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Dispelling the Scary Myths of Consulting

October 31, 2019 by Jesse Moryn Leave a Comment

For those outside of the industry, there tend to be several myths and misconceptions about what it’s like to be a consultant. These myths can be attributed to several sources, but mostly come from outdated views on what the industry is like today. In this post, we’ll be dispelling a few of these myths and looking at testimony from Keyot consultants on what it’s like to work as a consultant with us.

Myth #1: Being a Number vs. Being a Person

The idea that recruiters are just trying to place consultants to make a quick buck couldn’t be further from the truth. At Keyot, our recruiting team works very hard to get to know our candidates and place them in roles we think they’ll love. Here’s a note from one of our consultants, Rachel D.:

“I always had the misconception that when approached by a recruiter, they’d only be in it for themselves and once they found me a new job I wouldn’t hear from them again. Something was very different about Keyot’s approach. Perhaps it was my circumstances that pushed me to continue conversations with them but the beauty of it is, the moment I chose to become a consultant, I have been supported since day one.”

Myth #2: Consultants are ‘Lone Wolves’

This myth is based on the idea that consultants don’t receive any support from the consulting firm once they start and won’t be contacted until it’s time to renew their contract. Keyot is not one of those firms!

Our Delivery Managers check in regularly with consultants to see how they’re doing and help resolve any issues that come up during the engagement. We also use what we call a “whole-person” approach to consultant support, as it provides support in three ways: individually, professionally, and developmentally. You can read more about it on our website here. Here are some thoughts from consultants about the support they receive:

“I love consulting for the amazing support provided by Keyot! It can be intimidating going into an organization as a new consultant, but my delivery manager has supported me every step of the way!” -Angela S.

“I enjoy being a consultant because I am still learning new things, acclimating myself within a large corporation and opening myself up to help people where I can. There have been some challenges getting off the ground running, but Keyot has been in my corner and working alongside me to find the right position that will allow my previous work experience to flourish and benefit the organization I am a part of.” -Rachel D.

Myth #3: If / When my Engagement Ends, I’m On My Own

Keyot works with our consultants before their engagements end to either get an extension with the client or find a new engagement. We want to support our consultants however we can, and this includes helping them find their next engagement. From Keyot Consultant Molly M:

“Well in advance of the contract end date, my delivery manager works with me and my onsite manager to determine next steps so that there isn’t any gap in work for the client or for me and to ensure that everyone is happy. If this means reassignment, the delivery manager assists in the search.”

A Few Other Pros of Working in Consulting

Rather than just dispelling myths, we also have testimony from our consultants on some of the ways they’ve benefited by entering the consulting world. Here are a few of them:

“Consulting has given me the opportunity to collaborate with new and different groups of people.”

“Consulting has contributed to my career advancement due to my exposure to new and different technologies, applications and methodologies.”

“I chose consulting because it is the perfect way to find out if a company truly lives by their values before committing yourself to that company.”

“Being an hourly employee (versus salaried) gave me pause, and it initially felt like a burden to track/submit. However, it quickly became routine, and I even prefer it now, knowing that I will be paid for all hours worked.”

“I think what intrigued me the most was knowing that I could have the potential of being assigned positions that I may not have otherwise applied for on my own.”

Final Thoughts

There are certainly more misconceptions that we could tackle, but those listed above are a few of the main ones we encounter. Also, there are still firms where you may experience what we’ve debunked as myths, but that’s not how we do things at Keyot.

If you have any questions or want to know more about the Keyot process, don’t be afraid to reach out to one of our recruiters or email us at info@keyot.com! Consulting really isn’t as scary as it may seem. Keyot wants all our candidates and consultants to be as excited as we are about everything this industry has to offer!

Go Phish: Keeping Your Organization Off the Hook

March 6, 2019 by Jesse Moryn Leave a Comment

This guest post is by Connor Rapp, Crew212 member. Thank you for your insight, Connor!

