Six months ago, Recruit Action partner Domenic Calcara posted a personal message on LinkedIn that spoke volumes about his career path. In it, he spoke of the twenty-five years he and his partner Steve have spent together, and highlighted the things that make him proud of the life they’ve built together. He ended his message with a thought that his business coach, Claude Dionne, regularly repeats to him: “Before you can be good, you must first be good”. It may seem a simple phrase, but for Domenic, it sums up the journey that has enabled him to build a relationship, a family, a business and a life of which he is proud.
As with most individuals, education and experience have shaped who Domenic is today. Raised by a Sicilian father and a Quebecois mother, he learned to love the cuisine and traditions of his different heritages. Whether learning to make wine with his grandfather or tourtières with his grandmother, Domenic considers himself fortunate to have been able to enjoy the best of both cultures.
Domenic was a shy kid with a relentless ambition. At thirteen, he secretly landed his first job at a nearby Harvey’s restaurant while his parents were on vacation. His tenacity enabled him to gain incredible work experience, become independent and earn an impressive $2,000. He learned early on that every job could teach him something new about himself. At nineteen, he worked for the Cinéplex Odéon cinema chain. This unforgettable experience helped free him from his reserved temperament, and led him to embrace his true identity. He loved working in the cinema and was very good at what he did. He soon became assistant manager and realized that his new responsibilities would require him to overcome his shyness. And so, before every screening, he would go up to the audience – sometimes hundreds of strangers – and welcome them into the theater. He was scared to death, but he knew he had to rise to the challenge if he was to evolve.
Domenic’s willingness to overcome his fears has helped him to flourish at Cinéplex Odeon and in his personal life. This new-found confidence, as well as feeling better about himself, prompted him to share a long-held secret. Shortly after turning 21, he decided to announce his homosexuality to his parents. “I realized I needed to live the life I wanted to live, and I wanted to make sure I could be surrounded by those I loved,” Domenic explains. Although the experience was incredibly terrifying, opening up in this way only strengthened his relationship, with his parents.
That same year, he met Steve, the person who became his partner in life. Meeting Steve helped solidify Domenic’s confidence and determination to continue evolving professionally. For example, when he heard that a general manager position was vacant, Domenic climbed the stairs to his boss’s office and asked for the job. Shortly after his daring meeting with the company’s executives, he was managing a movie theater and on his way to becoming a regional training coordinator, responsible for hiring and training assistant managers and managers throughout Quebec.
Domenic’s experience at Cinéplex was transformative for his life, as well as his career. It was the job that made him realize that he loved working with people, particularly in the human resources sector. At the time, he was studying accounting at the Université du Québec à Montréal. However, the invaluable work experience he gained prompted him to change course and obtain a certificate, and to devote more time to gaining experience in his job. His in-depth knowledge of finding, training and integrating new talent also helped him to redirect his career towards recruitment. He soon left Cinéplex to take up a position as National Recruitment Manager at Randstad, which led to two years as Senior Recruitment Consultant at Manulife Financial. The ten years Domenic spent mastering the recruitment industry and developing his relationships, prepared him for two monumental life changes.
While enjoying a quiet weekend at their cottage, Steve and Domenic rented a six-hour Italian film, which told the moving story of a single father. The film made a profound impression on the couple, inspiring an unforgettable conversation about their heritage, their legacy and their shared desire to have a child. Soon after, Domenic and Steve registered with the Centre Jeunesse de Montréal to begin the adoption process. Less than two years later, the couple met their son Michael.
Michael’s arrival simply changed their lives. “Having a son presented us with challenges that we had to overcome. We had to learn more about who we were and how we were going to work together to raise a child,” explains Domenic. This required authentic communication, a constant search for common ground, and many compromises. For example, when the agency contacted them about Michael, the couple had just seven days to prepare their home for his arrival. After a sprint to IKEA and Kijiji for last-minute purchases, they were ready and Domenic gave Manulife less than a week’s notice before starting his paternity leave.
Just as Domenic was beginning to take up the challenge of parenthood, François Paiement was embarking on an exciting new entrepreneurial adventure. A year after the global financial crisis, the loss of his job and the arrival of his first child, François founded Recruit Action. His ambition was to bring significant balance to his life, and to that of the candidates he recruited. François told Domenic about the company, and the two friends immediately realized that they shared the same intention of creating a human-centered business. An organization that offered an optimal work-life balance, and took the time to make both candidates and companies feel heard, understood and appreciated. Seven months later, Domenic became a Recruit Action partner and began working with François, to make the company a place they both dreamed of working.
Looking back on his career, Domenic recognizes how essential it was to focus on his own well-being, in order to be a good father, a good life partner, a good business partner as well as a good boss. He says: “I needed to be surrounded by the people I love and to be able to focus on the things I loved to do.” Today’s Recruit Action partners know that they can’t expect their teams to perform at their best if they don’t feel good about themselves and their lives. Domenic is well aware of the effects that chronic stress can have on our well-being, as well as on every other aspect of our lives. That’s why Domenic, François and Kristyn Oleskewycz strive to provide; tools and ongoing support, so that their employees can thrive both at work and in their personal lives.
A year and a half after joining Recruit Action, Domenic felt incredibly anxious about the company’s future. He checked the company’s bank accounts daily and wondered if it could survive. Fortunately, he realized he needed to step back and find the help he needed to refocus on his well-being. Domenic met a therapist who taught him how to manage his anxiety, and a doctor who drew up a plan to improve his overall health. He also spoke to François honestly about his emotions and the steps he had taken to make his well-being a priority. This difficult conversation strengthened their personal and professional relationship, as well as their shared commitment to making physical and mental health a priority for everyone in the company, including the owners.
26 years ago, Domenic probably wouldn’t have shared such a personal message on LinkedIn. Back then, he was shy, unsure of himself and feared the judgment of others. However, each individual and professional challenge prompted him to rise to the occasion and step out of his comfort zone. His family, spouse and business partner accepted his challenges, and the love they showed him helped him overcome the obstacles, to emerge stronger than ever. When you surround yourself with people who care about you, you give yourself the means to succeed in whatever you do. It’s no coincidence that Recruit Action takes a human approach to its employees and customers. By helping to place candidates in environments where they feel safe, comfortable, connected and proud, we enable them to feel good about themselves and thrive in work and life. The life and career Domenic has built are proof that it’s essential to strive to be good before you can become good.
Please contact us if you would like to know more about Domenic and Recruit Action.
