This feature is a question-and-answer session with a new Blount County Chamber member. So, here we go with our 149th installment visiting with Jill Green, Professional Recruiter & Shareholder, for BGT Recruiting & Consulting, Inc., which aims to provide outstanding recruiting and consulting services for organizations and professionals in East Tennessee through our focus on people, culture and integrity.
 
Describe BGT Recruiting & Consulting. Our Recruiting services focus on the needs and desires of all parties involved in the hiring process in order to achieve long-term results and success. Our approach provides the highest level of confidentiality for all parties. Our Consulting services help organizations with the “people” aspect of their businesses through partnering on search processes and other projects, alleviating the administration and communication burden of the hiring process. We tailor each search to our client’s needs and can do as much or as little as they desire to help them reach their hiring and organizational goals. BGT also has a passion for assisting small companies and non-profit organizations that need recruiting resources.
 
How did you get started? My business partner, Christine Bell, and I had been working together for a professional services firm during the economic downturn. After careful consideration, we decided that the timing was right to build our own team and brand. In January of 2012, BGT was founded.
 
What is your background? My education and previous work experience were in the field of accounting. I made the switch from accounting to professional services/recruiting in 2003 and Christine joined me in early 2008. After working together for 3 years, we recognized our values aligned and that we both had the passion to assist professionals with taking the next steps in their careers. We both feel our accounting backgrounds provided us with a solid foundation on which to continue to build as we established and built our own brand. Christine and I now collectively have over 17 years of combined experience in human resources and recruiting, coupled with over 24 years combined experience in the accounting field.
 
Who is your mentor? I have found mentors in many people and places throughout my career including within our team at BGT. I think that it is important to listen, keep an open mind and always have a willingness to learn.
 
Describe your customers. BGT works with both candidates and clients throughout East Tennessee. Our clients consist of companies in various industries and of all sizes that need assistance in finding talent. Our candidates are professionals who are either passively or actively seeking their next professional opportunity, typically with backgrounds in accounting, finance, human resources, operations, marketing and executive administration. BGT strives to connect talent with opportunity.
 
What environments impact your business environment? Our business is directly tied to the economy, both locally and nationally. We do experience ups and downs, but we feel fortunate to be in East Tennessee because our region seems to ‘weather the storm’ well. Christine and I have both lived all over the country. We chose to move our families to Knoxville and ultimately chose to focus our business on and in East Tennessee recognizing these factors. There was and is a great opportunity to make an impact on our community.
 
Name three things you wish you knew when you started. I wish I would have known how many details must be addressed when starting your own business. Although stressful, once we identified what functions we could outsource it freed up our time to focus on our core business. Building a network takes time and patience. Being primarily a referral based business, we devoted and continue to devote substantial time to this initiative with a focus on honesty and transparency. Finally, I wish I had realized what an amazing opportunity we had to make an impact on individual’s lives through their careers and businesses which is at the center of what we do.
 
What do you enjoy about the business? I enjoy our team at BGT and appreciate their daily efforts to make the company successful while also creating a fun work environment. While being a business owner takes a lot of work, I am grateful to have a great business partner in Christine. Additionally, the nature of our work provides us with the opportunity to make an impact on peoples’ lives and on the community which is very rewarding.