Camy Hand was recently promoted to Director of Sales and Business Development at Kavin Group. With 19+ years of experience in account management and full cycle recruitment, Camy partners with her clients and candidates to build custom recruitment strategies. From an entrepreneur to a trusted business advisor, Camy is on a mission to help people grow and make a meaningful impact on their careers and homes.
Congratulating Camy on this newest milestone, we sat down for a fireside chat to learn more about her journey within the recruitment space and to gather key insights on the current industry trends and challenges:
1. How did you get into the staffing industry and what makes it so unique?
Camy: As an entrepreneur, I was involved in hiring, training, and retaining employees for my business. I’m extremely passionate about coaching and mentoring people and that’s what sparked my interest in staffing. I joined the industry as a recruiter within a large staffing agency.
The process of building stronger and long-lasting relationships with clients and candidates constantly motivated me. I know how crucial it is for a business to find the right fit and when I partner with clients, I anticipate how my support could impact their business today and five years down the road. Being able to have a long-term vision, plan strategically and stay committed to helping clients and candidates achieve their goals has always been my top priority.
The staffing industry is part of a bigger cultural shift in the world of work and that makes it unique. It has helped to transform the nature of work and provided businesses and candidates with numerous opportunities of how work could be carried out. Long gone are the days when candidates were only seeking full-time salaried positions. There’s been a rise in freelance, contract, and temp work.
2. What are some of the challenges and opportunities in the world of work today?
Camy: One of the main challenges is the looming uncertainty caused by the pandemic. It triggered cost savings, budget cuts and longer-term unemployment for many. Government issued CERB policies reduced the candidate pool as well and made it more difficult for us to find the right fit for our clients. As a result, our recruiters must dig deeper, be innovative and fluid in their searches and really understand where to find the right talent.
That being said, we are certainly seeing a ton of positives coming out of the new world of work. Clients are continuously hiring and committed to finding good people. Instead of being reactionary, they are strategically evaluating their organizational needs and closely monitoring the tight candidate market.
3. What is the most important lesson you have learned along your career journey?
Camy: I had to learn to trust myself, my instincts, and the people I work with. It’s all about building trust with your clients and candidates. Candidates trust you with their careers and you have to learn to trust them too, that they are working collaboratively with you and are being honest. Clients have to trust me to find the right talent for their business, but I also have to trust that they are giving me the right information to find them a candidate that fits best.