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#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Ken Mertz
Employee Spotlight: Ken Mertz
At Green Key, our recruiters bring more than industry knowledge to the table. They bring curiosity, relationships, and a genuine understanding of the people and businesses they work with. This month, we’re highlighting Ken Mertz, Senior Recruiter on our IT team, whose career began on the technical side of the industry before he discovered a passion for solving a different kind of problem: connecting people with the right opportunities.
From IT to Recruiting
Ken’s career began on the technical side of IT. With an IT degree and experience working on a corporate help desk before moving into the managed services provider (MSP) world, he developed a strong technical foundation before making the transition into recruiting.
“I got into recruiting because I liked the people problem more than the technical one,” Ken explains. “Seven years later, that’s still true.”
That combination of technical knowledge and a people-focused approach has become a defining part of Ken’s recruiting style.
Finding the Right Fit at Green Key
When Ken was considering his next career move, the quality of Green Key’s client relationships was a major factor in his decision.
“Strong, stable clients with good cultures make a huge difference when you’re trying to place someone well,” he says.
Since joining Green Key, the support from his colleagues has stood out most.
“People here are quick to help without being asked,” Ken says. “There’s a real sense that everyone’s working toward goals together instead of just looking out for their own desk.”
For Ken, that combination of autonomy and collaboration is an important part of what makes Green Key different.
A Passion for Technology
Ken’s technical background also gives him a unique perspective as an IT recruiter. He genuinely enjoys the technology he recruits for, which makes connecting with candidates and clients feel less like a job and more like a conversation about a subject he’s passionate about.
“A lot of my day is just talking tech with other tech-minded people,” he says. “That’s the best part, because it doesn’t really feel like work when you’re interested in the subject.”
That passion has become even more valuable as the IT landscape continues to evolve.
Over the course of his career, Ken has seen security move from a niche specialty to a core function, infrastructure shift increasingly to the cloud, and AI roles emerge faster than many companies can define them.
With candidates having more options than ever, Ken sees his role as more than simply connecting people with open positions.
“A big part of my job is guiding people through the process and setting clear expectations on both sides.”
What Makes a Great IT Recruiter?
For Ken, the most important quality in an IT recruiter is curiosity.
Recruiters don’t need to be technical experts themselves, but they do need to be willing to learn. Understanding the technology, the role, and the tech stack behind a position allows recruiters to have more meaningful conversations with candidates and earn the trust of their clients.
“If you understand the work, candidates take you seriously and clients trust your read,” he says.
Some of Ken’s most rewarding placements have been candidates who weren’t an obvious fit at first glance. He enjoys taking a closer look at their experience, identifying the skills that may not immediately stand out on paper, and helping clients see the potential he sees in the candidate. When that extra advocacy leads to an interview – and ultimately a job – it makes the placement especially meaningful.
Making an Impact Beyond the Job
For Ken, the most rewarding part of recruiting is knowing that a placement can have an impact far beyond someone’s next position.
“Landing someone a job I know will change the trajectory of their career in a positive way” is what keeps him motivated, he says. That impact can extend to the candidate’s family as well, making the work feel even more meaningful.
It’s a perspective that keeps the people behind the job description at the center of Ken’s approach.
Advice for Future Recruiters
For anyone considering a career in recruiting, especially in IT, Ken’s advice is simple: stay curious.
“Learn the technology far enough to hold a real conversation and ask your clients why a requirement is on the job description,” he says.
He also emphasizes the importance of being open to constructive criticism. Recruiting is a career built through experience, conversations, and continuous learning, and being willing to listen and adapt can make all the difference.
Beyond the Office
Outside of work, Ken has another role: chef.
“I’m the chef in the house,” he says. “I love to cook, and I’m a bit of a health nut about it. My family eats well whether they like it or not.”
Whether he’s talking technology, advocating for a candidate, or cooking for his family, Ken brings the same curiosity and commitment to everything he does.
Interested in building your career at Green Key?
Explore our current opportunities and learn more about what it’s like to be part of our team on our Join Green Key page.
Mary Baynard Named to the Talent 100
Mary Baynard Named to the Talent 100
Green Key is proud to announce that Mary Baynard, Director, has been named to the Talent 100 Class of 2026, a prestigious recognition honoring exceptional leaders and practitioners shaping the future of talent acquisition. This well-deserved achievement reflects Mary’s leadership, dedication to her team, and commitment to building meaningful relationships with clients and candidates.
Before recruiting, Baynard spent six to seven years working in casting for Broadway and feature films. When COVID disrupted the entertainment industry, a former assistant at Green Key encouraged her to consider recruitment. The move proved to be a natural fit, combining her experience evaluating people with her ability to understand what roles actually require.
