Employee Spotlight: Eugenie Ma

Eugenie Ma always knew she wanted to pursue a career in recruiting. After working as a tech recruiter in a variety of sectors, from IoT to public safety, she found herself at Finch helping to build a world-class team. Read on to discover what Eugenie looks for in a job candidate, why she makes diversity, equity, and inclusion a top priority in her work, and where she prefers to spend her free time.

Can you tell us about your role at Finch?

I was hired as Finch’s first internal recruiter to build the foundational pieces of our talent function. Besides building processes, I review resumes, screen applicants, and provide candidate support. One important element of my work is ensuring that candidates fully understand our company goals and how they would fit into the puzzle as part of Finch’s team. I want them to be fully comfortable with their decision to build with us.

Like all my colleagues, I wear multiple hats. I’ve been fortunate enough to work both in people operations and on employer branding projects.

What does a great candidate fit look like at Finch?

It really depends on the role. They probably already embody our core values—execution, curiosity, humility, and empathy. Our organization is quite unique because we all come from different walks of life. Our range of experiences enables us to come up with creative solutions together.

However, at the end of the day, it’s all about being organized and being willing to navigate ambiguous situations, so I look for those qualities in an applicant as well.

Do you have any advice for applicants?

First impressions have a lasting impact. That means submitting an error-free and reader-friendly resume. Then, let your authentic self shine through during the interview process. We want to celebrate your track record and learn how you’ve conquered challenges. It’s also okay to ask clarifying questions after conducting your initial research.

Did you always know you wanted to work in tech?

Actually, if someone had told me I was going to work in tech, I wouldn’t have believed them. My undergraduate degree was in business administration. I was lucky enough to find a mentor who took a chance on me. She offered a recruiting internship at an internet of things (IoT) company, and the rest was history. After that, I moved into the machine learning and computer vision space, then into public safety.

How did you end up at Finch?

Jeremy, one of Finch’s co-founders, reached out when I was an executive recruiter at Amazon. I missed working with technical populations and building meaningful processes, so I tried my hand at consulting. I could tell Finch was going to be a great fit because of how friendly everyone was. They would go out of their way to check in with me, even though I wasn’t a full-time member of their team. That’s rare—especially in a remote work environment.

Initially, I did top-of-funnel projects like generating lists of prospects, but that quickly evolved into more strategic work like crafting messaging and fine-tuning interview structures.

What motivates you to show up to work each day?

I want to leave the world a better place, and the possibility that I’ll change even one life makes everything worth it. We spend a majority of our adult lives working, so we should operate in engaging spaces. As a career matchmaker, I help people navigate the job market and align them with roles that energize them.

Finch is the youngest startup I’ve been a part of, and I’m excited to apply the lessons I’ve learned in previous positions as we grow. Plus, working with brilliant people goes a long way. Everyone at Finch is driven and process-oriented, which is a welcome change from some larger companies.

Is there an aspect of talent acquisition that especially inspires you?

Diversity, equity, and inclusion. Diversity goes beyond meeting checkbox requirements; it’s the diversity of thought and expressions that unlocks success. Someone once told me that it’s pointless to extend party invitations if attendees aren’t given the opportunity to dance and mingle. When it comes to recruiting, we’re striving to cultivate spaces where team members can be bold and know that their thoughts are being heard.

I’m an introverted extrovert, so I appreciate having a high level of autonomy, ownership, and impact while bringing my authentic self to the table. It’s important to me that others feel that same sense of trust and worth.

What have you learned from your teammates?

When I first started, I was very impressed with our doc center and standard operating procedures. Things were very well organized for a team of our size and stage. I’ve learned how to fine-tune my project management skills and how to create detailed documents with clear goals. Diana Liu is especially talented when it comes to project management, and she has really shown me the ropes.

How do you get to know your colleagues?

We’re a remote-first team, so all communication is very intentional. Unlike collaborating in a physical office space, we can’t just hang out at the water cooler to have spontaneous conversations. But we’ve been using Gather Town as a virtual office space to build meaningful relationships, so the ability to verbally brainstorm, whiteboard, and play games with one another is only a click away.

We also have a strong one-to-one peer-manager culture; we’re constantly adjusting our communication methods as we continue to scale.

What advice would you give a new hire on their first day at Finch?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and ask for help. Curiosity is one of our core values, and everybody at Finch is exceedingly gracious and thoughtful. Leverage the resources you have, and meet proactively with your manager as much as possible. Those early conversations are crucial for setting the expectations both for yourself and for your team.

What are you passionate about outside of work?

I’m a yogi in the making—but if I’m not at my local studio, I’m probably at the gym or reading in Central Park. I’ve also started bouldering.

If you had to describe Finch in one word, what would it be?

Exhilarating. Things change all the time! There’s always something going on, and there’s always something to do. There’s never a moment of boredom.

Interested in joining Eugenie at Finch? We’re hiring! Check out our open positions.