Office Hours: I’m the Head of Talent at Strava. I’m Camille Tate. AMA!Featured

camilletate·Feb 12, 2023

Posted in:People & HR Office Hours Management and Leadership

Hello everyone!

I’m Camille Tate and I’m the Head of Talent at Strava, where I lead an amazing group of Talent Partners in building diverse teams.

As a 17+ year veteran in recruiting, I enjoy the day-to-day of putting together the foundational building blocks of talent acquisition and establishing a path for teams to attract and retain exceptional talent.

Before Strava, I spent time in technology staffing and a long-standing tenure with reputable brands such as Redbox, Match.com, The Beck Group, and now Strava.

During my downtime, I enjoy spending time with my husband and 4-year-old son, volunteering in the community, working in my Sorority, and being the Founder/Co-Owner of The Career Salon, LLC and Co-Host of The Career Salon Podcast with the HR Twins.

Ask me about technical recruiting, talent strategy, team management, behavior-based interviewing & training, employee relations, project management, leadership, people management, or anything else!

ElphaStaff·Feb 12, 2023

Thanks so much for joining us @camilletate!Elphas – please ask @camilletate your questions before Friday, February 17th. @camilletate may not have time to answer every questions, so emoji upvote your favorites 🔥👍🏾➕

camilletate·Feb 17, 2023

Thank you so much, happy to answer the amazing questions from the Elpha Community today.

calenciaperry·Feb 13, 2023

Hi Camille, thank you so much for taking time to answer questions for the Elpha Community. I’ve seen the amazing trajectory in your career and congratulations to you. I would like to know, did you experience some major setbacks in your career path? How did you bounce back?Thank you for considering my questionCalencia Perry

camilletate·Feb 17, 2023

Hi @calenciaperry!!! Thanks so much for your question :) In a nutshell the answer is YES. My career started with a setback lol I graduated in 2002 the semester after 9/11 and the country was going through a recession. The tech company I thought I would have a job with in Austin, no longer had a job for me. I eventually took a position in sales at Dillard's Department Store, then I went to sell diabetic testing supplies, and then I worked for my church for about 2 years. While working at my church someone asked me had I ever thought about recruiting. Weeks later, I had my first job at TEKsystems (IT Staffing) and it was an awesome training ground for me. I had a great boss, who I learned a lot from. I really wanted to get into corporate recruiting and no one wanted to take a chance on me. I was unemployed at one point for 4ish months and kept reaching out to one company in Chicago. They finally granted me a conversation and I got the job. I've had to pretty much fight for every step and coin in my career but I made it a point to build my brand and relationships with every step and that has helped me in so many ways. I've been through misogyny, discrimination, you name it but I knew there was something special and intangible about what I brought to the table and that fueled me to keep pushing.

calenciaperry·Mar 02, 2023

Thank you Camille, this is exactly what some of the Elphamates and I needed to hear today. I see that we have a lot in common and this was a great reminder for me to remember what I bring to the table and to keep pushing.

kathyleski·Feb 13, 2023

What criteria are recruiters using to filter (eliminate) resumes before looking at any candidate? Do they still read the full resume? or are they relying on tech to give the resume a % grade? Do they read cover letters?

camilletate·Feb 17, 2023

Hi @kathyleski, thanks so much for your question! Seems like this is a popular one :) I hope I understand your questions correctly. There are some companies that utilize Applicant Tracking Systems which automatically filter resumes and organize them based on relevant keywords. (My advice before you apply for a role is to look at the bottom on the application for the ATS provider -i.e. Workday, Greenhouse, ICIMS, to name a few, then Google the filter functionality of that particular software. You will know from that research if your resume is being initially screened by a software or a recruiter/hiring manager). I've only worked for one company that used a software to organize resumes by relevant information (%) in the resume and that was back in 2009 (PeopleFilter ATS). I have always reviewed resumes manually by clicking through and looking for relevant skills and experiences. I personally don't read cover letters unless it tells me something outside of the resume that really makes a difference and most times it doesn't (Recruiters get hundreds sometimes thousands of resumes). If I were recruiting for a legal or copyrighting role that would be where the cover letter makes a difference. Ultimately, I'm looking for everything I need to know in that resume. I also think that it's important that recruiters are advocates and if the candidate has a majority of the experience and they have a question or two, they should follow-up and get more information before just declining. Sometimes recruiters miss out on great candidates by being super precise.

alisapaludeti·Feb 13, 2023

Hello, Camille. It's a pleasure to be able to speak with you today. Can you tell me how your experience in technical recruiting has influenced your approach to finding the best product design candidates, as well as what qualities and skills you look for when hiring for a Product Designer position at Strava? I'd also like to ask about how Strava promotes employee growth and development, as well as how it has impacted the design team. Thank you very much!

