In this edition of our “In the Limelight” series, meet Nichole Thorpe—a Business Excellence Specialist. Nichole’s extensive industry knowledge has made her successful at identifying issues and areas of opportunity and providing solutions alongside the Broadleaf delivery and solutions design teams. Her organizational and project management ability has contributed immensely to her team’s success, benefiting Broadleaf and our clients.

An early start in the industry

I grew up in Eustis—a small town in central Florida—and now live in Orlando. I attended Lake Sumter State College, where I earned my degree in general studies. After graduation, I worked as an executive and administrative assistant in the real estate industry. This led me to my first position as a recruiter in the talent acquisition industry, where I worked for over three and a half years before deciding to find a more administrative-focused role.

Finding Broadleaf

At the beginning of 2021, an Aleron recruiter contacted me on LinkedIn. I was a bit nervous about accepting a traditional staffing role because I had initially wanted to move away from that. Still, after hearing more about what Broadleaf does and the company culture, I knew this was an opportunity that I could not turn down.

My previous experience in administrative and support roles and recruiting made the transition to Broadleaf seamless. Coming into the position with workforce solutions industry knowledge helped me easily identify areas for improvement and observe challenges through multiple lenses.

Life at Broadleaf

As a Business Excellence Specialist, I identify areas of opportunity and process improvement within Broadleaf’s client programs. On a day-to-day basis, I create project plans, process workflows, and process documentation. Additionally, I am constantly meeting with other teams to discuss processes and issues, conducting training sessions, assisting with matters in our ServiceNow technology, and analyzing client survey data.

With all these moving parts, staying organized is essential to this role. Having strong organizational skills helps me to track our various projects and meet their differing deadlines. I must also effectively communicate any changes, updates, or assistance needed to my team. One of the most challenging aspects of my job is finding a solution that fits the needs of all our different Broadleaf client programs. Each has unique nuances and challenges, so I strive to find a standard process that works for everyone.

This role requires a great deal of collaboration. Thankfully, my team and I provide each other with valuable and constructive feedback, resources, and support that make all our jobs easier to perform. I genuinely enjoy this role because of how rewarding it is, and if I had to describe Broadleaf in one word, it would be motivating. In participating in our client survey process and reviewing the results with our team, I see firsthand how we have improved compared to previous surveys. It is so rewarding to be able to take part in those conversations and be able to share feedback with our leadership and delivery teams.

The future of the industry

Since I have been in the industry, I have experienced many changes, most notably during and after the pandemic. For example, when I first started my talent acquisition journey, the market was controlled by employers. Now, the market has slowly shifted to candidate-driven, which has required companies like Broadleaf to become more creative in their recruiting strategies to source and secure top talent.

Likewise, I think the pandemic has changed how we all work and will continue to work. Most organizations have shifted to remote or hybrid work environments. Broadleaf has kept pace by offering a predominantly remote work environment requiring me to collaborate virtually with my team.

Life outside of work

I try to log on and off at regular business hours, just as I would if I worked in an office. I’m thankful for the ability to work remotely, as it eliminates the time to commute, so when I log off, I can immediately focus on my family. You can find me and my husband chasing our son—a one-year-old ball of energy— outside work hours. When I have free time, I love to golf, travel, hike, cook, and relax by the pool. While it’s more challenging to find the time now, I’m an avid reader and am genuinely passionate about the joy that literacy brings people, and I love sharing this joy with my son. Someday soon, I hope to travel with my family to Germany. My husband and I planned to go just before the pandemic began, so we never made it. It has always been a place we’ve wanted to explore, and it would be even more special to do it with our son.