"The Expert Source"© for Automotive Professionals

Welcome

We specialize in the automotive industry and are experts in manufacturing, engineering, sales, logistics and related disciplines. Our working relationships extend from passenger cars and trucks to over-the-road (OTR) and vocational trucks, heavy equipment (construction, logging, etc.), RV's and aftermarket vehicle components. We work in both component production and capital equipment.

We are experts in assisting companies source talent to expand their penetration into transplant OEMs. We work for the new domestic companies such as Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, BMW, etc., and we are expert at sourcing managerial talent for companies that are supplying - or wish to supply - these OEMS. We are particularly strong in sales strategy and market development.

Retained, Contingency and Exclusive Search

A retained search is where your company pays our company a retainer to conduct a search. The amount is usually 1/3 of the estimated final fee amount. A contingency search is where the search firm agrees to conduct a search for your company and we will be paid only if we are successful. Recruiting firms often request to be the "exclusive" search firm on a contingency search or the exclusive source for all candidates for a specific search regardless of source. Exclusive contingency searches are a compromise that balances risk for both the client and the recruiting firm and we use this approach frequently.

There is a great deal of intelligent discussion in the human resources community regarding the efficacy of retained and contingency searches. The purpose of a retainer, from the search firm's point of view, is that it is a powerful indicator that the client company is serious. Equally important is that individual recruiters, regardless of industry or firm size, are paid on commission. When an individual recruiter has the choice between working on a retained search or a contingency search, it doesn't take much imagination to figure out which one is going to command that recruiter's attention.

From the client's perspective, a retainer is seen as very risky and most clients want to see some "good faith" before releasing what can be a great deal of money. There is no real good solution for this dilema except the firm's reputation in the business. We at NEA do not expect you to take our word for who we are and how we perform. We have a very long list of satisified clients and we will not only provide you with references, they will be references in your business sector - perhaps even people you know personally. We have been around a long time and we are well-respected. We will provide as many references - objective, arms-length references - as you require to gain confidence that your retainer will not be squandered.

As for when to consider a retained or contingency approach, we have found that retained searches are the preferred for positions earning more than $150k per year in base compensation. Between $100k and $150k, an equal number of retained and contingency searches are performed. Contingency searches are generally preferred below $100k. However, any time the search has unusually difficult parameters a retained search is likely. For example, consider a company that is looking for a Paint Operations Manager to relocate to Mexico. That search will not be successful unless it is retained because not only is a relocation involved, it is to a foreign country. Second, you are looking for a manager and most managers are well into their careers and well-established, often with families, and probably in demand because they have proven track records of success. This means that most every suitable candidate has options and Mexico might not be the most attractive choice they have. All this is good, but it also indicates that the talent pool available for THIS job is very, very small. Where you might find 100 qualified Paint Ops people, only five of them are able and willing to move to Mexico. Those are not odds any contingency recuiter is going to take. And it is not that there is anything wrong with the job or Mexico, it is just the practical realities of finding talent when the parameters are tough.

NEA is a specialized firm - we are experts in solving problems like the one illustrated above. When you have truly exhausted every avenue you can think of, call us. We will solve the problem for you. 

As for our practice, NEA works on the manufacturing side of industry exclusively and we are not involved in the retail side of the business. Further, our Account Managers specialize in specific vehicle components and/or a functional disciplines and examples of both are presented in the table below. 

We have a proprietary database system that was developed for our exclusive use and it is used to track an individual's personal profile and career development and manage our client relationships. We do not rely upon internet candidate sourcing services such as CareerBuilder or Monster. Our candidates are either referred to us directly by industry professionals with whom we have personal and professional relationships or we refer to known sources to verify candidates with whom we are not familiar. 

We welcome your review of our capabilities. The list below presents component areas and functional disciplines that are common to the industry. To send us your resume or contact us to discuss our recruiting services, click here: Email NEA.

Why Should NEA Represent You?

If you are in the transportation industry or a related business - or would like to be - we would like to speak with you. We are a full service firm and we cover all vehicle component areas and functional disciplines from styling to production through aftermarket and performance products. This provides many very important benefits to you as a candidate. We are not all things to all people, but as the matrix box above shows, we understand the business at a very detailed level. This means that the recruiter working with you is likely to be very knowledgeable in your area and will probably know someone you work with - and may even know who you are - before you contact us.

Moreover, our commitment to you is that we will put your interests before our own. Check our references and you will find we mean what we say.

Why Should Your Company Hire NEA?

We have about ninety years of combined experience in the car business. As noted above, some of our recruiters have been awarded patents and others are experts in product development, program management, plant management, and other key areas. For example - we understand the Toyota Production System as it relates to the entire process of concepting, building, and retailing cars right through to their life in the used market and ultimate "deconstruction". You will not find a recruiting firm with a better understanding of the industry than NEA.

This expertise has enabled us to serve the aviation and agricultural industries with equal skill and knowledge. We have many clients that have drawn upon the expertise of automotive industry professionals to bring modern, high-volume production engineering and manufacturing expertise to aviation or the off-road equipment industry. We have the ability to identify talent within the car business that can transition to related industries such as aviation or agriculture and bring fresh thinking and energy to those industries.

We do not rely upon internet "bulletin board" services such as Monster and CareerBuilder. Our candidates generally arrive at NEA through personal referral or through their own effort to seek us out. There is no substitute for this level of knowledge about a candidate and it is not something that can be achieved using "digital referral". When candidates are unknown to us, we verify their background through known sources.

We subscribe to and use the DMXEdge© Candidate Profile System and will provide you those results on request at no charge. We create and administer Behavior Based Interviews for you at your request. We can develop and administer a wide variety of additional testing to suit your specific requirements.

We will send you candidates that are qualified. Qualified means that the candidate has the technical skills you require. Qualified means that the candidate has either been referred to us by someone we trust or we have researched their background with someone we trust. Qualified also means that the candidate is willing and able to relocate if necessary and is available in the compensation range you prefer. In short, qualified means qualified for YOUR job, not a generic job description. It is important to understand that no system of candidate sourcing is perfect. Each individual has wants and needs that change over time and as their understanding of their own career aspirations evolves. However, we are experts in assisting our candidates in understanding their objectives and crafting a strategy to help them achieve their goals. This concentration upon the needs of the people we represent enables us to produce successful placements time and time again. This is evidenced by our year-over-year retention rate - currently over 97%.

We can talk about our high standards all day long but the proof is in our warranty. At our standard fee rates, our warranty is one year, no questions asked. We stand behind our candidates because we have confidence in them. As a result, you can have confidence in NEA. 

Clicking on the boxes below will launch an email or move you to the page of your choice. If you have difficulty contacting us for any reason, email us at nea919@neagroup.com and we will respond directly.

Members: SAE, SPE, AICPA, The Turtle Club

Copyright © 1995-2015 NEA Automotive, Inc.

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