A Nationwide Success is Born: Lacey Menchen Launches 360 Talent Avenue – A Better Recruiting Solution

Ever wonder what it would be like to walk away from a lucrative career and launch a business? It takes courage, that’s for sure. Guts, planning, insight, and a lot of hard work and long hours helped propel Lacey Menchen to leave her career in solar recruiting and launch 360 Talent Avenue.

She was a woman on a mission. A woman who had led the recruiting operations for one of the fastest growing companies in the country and found that the talent acquisition partner she needed did not exist. She searched for a recruiting organization that would operate as an extension of a large-scale company within a short period of time. She was looking for a company that offered valuable tools and would quickly understand the company culture, speak the language, and develop relationships with internal hiring managers. Lacey’s search led to a brilliant solution, 360 Talent Avenue.

Lacey shared how she knew it was the right time to launch 360 Talent Avenue. “It was intuition and a feeling; I always knew this is where I would end up,” shared Lacey. “I needed to first enjoy the journey of learning and absorbing what worked well and what didn’t. From there I’d take my key learnings and build a recruitment solution designed solely with the customer in mind.”

Through Lacey’s accumulated knowledge, she built 360 Talent Avenue to be the successful, nationwide firm that it has become today. This dream did not come without struggles and challenges. In only the first few months of launching her business, the pandemic hit. The world was at a standstill, and Lacey was moving full-steam ahead. Undaunted, Lacey learned the true nature of adaptability. 

“At any point in time, the rug can be taken out from under you,” shared Lacey. “Expect the unexpected and have contingency plans. Control as much as you can. Plan for everything, even if it likely won’t happen, and you’ll always be prepared.” 

With nearly two decades of recruiting experience and a strong sales background, Lacey refined her skills to successfully read people and identify their motivating factors, by asking questions and, “peeling away the onion.”  

“I have led countless individuals who have become senior leaders,” shared Lacey. “Look for what drives someone’s behavior, get to know your team, get to know their motivators.”

When asked about the differentiating factor of 360 Talent Avenue, Lacey shared, “From the initial sales process, we seek to understand the entire picture, not just the end result. We’ll only move forward to the proposal stage if we’re confident we’re the absolute best firm to support them. Very early on we’ll get in the weeds of what the partnership will look like.”

Since the power of 360 Talent Avenue comes from its ability to serve as an extension of their clients, Lacey shared, “We adjust our strategy based on what’s unique to our clients.” Lacey comes from an internal talent acquisition background which is very rare and leads to greater understanding. “I have walked in their shoes; I think like them more than a head of a recruitment agency would.” 

To deliver value and ensure client satisfaction, 360 Talent Avenue is metrics-driven. “We believe in real-time transparency. Everything is about authenticity and predictability,” shared Lacey. “We are not a reactive organization, and we genuinely care about our clients’ overall success.” 

With the heart of a servant leader, Lacey rolls up her sleeves and gets in the trenches to get the job done. She recognizes that the 360 Talent Avenue team is investing their time for the good of the company and to better the communities across the country. With this comes a deep respect Lacey has for the entire 360 Talent Avenue staff.

Lacey shared how she built a successful team. “Be empathetic,” shared Lacey. “Understand what their typical day is like. It’s my job to remove obstacles.” 

The key to Lacey’s success is her focus on honesty, accountability, and commitment to constant improvement. “You have to be comfortable with open communication and being genuinely okay with giving and receiving feedback,” shared Lacey. 

When asked for Lacey’s advice for others looking to start their own business, she says, “Do your research, plan ahead, and be prepared. Your plan must incorporate detailed people, process and system impacts. Understand the core need of your target market and your unique value proposition.” She continues, “Make sure it’s something you’re passionate about. You’ll work longer hours than you’ve ever worked in your life. Understand the sacrifice and how it affects the people you care about. Start a business because you know deep down this is how you envision spending your time. Be sure it’s what you love, that you’re ready to put in the work, develop a solid business plan, and then make it happen.”