Day in the Life of Isomorphic Labs’ Martin Lakatos

In this week’s Day in the Life... interview, Martin Lakatos shares more about his role as Talent Coordinator within the Talent Acquisition team at Isomorphic Labs, a digital biology company working to redefine drug discovery with the power of artificial intelligence.

myGwork: Tell us a bit about your role and how you got here? 

Martin: I am responsible for coordinating interviews, which involves being the initial point of contact for candidates as well as the hiring team throughout the recruitment process, and maintaining and updating candidate records within our Applicant Tracking systems. Most importantly, I am responsible for ensuring an excellent candidate and hiring team experience.

myGwork: What does a typical day look like for you? 

Martin: I typically arrive at the office around 10am and start the day by checking the interview agenda, then I reply to our amazing candidates. Once I have finished with admin tasks, I focus on interview scheduling which includes setting up interview rooms, providing interview preparation material for candidates and updating our database. I often create hiring reports to showcase our pipeline and the number of interviews scheduled.

I think we can all agree that attending an interview can be rather stressful! As a result, I always approach our candidates with empathy and friendliness, which really reflects our culture at Isomorphic Labs. We want candidates to be successful and to have a good experience as they go through the recruitment process at our company.

myGwork: What part of your role do you enjoy the most? 

Martin: I really enjoy the candidate experience element of my job. Interacting with our candidates and watching their progression is really rewarding. In my role as a Talent Coordinator, I have received so many kind emails from candidates that really do make my day. I am happy that I am our candidate’s first point of contact and see them enter Iso as an employee.

myGwork: Which top three skills are vital for this role and why? 

Martin: 1. Resilience/Flexibility: As a start-up, it’s a given that no two days are the same, changes happen all the time and it’s reflected in the interview process. Sometimes, people have to cancel interviews due to their personal circumstances and it requires flexibility and patience to find the best solution that is suitable for the candidate and the hiring team

2. Communication: Ensuring accuracy of communications, whether it's about job roles, company culture, or benefits, reduces the chance of misunderstandings and helps our candidates feel prepared for the interview, which benefits company and candidate alike.

3. Empathy: When candidates feel understood and valued, they are more likely to trust the organization. This trust can foster a sense of loyalty, even if the candidate is not selected for the position. I also believe that demonstrating empathy can help alleviate some of the stress around interviews, allowing candidates to perform at their best during interviews and assessments.

myGwork: What’s the most challenging aspect of your role? 

Martin: One of the most challenging aspects of my role is to find a middle ground. I am passionate about providing a fantastic candidate experience, I want to make sure that our candidates are happy and enjoy getting to know us. I also want to do the same for the hiring teams, and need to be flexible to navigate conflicts such as differing schedules, agendas and availability.

myGwork: How do you help others feel like they belong in your team/promote inclusion? 

Martin: I try to encourage others to bring their authentic selves to work, which is very important to me personally. I try to foster an inclusive environment by welcoming differing opinions and experiences. It’s really valuable as this promotes a psychologically safe environment and encourages open communication. In my role, I ensure that the candidates receive everything they need to feel welcome, have a good experience and be successful.

myGwork: Which podcast/Youtube series would you recommend to someone interested in pursuing a career in this area to help develop their skills/prepare them for the role? 

Martin: Adam Grant’s WorkLife podcast is an amazing resource.