How It All Started

Before launching Gray Space Solutions, founders Rene and Stacey Herteux both enjoyed long careers in corporate IT and HR leadership. In these positions, they focused their energies on discovering the best methods for recruiting, hiring, and retaining the top talent in their industries.

The idea for Gray Space Solutions was sparked when Rene and Stacey happened to find themselves on the job market at the same time. As they looked for new positions, they did what all job seekers do: they pounded job boards every day, reached out to a myriad of recruiters and applied for jobs they were qualified and interested in. As their job search unfolded, they quickly realized that whether you were a client or a job seeker, the experience of working with a recruiter was similar—and disappointing. Recruiters had little knowledge or expertise in the positions they were recruiting for. Two-way communication was lacking. There was a strong reliance on technology to whittle the candidate pool. And the emphasis on speed and quantity over quality resulted in an unrefined, “check the box” approach to matching people with jobs.

Many times, over a glass of wine Rene and Stacey jokingly said, “We could start our own business, hire ourselves, and deliver a higher-quality solution for the client while better respecting candidates’ professionalism.” But the more they talked, the more their passion for making the recruiting process better for everyone became evident. Jokes turned into conversations and brainstorming sessions, and one day they said, “Let’s do this!” Today, through Gray Space Solutions, Rene and Stacey are proud to offer a unique approach to talent solutions that both clients and candidates can feel good about.

Above all, Rene and Stacey believe in partnerships in the truest sense of the word, and their top priority is to build honest, meaningful and collaborative relationships that last. They offer the support and expertise their clients need, but accept the fact that they cannot be all things to everyone. They know that the best results happen when all parties are enthusiastically invested in the recruiting process. They let their clients know what is expected of them and hold them accountable. If a client isn’t willing to put the energy into partnering in a way that they know will lead to success, they walk away. Their commitment to quality is that strong.

The bottom line for Gray Space Solutions is: everything would be so easy if it was black and white, but it isn’t. Each business is unique, and as they’ve learned from experience, the best solutions are often found in the “gray space.” Give it a chance…embrace the gray!

Stacey Herteux is the co-founder of Gray Space Solutions where she works to help business leaders overcome their people and talent challenges. Prior to her current position, Stacey spent her career working as an HR practitioner for a wide variety of companies and industries. In this role, she developed trusting relationships with both employees and leaders, especially during times of continuous and challenging change.

Stacey is passionate about uncovering the right solution for every problem and works tirelessly to find it. She does not take shortcuts and prides herself on respecting people’s time and expertise. Her goal in starting Gray Space Solutions was to bring her clarity of the people side of the business to others.

Stacey believes in giving back and volunteers her time with Dress for Success and Pacific Community Adventures where she contributes her knowledge and experience in the hopes that it will help others achieve greatness. She spends as much of her free time as possible outside where she likes to walk on the beach, kayak, garden and spend time with her husband and their golden retrievers.

Rene Herteux, co-founder of Gray Space Solutions, began his business career as an accountant after earning a business degree from the University of Minnesota. After discovering his passion for technology, he switched paths and entered the technology sector.

Over the past several decades, Rene has held a variety of hands-on and managerial technical positions and has attained a number of technical certifications. In his most recent technical role, he served as Director of IT and Datacenter Operations where he worked closely with peers across many departments and at all levels of the organization. Rene has a reputation for having a customer-centric focus, valuing customer service above all else.

A consistent frustration Rene faced over the course of his career was the difficulty he encountered in finding qualified talent. The technical recruiting firms he worked with struggled to “get it,” resulting in a barrage of candidates that didn’t meet the important qualifications for the job. Rene’s desire to build a better mousetrap inspired the genesis of Gray Space Solutions.

Rene currently lives in southwest Florida with his wife Stacey and their 3 golden retrievers. He likes to spend as much time as possible in the great outdoors boating, fishing, and photographing landscapes and wildlife. You can see his photography at www.focusingonnature.com