Our Kinetix recruiters are what helps our company be the best firm out there, and with that responsibility you have to be a kick a$$ teammate to be a part of our team! This month we are featuring one of our recently new Kinetix kick a$$ teammates, Mark Morris.
At Kinetix when looking at different people to join our team, beyond skillsets, we look at if people will be Likeable, a Connector, do they have Passion and Innovation, will they Figure Things Out , do they have the power to be a Kick A$$ Teammate and ultimately will they Get Things Done. Mark Morris is one of those team members that encompass all of the above.
We sat down with him to go over his overall experience thus far at Kinetix and what he hopes to learn, grow and share with his career at Kinetix.
Give us the who, what, when, where of why you are at Kinetix.
I started in February of 2017, so 3 months. I found Kinetix through social media – I saw an ad on Facebook. I clicked the ad, wandered around the website, and thought, “I have GOT to work for this place!” I didn’t even know if Kinetix was hiring, I just knew this was the place for me. I called a friend, Allen McNeill, who was connected to Kinetix. I told him, “Do what you have to do, but get me in to meet with these people.” He made the introduction and here we are.
In my short time at Kinetix, I’ve had the pleasure to work on a variety of projects, including nursing and non-nursing positions in healthcare, contract call center representatives, a Membership Director for a private golf club, and an Import/Export Manager for an aerospace engineering firm. I love the variety!
How has your background shaped you into the recruiter you are today?
As an HR consultant, I worked with small to mid-sized companies. About 75% of my business was recruiting for front-line positions that my clients had trouble filling. Prior to that, I was with Lanier Parking where I oversaw recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and leadership/team coaching. Even earlier in my career, I was in healthcare sales.
Each of these roles helped me to hone my Connector gene, making me successful in building relationships and motivating people.
Have you learned anything new since joining the Kinetix Family?
First, I have learned that the Kinetix culture is possible to achieve and actually exists. Second, I have learned about the RPO and staffing worlds. My background is in corporate recruiting and there are differences.
Are there any major differences between Kinetix and past companies you have worked at?
The biggest difference is in the culture. In previous organizations where I have worked we tried to build this culture, but we didn’t quite make it. Kinetix demonstrates that an organization can be high-performance and still be fun. I also love the emphasis on being thought leaders in our field. At a previous company, I was discouraged from writing articles for trade publications. Kinetix wants us to put our knowledge on display.
What pushes you to succeed as a recruiter?
The obvious answer is money, but that’s not my primary motivation. That is a great perk of what we do, but I am a Connector. My passion is connecting exceptional people to great organizations. I also like making a difference in the lives of people that I encounter. Aimelie Godin and I recently worked together recruiting Customer Service Representative for a call center. We met the candidates at a Starbucks to complete the paperwork. The first candidate through the door was one that Aimelie had recruited. I loved her personality and her excitement about the position. As she was completing her paperwork, her backstory came out. She was homeless and lived in her car with her 14-year-old daughter. This job was her path to a better life for her and her daughter. Aimelie and I were both in tears when the candidate left. That’s what we do what we do – we connect people and make a difference in their lives.
What tips do you have for other recruiters?
I’m still the new guy, so I’m not sure what I can teach the other recruiters, but here’s a couple of thoughts from my time at Kinetix and my past experiences:
- Always drive the hiring process. We may not make the final hiring decision, but we must remember that hiring is NOT foremost in the Hiring Leader’s mind. They are thinking about all the work that needs to be done in the department and they are trying to brainstorm solutions to get it done. Recruiting and hiring is ALL that we think about. We must drive the process, push the Hiring Leader, to make the train move forward.
- Always look for opportunities to increase the Kinetix business. We meet leaders in different organizations and we should always be asking, “How do you get your talent and what’s not working for you?” That way we have a pain point we can solve.
Tell me the craziest experience you have had as a recruiter:
When I was at Lanier Parking, we had 10 days to recruit, hire, and onboard 25 valets for a new operation in Savannah, GA. I went to Savannah to assist the local Valet Manager with the interviews. We used a standardized behavioral interview guide and one of the questions the CEO required that we ask was, “It’s dusky dark outside. You are backing a car into a parking space. You bump the car next to you. There is no obvious damage. What do you do?” I didn’t like the question because everyone answered it the same way, using some variation of, “I would tell my supervisor.” However, that changed when one of our candidates said, “I’d call my momma!” That answer got my attention, so I followed up with, “What’s momma going to tell you to do?” She responded with, “She’ll tell me not to tell anyone, that’s for sure!” Surprisingly, she didn’t get the job, so we were safe from Momma’s wrath.
Any final thoughts you want to share?
Always remember why we do what we do. We have the power to make a difference in lives. That’s a cool power to have. And Kinetix is a cool place to wield that power.
Kinetix offers our recruiters a place to grow and call home. We instill the power to push our people to be Likeable, be a Connector, have Passion and Innovation, to Figure Things Out and ultimately Get Things Done to be a Kick A$$ Teammate