camilletate·Feb 17, 2023

Hi @alisapaludeti, thanks so much for your question! As Director of Talent here at Strava I set the vision and strategy for the Talent Team. Unfortunately, I have not directly recruited IC Product Designers. What I can tell you is that my technical recruiting background has given me the knowledge base to recruit any skillset and pass that knowledge to my team when needed. Our teams are really good about writing job descriptions that reflect the actual role and in kind our recruiters are adept at reviewing resumes and portfolios in partnership with our managers, that align with the job scope. I think Strava does a great job of providing access to training, coaching and development to our teammates. We have Strava Buddies (when employees onboard they have someone to walk alongside with them on their journey), annual professional development stipends, access to Coaches, Manager Forums, and more that help our teammates to grow their careers.

Kaylee6·Feb 13, 2023

I was hired under the pretense that my job would be remote. Then, my employer added one day a week to now three days a week. I am an out of market hire so the commute is not doable. Can employers take advantage of the return to work resurgence even though that was not the agreed terms upon accepting the job?

camilletate·Feb 21, 2023

Hi Kaylee, Thanks for the question! A lot of companies are returning to work. The outcome on your scenario is dependent upon a couple things; 1) Did your employer put in writing that you would be 100% remote without any caveats? 2) Do you work in a state that is at-will employment? A lot of companies are going back into the office these days and from my knowledge of the how companies approach this, they are saying that employees should be returning to the physical office in a hybrid or full-time capacity, giving them either the opportunity to do so or self-select out or in the case of at-will employment terminate if you are not fulfilling the requirements of coming into the office. Make sure you check your employment contract or Google if you work/live in an at-will employment state to determine how to approach.

Meredith75·Feb 13, 2023

Hi and welcome @camilletate! Huge fan of Strava :)How do you approach candidates who are a good fit for the company/a future role but for whom you don't have any current roles available for? Do you recommend that candidates reach out to recruiters with interest in the company even if there aren't any current roles that are a perfect fit?

camilletate·Feb 17, 2023

Hi Meredith, thanks for your question and being a fan of Strava! As a recruiter, I'm always open to network and candidates should feel confident to do the same. I don't think it hurts to have informational conversations with recruiters or hiring managers. I did that a lot to get a few of the jobs I've had in my career. My recommendation is a YES! Set your expectations that all recruiters or managers may not be open to that. You will have a mix of yes, no, and no answer. But go for it! Hope that helps!

Aneelak·Feb 15, 2023

Are you hiring? I l would love to get your eyes on my resume for suitable roles. I am actively looking for a suitable role in software engineering.

camilletate·Feb 17, 2023

Hi @Aneelak, please visit our website www.strava.com/careers. Thank you!

njconnell·Feb 15, 2023

Hi Camille! As a talent leader, how do you think about and measure quality of hire beyond interview assessment? Given the layoffs and slowed hiring, I think this is the year that there is going to be a big push to define, measure and track quality of hire (ie tracking interview performance vs job performance) and would love to understand your perspective. Thanks!!Nancy

camilletate·Feb 17, 2023

@njconnell thank you so much for the question! That's a challenging one :) Before assessing quality of hire beyond interview assessment there must be an overhaul on how companies interview and hire. Teams must think retention and what competencies make for long-term success in advance of even opening a role, making sure the role is tied to business needs and the candidate is aligned and set up for success (which is key). Quality of hire can also be assessed through inclusive onboarding. How is the person onboarded, provided with expectations, mentored and guided for the first 90-120 days. These are important factors in making the human connection, identifying ways of working, and managing through with regular feedback loops not only from management but from the employee as well.

jihadb·Feb 15, 2023

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. Do you have any advice for international applicants who want to work for a specific organization or company in another country and are willing to move for a role? I understand as a business owner that hiring internationals can sometimes add hurdles of visa processes and specific gov't red tape. Do you have any experiences or advice in this area? Thank you!

Willene51·Feb 15, 2023

Hi. You've had an amazing journey! Any advice for grads who are seeking to intern in their dream companies or orgs that might not have established internship programs? Do you recommend cold emailing them? What to highlight especially when your CV is still sparse and you want to intern with them to learn. Thank you for taking the time to respond.

maryamidris·Feb 13, 2023

Hey Camille!Thanks for taking the time out of your extra busy schedule to write to us and volunteering to answer questions about the other side of the looking glass. :) My question is: What questions do you wish candidates would ask you? Specifically about YOUR behaviours to see if you would be a good match. I am at the point in my career where I would like to answer these questions honestly so the hiring manager or other teams can understand how I would interact with them.For example, I like to work with people who can figure out half the solution to a problem or come up with at least a rough game plan for how to solve it. So if I wanted to determine what type of team lead and culture I would be walking into, what questions should I ask? FYI I'm British.

