When asked to share a client success story, I always come back to this one in the construction industry.  It’s funny, as usually I am working with healthcare or finance clients, but from the first encounter with this client, I knew Purple Ink could help and I loved gaining their trust along the way.

Our Client’s Situation

A few years ago, Purple Ink received a call from the President of a large construction company in Indianapolis asking for assistance in recruiting for a Controller position. The President was afraid that she was about to lose her entire finance team. In our initial recruiting strategy assessment, she shared that the company was caught off guard when the Controller decided to retire early. Within a few days, they promoted the company’s Staff Accountant into the role.

Fast forward three months, and they were reaching out to Purple Ink. The leadership team realized the Staff Accountant was promoted prematurely and did not have the knowledge, technical skills, or management experience to succeed in the role. Unfortunately, they had not yet shared their thoughts with this individual. They decided to seek outside assistance to fill the role (confidentially) first. When we started the search, our client didn’t think they would be able to retain the former Staff Accountant, as the relationship appeared severely damaged and his loyalty and trust in the management team had diminished.

Our Solution

Purple Ink worked swiftly to fill the position and uncovered additional critical details about the finance team along the way. The Staff Accountant had gone silent, most likely fearful that he’d lose his job. He was working sixty hours a week and still could not get ahead of the demands of the Controller position. He lacked the ability to direct his team and was losing their trust rapidly.

The leadership team was not communicating to each other until Purple Ink was able to sit them all down together to assess the potential candidates. After the three finalists were interviewed, we met for an additional two hours to lay out what the finance team needed to look like and how to build that team.

We recognized that the Staff Accountant was amazing at his former role before his promotion. We acknowledged his bookkeeping strengths and realized the company could not lose his experience. The leadership team had to be open and honest about the needed roles.

The Result

Fortunately, we were able to select an experienced construction Controller to fill the role. Along with his accounting skills, he possessed managerial experience and sound leadership practices. The company was able to retain the Staff Accountant, and by communicating honestly with him, they mended the relationship. Not only was the Staff Accountant happy to stay, he preferred his previous role to the duties of the Controller.

The entire team continues to run smoothly and efficiently with the right people in the right places, with open lines of communication, and working with team members they can trust.  Thankfully, we have grown very close to this client and have successfully recruited two additional team members for them over the years. 

If you are interested in hearing more about our recruiting services or how a Purple Ink Consultant can help strategize with you, please reach out to Purple Ink, or to me directly, for more information about our services.