John Barrett, Managing Director
Cook Associates

If John Barrett’s holding for you on line one, expect a jolt. “My job is to give executives a wake-up call,” says Barrett, the managing director at Cook Associates, headquartered in Chicago. He primarily scouts top executives in business services and technology and specializes in recruiting people who aren’t looking for new positions. “They think they’re happy,” says Barrett. “But they may also be complacent and coasting.” He’s sent such “coasters” in new directions at companies like Ahura Scientific, Pitney Bowes, and CheapFlights.com.

When Barrett contacted Jim Alla, he was the seemingly content S.V.P. of technology sales for the technology media, research, and event management firm IDG. But that changed after Barrett called. “It was like a total data dump.... He asked me what I did well, what I did poorly, and what I liked and disliked,” says Alla. “It made me think about things I hadn’t thought about in a long time.” Barrett recently found Alla a new job as vice president of Fast, a $163 million search-technology firm based in Oslo, Norway.

Like most candidates, Alla felt drained after his interview with Barrett. But in a good way. Alla finally had a chance to thoroughly reflect on his career objectives. Barrett’s debriefing style may sound exhausting, but it’s worth the effort because it helps him dig deep into his candidates’ long-term goals. “He wasn’t like other headhunters who call every two weeks with a new job,” says Alla. “Instead he took the time to understand me, and called only when he saw something that was a really good fit.”

If you haven’t been tapped by Barrett, cold-calling is okay by him. He’s always on the hunt for new talent. While dining alone at a restaurant in New York, he eavesdropped on two entrepreneurs talking about a new investment. “I couldn’t help but introduce myself because it was obvious that the company [under discussion] was in exactly the areas where I focus,” he recalls. “It was kismet.” Barrett exchanged cards with the duo, and one of them became a candidate in Barrett’s database. Does this mean you should speak louder at business lunches? That part is up to you.