Acquiring outside talent begins from within
The home-grown talent acquisition department at Suncoast Credit Union relies on analytics and communication to keep the ranks full.
Not all of the nearly 2,000 full-time equivalent employees at Suncoast Credit Union ($13.5B, Tampa, FL) are there by way of Christopher Townsend. But, a lot of them are.
Townsend is the talent acquisitions manager that has helped the big Florida cooperative hire more than 1,300 of the employees who work for Suncoast at its offices, one of its 74 branches, or at home. He was recruited to Suncoast himself 18 years ago and joined the talent acquisitions department five years ago after stints as a teller supervisor, loan officer, trainer, and youth marketing manager.
“My role now feels like the best job in the world,” Townsend says. “I get paid to help people change their lives by realizing their professional goals and ambitions.”
He says his role revolves around meeting with other department managers, developing better recruiting strategies, and discussing changing trends in the market. He also regularly meets with his own talent team to discuss issues they might be having and new ideas to help recruitment. Townsend is personally responsible for recruiting in information technology, legal, human resources, and talent development, as well as director, vice president, and senior vice president positions.
continue reading »