It's a question that's top of mind for any job seeker: what experiences and skills matter most when it comes to landing a position? The Modern Workplace seeks answers to this question from recruiters, founders, owners and C-level executives who talk about what qualities and skills make potential employees stand out and get noticed. This month, we spoke with Matt Martin, senior recruiter for U.S. Bank.
Matt Martin, U.S. Bank
How do you assess a candidate?
As a senior recruiter, I partner with hiring leaders within our Wealth Management & Securities Services business lines to fill a multitude of positions. No matter the position, I’m always looking at ways applicants can fit into our organization. I work to better understand an applicant’s work style, what they expect from a future employer, skills and accomplishments they’ve obtained, and their motivation for changing positions/companies.
Are there any specific skills you give top priority?
When recruiting new talent to U.S. Bank we evaluate if someone is able to be coached, if they are adaptable and willing to work as part of a team.
What is U.S. Bank’s business culture?
U.S. Bank has a solid reputation as being one of the most ethical companies in the financial services industry. Earlier this year, Ethisphere named U.S. Bank one of the "World’s Most Ethical Companies." We are also very involved in community service. In 2014 alone, U.S. Bank employees donated over 370,000 volunteer hours.
What does NOT excite you about a candidate?
What least excites me about an applicant is when they lack transparency. I want to know about your background, what you’ve done well and where you see growth opportunities. This will help ensure I’m aligning you for success in your next position.
What is your advice to job seekers who are trying to assess whether a company is a good fit for them? What questions would you suggest they ask in an interview process that could help to determine this?
We recommend candidates spend time researching U.S. Bank prior to their interview. Glassdoor and LinkedIn can be used to learn about the company, people they will be interviewing with, and the background of other team members.
Applicants should try to ask questions about the strategic initiatives of the team and the challenges they currently face. This will allow applicants the opportunity to share the skills they will bring to the position and better determine if they are the right fit for the team.
What are some areas of need within U.S. Bank?
As an organization we are always looking to add and retain strong talent to our already solid U.S. Bank team. If you are interested in learning more about current opportunities, please visit our career page.