Today, Baynard leads a national team of eleven within one of Green Key’s largest departments, placing candidates across entry-level, mid-career, and executive roles.
“I think the best recruiters in the field treat recruitment as a people-first business.”
Her approach to AI reflects the same philosophy. Baynard sees AI as a tool for reducing administrative work, supporting outreach, sourcing candidates, and organizing information – not as a replacement for the relationships at the heart of recruiting.
For Baynard, the best recruiters look beyond simply filling a requisition. They consider the long-term fit for both the client and candidate, while staying open to career paths people may not have considered themselves.
About the Talent 100
The Talent 100 is an annual recognition of up to 100 leaders in each category who are pushing HR and talent acquisition forward, organized by Noon AI. Honorees are selected through peer nominations and independent selection committees, based on professional impact, craft, and influence on the future of recruiting.
To read the full feature: visit The Talent 100’s website!
World Cup Watch Party
World Cup Semifinal Watch Party Brings the Team Together
At Green Key, we believe a strong workplace culture is built through meaningful connections—and sometimes those connections happen over pizza, snacks, and a highly anticipated World Cup match.
This week, our NYC team gathered for a World Cup Semifinal Watch Party to watch Argentina take on England. The event gave employees an opportunity to step away from their desks, enjoy the excitement of one of the world’s biggest sporting events, and spend time with colleagues from across the organization.
While we’re passionate about the work we do, we’re equally committed to creating opportunities for our teams to connect outside of their day-to-day responsibilities. Throughout the year, Green Key hosts a variety of employee-focused events, celebrations, volunteer initiatives, and social gatherings designed to foster collaboration, strengthen relationships, and create a workplace where people genuinely enjoy being part of the team.
Whether it’s celebrating holidays, supporting charitable causes, recognizing milestones, or gathering around a major sporting event, these moments help reinforce the culture that defines Green Key—a culture built on teamwork, community, and genuine connection.
A big thank you to everyone who joined us for the watch party. We look forward to continuing to create experiences that bring our team together and make Green Key a great place to work.
Flexibility Meets Performance: The Impact of Green Key’s Hybrid Work Schedule
Flexibility Meets Performance: The Impact of Green Key’s Hybrid Work Schedule
The conversation around workplace flexibility has evolved significantly over the past few years. Like many organizations, Green Key Resources evaluated what work should look like for our employees, clients, and candidates in 2026. In March, we implemented a new hybrid work schedule with four-days in-office, floating work from home days, and 10 “work anywhere” weeks specifically designed to balance flexibility with the benefits of in-person collaboration.
The goal wasn’t to return to old ways of working. It was to create an environment where collaboration happens naturally, knowledge is shared more freely, and teams can work together more effectively.
A few months later, we looked at the data to understand the impact.
The results were clear.
The Business Impact Was Immediate
Since implementing our hybrid work schedule, Green Key has experienced measurable growth across the business. Overall gross margin increased by approximately 8% compared to the period prior to the policy change. This growth was driven largely by permanent placement activity, with permanent placement gross margin increasing by approximately 14%.
Multiple practice areas also showed significant gains during the same timeframe, including Accounting & Finance, Professional Services, Architecture, Engineering & Construction (AEC), and IT.
But revenue was only part of the story.
The more compelling finding was what happened across the day-to-day activities that drive recruiting success.
Collaboration Drove Activity and Productivity Across the Firm
Recruiting is, and always will be, a relationship-driven business. Success depends on communication, coaching, market intelligence, candidate engagement, business development, and the ability to solve problems together in real time.
Following the transition to our hybrid work format, we saw meaningful growth across many of the key productivity and activity metrics that drive recruiting success.
- Job orders posted and qualified increased by nearly 140%, creating significantly more opportunities to connect clients with top talent.
- Call activity progressed from 60.0% of the annual goal in March to 72.2% by June.
- Email activity increased from 53.8% to 65.4% of the annual goal.
- Database growth goals improved from 60.1% to 71.5%
- Task completion goals increased from 34.1% to 48.3%.
- Business development activity saw some of the strongest gains: Client prospecting increased from 6.9% of the annual goal in March to 26.7% by June, representing a nearly 300% relative increase in goal progress.
- Client qualification efforts also gained momentum, with May 2026 exceeding the monthly goal at 136.6%!
What makes these results particularly noteworthy is their breadth. We didn’t see growth isolated to one team, office, or specialty. Positive momentum was reflected across recruiting activity, business development, candidate engagement, database management, and revenue generation.
In short, when more people collaborated, more opportunities were created.
What We Learned
This isn’t an argument that every company should adopt the same workplace model. Every organization has unique goals, challenges, and cultural dynamics.
