Healthcare: A multi-state healthcare company in the Southeast is hiring a Marketing Director to champion customer-centered decision-making for a brand… Read more »
2023 – A year to Reimagine Recruitment

Attracting the best of the talent pool requires organizations to reimagine their talent development policies and practices. Today’s workforce represents… Read more »
Relationships Reinforce O’Connell Group’s Rise to Forbes’ Top 50 Executive Recruiters

In publishing their annual list of America’s Best Executive Search Firms, Forbes underscores the fact that the U.S. labor market… Read more »
Risks and Challenges Loom Beneath the “Work-from-Anywhere” Reality

Our most recent survey, “The Pandemic Workplace: Impact on Career Decisions” reports the dominant preference of respondents to continue the… Read more »
Kris Holmes on “The Doug Wagner Show” (WMT 600 AM / WOC 1040AM, Quad Cities, IA/IL)

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! For more advice on building a successful career, you can find Ignite Your Career!… Read more »
The Pandemic’s Game-Changing Impact on Career Decisions

Many professionals have lived for nearly two years in the “work from anywhere” world. That includes the majority of the… Read more »
How to Hire Top Talent in a “Buyer’s Market”

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! Do you know how to build a team with top talent in this… Read more »
Kris Holmes on “Success Made to Last” Podcast

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! For more advice on building a successful career, you can find Ignite Your Career! on… Read more »
4 Ways Students Can Identify Their Innate Strengths

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! “What are your strengths?” When a career advisor or guidance counselor asks this… Read more »
Kris Holmes on WGVU Public Media: “Strategies and Tactics to Unleash Your Potential”

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! We talk all things strategies and tactics to unleash your potential with one… Read more »
A Simple Guide to Negotiating a Win-Win Job Offer

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! Congratulations! You’ve applied for a role, gone through the lengthy interview process, and… Read more »
Good News Planet: “What Does Peace Mean to Kris Holmes?”

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! For more advice on building a successful career, you can find Ignite Your Career! on… Read more »
Why You’re Unhappy in Your First Job – and What to Do About It

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! You’ve graduated from college or graduate school, and you’ve accepted the job you… Read more »
Kris Holmes on “Mybookcart & More” Podcast: “How To Set Your Career Goals and Land Your Dream Job”

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! Listen to the audio for the full interview. Or read more at mybookcart.com…. Read more »
Tune-Up Your Recruitment Practices to Reflect the New Work from Home Reality

The Pandemic Workplace Survey measured the impact of remote work on team culture, recruitment and retention. The survey revealed the… Read more »
A Step-by-Step Guide to Career Networking

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! If the thought of standing in a crowded room and starting conversations with… Read more »
O’Connell Group Named to the Forbes Best Executive Recruiting Firms List

O’Connell Group has been recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms. Forbes partnered with market research… Read more »
Kris Holmes on “You Winning Life” Podcast: “Insights From An Expert Recruiter”

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! Taking the first steps into your career should be one of the most… Read more »
8 Common Job Interview Questions (and How to Nail Them)

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! You’re guaranteed to hear some, if not all, of these questions during your… Read more »
Kris Holmes on “Career Warrior” Podcast: “Rock Your Next Video Interview”

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! For today’s minisode, I brought Kris Holmes back to discuss practical tips and… Read more »
Ideas in the Wild: How Kris Holmes is Helping People Get the Clarity They Need to Find Fulfillment in Their Career

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! Taking the first steps into a career should be one of the most… Read more »
Kris Holmes on “Clearly Off Topic” Podcast

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! Our guest today is Kris Holmes executive recruiter and partner at O’Connell Group,… Read more »
How to Resign the Right Way Without Burning Bridges

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! You have an offer from a new company. It’s the exciting conclusion to… Read more »
Kris Holmes on “C.Q.P. Moments” Podcast

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! I speak with Kris Holmes about what key things people should be doing… Read more »
Boost the Odds of Landing Your Dream Job by Applying in These 3 Ways

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! Applying for a job is a little bit like gambling or playing the… Read more »
5 Ways to Uncover Your Strengths—and Why They’re Worth Knowing

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! When figuring out your ideal career path and searching for a job, you… Read more »
3 Phases Every Successful Career Goes Through

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! If it’s your first day working in construction, do you expect to… Read more »
Survey Reveals Pandemic’s Effect on Productivity and Camaraderie

Productivity Rises for 87%, Relationships Suffer for 81% St. Louis March 17, 2021 – Going into the second year of… Read more »
Kris Holmes on “Career Warrior” Podcast: “Let’s Talk About Your Strengths”

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! #163) Let’s Talk About Your Strengths Season 1, Ep. 163 Today, we’re going to talk about… Read more »
Find Your Perfect Career Fit by Focusing on Your Strengths

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! Imagine sitting down for a performance review. Your boss says, “You’re an… Read more »
Kris Holmes on “Author Hour” Podcast

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! Kris Holmes has helped unlock the careers of tens of thousands of people… Read more »
How to Format Your Resume in a Way Recruiters Will Appreciate

