The Transcript

 

Brad Wolff (00:00):

Welcome to the, it is about you podcast today. I’m honored to have as our guest Ariel Schur of abs staffing solutions. Ariel, welcome to the show.

Ariel Schur (00:14):

Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.

Brad Wolff (00:16):

Absolutely. So if you would tell me a little bit about yourself and abs staffing solution.

Ariel Schur (00:24):

Absolutely. So I started abs staffing solutions to believe already seven years ago. And it was the way I kind of, I became involved in the industry was a little nontraditional and I had prior to starting my own firm, been working for a company and obtain that job because I was looking for a job and the owner of that other firm approached me in the waiting room and asked what I was doing and I said it was there to get a job, obviously, because why else would I be in the waiting room of a recruiting firm? And he said, well, what are you looking to do? And to be candid, at that time I was kind of a little burnt out of my field and kind of open and receptive to different suggestions. And he asked me to come back to the conference room, which I did.

Ariel Schur (01:27):

And we started talking and he on the spot offered me an opportunity to work for his company. And I was very taken aback. It was completely not at all what I was thinking when I walked in to the company. But upon further reflection and leaving and the offer, I decided why not. And there were a lot of parallels to my background in psychology and being able to interview people and interface with a wide array of candidates and help them. And all of that was very appealing. And I took that jump. And then after working for him for nine years and feeling frustrated by certain things that he was doing and kind of pigeonholed into just a small realm of work, I decided to veer off on my own and put my own twist on things and make it a very kind of high touch personal boutique firm. And that’s how it all happened.

Brad Wolff (02:36):

Awesome. Awesome. So Ariel, what is it that excites you the most about what you do in your organization?

Ariel Schur (02:47):

I think there’s a lot of elements. One is that every day is a new challenge. You never really know what is going to happen on a lot of friends. I can get a new exciting job order, I can get, you know, a great new candidate reaching out. And you know, there’s a lot of unknown pieces that will often arise. And in addition to that is the excitement and thrill of being able to help both my clients and candidates get a new job or find the right employee and creating that and finding that synergy and the, you know, in turn appreciation that is felt on multiple friends is priceless.

Brad Wolff (03:37):

Got it. So those are the things that really drive you forward with your work. Correct. So let’s talk a little bit about things that make abs staffing unique and valuable to your clients and candidates. What’s the first thing that comes to mind that separates you in your opinion?

Ariel Schur (03:57):

I really pride myself and feel that we take a very, very much individual approach to both our clients and candidates. So it’s not a one size fits all. It’s about understanding the needs of a client or a candidate and helping them cultivate whether to job description or whether it’s appliance with their or candidate with their resume or how to interview or where to begin or how to, you know, tackle the process from the very beginning to the end. And really being there as a support system on both sides and making it a more manageable and comfortable, easier process.

Brad Wolff (04:46):

Terrific. So what are the key things you do with clients that you feel provides that extra value for them?

Ariel Schur (04:55):

I like to personally meet with them, see the environment, culture, understand, you know, and allowed them to speak very candidly pertaining to what they feel they need, what’s worked in the past, what hasn’t and kind of the ideal candidate in their mind, what that looks and feels like. And you know, also understanding why the person, let’s say, who had previously been there, didn’t work out. So trying to really, you know, delve deeper to fully understand the, not just the current role but also the culture and some of the other aspects that, you know, they are seeking that might not be on a resume, but they’re more on tangible kind of attributes that they would need for this type of role.

Brad Wolff (05:46):

Got it. So it’s really understanding of having a relationship with them that you can understand what they’re really looking for and what type of person will really fit their environment. How about

Ariel Schur (05:58):

With the candidates? What are the key things you did

Brad Wolff (06:00):

Do and you’re from Ariel that really bonds you and builds a relationship with your

Ariel Schur (06:06):

Candidates? So, you know, from my perspective, I want it to be for my candidates. You know, ideally the objective obviously is for me to get them a job. But regardless, I want them to feel that having invested their time in meeting with us or talking with us, that they are able to either way get some new information out of the experience. And in turn, I have so many candidates I speak to and I go through their resume and they’re like, Oh my gosh, I’ve been to so many firms, nobody has ever mentioned these things. And they’re simple things. But it’s always shocking that even those little things, a lot of firms don’t take the time to do. And so it’s things like that as well as, you know, even helping them plan their outfits for an interview and having them send me pictures and, you know, seeking my opinion and, you know, being really intimately involved in the whole process with them. Awesome. So what would be, I’d love to be a typical

Brad Wolff (07:16):

The thing on the resume that where you, where you would help the person that they never thought of.

Ariel Schur (07:22):

Oh, you’d be surprised. So there’s no surprise these days. You know, everything from the tenses wrongs. So, you know, if they are not currently working there, then it would need to be in the past tense. And it’s shocking how many times things aren’t in the right tense or even within the same bullet points they thought from past to present. Little things like it still says present yet they’re not working there anymore. So making sure that all the dates are accurate. Making sure that it’s, you know, the alignment and the aesthetics look correct and that things match. So sometimes people will write out June, 2010 till 12, you know, so it, it will be a number and then a written simple and consistent. Exactly. And sometimes when you’re looking at something often it’s easy to miss it. And so I’m a fresh set of eyes in addition, I see these things all the time. So they pop out at me and become glaring and they’ll be like, Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I missed that.

Brad Wolff (08:42):

Yeah. Without that, without that extra effort on your end, that could end up costing them the ability to interview and get a job.

