Sacculturalhub.com spotlights The Johnson Group, Inc. (TJG) and interviews the distinguished gentleman and business owner who is the CEO & President–Christopher Johnson. TJG is an executive staffing firm which provides talent acquisition and recruiting consulting services.
When was TJG established and how long have you been in business? The Johnson Group, Inc. was established May 1, 2006. We have been in business for 2 years, 4 months.
College you graduated from and your degree? I graduated from University of California, Davis with a B.A. in Communications.
Three words that best describe you as the CEO? Determined, Integrity, and Giving
As the CEO and Founder, what prompted you to create your firm and why? After working for a national recruiting/staffing firm and becoming the number one producer in the country, I started to dream about starting my own firm. I continued to put it off until my grandfather Deacon Elmo Cornelius suddenly passed away. This was a major blow to me and my family, I had a great relationship with my grandfather, and he lived 15 minutes from my house. I learned a great deal from his untimely death. I learned that you never know when it’s your time to go. So you need to spend each and everyday as if it is your last. That’s what prompted me to take the courageous leap. I knew that God had more in me. I wanted to be in a position in which I could bless my entire family without limitations.Â
What are some of the challenges that you are facing as a small business and how are you dealing with it? I have faced many challenges since the opening of The Johnson Group, Inc. It has truly been the toughest 2 1/2 years in my life. I have faced frivolous lawsuits from my former employer in an attempt to restrict fair competition, delinquent invoices from clients, etc., all while wearing the hats of operations, management, administration, finance, and sales simultaneously. These are the challenges that I face on a daily basis. The way that I deal with these challenges is simple. First I identify the things that I can control, and focus on solving those problems quickly and swiftly without procrastination. Secondly, I identify the things that I cannot control. The things that are out of my control, I pray, and I give those to God, and I don’t even think about them again. If I stress out about those problems, then my faith in God questionable. Fortunately, I have tremendous faith in God, and I know that he will never put more on me than I can bear. This allows me to see past any and all challenges without fear and frustration.Â
Tell us about your staff and how they are helping the firm succeed at its current and future goals? I really do believe that I have the best team in the business. I strategically recruited people with drive, tenacity, and determination. James Cameron, Michael Ponce, Dominic Callori, and Ramon Johnson are truly the cream of the crop. Each of them are an integral part of The Johnson Group, Inc.’s success. Once I surrounded myself with people of that caliber, I don’t have to micromanage, I don’t have worry about the company production decreasing when I am not present, and it creates an awesome culture of trust and teamwork. I measure the company’s success based on the individual success of my staff. I focused on them, and subsequently reward them on their hard work and dedication. Despite being a small firm, The Johnson Group, Inc. provides one of the top compensation plans in the industry. Compensation and incentives include high salaries, high commission, high bonuses, benefits, car allowances and more.Â
Tell us the outcome or results from your clients who have been placed in particular firms? Our business is simple but not easy. In a nutshell, we take top talent and match them with great companies. We recently filled a critical senior level position with our nationwide client a global Environmental & Engineering firm. This was a very key hire for the firm. We went over and above our client’s requirements by identifying, screening, and placing a Regional Remediation Practice Leader for the firm. The candidate received a $25,000 increase in base salary, a large promotion, bonuses and incentives. Our client was ecstatic about the hire, indicating that they were close to loosing a very big project valued in the millions had it not been for our timely service. We have received a thank you letter from the candidate, and we have received a reference letter from our client, thanking us for our service.Â
Who or what type of employer clients does your firm provide service to? The Johnson Group, Inc. is a Talent Acquisition and Consulting firm that provides architectural, engineering, environmental, and construction recruiting and staff augmentation, and retention consultation services to public and private clients.Â
In three words, how would you describe your executive staffing firm? “Determined to Deliver.”
Where do you see your firm 5 years from now? 5 years from now I see The Johnson Group, Inc. becoming the recognized leader in Recruiting and Talent Acquisition. We will continue to be one of the fastest growing companies in Sacramento. We will expand our service offerings to include Vendor Management and Mergers & Acquisitions. We will continue to grow in size at the demand of our clients needs.Â
What do you want potential clients to know about your firm? We are
specialists at what we do. We do not just find great talent, we provide
solutions. We conduct business with the utmost integrity.
What is the firm’s biggest achievement thus far? The Johnson Group,
Inc.’s biggest achievement is that we have become a multimillion dollar
company in less than 2 ½ years. We have a 98% repeat business rate. We are completely debt free. Most of all we are just getting started.
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