Welcome back to #WeAreGreenKey, where we shine a spotlight on our powerhouse recruiting team.
We met up with Ben Johnson, Director on the Professional Support Rockville team at Green Key. Ben recently traveled the East Coast for three months, while also working full time. He let us in on how he was able to see new cities, maintain his success in recruiting, and return home to even more personal and professional goals.
How did you get your start in recruiting?
I got an opportunity to meet with Judy [Holt]. I came in for an interview for a Professional Services job, trying to transition out of the restaurant industry. They must’ve thought I’d be a good recruiter, because I ended up staying there for four hours and meeting the whole team. From there, I got an offer as a Sourcer/Research Analyst. It was a quick progression to the next step of being a recruiter. I liked that recruiting was people-driven and had a lot of moving parts. I’ve been at Green Key for over four years now.
What keeps you coming back to recruiting every day?
It’s the relationships that we build. We impact peoples’ lives in a way that wouldn’t be recognized outside of the recruiting industry. We can change someone’s life based on their salary, professional goals, and even their health. We provide the support needed for them to make the next step in their career and I really love doing that every day.
We heard you recently traveled the world for three months, while also working. How did you juggle traveling and working at the same time?
It was a priority for me to make my work the #1 focus. Because I got the opportunity to travel, I didn’t want to let anyone down. I made sure I was available for all meetings. Travel and time differences didn’t impact my availability or ability to recruit. That allowed me to enjoy the time I had traveling, improving my mental health, and seeing new things.
How do you think Green Key embraces work-life balance and flexibility?
I wanted to be valuable to Green Key and know they have my appreciation because they allowed me to have an open mind. I have never had to question if my personal life is a hinderance to my professional development. Green Key knows it takes a whole person to produce effectively and be someone they want to promote to our internal employees, as well as our clients and candidates.
What was your favorite place you traveled to?
New Orleans for sure. It had culture, music, and eclectic people. I love meeting new people and having new experiences, all of which New Orleans provided and then some. I also really liked Orlando. I was able to reconnect with an old friend down there and now she works for Green Key on the Healthcare team.
Why should someone want to work at Green Key?
There are so many avenues for personal and professional development at this company. When I started, they asked me where I wanted to develop as a professional. Once I decided that, they gave me every tool and outlet to develop in that area, which gave me more incentive to work hard and see this as a long-term opportunity that I can’t see myself without.
What are your goals going forward?
My goal is to help mentor the people coming into the industry and becoming more advanced in recruiting. Everyone in their career has someone help them to that next level. Many leaders at Green Key have supported my development and I want to be able to give that back. It’s personally and professionally fulfilling to be a significant part of the company.
I also think training has developed a lot at Green Key. We now have a lot of tools, the LMS, and schedules and calendars. The new recruiters have a ton of opportunities to get the details of the job down. Everyone learns differently, so having those resources gives everyone the opportunity to succeed.
