We’re thrilled to introduce Eileen Messana, the newest member of the AP team.
Eileen brings with her over 20 years of experience in the recruiting field, and her passion for the industry is evident. Born and raised in Rochester, she’s a local, through and through. Her love for the city mirrors her dedication to her work and it shows.
A Smart Start in Accounting
Eileen’s journey in the professional world began in accounting. She started her career at Deloitte, auditing numerous companies in the local area. This position provided Eileen with a deep understanding of business processes. When it came time to start her family, Eileen transitioned into corporate accounting.
This transition deepened her love for the industry. She continued to grow her expertise, made lifelong friends and connections, and felt as though this was it — her dream career; something she’d do for life. Until she was tapped for recruiting.
Finding New Passion in Recruiting
After beginning a new accounting management role in 2005, Eileen realized it wasn’t the right fit. She reached out to a recruiter to find a new role and was offered two opportunities:
- A financial analyst role with one of their clients
- An internal recruiting position with the firm’s newly formed finance and accounting direct hire division
She chose door number two. It was during this time that she realized recruiting was her calling. “As I matured, recruiting became the right path,” Eileen recalls. As a recruiter, Eileen could apply her skills and industry knowledge while enjoying the additional reward of helping others.
Her love for the accounting and finance space and her experience in the industry made Eileen uniquely qualified for her new mission. “I wouldn’t be as qualified had I not held those roles.”
Eileen Thrives Using Her Diverse Recruiting Background
Throughout her more than 20 years as a recruiter, Eileen’s experience grew across several industries. She transitioned from finance and accounting recruitment into IT and engineering, and she eventually moved to a local boutique firm recruiting for roles in sales, marketing and operations. There, she grew into the Director of Recruiting role, managing a broad range of services and further expanding her retained search and C-Suite recruiting portfolio.
Eileen has also built deep expertise in the nonprofit, healthcare and higher education sectors, helping clients attract, recruit and retain top-tier talent. Her knowledge of the unique challenges and opportunities within these fields allows Eileen to offer a tailored approach to every search, ensuring that her clients get the right fit for their specific needs.
As Eileen herself puts it, “Recruiting for these sectors is about more than just filling a role; it’s about understanding and aligning with the mission of the organization. Each candidate placement has to not only be a skills fit but a mission fit as well.” Eileen’s commitment to these sectors is reflected in her recruitment philosophy, which is to create long-term, successful placements that help organizations succeed while providing candidates with fulfilling roles.
Eileen’s Recruitment Philosophy
Eileen focuses on building long-lasting business relationships with clients and candidates. “I get enormous satisfaction from placing someone in a company where they’re going to thrive,” she shares.
Eileen also emphasizes the importance of keeping recruiting processes transparent and educational. She ensures that financial expectations are discussed upfront to find the best match for both the candidate and the client. She works with clients and candidates to identify true fit from the initial screening through negotiations and into the onboarding process.
Joining the AP Team
Before joining AP, Eileen also helped build two startup recruiting firms. She applied her deep understanding of recruiting, operations, payroll implementation and executive retained search to be a resource and guide for the two firms, which paved the way for her successful transition to AP.
But what was it that drew Eileen to AP?
Eileen explains that the firm’s rich 27-year history in Rochester and its excellent reputation got her attention right away. She was particularly drawn to the long tenure of AP’s employees, a rarity in a field where turnover is typically high. “They treat clients, candidates and employees well and with respect. They’re thoughtful about the culture. There’s no internal competition. It’s all team-based,” Eileen explains. “AP keeps the focus on the people they serve.”
Eileen had the opportunity to connect with CEO Matt Taylor. Although they hadn’t been formally introduced to one another at this point, they discussed their shared industry expertise and love for recruiting. Little did Eileen know, this connection would be the basis for an important next step in her career. She was delighted when Matt chose to incorporate her background into the already well-established team at AP.
The Exciting Road Ahead
At home at AP, Eileen now works alongside her colleagues to provide quality service to candidates and clients alike, saving them time and offering the profound benefit of an effective placement. “People come to us as Subject Matter Experts. They come for help. We call back. We listen. We give advice.”
As AP expands its recruiting services more broadly into the healthcare, nonprofit and higher education spaces, Eileen’s expertise is a tremendously valuable addition to the team.
“This is where I’m supposed to be. This is what I’m supposed to do. I love this career and the team I work with.”
Reach out today to connect with Eileen and the rest of the AP team.