The Alimond Show
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Jermaine Williamson - From College Recruitment to Leading JLW Management Consulting: Solving Hiring Challenges in Engineering, Cybersecurity, and AI
Ever wondered how a chance college recruitment opportunity can pivot someone into the heart of technical staffing? Join us as Jermaine Williamson, CEO of JLW Management Consulting, shares his remarkable journey from an unexpected entry into the industry to leading a company that excels at filling the most challenging roles in engineering, cybersecurity, and AI. Discover the innovative strategies JLW employs to connect with top-tier talent and solve intricate hiring challenges that have left companies stumped for months on end.
But that's not all—Jermaine tackles the pitfalls of a broken hiring process as outlined in his book "Talent War." Delays, slow schedules, and lack of feedback can cost you top talent, but we've got actionable solutions to turn things around. We also dive into the emotional roller coaster of life, inspired by Coldplay's "Viva La Vida," and stress the importance of a strong support network, especially through tough times like the COVID-19 pandemic. Don't miss our insights on maintaining resilience, appreciating the little things, and giving small businesses the platform they deserve.
It's Jermaine Williamson and I'm the CEO of JLW Management Consulting. We offer talent acquisition consulting services. What that means is we help companies with mostly technical positions high-end technical, the government spaces where we specialize in but we go in and assist with big project recruiting RPOs over five people, but oftentimes we do one-to-one hiring as well. So mostly in the technology spaces where we operate and we're based out of Fairfax, virginia.
Speaker 2:Okay, very nice, and can you give us a background about how you got into your industry and what led you to where you are today?
Speaker 1:Yeah, kind of a funny story.
Speaker 1:So I went to college in Virginia, down at Virginia State University in Petersburg, virginia, and a recruiter came from a staffing agency to interview the seniors, juniors and seniors, but mostly seniors that were aspiring to land a job after graduation. And he came and it was a couple of people that he spoke to and when I spoke to him I didn't really know anything about the high-end technical staffing world when I thought about temporaries I thought about receptionists or someone filling in for someone who was out sick and he told me about this whole world of technical staffing, you know, from an engineering perspective, and I was impressed. So he offered me a position. That was in March, way back in 1995. And I started in June after graduation and went into recruiting. That's how I got my start initially and worked on engineering positions and high-end technical positions in Richmond, because that's where I was located and that's really how I got into it, kind of a novice, not knowing anything about that industry, but became very familiar and started to love it and that's how I really got my start.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's really cool. I always love asking these questions because everybody always has it's not planned Like you don't?
Speaker 1:plan.
Speaker 2:You're like I'm going to grow up and be a technical recruiter, you know. It's just like hey, I was trying to apply for this job and then somebody offered me this and I loved it, and I love hearing those journeys because it just goes to show that the path isn't always perfect, but you just go with the universe.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, Because there's no degree in technical recruiting right.
Speaker 2:I didn't even know that Maybe there was, I didn't know, not back then anyway.
Speaker 1:It might be now more specialties and certifications, but back then you were either in marketing or business and that's how you got your foray into recruiting. But I was pleasantly surprised and once I got into it and understand what it was about, I was like man. There's a whole different world out here. The need for talent on the technical space was very, very vibrant at that time.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, yeah, okay and then so for your position. So you're helping companies who have maybe, like niche, very particular intricate positions and helping those companies that are hiring find the perfect candidate for that correct?
Speaker 1:Exactly.
Speaker 2:Could you give me some examples of maybe what are some current positions that you are helping to fill?
Speaker 1:Okay, most of it is in engineering software engineering but we also support cybersecurity and we've worked on intricate niche positions like propulsion engineers.
Speaker 1:Right in the aerospace industry. We worked on project engineers that go out to Antarctica to, you know, work on the ice and build construction and build, you know, facilities out there as well, and we've done everything in between, from data scientists to programmers, developers and many different industries. You know everything from manufacturing and now into the AI space, right where many different industries everything from manufacturing and now into the AI space, where we need AI engineers. So we've covered a lot of different things and really our niche is particularly because there's a lot of competition out there that offer staffing services. But the one thing I feel that sets us apart is that we go after the hard to fill positions, those positions that the talent is not applying on the job boards. They really are set in their career, but they love to hear about new opportunities. So we reach out to them and talk to them about new projects, exciting companies that are coming up, startups or large companies that just have niche positions, and that's how we engage our talent and introduce them to our client base.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I'm glad that you broke that down, Just also because I want to put it out there in case anybody is listening and they're just like what kind of position? Like let me look for him because I'm having trouble filling this position and maybe this guy can help me out, Jermaine.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, that's really what I really go after in regards to how I entertain engaging prospects and clients.