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! When it comes to resumes, creativity and uniqueness are not appreciated — especially in the… Read more »
Kris Holmes on “The Graduate at Work”

Jay Gevers|9/8/2020 Today I am talking to Kris Holmes. Kris Holmes a Best-Selling Author of Ignite Your Career! Strategies and… Read more »
What Goes in Your Resume at the Beginning, Middle, and Peak of Your Career

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! It makes sense that a recent college graduate’s resume would look different than… Read more »
Kris Holmes on “Real College Podcast”

View Episode on Radio K Website For more advice on building a successful career, you can find Ignite Your Career! on Amazon.
The Pandemic Workplace Survey: Impact on Team Culture, Recruitment and Retention

During the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly every American office worker has been required to adapt to significant changes in communication, work… Read more »
Every College Student Should Take These Impartial Assessments to Learn About Their Innate Strengths

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! Many college students have been in this situation: it’s your junior or senior… Read more »
Kris Holmes on “One Broken Cog” Podcast

Episode Description Kris Holmes, author of the Amazon best seller “Ignite Your Career! Strategies and Tactics to Unleash Your Potential”… Read more »
Taking a Higher-Salary Job Isn’t Always the Best Career Move

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! The worst career move I ever made didn’t involve quitting because of a… Read more »
Kris Holmes on “Beyond Barriers” Podcast

How To Ignite Your Career With Kris Holmes Thank you for listening to this podcast. We are truly grateful for… Read more »
What to Do if Your Company’s Culture Doesn’t Fit You

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! Do you feel like you don’t fit in at your company? Are… Read more »
Radio Interview on KMOX on The Charlie Brennan Show

For more advice on building a successful career, you can find Ignite Your Career! on Amazon.
2 Common Career Mistakes You Can Avoid by Understanding Your Innate Strengths

The following is adapted from Ignite Your Career! We all know someone—or maybe that someone is us—who has gone down… Read more »
How COVID-19 Escalates the Need for Behavioral Insights

The COVID-19 pandemic has both reinforced and accelerated underlying shifts in recruiting demand that we detected nearly two years ago…. Read more »
The State of the CPG Job Market During the COVID-19 Crisis

Many people are asking us about the state of the CPG job market during the COVID-19 crisis. The short answer:… Read more »
Natural Products: Echoes of Dot-com?

Natural products continue to experience a boom, serving as the engine for consumer-packaged goods (CPG) growth and outpacing the sluggish… Read more »
Study: CPG industry supports 20M U.S. jobs, contributes $2T to GDP

The findings from the study show that the CPG industry supports 20.4 million jobs that generate $1.1 trillion in… Read more »
CPG Capital Chases Innovation in Natural Products

Natural Products Expo East and West are living, breathing examples that capital continues to chase innovation even as the natural… Read more »
Hemp and CBD Take Center Stage in Natural Products World
Opportunities and challenges for the hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD/hemp) market are off and running as a new driver in the consumer… Read more »
Fill the Void in Consumer Insights: Six Things Leaders Can Do Now

The C-Suite demands real time, predictive insights that give them the confidence to make smart investment decisions ahead of the… Read more »
Key Take-Aways from Natural Products Expo
Winds of Change Keep Talent Demand High in Natural Product Segment Hurricane Florence dampened plans for many travelers to… Read more »
Natural Products Expo: East Meets West
Natural Products Expo: East Meets West At the Natural Products East and West Expo events, the demand for talent… Read more »
Natural Products are Transforming CPG – or Vice Versa?

Natural products represent the wave of the future for the consumer packaged goods industry, as companies of all sizes strive… Read more »
Natural Products are Transforming CPG. Are you Transforming your Team?

Natural products represent the wave of the future for the consumer packaged goods industry, as companies of all sizes strive… Read more »
For Your CPG Job Search, Location is More than a Place on the Map
Merriam-Webster defines “location” as “a particular place or position.” But if that were a complete definition, your CPG job search… Read more »
Here’s to Hiring Great People in 2017
If “making better hires” tops your list of resolutionsfor 2017, the philosophy of hiring great people attributed to Netflix will… Read more »
Election Year Hiring Slump? Not for CPG Executives
In an election year, the word goes out: hiring is in a slump. But for consumer packaged goods companies seeking… Read more »
10 Key Differences between Your Resume and LinkedIn Profile

