A true industry leader, A&C Partner Rich Raniere has hired, trained, and mentored thousands of staffing professionals throughout his extensive career. And that's AFTER being a top producer and manager for 20 years.
We asked some current and previous coworkers to share their thoughts on Rich:
“Rich is the ultimate staffing professional. He’s all about doing it the right way and does a great job teaching individuals how to be successful.”
“Rich is an understanding and empathetic leader who goes the extra mile for his team. Whether it is getting resources or providing fresh ideas, he’s always looking to empower and further develop his team.”
“If it wasn’t for everything he’s taught me, I would never have the type of life I have.”
“There is not enough space or time to describe Rich's infectious personality and motivational soul, only those of us that have had the pleasure of working for him will understand. If I can describe him in one word... Success!”
“Rich made me fall in love with recruiting after 4 hours. I still have and reference his training materials from over a decade ago. From the Morgan Method to Closing the Deal, Rich knows the industry and better yet, knows how to inspire recruiters.”
A&C Firm President Nicole DelToro sat down with Rich (her own first boss in the recruiting industry!) to talk about some of the key moments in his career, but first shared her own thoughts:
“Rich is one of the most caring, generous individuals I’ve ever met. As a manager, he set an example of always doing the right thing for our clients, candidates, and the company. He literally taught me everything I know about recruiting.”
Nicole: 4 decades in staffing! That is incredible. Tell me how it all began.
Rich: Early on, it was about building my network and my reputation. I always followed up with every candidate, even If I couldn’t help them. And when my best client went bankrupt, what I thought was the worst thing turned out to be one of the best. All my contacts went to new companies, and I was able to help those clients because of my existing relationships.
Nicole: You spent 30 years at the company where you got your start. Tell me about that experience.
Rich: When I was first hired there, it was still a small franchise, with only 3-4 guys in the office. Over the next 10 years the company grew, rolled up most of the franchises, and then went public in 1995. It went from that small franchise office to over a billion dollars in revenue by the time I left. It was amazing to be a part of that growth and experience it from the inside.
One of the things that really stuck with me is that even as the company was growing, the CEO took the time to sit down with me and talk about the right way to do things. When the CEO cares that much, it reverberates across the company. That experience is similar to how you run Andrews & Cole; you walk the walk.
Nicole: And we are so happy to have you here. You’ve had an amazing career. Why did you decide to come to Andrews & Cole at this point?
Rich: Over the years I have been fortunate to work with some great people and I have learned from them all. I worked with several large staffing firms, but I was excited when you approached me (20+ years after I first hired you!) to join this team and help expand the company nationally. It’s terrific to get back to my roots in such an entrepreneurial environment, and I’m thrilled that you’ve given me this kind of opportunity at this stage in my career.
Nicole: What advice would you have for someone just getting into the staffing business?
Rich: Come in early, leave late, and work as hard as you possibly can. Anyone can be successful in this business; it may take some longer than others, but if you put your head down, get the work done, and trust in your hard work, you’ll see the rewards.
Nicole: What advice would you give to an organization to get the most out of working with a recruiter?
Rich: Spend as much time as you can up front with the recruiter, telling them not just about the background you’re looking for, but the work environment, your culture, what’s important to the organization, your mission, your goals, and why someone would want to work there.
Nicole: What advice do you have for candidates when working with a recruiter?
Rich: Be honest and upfront. Tell them what’s important to you and why, so they have a full understanding when you leave that first conversation.
Nicole: You’ve worked for a number of companies. What do you think made one of those companies more successful than the others?
Rich: A disciplined process that everyone understands and is consistently applied.
Nicole: What’s the most satisfying thing that you’ve experienced over the past 40 years?
Rich: Seeing others’ success. Working with people new to the business and helping them succeed is more satisfying to me than being a top producer or being in the top producing office. A former employee called me a few years ago to let me know that she had reached a huge milestone. I was so proud of her but was also humbled that she would think to call me.
Nicole: Who has been most influential in your career?
Rich: I was blessed to have a tremendous mentor, Howard Sutter. He put up with me as a kid and stuck with me, even when he probably shouldn’t have. He told me I could be good if I just listened to him and when I finally did, it all clicked. He always said, “the worst decision is no decision” and that’s something I apply not just in the office but in life.
I was also influenced heavily by my brother-in-law. I worked in his hair salon when I was younger, and he was the greatest example of hard work. He worked until 7/7:15pm every night, never sitting down, just working with his clients nonstop. That time in his shop taught me the value of hard work but also how to deal with people. My brother also pushed me to have confidence in myself. He believed in me more than I did myself.
Family has always been paramount in my life. I had hardworking parents and older sisters that have looked out for me to this day. My amazing daughters, who have blessed me with two beautiful grandsons, have always been my inspiration. My wife, who is the family CEO, is more than I deserve. Through the good times and bad times, the long hours and the travel in the business, she has always been there with love and tremendous support.
