Nicole is the Southern Cross Talent Acquisition Supervisor. She is responsible for planning, developing, managing, and overseeing talent acquisition and recruitment processes and strategies. Follow along to learn more about Nicole’s story and to see more about what it is like to work with Southern Cross.

How long have you been at Southern Cross?

I began working for Southern Cross in September of 2018, so 2 years coming up. I must say that like any good relationship it feels like I’ve been here more than 2 years, maybe 5 years.

What was your first Impression of Southern Cross?

Initially, I applied to the position online without really looking at the Southern Cross website. However, after receiving a call to review my application, I checked out the Southern Cross website and I found a connection to the innovative culture emphasized on the website. After meeting with Eric (VP of Human Resources), I felt even more like Southern Cross would offer me the opportunity to really hone in on my HR and Talent Management skills. Moreover, I found a personal connection to Southern Cross providing essential services to local communities across the US and keeping people safe.

What do you like most about this job?

I really, really enjoy the opportunities to improve processes and working with our project teams to make things better. I like working for smaller organizations because I find that I’m able to utilize more of my past work experience and also grow with the needs of the organization. Because Southern Cross is not a larger organization, there are definitely more opportunities for me to really make positive contributions. I also enjoy working with our project teams and forming those relationships with them that foster an environment of trust.

What would you say is the biggest challenge with this job?

The biggest challenge in this job is learning to work in the gray at times and then being flexible enough to rethink talent strategy as needed. I find that the challenges are - fluctuations in work volume (project staffing needs vary), differences in the labor markets at various project locations, lead time on staffing needs, and being ready at any given time to recalibrate the workload to focus on higher priority staffing. These challenges are met by implementing proactive recruitment strategies that build on recruiting fundamentals and then putting an action plan in place when the light turns green-I guess it’s the ability to shift gears as needed.

Did you always know that you wanted to work with people?

Yes, yes, and yes, I’ve always known that I wanted to work with people and help people. I’ve felt the most personal satisfaction when working for employers with a mission of health, education, or safety (to include national security). My intrinsic reward working at Southern Cross is the connection to local communities and safety-reading about how our techs save homes, buildings, or by finding gas leaks is as awesome as finding a motivated candidate who needs a job and is looking for an opportunity to grow. In essence, helping people helps me at the end of the day.

How do you stay current with hiring trends?

I receive a regular daily feed of HR and Talent related content, so I enjoy reading current recruiting and talent management articles published by reputable authors. I also connect with learning opportunities on popular job boards, social media sites, and I’ve attended a couple of talent strategy seminars as well. Most recently, I am looking forward to partnering with our Marketing Department more to optimize the use of social media and brand identification in order to build a more comprehensive talent pool.

What is one of your proudest moments at Southern Cross?

Some of my proudest moments have come when I sourced a very good candidate and saw them move on to be hired to our Southern Cross family. It is truly a rewarding experience to know that it all started with emailing them on LinkedIn, Indeed or any other platform and, then, following that conversation thru until a hiring manager confirms that we’ve found a good candidate - priceless. Other proud moments have come when the Talent Acquisition team and I have worked on specific process improvements to better serve the needs of our folks out at our projects and improve staffing processes-again, priceless. Locations vary in the quality and quantity of candidates, so proud moments ensue when we find the right formula in sourcing local talent to fill a project’s staffing needs.

What do you do in your spare time with your family?

Specifically, during this pandemic, I have learned to slow down and count my blessings-definitely high on the list is my family. I have three daughters-one is older and lives in New Jersey and the other two are nine and six years old. Being unable to visit with my oldest daughter is challenging, but we have much more time visiting with each other on FaceTime and connecting on Zoom parties. My youngest daughters and I enjoy a little bit of everything and it’s really a toss-up on the weekends-you might find us at Lake Lanier often, painting, building dollhouses (I have one vintage from 1984 that I’m waiting to build), performing karaoke, bicycle riding, camping at home, emergency prep/training, and/or cooking new dishes. One of the most rewarding activities we share in is reaching out to people by engaging in regular letter writing to people who just need some encouragement and dropping off supplies or gifts to people in our local community to see the smiles on their faces is totally awesome (we definitely receive more than we give).