Watching former job applicants become hiring clients over a period of a few years is a very satisfying part of Gregory Thomas’ job as director of search services for Palmer Group.

“We are trying to match a very good client to an outstanding candidate,” Thomas said. “It’s fun to watch a candidate go to work at a client company, and then a few years down the road, they become a client.”

Thomas studied accounting at Northwest Missouri State University, receiving a bachelor’s degree in 1989. He was working as a private accountant in Des Moines in 1993 when Austin Palmer, president of Palmer Group, suggested that he should join the team.

“I thought, ‘No way. I’m not a recruiter.’ He said, ‘This is what you ought to do.’” Thomas considered Palmer’s words and joined the company’s search group five years ago as a recruiter for full-time accounting professionals. The job at Palmer Group was a lot different than the CPA career he left, but adapting wasn’t difficult.

“What is consistent between the two is that you work for a client and you meet a lot of good people,” Thomas said.

The people are, in fact, one of Thomas’ favorite things about working at Palmer Group. “We have excellent people here, and we work with excellent clients and candidates,” he said. “It’s very rewarding to help a company fulfill its goals, and when you do, the clients then call you back from year to year.”

Along with the people, Thomas likes the fast-paced environment, but admits that his job often becomes hectic.

“I think one of the biggest challenges is just keeping up with all of the contacts,” Thomas said. “We have hundreds of clients and thousands of candidates, and keeping up with that volume is very challenging. Time management is always an issue for all of us, but I think that’s an area where I’m pretty decent.”

Thomas balances his time between overseeing the staff, looking for candidates to fill his clients’ openings and meeting potential clients, which are the “lifeline of the business.”

“I have seven recruiters that I’m responsible for, so I spend a lot of time not only working on my own assignments, but helping them to solve problems in their engagements,” Thomas said. “All the time, I’m working on business development – letting people know that we’re here in case they need help.”

Thomas predicts that Palmer Group will continue to grow along with the job market. Already, the company is hiring a specialist in engineering positions, an area Thomas previously covered, along with the other positions that did not fit into the existing specialist areas.

“Job growth is going to make us busier,” Thomas said. “There are already companies here in Central Iowa who cannot find enough people to do the work that they need them to do. It’s harder to find good leaders.”