In 2018, roughly 53% of attacks resulted in loss of $500,000 or more. Every year, Cisco releases a Cybersecurity Report that aggregates the key data from other related studies. Pulled from their Security Capabilities Benchmark Study, which surveys over 3,600 respondents across 26 countries, it indicates just how substantial a breach in your technological defenses can be. Therefore, a question must be asked: is your company prepared for an attack?

What is Phishing?

The common definition of phishing is being contacted by an imposter disguised as a legitimate source in an attempt to withdraw sensitive data. I know what some of you reading might be thinking. Why is this called phishing? There are no aquatic fauna included in that definition. In truth, the name “phishing” is actually coined from the attacker having their target “on the hook” and reeling them in. In other words, you are the fish.

One Phish, Two Phish, Red Phish, Blue Phish

Much like there are different species of fish in the sea, phishing can be considered diversified as well. With the introduction and popularization of new technology, phishing has divided itself into multiple subcategories. For the sake of this article, we will focus on what I refer to as The Big Three.

For the categorical ordering of The Big Three, we will start with the most common form, Deceptive Phishing. As the name implies, the purpose is to mislead the target into supplying personal information or the access credentials that can lead to personal information. Typically, these attacks are mass-produced with no specific target in mind. An example of this is an email sent from “Apple iTunes” stating there was a purchase that just occurred on your account. Luckily for you, a direct link has been supplied from which you can sign into your account and verify the (fake) purchase. Most likely, the website that you will be directed to will look eerily similar to that of the actual iTunes website. When you “sign in”, your credentials (both username and password) will be shared with the attacker. Thus, you’ve literally handed them the keys to your account.
Almost identical in pattern to that of deceptive phishing, albeit with one exception, our second variation concentrates its attack to a limited, if not singular, target. Spear Phishing is personalized in its attempts, where the attackers often have prior knowledge of the victims before launching the attack. As such, it can be expected that this format will be the most common in terms of breaching security of a company.
There are little fish, there are big fish, and there are really big fish. Sometimes, Spear Phishing can be focused on a very high-ranking individual. Attacks such as this are known as Whaling. This variant of phishing is no small matter, as the attackers will typically conduct a great deal of research on their target and instigate with far more organization than other forms.

It should be noted that the three forms listed in this article do not encompass all forms of phishing. There are many niches of phishing and to list all would have made this article far too long. Instead, we will provide a basic anti-phishing education that, if correctly followed, should be able to defend from most attacks.

Finding the Hook

Using a little effort, one might find it’s actually quite easy to distinguish a phishing attempt. Simply looking for a few details can easily reveal a malicious attempt:

A large portion of phishing emails are sent from abroad. This means grammar and spelling are often sub-par and easy to notice for an individual that is fluent in English. It is highly unlikely that a major organization (your own included) will send out an email that is seemingly riddled with errors.
Who is this email from? Was it sent from outside the organization? Be sure to examine the domain name of the email address closely. Often you will see that the email will be from someone not typically in communication with you. If it is from someone you know and the message seems irregular by comparison to how they usually write, they could have very well been phished themselves and the attacker is now using their account to try to get to you.
When was this email sent? Did it appear outside of regular business hours, when it would usually arrive in your inbox within operating hours?
Check the CC’d field. Do you recognize the other recipients? Would it not seem odd that you are included in an email with a bunch of other strangers or people outside of your usual work environment?
Are there any attachments or hyperlinks? Be incredibly wary of attachments, as they can contain viruses. The same Cisco report revealed that 38% of all malicious file extensions were Office, 37% were Archive, and 14% were PDF. Should you examine everything else that I’ve listed for you and decide that this email is still legitimate, then proceed with caution. Otherwise, don’t risk it. Hyperlinks, on the other hand, are easy to check for legitimacy. Simply hover your mouse over the hyperlink (without clicking) for the connected web address. Is the address the same as what the email is promoting? In any case, it’s usually a good rule of thumb to not follow hyperlinks in emails. Typically, you will know what web address you need to go to and where to sign in. The hyperlink can easily be taking you to a website that mimics the original in an attempt to harvest your credentials.

