Since 2014, Joe Gross has been at the helm as President of Cio Partners®, a nationally acclaimed retained search firm specializing in connecting businesses with elite technology talent. His leadership recently expanded as he also took on the role of President at Talentric®, a dynamic talent acquisition partner known for crafting bespoke hiring solutions for enterprises.
In this insightful discussion, Joe Gross shares his professional journey, from his beginnings as a technical recruiter to his current executive positions. He highlights his team’s dedication to providing exceptional service to both clients and candidates throughout the recruitment journey. Furthermore, Joe offers valuable advice for hiring managers aiming to build high-performing teams and strategies for attracting top-level talent to thriving organizations.
Joe Gross, President of CIO Partners and Talentric, discussing talent acquisition strategies and leadership in executive search
Navigating the Dual Role: CIO Partners and Talentric
Could you elaborate on your responsibilities as President for both CIO Partners and Talentric? What does your role entail within these organizations?
Currently, I am privileged to serve as President for both CIO Partners and Talentric, overseeing their strategic direction and operational execution. CIO Partners boasts a rich twenty-year history, while Talentric is a rapidly growing entity entering its fourth year. These two brands are strategically aligned, offering a comprehensive suite of talent solutions across the industry spectrum.
In my capacity as President, my primary focus is driving business development and nurturing practice development initiatives across both companies. I also spearhead our delivery organization, where we’ve established a centralized Recruiting Center of Excellence at our Atlanta headquarters. The synergy between these functions is paramount in strengthening our partnerships with both clients and candidates, ensuring a seamless and effective experience.
Charting a Career Path to Leadership at CIO Partners
Walk us through the key career decisions that led you to your current leadership role. How did you progress to lead CIO Partners and Talentric?
My career began after college as a technical recruiter at Paragon, a strategic partner of AT&T in New Jersey. This opportunity arose through a connection my father had with the company. Working at Paragon allowed me to merge my technical background with my inherent passion for interpersonal interactions. As Paragon expanded its operations down the East Coast, I relocated to Orlando, then Jacksonville, and ultimately Atlanta, taking on increasing responsibilities.
Subsequently, I advanced into a branch management role with a direct industry competitor, gaining further leadership experience. My career path then led me to the Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) sector, where I collaborated with multi-billion dollar organizations on extensive hiring projects. In 2009, I transitioned out of the recruitment industry and joined Recall, a leader in document management and digital transformation, at the invitation of a former client. For five years, I spearheaded sales in the southeastern region until industry shifts prompted me to explore new opportunities.
At that pivotal moment, I was contacted by Mike Burgett, a prominent figure in the Atlanta entrepreneurial community. Over the years, I had cultivated a strong professional relationship with Mike and we had maintained regular contact. He was seeking a leader to manage the daily operations of CIO Partners. While I lacked extensive experience in retained search at the time, the opportunity to learn and grow was compelling. In 2015, I embarked on a partnership with Mike, which has led me to where I am today, continuing to lead CIO Partners and recently entrusted with the growth of Talentric.
Differentiating Business Models: CIO Partners vs. Talentric
Can you clarify the distinct business models of CIO Partners and Talentric? How do they cater to different client needs within the talent acquisition landscape?
CIO Partners operates as a traditional executive retained search firm, with a significant differentiator: our exclusive focus on IT leadership recruitment. We specialize in assisting clients in identifying and securing top-tier IT executives for pivotal roles within their organizations. This encompasses Chief Information Officers (CIOs), Chief Technology Officers (CTOs), and Senior Vice Presidents of IT. Furthermore, CIO Partners collaborates with leading IT executives to build out their leadership teams at the VP and Director levels. We also provide interim CIO solutions for project-based engagements or when organizations face temporary leadership gaps. This deep specialization in IT leadership is what truly defines CIO Partners within the executive search market.
Talentric, our sister organization, emerged from a similar strategic vision as CIO Partners, but with a broader scope. While Talentric also conducts retained searches, its focus extends beyond information technology to encompass functions such as supply chain and logistics, finance, and human resources, among others. Additionally, Talentric offers innovative solutions like Search Augmentation®, specifically designed for middle management and individual contributor roles, both within and outside of IT. Collectively, CIO Partners and Talentric create a comprehensive ecosystem of talent support, catering to a wide spectrum of our clients’ organizational needs, ensuring we are true cio partners in their growth.
