You pass them in the halls, see their faces on Teams calls, and exchange emails. You know their job title and department and might even know their extension by heart. But do you truly know who you’re working with? Get to know Kieran Paskewitz, an Associate Recruiter and Tandym’s Employee of the Month for January 2024!

Who are you?

I come from a big family out of Garden City, Long Island. I’m the second oldest of five boys, so you can imagine there was a lot of sports and competition growing up in my life. My father was a NYC firefighter and when he retired, he was always around coaching our teams growing up. I wrestled in high school and played both football and lacrosse all my life. When I got to Hobart College, I joined their football squad – which was an amazing 4 years of camaraderie and commitment that I miss to this day. Now, besides working (haha), my main sport is fishing. I’ve been doing it all my life with my family, but I’ve got a newfound appreciation for it. I mostly fish for fluke and striped bass, but I’ve recently gotten a taste of what tuna fishing is like. It’s tough and expensive, but the thrill is unmatched!

What is a hidden talent or fun fact about you that most people wouldn’t be able to tell?

I kind of wear my talents on my sleeves – big into sports and big into fishing. I guess if there’s a fun fact most people wouldn’t know just by looking at me it’s that my family and I were once featured on a cooking show called “Now Eat This”. This was years ago when I was maybe 11 years old. This chef Rocco DiSpirito would go around and teach people how to cook healthy meals for large families. My aunt was really good friends with one of the producers and they were looking for a unique family to feature in one of the episodes. She presented our case and they said, why not choose this giant family of boys?

This was way before TikTok/Instagram would spell these recipes out for you. They came to our house and they got us pies of pizza at 10 am to eat, which my brothers and I thought was awesome. And then the chef came and taught my parents how to make a few quick meals to feed us growing boys. The funny thing is my parents wouldn’t serve us pizza that early in the morning, it was the show’s idea so that they could show how far we’ve come after learning the recipes. Either way, my brothers and I had no problem with it at all. That was my claim to fame. They’ll still play the episodes randomly every now and then on the Food Network or other similar channels. I’ve gotten random texts from friends saying, “hey, you’re on Food Network eating pizza in the morning again.”

If you could switch lives with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?

Patrick Mahomes. To be one of the most famous sports stars in the world and the best athlete for the day would be an absolute dream. I’m a hardcore Jets fan, but the guy is an absolute unicorn of a football player. I’m all about the training, hard work, and preparation that goes in for a game, so to be able to live out his routine would be awesome. I also think he does an excellent job of prioritizing football and business first. The way he ignores all the outside noises about his family or even the Taylor Swift craze and still manages to come off as a winning professional, is nothing short of impressive.

Did you find Tandym or did we find you?

Tandym found me! When I was a junior in college, one of my friends was working at Tandym and reached out to see if I would be interested in pursuing an internship. I had no summer plans, so I jumped on the opportunity, even though I didn’t know what recruiting was or what I would be doing. I was just happy to get my foot in the door in a corporate / sales environment that I thought I could excel in. I had a great summer internship where I made a lot of friends and learned a lot. Going back to college, the experience left a solid impression on me and I was interested in coming back. I reached out before graduation and talked to a few different teams, eventually getting a full-time offer!

In your opinion, what’s the best comedy of all time? (both show and movie)

For movies, that’s easy. It’s either “Stepbrothers” or “The Other Guys”. Will Ferrell is a comedic genius in anything he’s in and the whole NYPD aspect with Mark Wahlberg in “The Other Guys” is just too funny.
As for TV, I don’t really watch comedy shows. I’m more of a drama / action show guy like “Game of Thrones” or those random Netflix limited series that come. I just finished “Fool Me Once” and that was good. It was an easy two-day binge that I’d highly recommend. But if I had to answer a comedy, maybe “Entourage”?

How did it feel to win Employee of the Month?

I had a feeling I was nominated by my teammate Dan Goldsmith, but didn’t expect to win at all. When I found out on the Town Hall, I was a bit taken aback. I’m just happy my effort is being recognized by the company, but especially by my teammates who have been nothing but great in getting me acclimated and helping me succeed since day 1.

What does your playlist currently look like?

I swear I listen to all different types of music, but it’s very heavy on country these days. My top three artists right now are probably Riley Green, Parker McCollum, and Lil Durk. I’m actually going to see Riley Green in a few months. Looking forward to that. Give him a listen!

What advice would you give to your coworkers on how to reach Employee of the Month status?

It might sound generic but showing up every day to the office (or as many days as possible) has to be one of the main factors. I showed up with a smile on my face and a positive attitude ready to take on each day’s challenges. That’s half the battle.

The other half is communication. This is a people business. You have to talk to everyone – clients, candidates, your coworkers – and kind of impose your will on them. Carve your niche and provide the most value the best way you can. Whether you’re asking for assistance on something you’re working on or maybe having a solution to someone’s else problem, keep the conversations active to consistently make sure you’re always on the right track. It’s never wrong to ask questions as long as you don’t ask them too late.

What are your goals for 2024 and beyond?

I want to be one of the top, if not the top producer on my team. We have a solid team of go-getters, but I’m for the challenge. It’s going to require building better client relationships as well as continuing to build new professional relationships with candidates. This is an industry where it’s all about interactions and if you keep those fresh throughout the year, it’s hard for them to go bad.

If you had to choose an entirely different career, what would it be and why?

I’ve got two if that’s cool. The main one would be a professional athlete – like a lineman in the NFL. It’s a position that sometimes goes unnoticed until you’re the person making mistakes and being put on the spot. It’s not as glorified as it should be, but the effort and hard work go a long way and I like that. There’s something about being quietly successful and dominant that’s appealing to me. And if not that, I’d love to be a tuna charter captain. A lot of those charter boats fish up here in the Northeast during the summer and then move down to the Carolinas in the winter. It’s a grueling job that requires a lot of commitment which I love, but the strategy and the timing of it are the real fun. And of course, the big rewards reflect hard work.