Speaker 1:Because they have their own talent acquisition organization, they have recruiters that they have in the organization, but the one thing that I know is a challenge is because they just don't have the bandwidth that a company like myself has. Right, they have to go to meetings, they have, you know, responsibilities from an internal client perspective, so their day is really bogged down and they have to recruit and source. Our only job is to recruit and source right. So when we engage with them, we want to make sure that we get their attention right away. But let them know that we're going to focus on those positions that may have been open for quite some time. Right, they may have been open 45 days, 60, 90 days or even longer, and you know it's bogging down the organization because you need those people in to help either facilitate the work that's being done on-site or for their clients. So we want to make sure that we become a partner in that, that we focus on those positions that just aren't readily available.
Speaker 2:Gotcha, okay, yeah, so that is on the people who are looking to hire. Now my question is how are you finding the talent to bring to your clients? Who are looking for them. How can they come to you and be like hey, can you put me in your system? Or are you just like hey, we found you. Is it okay if I connect you with this person? How does that work?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so it's a combination of things. We get a lot of referrals, right. I've been in the industry for a very long time so I know a lot of people who refer. And then also we post our jobs right. We post our jobs on the talent pools, we post them on job boards. But we also do sourcing right Aggressively, trying to see are there people out there?
Speaker 1:Because with niche positions they aren't as visible, right, they aren't as visible as someone that may be of a lower skill set. So we're trying to find things like have they written a paper on a subject? Right, Do they have a certification or a degree? Do they have a PhD in a particular discipline? So that we can engage them from that expertise and then talk to them about the role and see if it resonates with them.
Speaker 1:So more of a reverse engineering, you know. It's more of a creative approach opposed to the standard just post and let people apply and then reach out to them. Then we do that. But our talent is not going to find our requirements outposted on the job boards because they're not actively looking. You know, 90 percent, maybe more of our talent is going to be passive candidates, right, Candidates that may have been with the company for 5, 10, 15 years. That really they're okay. They really love the company, they love the job that they're doing, but they're looking for something new and exciting to grow their career and their resume. And we go in and try to find those people through creative methods.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, and I love that you have like your systems in place, so that's why I wanted to break it down.
Speaker 1:I'm like I'm curious.
Speaker 2:So thank you, and now I want to talk a little bit about marketing. How you're marketing the type of business that you're doing, how you're helping your clients. Are you an avid social media user? Are you? Posting on YouTube, Instagram, or maybe is it word of mouth Talk to me about that.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, it's a combination of all of that. Right now we're living in a different age. You know, back when I started, you had to post your ads in the Sunday newspaper, right, and hope that candidates read it and maybe clients read it that you offer those services. Now everything is instantaneous, right. I can post on social media on LinkedIn or Facebook or Instagram and put reels out and things of that nature to get people's attention to learn about our services. So it's a different type of approach.
Speaker 1:When you're trying to get exposure, right, you want to make sure that you engage them from a direct standpoint. So we do a lot of social media marketing. We also do things like podcasts, right. You know where I come around and talk about our services and our offerings to get a broader audience to understand our capabilities. So it's a combination of all those factors to make sure that we're getting our positions out. We're getting our services out. Our website we do a lot of marketing there. I also contribute to a digital magazine that talks about HR and talent acquisition topics per month. So I write an insert for that every month and then I spread that out via our social media channels, posting it, so I can get engagement that way.
Speaker 2:Wow, it sounds like you've got a system in place.
Speaker 1:I love that you have to Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I just always like to ask because, again, everybody always asks. Well, I'm sorry, everybody always answers my questions in different ways and, like there's so many different industries and the way they do it, some people don't do social media. That's totally fine. Maybe word of mouth is just perfectly fine. They don't need to do that. Whatever works, Some people exactly. So for your team, how? Many people are there Talk to me about that.
Speaker 1:So we really have an interesting dynamic on how we're set up. I'm the only employee of JLW Management Consulting, but we work in a recruiting marketplace. So what that means is, whatever opportunities I bring in, I have a network of probably a few hundred recruiters right that specialize in different skills, that have experience in different levels, and they work on those requirements because we work on a contingency or retained basis, so I split the feed with them. So what that does is it gives me the opportunity to scale my services exponentially right. So if I get a big project, I can go and get 15, 20 recruiters, you know, right away, opposed to having to go and hire 10 to 15 recruiters, which is a big lift for a small company.
