 OpTech prides itself on the relationships our recruiters forge with candidates. Behind every great group of recruiters is an amazing Director of Recruiting. The Director of Recruiting is instrumental in leading the development and implementation of strategic talent acquisition tactics and leads the evaluation of the entire recruiting function, strategies, and procedures in order to find opportunities for improvement.
Meet Debbie: Job Title – Director of Recruiting Have you always been in the field of Recruiting? I've been in the staffing industry since the late 90's where I started out in Organizational Management for an Engineering firm and was asked to help with recruiting. I didn't even know why companies used outside firms to help find talent, but I quickly learned and had several automotive accounts. I spent most of my years at Manpower Metro Detroit and VisionIT, in both Recruiting, Management and Account Management; traveling extensively to care for clients. I joined OpTech about 5 years ago, left for two years (engineering again) and back for two years now. What’s the most exciting part of your job? I love working with my team of recruiters at OpTech, helping them reach their goals, celebrating their wins and assisting them when something isn’t working. I equally love strategy- putting energy towards growing the company through collaborative efforts. What do you do in your free time? In my free time, I enjoy being with my family, home renovations and am passionate about civil rights and women's issues. What is one question every candidate should ask during a job interview? There are a few, but especially “Do you feel I have the skills and experience you are looking for?" This allows the candidate and hiring manager to address anything right then and there. Also, the candidate should ask about the next steps in the process. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Teleportation! It would be great to simply teleport to a warmer location during a long winter.
0 Comments
 Did you know that recruiters are specialists in a particular field (e.g. IT or healthcare)? Working with a recruiter is a great way to bypass the endless process of sending resumes into a job board that may yield little to no response. Working with a recruiter gives you a instant leg up, as you'll be part of a much smaller pool of applicants.
This week, meet our Senior Healthcare Recruiter, Derek. He has 15+ years of experience in recruiting healthcare positions. Meet Derek: What’s the most exciting part of your job? “I truly enjoy connecting with candidates and getting to know them during the hiring process.” What do you do in your free time? “In my free time, I love spending time with my wife and three kids. They are active in several sports so we are frequently traveling to games and cheering them on. I also play on a hockey league.” What is one question every candidate should ask during a job interview? When interviewing, candidates should ask the interviewer, “What do you like best about working here?” This gives a little more insight into the culture of the company. Have you always been a recruiter? I have not always been a recruiter. Prior to working for OpTech, I spent a majority of my career in business development in the areas of advertising and marketing. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? I would like the power of suggestion. To be able to tell someone to do (or not to do) something and have them think it’s perfectly normal and good idea that they themselves originated, and act upon it.  A Recruiting Coordinator focuses on facilitating the flow of candidates through the recruitment process and is an integral part of the recruiting team. This week, meet our Recruiting Coordinator, Megan.
Have you always been a Recruiting Coordinator? No, I joined OpTech in March 2019 as a Recruiting Coordinator, but I have had quite a few experiences before that. I graduated from Ferris State University with a degree in Health Care Systems Administration with a minor in Human Resources in 2016. Post graduation, I have been employed as a Substitute Teacher for grades K-12, a Volunteer Coordinator at Karmanos Cancer Institute, and a Sales Support Rep at McKesson. What do you do in your free time? I enjoy traveling, spending time with my family, friends, and my dog (aka: my best friend), Cruze. At the start of the pandemic, I began my new favorite hobby of baking macarons, and I plan to continue teaching myself how to perfect this difficult craft! If you could have one superpower, what would it be? I would say teleportation, being able to immediately be anywhere would be so great! It would make traveling to visit family and friends, or going on vacation so much easier. What advice would you give to a young professional that just graduated from college? My advice is to try everything. Although I feel that my career is truly just beginning, I have had so many wonderful experiences since graduating that have helped me grow in my existing career. Whether you are volunteering or joining networking groups, it is essential to your career growth. Never stop learning and never stop seeking new experiences. What do you love most about your job? Although I am behind the scenes with getting candidates their new positions, I still play a role in that and it’s great knowing that we, as a company, are making positive impacts in people’s lives. Regardless of what I am doing, I am always assisting someone in some way and I enjoy that part of my job as well.  The job search is a grueling process. It often feels like a full time job, and can lead to burn-out very quickly. We often hear candidates complain about the endless search for new opportunities. Opportunities that appear to be a a good fit; in which an excitement builds as the candidate modifies his/her resume to highlight specific skills needed for that position; only to find the position yielded no response, no inquiry back. OpTech is in the business of finding great talent (like you) and presenting you with positions (open and viable positions) that match your skill sets. Our recruiters help candidates in their journey, providing both support, tips and tricks and having access to positions that may not even be posted yet.
Meet Shannon: Job Title and Areas of Expertise – Senior Technical Recruiter 10+ years recruiting administrative, finance, engineering, professional services positions What’s the most exciting part of your job? The most exciting part of my job is getting the chance to help change a candidate’s life while helping to improve a clients’ business at the same time. What’s one question every candidate should ask during a job interview? I think candidates always want to know about the timeframe and next steps. It is acceptable to ask this question of the hiring manager after the interview: "When is the hiring team looking to make a decision on either next steps or extending an offer?" What energizes you outside of work? When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my family and close friends. I am a boy mom to both a teenager and a toddler, which keeps me extremely busy. Have you always been a recruiter? I graduated from U of M Dearborn with a Bachelor degree in Corporate Communication and Public Relations in 2005. Shortly after graduation, I started working at Toyota Motor Company in their Midwest PR office, based in Detroit. During my time there, I primarily managed a fleet of over 100 vehicles that I leased out to the various automotive journalists to gain market presence with our brand. I LOVED my job but when the auto industry took a dive in 2008, I was laid off and temporarily went into Event Planning, and then into Property & Casualty insurance sales. In 2011, I started working in educational recruitment, and then made the move into talent acquisition for engineering clients. and eventually Professional Services, where I am today. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Teleportation so I can go anywhere in the world at any moment. |
