These strategies encompass not only recruitment and placement but also a host of other disciplines aimed at ensuring long-term success in employment relationships. The arsenal of relationships we can call upon for our clients includes everything from executive coaches to brand development experts. Hence, we call ourselves a relationship services firm, not merely recruiters. We serve as a strategic partner for clients who range from small, entrepreneurial firms to international, Fortune 100 companies.
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History
During his years of working in a wide variety of industries, TVG founder Paul VanZant recognized the need for a new type of organization—one fully committed to serving relationships. No matter the industry, the war for talent forces executives to engage strategic allies who will serve them in their efforts to grow their people and their companies. To address this challenge, Mr. VanZant assembled a team of consultants—all of whom are experts in their specific industry market - and launched TVG in 2007. The VanZant Group was created to serve key relationships through comprehensive employment strategies by advancing individual and organizational purpose.
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Our Vision and Values
Our Vision:
Advancing people’s purpose—that’s how we define our own purpose. We strive to be nothing less than the world’s best organization at pursuing that vision through personal and corporate growth.
The very fact that we believe each person has a unique purpose sets us apart from a lot of firms. While most companies’ values inevitably center around financial performance, ours revolve around relationships—which ultimately results in higher performance.
Our Values:
Growing Relationships – God, self, family, colleagues & clients, and community—an inward-to-outward continuum of growing relationships.
Great Attitude – By “great” we mean positive, humble, encouraging, generous, thankful, determined, faith-building, unselfish and service-minded attitudes—traits that allow us to perceive and respond to people’s needs and exceed their expectations.
Trustworthy Character – No one’s perfect; we all have a “limp.” But we believe each person should be consistent no matter where they are or what they’re doing, enabling others to predict and trust their character.
Thoughtful Communication – We value people who listen well, seek to understand before they’re understood and who are verbally disciplined with wisdom and truth.
These are our stated values. And we invite you let us know how we’re doing at living up to them.
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Competitive Advantage
The VanZant Group combines the experience and resources of a high-profile retained search firm with the flexibility and speed of an entrepreneurial boutique. We’ve often been called “the Jerry Maguires of executive search” because of our tenacious commitment to our relationships. We simply treat people the way we want to be treated—novel concept, right?
We offer clients and candidates distinct advantages over typical retained and contingent search firms.
Contingent Search Firms’ Client Feedback:
- They are transaction-focused.
- They over-promise and under-deliver.
- They do not create value.
- They are resume peddlers.
Retained Search Firms’ Client Feedback:
- They are inflexible; one size fits all (or so they say).
- Their service is impersonal.
- They have no vested interest or shared risk.
- They’re expensive.
The VanZant Group’s Client Feedback:
- We respond swiftly.
- Our approach is highly customized.
- We focus on the long term.
- We understand and serve the C-level agenda.
- We are relationship-based and service-oriented.
- We’re not cheap, but our results make us worth every penny.
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Approach
Because our services are centered on the relationship, not the single search, our searches have ranged from the CEO and partner level to administrative support personnel. We use a proprietary protocol, Developing Executive Relationships™, to determine how our firm can best serve the client’s needs. Then, drawing on a myriad of tools—including, among others C5, DISC™, and Topgrading™—we execute a strategy for placing and retaining the best people with an aim toward the long-term good of client and candidate alike.
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C5™
Adapted from the principles articulated by management consultant and author Dr. Gerald Chester, C5 evaluates 5 critical components:
Calling – A Gallup study found that 80% of today’s employees are not working in a career that directly utilizes their college degree. We believe that people should understand their purpose and look for opportunities to fulfill that purpose—especially in their career.
Character – This facet of C5 looks at a person’s attitude, values, priorities and integrity. We have insightful ways to drill down to determine the trustworthiness of someone’s character.
Culture – This aspect of C5 looks at the potential fit between person and organization, exploring personality, environment and relational elements.
Compensation – It’s more than financial. We also consider emotional and intellectual elements. Out of the top 10 reasons why people change jobs, money ranks eighth. The top seven have to do with emotional and intellectual compensation.
Capability – The fifth “C” evaluates what we call SKAT—the skills, knowledge, aptitudes and training a candidate brings with them.
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Our People
Paul VanZant
Founder, President, and CEO. Paul began his direct-fee placement career in the early 2000s. He has successfully placed scores of candidates in commercial banking, private equity and real estate.
Kyle T. Whisman
Executive Search Consultant. Our commercial banking expert, Kyle joined The VanZant Group after a 24-year career in commercial banking, during which held upper management positions with community and national institutions.
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Our Clients
The VanZant Group has been a strategic partner to financial services organizations of every size. Here are some of the clients TVG has partnered with in today’s war for talent.
- CapitalOne
- Frost Bank
- First United Bank
- American National Bank
- Texans Commercial Capital
- AIC Ventures
- BMC Capital
- State Bank & Trust
- First Bank & Trust
- NexBank
- Amegy Bank
- JPMorganChase
- City National Bank
