Welcome back to Inside Drift, where we introduce you to all of the people that make Drift such a great place to work.
So far you’ve met Shannon Donovan, Mary Mitchell, Nadine Shaalan, Britnee Laughlin, Carolina Caprile, Michelle Ai, Frank Schepps, Zareena Javed, Stacy Chen, Lillian Frost, Moe Lawson, Andrew Jones, Sara Miller Blanc, Carter Stepanovsky, Luis Sanchez, Chris Cardone, Mike Iannuzzi, and Erick Maldonado.
Today we’re introducing you to Renee Martinez, Lead Recruiter based in Guadalajara, Mexico! As the main point of contact for recruitment, Renee has been integral in building out our new team in Guadalajara. When she’s not chatting with potential hires, you can find her hanging out with her cats and enjoying a podcast or two.
Ready to meet Renee? Let’s go ⚡
Editor’s note: The following has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Drift: Hi Renee! Let’s get started — can you tell me a bit about what you do at Drift?
Renee: Hello! I’m the Lead Recruiter for Drift’s office in Guadalajara, Mexico. That means I’m the point of contact for all recruitment needs and activities here.
Drift: What does your day-to-day typically look like?
Renee: I’ll be honest, it’s challenging to put together what a “typical” day looks like for me. When you choose to be a recruiter, you instantly have to become adaptable because things are always changing.
However, there are some tasks that I deal with daily. Usually, that includes browsing job platforms, chatting with engineering about what they’re looking for from a new hire, helping candidates prepare for job interviews, and attending industry events to meet new people.
Drift: Can you tell us about the growing team in Guadalajara?
Renee: Of course! We are all really excited about the growth we’ve been seeing. When I joined Drift in March 2022, we were a team of eight. Now, we’ve closed the year with 16 Drifters. And we expect those numbers to continue growing during this year.
For now, our main area of focus is expanding our product team. But that might change at any time — so definitely keep your eyes peeled.
Drift: What is a fun fact that people might not know about you?
Renee: I’m a cat lover. I actually have 21 cats.
Drift: When you aren’t working, what can we find you doing?
Renee: I have a variety of hobbies that keep me busy outside of work hours. For one, I have a teenager who is involved in soccer so that plays a pretty big role in my life outside of work.
I’m a physically active person myself, but I also happen to be a bit of a podcast enthusiast. In Mexico, we have a very famous podcast about true crime and the paranormal that is called Leyendas Legendarias which never fails to grab my interest. For similar reasons, I also like El Antipodcast which covers horror stories. Finally, I highly recommend Aqui con Carlos — I actually had the pleasure of working with Carlos, and his podcast is just about life and amazing people.
Drift: Tell us a little bit about why you chose Drift.
Renee: The tech industry in Guadalajara is expanding, and Drift is one of the many examples you can look to for that.
That was really my main motivation for joining Drift — the challenge of helping a great company grow in a new region. Even now, I’m excited by this opportunity to help Drift make its name in Guadalajara as a subject matter expert in conversational solutions.
Drift: What’s one of your favorite things about working at Drift?
Renee: My favorite thing about working at Drift is the strong company culture.
Drift is truly a company where everyone cares about you — not only from a professional development standpoint but also on a personal level. I really appreciate how my teammates take the time to check on how I’m doing outside of work.
Drift: Finally, what advice do you have for prospective Drift candidates?
Renee: Before you start applying for jobs, take some time to figure out your goals. Ask yourself if the job you’re considering is one you’re qualified for and that it’s something you actually want to do. The money will come so long as you enjoy the work.