As the longest-tenured employee at our Mississauga office, Account Executive Spencer Greenwood has played a critical role in enhancing the company’s brand and bolstering its Canadian footprint. By forging valuable partnerships with some of Canada’s biggest names, Spencer has helped the team develop new business opportunities while expanding its presence north of the border.

In the latest edition of our “All-In at Acara” series, learn how Spencer’s early professional experiences helped pave the way for his success in the talent acquisition and recruiting industry.

Early beginnings

I was born and raised in Mississauga, Ontario as one of five children. Throughout my childhood, I grew to be incredibly passionate about many things. I played basketball at a regional level before attending Carleton University to study law. While in school, my love of music led me to perform in Toronto. I even got to open for one of my childhood superheroes—Drake!

Progressing to the professional world

While I was having a blast with my music career, I knew my “fame” would be short-lived. Ultimately, I decided that I needed to pursue a more sustainable professional career. I landed my first full-time job as a banking advisor and sales representative at a national Canadian bank. This role helped me learn a lot about the basics of customer service; I figured out how to work with dissatisfied customers, solve their problems, and cultivate long-term client relationships. This gave me a solid foundation for my future roles in recruiting.

Aligning with Acara

I first joined the Acara team as an on-premise Talent Acquisition Specialist and worked on one of our largest aerospace and defense accounts before transitioning to a Recruiting Specialist role. These two positions helped me to learn the nuts and bolts of recruiting. I absorbed as much information as I could, knowing that these roles would ultimately propel me to take on new opportunities within the company. When I first joined Acara, the company was first starting to establish itself in the Canadian market, so I was excited to be joining a young team that was motivated to prove itself. I knew the company had such tremendous potential, and I grew committed to doing whatever I could to help the organization expand its footprint in the Mississauga area and beyond.

A start in sales

About two years into my tenure at Acara, I was asked to take on a new role as an Account Executive, where I currently find myself today. This position has catered to my strengths: I can help clients solve talent-related workforce challenges by identifying and implementing optimal solutions. My promotion has also allowed me to remain immersed within the day-to-day world of recruiting. I play an active role in helping our teams generate innovative ways to solve our customers’ problems. I’ve loved getting exposure to business management and sales while also staying involved in the recruitment and operations side of our company.

A family-like feel

As a member of the Acara team for over four years, words cannot describe how much I have enjoyed working for this company. I’ve always admired how Acara is an organization that rewards its employees and promotes from within to recognize hard work and dedication. Our tight-knit Canadian team makes my professional life so enjoyable. That’s why I always say that Acara is like my second family. In my eyes, we’ve done a great job of establishing a workplace culture that is lively and animated, yet one that is fully dedicated to serving the needs of our customers.

The future of the industry

The talent acquisition industry is ever-changing—one filled with rapid technological change and innovation. Looking to the future, I envision recruiting to be comparable to an online dating app. In my eyes, candidates will be able to swipe left and right on different employment opportunities, making job searching a more convenient and less stressful process. I’ll also be interested in seeing if employers begin to prioritize experience over education. If candidates can develop technical skills that are in high demand without having to go to college, we may see educational requirements begin to disappear.

To learn more about Spencer Greenwood, connect with him on LinkedIn.

Interested in finding out more about the rest of our Acara team? Check out other editions of our “All-In at Acara” series here.