A culture of inclusion doesn’t spring up fully formed. It takes vision, strategy, and a willingness to get things done. It also takes the right people in the right places at the right time to make it work. That’s where Christie Book comes in. Christie heads up Executive Leadership Recruitment (ELR) across our portfolio and has been instrumental in helping leaders thrive at Oracle. We caught up with her about her career, the impact she’s made at Oracle, and what the future holds for inclusive recruitment at the highest levels of tech.
Christie, tell us a little about what you do at Oracle and how your work makes an impact.
I lead executive recruiting for Oracle globally, focusing on leadership roles across every line of business. Finding and attracting the best talent for Oracle is our top priority. Our team of search industry veterans delivers an inclusive slate of candidates, both internal and external, and addresses growth plans and potential gaps with hiring leaders. Our goal is to provide the same, or better, service experience as an external firm with significantly less investment. Every week, we place very accomplished executives in roles that provide them the opportunity to make an impact at massive scale.
It sounds like you have a lot of responsibilities! What have you enjoyed most about your role?
The most rewarding part of this or any recruiting role is seeing our placements thrive. We celebrate their anniversaries, successes, career advancements… And enjoy helping them build out their teams over many years.
You’ve enjoyed an incredible 20-year leadership journey here. Based on your experiences, what do you think makes Oracle attractive to both seasoned and aspiring leaders?
Oracle is constantly innovating and leaders are constantly making a big impact. It is an exciting place to work because employees feel empowered to find better solutions to complex problems for our customers. Our products and services sell to enterprises, which translates to a massive impact on millions of users. It’s exciting to think about transformation on a massive scale like that.
You and your team have been hard at work driving a renewed commitment to inclusion in executive recruiting at Oracle. What inspired it and how is it being put into action?
Inclusion has come to the forefront more and more over the years. We ensure job descriptions use inclusive language and constantly reach out to candidates. Our hiring teams also ensure that candidates see themselves represented in the interview process. Our team is also very engaged with culture and inclusion training and the importance of this is stressed at the executive level.
Empowering teams to realize this vision has certainly paid off. Why do you think fostering inclusion in leadership roles is so crucial?
Building inclusive teams and culture across the company is key to our success. It has a positive impact on business performance from greater innovation to increased productivity and higher revenue. Our leaders understand this and are committed to making everyone feel included.
How has strategy evolved at Oracle to support this fresh commitment to inclusion?
Two years ago, we hired a global executive inclusion program leader dedicated to executive recruiting—Camille Franklin. That solidified our commitment. Our broader strategy is focused on attracting and engaging executives of all backgrounds and giving our recruiting team the resources they need to do so.
How do you measure the success of executive recruitment initiatives like this?
We measure several areas including pipeline, number of interviews, and candidates hired. We also work to promote Oracle as an inclusive place to work through social media and blogs.
How does our more inclusive approach to executive recruitment set us apart?
We’ve always had good programs in place to promote culture and inclusion. And with the addition of Camille, we have a dedicated expert to help us take things to the next level. This in-house approach sets us apart as Camille can seamlessly incorporate her knowledge of Oracle’s overall culture and inclusion strategy into our executive recruitment strategy.
Finding the right talent to find the right talent you could say! You must have some interesting executive success stories. Can you share some?
Of course! One of our notable success stories is Nicole James, whose recruitment by Executive Recruiter Allen Marine has greatly enriched Oracle. Nicole has been instrumental in mentoring numerous employees, a role she has taken on with great dedication. Her involvement in representing Oracle at external events and delivering keynote addresses also shows her leadership prowess. Nicole is the driving force behind Greatness, Excellence, Maturity, and Sincerity (G.E.M.S.)—a thriving mentoring program she founded for women at Oracle. This has had a significant positive impact on the career growth and development of many people. Nicole’s story is just one of many that exemplify the transformative effects of our inclusive executive recruitment efforts. Her contributions have not only elevated our business, they’ve also nurtured a more vibrant organizational culture.
Thanks for sharing—what do you think the future holds for executive recruitment at Oracle?
We will continue to strive for excellence and find the best talent for Oracle. When we get it right, it’s magical and we see the business results. We are proud to recruit for a company with high integrity and lofty ambitions. Every time we start a search, we’re prepared to rise to a whole new challenge. It keeps us on our toes!
Thanks for talking to us today, Christie. Before we go, what advice do you have for leaders considering a career move to Oracle?
I speak to all our executive new hires at around the three-month mark to make sure they are integrating well. I always hear how collegial the culture is and how the empowerment is refreshing. I enjoy these conversations for several reasons, but mostly they affirm why I’m still here and motivate me to keep evolving.
Do you want to thrive as a leader at a company that values and empowers what makes you unique? Explore our open roles today and come create the future with us.