Employee Spotlight: San Antonio HR & Admin Branch Manager Gabriel Garcia
What are you most excited about in your new role at Addison Group?
I’m most excited to have the opportunity to lead Addison Group’s Human Resources and Administration team into a new market. My previous experience working both sides in talent solutions – recruiting and staffing – will enable me to better assist our current and future clients’ HR and Admin needs in San Antonio.
What are you looking forward to most with this new expansion in San Antonio?
I look forward to offering true full-service staffing and talent solutions in San Antonio! I’m excited to have Addison Group’s vast resources to build quality relationships with our clients. We don’t have to outsource any services or send clients and candidates to other cities. We’re with them every step of the way, right here in San Antonio.
San Antonio is a big city, but also has that small-town feel. Many of our clients love their services to be local and put faces to names. We look forward to providing that personalized local recruiting experience.
What trends are you seeing in the Human Resources and Administration industry?
The HR and Admin space has been growing rapidly as more companies are trying to minimize turnover and retention while boosting engagement and productivity. With unemployment at an all-time low, companies are still hiring at a rapid pace – however, there’s a growing reception of organizations wanting to reduce turnover, increase retention, and boost productivity.
With so many workers working remotely or hybrid, organizations are trying to figure out how to continue to keep employees engaged. All in all, it is an industry that is continuing to thrive, despite some recent layoffs.
What drew you to the recruiting industry?
I have a passion for helping others and having the opportunity to change candidates’ lives is incredible. This industry gives you a purpose and a sense of fulfillment, and that’s a huge reason why I love it. In addition, you get to network with a variety of people from all different backgrounds and companies. You learn to be flexible and pick up a ton of transferable skills. No two days are the same. It keeps you on your toes!
Is there a placement that had a lot of meaning for you?
Not one in particular but I love it when people tell me I have helped them land their dream job and get emotional on calls. I love talking to people, it’s something I’m very passionate about and as I’ve grown in this space, each placement means more and more to me. I’ve had moments where I’m on the phone with a candidate who we placed in a position and they are tearing up on the phone because they are forever grateful to be placed in a job they truly wanted. For so many people, finding a great job doesn’t just affect them, it affects their families and is truly life-changing. I couldn’t be more grateful to help provide that.
I also appreciate the amount of flexibility that is preached in the recruiting space, as well as the transferable skills that help in growing in your career journey. You can be an excellent communicator by talking to your clients every day, and that can help you grow leaps and bounds in this space. This industry is the best!
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not helping clients and candidates?
When I am not helping clients and candidates, I love spending time with my wife and 5-month-old daughter. In addition, my wife and I love to travel, have adventures, meet new people and see the world! We particularly love to travel overseas and see different cultures and ways of life – it’s the best. We are both huge foodies and love to try new restaurants and different cuisines and spend quality time together. If I’m not trying a new restaurant, you’ll probably find me at the golf course! I have a huge passion for golf as well as fishing. I love to head over to Houston to see my family and hopefully catch a few together.
What is the biggest career lesson you’ve learned so far?
Always celebrate the small victories. Every day is different, and the highs and lows are very volatile in this industry. Take time to celebrate the small wins! There are so many things in recruiting that you cannot control, so taking the time to celebrate a successful placement or hitting a daily goal will go a long way in your career development and overall sanity. In addition, one of my favorite quotes is “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”
Gabriel Garcia is a native Texan, and graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in Accounting and Finance. His first job out of college was in customer service before moving into the accounting industry. In 2021, he launched his career in recruiting as a practicing director before starting with Addison Group in May, 2023, as a Human Resource and Administrative Branch Manager in Talent Solutions. Gabriel is most excited to establish the new HR/Admin market in San Antonio, bringing his experience and expertise to deliver innovative solutions, all while managing high-level client relationships. He is confident San Antonio will grow into a top-producing office in Addison Group while providing a personalized local recruiting experience.
