What led you to a career in recruiting?

Growing up, my family never spoke about work, and if you met me in person, the last thing I’d ever ask you about is where you work, what you do, and what you studied in college. I just don’t think what people do for work is the most interesting thing about them and since it was never brought up growing up, it feels quite inappropriate to start off conversations that way. I was always curious about how people found normal 9-5 day jobs that weren’t retail.

When I was in college, I came across Glassdoor. The wage transparency allowed me to realize I could make more money right then, while I was still in college. I used this intel to get a better job at a department store. I couldn’t stop sharing information about things like Glassdoor, resume tips, and eventually my transition into a whole new industry online. People in my network started seeing me as a trusted source for finding jobs, transitioning careers, and negotiating a salary. It’s really humbling knowing so many people trust you with such sensitive topics around work, salary, and benefits.

How did you end up in your current role at Ashby?

After being frustrated by the archaic applicant tracking software I was forced to use in my day-to-day, I started to search for a better solution. There had to be something better out there, right? Wrong. A year into my search I discovered Ashby was on the market and not too shortly after someone from the company reached out to start the interview process. If I didn’t discover Ashby, I would have tried building it myself! Recruiting without Ashby is like running a sales department without a CRM. It’s cringe.

What does your typical work day look like at Ashby?

As I’ve progressed in my career as a recruiter, I’ve learned that every company’s recruiting function operates differently and each job title is responsible for something different. At Ashby, our organization is flat (which I love) and my title is Talent. My daily responsibilities fall in alignment with a typical sourcer who spends all day sourcing candidates, finding strategic ways to get in front of the right candidates, and meeting with hiring managers to dial in my search. I also serve as a guinea pig for our new product features before they ship!

What is your top priority/priorities this year?

My main priority right now is staying adaptive to the needs of the business in this ever-changing economy and talent landscape. Personally, I am studying to earn my senior HR certification that I’ve been working towards. In my daily work, my current focus is on finding a Lead UX Designer and a Growth Operations Manager.

Wondering how to keep moving forward, even in an uncertain economic climate? Get our recruiter tips for toughing out a recession.

What’s your favorite part of your job now?

I really enjoy being a part of a founding team. When a company gets too big, they have established processes and a more concrete way of doing things. I really enjoy the ability to share an idea for a feature and see it ship quite quickly. That’s not something you get to see every day or experience as the end user of the product.

It’s also really cool getting to meet the people you hire. In fact, as I write this I’m on a flight to meet our company while sitting next to someone I sourced. I’m hiring humans!

What’s been your biggest challenge as a recruiter, and how have you managed it?

With the markets ever-changing and the demand for different skill sets come and go, how do you capture and maintain a candidate’s attention and interest? This is my biggest challenge as a recruiter, but also my favorite part of what I do.

What’s one thing that would surprise people about your job?

In an industry that glamorizes working until the sun rises, it’s refreshing to work for a company full of high performers who also have a life, hobbies, and identity outside of work. I’m also very impressed by the character of the people that we hire, our strategic founders, and their dedication to improving a space that I feel so deeply passionate about. When your founders are able to recruit people from past jobs to work with them and you see plenty of people with families at the company, that’s a green flag I can get behind.

How do you think a recruiter's job will change over the next few years?

When I was first starting my career, micro-communities (Facebook Groups, Subreddits, Twitter communities) really changed the game for me as a professional. It helped me share and receive new ideas and information that really influenced my life.

I see this concept finally being adapted in the recruiting space. There are so many niche communities of people coming together online around different topics and skill sets. This is huge for the future of recruiting.

What advice would you give to someone who is just getting started as a recruiter, or who is interested in being a recruiter?

Find a mentor. There are a lot of great free resources online for you to start learning on your own and exploring whether or not this is a career path that excites you -- but keep in mind that recruiting is huge and not all opportunities are equal. Working with a mentor can help you avoid common mistakes people make when entering the industry.

Be prepared to learn. The industry changes so fast, the tools that you use will come and go, and the roles you’re recruiting for will change. If you’re able to learn fast and be adaptive, you’ll do great. Oh, and feedback is your friend!

Thank you, Destiny, for sharing your experiences and expertise with us! We appreciate your insights into today’s recruiting landscape.

Know a recruiter who we should spotlight? Tell us about them via email at hello@fetcher.ai.

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