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Chase Scott, Market Manager for the Columbus area, is an exemplary leader in Oxford who prioritizes an empathetic viewpoint. His willingness to share his experience and educate others makes him a wonderful teammate and colleague. To learn more about Chase, continue reading.
Q: What is your professional background?
A: I have been doing sales since I graduated college back in 2012, so about ten years now.
Q: How long have you been with Oxford?
A: I just hit the eight-year mark in June.
Q: What daily habits do you recommend for success?
A: My entire career, I have focused on getting into a routine, waking up at the same time, and making sure I’m fully prepared for the day. I have a schedule or outline to follow for the day. That way, I know what’s ahead and what I need to focus on. Sometimes, I’ll have my schedule built out for the whole month.
Q: What would you say contributes most to your success at Oxford?
A: Persistence and relationship building. Clients are called by dozens of people a day. If they see that you’re persistent and trying to build a relationship with them, they’re more likely to respond. You’re trying to position yourself strategically and show them who you are rather than just being a « sales guy. »
Q: What is one of your greatest achievements to date?
A: I got married two years ago, which was my happiest day. Professionally, coming into the Columbus market was a huge undertaking. We didn’t have any accounts or much rapport with the client managers here in town, so I take great pride in what that market is now.
Q: What attributes do you think are most important in a leader?
A: Someone who can lead by example and empathize with their team members and what they’re going through. You can bark and tell your direct reports how to do things all day long, but until they see you doing it and you can show them you can relate, they’re not going to respond.
Q: What’s the best book you’ve read on business or leadership?
A: There was a book I read a couple of years ago called Fire to Win. It’s a biography based on Woody Hayes. Seeing where he started from (he grew up in a small town and then rose through the ranks in college football) motivated me to get out there and make a mark of my own. I started in a small town and moved up to Columbus, and reading his book really spoke to me in terms of how to drive myself and not let challenges get in my way.
Q: What skills do you think will be most in demand in 2023?
A: We will continue to see clients move toward cloud-based ERP applications like Workday, SAP S/4HANA, and Oracle Fusion. There will be a lot of digital transformation projects as outdated, on-premises systems die out. It’s exciting because I’ve been focusing heavily on those areas in the last few years, and I’m eager to continue that trend.
Q: What are the top three trends you observe impacting your industry?
A: COVID-19 and remote work have shaken things up in many ways – consultants are now demanding remote work. Many of our clients haven’t fully grasped that. But, on the other hand, it’s also presented us with many opportunities. Now my clients have a wider pool of resources they can pull from.
Another trend I’ve recognized is an investment in OCM/training with new ERP implementations. I believe OCM was somewhat of an afterthought in the past, and now it’s at the forefront for many clients as they look to modernize their systems.
Finally, I have noticed some large clients in Columbus outsourcing their entire IT department to large S.I. organizations. That’s something I haven’t seen in the past few years, and I am curious to see how that will play out. In my experience and talking with peers, that strategy hasn’t worked.
Q: As technology continues to advance, how do you see that impacting the recruiting and staffing industry?
A: I recently saw a commercial about an app that small businesses can utilize to find web developers and designers, which circumvents our business. However, in the grand scheme, I don’t foresee technology getting in the way or slowing our business down because we’re still going to be the experts at finding those hard-to-find or in-demand skills. I don’t see clients finding the talent they need in an expedited or process-fluid manner without our help. They’ll always need us because we can respond quickly for those niche skill areas.
Q: How do you define customer care?
A: Being present, even when you can’t respond with the messaging you would like to — just letting people know they’re heard. Clients value being heard and respect us more when their issues are being addressed rather than having an immediate fix. It is critical to convey that we understand, empathize, and are working to make it right. As soon as I get an email or a client calls me, if I can’t respond, I let them know I’m working on it and act as a front line of defense.
Q: What advice would you give to individuals interested in consulting?
A: You can make a lot of money consulting. I have a few buddies who do .NET development, and they make much more money than a salaried employee and have flexible hours. As a consultant, you work on new, exciting technologies rather than mundane day-to-day tasks. Consulting is the way to go if you want to make more money and work on project-based responsibilities in new industries with new people.
Q: What do you do to mentor the individuals on your team?
A: I share my experience. Recently, I’ve been training with the newbies, sharing my experience with them, and letting them know it’ll take time to excel and reach a level of comfortability as a salesperson. I try to empathize with them and let them know I came from where they’re currently at. I understand what they’re dealing with, and I make sure to really convey that message. That helps to ease the challenges they’re dealing with, especially early on.
Q: What do you like best about working with your team?
A: Working with different personalities is fun. Getting to know these people and seeing them grow and achieve their goals is special. When you work with people at Oxford, they understand what you’re going through on a daily basis, so you can share stories and understand their challenges, so that helps.
Q: How do you maintain a healthy work/life balance?
A: I usually like to start my day early. I’m on by about 7 a.m. Getting an early start lets me have the evening to do what I need to do – working out, doing chores, projects, etc. Focusing on exercising, eating properly, and getting the right amount of sleep is a huge part of balance for me. I also prioritize spending time with friends. Finally, I’m fortunate to work for a company that values its employees, and if something bothers me at work, I know I can speak to my mentor about it.
Q: Why Oxford?
A: For clients, no one can match our relationships with our consultants, the understanding of the project and the business, the rapport, or the vetting process with the consultants. Oxford makes it a priority to really get to know who they’re working with and recommending to their clients. We’re not just finding a body. We are taking the burden off the clients having to go through resume after resume. We can be very cost-effective compared to our competitors, and we offer better consultants.
Similarly to the relationships we build with our clients, we focus heavily on building relationships with our consultants and understanding what they’re looking for rather than sending them tons of listings that aren’t relevant to their skillset or needs. We also have a dedicated consultant care team to help with payroll, HR issues, etc.
For me, I’ve been working with Don Monda my entire career. He’s a great mentor and friend that’s kept me on track. Working remotely has sometimes been challenging because I’ve felt like a man out at sea. He got me involved in the Cleveland office, which helped. So many managers, peers, and directors go out of their way to make you feel respected. Oxford has a great culture and great training for new hires.
Q: Do you have any special talents or a favorite hobby?
A: I was really active in sports growing up, playing college football, tennis, and golf. A lot of my life has been focused on sports.
Q: How do you like to spend your free time?
A: I love going to new places and spending time with my wife, family, and dog. We also just recently bought a house, so we’ve been doing a lot of projects fixing it up.
Q: What would your superpower be?
A: I’d love to be able to fly – that way, I could go anywhere I wanted.
Q: How do you take your coffee?
A: I usually just drink it black.
Q: First job?
A: I worked on the grill at Sonic, then transitioned to being a waiter on the roller skates.
Q: What job did you want as a child?
A: I wanted to be a professional football player for the Browns.
Whether Chase is traveling the globe or finding a global consultant, he is sure to bring a great attitude and a mindset of success.