1871 adds in-house recruiter, VP in charge of
educational efforts
Laura Fendrich said
hiring is strategic and she will help companies look beyond just finding
employees with the right technical skills. (1871 photo)
By John Carpenter, @ScoopCarp,
Blue Sky Reporter
July 8, 2014, 1 p.m.
July 8, 2014, 1 p.m.
As competition heats up in the coworking space, 1871, the
dean of Chicago's incubators, keeps upping the ante on services.
Officials at the Merchandise Mart-based coworking space
introduced in-house recruiter Laura Fendrich to members Monday, along with details
about how they can use her services as they staff up. It also announced George
Vukotich as vice president of programming, in which he will help 1871 improve
its educational efforts.
1871 CEO Howard Tullman emphasized that Fendrich’s fees —
$250 for the job search, plus $750 if she fills a non-technical position and
$1,250 if she fills a technical position — would be far less than those of
recruiting firms, which he said startups aren’t prepared to pay.
“It’s one of the most time-consuming, and costly things a
startup has to do,” Tullman said of talent recruiting. “And yet it’s one of the
most important things they do.”
Fendrich, who comes to 1871 from the tech staffing firm
Hirewell, said recruiting isn’t just about lining up technical qualifications with
available jobs.
“Hiring is strategic,” she said. “It’s definitely about
quality, not just: ‘Let’s find some body we can put in a seat.’”
Fendrich said she sometimes will help companies look beyond
technical skills, adding “I may be telling them to make a compromise on the
technical aspect, for someone who brings that strategic piece.”
Vukotich has been working as dean of the College of Business
and head of veterans affairs at Concordia University. He starts July 14 at 1871
and will be in charge of increasing mentorship and workshop opportunities and
of other initiatives, according to an email to 1871 members.
“We are extremely
excited about this effort, which we believe is one of the critical
distinguishing factors between 1871 and the growing number of coffee bars and
desk rental operations that aspire to be at our level,” the email from Tullman
and COO Tom Alexander said of Vukotich's new role.
