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Services
Talent Acquisition Solutions Built Around Your Business
Every organization faces its own talent challenges. Some are struggling to attract qualified candidates, while others are questioning whether their recruitment advertising is delivering meaningful results. Some need a stronger employer brand, more effective hiring processes, or a better understanding of why employees are leaving.
And sometimes the challenge isn't immediately obvious. An organization knows something isn't working as well as it should, but it isn't sure where the problem begins.
That's where I come in.
With more than three decades of experience in recruitment advertising and talent acquisition, I help organizations examine their recruiting challenges, explore practical solutions, and make informed decisions about how to attract, hire, and retain talent.
My services are designed to meet organizations where they are. Whether you need assistance with a specific recruitment advertising campaign, an outside perspective on your employer brand, or a broader evaluation of your talent acquisition strategy, I'll work directly with you to understand your needs and develop an approach that makes sense.
A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO CONSULTING
You Don't Need a One-Size-Fits-All Solution
One of the things I've learned throughout my career is that organizations can experience very similar recruiting problems for completely different reasons. Two employers may both struggle to attract qualified candidates, but one may have an audience-targeting problem while the other is communicating an opportunity that doesn't resonate with the people it hopes to reach.
That's why I don't believe in beginning with a predetermined solution.
When an organization contacts me, I want to understand what's happening, what it has already tried, and what it hopes to accomplish. I also want to understand its industry, workforce, resources, and the business conditions influencing its recruiting efforts. Those details matter because recommendations that work well for one organization may not make sense for another.
Sometimes a client needs a comprehensive evaluation of its talent acquisition function. Other times, the need is much more specific. An employer may want help choosing recruitment advertising channels, evaluating an existing sourcing strategy, improving its careers messaging, or understanding why certain positions have become increasingly difficult to fill.
I offer both focused consulting engagements and broader strategic support. You don't have to begin with a Talent Audit, purchase a large package of services, or commit to work that isn't relevant to your situation.
I also believe clients deserve straightforward conversations about what I can help accomplish. My role is to provide an experienced outside perspective, identify practical opportunities for improvement, and help you determine which next steps are worth pursuing.
You'll work directly with me throughout the engagement. I don't hand your project off to a separate account team or introduce unnecessary layers between you and the person responsible for the work.
The objective is to make your talent acquisition strategy more effective, not to make the consulting relationship more complicated.
THE FIVE CORE SERVICES
Five Areas of Expertise. Solutions That Work Together.
Talent acquisition involves many interconnected responsibilities, but organizations don't always need assistance with every part of the process. Some challenges can be addressed through a focused project, while others benefit from examining several areas together.
My services are organized around five core categories that reflect the work I've spent my career doing and the challenges organizations regularly face.
Each service can be considered individually, and several can be combined when a more coordinated approach makes sense.
1. Workforce Research & Planning - Understanding the Talent Market Before Making the Next Move
3. Talent Acquisition Strategy & Optimization - Looking at What's Working, What's Not, and What Coul
1. Workforce Research & Planning - Understanding the Talent Market Before Making the Next Move
Effective recruiting begins with understanding the workforce an organization needs and the market in which it expects to find that talent.
I help employers examine labor availability, geographic considerations, recruiting competition, workforce requirements, and other factors that can influence their ability to attract qualified people.
For organizations preparing for growth, entering new markets, or struggling with difficult-to-fill positions, this research can provide valuable perspective before additional recruitment resources are committed.
I can also help connect anticipated workforce needs with practical recruiting considerations, including target audiences, potential sourcing opportunities, advertising approaches, and the resources needed to support hiring objectives.
The goal isn't to predict every future workforce challenge. It's to help organizations make more informed decisions about what may be ahead and how they can prepare.
Examples of support include:
- Labor market and talent availability research
- Geographic and competitive recruiting analysis
- Workforce demand and hiring considerations
- Hard-to-fill position research
- Candidate market assessments
- Recruitment planning and strategy recommendations
2. Employer Branding - Helping the Right People Understand Why Your Organiza
3. Talent Acquisition Strategy & Optimization - Looking at What's Working, What's Not, and What Coul
1. Workforce Research & Planning - Understanding the Talent Market Before Making the Next Move
Your employer brand influences how potential candidates perceive your organization, but it extends far beyond your logo, careers page, or recruitment advertisements.
I help employers examine how they communicate their value, what distinguishes their employment experience, and whether their recruitment messaging reflects the reality of working for the organization.
Sometimes the challenge is that an employer has meaningful strengths but isn't communicating them clearly. In other situations, the recruitment messages being used are too general, inconsistent, or disconnected from what the intended audience values.
My recruitment advertising background allows me to approach employer branding through both a strategic and communication-focused perspective. I want to understand the people you're trying to attract, the reasons they might consider your organization, and how those insights should influence your recruiting messages.
Depending on your needs, I can help evaluate existing employer branding, strengthen recruitment messaging, review careers content, and develop marketing recommendations that support a more recognizable and credible employer identity.
