Karen Pickens is the Director of Training and Development for Kaye/Bassman and oversees all training initiatives and ongoing career development organizationally.  She also serves as the Director of the Kaye/Bassman Foundation, responsible for all fundraising efforts supporting MDA and CITY House.  Since inception, the Foundation has donated over $750,000 to our deserving charities.

When she joined Kaye/Bassman in 2001, Karen specialized in search and recruitment for clients in the Commercial Construction, Specialty Contractors, and Real Estate Development markets.  She finished in the top five project staff in 2004 and 2005, and achieved the distinction of becoming a Pacesetter within the company.  In 2006, Karen pioneered the redevelopment of Kaye/Bassman corporate training program. She is now exclusively responsible for the rookie training program as well as continued partner and associate development throughout the organization. This vital program covers a wide variety of topics from basic recruiting fundamentals, to effective marketing techniques, to more sophisticated curriculum for long-term development. From 2006 to 2008, the total cash-in for graduates of Kaye/Bassman’s redeveloped training program is over $4 million.  On behalf of Next Level Recruiting Training, Karen is a frequent consultant to search firm owners who have a greater vision of growth, hiring, and training.  
 
Karen graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas with a degree in General Business.  She lives in McKinney with her husband and two black labs.