posted.

Keep up the great efforts and the best prospects will notice and.... you will always be in demand.

Warm regards,
Keith

R&D Manager /Director/ VP Searches

As we know there is a real dearth of available engineering talent but the prospects for improvement are showing some signs of progress . We recently accepted and completed a search for a Manager of R&D for a specialty chem and gases company that caters to the integrated circuit and photovoltaics industries. The search was successful because we worked in tandem with our client to create a critical mass of candidates who possessed the right attributes, skill sets and experience to tackle the job. The hired candidate is a terrific person who will make a difference in the long term growth and development of the company.

What we observed though is that there simply is not a deep or broad enough channel of qualified engineers---in this case, in electro/organometalic chem ready to step up to the opportunity we were marketing. What can be done about this issue?

Clearly, there are many organizations who are trying to encourage more young people to study engineering----civil, mechanical, chemical, electrical, etc., and they are to be applauded for their efforts. Here in New Jersey the Liberty Science Center is supporting STEM ( Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) education initiatives. At NJIT and other universities like them, they are encouraging their engineering students to not only learn these academic skill sets but also how to work in teams to develop innovative skill sets. On NPR this morning I heard that the 4H Club is promoting a program designed to educate 1 million new engineers . To the extent that we can all recognize the value of these efforts and support them we will be helping to close the engineering gap here in the United States and around the world.

Having acted as a judge of a recent engineering class showcase at NJIT about 1 month ago, I can attest that our higher education institutions are working hard to make engineering more attractive to its students. Can they do it fast enough and well enough, only time will tell. But to the extent that each one of us in a place of influence can support the work of universities to graduate more well trained engineers right here in the United States, we will be helping to address a critical need of our country.

A bright young person with an interest in and aptitude for STEM related subjects will have absolutely no problem becoming employed upon graduation. Clearly, the graduates of these programs must be more than one dimensional subject experts. If the work that NJIT is now doing to educate the whole student is any indication, the class of 2102, 2013, 2014 and those to come will have learned about the value of invention, innovation and how to be a real problem solver in the manner of Steve Jobs and his many antecedents. We need to keep at it----and keep graduating well prepared young engineers, business majors & scientists who will become tomorrow's successful entrepreneurs.

Warm regards,
Keith

A surge in hiring...HIRE=HELP

For the past few months our phone has been ringing and our email in box has been filled with inquiries regarding our services. Is it because KULPER is doing a good job...or is it a secular trend? Inasmuch as I would like to believe it is all about the word getting around about the quality of work we are doing here in our search firm...I have to believe that it is more about a steady increase in hiring needs by our clientele.

We work at the intersection of higher education research and corporate innovation, so, it is particularly pleasing to know that the best universities and companies are contacting us at a steadily increasing rate to help them attract their most important new leaders.

2012 is going to be even more active than the later half of 2011 in our estimation; this means more jobs at all levels because as new leaders come in, they all need teams to help them successfully execute.

The message from the Occupy Wall Streeters around the country may seem a bit muddled what with all their drumming and camping out in parks, but it is clear to me that this group of young people needs employment; and not as burger flippers in the local McDonalds as worthy and honest as that work may be. For the most part, the college grads among this group are articulate and bright---why hasn't Corporate America responded and sent their recruiters to the encampments?

Back when I came out of college there were many --many management training programs that absorbed many thousands of college grads each year. Now, with Globalization the competition for entry level jobs is a global phenomenon---but that should not mean that American companies who are running lean and mean---and quite cash flush---shouldn't open up their coffures and start hiring young people with solid educational accomplishments and background.

So, here is my exhortation to corporate HR and recruiting!
HIRE=HELP

Hire=Help...Hire our college grads---give them an opportunity; everyone needs a first job.

Hire=Help...Hire our mid career/experienced managers; they will hit the ground running.

Hire=Help...Hire great people any where around the world if they have the desire, ability and background.

As we all get this idea....the economy will undoubtedly benefit, confidence will increase and all boats will rise. Hire because it is good for business, hire because it helps to make the world a better place for everyone in it and hire because it is simply the right thing to do.

Happy Thanksgiving....

Peace,
Keith