All-In at Acara: How Cynthia Neibel’s 90-Day Temporary Position Turned Into A Seven-Year Career At Acara
A long and versatile career in retail paired with her hard work ethic proved to be the perfect combination to achieving great success at Acara. The most interesting part of Cynthia’s journey to her position as Contractor Care Specialist? She never intended to make a permanent career switch to Acara.
In the latest edition of our “All In At Acara” series, learn how Cynthia leveraged her previous retail experience and turned a temporary fill position into a successful full-time career.
Journey to Acara
I grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and attended Bowling Green State University where I received a bachelor’s degree, majoring in fashion merchandising. Since then, I have had careers in nearly every aspect of retail, including store buying, store management, and sales. Additionally, I have worked in electronic distributor sales and mortgage insurance claim processing management. These positions taught me the value of flexibility in the workplace. Not only was I flexible in my ability to adapt to the different duties of the positions, but I developed resourcefulness with a range of soft skills such as problem-solving, customer service practices, patience, and being a leader among my colleagues. In 2015, I was contacted by a friend who was a recruiter at Acara’s Cincinnati office. Initially, I was temporarily hired as an Acara Contractor Staffing Coordinator for what was supposed to be 90 days, while the former worker was out on maternity leave. However, she decided not to return, and I was hired full-time at Acara. Now, seven years later, I am currently a Contractor Care Specialist.
Daily life at Acara
A Contractor Care Specialist’s major responsibility is to assist the Acara contractors through their employment with Acara Solutions and the subsequent contracting company. My daily duties include processing any changes in the employee’s direct deposit process, personal address, phone number, or email address. Additionally, I reissue W-2 forms, request verification of previous employment, handle any payroll issues, and finally process the employee’s departure. I frequently collaborate with the operations teams, recruiters, and program managers to answer each inquiry and request. The obligation to transition among departments quickly and seamlessly for each task is challenging. Because of the vastness of my responsibilities, no day ever looks the same and some of my workdays do not follow the plan that I had intended them to. Nonetheless, my previous retailing employment experiences have prepared me to work in a fast-paced industry with high standards of execution. Overall, I am motivated by a challenge and always willing to work until a task meets the Acara standard.
The Acara experience
The talent acquisition industry has quickly evolved in recent years, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Acara has kept pace and remained a leader in the industry by embracing and adapting to the reliance on technology as a hiring tool. Acara has become an digital culture. In fact, the industry will continue to develop digitally, especially as companies continue to allow their employees to work remotely. Acara has embraced the employee-driven desire to work remote flexible hours, entrusting that its employees will complete their work while at home. This practice is another one of my favorite features of Acara.
A love for Acara
As previously mentioned, no day in the office is ever the same for me. However, this is what makes Acara such an exciting company to work for. I feel satisfaction after I have helped a contractor. Additionally, I genuinely enjoy working with my colleagues at Acara. We empower one another and are grateful for the assistance that we offer each other. We truly work as a team, constantly adapting to changes together, especially during COVID-19, and communicating effectively about these changes, motivating each other along the way. The “team” feel at Acara makes it such a special place to work.
Life outside of Acara
Outside of work, I am a passionate supporter and volunteer of several organizations. For over 20 years, I have been a chapter advisor, with the Chi Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, located at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. I am a board member and Trophy and Ribbon Chairperson of the Dayton Horse Show Association, board member, and Vice President of the Dayton Alumnae Panhellenic Association, and founding charter member of the Gem City Alumnae Association of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority… to name a few. I balance the responsibilities of these organizations and my job by maintaining a positive and energetic attitude, staying organized, and when required a sense of humor. I frequently make notes and lists for myself and plan out my personal calendar to hold myself accountable for my roles within these organizations. When I am not busy with work or my volunteer obligations, I enjoy sipping black coffee in the early morning sun, going to see movies, and having dinner with friends and family. A new goal of mine is to plan another family trip with my sister, our six cousins, and all their children and grandchildren. These family trips create some of my fondest memories and I would love to do this again.