Speaker 1:So the marketplace that we work in and I have talent all over the world, international recruiters that work on our stuff in the UK, canada, and then I have US-based resources that work on everything, especially here in the Northern Virginia market right, where defense contracting is very, very steady. We have a lot of relationships and resources that we can use that way. So it's a really interesting setup on how we engage talent. I mean I'm sorry candidates and clients in regards to our offering me. I'm sorry candidates and clients in regards to our offering.
Speaker 2:Okay, very nice, you have so much like insight. I love it. Now you've written a book. Yes, or two, is that correct?
Speaker 1:Well, one One, okay, because I saw a couple. Yeah, if you want to share that with us.
Speaker 2:We would love to hear about your book, how you got started and why you wanted to write a book.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I actually wrote this book during COVID, so in 2020, I had a lot of time on my hands, right, everyone wasn't moving around, people were at home, they weren't in offices. So Talent War really talks about in the subtitle is the unintended consequences of a broken hiring process, and what it talks about is my experiences of working with candidates and clients who have challenges in their hiring process where they're not engaging in talent quick enough or they're not setting up interviews quick enough. They get a person into the process and then there's no feedback, so they're losing talent to their competition. So this book talks about experiences that I've had and also solutions that I've employed for some of my clients as well as internally, to ensure that communication is fluid and that we make sure that all parties are engaged so we can get people into the hiring process, through, into an offer and onboarding as quickly as possible.
Speaker 1:So it's a quick read about 126 pages of just what I find insightful nuggets that companies and candidates can use, because it also explains the frustration that a candidate may have and what's causing that, because companies have a lot of responsibility they have to do during the day right and trying to get people to interview who have client conflicts in their schedule or they have deliverables that they need to meet and making sure that they get all this talent for all these openings.
Speaker 1:And it's cumbersome, right, it's a bit of a challenge. So this breaks it down to say, hey, let's look at who are the stakeholders in the process who's responsible for scheduling, who's responsible for interviewing I'm sorry who's responsible for making the offers and who's responsible for onboarding. Get all those people as part of the process and make sure we have tangible accountability measures that we can ensure that we get talent into that pipeline and into the process smoothly, effectively and efficiently. So this book really talks about that and gives some insight on how you can go about it and how I've gone about it, and maybe you can engage me to come in and help you streamline your process.
Speaker 2:Absolutely yeah. And where can people find this book?
Speaker 1:So this book is available on Amazon and on my website, jlwconsultingllccom, so they can go there and just click and purchase it there and we'll get an order request and send it directly to the address that you wish.
Speaker 2:Very nice, and now I heard you say you've got another book coming up. Can you share? Is it too early?
Speaker 1:It's too early because I'm trying to figure out what the topic is going to be right. So I want to talk about different things, maybe recruiter burnout, things that recruiters deal with, because recruiters have a lot of responsibility and sometimes recruiters get the blame for a lot of things that are out of their control In regards to the process and to lack of feedback. You've got the candidate who wants feedback, you want the hiring manager who wants more candidates, and they're kind of in the middle of that. So I'm working on something maybe something similar in size to Talent War that just talks about how a recruiter's day goes and the responsibilities that he or she has and why you need to be empathetic to the responsibilities that they have to facilitate a hiring process. It's a lot that goes into it. I was a recruiter. I managed tons of recruiters, so I understand it from that aspect. So I'm thinking about putting something together in a book form.
Speaker 2:No, I think that would be brilliant and I like that you are. You said you're the middleman, so you have like all these perspectives because you're seeing like what the candidate's going through the process your client or the hiring managers or companies and now the recruiter. So I think that's so great that you have all these experiences. You're taking it and putting it into a book so you can share it with other people to ease, maybe, the process for them and their struggles. I think that's a wonderful idea.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think it's necessary, right, because everybody assumes, right, everybody assumes they know what each other is doing and you want to make sure that they get some understanding and some real insight to what really goes on in that process, because it's just a lot of moving parts and it's unpredictable, right, you know, recruiters have responsibilities on deliverables, they have quotas to meet, they have numbers to meet, they need hiring goals to meet and then they need to staff the jobs right.
