Hire Velocity, a provider of RPO and executive search, promoted Marques Smith to CEO and president effective March 1. Smith takes on the role with more than 20 years of experience in the human capital industry.
The past few years have impacted the RPO industry — from the pandemic to the boom in hiring after the pandemic to the current situation. The economic cycles continue. Still, Smith said he’s positive when it comes to the future of RPO.
“I’m very optimistic,” Smith said in an interview with SIA. “I think we are going to see some really exciting things across just all verticals, but especially in healthcare.”
About 50% of Hire Velocity’s business is in healthcare. Smith cited behavioral health as one area showing growth.
Smith also said RPO as a whole is growing as more companies find out about the benefits of using an RPO provider. Instead of hiring their own recruiters and footing the bills for related expenses, they can bring in an RPO firm as a partner. It can scale depending on the client’s need. A majority of growth at Hire Velocity comes from clients new to RPO.
The company is focused on organic growth.
Smith joined Hire Velocity in 2016 as VP of finance. He was promoted to chief operating officer in March 2018 and then to his most recent role as president in November 2021. His previous experience includes serving as CFO for North America at Impellam Group plc.
“Marques has been a driving force behind Hire Velocity's growth and success, and we are confident that he is the right person to lead the company into its next phase of growth,” John West, chairman of Hire Velocity, said in a press release. “His passion for innovation, commitment to excellence and strategic vision make him the ideal choice for this position.”
