Prior to beginning her career in the staffing industry, Gabriela Susano attended The University of Texas at Austin. In 2019, she accepted an in-house recruitment position and became DBR’s first Corporate Recruiter. Gabbie’s primary focus is to find the best talent for our firm and invest in the next generation of leaders by building relationships with universities across the US.
When Gabbie is not actively recruiting, she loves spending quality time with family and friends, attending business/ leadership conferences, reading, and running. Her positive attitude, ability to put ideas into action, genuine curiosity, and desire to learn and grow make her a natural leader.
Q&A with Gabbie:
Q: How has your role in Recruitment developed?
A: It has been quite the journey! From learning about the A/E/C industry to discovering the best recruiting platforms for our firm, I have learned how to quickly identify key candidates for our hiring needs. We have established relationships with Architectural Engineering programs at higher education institutions where I get the opportunity to meet future recruits. Strategizing career growth opportunities and having a hand in employee recognition programs at DBR are also integrated into my role.
Q: What have you found yourself focusing on most during the last few months given the current industry challenges?
A: Everyone is looking for talent right now. Several companies have what feels like 10,000 positions open that needed to be filled yesterday! Now more than ever, I am realizing the importance of strong leadership in every team/department and having a transparent culture where employees feel heard, recognized, and have a sense of belonging.
To ensure our employees are engaged and to reduce turnover, we have developed many programs over the past few years, including a Culture Committee, Employee Recognition Awards, a Referral Program, and a DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) Committee, while we work towards becoming a more diverse firm. Those are just a few!
Q: What do you see as key opportunities for DBR in the next 3-5 years?
A: Our goal is to become the best MEP engineering firm in Texas! Over the past 3 years, we have hired over 70 employees. Many of them are young, but we offer great training and mentorship opportunities, as well as technical leadership to ensure that our growing staff can continue to produce quality work.