Minnesota's Boutique Recruiting FirmWhether you're hiring or job searching, getting the fit right changes everything. TrustedHire helps small and mid-sized companies fill Accounting & Finance, HR, and Operations roles with people who stay, and helps candidates in those same functions land roles they'll actually want to keep.
Founder
Nick Burns
15+ years of experience | 500+ placements
I. By the Numbers
These aren't vanity numbers. They represent organizations who trusted us with critical hires, and the candidates we placed who are still creating impact today.
Recruiting experience
Placements made
2-year retention rate
Avg. time to fill roles
II. The Approach
Most agencies throw resumes at the wall to see what sticks. They disappear after the placement is made, leaving you to deal with the fallout. After 15+ years across multiple agency settings, we built a different model.
01
We invest time to understand your long-term goals, your team's culture, and the kind of person who will thrive in your environment, not just check boxes on a job description.
02
Skills can be taught; culture fit cannot. Every finalist is vetted against the actual norms of your team: how they work, decide, and disagree.
03
We don't ghost at the offer letter. We close the candidate, prep the onboarding, and check in at 30, 60, and 90 days. Still answering the phone at year five.
How It Works
Discovery
A deep-dive session to understand the role, the team dynamics, your culture, and what 'great' actually looks like for this hire — not just the job description.
Search
Targeted outreach to passive candidates who aren't on job boards. Every shortlist is curated — typically 3–5 people who could genuinely do the job and fit your culture.
Placement
Offer management, counter-offer prep, onboarding support, and 30/60/90-day check-ins. We don't disappear at the signed offer letter.
III. Expertise
We don't try to recruit for everything. We go deep where it matters, the operational backbone of your business.
Click any role title to view a job description.
Finance roles where the wrong hire shows up in the audit, the close, or the board pack, three places you cannot afford a surprise. We place leaders who bring rigor, judgment, and strategic clarity.
HR hires that have to walk into broken processes, low trust, or a culture rebuild, and earn the room within 90 days. We find the operators who shape culture and drive performance.
Operations leaders who can see the whole system: supply chain, production, logistics, and the people holding it together. We find the ones who make complexity disappear.
Industries
We work with small and mid-sized organizations across Minnesota and nationally. The functions we recruit for: Finance, HR, and Operations, are critical in every sector.
Construction companies need Accounting & Finance leaders who understand job costing and WIP reporting, Operations managers who can run multiple projects simultaneously, and HR professionals who can hire and retain skilled trades in a competitive labor market.
Food and beverage companies need Accounting & Finance leaders who understand cost of goods and margin management, Operations managers who can run efficient production and supply chain, and HR professionals who can recruit and retain workers in a competitive, high-turnover environment.
Banks, credit unions, and wealth management firms need Accounting & Finance leaders who understand regulatory compliance and margin pressure, HR professionals who can navigate complex compensation structures, and Operations managers who keep service delivery running at scale.
Healthcare organizations need Accounting & Finance leaders who can manage reimbursement complexity and cost controls, HR professionals who understand credentialing and workforce planning, and Operations managers who drive efficiency without sacrificing patient outcomes.
Medical device companies need Accounting & Finance leaders who understand revenue recognition and regulatory cost structures, HR professionals who can attract specialized technical talent, and Operations managers who can maintain quality, compliance, and production efficiency in a highly regulated environment.
Manufacturers need Accounting & Finance leaders who can close the books fast and support the shop floor, Operations managers who understand lean, throughput, and supply chain, and HR professionals who can build a culture that retains skilled workers in a tight market.
Non-profits need Accounting & Finance leaders who can manage grant compliance and board reporting, HR professionals who can build culture on a constrained budget, and Operations managers who can do more with less while keeping programs running effectively.
PE-backed companies need Accounting & Finance leaders who can own the numbers under investor scrutiny, HR professionals who can scale people infrastructure quickly, and Operations managers who can drive EBITDA improvement from day one.
Retail businesses need Accounting & Finance leaders who understand inventory, shrink, and multi-location financial reporting, HR professionals who can manage high-volume hiring and reduce turnover, and Operations managers who can drive store performance and supply chain execution at scale.
Consulting, legal, accounting, and staffing firms need Accounting & Finance leaders who understand utilization and profitability, HR professionals who can recruit and retain top talent, and Operations managers who keep delivery efficient as the business grows.
Tech companies need Accounting & Finance leaders who can support rapid growth and investor reporting, HR professionals who can build culture and scale recruiting in a competitive hiring market, and Operations managers who can bring process discipline to a fast-moving environment.
Don't see your industry?
If you need Accounting & Finance, HR, or Operations talent, we can help, regardless of sector.
IV. Search Models
Same rigor across all three. You pick the structure that matches the role, the urgency, and the budget.
Best for leadership & confidential roles
Best for critical mid-level roles
Best for non-exclusive or volume
V. Open Searches
A selection of roles we're actively recruiting for. Don't see yours? Submit your role for a confidential market scan.
VI. Blog
Hiring trends, candidate advice, and market intelligence from 15+ years of recruiting Accounting & Finance, HR, and Operations talent.
When a senior role opens up, one of the first decisions a company faces is whether to look internally or go to the external market. It sounds like a simple question. It's not. Both options have real costs, real benefits, and real risks. Here's how to think about it.
Read MoreThe HRBP role is one of the most misunderstood in HR. Companies often hire for the title but don't define what they actually need. Here's how to identify the right qualities in an HR Business Partner and how to run a search that finds them.
Read MoreMost candidates know to prepare for behavioral questions. Fewer know how to flip the script and use the interview to evaluate whether a leader's style is actually one they can work with. Here's how to do it well.
