Recruiting the Future: Andrea Seymour

Andrea Seymour spent her early career climbing the corporate ladder, starting in administrative services for the first six years of her career before transitioning into the staffing services industry.

“I started working at the age of 16, worked full-time jobs, and worked my way up to where I am today,” says Andrea Seymour, Vice President of Talent Acquisition at Zekelman Industries.

And she accomplished all of this without a college degree. How? “Just through hard work and being driven,” Seymour says. “I’m very proud of that.”

Seymour joined Zekelman in 2022 with a directive to build a talent acquisition department from the ground up. The first step? Getting to know all the Zekelman leaders and the teams she’d be staffing for so she could understand the unique cultures that make up the different parts of Zekelman Industries—and the kind of talent they need to succeed.

Now that she’s done exactly that, she continues to drive how the company recruits its talent.

An Eye on the Details

Today, Seymour leads Zekelman’s recruitment process and a team of recruiters. That means steering how the steel pipe and tube manufacturing company finds and secures new talent and future leaders. “I’m very passionate about making sure that we’re adding the right talent to the team at the right time,” she says.

As a talent leader, Seymour works to know every facet of the company to ensure her team of recruiters continues to find people who won’t just fit in but will thrive, both as part of the overall Zekelman team and within the cultures established at each of our locations. “It’s important for me to stay very hands-on and get to know all of the individuals in the organization, especially those that we’re hiring for, at every level,” she says.

Untapped Opportunities

For job seekers looking to begin their careers or transition to new roles, Seymour has some advice: Consider a job in manufacturing.

“There’s huge career potential in manufacturing right now,” she says. “Individuals who are considering going into the skilled trades as opposed to maybe going the traditional college education route will have a tremendous amount of job opportunities.”

Seymour herself is proof that a person doesn’t need a college degree to succeed. Since joining Zekelman, she feels like she’s truly found a family. “This is a culture where everybody really is in it together,” she says. “We aren’t led or driven by titles. Everybody’s willing to do the work and roll their sleeves up.”  At Zekelman, pride in the work is evident across the company, a sentiment that keeps Seymour motivated to find the best talent available. “The reward in that is you’re building relationships with your team,” she says. “You’re part of creating a culture here that drives success for everyone.”