Her Story
About Samantha
Samantha Johnson serves as Senior Technical Recruiter at Opentrons, a company in the biotech robotics space also known as Opentrons Lab Works, Inc. She has been with the organization for five years, having been recruited internally after working in agency recruiting and market research recruiting, bringing her total experience in the field to about seven years. As the sole internal recruiter, she handles a wide range of positions from scientists and engineers to commercial and product design roles, with particular expertise in software and hardware technical recruiting. In addition to her recruiting duties, Samantha leads the company's DEI committee, a role she has held for approximately three years. She holds some college education but entered recruiting through connections rather than formal training. Samantha attributes her success to her commitment to the candidate experience, emphasizing transparency, respect for candidates' time, and advocating for individuals whose resumes may not fully capture their potential. She values respect and community in both her professional and personal life, and she homeschools her son while participating in a related group. Recently relocated to Colorado from Dallas, Texas, she works remotely from her new home state.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Samantha
01What do you attribute your success to?
I am so driven on the candidate experience and wanting to treat the candidates like humans and being their advocate. My job is to advocate for the candidate. If their resume doesn't tell the full story, that's why I'm here. I speak to them, I get the nitty-gritty. I'm so passionate about what I do, about changing people's lives because matching somebody with the right career will change their life.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
You're always learning. There's always so much to be learned. You can't walk into the room and think you know everything. Walking into the room and commanding that presence but also being open to listening and learning.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be a go-getter in terms of learning. Learn as much as you can, be open to change. Flexibility is the name of the game in this industry in recruiting. Go out there, get it, and learn as much as you can. There are so many opportunities within recruiting, especially within niche industries.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
In this market there are many qualified candidates. I struggle with knowing there are other amazing candidates that I did not get to reach because we already have our pool of candidates due to quick turnaround. A job is not just your career, it's your livelihood. We have these 3 great candidates and have to assess technical skills versus culture fit.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Number one is always respect. Being respectful and mindful of other people's time. In recruiting I don't want to waste anyone's time, be as transparent as possible. Community is such a huge value. Having people around you to support you, asking for help, having support, generating ideas. You can't do everything yourself.
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