Proven Recruiting

21 questions to determine your candidate's past track record, present mindset, and future aspirations - all while uncovering whether they have what it takes to join your team.

Enough has been said about former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and his HR Chief. We've all shared a good laugh - and cringe - watching the video. Yet few are talking about the broader workplace implications; beyond the infidelity, is there anything inherently wrong with dating a colleague? Should companies discourage internal relationships to avoid legal risk, or should people be free to follow their hearts? We spend 40+ hours a week side by side with teammates - celebrating wins, weathering losses, and building real relationships along the way. We share dreams, doubts, and the occasional late-night Slack spiral. So is it really so terrible if love enters the picture, too?

With NVIDIA reaching a $4 trillion valuation and Cristiano Ronaldo signing a $600 million contract, it’s easy to equate wealth with money.  After all, financial success is loud. It makes headlines, buys influence, and is easy to measure. But as a society, we often overlook the four other types of wealth that shape our lives: 1. Social Wealth — Your network, relationships, and reputation  2. Time Wealth — The freedom to control your day and priorities  3. Physical Wealth — Your health, energy, and physical well-being  4. Mental Wealth — Your mindset, emotional stability, and peace of mind You can be rich in one area and poor in another. You can have money but no time; influence but no inner peace; a name everyone knows but a mind and body that is exhausted. Each type of wealth matters. When one falls out of balance, the others often lose meaning too.

Gen Z is redefining the workplace, but is it good for the long term? A recent survey found: - 72% of Gen Z believe stable full-time jobs are a myth  - 76% say leadership roles are unappealing due to burnout  - 52% work multiple jobs to meet basic financial needs  - 70% would trade perks for just one mental health day per month It’s a clear cultural shift, but it also raises important issues. If fewer young professionals step into leadership, there will be a smaller group of decision-makers. If remote work becomes the norm right out of college, how will young professionals build soft skills, mentorships, or confidence in collaborative environments? Read more about it in this article: https://lnkd.in/gr2NNGrs 

Kristen joined us at 25, burned out from PwC and unsure of her future. She didn’t plan to stay in recruiting long term - we were just a stepping stone in her post-CPA journey. Nine years, two kids, and a cross-country move later (hi, Nashville!), Kristen’s now a Director who’s helped build some of Proven’s most successful teams. She stayed, even as life changed. When she asked to relocate before remote work was the norm, we could’ve said no. When she needed flexibility for daycare and family, we could’ve pushed back. When she floated a 4-day week, we could’ve denied it - like so many others do. But we didn’t. And because of that, we kept one of our most impactful people. Thank you Inc. Magazine for showcasing our team's approach to the human side of work - the often flexible, sometimes messy, always real parts. Nearly half our people are working parents. We’re proud to support them. Kristen still enjoys her long weekends with family. We’re just grateful to be a part of her story. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/euh8QS-C

True Leadership (especially in Sales related businesses) involves a degree of selflessness that is extremely rare.     True Leaders – those whose primary focus (and indeed preference) is directed towards growing and developing others often at great personal costs and compromise to their own earnings – is even rarer. Mike Chiv is one of those rarities!!   In my nearly 40 years in this business, I have come across very few who are genuinely more motivated by seeing others succeed than they are driven by their own personal success.     Mike is the embodiment of what it takes to be a true Leader.  Unimpeachable integrity, an active listener, empathetic, calm and humble.  Transparent and fair in his decision making, accountable, collaborative and positive.  An avid reader and learner.  Committed to providing leadership to his people, and to those within teams and divisions over which he has no direct or formal responsibility, that will allow them to accomplish great feats that they would have not necessarily been able to achieve without his guidance and mentorship.     I’ve known Mike since he was 10 years old when he “approached” me and encouraged me to contribute to a school project he was involved with.  I can still remember, even at that age, the warmth and likeability that emanated from him, that engaging (you can’t refuse me!!) smile and unassuming, yet determined demeanor.     His 7 years with Proven Recruiting – he celebrates his “anniversary” with us today - first as a rookie recruiter, and subsequently as an Account Manager extraordinaire and Manager of the multi-award winning San Diego Finance and Accounting Search team has not been without its challenges.  And yet, throughout it all, Mike has led his team to new and uncharted heights, to a position of sustained pre-eminence within the San Diego market.  As much as anybody within our firm, Mike lives and breathes our core values and guiding principles and will be a key part the company’s growth and evolution for many years to come.   Thank you, Mike, for your commitment to our company, your Leadership and your friendship!!   Happy Anniversary and “Cheers!!”

AI is no longer just reviewing resumes. It’s conducting job interviews. Startups like Ribbon, HeyMilo, and Apriora are now using AI avatars to hold real-time screener calls, simulate recruiter interactions, and deliver feedback to hiring teams without a real human being involved. Some companies claim it's helping them scale faster, while others worry it’s removing judgment, empathy, and nuance in daily conversations. How would you feel about being interviewed by an AI? Is this the future of hiring, or are we losing something essential in the process? You can read more about it here: https://lnkd.in/efXtFkJR

Exciting moments from this month’s Financial Executives International (FEI) San Diego event! Our Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Ingram Losner, served as the event’s keynote speaker, delivering a compelling and unique “State of the Nation” quarterly assessment—comparing key economic indicators from the first and last years of the first quarter of the 21st century (2025 v 2000). His insights explored the long-term workforce implications of: Tariffs and the disruption of 80+ years of international trade norms  The ongoing evolution of remote vs. hybrid work models  The accelerating impact of AI on hiring, productivity, and workforce dynamics While the event wasn’t recorded, you can request a summary of Ingram’s keynote by contacting me at knguyen@provenrecruiting.com. Special thanks to FEI San Diego for hosting such a timely and important conversation! #FEISanDiego #FinancialExecutivesInternational #LeadershipInsights #FutureOfWork #AI #RemoteWork #TradePolicy  #ExecutiveLeadership 

Women are three times more likely than men to lose their jobs to AI, according to a UN study. Over 90% of administrative and support roles are held by women, and many of these jobs are among the first to be automated. At the same time, about 86% of truck driving jobs are held by men, and the rise of autonomous vehicles puts those roles at growing risk. Both groups are being impacted, just in different ways. 

President Trump told Walmart to “eat the tariffs” instead of blaming rising prices on his trade policy. Now, we’re seeing other retailers like Target face similar challenges. This week, Target cut its sales outlook—pointing to weaker consumer spending, tariff uncertainty, and backlash to its DEI rollback. In a free market economy, this raises a bigger question: Should retailers eat the cost of tariffs, or is it fair to pass them on to consumers?