Ann Elin, Senior Advisor and recruiter at Personalhuset, has been awarded our Globus Heroes Award for November, reflecting her dedication and the way she cares about her candidates. In Q3 2021, she helped the highest number of people into jobs out of any Globus user, and so far this year, she has filled a whopping 12,600 shifts, placing on average of 65 candidates into jobs per day. She has also been vital in developing the Globus AI product, including recommending the automated availability handling feature that has been well received by many of our clients.  

In this interview between our co-founder Tor-Hakon Hellebostad and Ann Elin, they discuss what makes Ann Elin a Globus Hero.  

Tor: Ann Elin, I know you like to say that you’re usually not keen on change and aren’t tech-savvy, but your numbers don’t lie. So far this year you’ve registered more than 12,600 shifts, and you’ve helped the highest number of people into jobs in Q3 2021 across all Globus users.  

Such impressive results… so tell me more about your background and what’s brought you to this point, in your current role at Personalhuset?

Ann Elin: I’m a Senior Advisor at Personalhuset. I’ve worked in Recruitment since 2000 when I worked for the staffing company WeStaff. In 2005, I joined Personalhuset and I’ve worked in many different roles both within recruitment and the back office.  

It’s amazing to see the progress that the sector has made. When I started in the industry, we used these bulky folders — ring binders and arch files — to track all the information about candidates and customers. The office was filled with filing cabinets, you could barely move! The introduction of video conferencing and digital candidate files has really been a quantum leap. Looking back a year, the introduction of Globus has been another quantum leap forward. I can’t remember the last I printed something. Technology has freed up my time (and space) in so many ways.  

Using the Globus Staffing, I’ve seen such great results from using technology that it’s made me more open about new ideas and what we can accomplish together. The Globus AI team has been so attentive to our requests and clear on what you think are good ideas, what you will build, and what’s prioritized and not.  

What motivates you to do the work that you do?

I really enjoy giving people a second and sometimes third chance, and possibility of changing people’s lives. One example I clearly remember was this young woman, in her late twenties, who had lost her job at the airport because of the Covid-19 pandemic. She didn’t think she would get her job back so she contacted me and was given a few assignments. Everywhere she went, everywhere she worked, they requested her back. At first, she worked on short assignments, then longer ones, then projects of a few months in length. Eventually, she really uncovered a new passion and she called me saying, “Ann Elin, I have figured out what I want to be in my life. I want to be a kindergarten teacher”. Now she works for a kindergarten one day a week, alongside studying to become a teacher. Making such an impact on people’s careers and job satisfaction is what gets me up every day.

What would you say are the top three benefits of using Globus Staffing?  

Globus Staffing has really improved my work across the board but if I was to pick just three benefits I would say:

1. Greater oversight and effectiveness: because we’ve moved away from cumbersome spreadsheets and sticky notes, there’s less human error and the team can see available roles and candidates more easily. So I have less fear of missing orders and the team overall is more efficient due to the time savings.

2. Increased collaboration: with all information stored in Globus Staffing I can see what’s been done so far with an order or assignment and I can easily take over if needed. There’s less back-and-forth with colleagues to catch up on the status of an order. This has really improved team collaboration, particularly during the pandemic when we switched to working from home. No matter where we are working, remotely or in-office, we can stay up to date on orders and collaborate on the same work. I’m about to go away for a week to visit my sister on the West Coast. With Globus Staffing, I know I can work from there like normal — completely up-to-date with everything I need to know, with no ring binders or filing cabinets needed!

3. Seamless, intuitive staffing: in the past, if I wanted to work from home or somewhere else I’d have to do multiple print-outs of the availability overview. Those reams of paper went with me everywhere — even, at one point, to a party. And it wasn’t easy to assign roles because I’d have to log onto my PC and view the ATS alongside the papers. But with Globus, I can do everything on my laptop and phone. I’m able to work more effectively, on multiple devices, wherever I choose. That makes me more responsive too. If something comes in at 8.30 pm, I can use Globus to send it out then the system gets to work finding me the best candidates. I don’t have to spend ages logging in and out of systems or sifting through paperwork, I just wait for Globus to notify me that matches have been made.  

If you free up time with Globus Staffing, how would you use it?  

There is so much that I can now do with the free time I have from using Globus Staffing. Right now, I handle more shifts, and follow up candidates and customers online. Once the pandemic and society allows, I’d like to use more of the free time to visit customers more often to build long-term relationships and really understand their needs. I talk to candidates so they are engaged and interested in our roles. I recruit new candidates to expand our available talent pool. For those about to interview, I help to prepare them however they need, like coaching and constructive feedback on their technique, or even helping them choose the best outfit. Equipping inexperienced candidates with the right mindset, tools and skills is an important part of my role. I like to help developing people and prepare them for work through coaching, feedback, and training. My role is very varied now and adds so much value to customers and candidates.