Women in Staffing: An Interview with Carmen Salas Solivan

As we celebrate both Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, we’re excited to celebrate some of our staffing leaders at SPECTRAFORCE. One of our core values at SPECTRAFORCE is promoting diversity, and one way we do that is to empower the highly experienced women in staffing at our firm. 

In this blog, we’ll get to know Carmen Salas Solivan, a leader in our Puerto Rico office whose dedication and experience make her invaluable to our team. 

Q&A

Carmen, tell us a little about your background. 

I was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I got a bachelor's degree in human resources and a master's degree in labor relations. In my free time, I love to read (especially Japanese authors!), travel, and play D&D with my friends.  

What inspired you to pursue this line of work?  

When I was 16, I participated in a summer program that gave me a job at a governmental agency in the HR department. I loved how the HR team guided the employees throughout their journey. I wanted a career like that: where I could help people navigate their careers and be there to support them.  

When I started at SPECTRAFORCE more than ten years ago, I started as an HR Associate. As we gained more clients, I moved to Client Services and did everything from sourcing to recruitment to interviewing to onboarding to staff relations. I’ve even worked with payroll and timesheets!  

I’ve been so grateful to have had the chance to work so broadly at SPECTRAFORCE. In university, you gain theory. At SPECTRAFORCE, you put it into action.

What’s the most rewarding part of your day-to-day work? 

The most rewarding part of staffing for me is being part of someone’s journey and seeing people grow into their roles and build confidence. 

What do you think is the unique strength of women in staffing?  

I believe wholeheartedly that one of the biggest strengths that women bring to staffing is multitasking. We naturally juggle all of the responsibilities that come with multiple job postings, sourcing, reporting, and supporting clients.  

At SPECTRAFORCE Puerto Rico, all our divisions are led by women, and so there’s amazing representation. I also think women in staffing have a unique ability to listen. When we listen, we can bring new ideas to life. Listening fosters a culture of inclusion because, when we hear everybody, we shape solutions for everybody. 

What has been your biggest accomplishment in staffing or at SPECTRAFORCE? 

There have been a lot of accomplishments over the last 12 years. One of my favorite successes is seeing contingent employees transition to become regular full-time employees with our clients. Sometimes they even go on to hold leadership positions, which is really exciting.  

I’m also very proud of my coworker, Laurangelic. She was on the Client Services team and was promoted last year to become the Recruitment Supervisor. SPECTRAFORCE provides people with opportunities to grow, especially if you’re vocal about what you want to learn and do.  

Any final thoughts about working in staffing at SPECTRAFORCE?  

I’ve been very lucky to have Daisy de Jesus as my mentor. We’ve been together from the start, and she’s provided me with so many opportunities to grow in my career and to build and use the tools I need to succeed. I always felt that she believed in me, and I’m grateful.