Preparing Your Defense

If there is anything to be taken away from this post, it’s that the education of the work force is one of the most simplistic yet efficient means of defense against phishing. Fortunately, this can be done easily, and the results measured. Host a meeting or two detailing how to weed out malicious emails. Be sure to cover basic cybersecurity principles that all levels of employees can follow. At my previous employer, one way we tested whether these lessons hit home was to make fake internal phishing campaigns. We would author our own phishing emails to have them appear as legitimate as possible, with a few minor tweaks to arouse suspicion.

Should the user activate the provided hyperlink, they would be forwarded to a page that would provide details on how they have just fallen for a phishing attempt, what to look out for, and how to improve. With tests like this, the metrics of how many and which users have clicked on the link can be recorded.

A second security measure that can be integrated with ease would be incorporating an MFA (multi-factor authentication). An MFA is a security measure that has users supply additional means of verification for their access credentials. For example, a personal cell phone number or secondary email address. How does this do anything, you might ask? Say one of your employees had their access codes phished.

The attacker will clearly attempt to use them. However, the MFA will come into action at this point. When you try to log into a computer that is “unfamiliar” with your account, it will request that you provide the additional information that is tied to your MFA. So, if the attacker was not able to retrieve these bits of information, which is highly unlikely in a broad phishing attempt, they will not gain access to said account.

All-in-all, knowing is indeed half of the battle. Simply teaching your workforce how to recognize the characteristics of malicious emails will go far and is a cost-effective way to exponentially bolster your cybersecurity. Don’t let your organization be another statistic for Cisco to write about in their 2019 report.

Best of Keyot Awards 2018 – Care About You

February 20, 2019 by Jesse Moryn Leave a Comment

This article is part of a series. To read Part 1 on the Best of Keyot 2018 Overall Winner, click here.

To read part 2 on the Best of Keyot 2018 – “Drive to Win” Winners, click here.

To read part 3 on the Best of Keyot 2018 – “Lead the Way” Winners, click here.

To read part 4 on the Best of Keyot 2018 – “Give Time & Wisdom” Winners, click here.

To read part 5 on the Best of Keyot 2018 – “Love What We Do” Winners, click here.

Our final Keyot Core Value in the “Best of Keyot” Awards series is CARE ABOUT YOU. The two people being recognized exemplify this Core Value by leading with empathy and caring for our candidates and consultants in all they do. For CARE ABOUT YOU, we would like to recognize Jeanine Rickson (Director of Recruiting) and Annette Germann (Finance Manager). Congratulations, Jeanine and Annette!

First we will chat with Jeanine Rickson, Director of Recruiting:

How did you get started in recruiting?

Jeanine: Networking! A friend and former colleague was working for a small consulting firm and asked me if I had ever thought of recruiting. I had an operational leadership and HR background but had never considered it. I didn’t even know exactly what a recruiter did in a consulting firm, but I decided to be open to the possibilities. They took a chance on me and I started on a path that led me to Laura Kelly and the rest is history!

What do you love most about it?

I have always loved working with people. When you do something you love, it doesn’t feel like work, even when it is hard. I love that the business of consulting is intellectually challenging, always changing, and demands that you be on top of your game all the time. I love learning about the work talented people do and how they do it and the thrill of making the right match for a project and a role. I also love when I can be a part of changing someone’s life for the better, whether it is more money or a growth opportunity or flexibility or even a new direction to a role they can excel at.

Recruiting is a fast-paced role. How many candidates would you say you talk to in a year and how do you manage your time?

Hundreds! Thousands of profiles and resumes reviewed to find the right person at the right time for the right role in the right part of town for the right rate or salary with the right personality and cultural fit! Whew!

This is always a challenge. This work never comes nicely paced out and it doesn’t start at 8 and end at 5. Time management is something I have to work on all the time. I love trying new organizational systems with hopes I never drop a ball. I have had to learn I can’t talk to everyone as much as I would like to. I focus on top priorities for our clients and their needs while balancing working proactively for the unknown future opportunities. I would love to hear how others organize themselves and for any candidate I did drop the ball, please forgive me!

