Keith Wolf

Recruiting firm Murray Resources, in Houston, got at least 100 calls and emails and a negative review online in March about scam text messages received from people claiming to work there.

Keith Wolf, managing partner at the firm, promptly posted a warning on the company’s website.

Keith Wolf, Murray Resources
I remember this one really well. We had placed a candidate in a sales role. The client told us that on his first day, they walked by and saw the guy sitting at his desk with his feet propped up, reading a newspaper. On his first day.

Then, during that same week—his first week—his manager took him to a conference with his team. During a break, the manager went up and asked the salesperson how his session was.

The guy said, “Oh, I didn’t go… Show more

Keith Wolf, Murray Resources
I remember this one really well. We had placed a candidate in a sales role. The client told us that on his first day, they walked by and saw the guy sitting at his desk with his feet propped up, reading a newspaper. On his first day.

Then, during that same week—his first week—his manager took him to a conference with his team. During a break, the manager went up and asked the salesperson how his session was.

The guy said, “Oh, I didn’t go in.”

“What do you mean you didn’t go in?”

“It was so hot in there. The room was too warm.”

The final nail in the coffin was on Friday—the same week, his first week. The manager goes back to where the guy sits, and he’s not at his desk. Now, he’s in sales, so he could be in the field, you never know. The manager calls the guy, and he doesn’t call him back. The day goes by, nothing.

Monday comes around, and the salesperson walks in the office like nothing happened. The manager says, “Hey, I tried reaching you on Friday.”

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you witnessed a hiring process get derailed by an embarrassing etiquette faux pas? Join the conversation below.

The guy goes, “Oh, no, I’m not selling on Fridays.”

The manager’s like, “OK, I get that, but I would expect a call back.”

And the employee just says, like, “I just don’t really operate that way. You know, I do my thing and then I’ll call you. Like, I’m here now.”

It was the wildest, strangest, most entitled deal. And this wasn’t some kid, this was an experienced person, he had great references, everything. He just didn’t think it was a problem.

So the manager just walked him out. He was like, “Today’s your last day.” And apparently the guy was furious. Show less

While some mathematically inclined students are drawn to accounting, the field still suffers from a stigma that it is uncool, with tedious work and daunting hours, said Keith Wolf, managing director at the Houston-based recruiting firm Murray Resources. Companies are sending young professionals into high-school classrooms to try to change that perception, and an industry group has drawn millions of views with a TikTok campaign to show the field in a fresh light.

Accounting is a reliable… Show more

While some mathematically inclined students are drawn to accounting, the field still suffers from a stigma that it is uncool, with tedious work and daunting hours, said Keith Wolf, managing director at the Houston-based recruiting firm Murray Resources. Companies are sending young professionals into high-school classrooms to try to change that perception, and an industry group has drawn millions of views with a TikTok campaign to show the field in a fresh light.

Accounting is a reliable path to stable, steady work, Mr. Wolf said, but there are easier ways to enter the business world.

“There’s so many options,” he said. “Why pursue a much more difficult path?” Show less

When hiring for clients, recruiting firm Murray Resources in Houston has seen candidates not show up for interviews and start dates. “Candidates have so many options in this market that typical professional etiquette is being ignored,” said Keith Wolf, a managing director, who said even his own firm has run into such hiring problems.

“We have a generation of professionals who grew up on dating apps, where ghosting has been accepted as an annoying, but common, phenomenon,” he said. “I… Show more

When hiring for clients, recruiting firm Murray Resources in Houston has seen candidates not show up for interviews and start dates. “Candidates have so many options in this market that typical professional etiquette is being ignored,” said Keith Wolf, a managing director, who said even his own firm has run into such hiring problems.

“We have a generation of professionals who grew up on dating apps, where ghosting has been accepted as an annoying, but common, phenomenon,” he said. “I believe that is leaking into the professional world.” Show less

Many of the skills needed for the role can be found across industries, and they are similar to what makes a good salesperson, according to Keith Wolf, managing director of recruiting firm Murray Resources: strong communication and organizational skills persistence and just being talkative.

The economy is accelerating quickly, but this year’s graduates face a complicated job market. Many are competing for jobs with last year’s graduates, and while some sectors are expected to pick up steam, others face a slow recovery. Join WSJ reporter Patrick Thomas in conversation with Keith Bevans, a partner who leads recruiting for Bain, Tonia LaPietra, corporate HR manager at Wegmans and Keith Wolf, managing director of recruiting firm Murray Resources, as they discuss what skills are most… Show more

The economy is accelerating quickly, but this year’s graduates face a complicated job market. Many are competing for jobs with last year’s graduates, and while some sectors are expected to pick up steam, others face a slow recovery. Join WSJ reporter Patrick Thomas in conversation with Keith Bevans, a partner who leads recruiting for Bain, Tonia LaPietra, corporate HR manager at Wegmans and Keith Wolf, managing director of recruiting firm Murray Resources, as they discuss what skills are most important for job-seekers graduating into this market, what industries are faring well, and how to build professional networks. Show less

Keith Wolf, managing director of Houston-based recruiting firm Murray Resources, said his company has stopped taking some employers’ requests for help hiring internal recruiters because he doesn’t have enough himself.

