FastSpring’s Employee Spotlight is a Q&A series that features the hardworking, intelligent, and fun people that make FastSpring great. Get to know the fantastic team behind the ecommerce platform!
In this post, we’re featuring our Recruiting Manager, Elizabeth Faddis!
What is your role at FastSpring?
I have a multi-faceted role at FastSpring. As part of the P&C organization, I help to drive transformation and operational efficiencies within the talent organization and create talent attraction and acquisition programs. Priority projects are focused on enhancing the company’s recruiting strategy, processes, and programs to deliver on current and future talent needs. My role is to support the organization from an execution standpoint by filling positions and hiring for new roles, while also strategic in building infrastructure around our evaluation and selection processes.
You recently started your Recruiting Manager role at FastSpring, how are you liking it so far?
I love the FastSpring team! I have learned a lot from working with our Director of People and Culture, Aran Klingensmith. I admire her passion for the importance of FastSpring’s culture and our commitment to continuing to enhance and create programs to develop a great cultural experience for employees. I’m impressed with the high caliber of our teams across all departments; everyone has been helpful and supportive since day one. In addition, having the opportunity to support our hiring efforts in our Amsterdam office has been a wonderful global recruiting experience for me.
What was the onboarding process like as a remote employee at FastSpring?
I onboarded in Santa Barbara a week before the company went fully remote due to COVID-19, which was a strange time to come in as a Recruiter. There were immediate measures taken as leadership navigated the potential impact of COVID and overall business performance. Fortunately, we are in a position of accelerated growth, which keeps our team very busy.
What did you do before FastSpring/How did you get to where you are today?
The bulk of my career has been in an internal recruiting capacity, working primarily with tech startups/scaleup companies where I’ve done similar work to my current role with FastSpring. My previous role prior to joining FastSpring was on the agency side. I helped launch an Executive search firm based in Chicago. I was the first employee hired, and we built the team to up to 15 people. This was a great experience to gain exposure across all facets of building a business and a brand from the ground up. I was introduced to FastSpring through a mutual contact between our CEO, David Nachman, and I. The timing was perfect as I was passionate about returning to the internal side of recruiting.
What made you passionate about joining the recruiting world?
After getting my bachelor’s degree in Business and Psychology (with an emphasis in HR), I was excited about pursuing a career path in HR. It seemed to encompass my passion for people and business. I quickly learned that HR and recruiting are two different disciplines and was more drawn to the recruiting side because I like that there is a sales orientation to the role with a little bit of “art and science” that goes into recruiting. It’s a rewarding position with an opportunity to help facilitate important life decisions of people in their careers AND make a significant impact on hiring great talent that enables companies to grow and succeed.
What does a typical day look like for Elizabeth at FastSpring?
A typical day for me means I’m on the phone A LOT. I generally have back-to-back video calls, screening/interviewing, and courting candidates through our process. I’m working closely with hiring managers on status and progress updates/candidate activity, etc. In addition, I spend time on strategic projects like interview training and program development for the recruiting department.
What excites you every day working at FastSpring?
I love the opportunity to make an impact on what FastSpring is doing from a talent standpoint. I like partnering with managers to intimately understand the roles and create recruiting strategies to unlock candidate pools and find the best people for their teams. The fact that we’re a fast-growing company is an exciting challenge for me to continue to influence, develop, and improve strategies across teams. I also love that we are a global company, and I have the opportunity to work with our team in Amsterdam.
What are your favorite hobbies and activities outside of work?
I have two boys who are nine and eleven, and they keep me on my feet! Between my job and my boys, it’s definitely a full plate. I love yoga, relaxing by the pool, and reading (historical fiction) to unwind. I am close with my family and love spending time with them as much as possible, although it’s been challenging the last few months!
What is a fun fact most people may not know about you?
Two of my dad’s cousins are original members of the classic rock band, Styx; they grew up next door to each other. It’s funny because the band still plays at random festivals, and we can see them backstage. Whenever we hear Styx on the radio, I tell my boys that it’s their cousins who they’re listening to. Sadly, I did not inherit any of the musical talents.