Key Initiatives and the CIO Professional Network
What key initiatives have you championed during your tenure with CIO Partners and Talentric?
One of my initial priorities was to continuously refine our retained search process at CIO Partners. This ongoing effort is crucial in reinforcing the trust our clients place in us as their exclusive partners for critical hires.
However, the most significant ongoing initiative is expanding our client base by effectively communicating our success story and the proprietary processes that have benefited numerous organizations. We are committed to continuously evaluating the broader landscape of potential partnerships, ensuring we are not confined to a single industry or function. Instead, we aim to adapt and extend our hiring expertise to benefit potential clients across all sectors, establishing ourselves as versatile cio partners.
Furthermore, I am dedicated to the growth and development of our CIO Professional Network. This unique initiative began years ago when our firm started organizing CIOs by industry and geographic location.
This network is exclusive, with memberships extended by invitation only. It offers immense value to our CIO members by providing a platform for top technology leaders to connect, exchange best practices, and engage with peers through a dedicated online platform. It also enables us to advise and support member CIOs in their career progression. We are committed to nurturing, expanding, and enriching this proprietary network, which currently encompasses approximately 2,000 CIO members, further cementing our role as cio partners within the IT executive community.
CIO Partners' RightHire Process, showcasing a detailed and structured approach to executive search and talent acquisition
Building High-Performing Teams: Flexibility and Integrity
From your perspective as a hiring manager, what are the essential qualities you seek when building a successful team at CIO Partners and Talentric?
While integrity and competitiveness are undoubtedly important, I believe flexibility is the paramount quality. Whether assembling a sports team or a corporate organization, I look for individuals who possess the necessary skills and, equally importantly, a proactive attitude to embrace any role required for the team’s success.
This means fostering a culture where every team member is capable and willing to step outside their defined role when needed. If a situation demands that everyone focuses on recruiting, then everyone should enthusiastically contribute to that effort. A team characterized by such flexibility is well-positioned to thrive and achieve success, even when facing challenging circumstances. At CIO Partners and Talentric, we have successfully cultivated this flexible team dynamic and are continuously seeking talented individuals who align with this ethos to join our organization and become valuable cio partners in our clients’ success.
Measuring Success: Net Promoter Score and Client Satisfaction
How do you quantify the effectiveness of your work and the value CIO Partners and Talentric deliver to your clients?
Within our organization, we leverage the Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a key customer service metric. NPS provides a standardized measure of client and candidate satisfaction, allowing us to gauge our performance effectively. Throughout each search engagement, we proactively solicit feedback from our clients through surveys administered at the midpoint, upon completion, and six months post-placement. This ensures we consistently deliver an exceptional experience for our clients, acting as true cio partners in their talent acquisition strategy.
On the candidate side, we are equally committed to providing a positive and respectful experience for every individual who interacts with our firm. We deploy candidate surveys upon completion of our rigorous RightHire Process to ensure our recruiters are building strong relationships and maintaining appropriate communication throughout the process.
Our NPS results consistently demonstrate our commitment to excellence. The NPS scale ranges from -100 to 100, with scores between 40 and 50 considered very good. However, CIO Partners and Talentric have consistently achieved scores exceeding 60 in both client and candidate assessments over the past three years, reflecting our dedication to outstanding service and our position as trusted cio partners.
The RightHire Process: A Differentiator in Executive Search
Tell us more about the RightHire Process. What are its key components, and how does it benefit your company, your clients, and your candidates?
Our RightHire Process is a meticulously designed methodology that includes multiple stages of evaluation, such as in-depth phone and in-person interviews, comprehensive leadership assessments, and the creation of an executive summary by each candidate. This executive summary serves as a platform for candidates to articulate their experiences, showcase their work, and demonstrate alignment with the client’s specific needs and objectives.