One reason it is so hard to find such hires is that many aren’t aware recruiting is a viable career option, he said.

“Most people have not even come across a recruiter until they are getting poached,” he said. “One thing that any recruiter will tell you is no one… Show more

Keith Wolf, managing director of Houston-based recruiting firm Murray Resources, said his company has stopped taking some employers’ requests for help hiring internal recruiters because he doesn’t have enough himself.

One reason it is so hard to find such hires is that many aren’t aware recruiting is a viable career option, he said.

“Most people have not even come across a recruiter until they are getting poached,” he said. “One thing that any recruiter will tell you is no one went to school to be a recruiter.”

Many of the basic skills needed for the role can be found across industries, and they are similar to what makes a good salesperson, according to Mr. Wolf: strong communication and organizational skills, persistence and just being talkative. Show less

At this year's WSJ Job Summit, Keith Wolf, the CEO of ResumeSpice, said applicants should pay close attention to the job listing.

Keith Wolf: Yeah, I mean, the best way is to look at the job description. Look how different keywords are utilized within the job description. It's almost like you've been given the answer to the test. So, I wouldn't obsess about the applicant tracking system. If you're wondering how many folks use it, you can just assume every company is at this point. It… Show more

At this year's WSJ Job Summit, Keith Wolf, the CEO of ResumeSpice, said applicants should pay close attention to the job listing.

Keith Wolf: Yeah, I mean, the best way is to look at the job description. Look how different keywords are utilized within the job description. It's almost like you've been given the answer to the test. So, I wouldn't obsess about the applicant tracking system. If you're wondering how many folks use it, you can just assume every company is at this point. It used to just be the largest companies. Now it's 90 plus percent of the Fortune 500s and even smaller companies are using them because they're so easy to use Show less

Try thinking outside the box.

Nontraditional methods of communication can sometimes yield a surprise reaction, said Keith Wolf, chief executive of ResumeSpice, an executive and professional résumé-writing service. He advises reaching out to people you are eager to connect with on Twitter or Instagram instead of simply sending an email.

“Twitter - you can have a conversation with someone who will never return your email,” he said.

Nontraditional methods of communication can sometimes yield a surprise reaction, said Keith Wolf, chief executive of ResumeSpice, an executive and professional résumé-writing service. He advises reaching out to people you are eager to connect with on Twitter or Instagram instead of simply sending an email.

“Twitter - you can have a conversation with someone who will never return your email,” he said.

WASHINGTON - Not long ago recruiter Keith Wolf’s corporate clients would have had a month or two to mull over a potential hire.

But with unemployment rate falling near record lows, Wolf now warns companies they’re lucky if they have a couple of weeks to make a decisions. Choose someone and make them as strong an offer as you can — high salary, work from home option, maybe a gym membership — because chances are they’re fielding other offers.

“There’s no doubt about it. It’s as… Show more

WASHINGTON - Not long ago recruiter Keith Wolf’s corporate clients would have had a month or two to mull over a potential hire.

But with unemployment rate falling near record lows, Wolf now warns companies they’re lucky if they have a couple of weeks to make a decisions. Choose someone and make them as strong an offer as you can — high salary, work from home option, maybe a gym membership — because chances are they’re fielding other offers.

“There’s no doubt about it. It’s as tough a market as I can remember to find talent,” said Wolf, managing director at Houston staffing company Murray Resources, which has clients nationwide. “There are companies that lag behind and still believe it’s an employer-driven market. They find out quickly they’re losing out on candidates.” Show less

Learn about the high demand for sales roles and lack of applicants in this Bloomberg Quicktake interview with Keith Wolf, Murray Resources' Managing Director.

Keith Wolf, managing director, Murray Resources, a Houston recruiting firm and staffing agency, also noted a number of open positions open with different titles.

“We’re seeing strong demand for mechanical engineers, particularly within the manufacturing and oil and gas industries. We’re seeing a wide range of design, technical sales, project management and manufacturing manager roles that are seeking skilled mechanical engineers,” Wolf said.

Keith Wolf, managing director at Murray Resources, talks hiring trends within the energy market as a growing number of companies lay off employees amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also, there is a career path for salespeople.

Usually, the first step in sales is inside sales, which is an entry-level position.

