Ismael Celonio has learned that finding great talent isn’t the hardest part of Talent Acquisition. The hardest part is inspiring and galvanizing others in an effort to break through the status quo.
As the founding recruiter at Ally Medical Emergency Room in Austin, Texas, he oversees hiring, employer branding and onboarding for an organization where every open role affects patient care. That urgency pushed him to enroll in CP-RM™ — and the most valuable thing he took from it wasn’t a tactic, but a skill: how to influence executive stakeholders.
He’s not alone. Recruitment Marketing has evolved fast, and professionals at all career stages are earning their Certified Professional in Recruitment Marketing™ (CP-RM™) certification to keep up. The program is built for Recruitment Marketing, Employer Branding and Talent Acquisition professionals who want to strengthen their employer brand, sharpen their strategic skills and create measurable business impact.
I sat down with Ismael for this CP-RM™ Graduate Spotlight to talk about his career journey, what pushed him to enroll and how he’s applying what he learned to improve Recruitment Marketing, employer branding and talent attraction at Ally.
Q&A: Building Strategic Influence in Talent Acquisition
Lori: Tell us a little about yourself and your current role.
Ismael:
I am a Talent Acquisition professional with nine years of experience hiring and recruiting. I specialize in high-volume, non-exempt placement for industries such as Healthcare, Education and Restaurants.
In my current role, I am the founding recruiter for an Austin, Texas-based company called Ally Medical Emergency Room, where I have the opportunity to oversee recruiting, employer branding and onboarding for all positions within the organization, with a focus on high-volume patient service and clinical positions. The nature of the Emergency Room means our recruiting needs are of the highest urgency so we can ensure patient needs are met during their most sensitive moments.
Lori: What attracted you to the field of Recruitment Marketing, Employer Branding and Talent Acquisition?
Ismael:
I transitioned to Talent Acquisition from Operations Management. When I first thought about transitioning out of Operations, I asked myself, “What is it about Operations that I like that I can do more of going forward?”
The answer was that I loved hiring people, getting people started and being a part of a person’s journey. So, I pursued Talent Acquisition and haven’t looked back.
Talent Acquisition has taught me a lot about myself and challenged me in ways I never saw coming. It’s so rewarding that I get to help others land employment that is meaningful to them while learning something new every day.
Ismael Celonio, Talent Acquisition Manager at Ally Medical Emergency Room and CP-RM™ graduate.
Lori: What inspired you to enroll in CP-RM™?
Ismael:
To learn additional skills to help me in my work of finding the best talent possible.
Lori: What was the most valuable thing you learned during the program?
Ismael:
The leadership coaching and learning how to influence executive stakeholders was the most valuable part of the program.
Talent Acquisition often does not receive the most resources, and there are a lot of antiquated ideas about how to attract talent and fill positions. To be an effective Talent Acquisition leader, the ability to influence executive decision-makers is paramount.
Lori: How has CP-RM™ influenced the way you approach your work?
Ismael:
The best part is that Ally Medical already operates on a hyper-local scale, so we already have a well-established, active fanbase that we can now tap into to help fill our positions instead of just relying on the same-old techniques that may or may not work.
Now, instead of putting so many resources into external job boards and search sites, we can confidently allocate resources to new strategies that we can own across the entire funnel.
Lori: Can you share an example of something you’ve applied from the program in your current role and the result, outcome or impact?
Ismael:
We posted our first-ever organic Recruitment Marketing ad on Facebook. This was a first for both myself and Ally Medical.
I was honestly impressed with the ad’s performance right out of the gate, with an 8.97% engagement rate, and we had strong organic views, with 80% of our followers seeing the ad within the first week.
Now we need to work on improving our call-to-action messaging and related conversions.
Lori: What advice would you give someone considering CP-RM™?
Ismael:
If you’re considering CP-RM™, just jump in and do it. It’s a great investment in your career.
Ready to Become a CP-RM™?
Thank you to Ismael for sharing his story! His advice was simple: “If you’re considering CP-RM™, just jump in and do it. It’s a great investment in your career.”
Whether you’re beginning your Recruitment Marketing journey or looking to become a more strategic Talent Acquisition or Employer Branding leader, the Certified Professional in Recruitment Marketing™ (CP-RM™) program provides practical frameworks, real-world strategies and a community of professionals committed to advancing the profession.
If you’re ready to strengthen your Recruitment Marketing expertise and make a greater impact in your organization, we’d love to have you join our next cohort.
Learn more about becoming a CP-RM™.