Ariel Schur (08:50):

Exactly. And also, you know, really taking the time to Taylor, their resume, two different jobs that they are applying for. So being, you know, mindful that you can have different versions of your resume.

Brad Wolff (09:07):

That’s a very good point. So you mentioned earlier that you have a psychology background. So how do you think, how do you think that that helps your candidates and clients get a better result?

Ariel Schur (09:22):

Well, I think, you know, inherently I’m able to understand the human psyche. I can, you know, in my training, I would do initial assessments, which are very comparable to what an interview is. So in that you have to ascertain, you know, a lot of different elements of somebody and all of those things definitely translate. And you’ll true for an initial interview as well. And, you know, just understanding people, being able to relate to a lot of different people, being a good listener and an active listener and, you know, also really enjoying helping people in general.

Brad Wolff (10:08):

Okay. So that psychology background really gives you an edge with relating to and understanding people beyond what a lot of other people’s backgrounds provide. Yes, I believe so. Okay. So, all right. Well, what would you say is the greatest extort success story that you’ve been part of? With abs staffing?

Ariel Schur (10:31):

That’s hard. So you know, there’s a lot of ways to interpret that question. But the first one that comes to mind was I had a candidate come to meet with me and he was in dire straight. He had just been let go of a job. His wife was pregnant, he was the sole provider and he was freaking out cause he didn’t know if he didn’t get a job, how he was going to provide for his wife and upcoming child. And I, my heart just went out to him and I could empathize because I’m a mother and I could feel, you know, that this immense pressure and stress that he was under and I just wanted to help him in any way I could. And low and behold, after meeting with him, I get a call from one of my clients who was seeking somebody with his exact skillset.

Ariel Schur (11:35):

And it was almost as if like the shop was meant for him. And I called him, I’m like, you’ll never believe this. I just got this new opportunity. It’s a perfect fit for you. When can you interview? He’s like, right now. I said, great. We’re going to make it happen. And you know, because have that relationship and rapport with my clients, they trust me. So I called my client, I’m like, I’ve the ideal person, you need to meet them literally immediately. Cause I’m worried how get another job. And it just turns out he was locked out. The timing could not be more perfect. And long story short is he got the job, but, and to this day he reaches out to me, he sends me pictures of his baby and I can’t thank you enough. I will never forget how you truly changed my life.

Brad Wolff (12:27):

Yeah. You jumped on that and made and created an urgency that helped get this thing done without wasting time. So I’m a big believer that failure and obstacles are key learning elements that make us successful. Do you have a particular failure or obstacle that you’ve overcome that’s been pivotal to your success?

Ariel Schur (12:47):

Oh yeah. I have learned the hard way that, well, there’s a few things. One I had in the beginning of my career a client I worked with that seem like a viable company. I did background checks to verify their financial situation. And long story short is they declared bankruptcy a few months after I was working with them and owed me a considerable amount of money for someone of my size firm. And I had gotten one check and deposited it, but I was still owed a lot of money. But apparently they also owed a lot of vendors a lot of money. And all of a sudden I found out about this, I didn’t even know, you know, the first steps of what to do, but I got these forms in the mail too, you know, go on a list of vendors that they owed money for.

Ariel Schur (14:03):

And then a month or two later I get another letter from a, a lawyer saying that they with the claw back Bob, they were able to end needing to take back the last check I was given from this company. So not only was I out the money, but then I’m like, how is this even possible? I had never heard of this. And so, there was a huge learning curve in terms of, you know, even knowing about that term claw back because it was completely new to me. And also, you know, learning from that experience and putting provisions in my contract to make that, you know, I never put myself in that type of jeopardy and risks with a client to make sure that I had a retainer upfront and had enough of the cushions. So God forbid something like that would happen. I wouldn’t be in that type of situation again.

Brad Wolff (15:12):

Yup. That’s how you learn with stuff like that. Why would you know about the clawback? Do you need to be clawed before you learn that? Yeah.

Ariel Schur (15:19):

Like how is that even possible? I have the money, they give it.

Brad Wolff (15:22):

Well, how are you going to pay the lawyer that called you without the club at the claw back so that that person can get paid. So yeah, it’s been real. Is there anything you’d like to add Ariel, that that we haven’t discussed?

Ariel Schur (15:39):

No, I think, you know, listen, yeah, I agree with your sentiments pertaining to, you learn and grow from all these things. I definitely, you know, to be candid, when I started my own company, I was somewhat naive to all of the aspects and elements that go into having your own firm and a lot of the back office and the legalities and you know, it’s becomes like your child, another kid. And it is, you know, it’s a 24, seven, you never are off because it’s your, maybe it’s your company. And you know, that can have its challenges. But you know, I think if you end up finding and doing something that you love and are passionate about, it doesn’t feel like work because I always want to be doing it. And that’s really the big, the thing that will separate and when you know and feel that within the, like your site to continue and it doesn’t, it’s not annoying or it’s not like I have to work your sites, you’re like, you always want to be working because

Brad Wolff (16:53):

Absolutely, absolutely. Obviously you’ve got a lot of passion for what you do and that comes through. So Ariel, what is the website of your firm?

Ariel Schur (17:04):

It is www dot A as in Apple, B as in boy, S as in Sam staffing solutions.com. And it’s all one word.

Brad Wolff (17:15):

Terrific. Ariel, thank you so much for investing this time and communicating things about your organization and yourself that really bring value to your clients and candidates and people that work with you as an employee.

Ariel Schur (17:30):

My pleasure. Thank you for the opportunity. Absolutely.