“After an inside salesperson achieves a level of success, they’ll often be promoted to a field sales role. The role of an inside salesperson can vary quite a bit. Some are predominantly inbound order takers. It’s not an easy role, but those who excel are often your future sales superstars,” said Keith Wolf, managing director, Murray… Show more

Also, there is a career path for salespeople.

Usually, the first step in sales is inside sales, which is an entry-level position.

“After an inside salesperson achieves a level of success, they’ll often be promoted to a field sales role. The role of an inside salesperson can vary quite a bit. Some are predominantly inbound order takers. It’s not an easy role, but those who excel are often your future sales superstars,” said Keith Wolf, managing director, Murray Resources.

Many equipment and chemical supply companies focus more on specific oil and gas experience, particular when a more technical sale is involved, and product knowledge is essential.

“Companies might transfer an engineer with deep product knowledge to asales role if they’ve exhibited some sales aptitude,” Wolf said.

At Murray Resources, they usually have a range of roles, from technical sales roles in the field, to oil and gas services sales, to software salespeople serving the oil and gas markets. The roles range in level from inside sales to salesperson to higher level sales management.

“Successful salespeople in almost any field are paid well, and oil and gas sales are no different. Entry-level salaries may start around $40,000 plus commission, with top performers earning close to six figures within two to four years. As salespeople progress in the field, it’s not uncommon to see low $200,000 to mid-six figures for top earners. Companies are willing to pay salespeople who perform. The challenge is fighting through the early years and proving yourself,” Wolf said. Show less

“Four or five years ago, if you just had a job available, you didn’t really have to tell people a whole lot about your company; you’d get candidates,” said Keith Wolf, managing director of Houston-based Murray Resources Ltd. “Now, you have to be selling the moment they walk through the door.”

Keith Wolf, managing director of the recruiting and staffing firm Murray Resources in Houston, likes to compare the niche online sites to niche magazines.

Probably every industry has one, Wolf said, and they’re a valuable way to find openings.

Keith Wolf, managing director of the recruiting and staffing firm Murray Resources in Houston, likes to compare the niche online sites to niche magazines.

Probably every industry has one, said Wolf, and they're a valuable way to find openings.

The key, though, is the online site has to be specialized enough to be attractive to job seekers who use it but not so narrow that it doesn't post enough jobs or have enough job seekers applying, he said.

WASHINGTON — Not long ago, recruiter Keith Wolf’s corporate clients would have had a month or two to mull over a potential hire.

But with the unemployment rate falling near record lows, Wolf now warns companies they’re lucky if they have a couple weeks to make a decisions. Choose someone and make them as strong an offer as you can — high salary, work from home option, maybe a gym membership — because chances are they’re fielding other offers.

"There’s no doubt about it. It’s as… Show more

WASHINGTON — Not long ago, recruiter Keith Wolf’s corporate clients would have had a month or two to mull over a potential hire.

But with the unemployment rate falling near record lows, Wolf now warns companies they’re lucky if they have a couple weeks to make a decisions. Choose someone and make them as strong an offer as you can — high salary, work from home option, maybe a gym membership — because chances are they’re fielding other offers.

"There’s no doubt about it. It’s as tough a market as I can remember to find talent,” said Wolf, managing director at Houston staffing Murray Resources, which has clients nationwide. “There are companies that lag behind and still believe it’s an employer-driven market. They find out quickly they’re losing out on candidates.” Show less

Still, the perceived value of wellness programs remains high, said Keith Wolf, managing director of Houston-based Murray Resources, a recruiting and staffing firm, .

“With the talent market as competitive as it is, we’re finding that more companies are offering wellness programs as part of their benefit packages,” he said. “From gym memberships to health screenings and immunizations, companies are recognizing that having healthier and more productive employees typically outweighs the… Show more

Still, the perceived value of wellness programs remains high, said Keith Wolf, managing director of Houston-based Murray Resources, a recruiting and staffing firm, .

“With the talent market as competitive as it is, we’re finding that more companies are offering wellness programs as part of their benefit packages,” he said. “From gym memberships to health screenings and immunizations, companies are recognizing that having healthier and more productive employees typically outweighs the costs of such programs. We’re not seeing specific differences between industries.”

Even though most employers believe in such programs, Wolf said their value in attracting new hires remains questionable.

“For our candidates, what we’re seeing is that companies often overestimate the value of wellness programs as a recruiting tool,” he said. “For example, a gym membership is a nice-to-have perk, but candidates are typically more interested in a position’s career impact, duties, salary and core benefits. That said, one trend that we are seeing is the increase in group wellness competitions. Companies are ‘gamifying’ wellness to make it fun. This not only helps build a strong company culture, but the peer pressure tends to help them stick to their goals.” Show less