You’re Keyot’s veteran recruiter and we consistently hear about how great you are from candidates. Your authenticity and ability to find the right role for our candidates is inspiring. What do you think are the most important parts of finding a great “match” for each candidate?

Thank you!

I was blessed early on in my career with some wonderful mentors and role models who taught me that great work comes from a motivated team. Motivation is different for everyone and they taught me the importance of truly listening to what each person says, watch their body language, to hear their story and respect it. I work very hard on that. It isn’t that I discover the right match as much as the candidate tells me what their right match is and I hope to connect the dots.

Thank you for sharing Jeanine! Our recruiting team is fortunate to have you at the helm.

Next up is Annette Germann, Finance Manager for Keyot.

What does your role as Finance Manager entail at Keyot?

Annette: Payroll – make sure our employees and consultants get paid (most feel this is the most important)

Benefits – enroll employees into benefits and maintain all our benefits

Consultant Onboarding after hire – make sure all consultants have everything they need to record their time correctly with client and Keyot, as well as any client specific information they should have. I also make sure we have all paperwork in place to ensure we can invoice our clients. I verify all Pay Rates and Bill Rates are correct. For W2 employees, I make sure they have the benefit info needed to enroll in benefits and make sure they sign the Employee Handbook. For IC’s (independent contractors), I collect the proper insurance certificates.

Accounts Payable – make sure all our vendors get paid, including our ICs.

Accounts Receivables – collect timesheets from over 200 consultants, invoice our clients and make sure all invoicing gets done and money gets recorded correctly

Consultant Financial Reporting – create reports that help Partners and back office stay on top of our consultants better with how many hours they are working as well as financial reports regarding consultants for our Partners.

Contact Database Maintenance – make sure ALL of our databases are kept up to date with current consultant contact information

What’s your favorite part of your job?

Tough question because I truly love ALL that I do. I love working with numbers. Most find this boring and frustrating, but I just LOVE numbers. I never tire of them or get bored. I would have to say my favorite though is working with the consultants. I don’t get to do this as much as I used to, but I love helping them and talking to them when I get a chance. Someone at Keyot told me just recently that I am the only person at Keyot who has had contact at some point in the process with every consultant we have ever had. When I think about it, she was right! Nine years ago when I started, it was just me doing all of the back office duties and full onboarding along with the current duties I still do today. I guess I love that fact. I love that I have been a part of Keyot the longest and have been here to support them from pretty much the start. I love that I have been a part of the journey from having one consultant to now having over 200!! Wow how far we have come!!! I love that. As you can see, a favorite is tough to pick.

We hear about you from our consultants more than anyone else in the back office! Our consultants love you because you’re willing to help with benefits, ensure they get payroll and answer whatever other questions they might have. How do you manage to stay on top of things for more than 200 consultants? What advice can you give to any new consultants that might be navigating this landscape for the first time?

I am so happy our consultants feel that way, because I really do make an effort to show them Keyot cares about them. Making the effort is easy because I genuinely care about people in general. It is important to me that people feel comfortable and happy in my space. I have had great mentorship from our Partners to reinforce to me exactly how important that is. They have been great role models for me in all I do.

How do I manage my time you ask? Checklists!!! I am the checklist queen. I get teased a bit about my checklists, but for me they work well. With so many moving pieces to the puzzle of my job, I need them. They work for me. I have multiple very extensive checklists I use to keep track of all the little pieces. It’s like a puzzle sometimes to put everything together correctly and my checklists keep me on track.

My advice to consultants to navigate through our system is to take a few minutes to read through the information they are given. I know it’s a lot all at once, but the information they get is all very important to their new role. I feel if they take the few extra minutes, they will have a good understanding and feel better about how to navigate through our system. When they rush, they miss things and feel confused. I know it can be overwhelming with information, so we are ALWAYS here for them to answer questions. I do feel phone calls sometimes work better and are less confusing.