Examples of support include:
- Employer brand assessments
- Employer value proposition evaluation and development
- Recruitment messaging and content strategy
- Careers website and recruitment content reviews
- Audience-specific recruitment marketing recommendations
- Employer reputation and candidate perception analysis
3. Talent Acquisition Strategy & Optimization - Looking at What's Working, What's Not, and What Coul
3. Talent Acquisition Strategy & Optimization - Looking at What's Working, What's Not, and What Coul
3. Talent Acquisition Strategy & Optimization - Looking at What's Working, What's Not, and What Coul
Recruiting challenges don't always originate where they first become visible. An organization may experience lengthy hiring timelines, inconsistent candidate quality, inefficient processes, or difficulty coordinating recruiters and hiring managers without immediately understanding the underlying causes.
I help organizations take a closer look at how their talent acquisition practices are functioning and where improvements may be appropriate.
That can involve examining candidate targeting, recruitment workflows, sourcing practices, application processes, selection methods, technology, reporting, and the relationships among the people responsible for hiring.
I believe effective optimization begins with understanding what the organization is already doing well, rather than assuming everything needs to change. Many organizations have strong processes or useful technology in place but haven't had an opportunity to evaluate how effectively those resources are being used.
My recommendations are intended to be practical and appropriate to the organization's circumstances. Sometimes the greatest opportunity is a relatively straightforward process improvement. Other situations may require a broader strategy involving several connected areas.
Examples of support include:
- Talent acquisition process evaluations
- Recruitment workflow and efficiency reviews
- Candidate targeting and sourcing strategy
- Hiring process and selection practice assessments
- Applicant tracking system and recruitment technology reviews
- Recruitment reporting and performance analysis
- Strategic improvement recommendations
4. Employee Engagement & Retention - Understanding the Experience After the Hire
5. Recruitment Advertising & Media Placement - Making Smarter Decisions About Where Your Recruitment
3. Talent Acquisition Strategy & Optimization - Looking at What's Working, What's Not, and What Coul
Attracting and hiring talented people requires a meaningful investment of time, effort, and resources. When employees leave sooner than expected, organizations may find themselves repeating that investment without understanding why the cycle continues.
I help employers examine the connections between recruiting, onboarding, employee expectations, engagement, and retention.
Sometimes turnover is influenced by circumstances that began during the hiring process, such as job responsibilities that weren't clearly communicated or expectations that don't align with the employee's actual experience.
In other situations, the challenges may involve onboarding support, management communication, employee feedback, growth opportunities, or workplace conditions that deserve closer attention.
I believe retention strategies should be grounded in an understanding of the workforce rather than built around generic programs that may have little relevance to employees' experiences.
That means looking at available information, listening to employee perspectives, recognizing patterns, and considering what practical improvements the organization can make.
Examples of support include:
- Employee engagement and retention assessments
- Onboarding and new-hire experience reviews
- Early turnover analysis
- Employee survey and listening strategy
- 30-, 60-, and 90-day new-hire feedback programs
- Stay interview and employee feedback recommendations
- Retention strategy development
5. Recruitment Advertising & Media Placement - Making Smarter Decisions About Where Your Recruitment
5. Recruitment Advertising & Media Placement - Making Smarter Decisions About Where Your Recruitment
5. Recruitment Advertising & Media Placement - Making Smarter Decisions About Where Your Recruitment
Recruitment advertising has changed dramatically throughout my career, but one principle remains the same: effective advertising requires an understanding of the audience, the opportunity, and the media channels most likely to connect them.
I help employers evaluate recruitment advertising options, develop appropriate media strategies, and make more informed decisions about where to invest their recruiting budgets.
This may involve traditional recruitment advertising, job boards, industry publications, digital campaigns, professional networks, or other appropriate channels. The right combination depends on the positions being filled, the audience, the labor market, and the organization's objectives.
I don't believe every employer needs the same media plan, and I don't recommend a platform simply because it's familiar or popular.
I can assist with recruitment advertising strategy, media research, campaign planning, placement coordination, and performance evaluation.
Media placement is available as a standalone service. You do not need to purchase a Talent Audit or broader consulting engagement to receive assistance with recruitment advertising.
My media pricing is straightforward. For noncommissionable media, I apply a 15% markup to the media cost. For commissionable media, the media provider pays the commission, and I do not add an additional markup. Any additional vendor charges are disclosed and approved before they are incurred.
There is no separate Storms Consulting media management fee on top of these arrangements.
Examples of support include:
- Recruitment media research and recommendations
- Job board and advertising channel selection
- Recruitment advertising campaign planning
- Media purchasing and placement coordination
- Geographic and audience targeting
- Recruitment advertising budget considerations
- Media performance reviews and recommendations
HOW THE SERVICES CONNECT TO THE COMPASS
A Broader Perspective Makes Individual Services More Effective
One of the reasons I developed The Compass was to help organizations recognize how different talent acquisition challenges influence one another.
