Jacqueline De Leon: Humanizing Recruitment Through Genuine Connections

Title: Founder

Organization: Empire Staffing Network

Age: 28

Jacqueline De Leon founded Empire Staffing Network three years ago with a singular mission: to humanize recruitment. Having spent years in the staffing industry, she became disillusioned with the transactional nature of recruitment – where candidates were treated like numbers and agencies prioritized filling jobs over finding the right fit.

Motivated to change the way recruitment is done, Jacqueline launched a firm built on valuing people and creating true, lasting partnerships.

Her journey into entrepreneurship was deeply influenced by her aunt, who remained her biggest inspiration throughout her life. Her aunt provided the initial investment that helped Jacqueline start the business and enrolled her in a mentorship program to guide her launch.

Jacqueline’s aunt shared stories of running her own small boutique in Guatemala—memories she often recalled as some of the happiest times in her life. Those stories planted the seed of entrepreneurship in Jacqueline and gave her something even more powerful: belief in herself.

Within six months of starting Empire Staffing Network, Jacqueline surpassed the salary she had earned at her previous role, which was a defining moment in her entrepreneurial journey.

Three years later, Jacqueline had the opportunity to care for her aunt during her final months after a short battle with cancer. This experience made her business even more meaningful, as it gave her the chance to give back to someone who had given her everything.

What motivates Jacqueline today is the impact she can make every day. As a headhunter, finding the perfect match between candidates and companies brings her immense satisfaction.

It’s not just about making placements—it’s about helping individuals advance their careers and enabling businesses to thrive by connecting them with the right talent.

As Jacqueline often tells her clients, “I’m not an arm-twister. I would never recommend someone I wouldn’t hire myself.” That’s because her focus is on creating the right connections—not forcing the wrong ones.

She has also made it a priority to share valuable career advice, offering resources to help job seekers succeed in a competitive job market and sharing insights for companies that are looking to hire.

Being a first-generation Latina entrepreneur, Jacqueline has learned the importance of resilience and empathy—qualities that she believes the recruitment industry desperately needs. For Jacqueline, success is not measured by the number of placements, but by the quality of relationships built and the lives touched