Arkansas Money & Politics – Dynamic Duos: Stephanie Shine and Chris Chunn

Arkansas is full of dynamic duos, those couples and partners in business who’ve made lasting impacts on their communities. These individuals come in many different forms from many different backgrounds, excelling in the fields of business, nonprofits and philanthropy both at home and on a global stage.

Arkansas Money & Politics is proud to recognize these outstanding duos, spotlighting their work and achievement. Through their efforts our state maintains its high standards of opportunity and quality of life. We salute every member of the 2024 class.

Chris Chunn and Stephanie Shine, first crossed paths when Shine hired him to work with her and her team at a Fortune-500 recruiting company. The duo hit it off fairly quickly, and with similar career goals within the recruiting industry, they set out to create a work environment where they could both thrive while helping their clients succeed.

Chunn and Shine founded Arkansas Talent Group to start a client-driven firm that encourages relationships over transactions. Officially opening in 2024, ATG specializes in accounting, finances and human resources and is committed to offering a consultative approach to its business partners.

Shine and Chunn had previously worked together, but in a volume-driven approach, the two often found themselves competing for candidates and placements by design. At Arkansas Talent Group, the duo has committed themselves to being true, 50-50 partners. In this new model, Shine and Chunn can focus on their clients’ and candidates’ needs first by finding the best match they can.

“When we place the right candidate for the right position, we all win. It’s a huge success to see [our clients] find the right fit, and have options to choose from,” Shine said. “We wanted to do things differently in our new company. Building our own company has been awesome because it’s all about relationships and has been received well in the market.”

As an Arkansas-based firm, ATG is committed to providing the best in-state insights for candidates and businesses. Shine said she and Chunn have both been top producers in Arkansas, making them experts in job placement and recruiting in the Natural state.

“Relationships over transactions has been our motto that we like to say and one of our core values. We’re doing things differently, and building something that’s Arkansas-based, so we can focus specifically on our candidates and clients in the state. A lot of mentors told us that we shouldn’t put Arkansas in our name, but it was just that important to us as this is where we choose to support local businesses, raise our families and live,” Chunn said.

According to Shine, the partnership allows them to work together well, accentuating each other’s strengths. This is partly due to their entrepreneurship operating system (EOS) business model where she serves as the integrator with Chunn as the visionary. Shine’s comfort zones are business operations, marketing and focusing on the daily tasks, while Chunn handles finance, accounting and is the visionary for the organization.

“I think that it is really important for all entrepreneurs and partners to find their integrator and their visionary,” Shine said. “That is the advantage that Chris and I have. We get along so well, and we’re on the same page, making this the perfect match for business.”

Chunn said the transition to a more relationship-based approach has been a win-win for everyone.

“We wanted to be able to create deeper, more meaningful relationships with our clients and be able to do the right thing for everyone. With that, we’ve changed our offerings including offering extended guarantees and payment terms to make things easier for our clients,” Chunn said.

With the ability to be more flexible and selective, Shine said ATG can be more particular in placements and clients they represent. It boosts the company’s reputation, which is very important in the Arkansas job market and benefits our clients and candidates in the end.

Shine and Chunn have more than 25 years of combined experience working in Arkansas, which has allowed them to gain invaluable experience in the marketplace. While online job boards can give estimates on salary, experience and skills needed, the duo can provide real data to clients, helping them to create an accurate job description to fill their needs.

“We’re able to streamline the hiring process for our clients from beginning to end,” Chunn said. “We’re going to gather all the information that we want to know about your company, not just a job description and a salary range. We want to know your [company] culture.”

Chunn and Shine connect more deeply with their clients than typical recruiters, visiting them in-person and creating a true matchmaking experience. From submitting candidates and setting up first and second round interviews to walking clients through negotiating offers, ATG is able to prepare employers and employees with the best placement to their ability.

Every candidate is subject to a thorough screening process, Chunn said, and we have these candidates already thoroughly vetted when a candidate is submitted. This added benefit enables companies to feel confident that the candidates are rehireable and fully qualified for the position they are seeking.

“Working with a recruiter like us taps companies into a hidden job market,” Shine said. “I would say the majority of our candidates are in our network through referrals or people we have worked with or known.”