At TECHEAD, our leaders play a big part in the culture we’ve built. Our Leadership Spotlight series gives you a chance to meet the people who guide our teams and shape how we work.

Today, we’re excited to introduce you to Amber Stein, our Director of Operations. Amber has been with TECHEAD for 13 years, 11 of them in leadership, and she leads a fully remote team while staying hands-on in recruitment. We caught up with Amber to learn more about what it means to lead here at TECHEAD:

Your Role

1. How long have you been in your role?
   With TECHEAD 13 years, in a leadership role for 11
2. What does a “day in the life” look like for you in your role?
   The best part of my job is that I get to lead people to find professional success while also being able to stay hands-on in recruitment.
3. What do you enjoy most about working at TECHEAD?
   The people and the flexibility.
4. What motivates you to get up and go to work every morning?
   The challenges – working with a fully remote team of diverse individuals with unique personalities keeps me on my toes, and finding the top talent for our clients is like one giant scavenger hunt.

Leadership & Philosophy

5. In one sentence, how would you define true leadership?
   I think true leaders are good listeners willing to put others before themselves.
6. What does success look like on your team, beyond the numbers?
   When we hit our goals, we enjoy the success as a team and as individuals, with rewards that let us unwind and promote a strong work-life balance.
7. What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned while in your role at TECHEAD?
   Great teammates will step up and support you when you need it the most.
8. What are the most important traits to look for when hiring a new employee?
   Self-direction and motivation are key. Because we are a fully remote workforce, I want people on my team who are innately driven to find success.
9. What is your favorite project or a memorable moment you’ve had while working at TECHEAD?
   In recent years, we’ve made some big changes to how we recognize and reward our people for performance here at TECHEAD, and I’m proud to be a part of that ongoing mission.

Words to Live By

10. What’s a motto or quote you work and live by?
    The Golden Rule has never failed me.
11. Who do you look up to for inspiration, mentorship, or as a hero?
    My parents have always been my true heroes.
12. What piece of advice would you go back and tell your younger self who had just entered the workforce?
    Don’t be afraid to try new things and stretch yourself outside your comfort zone.
13. What’s a piece of advice you give the people you manage?
    Assume positive intent by those around you and treat mistakes as learning opportunities.

The Industry

14. What are the biggest challenges facing the staffing/recruiting/workforce planning industry?
    Widespread use of AI in the application, interviewing, and hiring processes has added an extra layer of uncertainty for both recruiters and candidates. AI can be a great tool to aid in the process, but it can also be easily abused.
15. What’s something about the recruiting/staffing industry that people outside it don’t understand?
    Agency recruiters face intense deadlines and routinely work multiple jobs simultaneously.
16. What are your current goals?
    Continue to build on the success we have seen at TECHEAD and get my three boys through college.

Getting to Know You

17. List five adjectives that describe your personality.
    Honest, loyal, dependable, accommodating, friendly.
18. What are you currently reading?
    Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything, by BJ Fogg, Ph.D.
19. What sports team do you cheer on the loudest?
    My son’s football team – Go BEARS!
20. What’s your favorite place you’ve ever traveled to?
    Castel San Vincenzo, Italy – birthplace of my grandfather.
21. If you could meet one person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
    My paternal grandfather, to learn more about our Italian heritage.
22. If you could live in any other historical period, what would it be and why?
    I’d like to have lived in the ’60s and contributed to the women’s movement.
23. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
    Super strength!