Navigating the Talent Acquisition Journey: From Breaking the Mold to Breaking Records

Addison Martel, Director of Talent Acquisition, Heartland

I’ve been trekking through the talent acquisition realm for a solid decade now, and boy, has it been an adventure. There is no map and no compass that could have directed me to where I am today—and here’s the truth: nobody really dreams of becoming a recruiter straight out of college (if you do, then please connect with me; we have got a job for you!), but life has a funny way of leading you down unexpected paths.

Imagine this: fresh out of college with a degree in Kinesiology, wondering where my next ‘big step’ will be while crashing at my parent’s place. I think that many of us found ourselves in the same position after crossing the stage for our diploma. There was no job or career ready to catch us when we walked down the stairs after shaking our University President’s hand. So there I was: waiting, waiting some more, and watching out for my opportunity. I was ready for something big, even if it was outside the wheelhouse of experience I had built up in college for the last four years. I wanted to break the mold and find the career that was right for me. That’s when I stumbled upon an opportunity to be a recruiter at Heartland. Now, I’ll admit, I had no clue who Heartland was or what the whole financial services scene was about, but hey, who doesn’t want to say, “I work in FinTech”?

I didn’t recognize it then, but looking back, I feel like I was drawn to recruiting because of my own experience searching for a job after University. That rush of connecting someone with a life-changing opportunity resonates with me because that is what I wanted after I graduated but never received. To help someone start their journey—amends and fulfills a memory of myself that lived at my folks’ place, wondering what career was meant for me.

“Leadership isn’t just about calling the shots; it’s about getting where your team members are coming from. We’re all different, and that’s what makes us awesome”

Fast forward through the days of cutting my teeth on recruiting commissioned sales reps, and let me tell you, it’s far from a day at the beach. But it’s also where I learned my golden rule: ‘Find, Filter, Feed.’ That mantra galvanized my success early and fortified my leadership foundation today. The best blueprints are simple, and here is mine: Hunt down top talent, sift through the noise, and serve up the cream of the crop to our hiring managers.

After a stint building a talent team from scratch elsewhere, fate brought me back to Heartland/Global Payments, where I now lead the charge for our North American merchant team. I can proudly say that my teams have consistently broken headcount growth goals nearly every month since I started two years ago.

There’s a lot of development I’ve undergone—from breaking the mold to breaking records—and while I avidly sought out new knowledge within our industry, many of these beliefs found me. Here are a few epiphanies and hard-fought truths I use as my foundation to create impact as a leader:

1. Keep it Real and Love One Another: Leadership isn’t just about calling the shots; it’s about getting where your team members are coming from. We’re all different, and that’s what makes us awesome.

2. Tech is Your Wingman: In this game, staying ahead means cozying up to tech. CRM systems, AI, you name it – Tech plays a huge role, but the people you lead plus tech, that’s the secret sauce to snagging top talent.

3. Hustle Hard: Success doesn’t just fall into your lap; you’ve gotta hustle for it; as renowned performance coach Ben Newman would say, “every. Damn. day.” Trust me, there’s no shortcut to the top.

Now, I don’t want to make it sound like it was just me all along and that I didn’t have any support. I would not be where I am today without some of the best leaders in the industry to guide me and allow me to learn from my mistakes. I strive every day to take what I have been given and pour it into those that I lead. With a happy growth mindset, openness to technological collaboration, and the drive to be both consistent and innovative, there is nothing you can’t do. Whether you have just crossed the stage for your diploma, received that big promotion you’ve hoped for, or just rounded out a project you’ve been working on for years—you might ask, “What is next?” And the answer is a map that hasn’t been drawn yet—I know that all too well. But I hope some of my life lessons will help you on your journey, just like the lessons of my leaders and my journey helped me.

Financial

Fintech

AI