Her Story
About Yamaira
I began my career wanting to help people, so I went into social work after undergrad. I worked with children and their families, helping them navigate the world of behavioral health. It was wonderful and rewarding to see the progress children made during mentoring activities and watching behavior change at home. But as someone doing therapy and mentoring, you get drained. It's really difficult to pour into other people's cup when your cup is empty or close to being empty, so I needed a change of pace. I shifted into staffing and recruitment, working at a staffing agency for about 5 years placing people in light industrial, manufacturing, admin roles, and operating positions like machine operators and forklift operators. I needed another challenge, so I found a role in healthcare recruiting just 5 minutes from my home. I've been with Reya Simpar for over a year and a half now, and it's been incredible to watch us grow from 4 nursing homes to 37, and from 3 phlebotomists to 30. As a startup company, I've had the opportunity to set workflows and screening processes in place to vet candidates before they even come in the door, which has streamlined everything. I love the vision of our company - we put patients first, their well-care, and accessibility to healthcare, because everyone deserves to have that. We care not only for our patients but also for our employees and candidates. I still help people, it just looks a little bit different now. Being able to call people and tell them we're going to hire them is life-changing in its own way. You never know what's going on in someone's background, so giving someone an opportunity to join a team and see the vision of a company is wonderful and rewarding.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Yamaira
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell them that you get a lot more with sugar than you do with vinegar. Come in being nice and treating others the way you want to be treated. Network and take that opportunity to talk to everyone - it doesn't matter who it is, whether it's the janitor from the facility or the housekeeper. Make yourself visible, be accommodating and helpful, but also know the balance and learn how to set boundaries so you're not nearing burnout. People will remember a smiling face. People will remember when you just said hi to them at the coffee machine, or when you offered them a cup of coffee, not because there was any ulterior motive, but because you were just doing the right thing. I think in the world we live in now with social media, it's really easy to have your nose in a phone or in a book, so you kind of miss the big picture. Put that away for a little bit and read the room. If someone's just waiting in line for coffee but you're first, why not offer them a cup of coffee? It doesn't matter who they are, just be nice. In a work environment, we need a lot more of that.
02What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I would say determination, commitment, and just being happy. Life's too short. You just have to make the most of things and see the silver lining in the situation. I know with everything going on in the world now, it's so easy to just become bitter and to go through the motions, but I've always encouraged people to use your PTO, use your sick leave. Yes, I'm HR and I'm telling you this, because sometimes people need a break. It's not always about work. You have to take care of your home life. Even if it's literally just rotting on the couch, you're taking care of yourself. You're taking care of you, because you can't be you if you're not taking care of who you are. You cannot pour from an empty cup, so it's so important that we care for us first, and then we're our best selves when we come back to work.
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