Thanks for reading! This series is designed to shine a spotlight on Talent Acquisition professionals and highlight their career journeys and learnings so far. Today, we're joined by Faye Phillips. If you'd like to be next, please reach out to a TTC Community Manager.
Introduce yourself:
Hello, I am Faye, a talent professional with 10 years of experience working in-house and in agencies. I have been lucky enough to work with several leading brands, scale-ups, and SMEs across Australia and EMEA. I’m currently based in London and seeking my next role in TA.
Can you walk us through the key milestones in your career in the talent acquisition space? What were some pivotal moments or decisions that shaped your journey?
I cut my teeth at a boutique agency that gave me a solid grounding and taught me some of the best practices I still use today.
A key milestone for me (unbeknownst at the time) was transitioning from agency recruitment into technology sales, suddenly I had access to all the latest tools and technologies, marketing material and events. Whilst I didn’t stay in technology sales for long it did reignite my passion for recruitment combining the fundamentals of recruitment with the modern tools and techniques I picked up in tech sales.
Another big milestone was moving to Australia, mapping out the market and nuances that impact recruitment in another country was an enjoyable learning experience. I particularly enjoyed the coffee culture and the in-person networking approach and it was here I set up and ran my first networking event in Melbourne.
Lastly, let’s not forget the rollercoaster of COVID - quickly pivoting between office to remote working and from zero new hires to wanting to double in size at lightning speed!
In this rapidly evolving industry, what strategies or practices have you adopted to continuously enhance your skills and stay ahead of the curve? Do you have any resources or learning methods you'd recommend to others?
Continuous improvement for me is all about feedback, understanding the needs and experiences of hiring teams is key to fostering a culture of collaboration and delivering a robust recruitment process.
Candidate feedback is just as crucial. It's important to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard especially when applying a D&I lens to hiring processes. Things that most people take for granted can easily be overlooked and often a little goes a long way. In my most recent role, we launched a candidate feedback form to encourage candidates to anonymously share their feedback - it was a great way to validate the improvements we made to the candidate journey and interview process but also brought up things we hadn't considered before like having more diversity in our interview teams.
I also love listening to podcasts on my morning walk or commute into the office. Tapod is still one of my favourites due to the calibre of guests and regular injections of humour but there are heaps out there - side note I am always down to receive any podcast recommendations!
What has been the most challenging aspect of your career in talent acquisition, especially when you were actively seeking work? How did you overcome it, and what advice would you offer to others facing similar hurdles?
I think the most challenging aspect is navigating the lack of stability in the industry, especially when facing sudden shifts from hiring surges to freezes or redundancies. Unfortunately, TA teams are often the first to be impacted which threatens job security and competition for available roles.
My advice is to make interaction count. Whether it's expanding your network or applying for roles, every interaction can potentially lead to valuable connections or opportunities.
Despite its challenges, I enjoy the application process as it provides a window into what other companies are doing. If I come across a company with a particularly good application process I often take notes and think how I can incorporate elements of it into my next role.
The recruiting world can be fast-paced and demanding. How do you strike a balance between your professional commitments and personal life? Are there specific routines or rituals you follow?
Like anything else in life, setting boundaries and being able to communicate them is key. Knowing your limits and rhythm allows you to structure your day in a way that maximises both your productivity and well-being. For me, blocking 15 minutes between interviews and screening calls has been a game changer in preventing burnout and allowing me to enter my next meeting with clarity and focus.
Also working for a company that values and promotes a healthy work-life balance is a must! It sets the tone for the organisational culture and encourages everyone to prioritise their well-being, leading to higher job satisfaction and productivity in the long run.
As someone involved in talent acquisition, you've likely witnessed various technology and trend shifts. Which technologies or trends do you believe have had the most significant impact on the industry, and how have they influenced your role?
Remote work and hybrid working have had a profound impact on diversity hiring practices and opened up new and diverse talent pools. Additionally, the widespread adoption of video conferencing tools has transformed the hiring process by opening up availability and decreasing time-to-hire metrics. It’s wild to think we used to have to wait weeks in between interview stages with candidates often having to book days off to attend interviews.
Secondly, automation and AI tools when used correctly can free up valuable time to focus on important things like building relationships with candidates and stakeholders, creative thinking and enhancing the overall experience.
For those entering the talent acquisition space or those looking to pivot within it, what's the one piece of practical advice you'd give to help them thrive, especially if they are actively job-seeking?
This is a difficult question to answer as talent professionals are amongst the most proactive and resourceful when actively job-seeking so it’s tricky to share any advice that they don’t already know. I guess my advice would be to cultivate your personal brand, think about how you can make a difference, learn from applications and interview processes and don’t be afraid to give or ask for feedback.