Thank you for sharing your insights with us Annette. Keyot and our consultants have been fortunate to have you all these years!

Best of Keyot Awards 2018 – Love What We Do

February 14, 2019 by Jesse Moryn Leave a Comment

This article is part of a series. To read Part 1 on the Best of Keyot 2018 Overall Winner, click here.

To read part 2 on the Best of Keyot 2018 – “Drive to Win” Winners, click here.

To read part 3 on the Best of Keyot 2018 – “Lead the Way” Winners, click here.

To read part 4 on the Best of Keyot 2018 – “Give Time & Wisdom” Winners, click here.

Our next Keyot Core Value in the “Best of Keyot” Awards series is LOVE WHAT WE DO. The two people being recognized exemplify this Core Value by always showing up with a smile and a positive attitude, while performing their jobs at an exceptional level and with true passion. For LOVE WHAT WE DO, we would like to recognize Jess LaValle (MN Office Manager) and Sean Anderson (Crew212 Recruiter). Congratulations, Jess and Sean, we’re happy that you love what you do and we love having you on the team!

First we will be chatting with Jess LaValle, our amazing Office Manager:

What are some of the reasons you love your job?

Jess: I love the people I get to work with and love the variety of things I do each day – helping others is something that makes me happy.

I understand you’re the proud parent of two pups named Bennie and Ox who you like to bring around the office occasionally. What’s it like to work in a pet friendly office?

Working in a pet friendly office keeps the stresses of a work day under control – how can you not be happy and feel a bit lighter when you get a puppy kiss now and then!

You’re the Office Manager for the MN office, help out with every other market, and are an executive assistant to three of the partners. You anticipate needs, take the initiative, and most importantly, you do it all with a great big smile on your face! You truly Love What You Do. Is there any advice you can give on staying positive in the workplace and effectively managing stress?

Show gratitude! Seeing the positive qualities in your teammates helps bring out the positive qualities in you…appreciate the little wins and smile… 😊

Thank you for sharing with us Jess!

Next up is Sean Anderson, a fantastic Crew212 Recruiter:

How did you get started in recruiting?

Sean: After graduating from the University of Iowa with a degree in Business Analytics, I knew that I wanted to pursue a role that utilized my communication skills while still leveraging my technical ones. After speaking with Cindy and the Iowa team, it was clear that a Delivery Coordinator/Recruiting role at Keyot would be a great way to start my career!

At Keyot, we pride ourselves on finding the right “match” between candidate and client. What do you look for when you’re finding that match?

When finding the right match, it is vital to clearly understand your client’s needs for each specific position. Which technical skills are necessary? How much experience is required? What is the working environment and company culture like? Who has been successful there in the past? These kinds of questions help you understand the characteristics of an ideal candidate and will lead to creating a great match.

You currently hold the Crew212 interview record at a whopping 35+ interviews performed in a single week. How do you effectively manage all your candidates?

When dealing with a large number of candidates, there are a few strategies I use to effectively manage them. First off, utilizing an Outlook calendar ensures that I never miss an interview and that I always call on time. Also, taking detailed notes before, during, and after the interview has aided my decision making immensely.

As one of the newest members to the Crew212 team, your coworkers have taken quick notice of your ability to network and always perform your work with a smile on your face. Do you have any advice on those looking to improve their networking skills? And what are some of the reasons you love your job?

For those looking to improve their networking skills I would suggest using social media as a tool to meet new people with similar interests and more importantly to maintain/grow current relationships. One of my biggest takeaways from networking is that if neither individual, or just one individual, maintains the relationship, it will fail. A successful relationship requires continuous effort from both parties outside of social media, don’t underestimate the impact of a simple cup of coffee.

As a new employee of Keyot, there are many things I love about my job! From Keyot’s values and company culture to its development opportunities like Scrum Master certification, my time with Keyot thus far has been incredible and I am extremely grateful to be a part of the team!

