Our team is the heart of our organization and as we continue to reach for new heights, we also have the opportunity to welcome new team members to Futurepath. We are thrilled to introduce the latest Futurian join our team: Sergej Zimpel, our new Head of Talent Acquisition.
With an impressive 11.5 years of experience in HR and TA and as the creator of the “HR, Messed You Up Kid” podcast, co-founder of the esteemed HR communities: Purple Squirrel Society and TA Crunch, speaker at events such as TalentPro, Social Recruiting Days, etc., Sergej has proven himself to be a true game-changer in the field.
With his extensive knowledge and passion for finding exceptional talent, we are confident that Sergej’s presence will drive recruiting at Futurepath to new heights.
We had the immense pleasure of sitting down with Sergej to delve into his aspirations for Talent Acquisition and to get to know him on a personal level. Today, we are delighted to share this exclusive interview with all of you. Please join us in welcoming Sergej to the Futurepath team!
Tell us a bit about your background and experience. How did you get into talent acquisition?
During my studies, I tried out different options for a psychology degree and figured out that I like HR the most. Then, in my first full-time position after graduating, I realized that TA is the most fun part and also a great fit to my somewhat impatient personality type.
Did you always know you wanted to work in talent acquisition?
No, I wanted to become many things as a kid (vet, lawyer, coffee shop owner,…) and later I was thinking of becoming a (psychological) therapist. Only at university, I figured out that HR/TA is my way to go.
What made you stay in talent acquisition?
I love change and there is SO much change happening in TA. I also love the “hunt” for candidates, the great feeling of closing a very hard-to-hire position, and how many different kinds of people you meet on this job. And it’s also awesome how much you can leverage data to get better. So short answer: people, data, and change.
What attracted you to Futurepath and this position?
First and foremost the people I have met during the interview process! I got the feeling that all of them were super open, super friendly, and very passionate about the job they do. In addition to that, I like that the company itself is a start-up but with connections to a corporate. I worked in both worlds and it’s awesome, that I now can connect both of them.
Tell us about one big accomplishment from your career.
At one company we overhauled the whole tech recruiting process, introduced live reporting for our TA metrics, and introduced a hiring committee. With all those measures implemented, we managed to substantially reduce the time-to-hire and improve the hiring manager- and candidate NPS!
From your life?
Due to the pandemic, we had to postpone our wedding not once but twice. So finally getting married last year felt like a huge accomplishment for sure!
Outside of work, what are some of your interests or hobbies?
I love reading (both fiction and non-fiction, especially books on history), music (buying too much vinyl, playing piano and guitar very badly), and running (half marathons are the perfect distance for me). Apart from that I like good espresso, podcasting (I launched my own podcast this year), and taking walks with my dog Emma.
What motivates you?
Closing a difficult hire, streamlining a process, and then seeing the positive impact of that change, supporting people to strive in their career, show great performance, and have fun at work.
What are your favorite food spots in Berlin? (we could use them for our team lunches)
So many! I really love pizza and Gazzo in Neukölln has really awesome pizza! But I also like kopps a lot for a somewhat fancier vegan dinner, I like Con Tho for good, creative Asian food and the many breakfast options in Neukölln (Croissanterie, Das Hoven, Katulki, …).
