Don’t Be Afraid to Raise Your Hand: Career Growth Tips From a Senior Director of Talent Acquisition

In today’s world of work, one common challenge that people face is growing the career they want without job hopping. If you’re one of the many people wondering how you can achieve this, Regina M. George, the Senior Director of Talent Acquisition at Altria Group, Inc., is here to help!

During her ten years at Altria, George has continuously grown her career by always accepting new opportunities. “Each opportunity empowered me to take ownership in my role, make decisions, and contribute to the overall success of my team, department, and company,” George reflects. “With each role and task, I was opening myself up to acquiring new knowledge to build my own personal library of information,”

As such, George emphasizes how important it is to raise your hand and volunteer to take on new and challenging projects that will stretch your capabilities. “This allows you to demonstrate your abilities and gain valuable experiences that will only help you grow and develop your own personal brand,” says George.

It’s also important to remember that while you don’t have to be an expert at everything — especially when you’re trying something new — you should always keep your company’s goals in mind. As George put it, “understanding the business enables you to make decisions that align with the overall goal of the company, identify opportunities, adjust to challenges, and generate creativity.”

And of, course, “you don't have to do this alone,” urges George. “Lean into your professional network as they will provide insight and support as you take on new responsibilities.” George is also here to help you in your career journey! Here, she shares her best advice on leadership, succeeding in the Talent Acquisition field, and more!

Let’s start by discussing leadership. As an experienced leader, what’s your top advice for other women who are moving into or want to move into leadership?

The most important thing to remember is to prioritize balance by making time for yourself, your work, your team, and your own development. Work-life balance can be challenging in a leadership role, but it is essential to you and your team. You can utilize tools to help you with time management, organizational skills, and prioritizing the most important work.

Be your authentic self by leveraging your strengths and the knowledge that has guided you into this leadership role. Lead by example by showcasing your values and work ethic, which will build trust and connect you with your team. Remain open to learning from others, and lean into your team and mentors for support and guidance. One part of this is identifying tasks that can be delegated, which will empower your team members. Lastly, invest time in self-care; taking care of yourself physically and mentally is just as important.  

How would you describe your leadership style?   

I am a people-focused and growth-oriented leader who strives to create an environment where each team member feels valued, challenged, and empowered to excel in their roles. My goal is to provide clear direction to my team that aligns with our Talent Acquisition focus and the business’ strategic goals, all while staying focused on the big picture of what is happening now and what could happen in the future.

My leadership style is centered around empowering and enabling my team to thrive and stretch their capabilities, so I want to provide my team with a platform to take ownership of their roles and contribute proactively. As such, collaboration is important, and I seek to provide open communication amongst my team as this furnishes a conducive environment for their ideas, concerns, and suggestions. 

What skills have you cultivated that help you lead and empower diverse and cross-functional teams?  

Active listening is a critical skill as a leader, team member, and colleague. Taking the time to listen enables you to gain a person’s perspective, understand the problem or situation, open a dialogue to reach solutions together, and, at times, be a person who will listen with no judgment or comments. Cultivating this skill is essential for leaders to build trust and enable individuals to be heard. It contributes to a positive work culture, improves decision-making, and strengthens relationships within the team.   

Moving on, let’s talk more about the Talent Acquisition field. Can you tell us a bit about your job as a Senior Director of Talent Acquisition?

As the Senior Director, I oversee our Talent Acquisition strategies and recruiting efforts to attract and recruit talent to Altria. My focus is to ensure that we build talent pipelines, implement creative recruitment strategies, build partnerships internally and externally, and provide teams with sourcing tools to identify talent and make progress toward our business strategy and vision.  

My day involves: 

• Leading and guiding the Talent Acquisition team,

• Collaborating with our organization to understand their strategies and hiring needs,

• Providing guidance on recruitment strategies to align with our business objectives,

• Consulting with our Employee Resources Groups (ERG) on recruiting efforts

• Evaluating talent analytics and metrics to understand our accomplishments and challenges in our pipeline, and 

• Staying up-to-date on recruiting trends in the external market.

When I moved into the role, my first objective was to create a cross-functional workstream to focus on our Talent Acquisition strategy. Bringing together a small team with expertise in recruiting, sourcing, technology, and employment brands enabled us to create our Talent Acquisition Strategy Statement. This statement is the forefront of who we are as Talent Acquisition, and it guides us on how we contribute to the company’s success.

What do you find are the most rewarding and challenging aspects about being in Talent Acquisition? 

The most rewarding part is identifying, attracting, and hiring talent that contributes to the success and growth of the organization. I get to work with amazing people, utilize the latest talent acquisition trends, and develop and implement creative recruitment strategies that keep our workplace dynamic and engaging.

Hard-to-fill jobs are challenging, especially when there is a lack of availability for that specific skill set and intense competition among employers. An obstacle is that filling this role may take a long time, making it hard to balance speed and quality. This impediment prolongs onboarding the right talent in the timeframe necessary to make an impact.  

What’s your top advice for women looking to start a career in Talent Acquisition?

I recommend building your network with others in Talent Acquisition to understand their roles and responsibilities. Building this network will give you valuable insight into the industry and how their specific work contributes to the organization, as each role and industry is different. It’s also important to participate in industry events and conferences to understand the latest trends, best practices, and challenges. 

Speaking of latest trends, are there any new trends or technologies in the Talent Acquisition space that you are excited about?

The latest trend is artificial intelligence (AI) and how it can enhance your organization. There is still a lot to learn and understand, and I am excited to learn more. I want to see how it can assist my team with streamlining or automating transactional and administrative work and to learn how AI can assist candidates throughout the recruiting and onboarding processes.  

While trends and technology are great, there is still a human side to Talent Acquisition, and I do not want to lose that. I thrive on interacting with individuals to attract them to our company and provide them with opportunities to learn more about our organization.  

Finally, do you have any other advice that you’d like to mention?  

I encourage us all to advocate for others. When we are in meetings where decisions are made about projects or roles, be the voice for others. Use your voice to speak and advocate for someone who is capable of leading the project, taking on a new role, or starting a development opportunity to stretch their capability. Advocating for others is an ongoing commitment to the success of your team and others you interact with.

Want to grow your career like George has? Consider joining Altria, a company she tells us is full of “leaders who have guided me and colleagues who have enriched me personally and professionally.” Click the link below to explore current opportunities.

Fairygodboss is proud to partner with Altria Group, Inc. Find a job there today!