Thank you Sean, we’re grateful to have you on the team too!

Best of Keyot Awards 2018 – Give Time & Wisdom

February 11, 2019 by Jesse Moryn Leave a Comment

This article is part of a series. To read Part 1 on the Best of Keyot 2018 Overall Winner, click here.

To read part 2 on the Best of Keyot 2018 – “Drive to Win” Winners, click here.

To read part 3 on the Best of Keyot 2018 – “Lead the Way” Winners, click here.

Our next Keyot Core Value in the “Best of Keyot” Awards series is GIVE TIME & WISDOM. The three people being recognized exemplify this Core Value through their selflessness and willingness to always lend a hand (or an ear). For GIVE TIME & WISDOM, we would like to recognize Renee Neppl (Program Manager for Crew212™), Molly Woodruff (Delivery Manager) and Diane Brass (Controller). Congratulations, Renee, Molly, and Diane and thank you for giving your time and wisdom!

First up is Renee, Program Manager for Crew212:

You’re the Program Manager for our Crew212 Program. What does that role entail?

Renee: The Program Manager is instrumental in creating awareness about the Crew212 program with potential candidates and universities across our target areas; identifying and selecting the top talent and ultimately launching the consultants into our program. I describe Crew212 as a “wrap around support system” which provides over 200 hours of training and development throughout a year and on-going mentoring.

How many schools do you have relationships with and how do you keep those relationships alive?

We partner with over 200 schools across the United States and continue these relationships by scheduling time to meet face-to-face on campus or over the phone to learn about industry trends, potential partnerships with students and faculty and discuss how the Crew212 program offers a wrap around support system to students.

In addition to assisting our back office with any myriad number of things, you give your time and wisdom as a mentor to more than 100 young professionals in the Crew212 program. This includes walking them through the recruiting and offer stages, start dates, insurance questions, bootcamp questions, lodging and travel questions, first placement questions, and even on the job mentoring. What’s your favorite part of the job and what wisdom can you give to other young professionals just starting their careers?

Over the past 5 years as a Crew212 Program Manager, we have hired over 200 individuals in the Crew212 program. The best part of my job is being a part of launching young professionals in their career, watching their personal and professional life flourish and providing mentoring along the way. I truly have one of the most rewarding jobs and look forward to the continued growth of the Crew212 program. My best advice is applying the one extra degree in everything you do. Remember… the small things can make a significant impact.

Thank you for your insight, Renee! The Crew212 Program wouldn’t be the same without you.

Next up is Molly Woodruff, Delivery Manager:

What’s your favorite part of your job?

Molly: My favorite part of my job is that I get to be involved in a multitude of different things and work with some amazing individuals. From a Delivery Manager perspective, I love that I get to constantly help people grow their careers and find opportunities that best fit their skill set and career goals. I like that it not only gives me the opportunity to work with our consultants but also our clients! I especially enjoy working with the Crew212 Members as they grow and develop over the course of their first year with us, it is beyond rewarding to see!

Why do you think our clients enjoy having a Delivery Manager?

I think our clients enjoy having Delivery Managers because it gives them someone who is striving to ensure that the consultants are performing and meeting the needs of the client. Delivery Managers not only establish the relationship with the clients but with the consultants as well which gives the clients the opportunity to also see things from another perspective. They are really the people that the clients can utilize to tackle challenging conversations but also celebrate with when things are going well!

As a Delivery Manager, you often provide guidance to our consultants. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received and what’s some advice you routinely give?

The best advice that I have ever received is “Perception is Reality!” This is something that I routinely give out as advice because not only can people use it in their professional life but also their personal life. Just because you feel like you said something one way does not always mean that others perceive it that way or heard it the way you meant it. In life it is very important to over communicate and ensure that what others are perceiving is what you are meaning. Perception is reality!

You wear a lot of different hats at Keyot and giving your time & wisdom seems to be second nature. You’re a Delivery Manager, Salesforce guru, and even manage all the Stay the Course training for our Crew212 folks. On top of all of this, you’re a mother of three. How do you do it?!

