The field of executive recruitment is ever-changing, particularly how it interacts with cross-cultural talent searching and international job placements.
During the 15th anniversary of DSML, we had the pleasure of interviewing Daphné Francois, one of our Executive Search Recruiters, to explore the intricacies of her DSML journey and experiences with international recruitment. We spent time exploring her personal and professional experiences as they relate to European business expansions within the United States which require recruiting for European companies in the USA in cities such as Chicago and Boston.
Q: Can you share a little about yourself? What is your professional background?
I was born in France. I have been in the US for almost two years now, and I lived in Mumbai (India) for a couple of years before coming to the USA.
I started my career in talent management as a recruiter for an English company called Wolseley, a seller and distributor of trade building materials. After four years with this business, I evolved as an HR manager with Bain & Company, an American management consulting firm, and then with BPCE, a French banking company. I also worked as a private career consultant before joining DSML.
I currently live in Chicago, Illinois, where I am part of the executive search recruitment team for DSML in Chicago.
Q: How did you come to DSML?
I joined DSML roughly nine months ago, back at the very beginning of 2022. When I started my job search in January, I participated in a mentoring program through the French American Chamber of Commerce in Chicago that helped me find my footing. Myriam is one of the mentors in the program. Two months later, Myriam called me back to see if I could join her team. I’ve been at DSML ever since!
I’ve always had a passion for talent management, and it’s what I’ve done for years. Today, I’m happy to use my skills in a very dynamic field.
Q: In your current role at DSML, how do you spend your days?
I’m an Executive Search Recruiter here at DSML, which means I interact with both candidates and companies to find the perfect match between their skills, culture, and expertise. I need to understand our clients’ needs and who they are specifically, and from there, search for the right profiles. This includes sourcing and interviewing candidates before introducing them to our clients.
Being an Executive Search Recruiter is a challenge I love being part of. I’m constantly learning new things and putting them into practice.
Q: What is the culture at DSML like?
DSML has a very international culture, and even though I’ve only been in the US for a few years now, I feel this is evident in everything we do.
For example, there’s a lot of cross-cultural education that comes with international executive recruitment. We work with companies that want to hire people in the US, and some of them may not be familiar with America’s work culture, salary expectations, or job descriptions. Europe is very different from the USA, and it’s important to understand both sides of the coin to source candidates effectively.
Q: What are the core values of DSML?
That’s a good question! In my opinion, there are three.
The first value is professionalism. That means respect, attention, and trust given to both our clients and our candidates. Professionalism also means that we do what we say and say what we do.
The second value is open-mindedness. I think that, at DSML, we are curious, open-minded, and always consider what makes our candidates and clients unique. Our team reflects this value well: we all have different backgrounds and experiences that make us a powerhouse of executive recruitment.
The third value is our sense of sharing. We are very transparent and communicate a lot with our clients and candidates. We also spend a lot of time communicating together to make sure we’re doing everything to our best.
Those values definitively make DSML a wonderful company I like to work for.
DSML is an executive search and recruitment firm in Chicago and Boston that specializes in recruiting for European subsidiaries in the USA. If your business is looking to expand into the US market and seeking executive search services, contact us today.