Talent Attraction Techniques

Everyone in Silicon Valley is hiring. Very few are hiring well. Every day on Instagram, I get DMs from candidates frustrated by how broken the job market feels. And on LinkedIn? Recruiters are just as overwhelmed. So over the last three weeks, I’ve been meeting with recruiters and marketers in my network to understand where things are actually breaking down. The takeaway: it’s not a talent shortage - it’s signal overload. If you’re a recruiter drowning in resumes, intro calls, and “on paper they looked great,” here are three ways to make your life easier and attract better talent:  1. 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰: Not a generic “We’re hiring a Marketing Lead - apply here.”I mean showing the process. Post a video explaining what you’re actually looking for. Share anonymized examples of what moves candidates forward (and what doesn’t). Talk about the good, the bad, and the messy. It creates social buzz, builds trust, and teaches candidates how to stand out before they apply.  2. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿-𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽: Instead of endless intro calls, give candidates a short, async exercise tied to the real job - a Loom walkthrough, mini case, or 30-minute prompt. High-intent candidates lean in, low-intent ones opt out. You get a real signal before the first call. Candidates save time, and interviews become conversations, not auditions. I’ve been exploring tools like The Aurora Co. (www.theauroraco.com) which let recruiters create role-specific, AI-scored case exercises with structured feedback and analytics.  3. 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮 “𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗝𝗼𝗯” 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁: Instead of overselling the role, be radically honest. Share what’s messy, what’s unclear, and what kind of person will struggle in this job. Is it scrappy? Under-resourced? Fast-changing? Say that. The wrong candidates will self-select out immediately, and the right ones will lean in harder. Recruiters waste less time on misaligned interviews, and candidates walk in with eyes wide open - which makes every conversation higher quality.

Louder for the people at the back 🎤 Many organisations today seem to have shifted from being institutions that develop great talent to those that primarily seek ready-made talent. This trend overlooks the immense value of individuals who, despite lacking experience, possess a great attitude, commitment, and a team-oriented mindset. These qualities often outweigh the drawbacks of hiring experienced individuals with a fixed and toxic mindset. The best organisations attract talent with their best years ahead of them, focusing on potential rather than past achievements. Let’s be clear this is more about mindset and willingness to learn and unlearn as apposed to age. To realise the incredible potential return, organisations must commit to creating an environment where continuous development is possible. This requires a multi-faceted approach: 1. Robust Training Programmes: Employers should invest in comprehensive training programmes that equip employees with the necessary skills for their roles. This includes on-the-job training, mentorship programmes, online courses, and workshops. 2. Redefining Hiring Criteria: Organisations should revise their hiring criteria to focus more on candidates’ potential and willingness to learn rather than solely on prior experience or formal qualifications. Behavioural interviews, aptitude tests, and probationary periods can help assess a candidate's ability to learn and adapt. 3. Partnerships with Educational Institutions: Companies can collaborate with educational institutions to design curricula that align with industry needs. Apprenticeship programmes, internships, and cooperative education can bridge the gap between academic learning and practical job skills. 4. Lifelong Learning Culture: Encouraging a culture of lifelong learning within organisations is crucial. Employers should provide ongoing education opportunities and support for professional development. This includes continuous skills assessment and access to resources for upskilling and reskilling. 5. Inclusive Recruitment Practices: Employers should implement inclusive recruitment practices that remove biases and barriers. Blind recruitment, diversity quotas, and targeted outreach programmes can help ensure that diverse candidates are given a fair chance. By implementing these measures, organisations can develop a workforce that is adaptable, innovative, and resilient, ensuring sustainable success and growth.

🚨 95% of cyber leaders say we need to up our game in recruiting cybersecurity talent. And it's no wonder: with nearly 4 million unfilled cyber positions globally, the skills gap is a ticking time bomb for businesses. The Cybersecurity Skills Gap: Your Business is at Risk ⚠️ Here's the reality: - 71% of organizations are struggling to fill cybersecurity roles. - 52% of public organizations cite a lack of skills as their biggest challenge in cyber resilience. - Cyber attacks are on the rise, and your business could be the next target. But it's not all doom and gloom. By understanding the problem and taking action, you can protect your organization AND create opportunities: 1️⃣ Rethink Recruitment: It's not just about tech skills. Look for problem-solvers, critical thinkers, and those with a passion for learning. 2️⃣ Invest in Training: Upskill your existing workforce and create pathways for new talent to enter the field. Partner with educational institutions and training programs. 3️⃣ Cultivate a Cybersecurity Culture: Make cybersecurity everyone's responsibility. Raise awareness, promote best practices and reward vigilance. 4️⃣ Partner Up: Collaborate with other organizations, share insights, and pool resources to tackle the skills gap collectively. My Take: The cybersecurity skills gap is a serious threat, but it's also a massive opportunity. By investing in talent and fostering a culture of security, we can not only protect our businesses but also build a more resilient digital future. Let's connect! How is your organization addressing the cybersecurity skills gap? What strategies have worked for you? Let's share our experiences and build a stronger cybersecurity community together. #cybersecurity #skillsgap #talent #recruitment #training #cyberresilience

