About

Chris Wessell

I'm Chris Wessell, and I'm a storyteller.

Every day, I love to tell the stories of the companies I hire for, and in turn I enjoy telling them the stories of the candidates I find for them.

My specialty is critical hires for small businesses.

I've been hiring in the Capital Region and beyond for over 20 years, ranging from the biggest companies in the world to fledgling startups. The last five years, I've concentrated my efforts on companies with approximately 100 or less employees, because there are so many great companies out there with a story to tell, trying to compete for talent but lost in a sea of job postings and overshadowed by big company recruiting budgets.

Whether it's a family owned business where the founder has decided it's time to hire someone to take over the day to day, or a longtime key employee is nearing retirement and there isn't a succession plan, or a solopreneur hiring their first few employees, these hires are a huge deal for small businesses, the cornerstone of our local economy. Their leadership often need guidance in these transition periods, as they find their own roles evolving with these new hires. Larger staffing firms, which certainly have their value in certain situations, are not built for our level of partnership.

Many hiring challenges don't require a full service search. In those situations, we fine-tune existing recruiting processes and systems to set the organization up for long term success.

As a small boutique firm, we commit to only a few projects at a time to ensure these businesses get our undivided attention.

Maybe that was longer than it needed to be. It's OK, I can live with that. If you're still reading I'm impressed, thanks! I tend to tell other people's stories better than my own.

I am also VERY passionate about financial literacy. I grew up in a poor part of Schenectady, where the need for financial education was very apparent. I have been extremely fortunate to find mentorship over the years to bridge that gap for myself (although I have made many very expensive mistakes too) but so many more children need to be empowered with this knowledge. I have volunteered in local classrooms for Junior Achievement for almost two decades and I've been on the board several years. Why? When I was in high school, a volunteer that visited my class had such an impact on me that I remember them clearly 30 years later. Wouldn't it be amazing for you to make that kind of impression? Let's talk about getting you in a classroom!

www.peoplewise-llc.com