Crucially, all candidates undergo this rigorous process prior to being presented to the client. This acts as a purposeful and effective vetting mechanism, ensuring that only the most qualified and suitable candidates are considered. Early in our development, we adopted the principle of preferring to identify and disqualify unsuitable candidates early in the process rather than later. These defined hurdles within the RightHire Process are designed to assess candidates’ skills, genuine interest in the role, and readiness to transition from their current employment. This comprehensive approach truly distinguishes our process from standard practices in the executive search marketplace, reinforcing our value as cio partners.
CIO Partners' CxO Network logo, representing their exclusive community of Chief Experience Officers and top IT executives
Our clients greatly appreciate the consistency and depth of insights provided by the RightHire Process. Because all candidates address the same core areas – business acumen, skillset alignment, and cultural compatibility – clients gain a clear and comparative understanding of each candidate’s strengths and suitability. They also value the early insight into a candidate’s thought processes, approach, and alignment with the role requirements. This process significantly enhances the client decision-making process, making CIO Partners an invaluable cio partner.
The RightHire Process also streamlines our internal recruiting efforts and accelerates the overall search timeline. For example, our executive searches are typically completed within ten to twelve weeks, significantly faster than the industry average, where searches can often extend to six to eight months. We are proud to be setting a new standard for efficiency and effectiveness in executive search, reinforcing our position as industry-leading cio partners.
Accolades and Achievements: Recognition for Excellence
CIO Partners has received numerous accolades. Could you highlight some of the awards your company has won and what you are most proud of?
We are consistently recognized as an Inc. 5000 company, a distinction we are very proud of and strive to maintain each year. The Best Places to Work award is another significant recognition that underscores our commitment to our employees. We are dedicated to fostering a challenging, engaging, and equitable environment that provides our team members with opportunities for professional growth and achievement, making CIO Partners a desirable place to build a career and become a cio partner to our clients.
In 2020, Forbes recognized CIO Partners as #39 on the Forbes 200 America’s Best Recruiting Firms list. Within that ranking, we were honored to be named the number one firm specializing exclusively in our niche of IT executive search, solidifying our position as leading cio partners in the technology sector.
Decompressing and Personal Interests
Beyond your professional achievements, how do you unwind and recharge? What activities do you enjoy outside of work?
I cherish spending quality time with my family, playing golf, and fishing. I am a passionate sports enthusiast in general, as the spirit of competition drives me both professionally and personally. Even in leisure activities like fishing with friends, I find myself drawn to the competitive aspect, whether it’s about catching the biggest fish or the most fish. In any sport, I enjoy having someone or something to root for.
Influential Figures and Mentors
Who have been the most significant influences in your life and career, and why?
Three individuals come to mind as having a profound impact on my life and career. First and foremost is my father, who instilled in me the values of hard work and unwavering loyalty from a young age. His dedication to his company for over 35 years, despite a long daily commute, and his sacrifices to ensure our family lived in our desired location, were powerful examples. From a business perspective, a former leader at the RPO company, Sara Robbins, taught me the importance of responsiveness, urgency, and exceptional customer service. I am deeply grateful to Sara for her invaluable lessons.
Interestingly, the principles I learned from Sara are also fundamental drivers of success at CIO Partners, as instilled by our founder, Mike Burgett. These combined influences have shaped my leadership approach and my commitment to building strong cio partners relationships.
Alternative Career Aspirations
If you weren’t in your current role, what would be your alternative dream job?
My dream alternative career would have been to be a touring member of the PGA. Looking back, I often wish I had transitioned from baseball to golf in my early teens. Who knows where that path might have led me?
Advice for Attracting Top Talent
What final piece of advice would you offer readers looking to attract top talent to their organizations, reinforcing the value of strong cio partners?
When seeking to attract top talent to your team, I encourage you to maintain an open mind and be willing to take a chance when presented with a unique hiring opportunity. We can sometimes become overly focused on rigid job descriptions, specific industry experience, and precise skillsets. However, what truly matters are the individuals themselves. If you believe you have identified the right person, consider being flexible with certain checklist requirements. Trust that if the individual possesses sufficient curiosity and intelligence, they will successfully learn and adapt to the role. By fostering this open-minded approach and building strong cio partners relationships, you can unlock access to exceptional talent and drive organizational success.
