Reassess your recruiting strategy: How IonQ succeeds by having a people-first mentality

3 mins, 22 secs read time

Earlier this year, we revealed the Talent Makers® award finalists. And now it’s time to roll out the red carpet to the winner of each category. We’re excited to introduce you to the talent partner winner, Rebecca Demarest Panzer, People Project Manager at IonQ!

When it comes to being a talent partner, there’s no better example than Rebecca. As a People Project Manager, she has been instrumental in refining IonQ's entire recruiting strategy and talent structure, from streamlining the interview process for candidates to taking the helm of their internship program. Rebecca shows us what’s possible for reaching new levels of business success when you care about people and put them first.

Keeping the candidate top of mind

When Rebecca first joined IonQ, she understood that an advanced recruiting strategy was new to them and that a change was needed to provide the best experience for all candidates. She started by reassessing how IonQ engaged with and attracted candidates to the hiring pipeline, editing all email and bot templates in her first week.

“For a tech company, you can’t do tech without people,” Rebecca shared. “You need to prioritize finding the right people and building communication from the very first moment your team talks to a candidate.”

It’s true that attracting top talent is instrumental to a business’s success. But to do that effectively, Rebecca believes you have to make sure what you’re offering is compelling – and that all starts with understanding the next step for candidates: the interview process. “With interviews, you’re really setting up the whole tone of the company,” said Rebecca. “You have to make sure you have “curb appeal” so candidates don’t just like what they’re hearing about your company, but also like what they’re experiencing as far as following up those words with actions.”

Taking charge of the process

An internship program is often a point of pride at any company, as it not only helps develop and train the next wave of industry leaders but also sets up potential future employees for success. While IonQ had recruiters who were assisting with their intern program, they didn’t have a coordinator yet for the year. That is until Rebecca stepped up and immediately began to improve the program. “With a month to go, I started putting together all the communications to the interns, organizing what we needed with HR and being the point of contact for all 14 interns while they were here,” said Rebecca. This commitment to the program and building a solid foundation for this recruiting strategy shows dedication to the next generation of employees who will learn a lot from IonQ’s stable and forward-thinking work culture.

At the core of who she is, Rebecca strives to be a resource and a helping hand for those around her. When asked what her favorite aspects of being a part of the IonQ team are, Rebecca shared that she really enjoys making team processes less painful. “It’s painful for everyone – candidates, hiring managers, interviewers and more to have a disjointed hiring process,” said Rebecca. “Being able to smooth that process out so that candidates are happy with the experience also has a beneficial effect on hiring managers – who then feel more supported. Seeing everyone feel satisfied and at ease with their work makes me happy.”

Through her dedication to a clear recruiting strategy and proactiveness to achieve the next level of hiring excellence, Rebecca has helped IonQ to enjoy a 40% increase in employee retention rates. What an amazing achievement and something to be incredibly proud of across the organization.

Join us in congratulating Rebecca for all her success as a talent partner!

Curious to learn even more about our Talent Makers award winners? Watch this space! In the coming weeks we’ll be doing deep dives on each winner so you can learn more about how they bring the Talent Maker values to life.

Learn more about how IonQ wins with their inclusive hiring approach in this case study.

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