Greenhouse open speaker series: how Whole Foods market approaches hiring, with director of global executive recruiting, Andres Traslavina

3 mins, 4 secs read time

The Greenhouse OPEN 2018 agenda is getting more and more exciting by the day. We’re working with Talent professionals from some of the most recognizable brands to bring you intriguing interactive content at the event, including Lyft, Thomson Reuters, and Whole Foods Market.

We sat down with Andres Traslavina, Director of Global Executive Recruiting at Whole Foods Market to find out more about how the company’s hiring approach will change now that it’s under the Amazon brand family, what question he gets asked the most in his role, and to learn from his two decades of experience.

Andres has been recognized as a top retail leader with nearly 20 years of both domestic and international recruiting experience. Andres joined Whole Foods Market in 2014 as the Director of Recruiting to help build the teams, and transform the sourcing and employer brand functions.

Here’s what he had to say:

Greenhouse: The Whole Foods Market consumer brand is one of the most well-known in the country. What makes the Whole Foods Market’s approach to employer branding & hiring different?

Andres Traslavina: People choose to work here because they believe in our mission, values, and purpose. They also make this choice because these ideals align with their own. They look at Whole Foods Market and say, “This is a place for me.” Once they become part of our community, they build meaningful relationships with Team Members that feel like family. They find support, they’re able to learn, and they have fun at work. Today candidates are seeking to find meaningful and fulfilling work experiences.

GH: We’re excited for you to join our amazing roster of speakers at OPEN 2018. What’s one of the most important topics in hiring that’s holding your attention this year?

AT: Diversity and inclusion is top of mind. I am interested in learning about practices to mediate unconscious bias and learn from others that have established processes and used structured interviews to help select the best. I am a firm believer in that if the process is set to select the “right” person based on potential, a diverse pool of hires will be a byproduct of that.

GH: Whole Foods Market was recently brought into the Amazon family. What does that mean for your hiring approach?

AT: We are looking forward to learning from their recruiting teams who have been recognized for attracting and selecting world-class talent. Both companies have an obsession with exceeding the customer and the candidate experiences.

We have a long history of entrepreneurship, from our founders to the folks that work at Whole Foods Market every day. Our work out in the world and in our stores is marked by Team Members who see opportunities and bring them to life. Our recruiting approach will continue to be focused in our higher purpose inspired by our founders.

GH: Can you share some of the details of what makes Whole Foods Market a leading employer culture?

AT: The Whole Foods Market employment culture is about people. The real appeal of working here is our focus on individuality, a purpose-driven career, and more than work-life balance—work-life integration. Real people with real ideas are rewarded with opportunities to pursue their own personal growth and grow the business. That’s who we are.

Prior to Whole Foods Market, Andres worked at two startups and as recruiting consultant for best in class fortune 500 companies. His recruiting work based on the principles of Positive Psychology or “the science of happiness” has been featured in national and international publications and conferences. Andres was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia and now lives in Austin, TX.

Come see Andres and all of our speakers at OPEN 2018, April 2-4 in New York City. Reserve your spot here.