Meet the Team Monday: Katlin Kish, accesso® Seasonal Recruiting Lead
This month, our “Meet the Team” series is shining a spotlight on a few of the team members that help make accesso the company it is. Today, we’re introducing Katlin Kish, the recruiting extraordinaire responsible for recruiting seasonal staff members to support our on-site technology in theme parks across the U.S. Read on to hear from Katlin what it’s like working for accesso (twice!) and what her personal growth has looked like, both within and outside of the company.
Katlin Kish, accesso Seasonal Recruiting Lead
Time with accesso: 1.5 years
Tell us about about your time with accesso … it’s a unique story!
Unique, indeed! I’m what’s referred to as a “boomerang employee,” meaning I’ve technically worked for accesso twice. I worked here for a year in 2018-19 and returned in late 2021, so I’m now rounding my second six-month anniversary with the company!
What do you love the most about working at accesso?
First, the people. Everyone, even those outside of my own team, is welcoming, friendly and always willing to help. When I first came to accesso, I knew very little about technology, but I learned quickly thanks to the people around me. No one ever hesitated to help translate terms for me or explain things I was confused about, which was huge!
Beyond that, the ability and encouragement to be innovative and creative is core to our culture at accesso. If one of us has an idea, the response is “Let’s try it!” Or “Let’s modify that to make it work.”
Finally, working here is fun! From the company-wide events to engaging conversations on Workplace, to working with exciting products and clients … all of it makes for a really fun and energizing day-to-day.
How does accesso differ from other companies you’ve worked for?
I’d spent most of my career working for large organizations like accesso, but here it feels personal – in a good way. You are treated as a person and not just as someone who works for the company. The compassion, flexibility, and care are simply unmatched. Me and my needs are “put first” in many ways, especially when it comes to development and growth.
That’s why I came back – accesso’s approach to caring for its people was something I could not forget.
Is there a big “win” or accomplishment you could share from your time working here?
When I first started at accesso, I was terrified of taking on roles that dealt with highly technical terms or responsibilities – as I mentioned, technology wasn’t exactly my area of expertise. I really didn’t think some of these concepts were possible for me to grasp, but my manager recognized this and slowly started introducing roles that had technical aspects to them. And I felt supported each step of the way – my manager would take the time to review technical terms with me and attend phone screens with me to provide feedback. This pushed me outside my comfort zone while allowing me to truly learn.
I still have more to learn in the technical realm, but I can now have confident conversations with candidates, regardless of technical subject matter, and it’s very fulfilling to see how far I’ve come on that with the support of my team.
Do you have a favorite show, book or podcast? Why is it your favorite?
This is going to be a weird mix! My favorite show is “Schitt’s Creek” because, no matter how many times I watch it, it always makes me laugh and puts me in a good mood. For books and podcasts, I love true crime and thrillers. My current favorite podcast is “Rotten Mango,” which is all things true crime. And to top off this interesting mix, my favorite movies belong to the “Harry Potter” film series, with my favorite being “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” Something about escaping to the wizarding world and pretending I’m not a muggle just makes me happy (though I‘m still waiting on my letter from Hogwarts)! And, if you must know, I am a Slytherin – the most misunderstood house.
What do you do for fun, outside of work?
I love to play sports and can be pretty competitive. I used to play basketball, softball, volleyball and golf; now, as an adult, I’m a runner. I like to hike but live in Florida – not exactly known for its peaks and valleys – but, one day, I want to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. I’m sharing this to hold “future me” accountable!
If you’d like to learn more about joining our team and what makes accesso a great place to work, head over to our Careers page to check out current opportunities!