There was a moment when the phone conversation pivoted, a chat about employee benefits turned to one of Halloween monsters and ghouls. “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you,” said Haeley Meyer, Staffing Manager at ABA. “And hope the Bride of Frankenstein is a hit.”
With another deal sealed, in fact the third for that week, and another person successfully placed in a top Bay Area company, you could say that I — like Frankenstein — got a charge from the proceedings I had just overheard.
A newcomer to the world of legal and tech recruiting hired for a temporary data entry role, I entered ABA’s San Bruno offices a Neil Armstrong in outer space. Now after several weeks, I have had the opportunity to witness the inner workings of a unique and bustling company culture, and experience the thrill of what is essentially a perfect blend of startup pliancy and Renaissance-style mentorship.
What Makes ABA Unique?
To understand what makes ABA unique, it is helpful to review the fundamentals of the industry. Recruiting falls into two categories: in-house and agency. An in-house team is a particular company’s Human Resources department where recruiters meet their own company’s needs, making hiring decisions based on focused understandings of availability, fit, and predicted growth.
If in-house recruiting is like a bird sitting atop a sixteen-story building, then agency recruiting represents a stark contrast. An agency is the bird flying over not just that sixteen-story building, but all sixteen of the buildings to be found on the same block.
As a recruiting agency, ABA has this bird’s-eye-view advantage. Recruiters see everything happening in a particular industry all at once, creating mental Venn Diagrams of several companies’ missions, platforms, and goals. Recruiters work with both clients and candidates, collecting objective and unbiased data so that both parties may make informed hiring decisions.
ABA recruiters are as much outsiders on the inside, as I too have been in ABA’s office these past weeks. Through my own looking glass, I have seen how ABA emerges as a desirable arena for growth — especially for recent graduates eager develop their professional skills.
What makes ABA a unique recruiting agency is that it is a hybrid, a blend of the old and the new. Nearly thirty years old, the agency provides the structure of an established and successful company, allowing President Mandy Farmaian to serve as a sort of mentor to young apprentices in true Medici-style.
At the same time, ABA takes on the feel of a startup, creating an environment where recruiters can try things that have never been done before and see where the spark blazes. A recruiter at ABA takes on as much of a sales role as a recruiting one, with commission an incentive to close deals with candidates and rope in new clients.
The unprecedented progress and prosperity that has transformed the Bay Area has fundamentally changed the rules of the hiring game. Looking at the market as a whole, recruiters at ABA learn how to cater to several different companies and navigate a constantly evolving landscape. What they learn to brew is a concoction comprised of the perfect ingredients: flexibility, judgment, honesty, trust, and the human touch.
It’s All About The Right People
As the ABA motto proudly boasts, “It’s all about the right people.” So perhaps Haeley’s mention of the Frankenstein costume wasn’t as outlandish as I had originally thought. Perhaps it was key in forming an exceptional professional relationship. And indeed it was, for the client has since returned to Haeley for further assistance with her company’s hiring needs.
There’s something to be said about being at the right place, at the right time. ABA’s relationship with the San Francisco Bay Area makes it the place to be. And as a recruiter here, you have the rare gift of connecting with those who feel and think much as you do, and who are passionate about many of the same things that you are.
I catch myself smiling when I listen in on office phone calls now. As we’re not in Halloween season, ghosts and vampires no longer frequent the conversations. However there has been some mention of pumpkin pie and peppermint bark on our ends of the lines. But regardless of the season, whatever the behemoth or delicacy that seals a deal, ABA leads the way in doing things right.
What Can ABA Do For You?
Contact our skilled team of recruiters today and learn about the positives of partnering with our team to meet your workforce demands.