In this new blog series, “Meet the #GTeam,” we’ll be showcasing some of our talented new team members and giving them an outlet to talk about their experiences before and after joining GroundTruth.
Meet Sam Maldonado-Quiles, our new Manager of Talent Acquisition in our New York HQ! Sam has an extensive background in HR. She oversaw the talent acquisition function at Group Nine Media (formerly Thrillist Media Group) and helped grow the team from the 125 employees to 650 employees when Thrillist merged with The Dodo, Seeker, and NowThis and formed Group Nine Media. We spoke with Sam about her role at GroundTruth, her experience in HR, and what sets our culture apart from others.
What drove you to come to GroundTruth?
When I saw the job description for GroundTruth on LinkedIn, I was excited to apply as it was exactly in line with what I was looking for. I knew I wanted to join an organization where I could make a positive impact, and during the interview process, I felt I would be able to accomplish that at GroundTruth. In the short time I’ve been here, I feel like I’ve already started to make an impact.
In the short time I’ve been here, I feel like I’ve already started to make an impact.
You’ve mentioned “making an impact”, how has GroundTruth allowed you to make an impact?
Since I started, we have made improvements to the onboarding process, shared ideas to streamline our recruitment process, and built close working relationships with our hiring managers and business partners globally.
What are some skills you have taken away from your past HR experiences?
While I predominantly worked in talent acquisition throughout my career, I wore many different hats. I also have experience in managing employee relations issues, onboarding, offboarding (i.e conducting exit interviews), payroll, employer branding, developing and implementing policies and procedures, as well as managing a team.
While I was fortunate enough to be able to touch different areas of Human Resources, the one area I’ve always been most passionate about is talent acquisition. I truly enjoy identifying and hiring top talent, as well as overseeing a team who also targets top talent.
What is different about GroundTruth from other jobs you have worked at…the culture, what you do, the people here?
When I visited the office, I was completely blown away. The sights from up here are incredible. Not only that, this company offers employees a free lunch every day, tuition reimbursement, and amazing health benefits (check out all of our perks!). I’ve worked for larger corporations and they didn’t offer these benefits. Another benefit of working at GroundTruth is the casual open office environment; this allows you to interact and collaborate with others, as well as share your ideas.
GroundTruth employees are passionate, relentless, and respectful trailblazers, how do you tie these values into your work?
Passionate: When I think about passion, I think about “loving what you do and the organization you represent” so I make sure my passion comes through when I speak with candidates, vendors, and business partners because I truly love what I do and stand by GroundTruth’s mission statement.
Relentless: I believe this is something most of us have to be, as there are times we’re faced with ambiguity or fear of failure. It’s important to push through and never give up. After all, “where there’s risk, there’s reward.”
Respectful: This is such an important core value. Respect is how we build relationships with candidates, hiring managers, employees, and business partners. While others may have different opinions or backgrounds, as long as we respect each other by actively listening to what others have to say—even if you don’t agree with their idea—that is success.
Relentlessness is about pushing through, but trailblazing is about getting to the finish line.
Trailblazers: Relentlessness is about pushing through, but trailblazing is about getting to the finish line. They go hand in hand. You don’t let obstacles get in your way when you’re relentless, and by trailblazing you commit to the end and motivate others along the way. I make a conscious effort to do that with my team every day. In cases where the answers aren’t always as clear as day, I promote testing through trial and error until we find a solution.
