Success Story – Human Resources Manager Leilit Chananel and Company Secretary Keren Versano, Optimum Methods and Solutions / By Hadas Shimoni
the following article relates the success stories of two optimum methods and solutions employees – leilit chananel, 31, the group’s human resources manager, who has a master’s degree in business administration and many years’ experience in personnel recruitment, and keren versano, 25, the company secretary. after just three days leilit got hired by optimum and her first assignment as human resources manager was to recruit a company secretary. within a short period of time she selected keren to occupy the position, a choice that eventually proved successful. both of them found their jobs at optimum methods and solutions four months ago through the jobnet site.
on optimum methods and solutions:
optimum methods and solutions, a part of the optimum group, specializes in technical documentation of products and systems and advancing them from the planning and development phases to production and assembly. the company has unique capabilities in preparing product portfolios and production portfolios, using a visual system to facilitate the teaching and assimilation of operating manuals. optimum carries out extensive projects to preserve know-how at organizations and companies, as well as projects to transfer know-how between organizations in israel and abroad.
company clients include rafael, elbit, motorola, alta, hp, tadiran, the electrical corporation, netafim, plasan sasa, rolls royce and more. today optimum has a staff of 50 employees.
leilit chananel (left) and keren versano (right)
at the optimum offices
leilit’s success story
upon completing her bachelor’s degree in social sciences, leilit chananel began her professional career in the world of recruitment and placement as a personnel coordinator. leilit gained most of her experience at taldor, where she advanced and developed during her three years on the job, eventually as head of recruitment for the sap division. while working as customer manager at a personnel company leilit decided to look for a new job.
“due to a significant change that took place in my life i decided to change course both in my personal and professional life. i applied for a number of positions, focusing on human resources, a field in which i had a bit of experience. i was so surprised to get hired at optimum just three days after sending my resume via jobnet.”
why did you start looking for a new job?
“i felt a lack of gratification from my job and wanted to switch to an administrative, managerial and varied position. after eight months of not being challenged at work i decided to look for a new job. i couldn’t believe it when just a few hours after sending in my resume the human resources manager of optimum called me in for an interview.”
what’s the difference between recruitment and human resources?
“despite the similarity between them, employee recruitment is fundamentally different from human resources. the goal while recruiting is to man a position by locating, screening and placing the right candidate for the job. the recruitment process includes phone and in-person interviews, recruitment sources, etc. the field of human resources is starting to establish itself in the business outlook of every organization. as a human resources manager i deal with salary, execute performance assessments, handle internal problems and more.”
where did you send your resume to and what were your considerations when you set out looking for a job?
“i searched a few job listings sites, focusing on jobnet. i applied to five companies for high-level positions in human resources. optimum was the closest to the company i’d worked at previously, so i made an appointment for an initial interview with the manager that same day. i quickly fell in love with the company and its line of work, the office, the working environment and the job. i felt no need to begin the recruitment process at other companies.”
what did you like about optimum?
“immediately after the position was advertised several quick interviews of candidates for the job of human resources manager were conducted. i was given an interview at 9:00 am and the next day i was called in for an interview with the ceo and i cancelled the other interviews i had. as soon as i stepped into the company offices i was impressed by the friendly atmosphere among the employees. the offices and the interview with the human resources manager were very pleasant and relaxed. i felt a lot of good energy during the process. unlike the other candidates, i didn’t have much experience in the world of human resources, but they were impressed by my personality and on that same day they presented me with a contract to sign.”
what is your impression of the company?
“first and foremost the company is warm and the owners really do care about the employees. the owners of optimum are a husband and wife, which creates a warm sense of parents devoted to their children. also, the managers are attentive to the workers and maintain personal ties with them. the ceo himself encourages them a lot and is always ready and willing to help. i entered the job really quickly and the ceo and the employees working with me gave me the proper guidance and the tools to be a human resources manager.”
do you see getting hired at optimum as a success story?
