From talent recruitment to leading company initiatives, our VP of Talent Management fosters a culture of diversity and inclusion by keeping employees and goals in mind.
You have an impressive background that led you to 66degrees; what positions helped prepare you for the role you’re in today?
I worked at a private equity firm that was sold to IBM. I quickly realized that I would thrive better at a smaller, agile company focused on providing an accelerated career path to its employees, and that’s where I found 66degrees.
As VP of Talent Management, your role entails managing three teams; what are those teams, and who are they led by?
I have an extraordinarily talented and diverse team, including Learning and Development, facilitated by Troy Kindle, Talent & Acquisition, led by Briana Ramando and Emily Dyzak; and HR, led by Caitlin Garcia.
Accelerating careers at 66degrees is what we aim to achieve for all our employees; how is the department supporting career development?
My team works diligently to develop career frameworks for all employees. This entails role-leveling, role narratives, and comp bands that provide complete transparency to one’s role, compensation, and future career opportunities. The Learning and Development team will also introduce our Gradient Program, a new college grad and internship program designed in a 12-week intensive training timeframe solely focusing on Google products and services.
Developing initiatives that improve our processes and procedures is always a priority of 66degrees; what can our employees expect moving forward that will support their roles more effectively?
Manager Jumpstart is a program that offers monthly manager training for people in management positions. A leadership Development program is also being developed, allowing colleagues to nominate leaders within the organization. Also, the integration of our payroll and our HRIS systems from India into the U.S. has been successfully executed — ensuring we are under one system and achieving good data governance.
Feedback is how we grow and innovate as an organization; therefore, how can we engage our employees in sharing feedback on our processes and policies at 66degrees?
We are excited to announce that in May, we will launch an employee engagement survey that will allow us to hear your thoughts and ideas about how we, as a company, can improve. We will review the surveys and look for ways we can take action. We hope to foster more employee resource groups (ERG) while supporting the groups we currently facilitate, including Women of 66.
Career development begins with a diverse team; 66degrees celebrates Diversity Month this April. How does 66degrees implement diversity into our organization?
I think diversity is a responsibility that needs to be worked on by every person at this company, and every person at this company can make an impact. I think it’s imperative to be aware of diversity and be conscious that you want to add it to your team. If you ask the right questions to obtain a diverse candidate pool, you can ensure you take the proper steps toward diversity. Employees can utilize resources such as Lessonly, Allyship Path, Pronouns Path, and Culture Camp — all valuable opportunities to enrich their knowledge and perspective regarding diversity. Remember our DEI&B ABCs: Advocate for Others, Be Involved, and Communicate respectfully.
66degrees has grown significantly and continues to do so; what does our future growth trajectory look like moving forward?
We are aiming to increase headcount while growing globally. We are actively recruiting in the UK and Canada. We are currently doing contract work in Mexico and supporting our talent in Costa Rica while continuing to build our team in India.
As we expand globally, what areas specifically do our recruiters look for when recruiting diverse talent?
Regarding recruitment, we are focusing on our strategy and ensuring that there is diverse talent in every talent pool while exercising a consultative approach with hiring managers. Our structured hiring process consists of asking the same questions to all candidates while evaluating skill sets. Making sure we are hiring for skill and not based on a chemical reaction between two people.
Aside from being an inspiration to 66degrees, what inspires you the most outside of work?
Between managing property and embellishing the outdoors, my favorite time is time with my family. I have two grown boys and my husband, and we genuinely like spending time together.
As leaders, we inspire those around us; how will you continue to promote enthusiasm and positivity?
I have a simple yet impactful statement that I share with my team, and that is, “But What If It’s Amazing?” Finding the solution to problems is my job, and I want to share that enthusiasm with the ones I lead.
