South Florida Tech HubSouth Florida Tech Hub

By Nikki Cabus

StevenDouglas celebrates 40 years in business as recruiting leaders

Read Time 4 Minutes

StevenDouglas, a national search and interim resources firm founded in Miami in 1983, officially turns 40 years old.

Over the last 40 years, StevenDouglas has become a nationally recognized, Top 25 firm in the U.S. offering Executive Search, Professional Recruiting, Technology Staffing & Interim Resource services, with over twenty-five locations domestically, as well as a presence in Latin America and Canada. StevenDouglas has grown over 2500% since 2005, making it one of the fastest-growing firms in America.

The firm has a lot to celebrate as they have not only solidified their dominance in Florida being ranked the #1 Executive Search firm in the state, but the company has also made substantial gains over the last decade to become a top recruiting firm in the U.S.

In March of 2023, StevenDouglas moved to new updated, state-of-the-art offices in Broward County to support their on-going national expansion to over 25 markets in the U.S. as well as a presence in Latin America and Canada.

Adriana Duque, Director Of Client Services at StevenDouglas, posted a recent social media post stating, “Absolutely thrilled to share this incredible milestone with you all!  I’m honored to work with such an amazing organization. A personal thank you to our clients and candidates for trusting in us. Here’s to many more years of success.” Adriana is also a South Florida Tech Hub Ambassador and involved technology community member.

Founder Steve Sadaka and CEO Matthew Shore have opportunistically grown the firm from 1 office and 15 employees into a national business with 25 offices and over 165 professionals and over 450 active project associates and consultants.  This rapid expansion was based on their belief that by providing exceptional services to clients and working closely with them as trusted advisors, you’re able to create successful outcomes.  The firm’s success is evident as it reached the milestone of $130 million in revenue in 2022 and has been the recipient of various awards and top rankings in recent months.

“On this big milestone anniversary, I am feeling grateful for the trust and confidence that our amazing clients, candidates and employees have put in us for so many years”, said StevenDouglas Founder & Chairman Steve Sadaka who went on to say, “I remain committed to our roots as a boutique high-touch service business, with a great culture where employees can be themselves and enjoy coming to work, while having great opportunities to grow personally and professionally.  We are doing something special here and I can’t imagine the last 40 years any other way.”

StevenDouglas is also celebrating the firm’s unprecedented evolution over the last decade, being honored this year with multiple awards including being named on the prestigious Inc. 5000 which celebrates the fastest-growing private companies in the United States.  StevenDouglas’ dominance of the Florida market after 40 years in business has brought many firm accolades in 2023, including being ranked #1 Executive Search Firm in South Florida by the South Florida Business Journal (SFBJ) and appearing on the Hunt Scanlon Top 25 Executive Search Firm list which ranks firms across the Americas. These rankings position StevenDouglas as not only the #1 Executive Search firm in Florida, but also in the southeastern United States.  They were also recognized by the SFBJ as the Business of the Year in the $100-250m category and Best Places to Work.

StevenDouglas CEO Matt Shore said about the firm turning 40 this year, “It’s an honor every day to lead such an amazing team and be a part of a South Florida mainstay that companies have counted on since the early 1980’s.  Over the last two decades we’ve used our drive and passion for excellence to expand our footprint and capabilities to be able to serve a broader client base and create more positive outcomes for our clients and candidates.

While StevenDouglas reaffirms its commitment to creating great outcomes for the clients and candidates they serve, the last 40 years is proof that this recruiting firm is equally committed to cultivating an incredible corporate culture for its employees and supporting the community by partnering with various local causes and non-profits.

StevenDouglas states its mission is “To be committed to a culture where experienced recruiting and client service professionals can truly act as trusted advisors that care about people and put relationships first, act with integrity, and give back to the community all while providing industry leading services”.  At 25 years old, when Steve Sadaka founded StevenDouglas as a Search firm in Miami specializing in Accounting and Finance recruiting, he never dreamed he’d be here 40 years later with offices across the country. The one thing he always knew is that he wanted to make a positive impact with his business.  StevenDouglas has clearly lived up to Steve’s goal over the last four decades and is banking on the fact that this kind of perspective will serve them to continue to grow over the next 40 years.

To learn more about StevenDouglas, visit https://www.stevendouglas.com/

By Riley Kaminer

Member Spotlight | StevenDouglas

Read Time 3 Minutes

Business: One of the nation’s leading boutique Search and Interim Resources firms, is a recognized leader in identifying and providing access to top talent for clients. Their client base is industry agnostic and ranges from start-ups and emerging middle-market to Fortune 500 companies and private equity firms. 

Founded: 1984

HQ: Fort Lauderdale

Website: StevenDouglas.com

 

Navigating today’s hiring landscape can be tricky. An all-time high number of job postings combined with increasing macroeconomic uncertainty makes the hiring process difficult for employers and employees alike.

Fort Lauderdale-based recruiting firm StevenDouglas can help. They act as trusted advisors, equipping their clients and candidates with the necessary tools for success. StevenDouglas takes a long-term perspective, focusing on forging long lasting partnerships in the industry.

Adriana Duque is Director of Client Services at StevenDouglas. In this role, she helps StevenDouglas’s tech clients fill a wide range of roles – from software engineering and UI/UX to business analytics and AI.

“The talent market is very tight right now,” she told South Florida Tech Hub. “Because of the prominence of remote working, the South Florida tech community is no longer competing just with other local organizations – but with organizations nationwide.” 

That said, Duque noted that the remote work revolution has also led to more talent and more tech companies moving to South Florida. She also expressed excitement about the influx of talent from bootcamps and graduates with tech-focused degrees. “It’s going to take a while to impact the talent market though,” she acknowledged.

Another major issue: compensation. “I believe that South Florida hasn’t caught up to the increase in salaries we see from companies from New York, for example,” she noted. 

But Duque urges firms to provide other benefits to lure top talent, such as remote working. “It’s a candidate-driven market right now,” she explained. “And when I talk to talent, they tell me that they don’t mind going into the office once or twice a week, but really they want to be primarily remote.”

As native South Floridian who has been recruiting in this market for over 20 years, Duque is passionate about helping lift up our local tech ecosystem. “South Florida Tech Hub has really been driving the mission of establishing South Florida as a top location for technology,” she asserted.

“My take is that if you build it, they will come,” Duque continued. “So we’re building it and companies are clearly starting to come.”

Duque also shared some key tips for tech employees looking for their next role. Top of the list: building a relationship with recruiters. “It’s all about timing. If you build a relationship with a recruiter and keep them posted on your job search, they’ll let you know as soon as there is a relevant opening.”

She also urges job seekers to do their homework. “It’s really important to do research. Don’t just send your resume through a website. Look into who the hiring manager is and send a message directly to them. It goes a long way.”

“Looking for a job is a full-time job,” she said. “The more effort you put into it, and the more you apply to jobs, the more likely you are to get another job.”

StevenDouglas celebrates 40 years in business as recruiting leaders
Member Spotlight | StevenDouglas