Both your resume and LinkedIn profile are powerful tools to help you on your career journey. But, are you wondering… Read more »
Time for a Job Change? Look – at the CPG Market – Before Leaping
You may feel that a job change is be imminent and necessary. But, how do you know the right time for… Read more »
Five Simple Rules for Interviewing
Interview preparation is perhaps the single most powerful investment you can make to ensure you achieve your number one objective:… Read more »
Degrees of Success: Will Help with Student Loans Differentiate Your Opportunity?
There appears to be no end in sight to the rising level of debt Americans incur from a four-year… Read more »
Looking for the Best Possible CPG Candidate? Meet Your Marketplace
More U.S. workers are satisfied with their jobs than at any time since 2005. According to the recent survey by… Read more »
Interview Preparation: Take the Time, Do It Right
You’ve achieved a significant milestone on your path to your dream job: the interview. Mixed with elation is that nagging fear… Read more »
The CPG Recruiting Market Has Changed. Have You?
The latest Business Roundtable survey hints that hiring may soften as this year goes on, as the economy performed below… Read more »
You Are Both a Buyer and a Seller in the CPG Recruiting Process
One of the most common reasons for recruiting failure is losing sight of the real purpose: Getting the BEST to… Read more »
Veteran CPG Recruiter Admitted to The Pinnacle Society
ST. LOUIS — The Pinnacle Society, the premier consortium of 80 industry-leading recruiters, has admitted Kris Holmes, Principal and Recruiter at… Read more »
Why Behavioral Interviews for CPG Recruiting Fall Short
The classic behavioral interview concept asserts that people’s past behavior is the best predictor of their future behavior. However, behavioral… Read more »
Recruit People, Not Paper
You may recall the iconic Dragnet detective, Sgt. Joe Friday, who asked for “just the facts, Ma’am, just the facts.”… Read more »
Selling Yourself: CPG Recruiters Seek Marketers Who Market Themselves
Many people are hesitant to “toot their own horn.” When CPG recruiters and hiring managers seek candidates for a CPG marketing or… Read more »
Interview Preparation Beyond the “What, Why and How”
If you are preparing to interview for a consumer packaged goods marketing or market research job, you may be concerned… Read more »
Stop Measuring Cost Per Hire! Focus on Value of Best Hire
Does your consumer-driven organization view talent, and talent acquisition, as an investment or an expense? Organizations commonly reference “human capital,”… Read more »
CPG Marketing and Research Candidates Can Effectively Cross the “Generational Divide”
CPG companies that market to consumers in every age demographic must effectively balance and blend their teams’ skills and experience…. Read more »
Leverage Three Consumer Marketing Trends for Recruiting in 2016
The consumer packaged goods (CPG) recruitment environment in 2016 has reached a new pinnacle of speed and competitiveness. Most of… Read more »
The Choreography of the Interview
Based on decades of experience and deep industry knowledge as brand marketing and consumer insights recruiters, O’Connell Group shares best… Read more »
Recruiting Quality Talent Contributes to Your Bottom Line
Based on decades of experience and deep industry knowledge as brand marketing and consumer insights recruiters, O’Connell Group shares best… Read more »
Consumer Insights and Analytics Trends of 2015 Will Shape Your 2016 Talent Needs
As the new year begins, the market research industry will be challenged to push the envelope to continue delivering value… Read more »
Five Marketing Recruitment Resolutions for 2016
Recruiting activity in 2016 will surely reflect the outcomes from the CPG industry’s robust appetite for mergers, acquisitions and relocation… Read more »
Look Before You Label: How the “Overqualified” Market Research Candidate Could Be Right for You
Traditional wisdom has dictated that hiring managers should avoid recruiting overqualified candidates. The perception is that they may cause morale issues,… Read more »
Holidays: Prime Time for Both Hiring and Hunting for Marketing and Market Research Jobs
No one likes stormy weather during the holidays. But, the last months of the year create a positive “perfect storm”… Read more »
Position Highlight: Manager of Advanced Analytics
In 2013, the fast-growing advanced analytics segment of the business intelligence field surpassed the $1 billion mark. That momentum continues…. Read more »
Consumer Insights and Analytics: To Generalize or Specialize – That is the Question!
Dixon Smith and Virginia Roher recently represented O’Connell Group’s consumer insights and analytics recruitment team at The Market Research Event…. Read more »
Position Highlight: Global Marketing Director
The role of Global Marketing Director has existed for a long time within the Consumer Packaged Goods industry. However, as… Read more »
Skipping Reference Checks: What You Don’t Know Can Cost You
Checking references once you’ve found the candidate of your choice may seem like a mere formality, but it can save… Read more »
Job Search Strategy: How Does a Marketing Recruiter Add Value?
Today’s job market is more competitive – and prospective employers more selective – than ever before. Like many candidates, you… Read more »
4 Ways to Attract Millennial Market Research Candidates
It’s official: By the end of this year, millennials will be the largest generation in the global workforce. Born between… Read more »
3 Advanced Skills All Superstar Brand Managers Should Have
Brand managers are business leaders responsible for growing top-line revenue and bottom-line profit for one or multiple brands. Among their… Read more »
Position Highlight: Shopper Insights Manager
Nationwide, the current average salary for shopper insight managers is $97,000 a year. This is 69 percent higher than the… Read more »
How to Avoid Rejection: Get the Best to Say “Yes” to Your Offer
Have you ever had to sweat it out, waiting to hear whether your superstar candidate would accept your job offer?… Read more »
How Marketing Professionals Prepare for Salary Negotiations
Many marketing professionals and executives stumble when it comes to negotiating their salaries, pay raises, or promotions. No matter how… Read more »