From Operations to Coaching: Brian Fink’s Career Crossroads

Gerry Crispin: I’m here with Brian Fink. I’ve been wanting to interview you for a while, especially for CareerXroads—not just because of the name, but because of why we named the company. It was really to look at the decisions people make, as well as those employers make. And for most of CareerXroads’ life, we’ve been focused on the employer’s decision-making.

But I want to spend time talking to folks who’ve had to make some choices along the way. You’re one of them. You’ve had 17 different experiences before you got here. You’ve been at it for 25—or 24—years since you graduated.

So the first question is: at what point did you find your way into recruiting? What got you there?

Brian Fink: I really think I started recruiting, like you said, 25 years ago when I was the rush chairman for my fraternity, Tau Epsilon Phi at the University of Georgia. Damn glad to meet you, right?

I was basically sold the position with the idea that I’d be like a personal bartender or concierge for individuals. But the reality is, I’ve got this competitive streak. We had a rival fraternity—AE Pi, Alpha Epsilon Pi—and I really wanted to beat them in rush. Not just in numbers, but by getting the right guys, the kind of guys who’d be the foundation for what we wanted to build next.

That goes back to a recruiting problem: do we want to put a lot of butts in seats, or do we want the best butts in the best seats?

So, Jerry, I really started thinking about this strategically in my sophomore year of college.

Gerry Crispin: You’ve awakened something in me immediately. I was rush chairman for Delta Tau Delta. And I blew it away. But I never thought of it from the point of recruiting in the broader sense. That’s a great story.

Brian Fink: Fraternity life shaped a lot of who I am. I know some people might think, “Well, he bought his friends,” and maybe I did, maybe I didn’t. But the reality is, I got immersed in so many different things I wouldn’t have otherwise unless I had gone Greek.

One of my favorite recruiting stories is when we convinced Run DMC—yes, Run DMC—to play our fraternity house. We used that as a recruiting tool during rush. I think about that now in terms of employer branding—how you establish a lighthouse that draws people in.

But beyond that, we had tangible value too. For example, we had the highest GPA on campus. It was an easy sell to parents. They knew their kids would focus on academics too.

Gerry Crispin: That’s a great lesson for people—really digging into what they’ve done in college, because it offers a variety of experiences that relate to the real world. So, when did that turn into a real recruiting job?

Brian Fink: I think it turned into a real recruiting job in 2004 or 2005.

Gerry Crispin: Because it wasn’t your first couple jobs, right?

Brian Fink: No, not at all. My first jobs were in computer software sales. My biggest client was Randstad Staffing Services. I was like, “Oh, you find people jobs? Okay, cool. Let’s get them trained—sell them Word, PowerPoint, those kinds of courses.”

So that was a weird intersection. And when I finally landed my first staffing job, I thought, “Oh, I’m doing what Randstad does.”

But it was in 2005 that things really shifted. Going back to the fraternity experience, I think the predicaments we find ourselves in help us see that the obstacle is the way.

At the time, I was interviewing for pharmaceutical sales roles and had a bad recruiting experience with the firm I eventually went to work for—Vanguard Management Group. I went to the founder and said, “I’m not here to complain, but I do have a solution.”

I had a bad candidate experience, and I thought there was a better way to handle things—especially how we marketed candidates. I questioned why we were being so narrow. Why couldn’t a candidate talk to Pfizer and Wyeth and KY?

To his credit, Jeff Ette hired me. And it was magical. We grew—even during the recession—and it was a really positive environment. I think if I hadn’t seen the obstacle as the way, I wouldn’t have had that growth. Whether you’re into stoic philosophy or not, leaning into those challenges helps stretch your professional capabilities.

Gerry Crispin: What drove you to the next job? Was something pulling you, or were you pushed out?

Brian Fink: A clever combination of both. The economy tanked in ’08. We were doing well, but had financial issues. I was the number one producer, and they asked me to defer compensation.