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗜 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗮 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝟭𝟭, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱. What’s even more surprising is the kind of team we’ve built — not just remote, but sharp, driven, and values-aligned. They’re young. They’re hungry. And they care deeply about the work. What brings us together isn’t just the job — it’s a shared commitment to: • Pursuing excellence • Continuous marginal gains • Building for the long term • Elite teamwork And no — this didn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of an intentional hiring and onboarding process I’ve refined over the years. If you’re a founder scaling remotely, here’s what’s worked for me: 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: 𝗕𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿. Know the role, skillset, and mindset that’ll thrive in your culture. If you’re vague, expect vague results. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿. Don’t just list duties. Highlight your values and what makes your company different. This draws the right people in — and repels the wrong ones. ✅Pro tip: Include a small test: “To apply, email hr@omnidigital.com.sg with the subject line: ‘Account Manager.’” Many skip this — and that alone filters for attention to detail. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯: 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹. Be professional. Sell your company. The best talent has options. Set expectations early. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟰: 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. It helps us compare candidates quantitatively and test commitment. ~30% don’t even attempt it — and that’s the point. It filters fast. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟱: 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀. Real-world tasks test communication, clarity, and effort. The best candidates deliver thoughtful work — not just fast work. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟲: 𝗢𝗻𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻. We set new hires up with: • A buddy • Full access to tools • 30, 60, and 90-day milestones • Daily + weekly check-ins One wrong hire can quietly ruin a good culture — I’ve seen it firsthand. 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟳: 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆. Watch closely in the first 2–4 weeks. If they’re not aligned, give feedback. Still not working? Let go quickly. I’ve kept the wrong hires too long — it cost us more than just salary. Building a remote team isn’t about hiring fast. It’s about hiring right. People who share your standards. Who want to grow with you. Who raise the bar for everyone else. It takes work — but when you get it right, it changes everything. 𝗚𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁? 𝗜’𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.

I have made and saved a lot of money using remote teams across all of my companies.  Here’s how you do it: Almost every business could use at least some remote talent. It’s a great way to access a broader talent pool than your local area. You can also lower overhead costs — less office space, lower bills, and even hire talent from other countries. So how do you get the most out of a team that you don’t see face to face? Step 1: Define your objectives and needs Nail down your biggest reason for building a remote team. Broaden your hiring pool? More flexibility? Lower costs? Your main goal guides your future decisions. Then, assess which of your positions are suitable for remote or hybrid work. — Step 2: Develop a remote work policy A solid policy sets the tone and expectations for your team. Try to answer all questions ahead of time. Clarify Scope and Purpose: •  Who is eligible to work remotely? • For hybrid, how many days? • Is there a distance requirement? Set Communication Standards: • When should people be online and available? • What communication tools should they use? Security Protocols: Password manager?  VPN? Are you providing work equipment or expecting BYOD? — Step 3: Update your hiring process Build remote-specific job descriptions: Highlight skills like self-discipline and communication. Use diverse recruitment channels: Remote-specific job boards and communities. Tailor interviews for remote readiness: Include video calls and assess their home office setup. — Step 4: Find the right tools & technology Equip your team with tools that support collaboration and productivity. You’ll probably need: • An async communication hub (like Slack) • A video call platform (Google Meet) • A project management tool (Asana or Trello) • Hardware/software support Provide equipment or offer a stipend. — Step 5: Establish clear communication guidelines Effective communication is the backbone of remote work. Do you need people to: • Set online statuses? • Post daily updates? • Follow a response time rule? • When do you need people available for video calls? Make sure to set regular meetings and check-ins. Weekly stand-ups and monthly all-hands help keep everyone aligned. — Step 6: Build a strong team culture Strong remote teams thrive on culture and connection. Start with thorough virtual onboarding. Set up meet and greets and mentoring sessions. Add regular team activities: • Virtual coffee breaks • Game time • Casual Slack channels Celebrate everything: • Individual and team wins • Holidays • Company milestones — Step 7: Keep tabs on performance Address concerns head-on with clear goals and regular feedback. Set SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Schedule quarterly reviews. Focus on outcomes — not hours worked. — If you’re interested in remote staff for your teams. Comment below or message me and I’ll get you connected.

