Ken R. Taunton is the president, founder, and CEO of The Royster Group, an executive search and professional staffing firm! He has been nationally selected as Georgia’s Small Business Person of the Year for 2023. The firm has expanded from earning $2 million annually in 2008 to over $20 million this year. Though it’s headquartered in Atlanta, the Royster Group has developed a presence in 20 U.S. states over the years. 
 
Each year, the Small Business Administration celebrates National Small Business Week by recognizing the achievements of outstanding small business owners and entrepreneurs across the United States. He recently spent a week in Washington, DC, and was recognized by Vice President Kamala Harris! 

The Official Black Magazine had the amazing opportunity to speak with him as our latest CEO in the Spotlight.  

Cox: Ken R. Taunton, you hold the positions of President, Founder, and CEO at The Royster Group. Prior to discussing business matters, what events and experiences that have contributed to your current position in your career and as an entrepreneur? 

Taunton: Everything about my childhood contributed to my career and ability to create a successful career path. My parents were very young, trying to raise four black boys in government housing. It was tough, but it quickly taught me the importance of education. My parents’ main objectives were maintaining a family household and instilling education. I struggled with reading as a child, so I knew I had to go the extra mile to keep up with other kids. I read comic books and comics in the newspaper to increase my skills. My parents always made sure we had some reading materials in the home. I could only afford college because my mom worked in housekeeping at the university, and we received half of my tuition. I worked extremely hard and showed my appreciation by becoming the first in my family to graduate from college. Because of my parents’ sacrifices, I am so invested in doing the same for children in my community through Sheltering Arms, a local nonprofit that provides essential services for the less fortunate in our community – including the importance of reading at an early age. Since 2016, I have donated over $40,000 to this organization with The Royster Group because I know the next entrepreneur could depend on this type of kindness.  

Cox: The Royster Group is a firm that specializes in executive search and professional staffing. Could you please provide me with more information about the company so I can give you specific details on what sets it apart from other staffing companies?   

Taunton: The Royster Group is a certified, Black-owned business enterprise headquartered in Atlanta, GA. We’ve been in business since 2001. For 15 years, we have offered healthcare staffing services to the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Defense Health Agency. However, our services go beyond the government sector. We offer these services to other public and private sectors as well. Our goal is to assist our clients in meeting and exceeding their human capital objectives with highly qualified leaders and professionals at the top levels of their organizations.  

One of the things that sets us apart is our commitment to diversity at our core. We have successfully provided highly talented, diverse candidates for executive and professional positions. Currently, we have approximately 75 employees and contractors working across the country.   

Royster’s unfair advantage and what sets up apart from other executive search and professional staffing companies is our longevity, diversity, leadership, reach and desire to do right by our clients. Everything we do is driven by our core values, Customer Service, Integrity, Teamwork, Accountability, and Respect.   

Cox: You have generated millions of dollars in revenue so far this year. That is a marvel in and of itself. To our readers who are business owners, what are the key factors required to generate revenue at that level? Could you kindly provide us with the CEO’s perspective on how to grow and scale a business? 

Taunton: Royster Group went from $2M in 2008 to $20M in 2022. It didn’t happen overnight or over a year. So when someone asks us how we did it or how it can be done, here are three perspectives to consider: 

  1. Remain diligent yet flexible. I have always been committed to the company’s financial health with all the challenges we have seen over the years, especially during the pandemic. We never took our eyes off the cash flow or the accounts receivables while employing more people and building the company’s net worth. My goal as a business owner was never to leverage the company with unnecessary expenses. I have always kept my personal expenses from the business expenses because the two don’t go hand in hand.   Before the pandemic, Royster took a chance a concentrated our revenue in the government sector because we knew the government paid their bills in good times or bad times.   This decision paid off during the pandemic because our services were considered essential services, and the government needed our healthcare providers.  Instead of closing down, we continued to maintain and grow due to the government’s need for our nation. Back in the day, the older people would always say, “get a government job,” and now I know why. The government was one sector that kept growing, so Royster kept increasing with it. Our ability to provide top-tier talent in all industries has helped us go from a one-person shop to 75 W-2 and contract employees. 
  1. Set some core values and stick to them. Our core values are customer service, integrity, teamwork, accountability, and respect. It’s what prevented us from accepting the PPP loan we qualified for. We believed there were small businesses out there who needed it more than we did, so we turned it down, and we have not had one day of regret because of it.  
  1. Never forget where you came from. I firmly believe that Royster has been blessed to be a blessing. It’s why giving back to the community means so much to us. We know some young, gifted Black child (like I was) needs someone like us to offer support. 

Cox: What mindset do you believe is most effective for a CEO to ensure that their company is positioned for success in both the short and long term?  