camilletate·Feb 17, 2023

Hi @maryamidris!! Thanks so much for your question! This is super important because I wish that candidates would ask questions in interviews to get to know if the company actually aligned with them. i.e. If you are talking to the hiring manager1. Describe your leadership style (I'd be looking for how they lead, do they manage to the individual or try to manage everyone the same, are they a micromanager, etc.)2. How do you handle conflict as a leader?3. What is the make up of the current team? What are some current challenges your team is facing? What are some recent successes your team has had?4. How do you support and empower the people on your team?5. What is the culture of the company? If you had to change one thing about the culture, what would it be?6. What is your onboarding process as a manager for new teammates?7. Describe your day-to-day ways of working with your team.8. How do you foster diversity, equity, and inclusion on your team and in the broader organization?Those are just a few. I hope this helps!

maryamidris·Feb 20, 2023

Wow! All really good and thoughtful questions. I love question 5 because I had an interview last week, and i knew there was an issue with the company's culture that did not fit what I was looking for, but I could not articulate it into a question at the time. That question helps me focus on looking for an answer that meets my criteria. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer :)

magdacychowski·Feb 13, 2023

Hi Camille! Thanks so much for being a part of the AMA :)My question is: what is the biggest trend you think will take off this year in the recruiting industry? And what are the biggest pain points and challenges your team is facing right now amidst the current hiring market?

camilletate·Feb 17, 2023

HI @magdacychowski! Thank you for your question! Not that I 100% agree with this trend but I think the trend of technology will continue to persist in recruiting. Almost every webinar, keynote, panel I see is pushing heavy focus on AI and software that reduces time on the front end for recruiters, "helping" to build diverse teams, etc. Unfortunately, with the changes in the tech industry, for example companies might transition to investment in more recruiting software over recruiters. I'm hoping this trend doesn't become an anchor for our field. I am of the mindset that nothing is better than human connection!

zoeakinbodunse·Feb 17, 2023

Good morning, Camille. What do you attribute to your success getting work with Redbox, Match.com and The Beck Group?

danapuskarich·Feb 18, 2023

Hi @camilletate. Thanks so much for answering the communities questions. I'm a huge fan of Strava, I use it multiple times a week in the winter. As a recruiter do you prefer candidates reach out to you via LinkedIn or email if they are interested in a role. I usually reach out via email to the recruiter or hiring manager and don't apply through the ATS and would love to know your thoughts. Thanks so much for your time.

camilletate·Feb 21, 2023

Hi @danapuskarich! Thanks for your question and being apart of the Strava community. I do like when candidates reach out to me but they should also apply for the role as well. We use the ATS to keep track of candidates and. make sure we have the proper documentation in reference to the role.

danapuskarich·Feb 24, 2023

Hi @camilletate Thanks for answering my question. That is really helpful to know! I greatly appreciate it. :-)

Iynna·Feb 13, 2023

So nice meeting you Camille! I came here to say I am a FAN of Strava hehe! It's one of my fav social media app #iykyk ;-) I'd love to hear your take on the field of Human Resources/Talent Acquisition, that has gotten a bad rap (e.g recruiters ghost a lot, especially in a down market when there's more demand from jobseekers than supply of jobs) and people wanting to make HR more human (placing the emphasis on the H) - these conversations happen here on Elpha also! So I am curious do you think something needs to change in HR and is it on the HR teams to take the lead on any change they wish to see OR is it on the leadership at the company level (ie top down) to initiate these? And separately, what do you look for in jobseekers at Strava but even in your past roles?

camilletate·Feb 18, 2023

@iynna thank you so much for the question and for being a fan of Strava :) YAY! Yes, HR/Recruiting has gotten a bad rap and sometimes deservedly so. I think HR Teams need to be the change they want to see and make "people first" a priority. I also think that HR/People Teams should partner with the business to make sure they are creating and facilitating this space with employees as well. It's a team effort!

Iynna·Feb 19, 2023

Love to hear this and your commitment to being a leader in that change! Go you!

heidivogel·Mar 07, 2023

Hi , I am building a community based platform ( a marketplace) and my onboarding requires screening. For screening suppliers for the platform I use a 30 minute interview. And I would like to scale the process with more certifiers. Preferable these certifiers are members of the platform already , and know overtime who would qualify. Like a self selection process. I would select the certifiers with care of course. Have you experience with such a method or strategy and what are your thoughts. GuardianGamer is an online platform that provides a safe and positive environment for kids to play for example Minecraft, Roblox or Fortnite. We have a team of moderators in the role of a mentor who monitor gameplay to ensure that it's free from negative behavior, and we have built-in features that promote kindness and co-operation among players.Thank you for your time and leadership.

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