FPC National: Celebrating 60 Years in Business

By Jeff Herzog, President

Celebrating 60 Years! When Rudy Schott founded Fortune Personnel Consultants (FPC) in 1959, he was considered to be a trailblazer in the executive recruiting industry. Since the field was in its infancy and there was no blueprint to follow, Rudy had to rely on his instincts and genuine love of people to build a thriving agency. He created a roadmap for success by developing a business model that focused on cultivating trusting relationships with job applicants and client companies.

After more than a decade of matching companies with top-notch talent, Rudy decided to make the leap and take his business to the next level. In 1973, Rudy began franchising FPC, based upon the same relationship-focused philosophy that helped him to become a leader in the executive recruiting field.

It’s All About the People

After building his company and establishing dozens of franchises across the nation, Rudy sold FPC National to my father, Ron Herzog in 2007.  Ron started with FPC as a recruiter in 1982, moved to the corporate entity in 1994 and was promoted to President shortly before taking over the company. With a background in leadership and recruitment, I joined my dad in expanding upon Rudy’s initial vision. This is when I began formulating our mantra: “It’s all about the people.” Applying this philosophy as our driving force, my father and I picked up where Rudy left off – spearheading our executive recruiting business and expanding our national franchise network.

Fast forward to 2019: We are extraordinarily proud of what we have accomplished. As of today, we are 62 franchises strong with more than 150 recruiters across the United States. Our people-first mission is apparent in all facets of our business, especially in our relationships with our franchisees. This is evidenced by the fact that many of our franchisees have been with FPC for more than 20 years (including one owner who is now in his fifth decade with us!). This year, we have been named by Franchise Business Review as one of the Top Mid-Size Franchise Brands in North America (#22!), based upon overall franchisee satisfaction.

In addition, this year, we are thrilled to have been named by Forbes as one of America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms and one of America’s Best Professional Recruiting Firms. And being counted among the leaders in the industry along with giants such as Korn Ferry, Robert Half, and Heidrick & Struggles, these honors say quite a lot!

The Future of Recruiting

In the 12 years that my father and I have been leading FPC National, we have witnessed large-scale changes in the industry. As the internet transformed recruiting practices, job boards proliferated, LinkedIn became an essential platform, and ATS software threatened to automate the recruiting business, there has been much speculation about the future of recruiting. Will automation and AI make recruiting firms obsolete?

In an article I wrote last summer, I presented a compelling case as to why there will always be a need for a human recruiter. While technology provides helpful tools in scanning resumes and scheduling interviews, it lacks the emotional intelligence to effectively communicate a company’s value proposition to candidates and establish human connections. Companies and candidates will always benefit from a compassionate and knowledgeable intermediary who understands the nuances of the job market, companies’ unique cultures, and employees’ differentiating strengths. At FPC National, we welcome technological advances, as they provide the means to help us do our jobs more effectively.

60 Years and Counting!

As we celebrate our 60 years in business, I reflect upon the driving factors that have led to our longevity. We’ve built a close-knit family of franchisees across the nation who work together to build our businesses, service our clientele, and help further the industry. This bond has been an important force that propelled us to continuous growth and enabled us to survive through an economic recession, when most of the industry was decimated. With our human-centered approach and our family-focused community, we look forward to leading the way in shaping the next era in recruiting and expanding upon our “It’s all about the people” message.

I thank all of our franchisees, client companies, and job seekers for their trust and contributions to FPC’s steady growth and success!

I invite you to keep up with the latest developments in the job market and the recruiting industry by subscribing to our newsletter and connecting with me on LinkedIn.

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Samirat Rivers

Samirat Rivers