Maria Hemminger’s passion for helping companies find the talented employees they need has served as a catalyst for success in her recruitment career.
At the heart of her desire to help companies excel is a targeted, five-step process:
- Meeting with a client on a face-to-face basis
- Asking questions to accurately determine that client’s specific needs
- Creating a recruitment process that assists the client in filling those needs based on a set timeline
- Developing a marketing plan to sell the position to passive candidates
- Client accountability
Hemminger’s key strengths as a recruiter include her ability to understand a client company’s culture, develop a relationship with that company, and provide what that company needs. Through these strengths, MJ Recruiters has diversified its business mix with Automotive, Agriculture, Packaging, Food, Consumer Goods, and Aerospace clients.
Hemminger’s career began in the fall of 1997 as a Sales Representative for a regional staffing organization. Within two years, she was promoted to Vice President of the technical group for her territory. As Vice President, she was responsible for the following:
- All marketing and sales for the contract and direct business
- Hiring, management, and motivation of the staff
- Communication with six supporting staffing branches
- Annual budgets and metrics
Hemminger’s office specialized in the placement of local candidates for Engineering, Operations, Materials/Procurement, Accounting/IT, Human Resources, and Quality. A leader within the organization, she implemented the group’s operating policies and procedures and was selected for key client presentations, strategic planning, and support in the development of new staff members.
Starting with a staff of two recruiters in 1999, Hemminger grew the group to a staff of eight researchers and recruiters. In September of 2001, she added Joanna Spaun to her technical recruitment staff.
As Vice President, Hemminger increased sales annually from 2001 through 2004, adding 64 new accounts and attaining almost $2 million in sales in 2004, the best sales year ever for the office. In addition, her office attained numerous awards, including the following:
- The Leadership Award for Excellence, 2003
- Highest Gross Profit Percentage (first – five years in a row)
- Profit Level, Key Client Concentration
- Most Improved Branch, 2000
- The Wingspread Award, given to the most valuable franchise employee, 1998 (an award given independently to Hemminger)
In May of 2005, Hemminger started MJ Recruiters with her partner, Joanna Spaun. That same year, MJ Recruiters became a Preferred Member firm in Top Echelon Network, an elite recruiter network of highly specialized search firms.
Since joining Top Echelon, Hemminger has been consistently recognized for being in the top 5% of recruiters in the Network. In the spring of 2009, Hemminger and Spaun were featured speakers at the Top Echelon Network National Convention, addressing the topic of “Building Bullet-Proof Client Relationships.” Hemminger was also a speaker at both the 2011 and 2013 Top Echelon Network Fall Conference.
Hemminger has won the following awards in Top Echelon Network:
- Top-Producing Recruiter, East North Central Region, 2012
- Third-Highest Producing Split Recruiter, 2012
- Importer of the Year, 2012
- Eighth-Highest Producing Split Recruiter, 2013
- Tenth-Highest Producing Split Recruiter, 2014
- Fifth-Highest Producing Split Recruiter, 2015
- Ninth-Highest Producing Split Recruiter, 2016
- Ninth-Highest Producing Split Recruiter, 2019
- Ninth-Highest Producing Split Recruiter, 2020
In addition to her speaking engagements for Top Echelon Network, Hemminger has served as the guest speaker at numerous college career summits and regional HR groups.
Hemminger received an Associate’s Degree in Business Management, Cum Laude from Tiffin University. She is currently certified as a Certified Staffing Professional (CSP) through the American Staffing Association (ASA). In addition to being a member of both ASA and Top Echelon Network, she’s also a member of the Ohio Recruiters Association (ORA).
In August of 2020, Hemminger and Spaun celebrated MJ Recruiters’ 15th anniversary. Through a successful recruitment process, MJ Recruiters has filled 60% of the contingent searches that the firm has worked on during the past five years. Since its inception, MJ Recruiters has completed over 700 searches in the Manufacturing sector.
And a passion for helping companies find—and hire—talented employees has been the catalyst behind that overwhelming success.