Glenn Bernstein ’86

Member of Adelphi University’s Profiles in Success program.

Chief Operating Officer, Temporary Division
The Execu|Search Group

Getting a job is a job in itself. Glenn Bernstein ’86, chief operating officer of the professional recruitment and temporary staffing firm, The Execu|Search Group, would know.

As COO of The Execu|Search Group’s temporary division, Bernstein and his team address the temporary staffing needs of both employees and employers. They find qualified professionals to fill temporary roles in industries ranging from accounting/finance and financial services to information technology to health services to legal services, human resources, and office support. “We assess our candidates’ skills and our clients’ needs to ensure that we match the right professional with the right opportunity,” he said.

Bernstein said it’s not uncommon for his staff to meet with candidates who are unprepared for the interview process—and they will make sure candidates are ready by the time they are sitting in front of prospective employers.

“We are preparing candidates to be ready to present their resumes, navigate the interview process and respond to questions,” he said. “You are not going to get that many chances to get up at bat. You must do what you can to help yourself to succeed.”

The candidates the Execu|Search Group’s temporary division work with run the gamut from entry level college graduates to experienced career professionals. “We see a lot of people looking to make job and career changes.” Bernstein explained that many individuals come to do temp work as a way of getting involved in a new industry and transferring their skills.

“I often tell people who have been out of work for a period of time that unless you are interviewing on a regular basis, take on a temporary job,” he said. “Sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring is foolish at a certain level when you could be working, getting a pay check, keeping your skills fresh and meeting people in the workplace who could influence a job opportunity for you at that place or somewhere else.”

With nearly 30 years of experience, Bernstein is a veteran in the recruiting and staffing industry. At The Execu|Search Group, he has played a major role in building the firm into the industry-leader it is today.

When he joined Execu|Search in 1997, there were just 14 employees with two focused in the temp area and 40 assigned temporary workers. Bernstein was hired as the partner in charge of growing and managing the temporary staffing division—and he did just that. Today Execu|Search has more than 250 people on staff and nearly 2,000 temporary employees working for The Execu|Search Group in the field.

Headquartered in New York City, The Execu|Search Group has ten offices in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Florida.

In over three decades in his field, Bernstein has seen the industry continue to evolve. “Technology has changed the way we go about job searches. Everything has gone online,” he said. “LinkedIn is a tool that has created so many opportunities for people to connect and network and has allowed everyone to build and promote their own brand.”

When it comes to thinking about his own success and his company’s growth, Bernstein said it all comes down to people. “This business is about relationships,” he said. “From the recruiters to the clients to the candidates—it’s all about the people.”

That person-focused outlook drives his whole business philosophy: “Treat the client’s trust as sacred. Listen to what your candidates are really saying. Look out for the interests of your client and candidates. Communicate clearly and openly; be fair and ethical and everything falls in place,” he said.