Welcome to the latest post in Robert Half’s Thought Leader Q&A series, which features insights from the staffing experts who have made our company a great place to work and a premier provider of talent solutions.

In this article, we feature Diane Domeyer, an executive director based in the Los Angeles area who leads Robert Half’s Managed Creative Solutions practice.

Diane joined Robert Half in 1992 as a finance and accounting recruiter and progressed to leadership roles in virtually every practice area of the business, including administrative and customer support, technology, legal and marketing and creative. In September 2021, Diane was named senior vice president and managing director, and she provides strategic direction for our managed creative solutions business.

Diane says her “serendipitous” path to Robert Half has led to a long and rewarding career.

“I had a marketing degree, had worked as a programmer through college, and had some banking experience, but I still didn’t know what I wanted to do for a career,” says Diane. “I was in sales at the time and walked into a Robert Half office to sell them a copier. They said no, but about a month later, a Robert Half recruiter called me asking if I knew anyone with accounting and IT experience with a marketing and people-first mentality. I had never thought about being a recruiter but having the ability to use my background in a customer-facing role appealed to me. It goes to show that even if an opportunity isn’t something you thought about doing, it may be worth a look.”

Here are more highlights from our recent interview with Diane:

Why have you chosen to spend your career at Robert Half?

Robert Half presented me with a lot of opportunities. At different stages of my life, I’ve been able to accelerate and decelerate my career and pivot and move within the organization. I’ve been a field recruiter, part of the training team, and a corporate strategic leader, all while gaining experience in multiple practice areas. Every role provided a challenge and continuous learning that gave me the ability to have many career paths without having to leave the company.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing marketing and creative leaders today?

There has never been as much innovation and acceleration in the industry as we have seen in recent years. Finding the business resources or skilled talent needed to respond to the changes is a significant challenge, and marketing leaders are looking for new and unique ways to meet the demands of their business. Finding the right balance of outsourcing, insourcing, and hiring the right people at the right time with the skills needed for tomorrow is a significant challenge.

How can companies attract and retain talent in today’s competitive marketplace?

It’s important for organizations to understand the needs of individual employees and their families, especially when it comes to working women. Companies should provide options that allow employees to match their roles with what’s going on in their life so people don’t feel like it will derail their career if they need to take a temporary sidestep or a step back.

Read Diane’s advice for navigating career transitions.

I also find that companies who focus on these “5C’s” are better positioned to attract candidates and build employee engagement:

• Compensation: Providing market-based pay and making sure compensation is equitable for every employee regardless of their gender, race, or other factors.
   
• Corporate culture: Creating a space where people of diverse backgrounds feel supported to make different career decisions at different times in their lives.
   
• Communication: Talking to employees about business-related matters and how those issues may impact their career progression and their families.
   
• Challenges: Giving employees opportunities to stretch their capabilities, learn new skills, and gain exposure to areas where they lack experience.
   
• Continuous learning and growth: Helping employees prepare for their defined career path and developing transferable skills that can be used in various disciplines.

What’s a fun fact about you?

I’m originally from a large family in Iowa, and I have 105 first cousins, not counting their spouses. I’m related to almost the whole state of Iowa!

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

When I’m not spending time with my family, I like to be outdoors and bike. One of my favorite past times is joining RAGBRAI, the annual week-long bike ride across the state. When we do, I typically have family in every overnight town.

Follow Diane Domeyer on LinkedIn.

Meet other Thought Leaders at Robert Half, such as Jim Johnson, Trisha Plovie and John Reed. And be sure to subscribe to the Robert Half newsletter for future installments of our Q&A series and to discover more unique stories, experiences and perspectives on the latest hiring trends.