Executive Recruiting and Hiring in 2021 with Joel Koblentz, Founder of the Koblentz Group

Job search in 2021 will look a bit different than we are used to. The events of the past year have made that a certainty. To help you know what to expect and how to be better able to land an interview for a role you desire, ExecuNet’s Head of Learning Tony Vlahos sat down virtually with Joel Koblentz, founding partner of the Koblentz Group, a firm known for recruiting senior leaders for many types of companies across the world. Mr. Koblentz is nationally recognized for resolving the most sensitive, critical and confidential client situations and has been named repeatedly as one of Atlanta’s “100 Most Influential.”

He joined Tony to talk about the state of the executive job market as we begin 2021 and to highlight what recruiters are looking for as they pursue candidates.

Here’s a look at their conversation:

• 0:44    The state of executive hiring in 2021
• 3:00    What companies are looking for
• 3:55    Three priorities companies want candidates to solve
• 4:42    Being seen as the best candidate
• 6:50    The one interview question to stay away from
• 10:02 Candidates really should stop doing this.
• 12:22 The speed of hiring decisions
• 14:29  When you receive calls from a search firm
• 17:30  Alternatives to corporate life

“What companies were going through in 2020 is being reflected in what they are looking for in 2021. What happened with COVID is that it accelerated change and the way companies think about how they are going to compete going forward,” said Koblentz. It seems companies are now looking for individuals who understand there are no longer career tracks — just a series of individual projects. The nature of work is changed. Listen to Mr. Koblentz explain. It was a fascinating conversation.

William Flamme

William Flamme is ExecuNet's Associate Director of Content Marketing, where he develops engaging job search, career path, and leadership insight to build ExecuNet's brand recognition as the leader in senior-level executive job search and all matters career.

He delivers executive-level content across the various properties under the ExecuNet brand, amplifying the power of ExecuNet's expert voices and shaping the content strategy.

Prior to joining ExecuNet in 2008, Will earned a master's degree in education and taught fifth grade and sixth grade. As a teacher, he deepened his appreciation for the written word and mastered skills necessary for managing writers who sometimes view deadlines as homework. It is his training as an educator which allows Will to take complex ideas and make them simple for busy executives to understand and to execute.