"Zachie’s sick again, and this time it’s different”. Words that shook BMO talent acquisition leader Paul Hamilton to his core, spoken by his wife over the phone on his first day with the company.
Born with serious medical conditions that had required numerous surgeries and treatments throughout his short life, three-year-old Zach was readmitted to hospital once again, and Hamilton, two hours into his new job, had to go.
As Hamilton puts it, “You talk about employer brand… forget the ads, forget the glossy brochures. It’s those moments of truth when your employer responds the way they did, I knew I’d joined the right organization.”
Sadly, this time it was different, and young Zach passed away on March 10, 2011.
Hamilton, suffering as only someone who has lived through such pain could understand, struggled to cope with the tragedy. When he began to reconnect with the world, he was amazed to see more than 150 messages of support and compassion awaiting him in his LinkedIn inbox, many from people he didn’t even know. Lifted by their words and, in some cases, their stories of overcoming similar loss, he found the strength to carry on and to turn sorrow into action to make a difference for families enduring medical hardship.
Hamilton’s powerful and heart-wrenching story of finding strength in compassion reminded Talent Connect Las Vegas attendees of the impact we all have in a connected world.
Topics: Talent Connect Recruiting strategy
Related articles