October 02, 2003

Recruiter Has Fun As a 'Headhunter'

Who: Smooch S. Reynolds, Repovich-Reynolds Group

Where: 283 S. Lake Ave., Pasadena, Calif.

What you see: Shrunken heads. With crystal craniums, original tomahawks and a one-of-a-kind desk she helped design, this president and chief executive pays lighthearted tribute to her chosen profession. In the vernacular of big business, Ms. Reynolds is a headhunter. Some executive recruiters may consider the term "crude," she says, "but it's what we do: hunt heads and identify the best talent for our client organizations." Aptly, the small firm's founder sits at a semicircular desk rimmed with miniature ceramic faces, glazed bronze. These aren't trophies, of course. Each noggin was cast from the same mold of a middle-aged Everyman, whose smile only accentuates his stress lines. No wonder: Ms. Reynolds keeps six weapons, including one that doubles as a ceremonial pipe, within arm's reach. Mostly gifts from her staff, the stone-headed hatchets are works of art, with shafts wrapped in rawhide, fur and detailed beadwork. In addition, they have come to embody the spirit of the firm, which specializes in filling upper-management positions in communications, marketing and investor relations. (The 46-year-old Ms. Reynolds, who wrote "Be Hunted!: 12 Secrets to Getting on the Headhunter's Radar Screen," even carries a tomahawk charm when she travels.) Despite a theme that is decidedly primitive, her corner office is contemporary and feminine, with furnishings crafted from curly maple and glass. A chaise lounge is flanked by stylish cranberry chairs. An abstract watercolor introduces shades of pink and purple. She collects letter openers and paperweights, including four clear heads with amorphous brains. A crystal skull on her desk is considered a gatekeeper of knowledge and wisdom in some cultures. But in here, it's just fun. "For all of the seriousness of our business, we have to make room for a sense of humor," says Ms. Reynolds, whose father set the tone when he named her Smooch. Besides, "my office is another way of underscoring that this is my calling in life."

What she sees: "Survival. Native tribes used these tomahawks to skin the animals they caught. As tools, they were important to the livelihood of entire cultures of people. Admittedly, there's a little tongue-in-cheek humor involved. But the business of executive recruiting -- or, quite literally, headhunting -- really connects to the basal survival of mankind. People need to have jobs."

By NANCY D. HOLT
Special to The Wall Street Journal