Connector Spotlight: Chris Kim

Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

Not only is she often characterized as among the best and brightest – Chris Kim, Talent Acquisition Coordinator here at Connected, also has an undeniable knack for attracting the same. With a background stronger than steel but a soft spot for diversity, equity, and inclusion, Chris always brings her humble, honest, and hilarious self to everything she does. Just don’t ask her how her favourite basketball team did in the playoffs.

Tell us a bit about the projects you’re working on?

In my role, I always go back to what I can do to ensure we attract the best and brightest talent, and the fun part is that I can accomplish that in so many ways. I act as an ambassador internally with my team and across guilds, and externally when I’m interacting with folks in recruiting fairs, calls, and meetings. We’re scaling our guilds this year full steam ahead.

My team will attest that I love clean data and using that to inform our strategy, as well as my passion for diversity, equity and inclusion.

What’s the most interesting challenge about the project?

There’s a big focus these days on competing on a global scale, and with that comes the never-ending question of how can we continue being the best? The challenge is felt by us all and it doesn’t have just one answer, which scratches my brain pretty satisfyingly.

Where did you work before Connected?

ArcelorMittal Dofasco, the largest private employer in Hamilton (about an hour west of Toronto). It was really interesting to recruit there – a lot of local pride for the century-old company that made the reputation for the city as Hammertown and the Steel City. I was there for the beginning and end of the infamous steel tariffs and experienced a lot of internal organizational changes during that time, and as a big-picture person, it grew my appreciation for the forces affecting our markets.

What achievement are you most proud of in your career to date?

I’m most proud of the things I’ve done to try to help others with as much impact as possible. To date, that includes my part-time stint as a manager at McMaster overseeing our campus food bank and donating everything we had when the pandemic first struck. I technically wasn’t supposed to do that, but the protocol we had in place meant that it would all go to waste in our first hard lockdown. With people panicking, grocery stores selling out of basic goods and prices skyrocketing, I wanted to do anything of tangible help for my community.

Do you have a mantra you live by?

Haha, unfortunately not. But, I can offer you one of my favourite quotes:

“I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.” – J.R.R. Tolkien (The Two Towers)

What do you love to do outside of work?

I’m following the Raptors pretty closely at the moment, and at the time of publication not sure if we’re versing the Heat yet – but I’m hoping we are! If that’s the case let’s go Raptors! *

I also enjoy playing video games, gymming, and spending time with my friends and family.

* It was Philadelphia, and sadly, at the time of publication, things did not go well.

If you were stuck on a deserted island, what album, movie, and book would you take with you?

Album: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix – Phoenix

Movie: Into the Spiderverse

Book: Probably a crossword book or something

Describe yourself in three words. 

Caring, idealistic, and unfinished.

And finally, what’s your favourite product and why? 

I bought myself a Millard bed wedge pillow and never regretted it. By purchasing this I relinquished any notion of being youthful and my lower back thanked me for it.