Speaker 1:The hiring manager has the same challenges, but he or she also may have to deal with their customer, right, they have to interact and go on site and meet with them, especially in the government contracting world. That is just a lot that goes into it that needs to be kind of managed effectively, and I always say the best way to manage anything is communication. Right, if you communicate it without assuming, you get a lot done. So I think providing that insight and understanding from where I sit, because I've been on both sides, I've been in the management role, been in leadership and I've been a recruiter so I understand all sides, so I can kind of get everybody together and understand what the pressure points are and what the opportunities to be successful are as well.
Speaker 2:I think that's great.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, where do you see yourself besides writing the next book in the next five years, like any room for expansion?
Speaker 1:no-transcript Right, even from a leadership perspective and or just from a consultant that comes into organizations and really break down their process and get them to understand that the hiring culture is what drives success in the hiring process.
Speaker 1:So I think that's really, over the next five years, what I'm going to transition to you know. More still, supporting opportunities with my clients and maybe growing that regard, going into different industries healthcare and the others but I think also lending my knowledge directly as a one-on-one consultant that can come in and help build a hiring process from the ground up. Because what I see is there are a lot of small to mid-sized companies that just don't have the infrastructure right. The larger companies have been around for a very long time. They have all the tools, they have the resources financially and otherwise, but the small startups don't right. So they're kind of at a disadvantage. But they get an opportunity to grow, you know, through programs like the 8A program and things of that nature, but they need someone that could come in and help them, you know, kind of build their foundation and infrastructure on hiring. That will help them be successful in the long run.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, I'd love that. Now, on a lighter note, what do you like to do to unwind Like any hobbies that you like to do? You're probably really busy, but when you can find maybe like a little moment to spare for yourself, what do you like to do?
Speaker 1:Music and a glass of wine Okay, beautiful, preferably jazz, right, something that's just relaxing, to get me to wind down, right, because the day can be challenging and tiring and a lot of thinking and strategizing that goes on in my day. But just a glass of red or white wine and just some soothing jazz for an hour or so and just to unwind. Or maybe a good book or maybe a good TV show. I'm a sports guy basketball and football so we're in those seasons, so I enjoy that as well. But oftentimes after the day is over, I just kind of decompress a little bit and allow the day and our thoughts and kind of write in the journal and kind of get ready for the next day as well. That helps me get all of it out of my head and into action for the next day.
Speaker 2:So yeah, that's kind of my process. I love that and I love that you share that with us, because we have people who are maybe aspiring entrepreneurs. They are entrepreneurs, they are business owners and maybe they're juggling their time and at their best for their business, for their clients, for their employees. And a key component of that is taking time for yourself and making sure that you mentally are sharp.
Speaker 1:Oh, no doubt about it. I mean, your mental health is paramount, right, because there's a lot of emotions that go on as an entrepreneur. Right, you're wearing five, six different hats per day, right, you're the front office guy, you're the salesperson, you're the five, six different hats per day. Right, you're the front office guy, you're the salesperson, you're the leader. You have to be the forward facing for your customers and your prospects. But then also you're the back office person for your accounting and things of that nature, and most of us aren't accountants, right, so we have to manage that and make sure that we're doing the right thing there from a compliance perspective. And then it's also trying to find time to really see your value and really express how you can help organizations. And it's challenging. Some days are better than others, some weeks and months are better than others.
Speaker 1:But I often look back to the reason why I started it, and what I wanted to do is in regards to entrepreneurship, because I've been in corporate for a very long time and had a successful, very successful run. You know leading organization, things of that nature. But I always said, if you're going to roll a dice on anyone, roll it on yourself. Right, take a chance and use that experience and knowledge that you've acquired over the years and put it to good use and help a lot more people. So the grind of entrepreneurship and I wrote an insert on a digital magazine I was telling you about that talked about the roller coaster ride that entrepreneurship is right, but it's also the freedom, right. You know, the great thing about it is I get to see, you know, take my daughter to school every day and I get to see her when she comes home and I get to go on vacation and can work and I can do things that have more flexibility opposed to a traditional corporate opportunity. So it's a balance there.
Speaker 1:But it comes with some stress and some challenge, but also some stress management and, to your point about the mental health side of it, not consuming all this stuff, understanding that tomorrow's a new day. Whatever happened yesterday can be left there, some things that just need to be addressed. But, most importantly, make sure you're okay and get you a mentor. I have plenty of business mentors that I reach out to you, that when things are a little crazy and I just want some insight outside of my own thinking, right, because it's good to get perspective that's not directly involved with your company or your business or your challenges and see how they kind of handled it and take from that and move on there. But yeah, mental health support and making sure that you don't neglect yourself in that regard is extremely important in entrepreneurship, yeah no, that was so well said, thank you for sharing that insight.
