Welcome to #WeAreGreenKey, where we shine a spotlight on our powerhouse recruiting team.
To start off the week, we met up with Sean Coyne, Director on the Architecture & Engineering team at Green Key. Sean specializes in construction recruitment and has several years of experience within the industry. As the company’s main contact for construction in the cities of Austin and Dallas, he is excited to maintain that role and support the team as much as possible.
What first sparked your interest in recruiting?
I wasn’t sure what exactly I wanted to do after I graduated college, but I knew I wanted to be around people and doing what I could to help them. Recruiting felt like a fun culture, where you’re always communicating with people and solving problems. As someone who was in sports their whole life, that type of environment was appealing to me. After a year at my first recruitment firm, I transitioned to a different agency in Chicago, where I was first exposed to construction recruitment. That’s when I really learned how to be autonomous and successful within this industry. I’ve now been at Green Key for a year.
How do you feel recruiting for construction differs from architecture & engineering?
Construction is the most tangible industry we can recruit for. Everywhere you go, there are buildings that have been or need to be constructed. This is also an industry that is built on honesty and integrity. We are always looking for a transparent line of communication with our candidates and clients. Because people who work in construction already have that quality, it’s much easier to build a rapport. At the end of the day, a lot of people I’m placing become good friends. It grows into a large web of connections and referrals.
What keeps you coming back to recruiting every day?
I really do love it. There is nothing I could enjoy doing more than recruiting, besides pickleball. I love making genuine connections with people and changing their lives for the better. It’s also awesome being the key contact at Green Key for construction in Austin and the DFW area. My clients know I’m a subject-matter expert and know they can always come to me for advice.
What has been your biggest challenge as a recruiter thus far?
There are ebbs and flows in this industry, so you have to keep a positive mindset. At the same time, you don’t want to ignore your failures, but rather reflect on them and learn from them. When I talk to my team, I compare this job to being a cornerback in the NFL. It’s arguably the most difficult position, and if you let the failures negatively affect you (of which they’ll be plenty), you won’t be able to move on with a clear mindset to make the next play.
Why should someone want to work on the AEC team at Green Key?
Our team is exciting and growing extremely fast, while also keeping a great culture. I attribute a lot of that to Rich [Egloff] who is an awesome, caring manager. He truly wants his people to succeed more than himself.
