Nice to Meet You
I’m Missy Lafferty, the founder and principal of Beam Talent. Learn more about me and how I’ve developed my expertise in recruiting.
I’ve built my career around how companies can hire better.
When I was asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I had no idea how to answer. And I wondered how anyone figured it out. Having spent over a decade interviewing and hiring thousands of professionals, I’ve learned that most people never quite answer that question themselves — but a thoughtful leader can identify the skills and experience needed to fuel their company’s growth, and by tapping people who may not have previously considered a role, they have the ability to unleash talent that gives their company a competitive advantage.
I’ve gained experience helping industry-leading firms hire in competitive talent markets.
As the former Global Head of Recruiting Operations at Bloomberg LP, I managed a team that oversaw the recruiting experience for over 300,000 applicants annually, including leading our digital recruiting marketing strategy managing data collection and reporting, and supporting all recruiting systems. I also helped to build the people analytics function. I joined Bloomberg as an associate in the COO’s Office, advising on strategy and business operations and working with business leaders during the annual business planning process.
At Greenhouse Software, I was the Program Director for Talent Makers, tasked with developing and overseeing broad-reaching marketing campaigns to reach business leaders and hiring managers on the strategic importance of recruiting.
I started my career in corporate recruiting and talent development at Barneys New York (now owned by Saks Fifth Avenue). At Barneys, I assisted with hiring strategy for 11 new stores across the United States and doubled the number of entry-level hires recruited through our college internship program. I worked as a recruiting partner to the Barneys.com team during the early years of the e-commerce business.
Data and strategic focus are the core of what I do.
I am passionate about using data to make better decisions about business strategy, particularly talent and operations. I’m focused on finding inventive approaches for companies to grow their workforce through technology and analytics.
I have an ongoing fascination with finding better ways to match people and careers.
I did a business development internship with pymetrics, a company that uses neuroscience to help people find their optimal career path. I am a career coach at Columbia Business School and Teachers College, Columbia University, and I have volunteered as a career mentor through Streetwise Partners, a nonprofit program that serves low income individuals with high-impact professional development services. In 2015 I co-founded Ask For It, a firm focused on training negotiation skills to individuals, teams and organizations.
Though I advise companies to not focus too much on academic credentials when hiring, I am proud of my training.
I have a BA in Policy Management from Dickinson College and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
You can read more about me on Linkedin.