Meet Angela: The talent behind talent acquisition at a large retailer

Angela is a Talent Acquisition Specialist with over 20 years of experience with her company. Her role is an intricate dance of diverse responsibilities; she oversees corporate and contact center hiring from start to finish and manages the entire hiring process for smooth onboarding of new hires.

“As a talent acquisition specialist,” she says, “I support our corporate and contact center hiring. This involves recruitment, applicant screening, slating candidates for top interviews, and managing the back-end process, which includes offer negotiation, background checks, and ensuring the successful first day for every hire.”

Angela is very self-motivated and is constantly seeking strategic avenues to grow professionally. She was interested in opportunities for growth and advancement within her company, particularly in leadership roles within talent acquisition. She also wanted to improve her work and better understand their business’s planning needs and the future state of talent acquisition.

The Business Analytics and Operations Certificate

By working with a coach, Angela found the right program to support her goals.  

“When I started explaining that I wanted to learn more about and have visibility in talent acquisition, they suggested this certificate. After we reviewed it together, I chose the Business Analytics and Operations Certificate through Pathstream.”

Her experience with the program was a testament to the intentional structure of the course. Juggling her role and three boys at home, Angela appreciated the program’s flexibility and support.

“The instructors’ availability, coupled with office hours, made it easy to stay connected, stay on top of everything, and get assistance when needed,” she says. “The program was designed for people working full time who want to develop [new skills] and move forward.”

She also felt the course was intuitive, relevant, and practical, significantly enhancing her learning experience. 

“The program was user-friendly, and the real-world applications made it easy to understand the material.”

Learning project management and data analytics 

One of the most remarkable aspects of Angela’s journey was the diverse skills she acquired. From project management to agile practices and data analytics, the program was a deep dive into a world of knowledge Angela can now use to round out her skills and be a more valuable team member.

“The first two portions of the course were about project management,” Angela explains. “It went into detail about agile management, being a scrum master, and how that works with data analytics. This new information helped me fill in gaps I didn’t even realize I had about our hiring processes. It clarified my understanding of these roles, their responsibilities, and how they function.”

Applying skills at work

Angela quickly applied what she learned to improve their hiring processes.

“These insights have been extremely beneficial. I’ve already incorporated what I’ve learned into our business practices and shared this newfound knowledge with team members who also expressed interest in the program. It’s significantly enhanced our hiring skills and hiring processes. We can now pinpoint more accurately what a good candidate looks like, the specific skills they need, the experiences they should have, and the knowledge they must possess. This course truly enriched our approach to talent acquisition.”

Captaining a data project

Not only did Angela gain comprehensive insights into project management, but she also found a new appreciation for data analytics. Despite admitting her college statistics struggles, she credits Pathstream’s approach for demystifying this complex field. 

“The data analytics portion was critical,” she confesses. “I have to credit Pathstream for how they outlined the statistics and how to implement and use it appropriately in data visualization.”

Due to her increased knowledge and capabilities, her supervisor selected Angela to be the captain of a new system designed to support their hiring processes from start to finish. 

“Learning data analytics is why I was selected to be the captain of a new system to support our hiring from beginning to end,” she says. “I am responsible for developing, going through that process in the new program, and launching it through implementation all the way through.”

Boosting career prospects with new knowledge and skills

Anegla’s journey with Pathstream has given her a competitive edge and opened new opportunities and connections within her company.

 “Yes, absolutely,” she affirms when asked if she feels better positioned for promotion. 

“Even if I never decided to go into that project management, it’s provided all the additional knowledge I need to optimize my work, and it’s been eye-opening. I am doing some stretch assignments where I’m supporting other business areas that utilize data analytics daily. I’m getting to use my data skills regularly. And it’s allowing me more visibility, not only for myself within my company, but I’m also expanding my connections.”

Her experience with Pathstream’s certificate program has also significantly enhanced her satisfaction with her employer.

“This tuition-paid program has provided me with valuable opportunities for growth and development. It’s a major benefit, as crucial as health insurance or vacation time. I see this as a launchpad for further advancement,” she explains.

The importance of educational benefits cannot be understated, according to Angela.

“They’ve made me more marketable and positioned for advancement,” she asserts.

Angela plans to continue harnessing these benefits for her personal and professional growth, even considering another program as soon as next year. Reflecting on her experience, she affirms, 

“The support was unparalleled. I wholeheartedly recommend this program among my peers and superiors.”