Stephanie Rodenkirchen learned early on in life that success takes teamwork. Growing up as an elite athlete, playing soccer and participating in competitive ski racing, she learned discipline, resilience and a deep respect for collaboration—values she brought forward in her career as a recruitment and human resources specialist.
During her previous corporate career, Rodenkirchen’s son faced a long-term illness, and she discovered firsthand how rigid workplaces could be, especially for parents. Using that disadvantage as fuel, in 2019, she founded Lotus Group, a licensed, 100% female-owned recruitment and HR consulting firm.
From the very start, the company was built with flexibility in mind—for both clients and employees. “If we really want to retain and attract talent, we need to realize that not everybody’s journey is the same,” Rodenkirchen says, explaining that policy makers who’ve never had to stay home with an ailing child may not understand how best to accommodate working parents. Her goal was to change that. What started as a necessary solution to a personal issue for Rodenkirchen has since grown into a thriving business with more than 20 professionals working across Canada to offer executive and professional recruitment, trades and industrial staffing, and tailored HR consulting.
Lotus Group also stands apart for its recruitment model. Unlike most firms, it works under an exclusive retained search, rather than in the contingent market, meaning they work in partnership with the client, instead of in competition with other firms. This allows Lotus Group to offer an industry-leading one-year guarantee on placements, with a 98% success rate. “When our clients are as engaged as we are, everyone wins,” Rodenkirchen says.
Rodenkirchen’s commitment to people goes beyond business. She serves on the board of Sport Central, a non-profit that ensures children have the equipment and opportunity to participate in sports, regardless of financial barriers. Lotus Group has also supported initiatives such as the Kids with Cancer Society and the Inflamed Brain Alliance. “People need to like who they work for, and they need to know that person would go to bat for them,” she says. “That sense of care extends to our community.”
For Rodenkirchen, entrepreneurship is about persistence as much as it is about vision. She notes that failure is part of the journey as an entrepreneur and sometimes the most courageous thing a leader can do is be willing to take the first leap. She often reminds her team of the old saying: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” It’s a philosophy that has shaped Lotus Group from the beginning and one that continues to drive how Rodenkirchen leads the company forward.