As odd as it sounds, the busier I am, the better I am at what I do! I love being involved in multiple things because it helps me learn the business from all sides. But the chaos does not come without some killer organizational skills. I live by my calendar to help me be successful in managing not only work but all of the kids and their activities in my personal life. I would be completely lost without my calendar and my infallible love for lists!

Thank you for chatting with us Molly, you’re a great Delivery Manager!

Finally we will be chatting with Diane Brass, Controller for Keyot:

What does being Controller at Keyot entail?

Diane: As the Controller, I oversee all financial aspects of Keyot and work hard to be a good steward of the Company’s financial operations. I prepare a lot of financial reports, analytics, budgets and projections. I help with a lot of things at Keyot ranging from contract review and negotiations to administering software implementation and efficiencies. There are a lot of things that happen behind the scenes for the Company to run smoothly and I help to make that happen as seamless as possible! It’s tough to summarize all that my job entails in a brief paragraph.

What’s your favorite part of your job?

The variety of work each day and working with awesome people! I enjoy the mix of financial work, software challenges, tax code updates and spontaneous “special” projects.

You perform a variety of roles at Keyot, including manage the financial health of the organization, provide Salesforce support to our back office employees, and teach an annual financial management class for our consultants. How do you stay organized enough to give back so much of your time and wisdom? Are there other ways outside of work that you like to give your time, wisdom, & resources?

I start each day with a list of tasks that need to get done and work from there. If I need to adjust my schedule to help with something that suddenly comes up, I rearrange my priorities for the day and work to still get everything done. I work long days each day I’m here but am sometimes amazed at all that gets accomplished in a day! I really enjoy helping people and sharing what I have learned from my life experiences.

I have a big family which includes 27 nieces and nephews that keep me busy outside of work. We gather frequently and help each other through a lot of life’s challenges. They are all involved with various charities and I help as much as I can – financially and volunteering. My mom was a strong advocate of helping people less fortunate than herself and I have tried to carry on her work after she passed away 6 years ago.

We appreciate all that you do for Keyot, Diane. Thank you for giving your time & wisdom!

Best of Keyot Awards 2018 – Lead the Way

February 6, 2019 by Jesse Moryn Leave a Comment

This article is part of a series. To read Part 1 on the Best of Keyot 2018 Overall Winner, click here.

To read part 2 on the Best of Keyot 2018 – “Drive to Win” Winners, click here.

The second Keyot Core Value we will be covering in our “Best of Keyot” Awards series is LEAD THE WAY. The three people being recognized today exemplify this Core Value by never being afraid to take the lead and blaze new trails for Keyot. For LEAD THE WAY, we would like to recognize Andrew Reiter (Delivery Manager), Chris Fiala (Recruiter) and Chaz Gerads (Director of Client Solutions). Congratulations, Andrew, Chris and Chaz and thank you for always leading the way!

First up is Andrew Reiter, one of our spectacular Delivery Managers:

What’s your favorite part of your job?

Andrew: To be honest, I have too many favorites to list. One of the favorite parts of my job is watching a consultant start with a client and begin making an impact within the organization. From the time we “make the match” between consultant and client, it’s exciting to see the consultant get up to speed on their project(s) and watch them flourish as they use their expertise to make a difference for the client.

Why do you think our clients enjoy having a Delivery Manager?

The Delivery Manger role is a differentiator for Keyot and our clients. I believe our clients have satisfaction in knowing there is DM who is focused on helping the sales team match the right people to their organization as they expand. Our clients are busy, so the more we can do for them during the candidate selection and onboarding process ultimately gives them more time for other priorities. I believe the consistent check-ins we have together over the course of the engagement are extremely impactful as well. It is our promise that we will not let a project fail!

As a Delivery Manager, you often provide guidance to our consultants. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received and what’s some advice you routinely give?