Speaker 2:I know that's so important to some people and they're juggling, so thank you, Absolutely you're welcome, and now I have a couple more questions. But is there anything maybe that you'd like to share with the audience that perhaps I didn't touch on and you're like, I got to say this, I got to get that out?
Speaker 1:Not particularly. I mean, one of the things that I always harp on is, you know, oftentimes small companies don't get the support that they need in regards to small businesses right, because it's perceived that, oh, they're so small, they won't be able to do this or that. But what I'm seeing, and what I've seen just through my network, is there's some very talented, accomplished former executives that became entrepreneurs, that have all this knowledge that they can share with a lot of companies. Right, you don't need to be, you know, a thousand people, a thousand employees, to be viewed as credible and, as I said, I'm a one-person show with a marketplace of resources. But we've been extremely successful in that model and the reason I did it is to alleviate some of the stress that can come financially by having to carry payroll and things of that nature.
Speaker 1:So one thing I always want to say to our audience is engage a small business right, really bring someone in that has some insight, knowledge and a particular skill set like recruiting, talent acquisition, employee retention and things of that nature, which I have and really have a conversation with them. I think you'll be enlightened to know that, wow, this person really knows a lot and can help my business sustain itself and grow. So that's always something I want to get out there Always encourage to have a small business on your team as part of your solution, especially in the government contracting space, because it's paramount. We don't get the opportunities the big, big, big opportunities. Sometimes we can't support it from an infrastructure perspective, but we can support it from a delivery and knowledge base perspective. So engaging someone like myself and others to come in and help from a knowledge base can really set you apart and be a differentiator between you and your competition.
Speaker 2:Absolutely Well said. Now my final question. Hopefully it's not too hard, but if you could share, maybe like an inspiring quote, mantra, motto that you like to live your life by, that maybe you've used throughout your life to help inspire you or get you through a hard day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I have so many. As I said, I journal a lot, but one of the things that I always say is, you know, never internalize this stuff. You know the good and bad right, because some days you can have a bunch of wins and you feel like you're on top of the world and the next second you could be knocked down. So don't, you know, get overwhelmed either way. Don't get overwhelmed with euphoria and don't get overwhelmed with a setback. Just kind of manage yourself and kind of allow yourself to just enjoy the journey. Right, you know, and live in the moment. You know, one of the songs that I channel my life after is Viva La Vida by Coldplay.
Speaker 1:right, so, it really is an inspiration for me, because the words that he's saying, right From the beginning to the end, where he talks about you know, I used to be on top of the mountain and then I came down. Now I'm just a regular Joe, but I still have to get myself back and then towards the end of the song, it's a buildup again, right. So I always try to say listen, just manage the moment. You know, love your family, enjoy what you're doing, have your friends around and those who can support you when times get tough, because they will right.
Speaker 1:Because, as an entrepreneur, you're kind of tied into what the economy is doing, right, if no one is buying your goods and services, then you're impacted by that. You don't have an opportunity to, you know, kind of pivot that quickly. You have to ride it out, just like everyone did with COVID in 2020, 2019, 2020, for a couple of years. You know it really had an impact. So people had to weather that storm and figure out some alternatives to bring in money during that time so they can get back. And now things are starting to loosen up again, so there's opportunities.
Speaker 1:So I always say, you know, just really enjoy this stuff. Right, you know we're only here for a short time. Right, you know nothing is guaranteed. And you know, as long as you have your health and you can still enjoy this ride, just really focus in on that type of stuff and the challenges and the stresses that come along with it. They're always going to come with it. But be able to compartmentalize that and really use that as either a challenge to get better or figure out solutions through your network to help you deal with them, and everything else will be okay through your network to help you deal with them and everything else will be okay.
Speaker 2:So beautifully said, thank you so much, you're welcome. That's a great note to end on. I appreciate you being here and sharing all your insight and wisdom.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, I'm glad to be here. I appreciate what you guys are doing. When I talked to you first, I was like, man, this is what small businesses need. We need a platform, right. We need a platform where someone can talk about, especially in this market, because it's so really it's just so many companies right that you really can't find your way and find your niche and really get your voice out there. So what you guys are doing is fantastic. Greatly appreciate it. I'm so glad that I connected with you and got a chance to come by and speak.
Speaker 2:Us too. Thank you so much, very welcome.