Joe O'Shea, In the Limelight

In the Limelight: Joe O’Shea

Broadleaf has long been recognized as a premier provider of total talent and workforce management solutions. But who are the people behind the scenes that help make our success possible?

In this edition of our “In the Limelight” series, meet Joe O’Shea. Having been recently promoted to Senior Director of Organizational and Supplier Development, Joe’s 20+ years of HR and workforce management experience are critical to the success of the Broadleaf team. Not only does Joe maintain hundreds of relationships with staffing suppliers, but he oversees all of operations and business excellence to ensure that our clients receive an A+ experience.

From Buffalo to Boston

When I was growing up, I always knew that I wanted to work in HR. That’s why I attended Niagara University and graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in HR Management. When I first started exploring the job market in Buffalo, almost every position came with a catch-22—candidates were required to have at least two years of professional experience. As a recent college grad, I knew that my odds were slim of landing an HR role, so I packed up and moved to Boston in search of the right opportunity.

Honing my HR skills 

Upon relocating to Boston—where the job market was hopping—I landed a job with Lifeline Systems. This is really where I cut my teeth in HR. I worked as a benefits administrator, gained experience in employee relations, and even served as an HR generalist. This experience helped me to land a new role with Hasbro Toys, where I worked as a recruiting consultant in helping the company to establish its software division. I often say that these two experiences were critical in laying the groundwork for my professional career.

Joining the Broadleaf team

I eventually moved from Boston to Rochester to be closer to my parents. Around the same time, I received a call from Ryan Stenvick, who was formerly our company-wide corporate recruiter. Ryan asked if I was interested in accepting a position to manage the Xerox account under Broadleaf. I knew that my previous experience had prepared me well for this role, as I felt comfortable in my abilities in dealing with change management and employee relations issues. I took the job with Broadleaf, and—15 years later—haven’t looked back since!

The Broadleaf difference

Throughout my time with Broadleaf, I’ve been able to work in several different roles within the organization. After starting as a program manager, I grew into a national account manager before getting involved in client strategy, development, and supplier management. I even worked in sales for a few years and learned the ins and outs of selling our suite of solutions. This continued growth and development have been attractive to me since I first joined the Broadleaf team, and I credit Lynne Marie Finn for giving me the freedom to transition internally and experiment with new roles that require me to think creatively.

Operating in a global market

Part of what excites me about my role is solving the challenges that are thrown my way. Every day, there are new ripples that affect our organization in different capacities. Keeping pace with—and making adjustments to—these is critically important. Right now, some pundits claim we’re in the midst of a talent shortage. Our team at Broadleaf understands the value in not just finding qualified candidates, but retaining this first-rate talent. Being consultative with our clients in helping them to solve these challenges throughout their global markets is part of what makes my job—and our company—so special.

Out-of-office passions

When I’m not working at my desk, chances are I’m with my family—my wife, kids, grandkids, and pets keep me busy outside the office. I’m a big supporter of the saying, “what goes around, comes around”—and I strongly believe that being a good person will get you far in life. Beyond this, I’m an avid runner and love starting my day off right with a long run. And throughout our company, I’ve become well known for my homemade salsa—not the dance, but the dip!

To learn more about Joe O’Shea, connect with him on LinkedIn.

Interested in reading more about our Broadleaf team? Check out our blog for more of our “In the Limelight” series features!