What does it take to go from teaching pre-school to recruiting for Fortune 500 companies? In this episode of “Hire Quality,” host Devyn Mikell sits down with the multi-talented Shannon Zengler, Director of Human Resources for Valeo Financial Advisors, to dive deep into her career path from preschool classrooms to the boardrooms of the finance world. Shannon shares her firsthand experience on successfully scaling talent acquisition, from her early days at the bustling call centers of GEICO to shaping human resource strategies at Valeo, one of the largest financial planning firms in Indianapolis.

Key Takeaways:

• Takeaway One: Shannon’s story is a powerful reminder for talent acquisition managers and recruiters that the foundations of a successful career in recruitment often lie in the strengths of relationship-building.

• Takeaway Two: Whether you’re recruiting for a small start-up or a Fortune 500 company, there’s value in being nimble and creating efficient processes.

• Takeaway Three: The pandemic has revolutionized the work environment, making transparent communication with candidates about remote work expectations absolutely critical.

Jump into the conversation:

[07:42] How to adopt an employee-centric approach to your HR and retention strategy.

[16:37] Simply put, recruiting is about understanding people and skills.

[18:16] How to transition from large companies to small start-ups.

[32:00] Flexibility and communication are essential for quality hybrid work.