Bringing New People to Quincy Recycle

Bringing in new talent to Quincy Recycle is an important part of our success. The person we have tasked with this is Reagan Costigan, the head of Talent Acquisition and Development. We sat down with Reagan to talk about what it’s like recruiting people to Quincy Recycle. Reagan’s insight and expertise not only demonstrate what an asset she is in terms of HR, but also her dedication to maintain and build our family-oriented and supportive work culture.

It’s clear that while the interview process may seem daunting, this is only because Reagan has cultivated a dedicated team of players who contribute to the company culture. Hopefully the tips below will help you snag a job at this unique and employee focused company. Good luck!

1. What do you look for in a prospective employee? Any personal accomplishments that would help someone move to the top of the list in terms of experience of education?

I’m not only looking at someone’s professional experience and skills, I’m looking for excitement, drive and an entrepreneurial spirit; A combination of all of the above usually results in a great hire.  The first step is trying to get to know the person over the phone. To get the ball rolling, I ask about their interest in working for Quincy Recycle.  My favorite answer to that question is hearing that they admire the growth and entrepreneurial nature of our business since that lets me know that they’ve done their research and have taken the time to look at our website to see who we are and what we do. The rest of the phone conversation, I like to ask them questions like, “What is the favorite part of your work day?” If they answer, “When I clock out” or “When I go to lunch”, I’ll need to ask more questions, because that’s not who we’re looking to add to the team.  (Side note- even if that is your answer because you are not happy with your current role or company, come up with a different answer.  Maybe it’s interacting with your co-workers or working with a favorite customer.  There’s a better answer, always.)  Before I leave the conversation, I ask the candidate to describe the perfect company culture. A majority of the answers I get revolve around open communication between management and employees. From there, I turn the conversation over to them and inquire what they want to know about the role or the company. My favorite question is, “What do you love about Quincy Recycle?” This gives me the perfect segue to talk about our Core Values.  I tell them that one of my favorites of the Core Values is “One Team, One Dream, One Family”.  I love that I can ask for help, advice, etc. from anyone on our team, not just here at the corporate office, but of anyone at any of our locations.  We really are one team working toward the same goals of growth and success. I love that you would never know that we are a decentralized model when you get us all together.  When we are with teams that are 6 hours away, it’s like we work side by side every day. When a candidate turns the table and asks me really good questions that tells me that they are invested in learning more about Quincy Recycle and they would genuinely like to be a part of our team.

 

2. What can a general employee expect during a typical hiring process?

I always let our candidates know what to expect as far as next steps after we have an initial conversation. Honestly, we have a lot of steps in our hiring process and it is for good reason.  We want to make sure any addition is a great fit for not only us, but for the candidate.  We want to know that they are going to grow and be happy with the role that they have been hired to do.  Next steps after a phone screen, we like to bring the candidate in for what I would consider a casual meet and greet.  The candidate meets our hiring managers, the employees they would be working closely with and takes a tour.  This gives the candidate an opportunity to get a feel for what we do, how we interact and to see what the environment is like.  Our environment is not for everyone.   Recycling is not glamorous, but I will promise you, it’s the coolest career you will ever have.  From there, if the candidate moves on to the next step, we have what we call a Behavioral Interview.  This interview allows our hiring managers and co-workers to get to know how they will behave in a professional work space.  Sometimes we even take the candidate out to dinner.  Let’s call it the no BS zone.  So, our process can be lengthy, but I promise, it works.

 

3. What areas or branches are you most excited to develop or grow?

I am always excited to hear when we have added a new location or business; That is my opportunity to help build the bench! It’s really satisfying to see a new plant hit the ground running, new employees, becoming profitable, etc.  I love knowing that what I do all day is making an impact on our business and our employees from a culture standpoint.

 

4. What would you like prospective employees to know?

Our culture is extremely important to us. Our Core Values are in place as a set of non-negotiables and we expect all of our employees to live by them.  We work hard and we like to have a lot of fun.  We all know when to buckle down and get the job done but when it’s time to celebrate, we go all in.