I work at The Bay. I’m the Director of Talent Acquisition leading all TA related functions.

How big is it?‍

We are a team of 18 passionate and talented individuals.  We’ve certainly grown in a very short time, we have more than doubled our team size in the last 6 months – and we continue to grow!  

The team includes Senior Manager TA Projects, Coordinators and Talent Consultants, Specialist Sourcing, Talent Branding and University Relations that drive the recruitment and selection process for The Bay.

‍Where are your teammates located?‍

We’re truly a global team spanning across 5 time zones in 3 countries but primarily the team is based in the Toronto Area.

‍What does your team do? What are you responsible for?‍

My team is focused on bringing top-quality talent into the company. We are responsible for attracting candidates for all positions across technology, marketing, product, merchandising & planning, finance, and operations.  Conducting searches and conversations with talent across all areas of the business and presenting the most qualified candidates to our hiring managers and interview teams. We do all of this, all while providing a great candidate experience.

Remote isn’t the same as in-person work, and each individual has their own needs.  Being aware that it has it’s pros and cons, the people aspect is imperative and should not be overlooked.   Here are a few things that come to mind. ‍

A mindful approach to mental wellbeing‍

Supporting associates’ mental wellbeing is pivotal as nurturing for everyone's professional growth.‍

Building confidence in others‍

Creating a platform is to elevate associates in the way of mentorship and advocating to help growth, instill confidence and ultimately develop. Passionate about creating opportunities for associates to succeed in their careers and gain belief in themselves, all without sacrificing their wellbeing.‍

Helping others thrive‍

Empathetically connecting to teammates, encouraging and challenging, letting each other know they have the grace to try and fail and making space for everyone to be heard.

Diversity, inclusion and belonging is the foundation. Everyone has the opportunity and support to thrive and make a difference.‍

Finding purpose‍

Continue to take each experience, project, presentation to reflect and learn. Growth should never slow down even in a remote environment. Building a community of colleagues who propel each other’s career aspirations to move forward.  

All of this while having fun too!

I am the biggest cheerleader and supporter of my team’s work.  My constant personal reminder is to ensure they have the right information and context to make the best, smartest and timely decisions.  Focusing their time in the right areas to achieve goals, feeling valued and most importantly confident in their work is my daily drive.      

We do weekly check-ins and a weekly team meet-up but I am constantly checking in to see how everyone is doing. I’m invested and interested in the work everyone does and I let them know how much their work is impacting the goals of the company relating to talent. 

I continually ask about happiness and if there is anything I can do or assist with to make their work more enjoyable. I’m a listener and try my best to provide meaningful and challenging work that everyone is proud of. I open and close my conversations with appreciation.

Leading a team with passionate individuals is very rewarding but it can be tricky to get to know everyone’s particular needs and aspirations. It’s important for me to have direct discussions about more complex objectives. I’ll have a 1:1 with colleagues and my own leader before we all make a sound decision. I want to ensure I provide everyone the opportunity to learn and be involved in the decision making process. I’m also comfortable with silence and reflection time, allowing thoughts and expressions to be shared.

Every week we all come together to just talk, no agenda, no predefined context, just us.  It's morning “coffee talk”. We talk about what’s happening in our lives, kids, pets, stuff we do for fun!

This allows us to connect as a team and know each other outside of work relations.  I find it to be such a great time.  We started this almost 2 years ago and we’re still going strong.  It’s not a mandatory meeting but somehow we all show-up for this one!

We actually don’t play any games. I think we’re all great entertainers and never seem to run out of topics to talk about.

We constantly seem to talk about on-line shopping! Being a digital retail company that makes sense. We talk about what is happening in the marketplace, what others are doing and what we’re seeing as the latest and coolest commerce platforms.

We use tools such as Calendly and a pre-recorded video interview to stay organized. As for culture and morale we have many internal resources and communication vehicles to stay informed and connected. Including a company wellness app to stay active and earn redeemable points.

I think books are great, I constantly ask my friends and colleagues for recommendations and I also share mine with others.

I’m a big article reader, and I like to follow people like Simon Sinek and Gary Vaynerchuk, both of whom I saw once at a LinkedIn conference. I enjoy a variety of points of view on leadership Talent related topics.