Making talent acquisition a profit center

Spotlight is our series on the people shaping the future of hiring and talent. We ask them how they work, what they believe, and where AI actually helps.

This time we spoke with Felix J Martinez, who has spent over two decades leading talent acquisition at scale across global organizations.

He built talent acquisition functions from the ground up at companies like DeVry Education Group, led diversity recruiting at Microsoft and Accenture, and held VP and director roles at Breakthru Beverage Group and Methode Electronics. For the past six years he has been at GE Appliances, a Haier company, as senior director of global TA, developing and executing TA strategy for a global workforce. His career has been defined by building centralized, world-class recruiting organizations focused on quality of hire and candidate experience.

What advice would you give to someone starting out in hiring or talent?

You are selecting a great career, however, to stand out, you must ensure you understand the business (client) you support and learn how to set clear expectations and deliver to them.

What's the most rewarding part of the work you do today?

The most rewarding part of my work and to changing someone's life by providing them with an opportunity that helps them to grow their career. It is rewarding to see the hires you make grow and make amazing contributions that impact the company's bottom line.

Who is your role model in the talent space?

One of my role models is Cody L. Horton, he is the most well connected recruiter I know who is always willing to share his network and help you out. He is also a published author of several books and one of the most talented recruiters I know. Not to mention, he is one of the pioneers of leveraging AI in TA.

What skill has mattered more than you expected in this line of work?

There are several skills that I found to be differentiators in the TA space.

First learn how to present data to tell your story, learn the business and what matters most, understand how the business make money and ensure all you do aligns to business imperatives.

Finally, learn how to read financial statements and understand how your company is doing financially. Benchmark your processes against best in class practices to keep optimizing and creating a competitive advantage for your business.

What is a hiring belief you hold that most people would challenge?

When talent acquisition is effectively executed, it can be a profit center to the business. Learn how to put together data driven dashboards that tell the story.

What concerns you most about using AI in hiring?

Any tool placed in the hands of an untrained individual can yield poor outcomes. I am concerned that individuals are not thinking for themselves and allowing AI to do their work without providing guidance or checking outputs.