Eventually, I went on my own and started a staffing firm. Initially, I thought I’d do hospitality recruiting. Then I had a client—let’s call them Ruby Tuesday—ask me what I knew about SEO. I said, “Everything.”

They were like, “Really?” I called a fraternity brother, Josh Bernstein, a search engine marketer—not SEO—and he explained the differences between SEO, SEM, link-building, all that. That curiosity and inquisitiveness are key in recruiting.

So I went back to Ruby Tuesday with that knowledge. At the time, SEO was lumped in with technical roles, so they figured, “Brian gets this—he can find developers.” They needed a new website, and that kicked off my technical recruiting path.

Josh then brought me into pharma again. They needed SEO, e-commerce—and I said yes. I figured it out. And before long, I was doing engineering staffing and having a blast.

Running a business, though, is taxing. You’re responsible for candidates, clients, and your team. It wore on me. So I exited, went to Three Pillars, then back to Vanguard to run and grow their permanent staffing division.

Jeff and I always knew that would be short term. After that, I went straight into corporate recruiting.

Gerry Crispin: Fast forward to now. When you look back on your career path, any choices you would’ve made differently?

Brian Fink: I’ve got a bad habit of getting into things and figuring them out later, like we talked about with being rush chairman.

There’s a line from the Yom Kippur liturgy that stuck with me: “Forgive me for giving up too soon.” I think I gave up on my company, Point Endeavors, too soon. I should’ve stuck with it longer.

But if I hadn’t let it go, I wouldn’t have gone to Zocdoc, where I rebuilt their sales recruiting. I wouldn’t have gone to Cabbage as director of recruiting. I wouldn’t have had the chance to go to Twitter and build something amazing with leaders like Allison Allen, Jen Lau, and Rob McFall.

Gerry Crispin: So maybe the choices could’ve been different, but the experiences wouldn’t have happened.

Brian Fink: Exactly. If I hadn’t done all those things, I wouldn’t have found myself in a room with Steve Levy running up to me with a mic to ask a question. Then Matt Charney. Then Derek Zeller. And I’m thinking, “Why am I being questioned by the gods?”

Gerry Crispin: I love that. So you’re doing your own thing now—what’s left to do?

Brian Fink: Build a legacy. I stand on the shoulders of people like Derek Zeller, Steve Levy, you, Jerry, and Shannon Pritchett—who, by the way, taught me Boolean at AIRS.

So now, whether I’m working with five-person startups or 200-person organizations, I’m helping them build momentum. We’re moving fast, we’re learning from mistakes, and we’re building something lasting.

And I tell everyone I work with: you’ve got to have office hours to give back to the community. It’s the only way we grow as a discipline.

Gerry Crispin: I love that idea—that people know you’re accessible. That’s powerful.

Brian Fink: That all started at Twitter. They wanted us to work four and a half days a week, with a floating half day. I took Friday afternoons, 12 to 4 PM, as office hours. I’m still available then. I’m not monetizing it. I just want to help people.

I’ve made great friendships through it—people like Heather Coleman, who’s speaking at RecFest. She’s an up-and-coming voice and deserves your attention.

Gerry Crispin: I’ll make a point of seeing her. Okay, last question. Given how uncertain the world is now, what advice would you give someone like your younger self today?

Brian Fink: The same advice my dad gives me: if you’re supposed to make 100 calls, make 101. If you’re submitting three candidates, and you find a fourth who’s a great fit, submit them. Go one beyond what’s expected.

It comes back in spades. That one more can change everything.

Like my friend Evan White reminded me—he sent me a card that says, “You win.” It sits on my desk. If I give one more, from a good place, then we all win.

Gerry Crispin: That’s a great place to stop. Thanks so much. People need to hear how folks navigate this wonderful career called recruiting.

Brian Fink: Fridays, 12 to 4 PM Eastern—I’m available. Jerry, thank you for being available for me and for all of us.

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