20+ Years at Dell and Beyond: Jennifer Newbill’s Career Crossroads

Chris Hoyt: Welcome everybody. You’re listening to the CXR Recruiting Community Podcast. You can check us out at cxr.works/podcast. We’re streaming on all the platforms—hit like, hit subscribe. We do more stuff every week, and we have a lot of fun with this.

We’ve done close to 500 interviews—Jerry and I have hosted conversations with TA leaders about what they’re working on, and with solution providers about what excites or frustrates them in the space.

But this episode is a little different. Jerry, want to tell us where we’re at with this series? I love the backstory behind why it’s called what it’s called.

Gerry Crispin: Yeah, I’m having a lot of fun with this series. When we first started CareerXroads, we thought about the decision-making process that employers go through—as well as what candidates go through. But for most of our history, we focused on the employer side.

Now, we’re talking to a number of TA leaders about their own decision processes—how they started, how they found themselves in recruiting, and what they’ve learned about choosing a career path, again and again. I love the insights coming out of these conversations.

Chris Hoyt: I love it. So who are we talking to today?

Gerry Crispin: Jennifer Newbill. She spent most of her career at Dell in a variety of roles—not just there, but always driven by curiosity. That curiosity shows up again and again in the choices she’s made. And she’s made a decision to stay within Texas, which I find fascinating. Every one of these leaders is so different, yet they’ve all created powerful careers.

Chris Hoyt: We’ve loved Jen for years. It’s fun to have her as a Texas neighbor, and I’m excited to hear the conversation you had with her. I hope everyone enjoys this special edition of CareerXroads.

Announcer: Welcome to the Recruiting Community Podcast, the go-to channel for talent acquisition leaders and practitioners. This show is brought to you by CXR—a trusted community of thousands connecting the best minds in the industry to explore topics like attracting, engaging, and retaining top talent. Hosted by Chris Hoyt and Gerry Crispin. We’re thrilled to have you join the conversation.

Gerry Crispin: I’m really pleased to be here today with Jennifer Newbill, who I’ve known for, I don’t know, almost two decades. She’s spent most of that time at Dell—but not all of it—and has recently made a pivot to coaching, which I think is incredible.

So, Jen, when people ask you who you are, how do you respond?

Jennifer Newbill: I respond that I’m a very curious person. I’m curious about other people, the universe, this planet we inhabit—all the big things and all the little things. I’m always asking why or what happened. Let’s go back. I want to know more.

I’m also the type of person who enjoys things like vacation photos. If someone says, “Oh, you don’t want to see pictures of people you don’t know,” I’m like, “Actually, I do.” I’m very interested in people and what makes them tick.

Gerry Crispin: I love that. Have you always been that way?

Jennifer Newbill: I think so. In college, I almost got the nickname “20 Questions” because I was always asking people where they were from, if they had siblings, what their childhood was like, what jobs they’d had. I’ve always been really curious about how people operate.

Gerry Crispin: And you’ve spent most of your life in Texas, right?

Jennifer Newbill: Yep. Moved here when I was five. My parents brought me, and I’ve lived here ever since. I love to travel, but I’ve always lived in Texas.

Gerry Crispin: That curiosity certainly served you well as a recruiter. How did you fall into recruiting? Was it intentional or accidental?

Jennifer Newbill: A little bit of both. I was in grad school in Dallas, working in the career center at the University of Dallas. I helped my peers with resumes and job searches. One day, I came across a posting from Heidrick & Struggles, one of the premier retained executive search firms. I decided to apply.

Once I met the people there, I was hooked. I didn’t entirely know what the job was at first, but I knew I could learn a lot from them.

Gerry Crispin: Were you in a research role?

Jennifer Newbill: Yep, started as a research associate. But pretty quickly, I got opportunities to run with some of the “freebie” searches—VP roles supporting bigger executive searches. I had a mentor who would bring me in, put calls on speakerphone, and let me listen to how he approached candidates. I learned so much from him and others there.

Gerry Crispin: That’s fascinating. And it’s true—many corporations didn’t want to be the ones cold-calling back then, so they relied on search firms to do that work.

Jennifer Newbill: Exactly. It was a great environment to learn. Everyone was willing to teach me. I had another peer who became a full associate—we learned from each other, and it made the experience even more valuable.

Gerry Crispin: So how did you end up leaving Heidrick?

