Date Published: July2026
Many years ago, I was conducting a search for a Consumer Direct based Sales Executive. I knew who my Target audience was, it was simply a matter of connecting with those people, pitching the role and pitching our client company. The client was a well-established IMB with a solid reputation and they were offering an aggressive comp structure.
One of the potential candidates I targeted was with a national IMB who operated primarily through a DTC model. I reached out to their Head of Production and left a message about what was really a great opportunity and with a larger company. This individual (let’s call him “Joe”) returned my call the next day. I was excited to hear from him because his profile was perfect for the role I was recruiting for.
I Will Retire From This Company
Surprisingly, Joe wasn’t calling to throw his hat in the ring. Not interested in the slightest, even though it would have meant more income for him. He was calling to see if he could help me by referring someone from within his network. What the heck?? I mean, let’s face it, we are all busy. I usually don’t receive return recruitment calls from people just wanting to help. But that’s exactly what this was. I was intrigued. After we talked a bit, I asked him why this role wouldn’t interest him. He said, “I will retire from this company.” Another rarity. I asked him what was so special about this company and he proceeded to tell me.
He said that they don’t hire based on skill set. (I’m sorry, what??) “They hire people based on character, humility and who they are as a person: Servant Leaders. Of course, they want executives to have a mortgage background but that really isn’t even in their Top 3 in terms of what they look for.”
Well now, I was all ears. I wanted to hear more about this. Joe went on to explain that leadership has more of a partnership relationship with staff than “Boss-Employee.” He also described the attitude of the C-Suite…”they were promoting work-life balance before it was a thing.” He laughed and told me that in his 2nd week with the company (11 years earlier) they had exceeded a monthly sales record for the company. “The CEO came in on a Friday around noon and announced, “Shut it down; we’re all going to see the new Batman premiere.” And they did.
Joe told me that the CEO not only knew the names of the people that worked in the mailroom – but the names of their children as well. He quite seriously said that the biggest complaint anyone had about the company involved getting a covered parking space if it was raining, and even back then, this was not a small company.
A Culture Vision
The Founders of this company had a Culture vision they wanted to create but more importantly, maintain, as they grew. As cliché as it sounds, the company is comprised of good humans. They believe in giving back and are very philanthropic outside of work…most of the execs participate in Habitat for Humanity projects and Veterans causes. They have regular company Retreats. Leadership believes in their people; in turn, people want to do a good job for them. They celebrate wins and commiserate together over losses. They are all working toward a shared vision.
There are fresh fruit and veggie fridges throughout the company. In addition to a great Benefits package, they also pay for employees’ gym memberships and for health insurance for their pets. They encourage family time off work and truly care about the well-being of their employees. This explains the next to non-existent turnover at this company. Most of their executives have been there well over a decade and have consistently been promoted. They have been named every year as one of the Top 25 places to work in multiple national magazines. I immediately knew that instead of a recruiting source, I needed this company as a client. I wanted to be able to tell candidates about this organization. They have been a client ever since and it’s always a joy to work with them.
Before Profits. Before Growth.
They recently engaged us to conduct a C-level search because the person in the seat was being promoted. In speaking to leadership about the candidate criteria for the role, I can honestly say nothing has changed. Culture comes first and they are extremely selective about who they bring into this community. Candidates must have a passion to better other’s lives, including their customers. They have managed to do what every company strives to, but that not many are successful with. They have maintained their culture as the most critical priority. Before profits. Before growth.
It was not an easy search. They rejected countless candidates because they were not the right cultural fit. Candidates went through multiple rounds of interviews, the finalists were invited with their spouse and their children, to visit corporate to get a feel for the company. Every single candidate I submitted who made it to the final round of interviews was quite frankly, blown away. They understood that this was something special. Although it took several months to find “the one,” I am completely confident that the individual who was ultimately hired will do very well with this company.
They have grown substantially over the years. They are now a very large, national , highly ranked Originator that somehow flies a bit under the radar from all the usual suspects. And they like it that way.
Any guesses as to who this company is?
By: Tami Coffey
