A Year of Reflection in a High Feedback Culture.

Michael Schmidt is Elevated’s Talent Acquisition Specialist. Here is his take on what it’s been like to work in a high feedback culture! 

Today marks the one-year anniversary of full-time (permanent) employment at Elevated and what a ride it has been!

When the pandemic started, I took it as an opportunity to explore new opportunities. More so, I was forced. But that’s a blog for a different day.  After a short internship, I had proven myself to take on a new role at Elevated; but as it became permanent, I knew I would be asked to wear many hats before specializing. I’m happy to say I’ve found my path to recruitment – but it hasn’t been without a ton of feedback, learning, pivoting and growth.

Wait…aren’t all cultures built on feedback?

Honestly – yes, in the beginning, I thought all cultures were built on feedback.  After all – read almost every job ad and you’ll see it there.  Little did I know what that would actually mean at Elevated. Feedback comes in variety and aplenty – I’ve heard it be direct and harsh; I’ll admit I don’t always hear it the first time so the tone changes. But I’ve also heard it to be positive and fulfilling; it’s what guides me and positively affirms the direction I’m going. Whether it’s a Slack #lovenote, a 15Five “High Five” or verbal praise at our weekly team meeting, we share the positive impacts we all make.

So while the positive is good – is the regular, tough feedback…also good?

My biggest learning opportunity through 2021 wasn’t a software program or a course (though I did receive my RPR designation) rather, it was about me. Who do I want to be? Where do I want my career to go? How do I get there? This is where the culture of feedback comes into play. The feedback I received always provided me two choices – wilt, crumble, and run from the pressure or accept it, pivot, make the changes needed to succeed, and move forward. My personal and professional growth would not have been as successful without it.

In most cases, I grew without even really realizing it until much later. The shifts started small, but soon enough, my responsibilities became larger, and I was suddenly playing a much bigger part of the organization than I had ever thought. The bar kept becoming higher, and at times, I wasn’t even sure I would reach it. When I struggled, I had a great team of people and leaders behind me, supporting me, and helping me find my way. They just want me to be better. Settling wasn’t/ isn’t an option and #mediocritydoesnotlivehere.

I’ve stumbled and made mistakes – and yes, I’ve even lost hours of sleep over them, but more often than not, I’ve experienced moments of positivity, achievement, and the reward of knowing the impact I can have on another person’s career and life.  These lessons in themselves have helped me discover a sense of purpose and belonging and that the passion for what I do is unwavering.

As I reflect on a year gone by, I am humbled by the opportunity to actually be able to say I love my job; I love what I do! I am thankful for the people in my life that have helped make this entire journey possible. To my team, please keep the feedback coming! I accomplished so many great things in my first year at Elevated and I am excited to embark on the next chapter.