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Tipper Driessen, Senior Recruiter, Information Technology at Oxford, uses his experience in the National Guard to maintain his motivation and drive successful outcomes. Because he is so precise, he has seen positive results in each aspect of his career. Read on to learn more about Tipper’s methods.
Q: What is your professional background?
A: I have had a wild ride to get to Oxford. I joined the National Guard at 18, held various customer service and retail positions, and found my way to Oxford through a referral. Shout out to Mike Mullane!
Q: How long have you been with Oxford?
A: Just over three years
Q: What daily habits do you recommend for success?
A: I have implemented blocking out production-based “meetings” on my calendar, which is time set aside for a specific task, whether prospecting, email campaigns, or consultant follow-up. It allows me to stay focused.
Q: What would you say contributes most to your success at Oxford?
A: I would say my ability not to sweat the small stuff-staying focused on the bigger picture and not letting the negatives marinate.
Q: What is one of your greatest achievements to date?
A: The accolades I received over the six years in the National Guard. I received an Army achievement medal and was selected to compete in a soldier of the year competition. I also have to mention being a top performer at Oxford. I’ve qualified for our annual sales trip for three consecutive years, and it’s a great accomplishment.
Q: What attributes do you think are most important in a leader?
A: Transparency, the ability to motivate others, and effective communication
Q: What is the best book you’ve read on business or leadership?
A: Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson. Exploring the four personality buckets and how to communicate effectively to each personality trait is a critical skill in my role, and this book helped with that.
Q: What skills will be most in demand in 2023?
A: The two top skills that I support are application development and the modernization of old legacy applications. This includes cloud migrations, improving User Interface (UI), and automation of deployments and builds. All these areas will be in high demand in 2023. I foresee a massive increase in companies allocating funds to create a better UI and a clean, user-friendly web design.
Q: What are the top trends impacting your industry that you see?
A: Cybersecurity with an increase in remote work, automation of various tasks, ML/AI to design machines to perform tasks without being programmed, and AI to build devices capable of performing tasks that require human knowledge
Q: What trends are you seeing in talent and recruitment this year?
A: In 2021 and 2022, we had many job openings. With the recent layoffs from Big Tech, Twitter, Amazon, etc., I can see that trend balancing out.
Q: As technology continues to advance, how do you see that impacting the recruiting and staffing industry?
A: With all the new automated resume screening tools out there, I think the recruiting field might transition to being more transactional vs. being a person-to-person interaction. I believe that’s where Oxford can distinguish itself from the competition by using our people to create relationships versus someone submitting their resume to a bot.
Q: How do you define customer care?
A: I am focused on recruiting, so my “customer” is my consultant. That means putting them in a position to succeed, looking after their best interest instead of just making a sale, and ensuring their needs are met.
Q: What advice would you give to individuals interested in consulting?
A: Consulting has its pros and cons, but I advise you to talk to a recruiter and other consultants to see if it’s the right fit for you. Being a consultant puts you in the top tier of your industry, allowing you to step into an organization on day one and promote change.
Q: How do you support driving change with your team or colleagues based on strategic business decisions?
A: For me, it’s about empowering everyone to voice their opinions to ensure they feel heard and that their thoughts, opinions, and ideas are considered.
Q: What do you do to mentor the individuals on your team?
A: I think the best way to mentor someone is to lead from the front and set a great example. There is a ton of value in shadow sessions, observing what works for me, and trying to implement that into their day-to-day.
Q: What do you like best about working with your consultants?
A: Without my consultants, I have nothing. I try not to be just another recruiter for them. My goal is to provide value on a professional level while also trying to understand their personal goals, creating a well-rounded relationship.
Q: How do you maintain a healthy work/life balance?
A: I think it’s important to take time away, use that PTO, and recharge. The easiest way is to have a support system in the office that can cover for me while I’m out of the office. Knowing that the world won’t stop if I’m gone for a few days.
Q: Why Oxford?
A: For clients, I would say our response time for our core skills and our ability to find those “unicorns” for niche areas. For consultants, you choose Oxford because of our excellent client relationships. Of course, we have newer accounts we support, but most of our clients are repeat customers with whom we have great relationships. I chose Oxford for a chance to have more financial flexibility and create a career for myself, which I have done.
Q: What is your work motto or favorite quote on success?
A: “Once you quit, it becomes a habit.” – Vince Lombardi
Q: Do you have any special talents or a favorite hobby?
A: My favorite hobby is cooking. Recently, I have been getting into whiskey and cigar tastings.
Q: How do you like to spend your free time?
A: Binge-watching “New Girl” and “FRIENDS” in the cold Wisconsin winters. In the summertime, I love to camp, hike, and try to stay active with Bar League Volleyball and Softball.
Q: What would your superpower be?
A: Easy answer would be flight, but being a master linguist would also be awesome.
Q: How do you take your coffee/ What’s your Starbucks order?
A: Depends on the temperature outside. PSL is my go-to in the fall. Otherwise, a Venti Cold Brew with light vanilla sweet cream is my favorite.
Q: What was your first job?
A: I was nine years old and had a paper route of about 60 houses. My grandpa managed all my earnings at that time and gave me $7 each week to spend. The rest went into a savings account.
Q: What job did you want as a child?
A: Chef or TV Sports Analyst
Q: Who are you most inspired by?
A: My mom. She is a single mom who raised three kids, worked crazy hours to provide for us, and provided me with the tools to be successful in any career path I chose.
As a key player on his team, Tipper focuses on empowerment, communication, and diverse ideas. He works daily to keep things new and fresh, and continuously strives to ensure his consultants’ lives are the best they can be.