On the Record: Army veteran Adria Horn heads a different kind of recruiting at fast-growing Tilson

Photo / Tim Greenway Adria Horn leads human resources at Tilson, a Portland-based firm with 543 employees nationwide, including 183 in Maine. Veterans make up 10% of its workforce.

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By Renee Cordes

Adria Horn is vice president of workforce leading HR, talent acquisition, safety and marketing and design at Tilson, a Portland-based network deployment and IT professional services firm with a growing national footprint. Mainebiz caught up with Horn, an Army veteran and former director of the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services, to find out how things are going during the pandemic.

Mainebiz: How many job openings does Tilson have right now?

Adria Horn: We currently have about 60 open positions in 15 locations. Roles vary from tower technicians, business development [and] consultants to director roles in network development, infrastructure, engineering and outside plant.

MB: What positions are the hardest to fill and why?

AH: Business leader management positions are the hardest and most impactful to fill for culture, fit and critical thinking for a fast-paced, growth company. Our construction and IT consulting department hires subject matter experts for CMiC and Viewpoint construction software, which can be difficult to find as well.

MB: How are you interviewing, hiring and onboarding during the pandemic?

AH: Tilson was well-positioned to make an abrupt move to remote work. We were already completely cloud-based and leveraging the Microsoft power platforms, like Teams, to replace face-to-face interviews or conduct onboarding. Deemed essential, our field teams still use mobile applications, wear a mask and practice social distancing with new employees before establishing the family work unit.

MB: Why did Tilson opt for a virtual summer internship program this year?

AH: Internships have become an integral part of our pipeline, where interns have the opportunity to contribute to meaningful work, immediately. By their very nature, interns bring new, fresh ideas, incredible skills and are a delight to work with. With a full remote posture, there was no difference in a new employee starting compared to an intern. For a fully functional remote working company, it didn’t make sense to let COVID impact this experience as well.

MB: How is that program going?

AH: Impactful for them and us. Our interns are already building America’s information infrastructure at a time when our country needs it most. We have 19 interns across the country working in every department with an assigned mentor working on software implementations, infrastructure projects, accounting and safety.

MB: Are there any plans to change the 2021 internship program?

AH: We will continue to adapt and use more or different technology that enables us to continue our mission — and internships are definitely part of that.

MB: What can you tell us about the SkillBridge internship program and what value that brings to Tilson?

AH: SkillBridge is a year-round Department of Defense internship program for Active Duty service members who are within six months of separating from service. Tilson supports military members and veterans and became a Skillbridge partner in late 2019. We have three SkillBridge interns. We had four, but when the Navy asked him not to return to base to out-process due to the [Defense Department’s] COVID travel ban, we hired him instead, which is the main point of the program. This program is an excellent opportunity for service members to showcase their strengths and gain experiences and awareness about industries or professions they may not have considered. It’s also low-risk for businesses to consider military candidates they may have otherwise overlooked for a skill-set direct match. This is an excellent program for service members and companies.

MB: Any permanent HR changes you are planning post-COVID-19?

AH: Nothing is permanent these days, but we have been pleasantly surprised to see a dramatic increase in a more diverse group of applicants for open positions. We think our culture and mission are highly desirable, and when everyone is working from home, location becomes less of a factor for people self-selecting and applying for jobs in places they might otherwise not have considered. This may be an unanticipated benefit of reaching a wider group of diverse and skilled candidates. It’s very exciting to know we’re reaching these candidates.