JBK Associates International, Inc

The real value of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is discovered through knowledge and experience.

Organizations can experience the value of decision-making in a diverse and inclusive environment, where people with different backgrounds be it ethnicity, gender, education, lifestyle and even upbringing, approach business issues in distinct and probably different ways. Discussions can yield innovation, greater creativity, and more productivity with a variety of views and experiences. Companies that embrace the true potential of DEI clearly put themselves at a competitive advantage supported by studies that have affirmed that 75 percent of organizations with an inclusive culture exceed their financial targets, while gender-diverse teams outpace their peers by 50 percent.

But how can organizations identify, recruit, and retain a diverse team to fulfill some of the most demanding roles at a time marked by the intense ever-changing talent landscape, uncertain market conditions and the global economy in general?

JBK Associates International, Inc. has the answer.

A woman-owned, global executive search firm, JBK Associates has the right blend of executive search excellence and DEI expertise, making it a leader in recruiting and retaining competitive talent across a broad spectrum of industries and functionalities. Julie Kampf is an executive search specialist with over three decades of search and corporate business experience who founded JBK Associates International 20 years ago to be an organization that offers full-service executive talent recruitment and retention solutions with a laser-focus on DEI. The company’s expertise encompasses executive search and retention, diversity and succession planning, onboarding and assimilation, and organizational design.

“We’re a leading diversity practitioner with unrivaled executive search capabilities to help clients build an inclusive organization with the greatest ROI,” says Julie Kampf, CEO and Chief Possibilities Officer.

Going Over and Above for Clients

Spurred by Kampf’s passion to build a team of experts that pushes the boundaries of standard executive search, the team at JBK is committed to providing the best experience to clients. It adopts a ‘boots-on-the-ground approach,’ where the team works closely with clients to understand their needs and challenges. A “seek to understand” consultative approach at its core enables the firm to remain relevant with the changing tides in the market and deliver the appropriate solutions.

For example, JBK Associates’ consultative approach to executive recruitment and retention has helped it stay ahead of the competition in identifying and alleviating the issues that came with the pandemic and building strategies to navigate the “turnover tsunami.”

With its business model built around the notion of customer-centricity, JBK Associates serves as an extension of each client’s team, delivering services tailored to their unique requirements.

Clients can rely on its expertise to identify what best fits their business objectives, and implement industry best- practices to make it work for them. The team which is comprised of more than 300 years of search and Human Resources expertise, shares that expertise and experience to augment client recruitment and retention capabilities. This is instrumental in ensuring higher search completion and candidate retention rates which is fully measured year on year.

The firm’s natural edge in delivering the best talent from diverse perspectives and aligning with clients’ business objectives and strategies makes it unique in the market. “This was not a sales angle we implemented to gain more revenue, but rather a day-one mission that began 20 years ago as the right thing to do for business and candidates.”

Building the Competitive Edge

“We’re a people-focused, process-driven organization attuned to metrics, successes, constant improvements, and the best turnaround times,” says Kampf. “We always look at metrics for continuous innovation and improvement.”

JBK Associates’ core competencies lie in its team-oriented and an operationally-focused, organizational structure. It is a company imperative to always bring forward the greatest of talent, and based on the team’s experience and areas of expertise, to execute projects in a way that leads clients to the designated outcomes. Coupled with its customer-centric business model, JBK Associates serves as a go-to partner for companies across a range of industries, including life sciences, consumer products, Private Equity, financial services, technology, and fin-tech.

JBK Associates International is certified as a women-owned business by the prestigious Women’s Business Enterprise National Council which brings a holistic approach to DEI, as this ensures their place in industry as a diverse partner to their client companies that are committed to a 360 approach to diversity. An award-winning diversity leader and practitioner herself, Kampf served on the board of Howard University, has been identified as a Top Women Owned Business in the US, a speaker at many of the multi-cultural forums, and an advisory board member of many of the diversity-focused associations.

She served as an Executive Committee Member of Good Grief, a founding member of the Bergen County chapter of Women United in Philanthropy, a former President of the Metro chapter of the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, and additionally, sits on three boards as compensation chair, and nomination/governance chair.

She authored a book on civility and rising to the greatest levels of excellence.

Under her leadership and guidance, JBK Associates is ideally positioned to help clients build and retain a diverse team and create an inclusive environment. To put things in perspective, over 73 percent of its all placements in 2022 were candidates from diverse backgrounds, including gender, ethnicity, LGBTQ plus, military, and experience.

An Asset that Takes Businesses Forward

With its strongest of capabilities, it is easy to see how JBK Associates has racked up a number of success stories, with numerous clients seeking its assistance on a regular basis.

We’re an operational and process-driven organization attuned to metrics, successes, constant improvements, and speed to market with the utmost of quality.

JBK Associates typically comes on board with its team of industry experts to find the bring forward the talent they need from the competitive availability of skilled candidates. They do it faster than clients’ internal talent acquisition teams that often lack expertise and specialization in the search industry. The team is well-versed in ensuring the quality of its work. Unlike many others, team JBK Associates chooses only the best, ensuring the candidate has the right skills to take clients forward.

“We have a track record of serving as our clients’ most valuable assets and an extension of their team that augments their capabilities rather than replacing them and we are their partners, adds Kampf.

In one instance, JBK Associates collaborated with a client that was in dire need of an executive leader. The client approached it after numerous failed attempts, both on their own and with the assistance of a search firm. With its longstanding experience and expertise in the executive search space, team JBK Associates was quick to perform a search and find them the best talent available in record-time.

A Culture that Produces an Edge

Steering all these successes is JBK Associates’ people-first culture that takes a leading role in driving its innovation forward. Everyone on the team comes from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and whether new to the team or a 20-year veteran, all have a seat at the table, are treated courteously and respectfully, and are acknowledged for what they do. This is a competitive advantage, as happy and well-acknowledged teams translate into better service delivery, customer satisfaction, and long-term relationships with clients.

“Covid really put a damper on our company activities which at some points included miniature golf, dinners and celebrating birthdays and babies, says Kampf, but December of last year finally brought us all together for a weekend to share ideas, reacquaint with one another, and in some cases, meet for the first time. It was a joyful reunion that witnessed in person, the collaboration and camaraderie we live as a team every day. ”

No wonder JBK Associates has grown significantly since its inception. Last year, in particular, the company saw the summit where the team enjoyed incredible success thanks to its service excellence, customer-centric approach, and inclusive work culture.