Why do people use Lakin Associates?

“The most important responsibility that I have as CEO is to hire competent people who can integrate into the culture of our company. Human beings are so complicated that no single test separates those who will be successful from those who won’t. Checking references helps, but it doesn’t totally explain how the candidate will perform under other circumstances. Interviewing is probably the most important task, but is very difficult. Having the candidate spend time with Dr. Lakin adds an important dimension that can easily be overlooked by the rest of us. Of the industrial psychologists with whom I have worked, I have the most satisfactory results from Dr. Lakin.

             Robert Pritzker, CEO

             Colson Associates, Chicago, IL

             (Past President, The Marmon Group)

             (Client since 1979)

”Dr. Duane Lakin has been advising me and my top management since 1989.  He has provided us with valuable, objective insight in the selection process, both for external and internal candidates, and helped us to avoid mistakes that would have been expensive and unpleasant. Duane has worked extensively with management from coast to coast on individual development and team building.  He has lectured to our management in formal settings, worked with teams in informal sessions and coached individuals one-on-one.  He has been a resource for me to call on when I have had a prickly personnel issue.  He has come to know the company culture well and provides us with objective and insightful opinions that take the best of that culture into account.  At my request, he speaks frankly.  He recognizes that sometimes the most valuable service he can provide is to tell us things we would just as soon not hear.  Very few non-employees have been accorded “Honorary Morgan Member” status.  Duane Lakin is one of them.”  

                 Richard Senior, Chairman and CEO,

   Morgan Services, Inc., Chicago, IL
  (Client since 1989)

Dr. Lakin was very helpful in selecting individuals to be promoted and hired for key executive positions in IDEX, a company that became a well-oiled machine with a record of significant success. With his assistance, IDEX put together and maintained a diverse cadre of executives who worked as a cohesive team, treating one another with dignity and respect, upholding high ethical standards and accomplishing great things. We relied heavily on Dr. Lakin’s evaluations and counsel in recruiting, assessing, elevating and retaining key people at the business unit and corporate levels.

             Donald Boyce, former Chairman and CEO

             IDEX Corporation

             Northbrook, IL

            (Client since 1982)

“We have utilized Dr. Lakin’s services in two very important  ways:

First, when we went through the sale of our Company, the senior management team had experienced a past of mistrust, lack of teamwork, hidden agendas, etc.  In order to get off to the right start, our CEO felt that we needed to create a stronger leadership team amongst the senior management. (He had worked with Dr. Lakin for many years at another company.) Dr. Lakin was invited to come to assist us in closing the trust gaps and begin to open lines of meaningful communication.  Several sessions were held, both on an individual basis as well as with the group as a whole; they helped to mesh the team together and set the foundation for a more cohesive group.  There were key concepts that he introduced that we use today and he did so in a non-threatening, supportive way.  I have worked with several “management coaches” in the past and Duane ranks amongst one of the best!

Second, we have used Dr. Lakin to assist us in the recruitment of key management personnel.  Having spent the time with us in helping to gel our senior management team, he was well equipped to be able to have a strong sense of the type of individuals that would compliment our group.  Dr. Lakin uses various assessment  tools that he is extremely proficient with in order to identify the key strengths and weaknesses of the candidates, not just their technical qualifications but their personality traits and their fit within our organization.  He is extremely diligent in meeting our schedules and in returning the data in a timely fashion.  The reports are thorough, easy to understand for the layman and extremely accurate.  Simply stated, he tells it like it is!  There have been  instances where we have refrained from hiring an individual based on Dr. Lakin’s assessment.  And the individuals that we have hired based on his data have proved to be top performers. 

In summary, I would highly recommend Dr. Lakin as a valuable addition to any organization for the purposes identified.

        Brian W. Moore,Vice President Human Resources

        BarrierSafe Solutions International

        Reno, NV

        (Client since 2000)

Dr. Lakin helps us screen job applicants. His wise advice is a major reason for our low turnover and  harmony in our workplace. Hiring mistakes are expensive and destructive.

         Don Schiller, Managing Partner

         Schiller, DuCanto and Fleck

         Chicago, IL

         (Client since 1992)

If you would like to use the services of Dr. Lakin, please call (630-871-2996) or email drlakin@lakinassociates.com.

Last modified: February 2013
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