Get to know our team at Talent Citizen! As Rachel K. Partin kicks off her fourth year at Talent Citizen, we invite you to learn more about what drew her to Talent Citizen, what she loves about her executive search career, and what being a Talent Citizen means to her.
Why did you join Talent Citizen?
The firm’s values and commitment to equity spoke loudly to me, and the way those values are tangibly incorporated into search practice really set the firm apart. It is important to me that every interaction with a candidate, client, and teammate is infused with care, builds trust, and opens honest dialogue. Without that foundation, our practice crumbles to the traditional norms of the industry. I found in Talent Citizen a group of professionals who believe, like I do, that what we do and how we treat people matters, that the process is as important as the outcome, and that equity can be advanced by both the process and the outcome. What’s exciting is that we can also iterate on process in partnership with our clients.
What do you love about your career in executive search?
I found my way to executive search because I was recruited by an executive search firm! I did not know much about the industry, but I was ten years into my career, which had been split between working directly at the highest level of university administration and in client relationship management for a multinational law firm. It turns out that executive search—and specifically my area of specialization in executive search—perfectly combines my expertise in professional services communications and relationship management, and nonprofit leadership and governance. Through my relationship-centered search work, I love that I have been able to build a deep and wide network of incredible professionals from executive leaders to burgeoning talent in the field with whom I keep in touch over the course of their careers. Now, nearly two decades into my own career, it is gratifying to know that the work I do directly supports the ongoing impact of nonprofits across the world.
What does being a Talent Citizen mean to you?
Talent Citizen is an ethos that informs how we work as much as what we do. For me, and for Talent Citizen, authenticity and integrity are two sides of the same coin. I am a people-centered person, and talent citizenship, for me, centers the citizen. I love what I do, and I am grateful that I’ve found a firm where I am empowered to live my values out loud alongside my prodigious colleagues and in partnership with our incredible clients.