People-first staffing & recruiting
WV Talent Collective helps companies hire optimal talent—and helps experienced professionals find work that fits. Contract, interim, and direct-hire recruiting, led by two people who stay close from the first call to the first day.
Choose your side of the conversation
For employers
We’ll learn the role, the team, and what success really looks like. Then we’ll bring you a focused group of people worth meeting, with honest context on each one.
Tell us what you needFor professionals
We’ll get to know the experience behind your résumé, the kind of work you want, and what matters outside the job description. You’ll get real feedback and clear next steps.
Start with a helloHow we help
A sudden gap and a permanent hire call for different searches. Both deserve the same care, context, and communication.
Move now
Experienced help that can step in and keep the work moving.
For leave coverage, project work, workload spikes, or the unexpected departure that landed on your desk this morning.
A strong fit for: defined projects, temporary coverage, and teams that need breathing room.
Build for what’s next
A thoughtful search for the person you want on the team long term.
We get specific about the work, the people, and the future of the role—then introduce candidates with the capability and context to make sense.
A strong fit for: permanent roles where judgment, team fit, and staying power matter.
Where we’re strongest
That’s where our founders built their track records. We also take on select searches in other areas when our network and experience make us the right partner. If you’re unsure, ask—we’ll give you a straight answer.
What to expect
We won’t disappear between the kickoff and the offer. Here’s how the work actually moves.
The role, the goals, the personalities, the pressure points—we start with the full picture, whether you’re hiring or looking.
We search, talk, and vet with intention. Employers see a focused slate. Candidates hear about roles that actually line up.
Clear updates through interviews, decisions, offers, and starts—so you know what’s happening and what comes next.
No black box
Recruiting can create a lot of waiting and wondering. We replace that with direct communication, useful feedback, and a real person you can call.
Meet the founders
Chris and Melanie built WV Talent Collective to keep the part of recruiting they care about most: getting to know people, staying close to the search, and doing right by both sides.
Co-Founder
Chris has worked in staffing since 2012 across contract and direct-hire recruiting. He built his reputation by looking beyond the résumé, communicating clearly, and staying personally accountable for the result.
Chris began at Accountable Search on a temporary recruiting desk before building a full-cycle practice that served companies and candidates. After BGSF acquired the firm in 2017, he helped grow its Accounting and Finance division across contract and direct-hire placement.
During his BGSF tenure, Chris earned Diamond Club status every year and was recognized as the division’s top producer from 2018 through 2022. He earned a Communications degree from Purdue University Fort Wayne.
Co-Founder
Melanie brings 20 years in staffing and talent solutions, including building finance and accounting teams in the Chicago market. Her approach is simple: understand the business first, then build the talent strategy around it.
Melanie has scaled contract and direct-hire practices, developed recruiting teams, and led talent solutions for companies across a broad range of industries, including private-equity-backed organizations navigating growth and change.
During her BGSF tenure, she earned Diamond Club recognition multiple times and was named Senior Managing Director of the Year in 2023. Melanie graduated with honors from Illinois State University.
Experience they bring with them
The recognition below comes from Chris and Melanie’s work at prior firms. It’s the experience behind WV Talent Collective—not a claim that the new firm did it alone.
Let’s talk
Hiring for your team? Thinking about your own next move? A few sentences are plenty. We’ll follow up by email and find a time to talk.
Prefer email?
Candidates: no résumé upload is needed here. Let’s start with a conversation.
