
KENT BURNS
FOUNDER & CEO
Kent Burns leads Simply Driven Executive Search, which delivers talent in the areas of Automation, Robotics & Engineering, Finance/Accounting, Information Technology, Point of Sale Retail Technology, Human Resources and Workforce/Staffing Solutions. Simply Driven achieves client results that rival any search firm in the United States. Historical performance metrics are as follows:
4to1
INTERVIEW
TO HIRE RATIO
10days
AVERAGE TO DELIVER
WINNING CANDIDATE
(RETAINED SEARCHES)
99+%
PLACEMENT RETENTION
12 MONTHS AFTER HIRE
41%
OF PLACEMENTS HAVE
BEEN DIVERSE HIRES
31%
OF PLACEMENTS
PROMOTED WITHIN
24 MONTHS
4to1
INTERVIEW
TO HIRE RATIO
10day
AVERAGE TO DELIVER
WINNING CANDIDATE
(RETAINED SEARCHES)
99+%
PLACEMENT RETENTION
12 MONTHS AFTER HIRE
41%
OF PLACEMENTS HAVE
BEEN DIVERSE HIRES
31%
OF PLACEMENTS PROMOTED
WITHIN 24 MONTHS
A former Big Four CPA and corporate CFO, Burns’ finance/accounting technical expertise is unmatched in the recruiting industry. Since 1999, he has leveraged that expertise to find and deliver talent to premier organizations across the United States. Well-connected and widely read, his articles are enjoyed by business executives across all disciplines.
Prior to Simply Driven, Burns was a Partner with MRINETWORK. His success there included being the Top-Producing Individual Account Executive worldwide, outperforming approximately 3,500 recruiters in 38 countries.
He is the author of “What’s Your Why?” and “The Why Guide to Your First Job – College Edition.” He has been featured in publications such as Fast Company, Forbes, CFO Magazine, HR Magazine, The Journal of Accountancy, The Boston Globe, Reuters, The Houston Chronicle, The Indianapolis Business Journal and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Simply Driven is one of the Top Producing Offices within Sanford Rose Associates, the ninth largest search firm in America. In 2019, Burns received the Corporate Mystic Award, which is the highest individual honor within Sanford Rose Associates.
A MESSAGE FROM THE CEO
Talent acquisition doesn’t focus on “why” first; it focuses on “what” and “how” – and all parties are guilty: employers, employees, job candidates and search firms. Not us. We start with “why”. And by doing that, we improve lives.
Human capital is an economic variable. How do you attract and acquire great talent when both marketplace noise and marketplace skepticism are at all-time highs? We start with “why”.
Attracting great talent starts with the message and the messenger. We deliver your message – your story – better than your competitor delivers theirs. Great talent doesn’t need you; they have no shortage of opportunity. We get through to the people you can’t, because we know how to identify, engage and gently awaken in them curiosity about your opportunity. And, we start with “why”.
Success depends more on those you don’t hire than those you do. Bad hires are toxic, creating fissures in your enterprise that fracture over time. Bad hires result in cascading, painful consequences that impact short-term performance and long-term outcomes. We are experts in discernment; specially attuned to avoiding the wrong hire – it rarely happens on our watch. Because we know the “why”.
I’ve spent thousands of hours perfecting our process. Corporate internal recruiting teams rarely demonstrate such proficiency. We act as an agent, brokering the angst-ridden space of the job change. Further, we evaluate candidate fitness every step of the way, including formal psychometric assessment for clients desiring that additional step of talent review.
We are valued as an essential ally organizations looking to separate themselves from their competitors. NFL owners don’t travel to college games to watch recruits; they depend on seasoned scouts to assess and recommend the best prospects. We act in much the same way; experts in the field making detailed and exhaustive assessments of a skilled pool of players.
Don’t settle. Insist on people with integrity, drive, mental and social acuity, and verifiable histories of outstanding achievement. Our thesis is that we are better than you at doing this. If we are right about that, can you really afford to continue business as usual?
At Simply Driven, we improve lives.
Because people matter. And talent wins.
At Simply Driven,
we improve lives.
Because people matter.
And talent wins.
Regards,
Kent Burns