Sheldon Baker, NutraInk04.01.15
Ms. Marturano is co-founder and director of recruitment for Orchid Holistic Search, a permanent placement holistic recruitment service for functional/integrative physicians and the natural products industry. She conducts searches primarily in cGMP manufacturing operations, marketing and sales, and product development. After earning a sales and business marketing degree from Western Michigan University, Ms. Marturano’s early recruitment career was focused on clients in the automotive industry in metro Detroit. She started to discover her true calling after expanding her client network into the not-for-profit sector and forming relationships with mission-driven organizations.
In 2009, Ms. Marturano met Dr. Matt Marturano, a naturopathic physician and proponent of natural, healthy living. Together, they had a vision of a recruitment company where holistic principles are infused into the process in order to create a win-win environment for candidates and clients. Orchid Holistic Search is now celebrating five years serving the natural products industry with successful placements in mission-critical and leadership level positions.
Health E-Insights: Why is holistic recruitment perfect for the natural products industry?
Ms. Marturano: Holistic recruitment is about applying conscious business practices to the process of recruiting. Our core values are transparency, flexibility and responsiveness. Since so many of our clients already incorporate mindfulness into their daily operations, we find the recruitment process is naturally synergistic with their culture.
Health E-Insights: How has your business changed in the past three years?
Ms. Marturano: cGMP operations continue to be a primary focus for our clients. We are seeing changes in terms of the candidate market becoming more competitive as the natural products industry makes moves to increase compliance and appeal to wider market segments.
Health E-Insights: How does your firm work with potential job candidates?
Ms. Marturano: Holistic recruitment is more than just matching a job description to a resume. It’s about getting to know the intrinsic motivations of our candidates and ensuring a strong alignment with the strategic vision of our clients. We do this by fostering relationships with our candidates that enable us to understand them as a whole person.
Health E-Insights: Is it easy to find and retain skilled employees?
Ms. Marturano: It’s easy to find people interested in transitioning their career into naturals. However, finding and retaining employees with industry-specific skill sets is more difficult as they are typically immersed in their work and not actively looking at job boards. Our clients engage us when they have time-sensitive critical roles requiring specific industry expertise and acumen.
Health E-Insights: Any significant trends in the holistic industry?
Ms. Marturano: Transparency is definitely a hot buzzword. As shoppers evolve, we are seeing a shift from broad identifiers like all-natural to more meaningful descriptors like clean label and ethically-sourced. Consumers want more than just a healthy product. They want to buy from companies that are doing good, elevating people and the planet. Similarly, we notice our clients becoming more discerning about which third-party services they choose to partner with.
Health E-Insights: What do you do outside of work to help you be better at your job?
Ms. Marturano: Spending a few hours per week moving and breathing on my yoga mat keeps me balanced and grounded. Nourishing myself and my loved ones is very important to me. And I enjoy creating and cooking healthy, flavorful meals. My business partner (and husband) and I love learning about people and culture through traveling the world. I also find banging my djembe after a long week is a fantastic stress reliever.
Health E-Insights: What motivates you?
Ms. Marturano: My motivation comes from helping people and making meaningful connections, both personally and professionally. Hearing from a recently placed candidate who is flourishing in their career and loving the work/life balance they have found with one of my clients brings me immense joy and satisfaction. NW
Sheldon Baker
AHPA
Sheldon Baker is well-known for creating nutraceutical brand marketing and public relations campaigns. He serves as vice president strategic engagement for the American Herbal Products Association. For Health E-Insights interview consideration, contact him at Sheldon@NutraInk.com. And follow him on Twitter @NutraInk.
In 2009, Ms. Marturano met Dr. Matt Marturano, a naturopathic physician and proponent of natural, healthy living. Together, they had a vision of a recruitment company where holistic principles are infused into the process in order to create a win-win environment for candidates and clients. Orchid Holistic Search is now celebrating five years serving the natural products industry with successful placements in mission-critical and leadership level positions.
Health E-Insights: Why is holistic recruitment perfect for the natural products industry?
Ms. Marturano: Holistic recruitment is about applying conscious business practices to the process of recruiting. Our core values are transparency, flexibility and responsiveness. Since so many of our clients already incorporate mindfulness into their daily operations, we find the recruitment process is naturally synergistic with their culture.
Health E-Insights: How has your business changed in the past three years?
Ms. Marturano: cGMP operations continue to be a primary focus for our clients. We are seeing changes in terms of the candidate market becoming more competitive as the natural products industry makes moves to increase compliance and appeal to wider market segments.
Health E-Insights: How does your firm work with potential job candidates?
Ms. Marturano: Holistic recruitment is more than just matching a job description to a resume. It’s about getting to know the intrinsic motivations of our candidates and ensuring a strong alignment with the strategic vision of our clients. We do this by fostering relationships with our candidates that enable us to understand them as a whole person.
Health E-Insights: Is it easy to find and retain skilled employees?
Ms. Marturano: It’s easy to find people interested in transitioning their career into naturals. However, finding and retaining employees with industry-specific skill sets is more difficult as they are typically immersed in their work and not actively looking at job boards. Our clients engage us when they have time-sensitive critical roles requiring specific industry expertise and acumen.
Health E-Insights: Any significant trends in the holistic industry?
Ms. Marturano: Transparency is definitely a hot buzzword. As shoppers evolve, we are seeing a shift from broad identifiers like all-natural to more meaningful descriptors like clean label and ethically-sourced. Consumers want more than just a healthy product. They want to buy from companies that are doing good, elevating people and the planet. Similarly, we notice our clients becoming more discerning about which third-party services they choose to partner with.
Health E-Insights: What do you do outside of work to help you be better at your job?
Ms. Marturano: Spending a few hours per week moving and breathing on my yoga mat keeps me balanced and grounded. Nourishing myself and my loved ones is very important to me. And I enjoy creating and cooking healthy, flavorful meals. My business partner (and husband) and I love learning about people and culture through traveling the world. I also find banging my djembe after a long week is a fantastic stress reliever.
Health E-Insights: What motivates you?
Ms. Marturano: My motivation comes from helping people and making meaningful connections, both personally and professionally. Hearing from a recently placed candidate who is flourishing in their career and loving the work/life balance they have found with one of my clients brings me immense joy and satisfaction. NW
Sheldon Baker
AHPA
Sheldon Baker is well-known for creating nutraceutical brand marketing and public relations campaigns. He serves as vice president strategic engagement for the American Herbal Products Association. For Health E-Insights interview consideration, contact him at Sheldon@NutraInk.com. And follow him on Twitter @NutraInk.