As it’s Careers Week, we thought we’d catch up with Talent Acquisition Business Partner, Linda Green.
Linda shares with us her career journey so far and what she looks for when finding the perfect candidate to join the Paramount team!
What is your role and what does in entail?
My role is Talent Acquisition (TA) Business Partner. The TA team is part of the amazing HR team in Sydney.
We are business partners, not just recruiters, because the best TA practice is more than just posting an ad and sending off the applications.
I’m responsible for the end-to-end recruitment process for any role across the business and there’s quite a bit involved.
We partner with the Hiring Managers in whatever capacity they need and we can provide advice if required, and we’re always working on multiple roles at once.
Tell us about your career journey and how it lead you to this role.
How long have you got?! My career morphed from coordinating travel logistics for the film and entertainment industries in to recruitment, many years ago – first for the travel industry and then for the entertainment and media industries, both on the agency side.
I came in to Network 10 on a 6 month contract in 2018 and they can’t get rid of me.
This is my first client-side/internal TA role and I love being closer to the business and being part of a team.
How do you know when you’ve found a great candidate?
There’s definitely an acquired ‘sense’ in finding a great candidate – it’s not just about the CV.
It’s really difficult to see attitude and motivation on a CV. And it’s not always just about putting a ‘bum on a seat’, which is where our expertise can sometimes help a Hiring Manager see what’s outside the box.
I still get a buzz when I hear feedback that someone we found is doing amazing things in the business.
That old thing called ‘cultural fit’ is very real and important, so we built a library of interview questions around our company values which helps with that.
What skills or personality traits do you think people need to have to work at Paramount?
We still have to consider the technical skills required to do a job, but the ‘soft skills’ required to fit in to our company and the particular team is super important.
I often hear visitors say that the ‘vibe’ when they first come in to the office is tangible, and that comes down to our people being friendly, respectful, supportive, fun-loving, generous, hard-working, and proud of our brand and of each other. We love to celebrate success – not just our own, but others as well. I think one of the most important traits is flexibility – the willingness to do things that perhaps aren’t in your job description, to pitch in when times are tough and to care about the team and not just about what’s on your own desk.
This Careers Week focus is on networking and connection. Why is this so important for career success?
In a business like ours that is so interesting and with so many diverse departments, networking internally is a great way to open doors to new opportunities or learn things you might not even be aware of.
Our leaders are so generous with their time and encouraging of career development, so with this Careers Week being about networking and connection, if you’re interested in other areas of the business we’re giving everyone the opportunity to make the first move and get the conversation started over a coffee (and it’s on us!).
That doesn’t mean that everyone will be offered a new job next week. Networking is a process with no timeline – but it has to start somewhere.
“If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.”
What do you love about working at Paramount?
People, people, and people 😊
What do you love to do outside of work?
I relax with music, reformer Pilates, and being a servant to my cats Louis (Vuitton) and Coco (Chanel).
I enjoy reading a good biography, going to live gigs, family & friends catchups, and planning holidays (especially Hawaii – see photo!)
