Patrice & Associates Pioneering Executive Search Post-Pandemic

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the corporate landscape has undergone a seismic shift. As of October 2021, the pandemic drove more than 3 million adults into early retirement, with the number of adults 55-and-up retiring growing from 48.1% in Q3 of 2019 to 50.3% in Q3 2021. With this significant exodus of Baby Boomers from the workforce, companies everywhere are grappling with a vacuum in executive roles. Enter Patrice & Associates, a trailblazing recruitment franchise in executive search and a savior of today’s complex labor market.

"The labor pool is so tight, so it is going to be difficult for those companies to source those individuals on their own," said Brian Miller, CEO of Patrice & Associates. "There is a lot more demand for executive services post-pandemic than we’ve seen in the past. As the type of staffing partner that aims to be symbiotic with the client, we see this as a massive opportunity for our firm to grow."

Over the past 30 years, Patrice & Associates has honed its methods and processes to stand out from the competition by focusing on sourcing the best, top-level candidates and connecting them with the right opportunities.

Executive search services

For employers, the firm develops a strategy unique to each client, targeting companies with specific industries and geographic areas when necessary, conducting targeted cold calling to similar companies or concepts to find top level talent and conducting a vigorous, behavior-based interview and reference checking process.

"We bring something unique to the marketplace because we are focused on offering a staffing partnership with clients," said Miller. “We aren’t just sending resumes, we are actually recruiting andaking a thorough analysis of their company. Not only the skills they need to have, but also what fits. We are in essence marketing these companies to high-level talent, which means we are able to reach more people than companies are going to on their own.”

Instead of relying strictly on the internet, Patrice & Associates will source job candidates through several different channels including discrete and confidential cold calling, a social media campaign, blind advertising in nationally recognized publications and the Patrice Way™ industry search to attract qualified candidates. The firm aims to provide higher quality candidates by leveraging its 30 years of expertise recruiting in service-based industries, specializing in candidates not found on the internet.

Industry expansion

While Patrice & Associates has its roots in the hospitality sector, the company's franchisees are now branching out into other industries, thanks in large part to its executive search program. “Our owners have learned that if they can place a senior-level position in the hospitality industry, for example, they can also do it in another industry,” said Miller. “That is why executive search opens the doors to a lot more opportunity for our franchise owners.”

Patrice & Associates franchisees are allocated a local area to set up their business, yet you are granted access to a nationwide database that houses over 650,000 candidates and more than 1,400 job listings, many of which are at the executive level. That said, each franchisee's territory is safeguarded; other franchisees are not allowed to specifically target your designated market.

Duke Witte, a Patrice & Associates franchisee in Aberdeen, South Dakota, spent nearly 30 years working in corporate positions for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts before diving into entrepreneurship. When he was contacted by a representative from Patrice & Associates on Linkedin, he looked more into the franchise concept and loved what he saw.

“I had experience in hospitality, but I didn’t want to work for corporate America again,’ said Witte. “I wanted to strike a balance between work and personal life. That was important to me. The upfront costs were also much more reasonable than other franchise models.”

Since opening his Patrice & Associates franchise in 2019, Witte says there have been several executive placements he’s particularly proud of. Recently, for example, he placed a CFO for a large oil and gas company.

“I’ve had some fantastic placements — it's all about the approach we take,” said Witte. “I take it to heart. My goal is to truly understand what the client’s pain point is. Why did the last person not succeed? You have to understand it at the granular level. That builds a partnership. You’re truly invested in their success.”

From a candidate perspective, Witte views Patrice & Associates as career coaches. "We have to make sure that we’re vetting the executive search candidates and not wasting the clients' time," he said. “We’re not going to send a resume of someone just because they have the right work experience or education. That is important, but it's just the start. It's more about who they are as people.”

Overall, Witte underscores the importance of building a true partnership with clients. "We really take the time to determine the clients’ goals," Witte said. “The client is in the driver seat. Our goal is to be that true staffing partner. We coach, we listen, we do a full-blown vetting process and we help them win.”

Franchisee success stories

Miller says Witte is a great example of how Patrice & Associates provides franchisees with an opportunity to expand their horizons and reach more clients.

“Duke doesn’t have any experience in oil and gas — he is a specialist in recruiting,” said Miller. “When Duke goes into a community, he is positioning himself as a recruiting expert. That is music to the clients’ ears. Patrice & Associates franchisees like Duke can transcend the hospitality sector by reaching more clients through our executive search services.”

As a result of this comprehensive model, Patrice & Associates is also able to reach more prospective franchise owners — any entrepreneur can succeed as long as they align with the brand’s core values.

“Most of our franchisees don’t have hospitality or recruiting backgrounds,” said Miller. “These are people who are looking for something that fulfills their lifestyle, and income goals while building a plan for their future–on their terms. At the end of the day, you just have to be a people person — you love to help people advance in their careers. If that sounds like you, the time has never been better to join Patrice & Associates and help fulfill this unmet need in communities all over the country."

Overall, in a rapidly evolving corporate landscape, Patrice & Associates stands out as a beacon for companies seeking top-tier executive talent. With a commitment to understanding client needs and a unique approach to recruitment, Patrice & Associates franchisees are poised to lead the booming executive search industry into a new era.