Ferree & Associates, Inc., like most Executive Placement and Search firms is paid by clients. There are no charges to applicants for placement or search services.

Since our fees are paid by clients, we in effect are working for them. They hire us to find the best talent available for the salaries they have to offer.

What Do Clients Look For?

When companies come to an Executive Placement or Search firm they are looking for people with superior talents. They want to hire employees that have more skills and are better trained than their current employees. And they certainly demand better candidates than they expect to get from a newspaper ad. Lastly, they expect applicants from Placement firms to handle themselves very professionally in dress, demeanor, and in presenting their technical, administrative, and managerial skills both during the interview and in the resume they submit. In other words they are looking for people that are in the Top 20% in their position.

Companies hire you to help them improve their profits.
The only reason companies hire anyone is so they can make a profit. Then the company can grow, hire more people, continue to provide better service, make more profit and hire more people. Without profit no-one would have a job except government employees, and then not for long.

What does Ferree & Associates, Inc. Look For?

Candidates that meet all of the clients requirements.

Generally speaking that means:

Good job stability

(have worked for no more than two companies in the last five years or four companies in the last 10 years). The only exception: young chefs can move around during their first seven years of experience. After that employers expect chefs to quit bouncing around.

A good education.

College degrees are not required for most jobs, but employers do expect employees to continue their education, through additional schooling, including technical courses, industry courses, etc. The world is changing very fast. If employees are going to continue to stay in the Top 20% in their field they must stay abreast of technology and the latest management, administrative, and leadership skills.

Solid job progression.

When clients hire someone through an agency they expect the person to be well trained technically. That normally means someone who has gone through all the steps rather than skipping a few. In the early '80s the industry was growing at a very rapid rate. Many people skipped steps as they moved up the ladder. As soon as the boom stopped most of the people who skipped steps on the way up were the first ones laid off. When the going got tough they didn't have the experience to weather the storm. It's possible to become a successful GM of a budget rooms only property with about five years of experience. Nice, full service hotels take longer.

If you are just getting started in the hospitality industry don't be in a rush to become a GM of a reputable full service hotel. Those that take a little longer typically make several hundred thousand dollars more over a 30 year career than their counterparts who skip a few steps. (In effect those people may reach a full service GM position quicker but they stop advancing quicker and their annual salaries flatten out.) It takes a variety of skills to successfully run a multi-million dollar business.

Currently employed.

Employers almost never pay placement agencies fees for people who are not employed. They expect to receive resumes from unemployed candidates when they run newspaper ads. They don't expect placement agencies to give them the same thing they feel they could get from a newspaper ad. If you are unemployed, there is nothing wrong with submitting your resume to a placement agency as long as you know the odds of the agency getting you a job are about 1000 to 1. (If you are unemployed, don't get discouraged, read Your Career Empowerment Plan and Interviewing Tips for some ideas on marketing yourself.)

Have worked for hotels with name recognition.

Rightly or wrongly, employers feel that people who have had at least some recent experience with a major hotel chain or recognizable franchise, are likely to have better training. The only exception? First class or luxury hotels that are well known. They may be independents, but they are still well known within the industry.

Have worked for more than one company.

Seems like we are contradicting the previous statement about job stability doesn't it? Employers are like most of the rest of us, they want their cake and eat it too, whenever they can. Again, most employers feel that candidates who have worked for at least two different companies are better rounded than candidates who have spent 10-15 years working for one company.

Have worked in the Hospitality industry.

That should be obvious, but this is the Internet. We know that there are many people who would like to enter the hospitality industry. We applaud that and we probably need you in the industry, but Ferree & Associates, Inc. won't be able to help you until you have experience in our industry. That includes hotels, resorts, conference centers, free standing restaurants, theme parks, clubs, visitor and convention centers, retirement communities, or hospital / health care (F&B, engineering, HR, or housekeeping positions only for people currently employed in hospital health care support functions.) Ferree & Associates, Inc. only works the hospitality industry. OUR CLIENTS ABSOLUTELY REQUIRE PREVIOUS HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE. Remember, clients pay our fees. That means they get to set the rules.

If you meet the above and are willing to consider a new career opportunity simply follow the steps in this section. We look forward to serving you.

Copyright © 1996-2005 Ferree & Associates, Inc.
Updated June 2005