Jeff is co-owner and President of EGW Associates – a 47 year old family owned recruiting and staffing firm.
After his first career as a project engineer in manufacturing, Jeff joined EGW in 1996 as a technical recruiter. 20 years later he’s still recruiting – along with managing HR and the day-to-day business as president.
Jeff holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Clarkson University and earned his SPHR and SHRM-SCP Certificates in Human Resources.
With less than 48 hours to go before the first ever DisruptHR Buffalo, Jeff took some time to speak with us.
Editor: Tell us about yourself – your career history and how to came to be at your current role
Jeff: In my first career I was a project engineer for a company that manufactured animal cage washers. Then in 1996 I joined my family’s recruiting business as a technical recruiter. 20 years later I am President, COO, and co-owner with my 3 brothers.
Editor: What does your company do?
Jeff: We help our clients create Great Places to Work through better hiring practices.
Editor: Any upcoming product launches or initiatives you’d like to highlight to our audience?
Jeff: Yes, we recently rolled out our “HBHK” or “Hire Better. Help Kids.” Initiative. For every direct placement made in the state of NY a donation is made to Camp Good Days to help a kid affected by cancer go to camp. And for every placement made in Ohio, a donation is made to Idea House to help improve the lives of children on the autism spectrum.
Editor: What does an average work week look like for you?
Jeff: Working with clients, creating new educational and marketing tools, and putting out fires keeps me pretty busy.
Editor: What made you decide to be a speaker at DisruptHR Buffalo?
Jeff: I was intrigued by a quote from Richard Branson – “If someone offers you an amazing opportunity and you’re not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later.” I said yes.
Editor: What will you be speaking about at DisruptHR Buffalo?
Jeff: How to hire better by adding KPI to your KSA.
Editor: What are the major learnings that attendees will take from your session?
Jeff: The importance of knowing what success looks like in every role of your company and testing & proving that candidates can perform to the levels you need them to.
Editor: You only have 5 minutes to present at DisruptHR Buffalo. What unique challenges and opportunities does this format offer?
Jeff: Getting my point across in 15 second intervals.
Editor: Why does Buffalo need an event like DisruptHR?
Jeff: Knowledge in any form is a great thing.
Editor: Are you attending/speaking at any other HR-related events in the next 6-12 months? If so which ones and why?
Jeff: Not yet!