Carolyn B. Thompson is president of Training Systems in Frankfort, Ill., a human resources consulting and training firm.

Q. Why did you choose your profession?

A. We are a performance consulting company, helping our clients make better hiring decisions and motivate employees once they're on board. I chose that work because I realized that I really like to help managers find the right employees and help those people improve their performance.


Q. How did you get started?

A. I got started as a manager in a small company where there was no human resources department. I had to do all those things myself and I really loved that part of my job. But I knew I didn't know enough, so I joined HR professional associations and read and read and read. After that, I got a general management job in job placement at a different company, then a job as a human resources manager at another firm.


Q. What did you do before launching your business?

A. In my last job I was director of human resources at a company. The tasks of the job were what I wanted, but in a management philosophy that didn't fit me. Two years later, when the CFO in the next office got a $20,000 raise and I didn't get anything, I decided to make a change. So, I analyzed what it was I liked doing best and realized it was helping companies solve employment problems, and helping people learn, both one-on-one and in groups. That's when I got the idea to start my own company.


Q. What's the biggest challenge?

A. The biggest challenge is trying to help companies believe that they can actually improve their hiring and retention processes. They believe that employees don't care about anything but themselves and aren't going to stay for long, anyway. But people move for a whole lot of reasons, and money isn't the only one.


Q. What are your favorite resources?

A. I like the Web site WorkForce, which has articles about every aspect of the employment scene. I also use the Web site Dancona, the site of a law firm that's full of information on laws and regulations. My favorite magazine is HR Executive; it's a monthly with very up-to-date stuff. Also HR Manager, the magazine of the Society of Human Resource Management.


Q. What are your most useful gadgets?

A. My laptop and my cell phone. I used to work on a desktop... but when I went somewhere and I took my laptop with me, it was extremely inconvenient: My email and bookmarked Web sites were all on my desktop, so I couldn't get access to them. Now I use my laptop for everything.


Q. What advice would you give someone just starting out?

A. If you want to start a company in the same field, begin as a freelancer. That way, you can learn all the HR consulting stuff without having to worry about marketing and sales, or bookkeeping. You can find work from a few Web sites, like Guru. Also, professional associations like the Society of Human Resource Management have job boards and more than half of those jobs are contract.


Q. What are the key changes happening in your profession or industry?

A. The Web has created some big changes. I used to pay hundreds of dollars a year to keep up-to-date with employment law. Now, with the Web, I can find any information I want at any time on my computer. And, I get resumes almost entirely over email. Plus, many people now use email for pre-screening of job applicants.


Q. What are the best and worst parts of your work?

A. The best part is helping somebody figure out how to fix a problem, asking a lot of questions, looking at what they're currently doing and ways to change it. My least favorite is all the paper. There are not enough hours in a day to get to it.


Q. What are the biggest mistakes small businesspeople make in hiring?

A. They look at a person's previous salary and decide that, if they can't pay that or more, they either won't be able to hire that individual, or they think poorly of anyone who would want to take a pay cut. But money is not at the top of the list for most people looking for a job.

Another one is failing to make a recruitment plan. That means knowing way before you have an opening what your needs are and cultivating the best people. So when you have an opening, you already know whom to contact -- and hiring the right choice is like rolling out of bed.