Competing for top talent in an ever-changing job market should be considered a sport. Think about it. Job candidates are skilled free agents looking for the right team offering the best opportunity to match their background and experience, while employers are looking to add new talent to their organization’s roster of players. So, what is the best platform for finding that talent? In this case, it is worth looking at the playbook in the evolution of TALENT SHIFT—starting with Cooper Sachs.
Cooper Sachs was a leading recruitment solutions firm located in New York with a specialty in three core job markets. It placed people in positions of all levels, from entry-level up to board-level, in multinational clients and consultancies. At the time, it was the preferred top-tier supplier for FORVIS (formerly DHG), working closely with the firm for two years to learn the culture and collaborate with the leadership team. Slowly, the visions of both organizations became aligned, with Cooper Sachs exceeding expectations through permanent staffing solutions for DHG. This early relationship between Cooper Sachs and legacy firms DHG/BKD was one of a perfect marriage from the very start.
The founders of Cooper Sachs can be credited with the early architecture of the TALENT SHIFT platform by way of their own individual experiences. Feargus Dent was the first employee of an international staffing company with over a decade’s experience in the staffing sector covering key areas across corporate governance, finance, and technology. He developed an innate knowledge of the financial services & professional services industries, internationally in both the UK and US. With established acumen in relationship management, team building, and business development, he partnered with Luke Hume in the co-creation of Cooper Sachs.
Luke Hume’s background experience provided the backdrop for understanding how to build winning teams, having begun his career in international rugby. After retiring from his international and domestic commitments (including the U.S. national team), he brought his transferable leadership and teamwork skills into the technology and recruitment sector. His ability to mentor and nurture talent is what he believes to be an important asset in talent acquisition, taking on the role of being a coach when building teams. Luke and Feargus established a partnership with the vision of creating a specialized staffing agency focused on connecting talented professionals with the right employers.
Within a brief period, both Luke and Feargus teamed with Christina Howard, who was established in her career working at an international accounting firm, then as a controller at a top 10 U.S. bank—all prior to joining legacy firm DHG. Christina amassed more than 20 years of advisory and accounting experience, specializing in recruiting talent and building teams across a wide variety of verticals. Her experience leading large engagement teams and leadership role as a managing partner, including oversight of talent and performance, proved to be the perfect fit for the development of an on-demand talent platform.
Six months after FORVIS became the newest national public accounting firm following the merger of equals between legacy firms BKD and DHG, Cooper Sachs was quickly acquired by FORVIS. It evolved into TALENT SHIFT and launched as a gig-work marketplace that matches professionals with dynamic project opportunities on a fixed-term basis. Unlike other contract work platforms, TALENT SHIFT team members are benefits eligible FORVIS employees who will connect with teams across the firm as they work on client engagements.
“The value proposition inherent in TALENT SHIFT’s platform is providing excellent services with industry-leading individuals at the forefront of the recruitment industry looking to source industry professionals from a subject matter expertise standpoint,” says Luke Hume. “Our team of specialized gig recruitment experts engages, sources, and aligns high-caliber candidates to opportunities and clients alike. We take care, nurture, and grow our community through our platform and aim to align the best talent with the best opportunities in the market today. It is truly matching the best with the best.”
This trio of “talent coaches” in Christina Howard, Luke Hume, and Feargus Dent is laser-focused on growing the business model for TALENT SHIFT, striving to attract top talent. With a focus on regulatory compliance, anti-financial crimes, risk management, information security, internal audit, and regulated industries like finance and accounting, the TALENT SHIFT team is poised for continued growth and to create a strong presence internationally.
TALENT SHIFT is the future for on-demand workforce solutions.
Ready to grow the talent roster at your organization or are you currently a free agent in your professional career? The team at TALENT SHIFT has a solid network of connections to help you during this talent “draft” process. TALENT SHIFT invests time in creating an extensive network of connections that can highly benefit employers and job candidates.
