Auriel Oates

Talent @ Zapier ⚡️

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

About

I’m driven by curiosity. Not just about what people do, but how they think, how they make decisions, and what actually motivates them at work. I’m a Technical Sourcer at Zapier, where I partner closely with engineering leadership to build high-quality, globally distributed teams. My work sits at the intersection of recruiting strategy, candidate experience, and hiring calibration. I spend a lot of time thinking about what “great” actually looks like and how to consistently identify it. Recently, that’s meant helping evolve how we evaluate candidates in a more AI-native world. I’m particularly interested in how candidates use tools like LLMs in real workflows, not just what they produce, but how they think through tradeoffs, validate their work, and collaborate in real time. I’ve also led work focused on diversity, inclusion, and employer branding, partnering with ERGs, external organizations, and cross-functional teams to expand access and build more thoughtful, equitable hiring practices. That lens still shows up in how I approach sourcing, outreach, and candidate evaluation today. At the core, I care about building processes that are clear, fair, and actually reflective of how people work. And I care just as much about the experience people have going through them. If you’re working in Product, Design or Engineering, or just curious about opportunities at Zapier, feel free to reach out. I’m always open to connecting!

Experience

  • Zapier ()
    • Technical Recruiter
      Aug 2025 - Present · 1 yr

      Finding the best talent to join Zapier in making automation accessible to everyone. ⚡️ I'm a technical recruiter specializing in software engineering and senior leadership hiring. At Zapier, I work across multiple product zones to build pipelines that are fast, high-signal, and built around a genuine understanding of what each team actually needs. My work spans everything from recruiting strategy and calibration to offer negotiation, stakeholder management, and candidate experience. I care deeply about who gets access to great opportunities, and I've spent years building sourcing strategies that center equity, not just efficiency. That means active partnerships with diversity organizations, intentional outreach, and processes designed to give every candidate a real shot. I'm also increasingly focused on how AI is reshaping recruiting itself. I build internal tools and workflows that help our team source smarter and evaluate more consistently, because good hiring infrastructure is just as important as good hiring instincts. Zapier has been recognized by PowerToFly as a Top Remote Workplace (2025), and I'm proud to contribute to that. Interested in joining us? Browse open roles: https://zapier.com/jobs/

    • Technical Talent Sourcer
      Apr 2022 - Aug 2025 · 3 yrs 5 mos

      I built and scaled pipelines across nearly every function at Zapier, from software engineering and product to design, marketing, customer support, operations, and executive leadership. My work combined market mapping, strategic sourcing, and relationship-driven outreach to connect exceptional people with opportunities they might not have otherwise discovered. I partnered closely with hiring managers to translate business needs into sourcing strategies, while leveraging tools like Gem, LinkedIn Recruiter, Ashby, Greenhouse, Juicebox, Metaview, Pin, and AI-assisted workflows to improve efficiency without sacrificing candidate experience.

  • Talent Sourcer at Degreed
    May 2021 - Apr 2022 · 1 yr

    Degreed is an upskilling platform that connects learning to career opportunities. It integrates skill insights, LMSs, courses, videos, articles, and projects to empower individuals in building their careers while matching them to relevant growth opportunities based on their unique skills, roles, and goals. Served as a subject matter expert in creative sourcing strategies, candidate engagement, and experience, effectively attracting and converting passive technical talent. Shaped the sourcing strategy by identifying and mapping ideal candidates for technical roles, analyzing market trends, and advising hiring managers on the technical talent landscape. Conducted initial phone screens, ensuring alignment between candidate interests and Degreed’s opportunities while compelling passive candidates to explore the company. Partnered with hiring managers and recruiters to define and refine ideal candidate profiles for high-priority technical positions. Built and maintained robust talent pipelines, ensuring a proactive approach to future hiring needs. Optimized conversion rates for hard-to-fill roles by increasing the engagement and movement of passive candidates through the hiring funnel, leading to higher interview, offer, and hire rates.

  • Talent Solutions Branding & Outreach Program Manager at Koch Industries
    Sep 2019 - May 2021 · 1 yr 9 mos

    Source, screen, and qualify candidates for active requisitions and develop a network of potential talent through ongoing relationship management. Developed new methods to improve procedures, including attending DE&I conferences and career fairs. Utilized LinkedIn Recruiter, Circa, Indeed, and other events to engage with passive candidates. Assists in development of techniques to improve candidate satisfaction and quality of service through exit surveys. Strategically supported partnerships for Koch Industries. Organized all partner and client events such as volunteer and social events for relationship building. Assisted in developing leadership and technical skills through project planning. Lead regional marketing strategy for Koch Community Affairs. Managed the accurate and timely processing of invoices ($100k) per month for large, multi-site organization. Lead weekly operations meetings with marketing, delegate recruitment, sales, editorial, and creative teams to ensure that events remained on track and stayed within budget. Represent Koch in the community and serve as liaison with community partners, internal partners, and vendors.

  • Georgia-Pacific LLC ()
    • Recruiter
      May 2018 - Sep 2019 · 1 yr 5 mos

      Perform full cycle/ high volume recruiting for administrative, industrial, and intern/co-op positions for over 200 Georgia-Pacific facilities across the United States -Manage new hire process including drug/background request, salary negotiations, adaptitude testing and reference checks

    • Recruiting Coordinator
      Oct 2017 - May 2018 · 8 mos

      Encadria Staffing Solutions, a Georgia-Pacific company, creates long-term value by using our expertise efficiently to provide innovative temporary, temporary to hire, and direct hire services in the staffing industry. Our expertise lies in using staffing as a tool to successfully manage human resources challenges companies face today. As a staffing partner, we take a strategic approach to help our clients discover the most effective ways to reduce cost, improve productivity, and drive innovation. We began as the in-house staffing and recruitment service for Georgia-Pacific LLC and today we work with hundreds of companies throughout the United States. - Recruited and staffed talent for positions such as administrative, safe industrial, information technology, accounting and finance, and intern/co-op positions for all contractual, exempt and non-exempt positions within Georgia Pacific Corporation and various Fortune 500 companies. - Performed high volume full life-cycle recruiting (sourcing, testing, behavioral interview, employment offer and closing) for candidates at all levels of employment. - Consulted with managers regarding job specification, employee programs, diversity requirements, retention and bonus plans. - Completed the new hire process including tracking, salary negotiations, criminal background/reference checks, scheduling drug screens and conducting orientation classes.

  • Wings Team Member | Brand Ambassador at Red Bull
    May 2014 - Jun 2017 · 3 yrs 2 mos

    - An active member of Red Bull’s field marketing team in the South Business Unit - Generating the Red Bull brand experience in the eyes of the consumer - Educating consumers on the Red Bull brand, events, athletes, and products - Collecting quantitative consumer-based data that identifies consumer needs and recognize consumer barriers - Communicate to consumers the facts of the Red Bull product, as well as promote events and upcoming product launches - Creating a unique customer experience to increase brand awareness and build customer loyalty - Strategic mission planning - Navigation around the Metro Atlanta area - Sampling product to consumers - Driving the Red Bull Mini Cooper - Packing product - Inventory of Red Bull products - Interactions with various types of consumers and adapting to various environments - Being a team player with fellow Wings Team co-workers - Maintaining a premium image