When Griselda joined Coupang in 2021, she focused on elevating Coupang's U.S. hiring and building strong, long-term talent pipelines as the company's first U.S.-based Principal Recruiter. She entered during a pivotal pre-IPO moment of rapid growth.
In just a few years, Griselda progressed from Senior Manager to Director, and today leads U.S. Recruiting as Head of the function — overseeing a 25‑person team supporting some of Coupang’s most critical hires. Her growth reflects Coupang’s culture of early ownership and trust. “Coupang invests in people who step up,” she says. “What I’m most proud of isn’t my title, but the team we’ve built and the impact we’re making.”
Choosing the environment where impact comes first
Before joining Coupang, Griselda had opportunities from well-known U.S. companies. But she chose something different: the chance to build and redefine recruiting at global scale.
“I just love the craziness of the early stage. Coupang offers autonomy, speed, and real ownership. It was a place where I could contribute from day one and build something long-term.”
It wasn’t just an opportunity to create a new function. Coupang’s combination of Korean roots, global ambition, and bold innovation gave her a challenge she knew would stretch her professionally. Trusting her intuition turned out to be the right decision.
Designing a recruiting organization built for scale
As Head of U.S. Recruiting, Griselda is building a talent organization designed for long-term growth. At Coupang’s pace, recruiting isn’t reactive — it's anticipatory. Her approach is grounded in three principles: clarity on what success looks like across hiring teams, consistency in scalable high-quality hiring process, and ownership that empowers recruiters to lead, not just support.
“We’re not here simply to fill roles. We are raising the bar and building the talent engine that strengthens Coupang’s future.”
As recruiting becomes more technical, global, and data-driven — accelerated by AI — Griselda sees an opportunity not as a challenge, but as a chance to elevate the function even further and redefine its impact.
Alignment before action: what drives great hiring
Across every role, one principle has guided Griselda’s leadership: alignment comes first. Before a search begins, she ensures hiring managers, recruiters, and interviewers to share a clear definition of success.
“When alignment is strong, everything improves — quality, speed, and candidate experience.”
She also champions a bar-raising approach to hiring. For Griselda, recruiting isn’t about filling roles – it's about strengthening Coupang’s long-term trajectory with exceptional talent.
Looking ahead, she is focused on developing leaders within her team and building a U.S. recruiting organization known for scalable, repeatable excellence — one that helps shape Coupang’s future as it expands into new markets and technologies.
How Coupang works: Fast, Focused, and Forward-Looking
What stands out to Griselda about Coupang is its operating rhythm — fast, data-driven, and grounded in ownership. Recruiting is treated as a strategic partner — expected to anticipate needs, not wait for them.
“We stay ready. We build ahead of the business so we can support the company’s next move, not just the current one.”
In a fast-moving environment, Griselda stays intentional — protecting focus, setting boundaries, and drawing energy from her family, traveling, and staying active.
Her advice reflects Coupang’s culture clearly: “Come ready to own your work. At Coupang, curiosity, initiative, and proactive leadership aren’t optional — they're how progress happens.”
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