“Give value, give value, give value.” During my time as a consultant, I was often faced with ambiguity and project uncertainty. During those times I’d ask myself, “Who can I help in order to make this project more successful?” or “What value can I give in order to make this person’s job easier, to provide more transparency or inspire action?” For me, consistently focusing on giving some sort of value, regardless of the situation or task, helped to ensure project success and comradery among my peers – and that is something that I consistently advise consultants. Give value, do the right thing, and it will pay dividends in the future.

You started your journey with Keyot as a member of the Crew212 program. How do you think that experience helps you Lead the Way as a Delivery Manager?

Being a member of Crew212 has helped me to Lead the Way because I was exposed to so many different roles and experiences! You could say I “consulted up the ladder” and moved relatively quickly into leadership roles early on in my journey. I firmly believe I would not have gotten those opportunities had I not started in Crew212. Now as a Delivery Manager, I can really resonate with consultants on the triumphs and struggles they face during projects. I’m able to be a set of listening ears for them or provide guidance and suggestions on what worked for me as I progressed through my journey as a consultant.

Thank you, Andrew! We appreciate your insight.

Next, we’ll chat with Chris Fiala, Recruiter:

How did you get started in recruiting?

Chris: My girlfriend (now wife) completed an internship during college with a national recruiting firm. She was going back to school to finish her last semester and the firm needed a replacement, so I was curious to learn about recruiting and took the position. I started out as a Sourcer, learning all things recruiting. Roughly 9 months later, I realized I loved it and wanted to recruit IT professionals.

What do you love most about it?

I love seeing people progress professionally, placing them for the first time is rewarding. But building long lasting relationships and placing them for a second or third time is what I love most.

Recruiting is a fast-paced role. How many candidates would you say you talk to in a year and how do you manage your time?

I would say roughly 4,000 – 5,000 candidates per year. Managing time is difficult but we have amazing technology here at Keyot to help with that. Building good relationships with candidates that also follow up regularly helps me stay in touch in a timely fashion.

At Keyot, we pride ourselves on finding the right “match” between candidate and client. What do you look for when you’re finding that match?

90% of the time, I look for candidates that have stayed on a project for 9+ months. It is important to me that candidates have listed what they were tasked with and what they accomplished. We work with senior consultants and they need to be able to hit the ground running.

You Led the Way in 2018 by starting a user group for data enthusiasts. Tell me about your passion for the data community and any plans you might have for 2019.

Our data user group was a success for both our senior level consultants and Crew212 (college hire program). 2018 was full of accomplishments and a huge growth year at Keyot. Personally, hiring data consultants has turned more from a passion to a purposeful commitment to those I have met in the data community. The people in the data community continue to amaze me. They are continuously learning, driving change, and bringing new ideas (augmented analytics, Big Data, Machine Learning) to our clients. January has been off to a great start with several new jobs in the data space. I plan to continue building new relationships with the Twin Cities data market and help as many people as I can.

Thanks Chris! We’re looking forward to everything you accomplish in 2019.

Last, but certainly not least, is Chaz Gerads, Director of Client Solutions:

What’s your favorite part of your job?

Chaz: Partnering with clients to deliver innovative workforce solutions that allow them to meet their business goals and objectives. I love a challenge and I love helping our clients however I can, so this job has been very rewarding for me.

How do you balance the needs of the various different client partners you work with?

By approaching each client and opportunity open minded and with eyes wide open – while client partners may be trying to reach similar business objectives, they all have a uniqueness to their business, their environment, etc.

You’re known for being an exceptional member of our client solutions team and consistently “Lead the Way” with innovative solutions for our client partners. What do you think is the key to your success when it comes to figuring out a great, innovative fits for the client?

The key to success for me is building real, authentic relationships with my client partners. For me this means being comfortable with supporting partners through sharing my wisdom, prior project experiences, and network of contacts – every partnership/engagement doesn’t necessarily result in a revenue-recognizable engagement for Keyot, and that’s okay. My passion/love for what I do is easily recognizable by the client partners I service.

Thank you for your time Chaz, we appreciate you leading the way for our clients!