Working with Wellness
Our Senior Technical Recruiter, Rickey Villareal, sat down with us to talk about why he joined and how he can still make wellness a priority.
First, tell us a little about yourself and what you do at Project Ronin:
I am a Sr. Recruiter at Project Ronin and am helping spearhead the growth of our engineering teams. I’ve been in Talent Acquisition/Recruitment and HR for 6+ years spanning across a few different roles such as program management, contingent workforce management, workforce scaling, HR development, people development and technical recruiting.
Why did you decide to join us?
When I was looking for a new opportunity, I had a very specific list of what I was looking for in a company and a team. I knew first and foremost, I wanted to be somewhere that when I spoke about the company and what I did — I spoke with genuine passion, enthusiastic energy, and frankly an honest belief in the product, the mission, and the company as a whole. Project Ronin’s mission is what got my attention. We will improve and save lives while uncovering answers for cancer. This is something I can wholeheartedly get behind.
I have seen family members impacted by diseases, illnesses, AND cancer so seeing the toll it can take on an individual and their loved ones is heart-wrenching. But as most of us know, you don’t have to have lived it or seen the direct effects of cancer or illness to understand the need for improvement or data-backed technology. All you need is the awareness that our healthcare system needs improvement. And then you have two options: you can be a part of the story or you can read about it. Today, I hold the belief system that everything I do in my role will (in)directly help save lives. I can help hire the individuals that will change the cancer care space for the better — that is how I choose to be a part of the story.
What else was important to you besides a strong mission?
I am a huge advocate for self-care in every aspect of the phrase. I think every person needs to have time to take care of themselves, their loved ones, find time to decompress and recharge, make time for self-development, and grow personally and professionally. When a company is truly working to impact lives and focus on the betterment of others then I believe they should also believe their employees should be the best version of themselves. In order to help others, you have to be healthy in all aspects to deliver the best and be the most productive. So when I started interviewing, I wanted a place that would share my appreciation to better the lives of others while also bettering their own. After my interview with the team at Ronin, it was obvious they valued this as much as I did. I saw Ronin as the place to help facilitate my growth while impacting the broader good. It became an obvious choice to join Ronin once I knew they cared for their people internally just as much as they cared for cancer patients and physicians’ lives.
How is your work-life balance? What are some things you enjoy doing during the week that contributes to your mental or physical wellbeing?
My work-life balance is better than ever! I come from an environment where working 60+ hour work weeks was a part of the (unspoken) culture. When I joined Ronin, it became very clear that we believed in whole health (mental, physical, professional and personal). We have a lot to accomplish at Ronin but not at the expense of anyone’s well being. Many of us joined to improve the care system specifically for our future families so that means it starts with being healthy yourself. On Thursdays, I take my bike to Canada Road and do a 20-mile bike ride starting at 7 am and usually get into the office by 9:30 am but if I’m a little late the team knows I was pushing for a long ride that morning. Making my personal fitness a priority while working at Project Ronin has allowed me to bring my best self to work daily.
How do you feel about the different growth opportunities?
I joined the company as employee number 20 which I knew meant one thing — undefined and untapped growth potential. Since each day comes with a set of challenges that push all of us to think creatively and openly with each other, it feels as if the growth opportunities are endless. We’re being put in positions that allow us to tackle new challenges for the first time together and then come up with sound solutions for the first time together. This is the type of experience that I can add to my skill set for any organization while also adding more depth to my technical knowledge for Ronin.
Honestly, before I joined Ronin, I had a lot of hesitation. I would have been completely new to the industry helping the build of a product that is also new to the industry. The risk seemed high but in reality, when looking at the expertise on our team, the leadership and what they’ve done and then the passionate individuals that have joined (and continue to join) gave me the confidence to join. When you can get so many amazing people in one place who work with ingenuity and a strong belief in the mission, it makes you and your work feel unstoppable. As I grow, my opportunities to support other areas of the business grow as well. I can’t wait to see what another year at Ronin will be like! I really encourage anyone that may be interested in joining us or any organization that seems interesting is to at least talk and meet with the people — that should tell you everything you need to know. It worked for me!
Interested in learning if our mission and values match your own? Check out our open positions here!
