Today we’d like to introduce you to CarrieAnne Doucette-Lapides.
CarrieAnne, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Spent 20+ years in event management. Running corporate events for some of the largest network security software companies, such as Symantec. Managed all their events in North America, internal meetings, marketing events, incentive trips, global conferences. Then began a contracting business to have a more flexible schedule for my children. Sold space, coordinated high end events at various venues around the country. In the New England area, State Room in Boston, Granite Links, Kimball Farm, Blue Hill Country Club to name a few. Eventually wanted to get off a plane and have normal hours so went to a staffing agency to get an office position…
Robert Half recruited me instead of placing me and trained me in recruiting. Recruiting is a combination of sales, understanding different businesses, knowing what a good employee looks like, understanding many different roles and a lot about human behavior. It’s also a very competitive, fast moving industry when working for a large aggressive agency… you need to have a Hunter mentality… I loved it.
But after almost 2 years, I found there were things I wasn’t comfortable with, ethically and also I was making the company hundreds of thousands of dollars and only getting 30% of what I was bringing in… So being the entrepreneur that I am, I thought,” Hey I’d be happy with 1/2 of what I’m billing …” and I’d rather work nationally than just locally… so I launched my own recruiting firm. Executive Decision.
The name comes from the obvious… but also in my 20 years of running the show in events and being an event producer, when things got crazy and someone needed to hold the line, my saying was always, “Ok, I’m making and executive decision….! ” And that would be the end of the chaos.
So it came time for me to make an executive decision about my life. I’m glad I made the one I made… I’ve never looked back.
I love both sides of the business. I love being a resource for clients & candidates. It’s very rewarding hooking someone up with their dream job that improves their life & helping businesses grow and reach their goals with employees they would never find on their own.
I like the work. I like the hunt. I love the money.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Of course not. I launched this business in 2007 and the economy tanked in 2009-2010. I had to think on my feet as so many people were getting laid off and companies not only were not hiring, they weren’t paying fees to recruiters…. I connected with all the Directors of HR that were the last to leave… hundreds of them. I helped them find their next jobs. Fee or no fee. I stayed in contact with them and when the economy picked back up, we had solid relationships build on trust and commitment. They are the gate keepers and they were able to get us on the approved vendor lists, connected with hiring managers… and got us back in biz.
I also did more event management contact work which kept me in my field and also opened up a whole new set if clients once the economy recovered a bit.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Executive Decision – what should we know?
We specialize in permanent placements in the Hospitality industry, IT roles, Manufacturing, HR & Engineering. We have experts in each sector. Teams of sales & recruiters working in sync with each other.
What I am most proud of is what makes us different from large firms. We don’t feed a matrix. We don’t have human capital quotas.
If we take on a client, it’s to really fill the position. Not to acquire as many job orders as possible … If we take on a candidate, we work for them and with them until they find a new job.
We are straight forward, highly ethical and hard working. We care. We care about how things turn out and work out. The beauty of a boutique firm is we can do that. It’s satisfying & rewarding in many ways.
I appreciate that our services are recommended daily by former clients & candidates to people within their networks. That’s the best confirmation you did a good job there is for me.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
The person I am most appreciative of is my former business partner and one of my best friends, Kate Cirino. Kate & I met at Robert Half as recruiters. She and I were on the same team in Accounting Operations and she taught me the ropes. She then came on board the 2nd year I was in business and joined me at Executive Decision. She has always been the person I bounce almost everything off of. I respect her opinion, her vision, and her strategies. She went on to work for one of our clients during the economic down turn and has remained with them and been promoted many times. She is very successful & an amazing Mom.
I also have friends that have been instrumental to helping me grow the IT side of the business, as they are VPs at various software companies and always keep me up to date with what is cutting edge, happening & sought after.
We always learn everything from our clients & candidates. That’s the honest truth. During an interview, that’s where you learn what someone top in their field does, how, why, when… etc. If you listen more than you talk, you learn amazing things. When you are taking a job order from a client, learn as much as you cannot just about the role, but about the company, what has worked for the folks that are successful in house? What is the best thing about working there? What’s the worst? These are the conversations that educate you.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.exec-decision.com
- Phone: 617-917-4444
- Email: clapides@exec-decision.com
Image Credit:
Shutterstock
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