About
Over my 25-year career as a Recruiting Strategist and Talent Acquisition Partner, I have founded and built three recruitment agencies and successfully facilitated over 10,000 placements. In 2017, I launched my third such venture – Mulberry Talent Partners – to recruit and place top talent throughout the greater Portland area. At Mulberry, we set ourselves apart by providing the highest level of customer service to both clients and candidates. We take great care in listening to the needs of our candidates to identify where they will fit and thrive. We save time for our hiring managers by providing thoughtful referrals to meet the staffing needs of their organization. Our specialties for direct-hire, temp-to-hire, temporary/contract roles include: Human Resources at all levels | Professional Office: Reception/Clerical, Administrative and Executive Assistants, Office Managers | Customer Service | Accounting, Finance, and Payroll | Operations and Logistics | Project Management
Lauren Francis
Published content
expert panel
Scaling a business is exhilarating—but growth also brings complexity, risk and human dynamics that demand more than the founder’s personal attention can often provide. As your workforce grows and evolves, so do compliance obligations, training demands and cultural expectations. And with 59% of employees now expecting HR to be accessible around the clock, at some point, the business’s most important asset—its people—becomes its greatest risk, unless supported by dedicated HR infrastructure and leadership. That’s when informal approaches give way to intentional, scalable human resources strategies. The question is: When exactly should that transition happen—and what should you look for? The members of the Senior Executive HR Think Tank, a curated group of experts specializing in employee experience, talent acquisition, DEI, performance management and the role of AI in HR, share the key signals that arise when it’s time to build out your company’s HR capabilities, as well as practical guidance and the foundational HR competencies needed to support a growing company.
expert panel
Recruit Holdings’ July announcement that it would lay off approximately 1,300 employees—around 6% of its HR technology workforce—as part of a strategic move toward artificial intelligence signals a pivotal juncture for talent acquisition. Other major companies, including Meta and Microsoft, have made similar cuts to their staff to allow for greater focus on AI initiatives. With AI taking such priority for a growing number of businesses, what does this mean for the future of recruiting? Members of the Senior Executive HR Think Tank—comprising experts in employee experience, talent strategy, DEI, performance management and AI in HR—offer compelling evidence and actionable strategies for leaders navigating this complex transition. Understanding what this move suggests about the future of recruiting is critical for enterprise leaders aiming to stay ahead of the AI curve.