Andrew Trout, Head of Talent Acquisition at Gusto: I'm Optimistic!

Andrew Trout is the Head for Talent Acquisition at Gusto. A people platform for small businesses handling everything from payroll to HR and benefits who ramped up to 1400 people last year with 600+ hires. He led his team in transitioning into the COVID period by being empathetic while looking out for the business.

In this episode of Recruiting Trailblazers, Andrew shares the steps Gusto has taken to ensure they remain productive even as they work remotely from home. He talks about how the organization is handling business during the pandemic and touches on the huge impact on businesses during the COVID period, some positive and others negative. Listen in to learn how Gusto is working towards representation and inclusivity as part of the Black Lives Matter initiative. 

Quote:

“Everyone coming into your organization is not going to have the same skillsets. If you’re rewarding impact, you’ve got to be able to train, coach, mentor, and provide your organization with tools to up-level their productivity.” Andrew Trout 

Key Takeaways: 

How physical activity leads to mental sharpnessHow COVID-19 has forced more communication to happen within an organizationHow to maximize your time working from home even with all the distractions that existThe importance of having an impact-oriented team as compared to an hour orientedoneHaving the impactful conversations and learning more about the Black Lives Matter initiative

Topics discussed:

 - The steps that Gusto took towards the COVID-19 crisis and how they have changed positively. 
- The factors that led recruiting companies to make the decisions they made during the pandemic.
- What is Gusto’s recruitment scale?
- The process they’re using to hire less this year due to COVID. 
- Why Gusto considers themselves customer friendly especially during the pandemic.
- The distractions that come with working from home. 
- Why the impact is more important than hours worked.
- How the return to work plan looks for Gusto.
- How the Black Lives Matter initiative has created a space to learn in the recruiting world.  - How to find a silver lining when looking at the recruitment industry post-COVID. 
- The opportunities that exist now in the industry for businesses. 

Relevant Links:

Website: https://gusto.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-trout-7913562