Leadership in Top-Notch Recruiting
June 07, 2017
By Elizabeth Prochaska
After graduating from North Carolina State in 2010, I joined NSTAR Global Services as a junior recruiter. With just two recruiters on staff at that time, we had a challenge to embrace: recruiting technical resources for the semiconductor manufacturing industry.
Two years later, a promotion to recruiting manager enabled me to consider new methods for building a top-notch recruiting team. At that point, President Darrell McDaniel gave me the freedom to develop a team from the top down. In 2016, our team of nine placed 223 technical resources globally while facing more competition and an aging technical workforce.
As a core component of NSTAR’s mission and revenue, the recruiting department had unprecedented growth last year, and we hope to repeat that growth. This year, our main recruiting goal is to focus on increasing our fill-rate metric. To achieve this goal, we need to grow our client base, bring in as many opportunities as possible and close on the highest possible number of placements. Meeting the challenge of 250 technical resources this year is a realistic goal for our current recruiting team.
Although NSTAR Global Services places mostly semiconductor veterans, our recruiting team consists of vibrant personalities with diverse employment backgrounds. While many of our most successful dynamic recruiters joined us as recent college graduates with enthusiasm for learning a new industry, all of our team members are very flexible and possess exceptional interpersonal and communication skills. Hiring gregarious people with varied work histories has resulted in longer tenures, advancement and a family-like atmosphere in the Garner office. As the person overseeing the department’s people and growth, the greatest joy is watching their growth and development.
At NSTAR, our recruiters need a broad skillset to achieve end results. In addition to possessing persuasive powers, they must be hardworking, persistent, self-motivated and able to work independently. Although being patient can be a real challenge, our team realizes clients may need convincing to sign on particular candidates or to obtain feedback from interviews. Our team’s outgoing personalities certainly assist in the engagement aspect of recruiting active and passive job seekers.
One of the secrets to success in recruiting is the proper use of social media platforms in search of talent. In the past, candidates used social media platforms for personal pleasure. Now, these platforms are booming marketplaces on which to connect with active and passive job seekers. As a result, an active social media presence is a requirement to remain ideally positioned in the industry. These outlets enable recruiters to monitor the market as well as to engage candidates and develop relationships for potential future recruitment. Another recruitment secret to success is valued referrals. At NSTAR, one of our best sources for leads is referrals, and a great deal of these result from our social media efforts.
My favorite part of being a recruiting manager at NSTAR is being able to track growth and development of team members over the years. Every team member brings special strengths to the group. Despite different backgrounds and experiences, we share a common goal. The top-notch group of recruiters we have established at NSTAR wants to do more than place someone in a position; they want to benefit the candidates. They genuinely care about people and placements. On a team, the secret is to identify, hone and treasure the strengths and weaknesses of each member. With our trusting family atmosphere, we overcome obstacles and unite as a driving force to achieve our team goals. I’m confident our growth is only beginning, and will absolutely continue as we diversify and expand our client base.
