People of Motive: Lily Foster, Recruiting Operations Analyst
Always willing to lend a hand, our Recruiting Operations Analyst Lily Foster is the department’s secret weapon when it comes to recruiting data and headcount planning. She may not be the first face you see during the interview process, but she’s working efficiently on the backend to improve processes and reporting for the Recruiting team. Learn more about Lily and what it’s like to work with her.
What motivated you to join Motive?
I was most excited to join Motive because of the culture. I could tell from the beginning that I would be joining a company that would not only celebrate my curiosity, but also trust and encourage me to explore my ideas. I appreciate that as a start-up; Motive doesn’t adhere to the typical silos that are found in so many larger companies. What motivates me is the “if you can do it, then we trust you to try” leadership style. I enjoy working with a team that promotes an all-hands-on-deck approach.
What’s your role at Motive and where are you located?
I’m located in San Jose, California, and work on the Recruiting Operations team as the Data Analyst. I have the opportunity to be involved in all aspects of recruiting data and planning — everything from headcount planning to hiring reporting. Being involved in the entire recruitment cycle has allowed me to work cross-functionally with others in the organization and gain more knowledge about what makes Motive operate at the scale it does.
What’s a recent project/work you’re most proud of at Motive?
I’m really proud to be one of the founders of our newest employee resource group (ERG) at Motive: Disability, Neurodiversity and Allies (DNA).
At any other company, I would’ve been afraid to tell my coworkers that I have a disability (ADD), let alone become co-president of an ERG. Motive is the first place I’ve felt comfortable enough to open up about my ADD. It has given me the unique opportunity to get to know people from across the company that I never would’ve met otherwise. I always thought that telling my coworkers about my ADD would be admitting a weakness, but it’s rather allowed me to identify my strengths and produce a new level of work quality. I feel very lucky to work at a company surrounded by people who empower me to be the best version of myself.
What is your favorite perk about working remotely?
I love the flexibility! Getting to work from anywhere has opened up so many opportunities for me to spend more time with friends and family. It’s also allowed me to fulfill my dream of getting my own puppy. (I’m a huge dog lover.)
What I like most about Motive’s flexible work environment is that we have the freedom to work remotely or take advantage of our different office spaces. Living an hour from the San Francisco office has allowed me the opportunity to visit the office for our company all hands meetings and interact with team members in person. I get the best of both worlds here!
What’s the best part about your job and why?
Hands down — the people! I love my team and feel so lucky to learn from them each day. I can honestly say that my coworkers care not only about my contributions, but they care about me as a person, which isn’t something you find everywhere. They push me to always be better, while always making certain I feel supported. It makes me look forward to coming to work each day.
If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
Curious, determined and empathetic. (We couldn’t agree more!)
Best advice you have been given?
“You won’t know if you don’t ask.”
What’s a professional and personal goal you have for yourself this year?
A professional goal of mine for this year is to provide team members across the company further insight into Motive’s hiring data by creating additional dashboards. Our Recruiting team works very hard and produces incredible results that should be visible to everyone across the company.
A personal goal is to get back into swimming. It’ll take a lot of training, but I hope to one day do the Alcatraz swim!
Fun Fact: The Alcatraz swims are roughly 2 miles long and can take anywhere between 20 minutes to over an hour depending on your level of experience and the weather conditions. Swimmers are encouraged to wear a wetsuit due to the low temperatures, which can vary anywhere from the high 40’s to 65 degrees.
What is something people may not know about you?
Many may not know that I’m a dual citizen! I was born in England but moved to California when I was a baby due to my dad’s job location. Since my parents grew up in England, I grew up with British culture at home, giving me the best of both worlds. The remainder of my family still live in England, so we’re fortunate to visit every few years. I was lucky enough to spend a semester studying abroad in London during college.
One of my favorite benefits Motive offers is that we not only have unlimited PTO, but that management actually encourages us to use it. This summer, we’re looking forward to a big gathering for my grandmother’s 80th birthday. While the rest of my family members have been stressed trying to figure out how to save up enough of their PTO, my managers were overjoyed to hear all about our plans.
Today, our team is made up of more than 3,000 amazing employees like Lily, located all across the world. Interested in working with terrific team members like Lily? Visit our careers site to learn more about our open roles at Motive.
