Check Out Candace Wilson’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Candace Wilson.

Hi Candace, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
In first grade, my teacher called home and told my parents I was distracted during class and had too many side conversations with my pals. What could I say? I loved to gab! Since I can remember, I have enjoyed learning about people – where they grew up, what they care about, and what worries them. Conversation breeds connection and fosters trust. Authentic discussions have become a throughline in my career as a recruiter and interview guru: I love working alongside people as they discern their next steps professionally. I especially love helping organizations figure out how to set up interviews that allow candidates to share and show who they are. I’ve spent over a decade leading talent recruitment efforts for a national nonprofit and a public charter school district in Missouri; I’m now a Talent and Hiring Strategy Consultant working with schools and organizations that aim to elevate their recruitment and hiring approach. I’ve developed expertise in the entire talent cycle: outreach and cultivation, screening and interviewing, hiring and onboarding. When leaders come to me and say, “We are having a recruitment (or retention) challenge,” I say, “Let’s dig in,” because I know there are ways for organizations and leaders to refine and reflect on their practices and make changes.

Please talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned. Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When I began recruiting educators in the Midwest, there were only a few obvious counterparts to my role. Very few schools or organizations have a full-time recruiter (separate from a Human Resource lead), which left me feeling isolated in my work. For someone who thrives on connection and community, it was challenging to feel like I didn’t have other professionals in my work lane to lean on. So, I did what I know to do: I recruited recruiters to be by my side! I connected on LinkedIn with several recruiters I knew in different cities and spearheaded a regular Zoom meeting – (back in 2014 when Zoom calls were a novel idea!) where we would share challenges, brainstorm solutions, swap ideas, and garner support from one another. Fast forward to now: when I meet someone who feels alone in their work or role, it’s a personal mission of mine to see how I can connect them with a counterpart. It helps professionals feel sustained because I know how much of a struggle that was for me.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to be more familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
My bread and butter is all things talent recruitment and hiring process. I’ve spent over a decade leading the entire talent cycle: brand positioning and marketing, candidate outreach and cultivation, screening, interviewing, hiring, and onboarding. I do this work because I have seen that employees who clearly understand an organization’s values and goals are ultimately more satisfied in their work – and we know that leads to great outcomes for an organization. I want people to find their best fit, and I want an organization to support candidates in that discernment process through top-notch interview processes. Above all, I’m committed to fostering a talent strategy with diversity and inclusion as the driver. In my most recent role, I played a pivotal role in increasing the representation of BIPOC educators over my tenure from 29% to an empowering 60%, creating a school community where teachers and leaders genuinely reflect the students served. I believe deeply in ensuring all parts of a recruitment practice – from marketing to screening to onboarding – must have a diversity, equity, and inclusion approach woven throughout.

What’s next?
This spring, I’ll be working with a couple of clients rebuilding teams after significant organizational changes. I’m excited to start this work by first auditing with leaders what has been working and where they are seeing pitfalls. In these audits, I routinely see stakeholders share valuable learnings and insights that can help reshape an organization’s next step. I’m looking forward to that partnership in the coming months!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.danacolemanconsulting.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candace-wilson-potter-414843a/

Image Credits
Jenny Nolan