From revenue growth and business development activity to recruiting productivity and external engagement, the positive impact was reflected across multiple areas of the business rather than a single team, office, or function.
Rather than focusing on where people work, our experience suggests a more important question:
What Environment Best Supports Collaboration, Learning, Relationship-Building, and Performance?
For us, the answer has become increasingly clear.
The data tells an important story, but our people are the reason behind it. Every conversation, coaching moment, client meeting, placement, and team collaboration contributed to these results.
As Green Key continues to grow, we’re looking for professionals who want to be part of a high-performing, collaborative culture that is helping shape the future of recruiting.
Ready to Join Green Key?
If you’re looking for an opportunity to build meaningful relationships, drive business impact, and grow alongside some of the industry’s top recruiting professionals, we’d love to hear from you.
Ready to be part of a team that’s thriving in today’s dynamic recruiting landscape? Visit our Join GKR page and complete our intake form to start a conversation with our Talent Acquisition team!
Green Key Resources Training Program
How Green Key Prepares Entry-Level Recruiters for Success: Inside Our Training Program
Starting a career in recruiting can feel overwhelming without the right foundation. At Green Key Resources, we take a different approach. We invest in structured training that prepares new hires before they begin working on the floor.
To measure the impact of this approach, we surveyed our most recent hiring class after completing our internal recruiting training program. The results reinforce what we believe as a firm: when you invest in people early, they perform better, ramp faster, and stay more engaged.
90% of New Hires Felt Prepared to Start Recruiting
Confidence is one of the biggest indicators of early success in recruiting.
According to our survey:
- Nearly all participants reported feeling prepared to begin their roles, with the majority selecting “very prepared” across core areas like recruiting fundamentals and day-to-day responsibilities
- Trainees consistently said the program gave them the confidence to handle real candidate conversations and recruiting workflows before officially joining their teams
One participant shared: “If I was asked to jump into recruiting on day one, I would have been lost. After training, I felt confident saying I could do the job.”
Hands-On Recruiting Training Drives Faster Ramp Time
The most valuable part of the program was not just learning concepts. It was applying them in real scenarios.
Top-rated training components included:
- Role-playing real recruiting conversations
- Hands-on CRM and system training
- Interactive group projects and assessments
These elements helped reduce the learning curve once new hires transitioned to their teams. Instead of observing, they practiced.
Guest Speakers Across Divisions Were a Standout Highlight
One of the most impactful parts of the program was exposure to experienced recruiters across the business. We brought in top performers from multiple teams and divisions to share:
- How they built their careers at Green Key
- What success looks like in different verticals
- Real stories from working on the floor
Survey responses consistently identified guest speakers as one of the most valuable parts of the program. These sessions gave new hires visibility into different career paths at Green Key, and helped them better understand how their role fits into the larger organization.
One trainee shared: “Hearing different success stories from people across the company made me feel more motivated and confident that I could succeed here.”
A Structured Training Program That Prioritizes Fundamentals
Green Key’s training program follows a deliberate structure:
- Build foundational recruiting knowledge
- Introduce systems and tools
- Apply skills through real-world scenarios
This progression was highlighted as a key strength in the survey.
Participants noted that:
- Starting with fundamentals helped create clarity
- Transitioning into systems and application felt natural
- The structure made the learning process easier to follow
Why this matters: Many recruiting roles expect immediate production. Our approach focuses on building knowledge first, so new hires can perform with confidence, not guesswork.
A Supportive Environment from Day One
Another consistent theme from the survey was the level of support provided during training.
Participants reported:
- Strong access to trainers and leadership
- Quick responses to questions
- A collaborative and encouraging learning environment
This support played a major role in how engaged and confident trainees felt. One participant explained: “They were always available to answer questions and genuinely wanted us to succeed.”
Why Training Investment Matters in Recruiting
Recruiting is a performance-driven industry. Early success depends on:
- Confidence
- Communication skills
- Understanding expectations
- Real-world experience
The survey results reinforce that structured onboarding improves all four areas.
While some participants noted that the program felt longer than expected, the feedback consistently emphasized that the time investment was worthwhile.
“It may have been a longer process, but it made the transition onto a team much smoother.”
What This Means for Candidates Exploring Recruiting Careers
If you are new to recruiting, the company you choose will directly impact your long-term success.
At Green Key, our training program is designed to:
- Build confidence before performance is expected
- Provide real experience before full responsibility
- Connect you with leaders and teams across the business
- Create a strong foundation for career growth
“It’s a detailed and hands-on program that teaches everything you need before starting the job.”
