Exclusive: Houston search firm and consultancy partner to help downsized energy workers find jobs

HOUSTON - Feb. 10, 2015 - PRLog -- Houston-based Search Group International and Houston-based fikser.us have formed a partnership to access the influx of newly displaced energy professionals and place them in positions with their respective middle-market clients.

Search Group International specializes in talent placement for midmarket companies while fikser.us consults companies on strategies for going to market for buyers or acquisition targets.

"We think that the layoffs that are going through the oil and gas community in Houston will provide great talent for emerging and growing companies," said Todd Brinegar (http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/search/results?q=Todd), managing partner at fikser.us.

Fikser.us has been looking for such a partner for roughly a year, landing on SGI roughly four or five months ago, Brinegar said.

For fikser.us, SGI offers a new client base in their professional recruitment customers. For SGI, fikser.us brings an extra layer of consulting that extends outside of executive recruitment, said Brinegar.

Houston's major energy companies have been cutting jobs (http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2015/02/b...) left and right in the wake of falling oil prices, and the middle-market companies that have transaction options — excluding companies that have to transact due to hard times — are going to be some of the biggest usurpers of that workforce.

"There are literally hundreds of those (kinds of companies)," said Brinegar.

While nothing is being discussed at the moment, Brinegar acknowledges that the partnership could one day result in a formal merger of some kind.

"The oil and gas pricing difficulties has definitely put a crimp in the business," said Brinegar, which factors into fikser's efforts to diversify into manufacturing, tech and construction going forward.

"For executive search, often times you go in and find the person, and you're done," said Brian Newkirk (http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/search/results?q=Brian), managing partner at SGI.

By adding consulting onto the professional placement service, "you're less likely to be viewed as a commodity and more likely to be viewed as a value-add to organizations, instead of just a search firm," added Newkirk.

There is actually a natural synergy between cut oil and gas workers' skills and the positions that are in high demand in manufacturing and construction. So much so that despite the market volatility, workers cut from oil and gas are seeing big salary gains in their new positions, said Newkirk.

This may be a comfort to the cut workers who are considering filing lawsuits (http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2015/01/c...) under the Fair Labor Standards Act to recoup some additional income after their job looses.
Suzanne Edwards covers money and law for the Houston Business Journal. Follow her on Twitter for (https://twitter.com/HBJsuzanne)