Taunton: In my opinion, a CEO who adopts a combination of strategic and adaptive mindset tends to be most effective in positioning their company for success in both the short and long term. Here’s a breakdown: 

  1. Strategic Mindset: A CEO with a strategic mindset focuses on setting a clear vision and long-term goals for the company. Understand the market landscape, identify opportunities, and formulate effective strategies to achieve sustainable growth. This involves analyzing industry trends, competitor dynamics, customer needs, and technological advancements to make informed decisions. A strategic CEO can guide the company toward a coherent and consistent direction. 
  1. Adaptive Mindset: It’s equally essential for a CEO to be adaptive in a rapidly changing business environment. An adaptive CEO embraces innovation, anticipates disruptions, and encourages innovation. Create a culture of agility and continuous learning within the organization, empowering employees to adapt to new challenges and seize emerging opportunities. By being open to change and encouraging creativity, an adaptive CEO enables the company to stay ahead of the competition and respond effectively to unexpected shifts in the market. 
  1. Balancing Short and Long-Term: The most effective CEOs balance short-term results and long-term sustainability. Understand the need to deliver immediate value to the company and employees while making investments and decisions that lay the foundation for future success. Carefully reviewing and managing resources, monitoring key performance indicators, and regularly evaluating progress will ensure that short-term actions align with long-term goals. This involves making informed trade-offs and avoiding short-sighted decisions that may compromise the company’s long-term future. 

Ultimately, my mindset for success combines a strategic focus on long-term objectives with an adaptive approach to navigating the ever-changing business landscape like COVID. Fostering innovation, embracing change, and balancing short- and long-term priorities, I positioned the company for continued growth. Still, it was not easy, and it took years to learn.   

Cox: As a company firm, it is crucial to ensure proper placement of candidates. As a business owner or manager, what are the key factors that should be identified and prioritized when hiring for a position?  

Taunton: Although it depends on the industry when we are talking about executive-level and professional staffing, however, at the core, some basics should be considered across the board. Here are four of them: 

  • Experience – can you do the job? A great personality is good, but do you have a track record showing you can do the work?  
  • Soft skills – critical to hire people who display professionalism, good communication skills, the ability to work well with others (teamwork), and the ability to think critically.  
  • Self-confidence – a person who believes in themself will generally go the extra mile to show that they are right to do so! They usually carry positive energy and are self-motivated. They are an asset.   
  • Motivation and passion: Assess candidates’ motivation and passion for the position and the industry. Look for individuals who demonstrate genuine interest and enthusiasm for the work they will be doing, as they are more likely to be engaged and perform well in the long run. 
  • Cultural fit – Every position isn’t for everybody. A person can be excellent at demonstrating skill and have real-life experience, but it can be challenging if the culture is not suitable for their identity. This is not to say you should just fit in. However, you must be able to carve a path within a culture when bringing something unique to the table. 

Cox: What is your opinion on DEI, given that it is increasingly becoming a popular subject for organizations? Research has demonstrated that incorporating diversity in the recruitment of new employees can result in a significant improvement in a company’s overall performance. 

Taunton: DEI is a driving force within our field. As a minority-owned enterprise, diversity is at the core of our business. We specialize in sourcing and recruiting highly talented, diverse candidates to fill executive-level positions in our executive search and professional staffing areas. We uniquely reach into the communities of color and build strategic relationships with key leaders and associations. This approach has garnered great results for our clients. In fact, Royster maintains a very robust database of diverse candidates, and we are constantly adding new talent to our pipeline. 

Cox: How can a company ensure that they are fostering diversity in their new hires, whether through an agency like yours or their own HR department?  

Taunton: First, diversity must be embedded in the company’s foundation and upheld through its policies and everyday practices. Fostering diversity with new hires is easier if it is part of the company’s culture. Additionally, many companies have taken the pairing partners approach, which includes pairing a new employee with someone who has been a part of the team for a while. This helps a new hire learn through practice versus only what is written in the handbook. A company can also amplify the voices of marginalized people and learn from them how to approach diversity in a not superficial way. Fostering diversity is a process; mistakes and missteps will be made, but an intentional and dedicated company will lean into the lessons learned with transparency, creating a better environment for everyone.   

Vice President Kamala Harris poses for a photo with small business owners during National Small Business Week, Monday, May 1, 2023, in her West Wing Office at the White House. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Cox: Congratulations on being selected as Georgia’s Small Business Person of the Year for 2023 on a national level. What was the significance of receiving the award and honor for you?    

Taunton: Thank you! I am elated to have been selected by the Small Business Administration as Georgia’s Small Business Person of the Year. This award is a testament to our incredible Royster team, supportive partners, wise mentors, and wonderful clients who contribute to our success. This honor would not be possible without their collective trust and support in our ability to connect top talent with top-tier employers. Additionally, this award showed me that a black-owned business can achieve our wildest dreams. As a kid from Birmingham, Alabama, I never would have imagined the opportunity to not only be recognized by the Small Business Administration but also be recognized by the Vice President of the United States. It is truly an honor and an affirmation that hard work pays off.  

The bonus was that I got to meet the first African-American Vice President of the United States, and not only did we get the group photo with other state winners, but I was chosen as one of only three states to sit and talk with her for about an hour. It was amazing!  

Cox: What are the future plans for Ken and the Royster Group? What are your aspirations for your business in the next decade as it continues to grow?  

Taunton: We just want to continue to grow either through strategic acquisition or merger. This would be ideal, but if not, we are so grateful for the success we have seen so far.  We want to keep building with excellence. We want to reignite our growth in the private sector with executive search and find new clients in the professional staffing sector, specifically in Georgia and across the county. We think there is a considerable gap in diversity in the private sector, and we are here as a strategic partner for companies and organizations to close the gap with great qualified candidates.