Read MoreWhen a senior role opens up, one of the first decisions a company faces is whether to look internally or go to the external market. It sounds like a simple question. It's not. Both options have real costs, real benefits, and real risks. Here's how to think about it.
Read MoreThe HRBP role is one of the most misunderstood in HR. Companies often hire for the title but don't define what they actually need. Here's how to identify the right qualities in an HR Business Partner and how to run a search that finds them.
Read MoreMost candidates know to prepare for behavioral questions. Fewer know how to flip the script and use the interview to evaluate whether a leader's style is actually one they can work with. Here's how to do it well.
Read MoreHiring in a PE-backed environment isn't the same as hiring in a founder-led or publicly traded company. The speed is different, the stakes are different, and the profile of who succeeds is different. Here's what to understand before you start the search.
Read MoreMost companies invest heavily in finding the right person and almost nothing in setting them up to succeed. The first 90 days are where great hires either take hold or quietly start looking for their next opportunity.
Read MoreThe best candidates for most roles aren't looking. They're employed, performing well, and not checking job boards. Reaching them requires a different approach than posting and waiting — and a different message than the one most recruiters send.
Read MoreMost reference checks are a formality. A few scripted questions, polished answers, and a green light that tells you almost nothing. Here's how to run a reference check that actually surfaces what you need to know before you make an offer.
Read MoreThe 30% of annual salary figure gets cited often. But that number only captures the direct costs. The real cost of a bad hire runs deeper — through team morale, client relationships, leadership bandwidth, and the opportunity cost of the months you spent managing someone out instead of building.
Read MoreThe Director of Operations role is one of the most consequential hires a small or mid-sized business can make — and one of the most commonly mishandled. Here's what separates the companies that get it right from the ones that repeat the same mistakes.
Read MoreLosing a finalist to a competing offer is one of the most preventable failures in recruiting. It almost always comes down to the same set of process breakdowns — and almost all of them are fixable before the next search starts.
Read MoreMost job descriptions are written for compliance, not attraction. They list requirements, copy-paste from the last posting, and wonder why the applicant pool is underwhelming. Here's how to write one that actually works.
Read MoreVII. Testimonials
Nick was responsive and thoughtful throughout the process. Provided candid and direct feedback to ensure we made the right hire. Candidates identified were strong and he did a great job uncovering candidates who were not explicitly in the market. I recommend Nick and TrustedHire to find you a slate of candidates to meet your needs!
Managing Partner
Minneapolis-based Private Equity Firm
Nick is a trusted resource with a commitment to helping customers and candidates be successful. As we worked together to find our next Director of Sales, his approach was thorough, and his communication was exceptional. He continues to be an active listener and empathetic to what matters most to our business. We're looking forward to working with Nick and TrustedHire as our team grows.
President
Minneapolis-based Construction Company
After months of attempting to fill a key financial position with no results, I partnered with Nick Burns as a recruiting professional, and I was not disappointed. He tailored his suggestions and his outreach plan to find a candidate that not only brought the outstanding skills we desired, but who was an excellent cultural fit for our organization. Nick updated me continually throughout the hiring process and after a successful hire, he continued to check in to ensure everything was on point. I later used Nick's services for another hire and was once again pleased with the outcome. I'm grateful to know that, when the need arises, Nick and the TrustedHire team will be ready to deliver.
President & CEO
Minneapolis-based Publishing Company
Nick was responsive and thoughtful throughout the process. Provided candid and direct feedback to ensure we made the right hire. Candidates identified were strong and he did a great job uncovering candidates who were not explicitly in the market. I recommend Nick and TrustedHire to find you a slate of candidates to meet your needs!
Managing Partner
Minneapolis-based Private Equity Firm
Nick is a trusted resource with a commitment to helping customers and candidates be successful. As we worked together to find our next Director of Sales, his approach was thorough, and his communication was exceptional. He continues to be an active listener and empathetic to what matters most to our business. We're looking forward to working with Nick and TrustedHire as our team grows.
President
Minneapolis-based Construction Company
After months of attempting to fill a key financial position with no results, I partnered with Nick Burns as a recruiting professional, and I was not disappointed. He tailored his suggestions and his outreach plan to find a candidate that not only brought the outstanding skills we desired, but who was an excellent cultural fit for our organization. Nick updated me continually throughout the hiring process and after a successful hire, he continued to check in to ensure everything was on point. I later used Nick's services for another hire and was once again pleased with the outcome. I'm grateful to know that, when the need arises, Nick and the TrustedHire team will be ready to deliver.
President & CEO
Minneapolis-based Publishing Company
VIII. Who's Behind It
I started TrustedHire because, after 15+ years and five agency environments, I knew exactly what worked, and what didn't. The boutique firms got the relationships right but couldn't scale. The big shops scaled but treated every search like a transaction. Neither was what small and mid-sized organizations actually needed.
TrustedHire is the version I'd want to hire. Deep functional expertise in Accounting & Finance, HR, and Operations. A process built for culture fit. And a recruiter who's still in your corner long after the placement check clears.
Nick Burns, Founder
Common Questions
Let's Talk
Whether you're ready to engage on a search or just want to compare notes on the market, there's a way to start. Pick the one that matches where you are.
Ready to Hire
30 minutes. We'll talk about the role, the market, and whether we're the right fit. No pipeline pitch.
Exploring Options
Send us a role. We'll send back a 1-page market overview within 48 hours: comp ranges, candidate volume, timing.
Just Curious
A 24-point checklist used to navigate your hiring process. Use it on your next open role.
Or just email nick@thetrustedhire.com.