Evolving, Growing and Persuading
Hey there! I’m Lauren Fenech, one of the new additions to the W Talent Solutions team. You could say I am a little bit “personality test” obsessed. It all started with the extremely intelligent Buzzfeed quizzes. You know, the “Which Laguna Beach character are you?” or the “Are you compatible with Matthew McConaughey” ones. In my first leadership role, I would have my team take the “Love Language” test so I knew how to best interact and praise them. Words of affirmation all the way. My current obsession is the Enneagram. Any other Sevens out there?
It wasn’t until recently that I was introduced to the Predictive Index (PI), which is a behavioral assessment that shows what drives your actions. Based on the Predictive Index, I am a Persuader!
According to PI, “Persuaders are leaders and motivators within their organizations. Socially poised and extraverted, they love to make their mark, and won’t shy away from risk. Persuaders will rally the team around projects—confidently making decisions and delegating tasks before they move on to their next project.”
My most radical factor is my Extraversion factor. My friends know that I extrovert hard, but I honestly wasn’t always this way. In high school, I barely went to dances. I only went to prom because I was on the court. I was not going to put myself out there, and I liked to go with the flow. I was, most certainly, a follower of the crowd.
I think what really pulled the extrovert in me out was working in the hospitality industry. I was an in-room dining server and spent the majority of my time in the kitchen. The kitchen was LOUD. If you didn’t speak up, you were not heard. I had no choice but to “grow” a backbone. I’m so grateful for that job and for the people who I worked with who helped shape the kind of employee I wanted to be. It was there that I learned to lead with “yes,” that I met a lot of new people, and that I learned to stick up for what I believe in, even if I was going against the norm.
Fast forward five years, and you’ll meet a young woman diving into the employee benefits technology realm of insurance. I’ll never forget googling “STD Insurance” my first week on the job to find out that it stood for Short Term Disability. This job really gave me the variety that I needed. I was doing something different every single day. I was able to flex my creative muscles, and I was able to teach hundreds of people on how to enroll in their benefits online. This job really molded me to become the business professional that I wanted to be.
In the midst of figuring out what my “dream job” was, there was also a lot of travel, time spent with family, learning new songs on my guitar, learning to cook, losing 40 pounds, becoming a wine connoisseur, and discovering what personal development, breathwork, yoga, and meditation could do for my life.
Throughout the journey of the above, I really grew to be my confident self — always evolving, always growing, and “persuading” my circle to also become the best versions of themselves. Flying by the seat of my pants is my jam, and having my people along for the ride is a bonus.
Recruiting was certainly never on the top of my ‘dream job’ list, but I’m so glad this opportunity fell into my lap. In my short two months of working with W Talent Solutions, I’m already growing and learning more about myself and how to interact with others through utilizing the Predictive Index. Persuaders are a bunch of self-starters and “doers”. Constantly learning, challenging myself, and growing. A quote I heard recently was, “If it feels uncomfortable, congratulations. You chose growth”. Since working at W Talent Solutions, I’ve been able to choose growth every day, and I’m looking forward to helping others do the same with their ideal or dream role. Cheers to growth!
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Curious about what Predictive Index type you are? Take the test here!
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