Hitting It Out of the Park

Staff Spotlight:
Cristian Garcia, Human Resources

Cristian Garcia

Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.

That’s Cristian Garcia’s motto. Get to know him, and you’ll see why.

After graduating from the University of Houston in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Global Hospitality Leadership, he knew he’d do well in Human Resources.

His first employer, however, saw things differently.

“The manager at that company said I wasn’t good enough to be an HR recruiter,” Garcia said. “She said I should take on other opportunities first.”

Undeterred, he only let this fuel his determination. And it paid off.

He soon found himself back on the UH campus – this time as an employee, working in the recruitment service center. Not long after, he was promoted to recruiter. Now, he’s a senior recruiter.

“I realized that opportunities are endless when you have leadership who believes in you,” Garcia said.

Nikki Duncan, recruitment manager, says Garcia is a “joy” to have on her team.

“He exudes customer service,” she said. “He always works hard to ensure hiring managers get exactly what they need.”

Garcia said what he enjoys most about his job at UH is connecting with so many different people across the University.

“The ability to work with a diverse group of people with extraordinary talent and skillsets, I believe, can only happen in a few places, and UH is one of them,” he said.

As a senior recruiter, he meets with hiring managers and executive leaders about their open positions and the qualities of their ideal candidates.

“Then it’s up to me,” he said. “If we don’t receive qualified applicants, I find them. Whether it’s going through our applicant pool or looking for candidates on LinkedIn — I make it happen, matching talented people with UH jobs.”

Garcia and the rest of the recruiting team work to fill about 450 open positions at a time. He also connects daily with people who want to work at UH but don’t know what positions could be a match.

“When that happens, I’ll go over their resume with them by phone or online and together we decide what positions they qualify for, based on their education and experience.”

Garcia knew he’d made the right decision to work at UH when staff outside his department took notice of his work.

“When you know that people appreciate you, it’s very satisfying and motivating,” he said.

Garcia recently won a Staff Council Award for optimism. “The fact that this award was voted on by my fellow employees means they see the optimism and enthusiasm in my work, even on days when I feel I'm lacking it,” he said.

“You may think your light is small, but it can make a big difference in other people's lives and the work they do. Let your light shine on.”

When he’s not working, Garcia enjoys attending Astros games. “One of my best days at work was when the Astros made it deep into the playoffs, and our department wore team gear to cheer them on,” he said. “I like working at a place that supports the city.”

And just like Cougars fans and Astros fans support Houston, his department supports faculty and staff.

“If there’s one thing I’d like to tell employees, it’s that we put the ‘human’ in Human Resources. Remember, we're here to help,” Garcia said.

"Opportunities are endless when leadership believes in you." -- Christian Garcia
Cristian Garcia works with a new employee.

Garcia and the rest of the recruiting team work to fill about 450 open positions at a time.

Garcia and the rest of the recruiting team work to fill about 450 open positions at a time.

"If there's one thing I'd like to tell employees, it's that we put the 'human' in Human Resources. Remember, we're here to help." -- Cristian Garcia
From left: Shanequea White, Staff Council immediate past president; Cristian Garcia, senior recruiter; DaNesha Allen, Staff Council president

From left: Shanequea White, Staff Council immediate past president; Cristian Garcia, senior recruiter; DaNesha Allen, Staff Council president

From left: Shanequea White, Staff Council immediate past president; Cristian Garcia, senior recruiter; DaNesha Allen, Staff Council president