West Reading talent firm receives Forbes distinction ahead of rebrand

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Forbes named Gage Talent & Business Solutions, formerly Gage Personnel, among America’s top 200 best professional recruiting firms, best staffing firms and best executive recruiting firms. The distinction follows the West Reading recruitment firm’s recent service expansion and rebrand.

“For us to be in business now going on 40 years and to receive a distinction like that, I didn’t see it coming,” said Kristi Gage-Linderman, COO at Gage Talent & Business Solutions. “It gave all of us a sense of validation. The work that we’ve been doing, the way that we’ve been shifting and adapting what we do and how we do it—it’s been a lot of hard work.”

Gage-Linderman became COO in 2008 and is the third generation to lead the company founded by her grandmother in 1985. In 2021, Gage began evolving its offerings based on client feedback and developing services that aim to support business across all stages of growth.

“We’ve talked to a lot of hiring managers, business owners [and] HR talent that [are] left scratching their heads on how to recruit in this [post-covid] market,” Gage-Linderman said. “We’re locally owned and operated, so we could create on the spot and just kind of make that perfect fit, aside from your traditional [staffing] and search solutions.”

As the company transitions into its new era, Gage hopes to empower businesses through talent acquisition, contract staffing and business support solutions. Gage’s recruiters work with employers to find temporary and contract staffing, full cycle recruitment solutions, executive and professional searches, fractional recruiting and outsourced consulting services. The firm works with employees and job hunters across various specialties, including accounting, finance, administration, skilled trades and technical positions, among many other fields of expertise.

“[We want] to empower businesses and empower people,” Gage-Linderman said. “We’re trying to adapt quickly to the needs and the changes in the market and I think that’s what gives our employer-client companies that trust in us to see that we can adapt…We’re giving them the tools, the people, finding them the talent that they need.”

In addition to its family-owned status, Gage Talent & Business Solutions is a women-owned business and WBENC Certified Diversity Supplier.

“Lucky for me, I get to be the third generation in our family business and I’m grateful because [of] the path that has been set before me,” Gage-Linderman said. “My grandmother set the foundation, my parents, especially mom, really helped to build the heart of the business.”

Gage-Linderman’s work is heavily influenced by values like innovation, connection and heart, exemplified by the three generations of leadership before her. One way these values manifest, according to Gage-Linderman, is through the organization’s ongoing conversation between employers and candidates.

“We’ve got boots on the ground so we’re talking to candidates all day every day about what their goals are, what they’re looking for, and we also see in the market what different employers are offering and looking to do…It’s real people, real connections. You’re not going to some internet web browser, putting in your name, and hoping to connect with somebody,” she commented, noting how AI is becoming more of a prevalent tool larger recruitment companies lean on. “One of our goals and part of our passion is to keep it real [and] at least know we’re on their team, we’re here to help, whether that’s a candidate or a business.”

Despite its national ranking, evolving services and expansion into new markets, Gage says it is determined to prioritize local service.

“We’re not going to be a national or global brand, we want to stay independent, but that is what allows us to meet the needs of literally every employer,” Gage-Linderman said. “I’m doing everything in my power to empower our businesses, our people, our employees. I love seeing them grow and I love the potential.”