Today we have selected Tracy Arno to take her interview. She is the CEO/FOUNDER Of Essence Recruitment Canada.
First of all, how are you and your team doing in these COVID-19 times?
Overall, we are doing great. We have our moments and the ride on the rollercoaster has been up and down. We have focused on our mental health and ensuring we have what we need to stay focused and to continually move forward.
Tell us about you, your career, how you founded or joined this company?
I was working with an international recruitment firm, however, my values did not align with the organization. I wanted to focus on the people, not the bottom line. Since 2011, we have focused on fit and culture and stand behind our values of Trust, transparency, respect, community, and diversity.
How does your company innovate?
We are continually changing or aligning to stay on top of the trends by keeping up to date with best practices and up and innovations. Most importantly, we are listening to what our clients need and adjust our business to adapt to their needs. Being creative and thinking outside the box to ensure we can exceed all our client’s expectations.
How the Coronavirus pandemic affects your business, and how are you coping?
In March of 2020, 90% of our clients put their recruitment needs on hold indefinitely. To adjust to the market, we added additional service lines to give options other than recruitment. This included adding an HR consulting division that would help our clients ensure they had the right team as they were changing their business plans.
Did you have to make difficult choices, and what are the lessons learned?
I made several difficult choices, including permanent layoffs. We are constantly looking at the numbers and having to adjust. We just made the choice to shut down the consulting division as it was not growing as expected. I question every day if I gave it enough time but right now we don’t have the luxury to “wait and see”.
What specific tools, software, and management skills are you using to navigate this crisis?
Professional development has been key in the last year. We went back to school, focusing on how to enhance our skills including communication, online marketing, mental wellness awareness, new recruitment strategies, etc. I have purposely sought out networking groups, mentors, and like-minded people to support each other through this pandemic.
Who are your competitors? And how do you plan to stay in the game?
We have competitors-large and small all over the world. I will be stronger coming out of this as we have been preparing ourselves for growth. We have realigned our structure, expanded our network, built partnerships, educated ourselves on how to be better at what we do, and are growing a solid team to exceed our clients’ expectations.
Your Final Thoughts
I am resilient and have embraced proven that I can take on and the challenges that have come before me. I have learned a lot and am excited about the future of my company and my own professional career.
- Spokesperson: Tracy Arno
- Company: Essence Recruitment Canada
- Website link: www.essencerecruitment.ca