Summit Interview with John Delpino

Summit Interview with John Delpino

1.      How did you get into recruiting?  Like everyone else in recruiting, I majored in it in college.  Seriously, while working and finishing my MBA, sought out a recruiter for a new role in sales/marketing and got recruited into ‘intangible sales’ at $700/month draw against commission.
2.      How many years have you been in recruiting? Over 25 years
3.      What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you? Grew up in 3 countries, and attended 9 schools in 12 years
4.      What are your top 3 goals you hope you and your team accomplish in 2013?  Hire new officers More, Better, Quicker/faster
5.      What do you like most about your current job? What do you dislike?  Like: The depth of internal and external access. Dislike: Starting a search and an internal surfacing well after getting started.
6.      Do you have a work pet peeve in yourself or others?  Timeliness, as Fred once said, “John’s on time, he’s 15 minutes early.”
7.      What is the best thing for you about working for Walmart? Undoubtedly, the people and the culture
8.      When does the day start for you?  Wake at 4AM, workout, in the office by 615AM
9.      What was your first impression of NWA and Bentonville?  In the dark, the longest 10 miles I have ever driven and then when reaching Walton Blvd, lo and behold, I was greeted by the neon signs of every budget hotel known to man.  Initial optics not great, which made the area tour all the more impressive.

10.     When you are off work how you do relax?  Yard work, exploring new areas, hanging out at the pool with our pets.
11.     A few unchecked items on your Life’s Bucket List:  For me, staring with ‘A’, Africa and Alaska.  My wife would rather go back to Hawaii or Tahiti (Bora Bora).
12.     Tell us about yourself (home town, residence, family, education, etc)  Born Monterey, CA, high school years in Bucks County (suburban Philadelphia), PA.  Proudly served in the United States Marine Corps.  Re-met at HS reunion and married 17 years (eloped in Maui) collectively have 5 boys in NC, NJ and CT.  BS/MBA.  Two dogs (Bernease Mountain Dog and a rescue) and 4 rescue cats.
13.     If you could have dinner with some notable person dead or alive – who would it be and why?  Theodore Roosevelt, a true renaissance man who we can thank for our National Park system.
14.     What was your top take-a-way from the 2013 Global Walmart Recruiting Summit? The incredible depth of talent we have moving up the ranks within TA.
15.     If you had a Magic Genie and one wish; what one project on your plate would you ask for help on?  The never ending task of finding diverse talent.
16.     Fill in the blank: “I’ve been fortunate to___________”  Find Walmart, wish it had been earlier in my career.
17.     Where do I spend most of my disposable income:  Travel and leisure.  Since moving here, personal travel  to Europe (3 times), DC, NY, San Francisco, San Diego, Hawaii (twice), KC, Dallas, Chicago, Boston, etc.  Going to Peru (Machu Picchu) this August and Cabo San Lucas January 2014.
18.     One word to sum me up:  Loyalty