Abby Kohut, President of Staffing Symphony LLC, is a nationally recognized career development expert, speaker, and talent acquisition strategist with more than 20 years of experience advising organizations and professionals to navigate talent, growth, and workforce transformation. She has held corporate recruiting positions in 13 different industries and is responsible for helping 10,000 people get hired.
From Sales to HR
Abby’s career began in computer sales. She worked for Custom Computer Specialists for five years, managing major accounts such as Bear Stearns, Grey Advertising, Gartner Group and the Museum of Natural History and was elected into Apple’s Million Dollar Club. Although successful in sales, Abby felt most passionate about hiring and mentoring new sales reps for the company. That passion motivated her to launch her career in Human Resources and career development.
Abby’s first recruiting project was for Cheyenne Software where she recruited 500 employees in two years, effectively doubling the size of the company. Following that, Abby worked for Kaplan Test Prep in New York City, a world leader in educational services, for seven years. Abby took on various roles including Senior Director of Recruiting and Career Development, which offered her the opportunity to lead a team of recruiters responsible for filling staff and management positions across the country. Abby led teams that hired 50 Customer Service Representatives in two months and 900 part time K-12 teachers in four months. She also career coached internal applicants into new roles within the company.
Staffing Symphony
In 2006, Abby founded Staffing Symphony LLC and has spent two decades consulting with senior leaders to solve complex hiring and retention challenges. Abby led a recruiting project for Alpharma, Inc., helping them double the size of the division, from 300 to 600 employees. Abby also led the expansion of a national outside sales force and support staff for the Economist Intelligence Unit, Economist Magazine and CFO Magazine. As the Interim Director of Recruiting for Beth Israel Medical Center and St. Luke’s – Roosevelt Hospital, Abby managed a team responsible for filling 1,000-2,000 positions per year. She also managed an expansion project for LEO Pharma and helped them grow from six employees to 300 in two years. Her other projects can be found on the Projects tab.
Absolutely Abby
Abby has also been known in the job search world as Absolutely Abby because she tells the Absolute truth about the job search process. She has written two books: “Absolutely Abby’s 101 Job Search Secrets” and “Absolutely Abby’s Top 12 Interview Questions Exposed”. In an effort to teach one million job seekers how to find a job, she drove around in an RV for 3 years and presented to over 500 job search groups. Abby employs light-hearted humor to help her job seekers understand what they need to learn. Her job search adventures were covered by several nationwide TV and radio networks including: CNBC, Sirius XM, Fox News Live, NBC, Fox 5, CBS, CNBC, ABC, Bloomberg Radio, LinkedIn, Monster, and The Ladders.
Recognition
- Abby was a Winner of The Society of Human Resources Pinnacle Award
- Abby is known as “Ask Abby” on LinkedIn.
- Abby is one of the “Top 100 Influential People Online” according to Fast Company Magazine
- Abby was named by Monster as one of “The Monster 11: Career Experts Who Can Help Your Job Search”
- Abby’s website was selected as one of the “Top 100 Websites for Your Career” by Forbes
- CNBC published an article naming Abby as a Top Career Coach and Recruiter
- Abby’s website was mentioned on CNBC as one of three top websites for career changers
Nationally known for her practical insights and people-first approach, Abby partners with leaders to solve complex hiring and retention challenges while also empowering individuals to take control of their careers in times of change. Her work spans healthcare, biopharma, education, and professional services, and she is frequently sought out for her ability to bridge strategy with real-world execution.