In 2011, everything was looking up for Samantha Lockheed. In a few short weeks she would graduate from the University of New Haven with a master’s degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, and she had just accepted a temporary role at Yale University in the office of Staffing and Career Development. Little did she know at the time, this temporary gig would be the launching pad for a, now, almost decade long successful career at Yale.
Samantha is currently a recruiter supporting the labor team for Clerical and Technical (C&T), Service and Maintenance (S&M) , and Security and Police staff. In this role, she works hand-in-hand with the unions and departments such as Yale Health, Facilities, Hospitality, and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) to recruit and hire candidates. She also plays an active role in career development training and career counseling.
What was your very first job?
My very first job was working at a summer camp; however, when I turned 16, I started working at Cold Stone Creamery. It was a fun experience because we were basically a bunch of teenagers running an ice cream store. I got to work with some of my best friends. We were able to get creative and find ways to drive business. Anytime we were given a tip we had to sing a song, and the owners let us make up our own silly songs. At one point we were the number one store in the country in sales.
Tell us about your career path at Yale.
I have been at Yale for nine and a half years. I started as a temporary staffing coordinator before being hired into a permanent position. I have had the opportunity to hold a variety of roles during my time here. My first permanent position was that of requisition entry coordinator. Back then, requisition requests would come in via PDF as an email directly to postajob—we’ve come a long way since then! I later had the opportunity to temporarily cover as a candidate development specialist and then as a New Haven Hiring Initiatives specialist, which opened the door for me to move into my current recruiter role for labor recruitment.
How has the COVID pandemic impacted your work?
The impact on my work has been interesting. Due to the pandemic, Yale announced a university-wide staff hiring pause. This does not mean we are not hiring, but it does mean that we’ve had a lower volume of jobs to post. Since March, we have seen an uptick in postings, but the circumstances have allowed us to focus more on our clients than ever before. It has been an excellent opportunity to look at our practices and client services to find areas for improvement. Staffing and Career Development has also launched the Talent Share Program to assist departments in filling assignments while utilizing the talents of staff members who are not working at full capacity due to the pandemic. The program is beneficial to departments and employees, as it provides employees exposure to departments and work that they may not have otherwise had the opportunity to experience.
Another unexpected impact of the pandemic has been, surprisingly, more face-to-face time with my clients. When we were still working on campus, I found it challenging to get face-to-face meetings with clients, but now, it is easier to connect and establish relationships through video Zoom meetings.