Kathleen Higginbotham takes on a new role as the Vice President of Human Resources
East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC)
EBALDC is a non-profit community development organization that has been working for over 47 years to build healthy, vibrant, and safe neighborhoods in Oakland and East Bay. They address the specific needs of individual neighborhoods by connecting the essential elements of health and wellbeing through their Healthy Neighborhoods Approach.
Karim Sultan, COO of EBALDC, was on the hunt for an experienced individual to fill the Vice President of Human Resources role, as the current VP of HR had decided to move on to another non-profit organization. Jennifer, the Gig Talent Retained HR Search Recruiter, began actively looking for the right candidate. Simultaneously, Gig Talent placed Lisa, a GigTalent Certified Consultant, to serve as an interim CHRO. Lisa conducted GAP and SWOT analyses of the HR function and of the team. Lisa also continued to work with Karim and the HR team while the search was underway. The combination of having an interim leader plus the Retained HR Search for the next VP of HR allowed the organization to continue moving forward, offered a fresh perspective and created a smooth transition once the hired candidate, Kathleen, was officially on board.
Kathleen Higginbotham had been selectively looking for a new job for about 18 months due to several changes with her previous company, and she was ready for something new and different. Wanting to be intentional about the next company she worked for, Kathleen was not actively searching for opportunities, however things changed when she came across the job posting from Jennifer in a LinkedIn Transitions group that allows people to share job openings and also helps individuals who are actively searching for a new job. This, in turn, connected her with Gig Talent’s Retained HR Search process.
Kathleen knew she wanted to work for a company with a great mission and values that aligned with her own. After learning more about the company, Kathleen came to the conclusion that EBALDC checked all the boxes and was ready to make the leap into a new role. Excited to begin next steps, Kathleen worked closely with Gig Talent’s Retained Search Lead Recruiter along with a GigTalent Certified Consultant to figure out the best plan of action.
Kathleen appreciated that the Gig Talent consultants were open, honest and upfront with her about the specifics of the job and challenges this role may come with. The process was not simply to just be placed in a role, but there were elements of consulting throughout that offered her support and guidance to be set up for success. Jennifer and Lisa met with her on several occasions to help prep Kathleen at each step; before the interview, after the job offer, and before her first day with the company.
The search was successfully completed within 52 days, from introduction to Kathleen’s first day on the job. The pace was right for Kathleen, and everything fell into place really well. Gig Talent was great with following up, and the tactics they used to keep moving forward were very effective.
“It felt really good to be prepped for success on my first day and like I wasn’t going into this blind. They were supportive, positive and almost like cheerleaders pointing out my strengths along the way,” says Kathleen.