Jennifer Newbill: I moved from Dallas to Austin to be near family. Remote work wasn’t really a thing yet, so I had to leave. I joined a couple of startups, rode the .com wave. One startup didn’t get its next round of funding. Another had internal dynamics that pushed me out. It taught me a lot.

Eventually, I joined Dell in 2003. I was just ready for something stable after all that.

Gerry Crispin: And Dell was still a relatively young, fast-growing company at the time.

Jennifer Newbill: Yes! Super high growth, high volume. My first year, my team hired around 1,500 people—and there were only six of us. It was bananas. But it was exciting.

Gerry Crispin: What was your role when you joined?

Jennifer Newbill: Frontline recruiting leader. I inherited a very small team, which I ended up growing because the volume was insane. We were hiring everyone—from tech support to project managers and field services.

Gerry Crispin: When did you shift into employer branding and recruitment marketing?

Jennifer Newbill: Around 2010. Before that, I worked in L&D, talent management, and HR operations. I helped rebuild manager onboarding, and later supported a major acquisition. Eventually, I was tapped to lead recruitment marketing—and that role became my favorite job ever.

Gerry Crispin: That was a big shift. Did you feel supported in those transitions?

Jennifer Newbill: Definitely. I had a lot of autonomy. Over 21 years at Dell, I had 14 or 15 different managers. Some were very detailed; others preferred a high-level view. I had to learn to adapt and eventually define my own style. One of my strengths is “Learner,” so I thrived when given new challenges.

Gerry Crispin: You were among the early pioneers in employer branding.

Jennifer Newbill: It was brand new for Dell—and fairly new in the industry. I quickly realized I needed to build a strong external network, and that made all the difference. I learned so much from others in the space.

Gerry Crispin: Then you moved into early career talent, which was another big pivot.

Jennifer Newbill: Yep. At first, I didn’t want to. I loved recruitment marketing. But I realized I needed a new challenge. I had led professional and marketing teams—but not campus recruiting. So I gave it a shot, and it was a great experience.

Gerry Crispin: Did you ever consider becoming a head of TA somewhere?

Jennifer Newbill: I thought about it, but I really wanted to stay at Dell. I loved the company and felt there was still more to do. I got calls from other companies, but relocation was never an option for me. I was rooted in Texas—family, friends, my yoga studio. That flexibility was non-negotiable.

Gerry Crispin: So eventually, you chose to leave Dell. What led to that?

Jennifer Newbill: Dell started to contract as an organization—like many companies did. HR shrunk considerably, and I saw the writing on the wall. I brought up the idea of transitioning out, and leadership was supportive. It was the right decision for everyone.

I’d always been interested in coaching. My undergrad was in psychology, and coaching felt like a natural evolution. I pursued certifications, and now I’m building that practice.

Gerry Crispin: What’s your vision for the future?

Jennifer Newbill: Balance. I want to work when I want, with people and situations that energize me. Right now, I focus on mid-career professionals—people at a crossroads, trying to figure out what’s next. But I’m open to evolving.

I’m especially drawn to using CliftonStrengths with couples. Fun fact—I once wanted to be a marriage counselor! So that might be a future path too.

Gerry Crispin: Last question—if you were advising someone early in their career today, what would you tell them?

Jennifer Newbill: Understand that you’re a complex, multi-layered person. You’re not just your job. Explore your interests, your passions—don’t put them on hold.

I became a certified yoga teacher at 50. I wish I hadn’t waited so long. If something interests you—even if it doesn’t make you money now—pursue it. You never know where it might lead.

I also recommend the book The Five Types of Wealth by Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha. It talks about financial, time, community, mental, and physical wealth. Don’t neglect any of them. Focus on all of them equally, as best you can. And if your gut or the universe is pulling you in a direction—follow it. Be curious. Ask the questions. See what happens.

Gerry Crispin: I love that. The more we learn from each other’s journeys, the better we can shape our own. Jen, thank you so much.

Jennifer Newbill: Thank you, Gerry. This was a wonderful conversation.

Announcer: Thanks for listening to the Recruiting Community Podcast, where talent acquisition leaders connect, learn, and grow together. Be sure to visit cxr.works/podcast to explore past episodes, see what’s coming up next, and find out how you can join the conversation.

Whether you’ve got insights to share or want to be a guest on the show—we’d love to hear from you. To learn more about becoming a member of the CXR community, visit www.cxr.works. We’ll catch you in the next episode.