An Open Letter to the Recruiter Community …

Dear Recruiter,

First Things First …

“We are a different kind of company.” I’m sure you’ve heard that phrase a million times before.  And I suppose it can be true of any and every company, but if you indulge me for just a moment, I’d like to tell you a little bit about our particular difference: the “TalentWoo difference.”  We are a values-based company, built BY recruiters FOR recruiters.  What does that mean?  It means we prioritize, we hire, we lead and we fire according to our 5 Core Values:

  1. Integrity Above All Else
  2. We Value One Another
  3. We Own Our Work
  4. We Win as a Team
  5. We Keep It Real

These values are honestly what matter most.  They guide all our decisions around: who we should hire; how we should lead; which recruiting projects we should accept; how we should speak to and treat one another; how our culture should feel; what we should be doing for our employees; and what good we can do in the world.  As a company experiencing 900% growth this past year, you’ll notice that things may be a little bit messy around here.  Honestly, we just aren’t where we need to be in some areas; but we are committed to being true to what we say, being honest & humble when we fall short, and we are determined to create a safe haven for recruiters and sourcers that is financially stable, packed with possibility, crammed with kindness and full of fun. But more than that, you’ll find that our leadership is thoughtful about HOW we grow, intentional about scaling in a way that doesn’t burn out our recruiters and deliberate about never losing sight of our 5 Core Values.   Again, there will be times when you need to call us out for missing the mark on one or two of these … and that’s ok, here.  In fact, we encourage it.  Why?  Core Value #5: We Keep it Real.

Woo Who?

With our roots deep in the Real-Estate Market and born during the SFR (Single-Family Rental) Industry Institutionalization of 2016, TalentWoo is a boutique RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) Company experiencing tremendous growth as we expand our client base in the SFR, iBuyer, Mortgage, and Commercial Real Estate spaces. As you know, new technology and the recent pandemic have both transformed the real estate industry:  for the next 10-20 years, the entire world will be redefining the “what, where, why and how” of buying, selling, owning, and occupying our planet’s residential, commercial, and retail buildings.  TalentWoo sits at the center of all this; it’s our industry niche, our recruiting forte, our focused specialty that give us that certain “je ne sais quoi.”

You should also know that we are driven by a common purpose: “We Create Possibilities …”   This idea permeates the entire company. It guides us and motivates us each morning to think about how we can change one person’s life through meaningful employment.  It threads its way through all our conversations – with candidates, with clients and with colleagues.  We each have stories about that one job offer that literally brought tears of joy to the grateful candidate; or the story of the hire that made us proud of what we do, and opened our eyes to the dignity and hope … the opportunities and the possibilities that we are able to offer others through our labor of love.  Indeed, recruiting has become more than a job for us; it has become our calling.  It is our way of making a meaningful difference with our lives.

You.  Who?

Now if you’re still reading, let me help you decide whether or not you’re going to like it here at TalentWoo, or whether you’d be happier someplace else.  You’ll love it here if:

  • You work with integrity, and it guides your decision making at work and at home. You take seriously the need to follow your conscience and do the right thing, plain and simple. No pretense; no posturing.  Your word matters.
  • You honestly hold people in higher regard than money, value making a difference more than beating out others, and work just as hard at treating people with dignity as you do at accomplishing your tasks. You enjoy praising others for a job well done just as much as you enjoy receiving it, and you inherently understand the value of building others up around you. People matter.
  • You own your work with a fierce passion, energy and urgency. It is a representation of you and your personal brand.  You feel a sense of accomplishment when you deliver or exceed the client’s expectations.  We are intentional about NOT overloading you with requisitions, but metrics are important to success, and you should be someone who loves exceeding them when they are thoughtfully agreed upon and realistic.  What you put your name on matters.
  • You are collaborative and really enjoy working on teams to be successful. You don’t need to take all the credit, and enjoy sharing the spotlight with others.  Your team matters. Others matter.
  • You are someone who is willing to speak up, even in uncomfortable situations. Our leadership promises a safe, open culture where “what needs to be said” can be said.  We’ve found that this level of vulnerability takes tremendous courage, self-awareness, and self-control. Many people just aren’t ready for it. But you; you can disagree thoughtfully and respectfully; you are honest and forthcoming about struggles, challenges, weaknesses and failures, knowing that your team will rally to support you.  If that’s just too uncomfortable, you probably won’t enjoy it here because that is what we will expect of you.  It’s a learned behavior: part skill; part art; mostly trust and courage.   Here you’ll find that radical candor matters!

So where’s the job description?

Oh, we have those too.  And we are more than happy to send you one if you want to be considered for one of our sourcer, recruiter or manager roles.  But re-read this letter first.  Think about what I am saying, and consider the culture I am describing.  Reflect on what we will be asking of you as a Woo Crew member.  If you’re open to trying a new way of working – one without the politics and posturing; one that will require the best version of yourself to show up every day –  then let’s have a conversation.  Apply here, or send us your resume.  But think first.  We are not for everyone.

What We Offer

When we say we value one another, we mean it… from the top down.  We are still small, but we want our benefits to demonstrate our commitment to that value:

  • Competitive Salary
  • We cover 100% of employee healthcare premiums
  • We cover 100% of dental and vision premiums for employees
  • Life insurance and disability insurance
  • Employer 401K contributions (whether you participate or not!)
  • 15 days PTO
  • 100% remote work from home

 Last but not least…

As a recruiter, I have always been able to tell when a company I represent has core values or initiatives that are merely marketing hype or HR jargon, and when they actually emanate from the top down; in other words, when they are REAL.  As you already know, if something isn’t initiated from the top down or isn’t believed from the top down, then it really doesn’t matter: it won’t “feel authentic” at the contributor level.   What the executive team actually thinks and feels – how they behave – shapes an organization more than any slogan or mission statement.  As the founder of TalentWoo I can commit to you that these 5 Core Values are real; they are my own. I wrote them myself with much guidance, input from trusted colleagues, and time spent in self-reflection.   It doesn’t mean they perfectly filter out to the rest of the organization; but I am committed to that work here.  It is my passion project.

In conclusion, I want to thank you for your consideration.  I invite you to join me and the other members of TalentWoo to create possibilities together.  It would be an honor to have you help me build the company that we always wished we could work for.  I want to make that happen for you.

 

All My Heart,

Jerel Cain, Founder (& Fellow Recruiter)