Launching Former Athletes into Careers

Launching Former Athletes into Careers

PLACING FORMER ATHLETES INTO Staffing & RECRUITER ROLES

XPG Recruit has recently launched a new ATHLETE division based on success in placing former athletes into careers in which they thrive. Through relationships with athletic departments nationwide and the release of our digital career services platform, Podium X, XPG Recruit finds and places individuals who know how to win.

WHY ATHLETES

Only 7% of all high school athletes go on to play college sports of any kind (and only 2% to Division I). These athletes juggle school, workouts, games, travel, coaches, fans, expectations, and pressure at a high level because they like to compete and win. At first glance, athletics may seem very different from the world of staffing and recruiting – but we find it is the perfect training ground to become a recruiter because the soft skills taught through athletics are some of the same skills most desirable and easily transferable to a recruiting position.

SOFT SKILLS COMMON IN HIGH LEVEL ATHLETES

Motivation

Naturally competitive. Understand how to win.
Accept that training and effort are needed to be successful

Coachability

Appreciate feedback on ways to improve.
Often more willing and trusting of the instructions of leaders because used to relying on coaches.

Communication

Accustomed to direct and transparent input.
Persuasive. Often passionate about beliefs.

Goal Setting

Often set ambitious goals and work to achieve them.
Great satisfaction in achieving and surpassing goals.

Time Management

Accustomed to juggling multiple tasks.
Often regimented and task oriented.

Critical Thinking

Capable of assessing situations and making quick decisions.

Relationship Building

Value the importance of teams.
Have the ability to connect with others quickly.

Resilience

Not easily discouraged. Find ways to achieve regardless of obstacles or rejection.
Persistent. Do not give up.

Fearlessness

Not afraid to put themselves “out there.”
Aware that the only way to make a shot is to take one.

Commitment

Dedicated to being successful.

WHY XPG RECRUIT

XPG Recruit is comprised of staffing industry experts with extensive experience in operations, talent management, human resources and recruiting who have developed customized programs to identify, assess, and place ex-athletes into various roles inside staffing organizations. They are also former ex-athletes who found a natural fit in staffing and recruiting and have a passion for helping athletes develop their own careers.

SAMPLE SUCCESS STORY

In a specific example, XPG Recruit worked with Soliant Healthcare (www.soliant.com), a national healthcare staffing company to supplement their internal talent acquisition team to populate monthly classes in one of their verticals located in Tampa. They found that XPG Recruit’s candidates stood out because they are easier to train (coachable), they ramp faster (competitive), they stay longer (resilient) and they contribute to the organization more (team oriented).

XPG Recruit’s staffing centric screening process focuses on adaptability, competitiveness, resilience and likeability with the purpose of weeding out those who won’t make it. The results have been exceptional with Soliant increasing its usage of XPG Recruit to now place candidates across their 4 verticals in Tampa, Jacksonville, Atlanta, and Houston with a +35% submittal to placement ratio and average of 82% retention rate in a very high KPI driven culture.

“We contracted with XPG at the end of 2020 to help supplement our internal efforts to find talent for our staffing organization. It has developed into a true partnership. XPG has been proactive, well prepared, accessible, and collaborative throughout the entire process. We loved their strategy and focus on transitioning athletes and felt if might give us view into a different pool of candidates. We also knew that XPG had a lot of experience and deep networks within staffing and sports. Little did we know how impactful this partnership could become. Our business is up over 56% and in large part due to the talent they have brought to us. These candidates are resilient, adaptable, motivated, coachable and different. They embrace the process and push with patience to succeed. As a result, they fit into our very tough industry, they ramp faster, last longer and strengthen the team culture. What started out as a “pilot” has now turned into a vital part of our growth strategy.”
– Tim Starling, Sr Vice President, SOLIANT

ABOUT PODIUM X

Podium X the digitized process of identifying the soft skills of athletes and providing them with an online podium in which to tell their relevant story. It includes the tools to create a resume and match to open jobs as well as offers access to the expertise of XPG Recruit career specialists.  www.podiumx.com  

 

Collegiate athletes across the country are often our most dedicated, coachable human resources. Trained to manage pressure situations and counted on to come through for others and deliver at demanding times. They are leaders. They are doers. They do not quit. Yet often when they graduate, they are evaluated only by their GPA, limited work experience, and declared major, not by the character-building hours spent on the field or in the training room or by the moments that made them champions. But they are NOT DONE WINNING®.