Member Advantage Partner (MAP) Spotlight: Kathbern Management

Kathbern Management is in the business of building teams. Since 2004, the Toronto-based recruitment firm has partnered with employers across industries to help target and recruit talent for all levels of their businesses. Today, as an HRAI Member Advantage Program (MAP) member, Kathbern’s team is committed to helping HRAI members build future-ready teams.

“It takes a lot of time and effort to find good talent, and our job is to do all of the heavy lifting so that all our clients need to do is make the final decisions,” says Larry Smith, Kathbern’s founder and president. 

As an HRAI Member Advantage Partner (MAP), Kathbern Management is among a group of businesses that provide business perks and opportunities to HRAI's membership. In this case, Kathbern's team offers HRAI members a 10% rate discount, as well as access to the firm’s full slate of talent recruitment services and expertise. 

Given Smith's career, there are plenty of talent recruitment services and expertise for members to draw from. His extensive senior management experience includes leadership roles at Xerox Canada, cable television companies, and operating companies in Canada and the U.S. Smith also formed and helmed the company that launched the world's first open-access toll system for Toronto's Highway 407ETR, a role that entailed sourcing, hiring, and overseeing a team of over 150 technical, marketing, customer service, and finance professionals.

“I’ve enjoyed a long history in management,” Smith says. “So, when I’m talking to employers, I’m able to do so from a point of view where I’ve been in their roles or dealt with similar challenges.”

Alongside his equally experienced team, Smith works with HVACR employers (e.g., contractors, distributors, manufacturers, etc.) to recruit the leaders and skilled workers they need to thrive. Kathbern’s mission, he says, is to make the recruitment process as easy and effective as possible for its clients: “Our job is to find out who our client is looking for and then say, ‘Leave us alone for two or three weeks while we find candidates, go through all the resumes, take care of all the background checks, and then come back to you with our top selections.”

The job doesn’t end with finding the best candidates. The next step, Smith continues, is confirming if those candidates are a match for the client, or if a new search is needed. If Kathbern’s picks are a fit, Smith and the team move on to helping employers determine the compensation, benefits, incentives and perks that comprise a winning employment offer.

“All of that takes a lot of time, but our job is to make sure all the client needs to do is conduct the interviews and make the key decisions, which we’re more than happy to help guide them through,” he adds.

For further peace of mind, Kathbern Management offers a six-month guarantee for each candidate. If, for any reason, the recruit quits or is not the right person for the job, Smith and the team will carry out the recruitment process again for free.

Workforce development is a critical–yet time-consuming–process. For 20 years, Smith and his team at Kathbern Management have earned a reputation for helping employers make the best decisions for their workforce at every step.

“We love long-term relationships, and we’re fortunate to have clients who have been with us for years,” Smith adds. “That doesn't mean we’re working for them continuously, but every year or so when they need to find someone for their team, they know to call us because we’re going to do it right.”

For more information, and to take advantage of Kathbern’s MAP Program 10% discount for HRAI members, call 416-737-9584, email  larry.smith@kathbern.com, or visit  https://hvacteamrecruiting.com.  Smith also shares his HVACR recruitment tips and perspectives in his newsletter, HVAC Business Advisor, and through several HRAI webinars. 

About HRAI MAP

HRAI's Member Advantage Partner (MAP) program connects members access to a wide range business supports and special offers provided by other members in HRAI's network. Learn more about the program, and discover other MAP participants, at www.hrai.ca/member-advantage-program.

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