An employer may contact me because its recruitment advertising isn't attracting enough qualified candidates. That could lead to a focused review of media channels, but the conversation might also reveal that its target audience hasn't been clearly defined or that the employer's messaging doesn't communicate why someone should consider the opportunity.
Another organization may be concerned about employee turnover and initially want help developing a retention initiative. But if employees are leaving because their actual responsibilities differ from what was communicated during recruiting, the organization may also benefit from examining employer messaging, selection practices, and onboarding.
These examples don't mean every engagement needs to involve multiple services. They illustrate why understanding the broader context can help identify the most useful solution.
The Compass provides a framework for considering eight disciplines that contribute to the overall talent acquisition experience, from workforce strategy and candidate identification through selection, technology, onboarding, and retention.
I use that perspective to help determine where an organization's challenges may be connected and whether a focused or broader approach would be most valuable.
You can explore the complete framework on The Compass page, including detailed explanations of each discipline and the questions organizations may want to consider.
HOW A CONSULTING ENGAGEMENT WORKS
Straightforward Conversations. Practical Recommendations. Direct Support.
I believe working with a consultant should make it easier to address business challenges, not introduce another complicated process.
Every engagement begins with a conversation about your organization, what you're experiencing, and what you hope to accomplish. I want to understand the challenge from your perspective, learn what you've already tried, and determine whether my experience is a good fit for what you need.
From there, I'll recommend an appropriate approach based on the scope of the work. A focused project may involve evaluating recruitment advertising options, reviewing employer messaging, or examining a specific recruiting process. A broader engagement might involve several related areas or a comprehensive Talent Audit.
Once we agree on the scope, I'll work directly with you to gather relevant information, evaluate the circumstances, and develop recommendations that reflect your organization's actual priorities and resources.
I'm not interested in creating unnecessarily complicated reports or recommending changes simply because they're available. I want you to understand what I've found, why it matters, and what practical options you have for moving forward.
Depending on the engagement, I may also help with implementation, recruitment media placement, or additional strategic support. Those responsibilities can be discussed as part of the project scope rather than assumed at the outset.
I also recognize that organizations have different levels of internal expertise and resources. Some clients need an experienced outside perspective and a clear set of recommendations. Others may want more hands-on assistance with a particular initiative.
My approach is flexible because the work should reflect what your organization needs, not a predetermined consulting package.
Throughout the process, you'll communicate directly with me. I believe that makes it easier to maintain clarity, ask questions, and keep the work focused on the challenges we're trying to address.
THE TALENT AUDIT: A BROADER STARTING POINT
Sometimes It's Worth Looking at the Whole Picture
Not every talent acquisition challenge can be understood by looking at one process or service in isolation. An organization may be dealing with recruiting difficulties, inefficient workflows, inconsistent candidate experiences, and employee turnover at the same time without knowing which issues deserve attention first.
For organizations seeking that broader perspective, I offer the Storms Consulting Talent Audit.
The Talent Audit uses The Compass as a framework for examining the eight interconnected disciplines that contribute to the talent acquisition lifecycle. It provides an opportunity to evaluate existing practices, identify strengths, recognize potential gaps, and consider where changes could provide meaningful value.
The process begins with understanding your organization, its workforce objectives, and the concerns that prompted the evaluation. From there, I examine the relevant strategies, processes, technologies, communications, and experiences to develop a more complete picture of how your talent acquisition function is operating.
The goal isn't to tell you that everything needs to change. In fact, an important part of the assessment is recognizing what's already working well so those strengths can be preserved and supported.
At the conclusion of the evaluation, you'll have practical recommendations that can help you prioritize opportunities for improvement and make more informed decisions about what comes next.
The Talent Audit is particularly useful when you're experiencing several connected challenges, questioning whether your existing talent acquisition approach is supporting business objectives, or simply wanting an experienced outside perspective on the complete function.
But it's important to remember that the audit is an option, not a requirement. If you already know which service you need, we can begin there.
LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT YOUR ORGANIZATION NEEDS
Your Talent Challenges Deserve an Approach That Makes Sense for Your Business
Whether you're dealing with a specific recruiting frustration or trying to understand a larger talent acquisition challenge, I believe the most useful first step is a conversation about what's actually happening.
You may need help selecting recruitment advertising channels, improving candidate targeting, evaluating your employer brand, examining hiring processes, or understanding why employees aren't staying as long as expected. Perhaps your organization is preparing for growth and wants a clearer picture of the workforce challenges that could lie ahead.
You don't need to know exactly which service applies to your situation before reaching out. That's part of what I'm here to help you explore.
I'll take the time to understand your concerns, discuss what you're hoping to achieve, and help determine whether a focused engagement, broader consulting support, or the Talent Audit would be an appropriate next step.
With Storms Consulting, you'll work directly with someone who has spent more than three decades navigating the changing world of recruitment advertising and talent acquisition. I bring that experience to every engagement, along with a belief that good consulting should be practical, straightforward, and genuinely useful.
I'm not interested in selling you services you don't need. I'm interested in helping you make better decisions about the talent challenges that matter to your organization.
Let's find a direction that makes sense for your business.
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