#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Heather Branist

Welcome back to #WeAreGreenKey, where we shine a spotlight on the people behind our powerhouse recruiting team.  

Today we sit down with Heather Branist, Executive Director on the Healthcare National team at Green Key. Originally an animal trainer in Florida, Heather transitioned to recruiting back in 2015 and found her calling. She has been at Green Key almost five years now and plans to continue growing the success of her team. 

How did you get your start in recruiting?  

Totally unrelated to recruiting, I was living in Orlando and working as an Exotic Animal trainer at SeaWorld and Disney World. I was in the animal business for 15 years. Unfortunately, after an accident, I couldn’t do such a physical role anymore. I had a friend who worked in recruiting at the time and she suggested that it might be a good fit. The agency I started with had a phenomenal training program, specifically around Healthcare, and I fell in love with it. Five years ago, I moved back to Ohio and found my home with Green Key.  

What about recruiting keeps you coming back to work every day?  

I love recruiting because it’s always a new challenge. Every day is different; whether I get the opportunity to build a new relationship with a candidate or a client, or I get to learn a new aspect of a position I haven’t worked on previously. My mind is constantly pushed. Plus, I value the importance of making the right match for our clients and our candidates. It’s extremely rewarding!  

What does the training look like in the Healthcare division?  

Once an employee understands the basics of Green Key, our systems, and recruiting – we dive specifically into different healthcare roles that we fill, clients we work with, settings we employ in, etc. Our new recruiters get partnered with Senior Recruiters during their first month to listen in to their phone calls until they feel confident running their own book of business. With everything being remote, everyone has to have the motivation to succeed and be proactive in their training. It’s definitely a different way of training now than it used to be when we could all be together in an office, but we’ve made the necessary adjustments and it seems to be working great!  

What are some of the challenges and benefits of working in the Healthcare division?  

Healthcare is a continuous need; it’s not going anywhere. There’s job security for our team, as well as our clients and candidates. The business is always going to be there, which is a huge benefit. In terms of challenges, COVID changed a lot. We have to push our clients to think outside the box and even consider which positions can be done remotely or through hybrid schedules. But the benefits certainly outweigh the challenges in healthcare. 

Why should someone want to work at Green Key?  

This is such a positive, healthy environment. Green Key treats you like an adult. They give you the tools you need to be successful without micromanaging. We all have goals and the owners really trust you to run your own book of business. Everyone encourages us to always ‘speak up’ if we have any problems or ideas; and I always feel like my thoughts are valued, that I have assistance with my challenges, and that my success is rewarded.  

What makes your team so successful?  

We’re all very driven individuals. Recruiting is competitive by nature, but we can and do celebrate each other’s successes. We all push each other to strive for the best. Our team is not afraid to re-evaluate ourselves every so often and ask each other, “What ideas do you have? What can you bring to the table? How can we change things to run this team better?” 

What are your goals for the team moving forward?  

We’re a really small team right now with a large book of business. I see so much growth potential. We have the opportunity to build something great here. I want to keep on growing the team, while also expanding to other clients and avenues of healthcare. 

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