Clarke Executive Services Group LLC

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the president of Willow Law Group, a small law firm specializing in trusts and estates. Estates encompass estate planning, trusts, wills, planning for death and incapacity, as well as assisting people in administering estates when someone has passed away. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Clarke Executive Services Group LLC?

We had issues with staffing, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Our specific field requires a detailed and analytical approach. It can be difficult to find someone who can multitask while being precise and analytical. Staff also needed to be able to interact with clients well.

At the same time, we’re a small office and personality dynamics play a significant role in our workday — we needed to find the best candidates to ensure our staff was complete. 

The COVID-19 pandemic made staffing even more difficult. We’re an essential business, and our documents need to be notarized and signed, so we were still meeting with clients throughout the pandemic. We needed teammates on staff who could safely come into the office during the pandemic.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Clarke Executive Services helps us recruit staff for our law firm and provide temporary workers through their company. When we started with Clarke Executive Services, we were trying to fill general and senior-level administrative positions. The general administrator would be focused chiefly on answering phones, photocopying, and assisting with opening and closing files. 

Senior-level administrators review all projects before they go out and have an eagle eye to ensure pages are not skipped when photocopied or scanned. It is critical for our business that everything is correct and perfect before it leaves our office. I needed someone with a high level of review skills to work on several different stages of our work. 

Clarke Executive Services took the time at the forefront of the project to get greater detail on our specific needs, the inner workings of our office, and how different positions work together. They then utilized their past experiences and expertise to make suggestions and observations about our additional needs. 

Because of the nature of their services, once our needs are filled, we will no longer have to work with them in their staffing capacity. They just placed the last candidate, and now I’m working with them on the organizational side of the company. They advise us how new staff members will best fit into our everyday workflow and make other work environment suggestions and recommendations.

What is the team composition?

We worked with one person, but a group of teammates from Clarke Executive Services do the initial vetting of potential candidates. 

How did you come to work with Clarke Executive Services Group LLC?

I had worked with recruiters before and hadn’t been satisfied with the candidates they selected. We had tried to do it on our own, which was a huge time commitment and didn’t yield any significant successes. 

So when we needed staffing services, we decided to use a professional service. I had worked with a financial advisor who has used Clarke Executive Services’ staffing services before and highly recommended them to me. We also found out that Clarke Executive Services had specific experience recruiting in our field, which was beneficial to us. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $25,000 with Clarke Executive Services so far. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The work began in July 2020 and it is still ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

We are a small business and there are only a few candidates; we don’t have a lot of metrics because the sample pool is too small.

However, when we interview candidates who have made it through Clarke Executive Services’ final tier of vetting, about 90% of them are fabulous candidates. 

How did Clarke Executive Services Group LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate in a variety of ways. If it’s a small and simple message, we use text or email — that’s usually if they’re updating us on their interview process or letting us know how many candidates they’re interviewing. 

We also have in-depth video conferences where we discuss multiple aspects of the project. 

We didn’t work with any set deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Clarke Executive Services' insight into staffing is really impressive. It was beneficial to have an initial, upfront set of discussions to make sure that they could find candidates that would suit our needs. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a tough time for all of us, but Clarke Executive Services put in a lot of hours vetting candidates and it shows in their work. Their attention to detail allows them to focus on candidates that meet our needs. Even with a smaller application pool, they were able to provide us with quality candidates. 

If we have another staffing need, we will reach out to them.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything negative or any improvements Clarke Executive Services needs to make. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clients need to be very clear about what their needs are. The Clarke Executive Services team delves into precisely what clients want — to maximize their services, clients need to be willing to put in more time and brainpower at the outset to delve into the depths of what they need.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of a business consulting practice - Dynamic Team Solutions - which specializes in interpersonal workplace relations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Clarke Executive Services Group LLC?

I needed a Virtual Assistant to help relieve me of some administrative duties and tackle special projects.

SOLUTION

How did you select Clarke Executive Services Group LLC and what were the deciding factors?

I met Eunice through NAWBO and liked and trusted her. When we connected via Zoom (even back in 2017 we did that!) I liked her team as well.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

The project was basic administrative support. Managing the calendar, emails, our monthly newsletter.

Describe the recruitment process in detail.

I met with Eunice and her top manager Kiera Lacy to determine my needs and select a good fit for the positions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the engagement that demonstrate progress or success?

Eunice and her team were a pleasure to work with. They stayed on top of our business needs and were eager to help in any way possible.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I felt the workflow was largely good.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Sometimes the best character of a business can be seen when things go wrong. We had a challenge with our V.A. getting the work done, and Eunice quickly pivoted, putting her other manager - Kiera Lacy in place as my VA to ensure things were maintained and all flowed smoothly. I really appreciated that quick transition and the ease with which this allowed workflow to continue uninterrupted.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I don't have any thoughts here.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the President for my organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Clarke Executive Services Group LLC?

I needed help getting my business foundation set. This included Executive Admin, Project Management, and Operations Support.

SOLUTION

How did you select this firm and what were the deciding factors?

I went onto the web and sought highly recommended firms to review. Having paid less for similar services, I learned that cheaper is not better. The support Clarke provided was amazing.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

I loved having a team of people to support me. I never felt like a ball was going to get dropped.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

There were 3 people working with me.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the engagement that demonstrate progress or success?

I cannot think of just one thing...so many projects were completed...Having something completed was a huge step in the right direction!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team was very communicative.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Working with Eunice and Clarke Executive Services Group has been a breath of fresh air. As a small business owner, I am used to hustling. However, I was beginning to drown!

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I have tried other independent VA's and companies that offer their services. This has been one of the BEST investments I've made for my business!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm managing partner of a boutique investment bank for the healthcare and life sciences industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Clarke Executive Services Group LLC?

Our website was outdated and needed a new look, and also needed to reflect our focus on later stage companies.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We had worked with Clarke before and liked their people and responsiveness.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We worked with one of Clarke's consultants to get her advice on site design and budget. We then supplied textual content and photos, while she also selected photos, which we liked. The site went through several iterations before completion.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with a web design expert.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We get compliments on our site from clients and potential clients. We've also had people who stated they were able to understand who we were and what we did by looking at our website.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Good--they were responsive and took suggestions well.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Eunice Clarke is very responsive and works hard to make sure her clients have a good experience.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Wealth Management firm. I am a principal and co-owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Clarke Executive Services Group LLC?

To help us find an operations manager.

SOLUTION

How did you select this firm and what were the deciding factors?

We were working with another recruiter as well on contingency, and this firm found a qualified candidate first.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

I contracted with Clarke Executive Services Group to find a Director of Operations for our company. We were using another (non-exclusive) recruiter at the same time, as well as LinkedIn and Indeed. The market for this particular type of professional employee was very tight at the time, and finding qualified applicants was difficult.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Just Eunice Clarke, principal.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the engagement that demonstrate progress or success?

We finally found the right person--who has worked out very well--through Eunice. His background seemed atypical and we originally were not going to interview him, but Eunice had spoken with him at length and felt strongly that he would be a fit. It turns out she was totally right. Working with Clarke was easy, pleasant, and efficient, and their fee was quite reasonable. I recommend Clarke's services highly.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We worked well together.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The time and effort to find the right person.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

No.