Kristin Dorm, a 1998 Isenberg marketing graduate, was recently promoted to Individual Life and Financial Services vice president of agency growth and development at financial services firm OneAmerica. Dorm joined the organization in 2020 as the national director of recruiting and agent development. In that role, she made a great impact recruiting for the company’s Career Distribution channel and increased diversity among its general agents. In her new role, Dorm is leading the charge in driving growth, creating recruiting excellence, and supporting the deployment and adoption of innovative recruiting and agent development initiative. With nearly 20 years of recruiting experience in the financial services industry, she excels in connecting the right people with the right opportunity. Dorm is a thought leader on diversity, equity and inclusion. She recently joined the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors’ (NAIFA) Diversity Equity and Inclusion Council to provide guidance, advice, and support to important diversity initiatives in the financial services industry. She has been active in promoting and supporting the American College of Financial Service’s Conference of African American Financial Professionals (CAAFP).
Isenberg is very proud of our alumni who are making an impact in business. We asked Dorm to tell us a little more about her career:
Can you briefly describe your career steps since graduation?
I’ve been in recruiting since I graduated UMass Amherst in 1998. Recruiting, for me, is about connecting good people with other good people. I initially started in technology recruiting, where I learned the foundational knowledge of recruitment. Then I transferred to the financial services industry, where I have been since 2001.
How did you get involved in DEI work?
I’ve been doing DEI work for almost 20 years. It has always been a passion of mine. Initially, I volunteered to use my voice to support new employees, and from there it blossomed into other opportunities such as the development of unique and targeted recruiting strategies, employee education, and employee support. One of my greatest joys is that I was part of the initial launch of my previous company’s Employee Resource Group. It was the first time the company had internal groups designed to support diverse employees. It was a wonderful experience to partner with employees from across the company. The group is still in place today.
How would you say DEI work has changed since you started doing it? Do companies value it differently now, or do they want different outcomes?
DEI has greatly evolved over the years. The biggest change is how inclusive it has become, because in the beginning, it was focused primarily on race. Now the work we do has broadened to focus on generational differences, ethnic differences, and sexual identity. By expanding the definition of the work, we’ve been able to reach many more people. I really feel our next big opportunity is to work with the cross section of generations in the workforce. It’s important that everyone feels welcome and whole at work.
What brought you to OneAmerica and this new role?
OneAmerica is a future-focused organization. I fell in love with the idea that they are looking to push the envelope to learn and to do things differently. I am surrounded by big thinkers and question askers, my favorite type of people. My new role here at OneAmerica is a testimony to the idea that the company is thinking differently, as the role didn’t exist prior to me joining. OneAmerica, when looking towards the future, decided that they needed to prioritize recruiting the next generation of talent, the talent needed to take our vision forward to attract the right clients and partners. This includes recruiting diverse agents and ensuring we have an inclusive organization to allow for everyone to thrive.
What’s the most rewarding or exciting thing you do in your job?
People hear me say this all the time: It is an honor to work in recruiting. Nothing is more rewarding than impacting someone’s career trajectory. I have met so many great people over the years, and I continue to learn from many of them in their current roles.
How did your Isenberg education help you get where you are today?
One of my most impactful courses was international business. I was fascinated by the way people did business outside of the United States. I had only ever thought about our own cultural norms. It was a great experience for me to learn about how other countries and cultures conduct business. I apply many of those lessons today when I am interviewing or even working across the organization. I’ve never forgotten this important lesson: Not everyone thinks like you, so take the time to learn and ask questions first and assume nothing.