Start Your Recruiting Career with the Right Foundation
Green Key’s training program reflects a core belief. When you invest in people early, you create stronger teams, better outcomes, and long-term success. If you are considering starting a career in recruiting, choosing the right environment matters!
At Green Key Resources, you will receive the training, support, and hands-on experience needed to build confidence before stepping into the role.
Visit our website to learn more about working at Green Key Resources and fill out our intake form to start the conversation with our Talent Acquisition team!
#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Caroline Duffy
Employee Spotlight: Caroline Duffy
At Green Key, our recruiters do more than fill positions – they build lasting relationships, create career-changing opportunities, and make a meaningful impact on the industries they serve. This month, we’re highlighting Caroline Duffy, Healthcare Recruiter in our New York City office.
After beginning her recruiting career at another agency, Caroline joined Green Key looking for new opportunities to grow her career while expanding her client relationships. Since then, she’s taken on new leadership responsibilities, built lasting partnerships with candidates and clients, and continues to make an impact within the healthcare industry.
Building a Career Around People
Originally from New Jersey, Caroline attended Binghamton University, where she studied Human Development and minored in Spanish. While working in the university’s admissions office during her senior year, she discovered a passion for recruiting.
“I loved meeting people, learning what motivated them, and helping them make important decisions about their future,” she says. “Recruiting turned out to be the perfect mix of relationship-building, problem-solving, and helping people find opportunities that can genuinely change their lives.”
Although she explored both in-house and agency recruiting after graduation, the fast pace and variety of agency recruiting quickly won her over.
Finding the Right Fit at Green Key
After spending four years at her previous recruiting firm, Caroline was ready for her next challenge.
“What initially attracted me to Green Key was the growth opportunity and the transparency of the leadership team,” she explains. “Since joining, what’s stood out most is that the culture has truly lived up to what was promised.”
She describes Green Key as collaborative, supportive, and constantly focused on improvement.
“Leadership is approachable, people genuinely want to see each other succeed, and new ideas are always welcomed. There’s a lot of trust and autonomy, while still having teammates who are always willing to share ideas and celebrate each other’s successes.”
Making an Impact in Healthcare
While Caroline jokes that she’s “way too scared of needles” for a clinical career, healthcare recruiting has allowed her to combine her interest in the industry with her passion for helping others.
“I love knowing that while I’m not the one caring for patients, the people I place are making a real impact every day.”
For Caroline, successful recruiting starts with listening.
“The best recruiters aren’t just trying to fill a role as quickly as possible,” she says. “They take the time to understand people’s goals, motivations, and what will actually make them successful. The most rewarding placements are the ones where both the candidate and the client are still happy years later.”
One recent placement perfectly illustrates that philosophy. Caroline recently helped place a Director of Nursing overseeing services for individuals with developmental disabilities. Despite a highly competitive candidate pool for the fully remote role, one candidate stood out because of her genuine passion for the organization’s mission.
“Seeing her receive the offer was incredibly rewarding because it felt like such a natural fit for both her and the organization,” Caroline says. “Those are the placements that remind me why I love recruiting.”
Growing as a Leader
Since joining Green Key, one of Caroline’s biggest professional milestones has been stepping into a leadership role and managing a team of four recruiters.
“It’s taught me a lot about communication, adaptability, and how to support different personalities and working styles,” she says. “Seeing my team members grow and succeed has been one of the most rewarding parts of the experience.”
Advice for Future Recruiters
For anyone considering a career in recruiting, Caroline encourages patience and curiosity.
“Nobody knows everything on day one, and honestly, some of the best lessons come from the deals that don’t go your way,” she says. “Recruiting is a career where you learn by doing.”
She also believes that asking questions, building relationships, and embracing challenges are some of the fastest ways to grow.
“The more conversations you have, the more you’ll learn. Don’t be afraid of setbacks or pushback – they’re often what help you improve and become a better recruiter.”
Beyond the Office
Outside of recruiting, Caroline is a self-proclaimed coffee enthusiast. Whether she’s exploring local coffee shops or experimenting with homemade latte recipes, she’s always searching for her next favorite cup. In fact, employees in the New York City office may already recognize the small yellow Nespresso machine that mysteriously appeared one day.
“My team has become my unofficial taste-testing group,” she laughs. “One of our favorite creations so far was a blueberry pie latte – it actually turned out better than some of the ones we’ve ordered around the city.”
Whether she’s helping candidates take the next step in their careers, supporting her team, or perfecting her latest latte recipe, Caroline brings curiosity, collaboration, and a genuine passion for helping others succeed.
Interested in building your own career at Green Key? Explore our current opportunities and learn more about what it’s like to be part of our team by visiting our Join Green Key page. We’d love to connect with you.