ONE OF ONEBy Christopher Lundy | March 28th, 2019

Building a career you love while figuring out your path is a journey we all take, some easier than others. Mine has been a long mostly uphill one that I’d like to share with you. My name is Tasia Loney and I am a Managing Director and part owner of Metro Search Partners a full service staffing firm. In 2007, I was a student at LIU working toward my degree in Psychology when I got a job as the receptionist at my first recruiting agency. Simple enough, for 18 dollars an hour I’ll answer the phones, direct candidates to conference rooms in between studying and doing homework while it was quiet. After obtaining my degree I felt that there was a strong connection between psychology and the recruiting industry. I loved the idea of getting to know people, how they think and why they do what they do. After letting my firm know that I was ready for more, they agreed but only wanted me to attend conferences and trade shows alongside the CEO and “sales guys” (key word being guys). My role would be that of the young woman who was engaging and intelligent enough to carry a brief conversation with potential clients, then pass them over to the big dogs. I was “eye candy”. I know many of you reading this will think how demining but actually I wasn’t offended, I was used to it. As a woman who worked since my early teens in very male dominated industries I was used to the assumption that a pretty face and charm was what carried me. Rather than letting it bother me, I always let it be my motivation to prove otherwise. I let my work ethic and smarts do the talking. That first conference changed everything almost immediately. Not only did I attract the potential clients but I made a point to educate them on who we were, what we did and what set us apart from other recruiting agencies in the industry. In a short week, I went from being the receptionist to someone who could add real value to my company. Upon return I became executive assistant to the Managing Partner interacting directly with clients and candidates regularly. I listened intently to the conversations recruiters would have with their candidates and practiced in my head what I would’ve said if I were on that call. I’d take notes when the CEO and top earning sales guys were on the phone with their clients. I paid attention to every small detail. After feeling like I had a firm grasp on not only the recruiting process but how financial institutions were structured I worked up the courage and let my boss know I wanted to try recruiting. First I started as a junior recruiter on the temporary division and worked my way up to AVP. After almost seven years at my company I decided to spread my wings. I moved on to an internal recruiting position where I ran the recruiting and hiring for the Banking & Wealth division at a midsized Fintech firm. Two years later my former CEO wanted me to come back and run the company’s Temp recruiting division in NY and NC. I managed a team of ten including sales, recruiting and admin staff with strong increases in both placements and revenue. I stayed for almost two years before I decided to embark on my current partnership with Metro Search Partners. When I decided to join Metro Search Partners in May of 2018 as part owner heading Recruitment and Diversity, most of my decision was based on the shared passion between my partner Christopher Lundy and me to make a real change within the industry. I must admit that joining a small firm and partnering with a white man did initially lead to some hesitations for me around how we’d tackle diversity together. What does he know? However, after many fervent discussions I know we share the same passion to make the finance industry more diverse. Although you may look at him and assume otherwise, Chris and I firmly believe that there is nothing more important than diversity and inclusion in the work place! All races and genders should not only be provided with the same opportunities but they should be treated equally and welcomed wholeheartedly. Not only because it is fair but because companies who have diverse points of view are always stronger than those that believe only one background and experience is best. Throughout this journey of mine, what I never paid much attention to was the fact that there were almost never any minorities in the positions of sales and recruiting. I was so focused on making a name for myself that I barely noticed that only men got hired to do sales and the only minorities were in administrative positions. It hadn’t dawned on me that in a room of 100 people, there were probably only 10 women including myself and of those women I was always one of one, the only woman of color. It wasn’t until a client asked me directly “How does it feel to be the only black woman here” that hit me. There’s NO WAY, I thought to myself immediately. For the first time I took a look around at my peers. In a room full of CEO’s, C-level Executives and decision makers, the majority were men, mostly Caucasian and the women were few and far in between. I’ve always been aware of the gap between men and women and the overall lack of diversity within Financial Services but this was the very first time I internalized it. Once my blinders were removed there was no way I’d be able to passively sit around waiting for a change. I decided it is my duty to be part of the change I’ve been waiting for. That is why I am very proud to announce the launching of Metro Search Partner’s R.A.P.I.D. staffing initiative; “Recruit, Advise, Place, Improve, Diversity”. Through this program Metro Search Partners has committed to closing the gap for women, people of color and the LGBTQ community. Not only do we recruit qualified candidates of various backgrounds but through seminars, conferences and online forums we will educate our clients on the market & how to attract, develop and retain diverse employees. This program will also educate candidates on various programs and initiatives within financial firms that are beneficial to them. Financial Recruiting, only the strong survive! With the saturation of type A personalities, ups and downs of the financial markets and the daily pressures of not only finding your client the unicorn they insist exists, but convincing said unicorn that your role is best for them, agency life is in no way the glamorous role so many assume it is. Now let’s add being a woman in the male dominated industries of recruiting and financial services to the equation and things get even harder. I am proud to have gotten where I am today, I am an owner of my own recruiting agency working with some of the largest buy and sell side institutions on the street. I have worked hard to get where I am, but I was also lucky enough to catch a few breaks having the support of a few major players in the game. Through R.A.P.I.D., Metro Search and I are committed to providing as many people as we can those same breaks. Financial Services, along with all other industries should reflect what we see the world around us!