I like asking top recruiters how they got to the top. What were their strategies? How many hours did they put in? Who helped them? Ralph Protsik was one of my favorite conversations.

This interview first ran on ERE in September 2015. You can read the original on ERE here: https://www.ere.net/articles/recruitings-wise-old-man-explains-his-success.

About Ralph

When we spoke, Ralph was 71 and the managing director of BSG Team Ventures, a retainer only executive search firm based in Boston. He has a slow, soothing baritone, the voice of a golf or tennis analyst on TV, and he is candid about his keys to success. Believe in yourself, even when others doubt you. Soft skills can matter more than hard skills. Working smart can mean working in your bathrobe. Build personal relationships. And never, ever cut corners.

You might think Ralph started in the Mad Men era. In fact, he came into recruiting in his late 40s after Yale, Xerox and years in book publishing, including owning his own publishing firm. The man who built a hugely successful boutique search firm almost didn’t get his shot.

The Interview

Joe: What is your family status?

Ralph: I am married, happily I might add.

Joe: You worked in publishing, at Xerox, and owned your own publishing firm. What made you switch to recruiting in 1994?

Ralph: It was a time I was not feeling satisfied at work. I was working too hard for too little. I reached out to friends and brainstormed with them, and one brought up executive search. Why not give it a try? I interviewed with MRI and got the worst possible score on the Drake P3 test, a psychometric behavioral test. But my boss to be, Jack Nehiley, said, ‘Well, let’s give him a try. We have an empty desk.’ I turned out to be the rookie of the year for 1994, and second in billing nationwide the following year. I seem to have the right temperament and skills. So much for all those predictions about recruiting.

Joe: What has made you a success as a recruiter?

Ralph: I don’t mean this to be flip, but number one is longevity. Either you are good at something or you quit. I’m a pretty good strategist. I keep my eye on what I’m trying to be good at, and I keep the respect of those I work with. I do no cold calling, just marketing, including a newsletter and a lot of conferences. There’s nothing like success to generate more success.

Joe: Why are you a success?

Ralph: It is about credibility. People have to believe you can do the job and are the best at it. It’s about differentiation. You have to be not only good but also a bit different from the competition. And it’s about personality. Develop personal relationships; they can turn into business.

Joe: What can companies and the recruiting industry do to help recruiters succeed?

Ralph: One obvious thing is evaluating talent. Another is cultural smarts, having the right soft skills. Help them think outside the box. Hard skills are key, but the candidates who have soft skills and good cultural sensitivity are the ones who get hired.

Joe: Do you work smarter or harder?

Ralph: I have never been a believer in long hours. I have never worked 60 hours in a week in my life. I much prefer working what I can and balancing my time.

Joe: What is a typical day for you?

Ralph: I get up at 6 a.m. and get to work at 7:15 or 7:30. I work for four or five hours, often in my bathrobe. I see my wife for lunch, go back to work until 4 p.m. or so, then take a long walk. A couple of times a week I go into the office to see a client.

Joe: Any advice for those in the industry?

Ralph: If you want to stay in this business, you have to be dedicated to ‘working the process,’ as I learned at MRI. There are no shortcuts. You can’t cut corners. You have to be willing to follow all of the steps.

My Takeaway

Ralph’s story is a reminder that a test score doesn’t decide your future. Credibility, relationships and working the process do. That’s true for recruiters, and it’s true for every executive I talk to.

I’m Joe Pelayo, an executive recruiter for 40 years and founder of Joseph Michaels International here in Dallas. We recruit for roles with base pay from 75K to 2 million, and one call to me reaches our network of 700 recruiters. Right now we have 1,619 open jobs.

Let’s Talk

Want to talk about your next move or your next hire? I’d like to hear from you.

Call me at 1-800-786-1099 or email info@josephmichaels.com.

Joseph Michaels International, 13355 Noel Road Suite 1360, Dallas, TX 75240