Employee Spotlight: Brian Price

employee spotlight

 

Every two weeks, we highlight one of our amazing recruiters so you can get to know the Morgan Hunter team a little bit better. This week we spoke with Brian Price, Director of our Sales, Marketing & Advertising Division!

 

What did you do before you were a recruiter with Morgan Hunter?

I’ve been with Morgan Hunter for almost ten years, and before joining the company, I worked for Parker + Lynch in Overland Park, and SolomonEdwardsGroup in Chicago, both times performing Accounting & Finance searches.

Where did you go to college?

The University of Central Missouri where I received a BS in Finance.

What is your favorite ‘90s jam?

My favorite jams come from all decades and across a wide variety of musical styles, so I’m not just stuck in any single decade. Music has always been a passion of mine and we try to attend as many live shows as we can each year. From the 80’s my favorite musicians are Thomas Dolby and U2, and in the 1990’s I was into bands like Pearl Jam. In the 2000’s I’ve been listening to a wide variety of music from bands like Muse and Imagine Dragons to rockers like Volbeat and the Foo Fighters.

What would I find in your refrigerator right now?

Fresh food and a few craft beers. 

If you won $100 million in the lottery, how would you spend your money?

I’d travel the world for about a year, and then settle back into the US and start a nonprofit. Of course, I’d make sure my family was taken care of and that we’d always be comfortable, but nobody needs that much money. I’d find a cause to support where I could help people. I know I’d also work to complete the Thank You Walt Disney project here in Kansas City (more on that below).

What would you do if you were given a month sabbatical from work?

I would travel across Europe, or I might just rent a villa in Italy or France for a month. All are good options.

What are you passionate about?

I love working with my Kansas City nonprofit, Thank You Walt Disney. We are working to restore Walt Disney’s original Laugh-O-Gram Studio to preserve his history in KC. The goal is to create an education center and museum easily accessible by the masses. The education center is important as we’d love to give back to the community and teach art and animation to those who may not be able to access traditional classes. Most people don’t know that the birthplace of Hollywood animation as we know it today started in the building we are restoring. When Walt Disney traveled to Hollywood to start the Walt Disney Studios, he recruited his friends from KC to follow him. Many of those animators broke off from Disney Studios years later to start animation studios at Warner Brothers and Hanna-Barbera, but they all got their start here in Kansas City.

What should employers expect in the 2018 market?

It is a candidate-driven market due to record unemployment. Candidates who are considering new opportunities are receiving multiple offers. If an employer truly wants to hire the best people, they need to move quickly and be aggressive with compensation and perks. I’ve tried to educate my clients that longer hiring processes will cost them the best people as their competitors are working hard to ensure they get the best people first. A sports analogy can offer clarity to the current status of the market. As a company, you want to be the first person to make an offer to get the prospect off the market because if you wait too long someone else will get the best pick. We’ve already seen this happen multiple times in 2018.

What should job seekers know about the 2018 job market?

The job market is in your favor, and there are some great opportunities out there. It is a good time to explore a new adventure, and a great recruiter can help you land your dream job without you having to blast your resume all over town.  Kansas City is a small big city, and a good agency and recruiter can ensure your confidentiality as you explore options.

If you could provide one tip to job seekers what would it be?

The one thing I’ve heard throughout my career is, “I don’t want to take the first job offer I receive.”  I’ve always found that to be short-sighted as many times it might be the best offer. I have placed many people who have taken the first offer they’ve received, and a decade later they are still with the same company and loving what they do. Look at the opportunity and judge it based on its merits and don’t focus on whether or not it is the first, second or third offer. The best career move you may ever make could be from the first offer you receive.

 

If you are a job seeker or employer who would like to get in touch with Brian, email bprice@morganhunter.com or call 913-409-1142.