Employee Spotlight: Melissa Rodrigues, Life Sciences Recruiter

In this second installment of our Employee Spotlight series, we had the pleasure of chatting with Melissa Rodrigues, Life Sciences Recruiter at SRG. We spoke about her introduction to recruiting/staffing, navigating work-life balance, and her tips for career success in the industry.

Melissa shed some light on the difference a strong team makes to her work experience and how a little help from a colleague can go a long way. We also discussed the difficult challenge of finding some balance in the “new normal” virtual working world.

Melissa started her recruiting journey early in her college admissions office. After college, she continued to recruit in higher education before taking a step back to explore other opportunities. About five years ago, she came back to recruiting, this time in the life sciences space. “It was an opportunity to combine the two things that I love – talking to people and helping people,” Melissa said.

After getting a feel for her broad range of experience across the recruiting industry, we were intrigued to get Melissa’s take on what makes SRG different. With an impressive resume that proves she has the skills to work anywhere, what made her decide to call SRG home?

When asked about her favorite part about working at SRG, a strong sense of camaraderie sprung to mind. “I really enjoy the team. Whether it’s other recruiters, the sales team, or the leadership team – I know that if I have questions they will always go above and beyond to ensure that I have the answers and resources I need in order to be successful.”

In today’s largely virtual working environment, fostering this sense of connectivity and teamwork has become a priority for businesses of all sizes. At SRG, we strive to create a collaborative, inclusive culture in which people are encouraged to support their colleagues but also to pursue their personal and professional goals. For Melissa, this combination of teamwork and work-life balance was a major draw:

“Even though we are all still working remotely, I think the leadership team does a wonderful job ensuring that everyone is connected and engaged. I personally love our happy hours (which is really a trivia hour which is why I love them!) and like the fact that everyone values working hard but also takes time to reset and recharge – that is very important to me. Working for a company that understands the importance of coming together and talking about something other than work every so often is wonderful.”

With shifting working patterns blurring the distinction between home and office, dedicating time towards personal activities has been a frequent challenge throughout the pandemic. To find some much-needed respite during her workdays, Melissa routinely takes the dog for a quick walk at lunch, which she describes as the “perfect pick-me-up in the middle of the day.”

Anyone who has worked from home will know that taking advantage of our lunch breaks to get outside and enjoy some fresh air can provide rejuvenation and really help break up the day. And now that the weather is getting warmer, we might even work out on the back deck for the second half of the day sometimes. These are just some small ways in which we can make the most out of this “work-from-home” lifestyle.

Finally, Melissa outlined her top tips for career success in recruitment:

“You are going to get of it what you put in. If you are a hard worker and a self-starter – you will be successful. Network, be authentic, and always challenge yourself to learn and you will never go wrong. I am a firm believer that recruiting is something that many, many people can do and be successful in – you just have to be willing to put in the effort.”

For more industry insights into the ever-changing world of the life sciences sector, stay informed with the SRG blog.