We asked some current and previous coworkers to share their thoughts on Rich:
“Rich is the ultimate staffing professional. He’s all about doing it the right way and does a great job teaching individuals how to be successful.”
“Rich is an understanding and empathetic leader who goes the extra mile for his team. Whether it is getting resources or providing fresh ideas, he’s always looking to empower and further develop his team.”
“If it wasn’t for everything he’s taught me, I would never have the type of life I have.”
“There is not enough space or time to describe Rich's infectious personality and motivational soul, only those of us that have had the pleasure of working for him will understand. If I can describe him in one word... Success!”
“Rich made me fall in love with recruiting after 4 hours. I still have and reference his training materials from over a decade ago. From the Morgan Method to Closing the Deal, Rich knows the industry and better yet, knows how to inspire recruiters.”
A&C Firm President Nicole DelToro sat down with Rich (her own first boss in the recruiting industry!) to talk about some of the key moments in his career, but first shared her own thoughts:
“Rich is one of the most caring, generous individuals I’ve ever met. As a manager, he set an example of always doing the right thing for our clients, candidates, and the company. He literally taught me everything I know about recruiting.”
Nicole: 4 decades in staffing! That is incredible. Tell me how it all began.
Rich: Early on, it was about building my network and my reputation. I always followed up with every candidate, even If I couldn’t help them. And when my best client went bankrupt, what I thought was the worst thing turned out to be one of the best. All my contacts went to new companies, and I was able to help those clients because of my existing relationships.
Nicole: You spent 30 years at the company where you got your start. Tell me about that experience.
Rich: When I was first hired there, it was still a small franchise, with only 3-4 guys in the office. Over the next 10 years the company grew, rolled up most of the franchises, and then went public in 1995. It went from that small franchise office to over a billion dollars in revenue by the time I left. It was amazing to be a part of that growth and experience it from the inside.
One of the things that really stuck with me is that even as the company was growing, the CEO took the time to sit down with me and talk about the right way to do things. When the CEO cares that much, it reverberates across the company. That experience is similar to how you run Andrews & Cole; you walk the walk.
Nicole: And we are so happy to have you here. You’ve had an amazing career. Why did you decide to come to Andrews & Cole at this point?
Rich: Over the years I have been fortunate to work with some great people and I have learned from them all. I worked with several large staffing firms, but I was excited when you approached me (20+ years after I first hired you!) to join this team and help expand the company nationally. It’s terrific to get back to my roots in such an entrepreneurial environment, and I’m thrilled that you’ve given me this kind of opportunity at this stage in my career.
Nicole: What advice would you have for someone just getting into the staffing business?
Rich: Come in early, leave late, and work as hard as you possibly can. Anyone can be successful in this business; it may take some longer than others, but if you put your head down, get the work done, and trust in your hard work, you’ll see the rewards.
Nicole: What advice would you give to an organization to get the most out of working with a recruiter?
Rich: Spend as much time as you can up front with the recruiter, telling them not just about the background you’re looking for, but the work environment, your culture, what’s important to the organization, your mission, your goals, and why someone would want to work there.
Nicole: What advice do you have for candidates when working with a recruiter?
Rich: Be honest and upfront. Tell them what’s important to you and why, so they have a full understanding when you leave that first conversation.
Nicole: You’ve worked for a number of companies. What do you think made one of those companies more successful than the others?
Rich: A disciplined process that everyone understands and is consistently applied.
Nicole: What’s the most satisfying thing that you’ve experienced over the past 40 years?
Rich: Seeing others’ success. Working with people new to the business and helping them succeed is more satisfying to me than being a top producer or being in the top producing office. A former employee called me a few years ago to let me know that she had reached a huge milestone. I was so proud of her but was also humbled that she would think to call me.
Nicole: Who has been most influential in your career?
Rich: I was blessed to have a tremendous mentor, Howard Sutter. He put up with me as a kid and stuck with me, even when he probably shouldn’t have. He told me I could be good if I just listened to him and when I finally did, it all clicked. He always said, “the worst decision is no decision” and that’s something I apply not just in the office but in life.
I was also influenced heavily by my brother-in-law. I worked in his hair salon when I was younger, and he was the greatest example of hard work. He worked until 7/7:15pm every night, never sitting down, just working with his clients nonstop. That time in his shop taught me the value of hard work but also how to deal with people. My brother also pushed me to have confidence in myself. He believed in me more than I did myself.
Family has always been paramount in my life. I had hardworking parents and older sisters that have looked out for me to this day. My amazing daughters, who have blessed me with two beautiful grandsons, have always been my inspiration. My wife, who is the family CEO, is more than I deserve. Through the good times and bad times, the long hours and the travel in the business, she has always been there with love and tremendous support.
Andrews & Cole is a certified woman-owned boutique executive search and consulting firm with a focus on accounting and finance professionals. Clients range from start ups to Fortune 100 in nearly every industry.
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