No matter how many recruiters you’ve spoken with, the quality of your experience boils down to who you work with.
And there’s a night and day difference between average and exceptional recruiters.
Look no further than RennerBrown’s Gregg Chaillet. Gregg has built a career on honesty, deep relationships, and a genuine passion for learning.
Whether he’s deepening his technical knowledge to better understand complex roles, coaching candidates to put their best foot forward, or helping organizations navigate high-pressure hiring needs, Gregg brings authenticity and dedication to the table.
In this conversation, he reflects on how recruiting has evolved, what sets RennerBrown apart, and why building long-term relationships continues to be at the heart of his work.
Q: What sets you apart as a recruiter?
Gregg: My approach is all about honesty. When I talk to new candidates, some have had bad experiences with recruiters and feel like they are used car salesmen. On the other hand, I give candidates as much information as I can upfront. I don’t sugarcoat things, and if I don’t think they are the right fit for a position, I let them know and try to find them something else.
I also pride myself on building enough technical knowledge to understand technical positions. Recently, a candidate I was chatting with for a SAP position asked me if I’d worked with SAP before. I said no, and he was surprised. He said, “It sounds like you’ve done these implementations.” I’ve heard that a number of times for different technologies and that reinforces that I’m doing everything on my side to understand the roles and what these candidates are looking to do.
Q: Does having the professional services side of the business help when you need to acclimate to technology and talk the talk?
Gregg: When it comes to Ivanti Endpoint Management, Service Management, or other products, I’ll bounce questions off Jamie, Kevin, or other team members. They’re definitely a good resource when I’m recruiting for Ivanti positions, which I definitely enjoy doing.
Q: How has your role evolved since joining RennerBrown?
Gregg: It has changed a lot. When I first started at RennerBrown in 2005, I knew nothing about recruiting. I knew Bob Turek and Glenn Guensch since high school and they thought I’d be a good fit at RennerBrown. I had worked at Merck for 10 years prior in a non-technical role and had attended one of the tech schools for computer training, but didn’t know much beyond that.
My first couple weeks were spent getting an understanding of what Bob, Glenn, and the other recruiters were doing and why they were doing it. I feel like recruiting has changed a whole lot since then.
It’s not smile-and-dial anymore or about picking up the phone to call people. With LinkedIn and other social platforms out there, you have to grab their attention with InMails or social posts that address their needs or challenges.
Q: How have clients’ expectations changed? And how have candidates’ expectations changed?
Gregg: Companies are more selective. They want certain things and aren’t willing to bend as much as they might in the past. They know what they want and are willing to wait until they find the right fit.
Candidates are less willing to take contract-to-hire roles than they were in the past because the market is so tough and these types of roles feel risky to them. If that contract-to-hire role doesn’t work out, they worry they might be out of work for six months or more. Though working with a staffing firm can lower that risk, they’re still feeling anxious right now.
And candidates also got used to working remotely during COVID and are having a hard time convincing them to go four or five days a week on-site. People are reluctant to leave jobs because of that.
Q: How are you bridging the gap between clients and candidates?
Gregg: From a candidate standpoint, I remind them that they have more opportunities to collaborate with people in the office than remotely. Obviously, working from home is nice and makes life easier, but I ask them what they are missing when they’re not in the office.
If a VMware engineer is at home and the rest of a five-person team is on-site, tossing around ideas or tackling issues when they come up, that person might miss out on key moments of collaboration.
Q: Can you give an example of where your work as a recruiter changed someone’s life for the better?
Gregg: Sure. There are a few examples of candidates who didn’t start with a lot of experience, but I knew, upon getting to know them, that their passion for technology would help them to excel anywhere.
A few years back, one of the major hospital networks was moving to virtual desktops and needed technicians to help with the transition. I had just met a young guy around that time who, after he interviewed with me and Glenn, would clearly be able to land the job. After starting on the project, he was promoted into the lead on another project, and within a year, he had progressed his career to an architect role. I’m still in contact with him and we joke around that he owes his career to me.
There was a gentleman who had worked for us a couple times on different roles. When he was laid off through no fault of his own, we found him a job at a law firm and he was able to convert to full time. He thanks me all the time and says, “I’m going to retire from this place. I love it here.” Those types of stories are why I love doing this.
Q: Can you give an example where you were able to fill positions in a tight timeline?
Gregg: About a year and a half ago, one of our clients was in the middle of an SAP implementation that was going south quickly. They were using one of the big consulting firms to help with the initiatives, but they didn’t feel like they were getting the necessary resources and information from the consulting firm. They asked us to jump in and find them a few people fast.
I was able to find them a project manager, first off, to work on behalf of their team working directly with the professional services consulting firm to hold them to a timeline. They also needed some business analysts who work in SAP. Because I’ve picked up a fair amount about SAP, it builds my credibility.
Q: When you are coaching candidates, what do you most often help them with?
Gregg: Resume writing is one area. You’d be surprised by how many resumes we see that need major work. Often, I’ll tell candidates that their resume isn’t painting the full picture. So, I walk them through updates to their resume and make sure it matches with their LinkedIn profile. Timelines and work experience need to match up.
Also, since the world transitioned from face-to-face interviews to virtual interviews, I’ve had to coach candidates through presenting themselves on camera. I always ask people to think about what’s behind them in the frame. Is there dirty laundry or anything else that’s embarrassing? You might not be paying attention to that but a hiring manager definitely will. I also try to remind them to eliminate distractions during the interview and make sure they’re in a quiet environment.
Additionally, I always encourage them to have questions for the manager. By that I mean insightful questions, not canned questions.
Q: Are there questions that interviewers routinely ask that candidates aren’t prepared for?
Gregg: The simplest question is “Tell me about yourself.” You’d be surprised by how many people aren’t ready for that question. I tell people to rehearse their response to know it enough that it doesn’t sound rehearsed. Give enough information, but don’t ramble on for ten minutes. You don’t need to give your whole life story. Outline where you’ve been, where you are now, and where you want to be.
And you can include a little bit of your personal life in that. Most people in IT roles grew up loving technology. Plenty of folks have stories about tearing apart computers and rebuilding them or maybe they’re passionate gamers. That’s where you can put in a little personal information but don’t overdo it.
Q: For people who have never worked with a recruiter, what sets you and RennerBrown apart?
Gregg: I think RennerBrown is built on relationships. We don’t go into companies where, in order to work with them, you’ll get automated emails notifying you that a job requisition is open. That goes out to 30 other recruiters and leaves candidates feeling bombarded with messages for the same job.
When candidates work with RennerBrown, they automatically know we have a direct relationship with the hiring manager. Our candidates don’t have to put their resumes through HR systems. They go straight to decision makers.
Q: What has made you stick around at RennerBrown for over 20 years?
Gregg: As corny as it is, RennerBrown is like a family. We know each other’s families. When it’s time to work, it’s time to work, but we know we can kid around and have fun. There’s flexibility too. They know that the work will get done now or at 7 o’clock at night. There’s trust there.
Whether you’re exploring your next move or simply want career advice from someone who understands the technical landscape, reach out to Gregg Chaillet and the RennerBrown team to start the conversation.
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