“definitely. i’m happy with where i am. optimum is a company that encourages its employees and is constantly growing. the big advantage of optimum’s size is that its small dimensions allow me to touch on many areas and acquire experience in benefits, human resources, marketing and operations, thereby providing me added value. since starting the job i’ve had a lot of trust placed in me and i’ve been broadly exposed to the realm of human resources. i’m grateful for this and happy to be an integral part of the company.”
do you have any advice for jobseekers?
“first of all it’s important to adjust your resume to the specific job by expanding on your prior workplace and job. i recommend making your resume lucid and attractive, and it’s a good idea to have somebody else take a look at it. also, after sending in your resume you can do follow-up by picking up the phone and asking how suitable you are for the job.”
as the company’s human resources manager, to what extent would you say collaborating with jobnet has helped you in the recruitment process?
“jobnet is a familiar name in the job market. most jobseekers use the site since it brings together all positions, therefore we decided to advertise primarily on the jobnet site. the resumes we get are excellent and fit the job profile, and the site representatives are helpful, fast and efficient. today we advertise seven positions on the site and that number is on the rise.”
keren’s success story
after working as a confectioner and a professional make-up consultant, keren versano decided to move from her home in the north to the central region and to try out administration work after acquiring her first professional experience in the idf as head of a general’s bureau. resolute in her drive to find a new job in the central region that would combine dynamism and new contents with a young, vibrant work environment, she moved to givatayim. a short time after sending her resume she was hired as company secretary at optimum via the jobnet site.
why did you decide to return to administrative work?
“working as a confectioner is independent, individual work, which made me feel a bit lonely at work, so i decided to look for a different, younger and challenging environment. also, since the work is very routine by nature, i didn’t feel any excitement, and this lack of interest motivated me to seek out a new job where i’d be able to enjoy myself and advance.”
how did you conduct your job search?
“a good friend of mine introduced me to the jobnet site, saying it was very efficient for looking for work in the field. i sent my resume out widely for administrative and secretarial positions, focusing on large, dynamic companies from the world of high tech and advertising. optimum was one of the first companies that got back to me.”
why did you wind up choosing to go with optimum?
“starting with the recruitment process the interviewers and secretaries treated me warmly and i already felt like a part of the company. my first interview with leilit lasted for about an hour and we had a special click. afterwards i had another flowing and interesting interview with the vice president of operations, rami bar. despite being secretarial work, the job sounded challenging to me, since it offered complexity and required taking responsibility, being resourceful and showing creativity. also, the areas i’d be exposed to were numerous and varied.”
leilit, what were the considerations that led you to hire keren over the dozens of other candidates?
“the job profile is unusual since we were looking for an exceptional secretary who would be resourceful, positive and affable, carry out her tasks faithfully, but most important of all, fit in at the company from a social perspective. candidates with enthusiasm, a spark in their eyes, an ability to adapt to changes and a lot of motivation. i received resumes from about 50 candidates and 15 were called in for interviews. when keren arrived we liked her right away. the smile on her face and her positive outlook on life were what captivated us. keren was really my first recruitment.”
keren, how did your first day at the company go? did you get a good impression?
“my integration went very quickly and already in my first week on the job i was able to handle the job. i was broken in by the projects manager, who had been an executive secretary in the past, and i received professional help and encouragement from the rest of the employees. also, my reception was warm and pleasant and i soon felt right at home.”
what kind of company is optimum in terms of the atmosphere and the people?
“optimum is a tight-knit company made up of high-caliber, professional people. the human fabric there is very special since there are veteran employees who’ve been at the company for several years, working alongside young employees. the company management gives the workers a lot of attention and respect. for instance, i had a birthday a few days ago, and in addition to the birthday greetings i received from the employees, the ceo came to wish me a happy birthday personally.”
are you happy with your job and with the company?
“i’m very happy i got hired here. i work among young and interesting people, work with many interfaces and am exposed to unique and varied fields such as personnel, marketing, benefits and more. from a social perspective i’m really enjoying myself and am challenged professionally every day.”
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