COLIN COOK
Summary
Dynamic Talent Acquisition professional driving high-volume recruitment in retail banking. Delivered 400+ hires with an average time-to-fill of 43 days, exceeding benchmarks. Collaborate with leadership to create effective talent strategies and enhance candidate experiences across diverse sourcing channels.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Talent Acquisition Recruiter
M&T BANK
12.2024 - Current
- Delivered 400+ hires since December 2024, supporting a hiring demand of approximately 15 positions per month while maintaining an average 43-day time-to-fill, outperforming the 45-day benchmark.
- Led full-cycle recruitment for Retail Banking across Connecticut, managing 50+ active requisitions for Branch Managers, Relationship Bankers, Universal Bankers, and Tellers.
- Conducted candidate interviews and evaluations for Retail Banking positions, assessing qualifications, leadership capabilities, and overall fit, while providing actionable feedback and hiring recommendations to hiring managers.
- Partnered with Branch Managers and Regional Managers to identify workforce needs, align on talent profiles, enhance interviewing practices, and create effective recruiting strategies tailored to their markets.
- Developed localized sourcing strategies leveraging LinkedIn Recruiter, Indeed, EZHire, Workday, Eightfold, community partnerships, recruiting events, and branch leadership networks to attract qualified talent.
- Coach and train Branch and Regional Managers on recruiting best practices, interviewing techniques, candidate feedback, and effective use of Workday and Eightfold throughout the hiring process.
- Present recruiting updates, best practices, hiring activity, and market trends during regional leadership meetings, providing insights that support talent acquisition and workforce decisions.
- Partner with leadership throughout the candidate journey from initial sourcing and interviews through selection and offer, maintaining a high-quality and responsive candidate experience.
- Led end-to-end recruiting for a new branch opening, organizing and executing a targeted hiring event and successfully hiring all 5 members of the branch staff prior to opening.
- Represent M&T Bank at college career fairs, local library recruiting events, hiring expos, and community recruiting initiatives to strengthen local talent pipelines and expand candidate reach.
Talent Acquisition Recruiting Coordinator
M&T BANK
10.2022 - 12.2024
- Managed high-volume, full-cycle interview scheduling and candidate communications across multiple business lines, coordinating complex calendars to ensure a seamless candidate experience and effective recruitment process.
- Acted as the primary point of contact for candidates throughout the recruiting process, maintaining timely communication and strong partnerships with candidates and hiring leaders.
- Managed recruiting workflows in Workday and Eightfold, including job postings, candidate movement, compliance tracking, interview coordination, and recruiting analytics.
- Supported recruiting across Wealth Management, Commercial Banking, Business Banking, and Retail Banking, adapting quickly to different talent needs and hiring priorities.
- Maintained recruiting dashboards and reports on time-to-fill, pipeline activity, interview activity, and hiring progress to enhance visibility for recruiting operations and leadership decision-making.
- Worked remotely to support recruiting efforts across various business lines.
Operational Accounting Associate II
M&T BANK
10.2021 - 10.2022
- Managed diverse loan pipeline from initiation to completion, ensuring accuracy and timely issue resolution while adhering to service-level requirements.
- Identified and resolved complex issues while balancing multiple priorities, maintaining strict confidentiality in all interactions.
- Gained strong knowledge of financial products and processes through continuous learning, research, and collaboration with internal partners.
- Worked remotely to support team initiatives
Administrative Assistant II
M&T BANK
Tarrytown, NY
07.2019 - 10.2021
- Coordinated complex calendar management, travel arrangements, and confidential administrative tasks for two Regional Managers, enhancing regional business operations.
- Streamlined weekly reporting, budget tracking, and expense reconciliation processes, maintaining accurate employee rosters and organizational spreadsheets to facilitate regional leadership.
- Acted as the primary point of contact for employee inquiries and assisted market leadership with operational coverage and business needs.
- Organized leadership meetings and training logistics while supporting onboarding and development of new and existing employees as Business Line Trainer.
Service Associate
M&T BANK
Sayre, PA
11.2018 - 06.2019
- Delivered high-quality customer service, achieving goals for customer satisfaction and driving digital adoption.
- Assisted customers with account inquiries and transaction processing.
- Educated clients on banking products and services available.
- Processed loan applications and maintained customer confidentiality.
- Provided frontline coverage across multiple branches, adapting to diverse teams and customer needs to maintain seamless operations.
Commercial Bakery Coordinator
WEGMANS FOOD MARKETS, INC.
Elmira, NY
09.2017 - 11.2018
- Directed daily bakery operations in high-volume retail environment, overseeing inventory management, customer order fulfillment, staffing coordination, and performance standards.
- Analyzed sales trends and customer demand to forecast weekly volume, guiding purchasing decisions and aligning staffing plans.
- Maintained shrink at or below 2.5% through effective inventory management, regular audits, and item-movement analysis.
Cashier / Helping Hands
WEGMANS FOOD MARKETS, INC.
Elmira, NY
02.2013 - 09.2017
- Delivered frontline customer service in high-volume retail environment, ensuring accuracy, efficiency, and adherence to store presentation standards.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Sociology
Binghamton University, State University of New York
Binghamton, NY05-2017
Associate of Arts - Business Management
Corning Community College
Corning, NY05-2015
Skills
- Candidate evaluation and selection
- Candidate experience
- Community recruiting
- Full-cycle recruiting
- High-volume recruiting
- Hiring manager partnership
- Interviewing techniques
- Leadership training and coaching
- Localized sourcing strategies
- Market trends and insights
- New store openings
- Recruiting analytics
- Recruiting events and career fairs
- Retail management recruiting
- Talent acquisition strategy
- Talent pipeline development
- Workforce planning
VOLUNTEERING & LEADERSHIP
- CO-OP Residential Board, Vice President, 2022-01, Present
- WIN WESTROCKCONN, Communications Liaison, Leadership Board, 2019-01, 2023-01
Timeline
Talent Acquisition Recruiter
M&T BANK
12.2024 - Current
Talent Acquisition Recruiting Coordinator
M&T BANK
10.2022 - 12.2024
Operational Accounting Associate II
M&T BANK
10.2021 - 10.2022
Administrative Assistant II
M&T BANK
07.2019 - 10.2021
Service Associate
M&T BANK
11.2018 - 06.2019
Commercial Bakery Coordinator
WEGMANS FOOD MARKETS, INC.
09.2017 - 11.2018
Cashier / Helping Hands
WEGMANS FOOD MARKETS, INC.
02.2013 - 09.2017
Bachelor of Arts - Sociology
Binghamton University, State University of New York
Associate of Arts - Business Management
Corning Community College