Finding the Right Fit in a Competitive Hiring Market

The Organization

The Northern Virginia Association of REALTORS® (NVAR) is a leading trade association serving real estate professionals throughout the Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. As the organization continued to grow, leadership recognized the need for a communications leader who could not only execute strategically, but also align closely with the organization’s culture, leadership style, and long-term goals.

Context and Opportunity

Like many organizations navigating today’s labor market, NVAR found hiring increasingly time-intensive and competitive. Although the organization had a strong internal HR team, identifying and evaluating top talent for a leadership communications role became increasingly difficult while balancing day-to-day operational responsibilities.

The Director of Communications position had remained open for nearly a year and a half before NVAR decided to seek outside support.

After seeing Jess Biller present at multiple industry conferences and hearing positive feedback from other association leaders around the country, CEO Ryan McLaughlin and his team decided to engage Paramount Consulting Group to assist with the search.

What initially stood out was Paramount’s process-driven approach to identifying talent, particularly its emphasis on behavioral assessments, communication styles, and long-term fit rather than relying solely on résumés and interviews.

The Hiring Process

From the beginning, Paramount Consulting Group took a highly collaborative and strategic approach to the search.

The team worked closely with NVAR leadership to clarify the role, refine the position description, and identify the type of communication leader that would best complement the organization’s goals and leadership style. Paramount then cast a broad recruiting net, sourcing candidates from multiple markets and narrowing the field through a detailed evaluation process.

According to Ryan McLaughlin, one of the most valuable parts of the process was the thoughtfulness behind the candidate selection.

“They were very organized, very responsive, and spent a lot of time really rooting out what it was we wanted.”

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As the finalist stage approached, one candidate in particular became a major discussion point internally. While there was one perceived concern that differentiated the individual from the rest of the finalist pool, Amanda Biller from Paramount Consulting Group encouraged the leadership team not to rule the candidate out too early.

Because of the trust built throughout the process, NVAR decided to move forward with the interview.

That decision ultimately changed the outcome of the search.

The Result

The candidate that nearly did not make it to the final interview ultimately became the hire and quickly proved to be an exceptional fit for the organization.

Before onboarding, Paramount conducted behavioral and communication assessments for both the candidate and Ryan McLaughlin as the direct supervisor. The side-by-side comparison helped identify areas of alignment, communication differences, complementary strengths, and potential blind spots.

This gave both parties a strong understanding of how they could work together effectively before the candidate’s first day even began.

The result was a seamless transition into the role.

Nearly a year after the hire, the candidate continues to perform successfully within the organization and has become a valuable part of the leadership team.

Results

• Successfully filled a role open for approximately 18 months
• Reduced burden on internal HR and leadership teams
• Identified a high-performing candidate through assessment-driven evaluation
• Improved onboarding and leadership alignment through behavioral benchmarking
• Seamless integration into the organization and leadership team
• Strong long-term hiring outcome nearly one year later

Client Perspective

“We went through a rigorous process that I know we would not have been able to do internally, and Paramount Consulting Group did that for us really well.”

— Ryan McLaughlin, CEO, Northern Virginia Association of REALTORS®

Why This One Stands Out

This search reinforced an important reality in today’s hiring environment: the best candidate is not always the most obvious one on paper.

By combining strategic recruiting with behavioral insights and thoughtful consultation, Paramount helped NVAR look beyond a single concern and identify a candidate who ultimately became an outstanding long-term fit.

Rather than simply filling a position, the process created clarity, confidence, and alignment for both the organization and the candidate.