At IQ we love to recognize those employees that we believe are “Living the Values”. Our most recent recipient of this award was Chris Smith. Chris is a part of our excellent talent management team. This team is responsible for finding the right candidates for our project team at the IQ office as well as for positions on client sites. We wanted to take some time to highlight Chris in a new, ongoing series. The Employee Spotlight.
- What motivates you every day? My wife and two kids are certainly a huge source of inspiration for me. As for the job itself, it is incredibly fulfilling to be a part of someone joining IQ Inc.. Starting a new career is a pivotal point of a person’s life and helping someone advance their career and find a home here is fantastic!
- Briefly describe what you do at IQ. As a Talent Management Coordinator, my primary responsibility lies in finding, interviewing, and hiring candidates to either our internal project team or as an on-site IQ consultant. I also share the responsibilities of maintaining our relationships with existing and new clients.
- What does your work space look like? Working from home has certainly evolved from when I began with a laptop on a pop up picnic table. I sit in my basement….AKA Man-Cave…on a nice gifted table from my MIL with a dual monitor set-up which made my life a lot easier. Its relatively tidy sans the occasional super-hero toy left somewhere in the background of Zoom videos. I have more Marvel Easter Eggs in my interviews than most of the movies!
- What do you like to do outside of work? I used to have a social life which included playing roller hockey, going out for dinner or drinks with my wife & friends, and playing poker. Now that I have kids I will be spending nearly every day for the next few months helping coach softball, T-ball, and soccer. #DadLife
- What advice do you have for others in your profession? See through the resume. So many amazing people are passed by for reasons that are typically seen as a red flag. Gaps in work, lack of formal education, late career focus change; these are all things that can lead to a resume going into the nope pile. Obviously jobs have requirements, but if the absolute must haves are there it is always worth talking to them. Everyone has a unique and intriguing story to their life. You hire people, not resumes. Take the time to give people a chance and you will be rewarded with some amazing people to join your team.
- What do you love about IQ Inc? It’s heart. Barb does an amazing job of genuinely caring about every employee. That trickles down throughout the entire company. We truly are a family. Perhaps a dysfunctional one, myself included in the culprits there, but what family isn’t?!