This article, is based upon the book “Cultivating the Pearl” about recruiting top talent. It is scheduled for release early 2010. Neil Lockhart’s recent focus has been on recruiting in the construction industry. His recruiting experience dates back to 1997 with Hall Kinion, a technical staffing agency, where he received the Ultima Award in 2000 for outstanding billing. He has functioned as a technical recruiter at the agency level and as a corporate recruiter. As a corporate recruiter, he recruited top candidates for financial services, online media, advertising, sales/marketing, and technology positions.