Balancing the Grind with Laura Gardner, Senior Talent Acquisition Manager at Sonder

Laura Gardner is the Senior Talent Acquisition Manager at Sonder, the trusted wellbeing partner for some of the world’s most innovative organisations as they reimagine how to care and support their people.

1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?

I started my career in the UK, where I spent 5 years in recruitment agencies specialising in tech recruitment. I made the move to Australia back in 2017, which is when I made the conscious decision to pursue a career in internal Talent Acquisition.

It has taken me on an interesting journey! I’ve worked in a wide variety of industries but found my way to Sonder last year where I am fortunate to work in a space that combines my two passions; tech and wellbeing. I look after everything recruitment related to help grow this scaling business!

2) What does a day in your life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?

I always start my working day at our company-wide stand-up, it’s a great way to stay connected to our company mission and hear about the impact we have made to our members. I keep some time aside to review new applications and search for talent while I have that fresh morning energy! 

Some days I can be in several phone interviews for the various roles we are recruiting! On other days, I can be found running face-to-face or virtual interviews, collaborating with stakeholders and working on our TA Strategy. I end my day with a bit of reflection and a quick recap on the tasks I’ve achieved and prioritise the tasks to-do tomorrow.

3) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?

To me, work-life balance means that I have enough time and energy outside of my working day to look after myself and the people around me. 

When you love what you do it’s so easy to get lost in work and put in a few too many extra hours, I think that working from home has exacerbated that! For me, I make sure I don’t have any work comms on my personal phone. When I finish for the day, I leave my work phone on my desk.

4) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?

I personally find it easier to look after other people than myself! So I have committed to taking my pup out for a walk every lunchtime when I’m working from home. The time spent out in the fresh air really helps!

5) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?

There will always be more work to do, one more call to make, one more email to send. Prioritise yourself, no one ever looks back on their life and wishes they worked longer hours.

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