At DSML, we pride ourselves on providing a customized approach to executive recruiting to all of our clients. As an executive search and recruitment firm in Chicago and Boston that specializes in recruiting for European subsidiaries in the USA, we understand the unique intricacies of hiring cross-culturally. Our executive search recruitment Chicago team spans numerous nationalities to help our clients successfully navigate these cross-cultural nuances as they expand into the US. Among our talented team is Ricarda Osipow, Executive Recruiter with German origins. Ricarda is actually one of the first recruiters to have joined the DSML team, over ten years ago.
Q: Can you share your background? How did you get into executive search recruitment?
A: I actually ended up in recruiting by chance. In another life, I did vocational training for jewelry design and goldsmithing in Germany and worked in the fine jewelry business. As my interests and passions evolved, I decided to leave the jewelry business and became a flight attendant. In this role, it became apparent to me that I had an affinity for working with people.
Upon coming to the United States over 20 years ago, I found myself drawn to roles that had a German component to them. After a few years working in these companies, I became a stay-at-home mom. When I decided to re-enter the corporate workforce, not long after did I meet Myriam and Doug, co-founders of DSML.
Q: How did you come to DSML?
A: I met Myriam and Doug through a mutual connection. They first took me on in a data-entry role; within six months, they began to transition me into more aspects of recruiting such as sourcing and screening candidates. Over time, I was given more responsibility. Today, I run a full desk. In offering me that first opportunity, I was able to build a new career for myself here.
Q: What is your current role at DSML? How do you spend your days?
A: I am an Executive Recruiter. My days entail everything from sourcing candidates through the different stages of recruitment. This includes the screening process, driving the interview process, intake calls, and client management.
Q: What do you feel is important to DSML?
A: Doug and Myriam prioritize finding executive recruiters with diverse backgrounds. DSML services clients across various industries, from IoT & SaaS to industrial & manufacturing, and across various countries throughout Europe. The diversity of our team has been instrumental in finding the ideal executive candidates for our clients. I also speak four languages fluently, and the diversity of our team and European clientele provides a multicultural environment where I get to put them all to good use.
DSML has always felt very cohesive to me. Of course, over the years, a few colleagues have moved or pursued other opportunities. But I have an awesome team and my bosses have been great from the beginning.
Myriam has taken on a lot of business development herself. This allows our entire team to focus on what they do best: building connections. Instead of chasing quotas, I get to focus on building rapport with our clients and finding great candidates that fit in our clients’ organizations.
Similarly, they never imposed doing things a particular way on us. We all have our own techniques and ways of going about it; I think Myriam and Doug always valued that. This allows for a certain balance and keeps the dynamic of a search going. And learning something new keeps things fresh.
Finally, DSML works meticulously with our clients through the process of executive search recruitment in our Boston and Chicago offices to form partnerships to attract and select the talent they need.
Q: What are the core values of DSML?
A: With regards to clients, transparency is a core value. We genuinely partner with our clients and pride ourselves on truly knowing our executive search clients. We’re not only service providers, but extensions of their company in recruiting for European subsidiaries in the USA. The collaboration there is so important.
Our team dynamic is very equitable. I’ve never felt that there was any competition between myself and the other recruiters. We’re a flat organization and are extremely team-oriented. And I believe that our clients sense that. Internally, values focus on the strong, collaborative aspect: really working as a team and for the greater good of the company. Additionally, there’s a strong focus on fostering people’s abilities.
DSML very much fosters a mentality of always learning and open communication. Doug and Myriam always welcome our thoughts and suggestions — like best interview practices and how we can leverage technology to improve our processes — and encourage us to learn from each other. There is a lot of learning through listening: a lot of my training was seeing how Myriam and Doug would conduct interviews. This combined with being in a smaller firm where everyone truly needs to (and does) pull their weight also encouraged a mentality of constant self-evaluation rather than complacence, helping us up our games. After ten years, I’m still learning and always looking to improve my practices.
DSML is an executive search and recruitment firm in Chicago and Boston that specializes in recruiting for European subsidiaries in the USA, and we are proud to have Ricarda as a long-standing member of our team and is deeply appreciative of her commitment and tenacity toward meeting clients’ needs.