Spotlight on HR: Alexandra Cook

Spotlight on HR series:
A Conversation With Alexandra Cook, Healthcare Recruiter at Sault Tribal Health Center

We’re putting together a series of articles with innovative and interesting human resource professionals. This is an opportunity to learn from other HR managers and exchange best practices, advice, and general experience. If you’d like to participate in this series and gain exposure to relevant networks, we’d love to hear from you! Send an email to tal@recruiterslineup.com.

Tell us about your work experience in HR.

In 2018 I ventured down to Grand Rapids, Michigan to pursue an internship in Talent Acquisition with Mercy Health. I was exposed to all aspects of human resources, including sourcing, management and recruiting. After moving back home to Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan I applied for the open recruiter role at the Sault Tribe Health Center. At this point in time, I still feel like an entry-level recruiter only because I haven’t quite made that year mark in my current role. On the flip side, I feel I bring many unique and creative talents to the world of rural recruitment.

What are the unique talents you bring to the field?

Long story short, I worked in customer service for over a decade which in turn gave me many useful talents to recruitment. I am very punctual, flexible and have excellent customer service. I am able to think quickly in situations where you may not have time to think at all, for example on a recruitment call. I have had to get creative in my current role because we are considered a rural area. I believe my internship with Mercy Health was the perfect eye-opener into the recruitment world because they worked with the best of the best technologies. I was able to see first-hand how the “big” organizations are doing it. On that note, I am now able to apply my knowledge of what recruitment pathways my current role could and should be taking.

Share your biggest success story in HR so far.

I believe my biggest success story with recruitment is still writing itself as we speak. I am in a role that was created by an organization with eight locations that I oversee. The minute that I walked through the door I was to mold the position into a role that fits in with the organization. That includes scheduling day to day activities, active marketing outreach, career fairs, active sourcing, and the list goes on; the opportunities are truly endless with my current role. I see this is as a ground floor opportunity to prove myself personally and professionally in the world of recruitment and healthcare.

What is the best advice you’ve received during your career path, and from whom?

I believe the best piece of advice that I have received during my career is to never stop learning. My parents have preached this to me since I was little, and it is true that one is never too old to stop learning. I completely agree with that and coincidently I just got accepted into Central Michigan University’s Master’s program for Health Administration.

What’s your favorite HR tech tool?

If we are clinging to the basics of recruitment, I think it would boil down to something that you couldn’t do your job without. In that sense, I believe that my favorite tool is my phone. I am very aware of the hundreds if not thousands of really exciting recruitment tools that are out there. I actually just went to a conference in Ann Arbor where many tech-tools were highlighted. But, like I said my most important and favorite due to its convenience is my phone.

As an HR professional, how do you handle recruiting to achieve the best results?

To achieve the best results in the role I am in currently, I really have to get creative. It is important to stay current and continue to expand my knowledge in all aspects of rural recruitment. For example, I have reached out to rural residency programs, rural scholarship agencies, and more.

What do you hope to achieve in 2020?

I hope to make a mark on the Sault Tribe Health organization as a whole. I hope my presence, knowledge, and research contributes to not only operations at the health centers but also with human resources. In specific, I hope to achieve success in my recruitment efforts and develop professionally.

To get in touch with Alexandra visit her Linkedin page.

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