Meet the Team: Kiara Bryant, Corporate Recruiter

When you’re a self-described “super extrovert” like Kiara Bryant, it’s tough to beat spending your workdays chatting and getting to know new and interesting people. But as fun as it may be for this bubbly corporate recruiter, Kiara plays an essential role in identifying great candidates with the skillsets and personalities that are the perfect match for Hotel Engine’s culture and ambitious goals.

Get to know Kiara, the top qualities she looks for in candidates and the concert tickets she’ll gladly spend all her rent money on.

Tell us about your role here at Hotel Engine. What does an average day look like for you?

I work on the Talent Acquisition team, and I am on the corporate side, so a lot of my roles involve sales and new business teams. I also have started to dabble in our supply management team. An average day can vary. I spend a lot of time talking to different people, getting to know them, trying to see if they’re a good fit for any of the roles we have here. I also spend a lot of time working in Excel and trying to make sure that I’m on top of all the job requisitions that I’m owning currently. They’re pretty hectic days, but I love the pace of work.

Are there any general qualities you look for to determine if a candidate is going to be a good fit?

Absolutely. I love people who are really able to speak to their experience. I also look for people who are a culture fit. I love people who are super curious, who are creative, who come across very inquisitive. I love people who ask great questions.

What do you love about your role?

I love how much I’m trusted to do the job I was hired to do. I can really own the role. A lot of the partners that I work with really lean on me to bring them the best people. I also like that I get to talk to so many different people. I try to take a casual, conversation-based strategy when I’m talking to candidates. I want them to be as relaxed and as comfortable as possible.

Do you have a favorite memory from your time so far with Hotel Engine?

So I’m actually a remote worker — I’m based in Atlanta, GA — and Hotel Engine is a remote-first organization, but my favorite memory was when I got to meet my team in person in Denver. It’s fun to be able to interact with people in a virtual setting, but nothing compares with face-to-face interactions. I love that I was able to meet with everyone and I feel like it really shifted the team dynamic with us being able to see each other in person and work on our goals. It really built our bond.

How do you explain our remote-first work environment to candidates?

Candidates always have questions about remote work, so I’m happy to be able to speak to that from my personal experience. I speak to our active communication via Slack and the fact that we have weekly all-hands meetings, which allows for a lot of transparency and opportunity to learn about what everyone else is doing across different departments. Everyone is super approachable and collaborative. You can reach out to anyone at any time, and everyone is willing to help. Although it is remote, you do feel like you’re a part of a great team.

What is the most rewarding part of the job for you?

Whenever I can extend an offer to someone I feel is really deserving, who is excited about the opportunity and really fits our culture. Especially in such trying times, with so many people being laid off, I love that I’m able to extend an offer and give them a job at a place I know they’re really going to enjoy. It’s so fulfilling.

How do you address candidates’ concerns about the current economic climate?

I really appreciate the fact that Elia, our CEO, is transparent with us in a way that translates to our candidates. He and our VP of Finance do a great job of making us feel relieved and reassured about the stability of the company and the market that we’re currently in. It really starts from the top down. When the CEO can be transparent with us, it allows me to be transparent as well with my prospects.

Tell us about your interests and hobbies outside of work.

I’m a super extrovert. I really like live music — big sucker for concerts — and I love art, museums, hanging out with my friends. I just like being social. I love to travel too. I’m from Florida, so I’ll often go home to Florida. That’s another perk of working at Hotel Engine, because I can take my laptop and go visit family. I like to travel as often as I can.

Any upcoming concerts you’re excited about?

I am ready to give Beyoncé my rent money! I’m so excited for her tour. I feel like it’s gonna be really heavy competition for those tickets, but I’m super excited about seeing her in person, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I can get a ticket.

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