In this blog, get to know Kelsey Peterson (she/her), technical recruiter here at Osano, a Public Benefit Corp. Kelsey is focused on providing a thoughtful and delightful experience for new folks joining Osano's growing team. In her past, she co-founded a tech startup (Day Dreamer) for local creative collaboration, worked in non-profit arts organizations, trained customers on SaaS technology, and has recently devoted her career to building intentional hiring and authentic environments at work. She is also a singer/songwriter (goes by Kelsey in Paradise), is a classically trained musician and multi-instrumentalist, and is actively involved in Austin’s music community by helping other songwriters bring their ideas and dreams to life.
1. Why did you decide to join Osano? Tell us the story of how you became an Osanian.
Within my career, and my work as a creative and a musician, it’s important for me to be in an environment where I can be my authentic self. Osano not only invites me to do this, but it also empowers me to be creative, curious, and intentional in everything I do.
Once I found out about Osano, I became very intrigued by the data privacy products they build and was ecstatic they were looking for someone to help build a recruiting function in a high-growth environment.
2. Describe the company in one word. What made you choose that word?
Curious.
Curiosity is part of my everyday life. As a recruiter, curiosity naturally leads to empathy for candidates and their experiences. I feel it at a company level as well. We're constantly asking "why?" and "how can we?" which leads to experimentation and bold action.
3. What do you do in your current role?
I lead Osano’s recruiting program to further grow our team.
I work directly with hiring managers across Engineering, Sales, Marketing, and Product teams so we can grow Osano’s world-class products and our customer base.
I am also the voice of our candidates, making sure we are evolving as a business to take care of our team, help our employees build roots and grow in their careers, and impact our collective society.
4. How does this role fit into your career goals? What put you on this career path?
At my core, I am a connector. I am passionate about meeting new people and helping them find the next step in their life and work.
As a recruiter, I meet potential Osanians, hear their career goals, and connect them to the best opportunities at Osano. I'm also a fierce candidate advocate and bring insights from my conversations back to the team so we're always improving our talent strategy.
The next step in my career is to grow into a Head of Talent role. At Osano, I'm building a world-class hiring program, and as we grow, I'll get to develop a team.
5. What made you want to join a data privacy company? What drew you to this industry?
As both a consumer and a songwriter, I spend a lot of my life online and think a lot about the ownership of my copyright. Prior to joining Osano, I often didn’t know how my data was collected, managed, and shared with others as I navigated the digital space.
The data privacy industry is an unfamiliar space, and my curiosity led me to want to learn more so I can protect myself, my loved ones, and society at large.
6. Which of Osano’s core values do you identify with the most? Why?
Delightful Experience — we’ve all been there as a candidate, and I know how daunting it can be to interview with a new company. I put myself in your shoes and make sure our team provides the best experience possible to our potential new Osanians. Feedback from both our candidates and our team is paramount to making sure everyone walks away feeling like they had the best experience!
7. What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?
I love to travel and meet new people. As I’m writing this, I’m sitting at a cafe in Barcelona where I’m working for the week!
I also write songs and perform them both virtually and in person. As I experience life, I enjoy writing stories that can talk about the human experience.
I’m also a cat mom and take care of feral cats in my neighborhood.
8. Is there anything else you’d like to add about your experience at Osano? Personal anecdotes, favorite team activities, ways your life has changed since starting your position, or anything else?
One of my favorite things about Osano is getting to know everyone outside of work, too. We have a lot of musicians, a few other songwriters, and other creative folks at Osano, and I truly enjoy being able to watch their personal growth, too!
