As a trailblazer for her internship employer, we felt it was right for Natalie Goldring’s story to be featured as our first ‘Where Are They Now’ piece, as a teaser for our upcoming Alumni Newsletter. Subscribe to read more of these stories!
Back in 2006, as Investors Group’s first-ever recruiting coordinator, Natalie Goldring developed the position – and her career – from scratch.
She networked, checked with recruitment agencies, and attended information interviews, struggling during the job search and finding it “really discouraging.” The York University alumna graduated with a bachelor of arts in sociology with honours, and a certificate in human resources management, but no formal experience in her field. However, while enrolled, she worked in retail at a Mastermind Toys assisting in recruiting store employees. She left the children’s specialty store to focus on her education, but departed with eight years of management experience, and a passion for recruitment which steered her HR career toward talent acquisition.
She discovered Career Edge at a job fair hosted at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and applied for a paid internship at Investors Group. After meeting their team, the position was hers.
“I remember talking to the executive assistant about the offer…it happened pretty quick. I remember being so excited because it was the best interview and candidate experience I had during my job search. I felt it was a really good fit for me. I got along with all the division directors and regional director. They were personable and fun!”
She said the rare circumstances of lacking a predecessor involved learning her position – and then developing the systems and processes to improve the performance of her position. Everyday, she mapped out her tasks with visual breakdowns. She consulted co-workers at other offices for guidance, and interviewed consultants within her office to introduce herself and gain an understanding of their backgrounds and experiences. She also learned to depart her comfort zone by connecting with other recruiters at events, and called candidates to build a pipeline of prospects. Every two weeks during her nine-month internship, Natalie organized career presentations and assisted in full life-cycle recruitment. She also recruited consultants on a commission structure.
On Thursdays, she discussed weekly objectives with her internship coach.
“She was a great coach and mentor…I felt very much like a part of the team. I learned a lot from her and was able to continue to grow in my role.”
And for a decade, she did.
Natalie Goldring, Career Edge Alumna
The management team brought Natalie back shortly after her Career Edge internship ended. After a few years at the downtown Toronto location, she transferred to a new office with her division director and his team in 2012. Together, they created the vision of the Yorkdale branch’s recruiting process.
Natalie became their first-ever Manager of Region Growth after obtaining her CHRL and RPR designations, assuming additional general HR responsibilities in areas such as: attraction and retention, performance and career management, onboarding, and training and development. She chaired social committee meetings and health and safety committee meetings. As a certified Workplace Wellness Ambassador, she promoted workplace culture and wellness, hosting a Monthly Mental Health Break. She participated in several company volunteer initiatives and coordinated events with the Children’s Aid Foundation and “The Inside Ride” with the Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation.
She said she’s most proud of building an exceptional work culture by acquiring great staff and ensuring they enjoyed working at Investors Group. Her performance was recognized with multiple national recruiting awards.
A colleague described her as “a true expert in talent acquisition.”
For 11 years, she worked for an encouraging and supportive division director who later became her regional director. Considering herself fortunate to have received strong mentorship for such a long time, Natalie decided to give back by becoming an HRPA mentor. She offered plenty of advice for today’s new graduates.
“Get outside your comfort zone…research companies…network…don’t get stuck in one direction…be open to what is out there…you have transferable skills…believe in yourself.”
She also discussed why organizations should give back.
“Employers should hire recent graduates to give them a chance to apply and develop new skills so that they can have the confidence to excel.”
Natalie recently made another departure, leaving her position at the Investors Group branch. For the first time in over one decade, she’s a candidate. Ready for a new opportunity, and the right fit that’ll allow her to leverage her knowledge and nationally acclaimed experience, she’s not ready to leave HR. Natalie also plans to start a career-coaching business.
A past client wrote, “Every company should have a Natalie working for them in their recruiting department.”
[Fun Fact: We connected with Natalie for this story after she visited our booth at the 2018 HRPA Annual Conference and Trade Show, hosted where she first discovered Career Edge 12 years ago – at the Toronto Metro Convention Centre!]