Recruitment and Retention at American Seafoods

Connie Brandli

Brief Overview of Your Career Path

 I started out in an entry-level office job out of school and, after a time of exploration, realized I needed to pick a lane.  I fell into recruiting and did that for about five years and then gravitated towards sales/client management for a time and came back to recruiting about eight years ago.  While we were desperately fighting to keep our vessels staffed (and keep our workers safe) during the pandemic, it forced us to sharpen our focus on retention as well.  In my humble opinion, I have the best job in the world.  Not only do we fill our open positions, but you have a part in introducing a new hire to a job that could potentially change their life for the better.  I like how that feels.

Major Challenges and Trends Impacting the HR Industry

As far as challenges go, we continue to struggle with meeting enough qualified candidates for our openings both on the vessels and in our corporate office.  While the market has improved somewhat over the last year, it continues to be challenging.  From my point of view, it appears that the gap between employee and employer has widened on several levels.  Workers want more flexibility in work hours and commuting, and while having that flexibility is attractive (I am eternally grateful that I have this option), it doesn't always meet the business needs.  I think the biggest elephant in the room continues to be pay.  The cost of living is outrageous, and it creates salary demands that can't be met and further feeds the tension between employers and employees.  I certainly don’t have all the answers, but one thing I’m sure of is that we all need to be more creative in our approaches to getting what we want and need.

Major Predicaments in the HR Industry

 Social media.  It can work for you or against you, and things can change in an instant.  Our next generation of workers will not know a time when social media didn't exist.  Except for faces, there really isn’t much ‘filtering’ on social media – everything is on blast and on full display.  A difference of opinion might as well be a declaration of war.  You can't act like that at work, and if you do, you shouldn't.  You need to respect your co-workers' boundaries as much as you need them to respect yours.  I worry we're losing the ability to find diplomatic solutions to problem-solving and even basic civility.  I think it’s okay to redefine professionalism as times change, but let's not lower the bar any more than we already have.  If used with good intentions, social media can be an amazing platform to bring people together to exchange ideas and create greater access to new opportunities.

"I feel that a more holistic approach to the hiring process will pay off in the end, happier workers, better retention, and ultimately a better workplace "

Exciting Technological Trends for the Future of the HR Industry

From a recruiter’s perspective, I love how technology has opened up a whole new level of access to people seeking employment, not just in your backyard but all over the world.  If you're entering the job market, you can easily access assistance with creating a resume, researching potential employers, and discovering fields that you didn't even know existed.  I see new apps being created all the time that help connect you to your workforce, offer educational opportunities, and connect with professional mentors.  It can be a great support system.

Brief Overview of Your Career Path

 I started in an entry-level office job out of school and, after a time of exploration, realized I needed to pick a lane.  I fell into recruiting and did that for about five years and then gravitated towards sales/client management for a time and came back to recruiting about eight years ago.  While we were desperately fighting to keep our vessels staffed (and keep our workers safe) during the pandemic, it forced us to sharpen our focus on retention as well.  In my humble opinion, I have the best job in the world.  Not only do we fill our open positions, but you have a part in introducing a new hire to a job that could change their life for the better.  I like how that feels.

Adapting and Growing Throughout Your Career

Oddly enough, for me, it hasn’t been so much about adapting to new technology as much as it's been about staying connected with the applicants.  By that, I mean you can't lose sight of the fact that changing jobs and interviewing can be extremely stressful for people.  You have to have empathy.   Whether it’s an entry-level or executive opening, you must be a better listener than a ‘talker.’  Find out what the applicant wants and needs and not lose sight of the fact that this is just as important as someone's skill set.  Additionally, you can't just post an opening and expect applications just to appear.  You have to leverage technology and go find the people you want to talk to.    I feel that taking a more holistic approach to the hiring process will pay off in the end, with happier workers, better retention, and, ultimately, a better workplace.   This is so much more than just filling an opening.