“We’ll hire when we need someone.” 🤦🏻♀️ I'm sorry, that’s not a Talent Acquisition strategy. That’s a reaction. And reacting too late is one of the most expensive mistakes a business can make. If you want to grow sustainably, hire top talent and stay competitive, you need a Talent Acquisition strategy that’s not just a hiring plan, but a business lever. So, what does that actually include? Here are 5 core pillars every company should consider: 1️⃣ Workforce planning: → What roles will you need in 6–12–18 months? → Where are the skill gaps? → How do your hiring needs align with business growth? 2️⃣ Employer Branding and Candidate Experience (CX): → Do the right people know who you are and why they should work for you? → What do candidates say about their experience with you, especially the rejected ones? 3️⃣ Sourcing Strategy: → Are you relying only on inbound? → Do you know where your ideal candidates actually are and how to reach them? 4️⃣ Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: → Are your job descriptions, processes and interview panels inclusive? → Are you building teams with different perspectives and backgrounds? 5️⃣ Recruiting Infrastructure & Data: → Do you measure time-to-hire, conversion rates or quality of hire? → Is your TA team set up with the right tools, training and headcount to support growth? Because here’s the thing: If you don’t invest in TA strategy early, you'll eventually struggle with: 🚨 Delayed product launches 🚨 Burned out teams 🚨 Rising attrition 🚨 Missed revenue targets 🚨 Damaged reputation in the market Talent Acquisition is not a support function. It’s not just about posting jobs and scheduling interviews. It's a strategic function that belongs at the same table as product, finance, and operations. Because without the right people, none of those other strategies can succeed.

We all want to hire the best people - but a mistake so many founders make is ignoring step 1: Build a talent magnet 🧲 Psychometric testing, blind referencing, task-based assignments and culture-fit interviews - all great tools for selecting talent... But if your top of funnel is only 50 candidates per role - you're better off investing time in building the top of funnel rather than selection. At my first company we built a talent magnet that attracted 2,000 candidates per role (pre AI applications). Here are the core steps to building top of funnel in hiring: 1. Define your culture - ensure it is authentic and 'controversial' 2. Craft your employer brand - the reasons people enjoy working at your company (beyond your culture) - eg at sequel those might be working with the world's best athletes on a daily basis, funding pioneering founders, a 'dope' office with a roof terrace & plenty of socialising space, an experienced team with multiple exits 3. Pick your benefits carefully - you are what you attract - at sequel we offer a learning budget, free gym membership, private healthcare, a generous parental policy and proactive wellness screenings - therefore we have healthy team members with a hunger to learn and who want to have families one day 4. Talk about the above publicly - post on LinkedIn, attend events, talk to the press, apply for awards 5. Craft job descriptions optimising for top-of-funnel - remove barriers like requirements for certain levels of education, include wide salary ranges (and pick the range carefully), offer equity if you can, link to other resources to help people learn about your brand (eg we have a team video on our website) 6. Use an ATS & post widely to job boards - we use Workable and post to 20+ job boards for every role 7. Host events - hackathons are a great way to build relationships with engineering and product talent and spend extended period of time seeing how they work 8. Outbound - do not just rely on inbound - create an ideal candidate profile with a detailed dream job history - and start pro-actively reaching out to people who fit the profile Focus on attraction before you invest time in selection. It's a bit like dating... Any other tips for building a magnet for talent?

The biggest untapped funding round for your startup might be hidden in wage geography. A mid-level engineer in San Francisco costs roughly $150k plus payroll overhead. The same calibre developer in Lisbon, Bogotá, or Ho Chi Minh earns $25k–50k. That gap is not a talent discount. It is cost-of-living reality. Here is the arbitrage that many startup founders are still missing: - Runway extension. Re-allocate $100k in salary savings into customer acquisition or an extra hire. Ten remote engineers abroad can cost the same as four in the Bay Area. - Quality of life uplift. Paying an Indian dev $60k is life-changing money locally. Engagement and retention skyrocket when comp outpaces the local norm. - Time-to-build advantage. Cash always dictates velocity. Lower burn lets you experiment longer, pivot faster, and negotiate better with investors because you are not desperate for the next cheque. - Talent moat. While competitors scrap for the same over-priced engineers in Austin or San Francisco, you build a global recruitment engine that scales. Of course this requires process: async communication, clear specs, cultural empathy, and senior oversight. But those are leadership muscles you will need anyway. Early-stage capital is too precious to spend on postcode premiums. Great code ships just as fast from Manila as it does from Mountain View. In a nutshell: If your product vision is global, your talent strategy should be too. The market already priced in the arbitrage. All that is left is for founders to claim it.

“Pretend you’re a baker and have to explain everything, like how bread rises to a high schooler” shared a CMO from a $325mil software company. When I stopped laughing, I realized the serious genius in this spicy recommendation. Rather than stew over the lack of understanding in the C-suite of how marketing works and what marketers do, I’ve jumped directly to the acceptance stage. There’s simply no time for denial, anger, bargaining, or depression. We knead an educational recipe for the C-suite, so why not bake this analogy to its fullest?   First, here’s a basic recap on how bread rises. Yeast, a tiny living organism, eats the sugar, producing gas, causing the dough to puff up like a balloon! An adolescent might relabel the fermentation process unforgettably as “yeast farts.” Stay with me. Why B2B marketing is like making bread and yeast farts. 1. Ingredients Selection (Strategy Development): Just as you choose specific ingredients for the type of bread you want to make, in B2B marketing, you start by understanding your market, defining your target, and developing a strategy. "Flour" is your product, "water" your market research, and "yeast" your creative ideas. Get this combo wrong, and your strategy falls flat. 2. Mixing the Dough (Creating Campaigns): Once you have your ingredients, you mix them to form dough. In marketing, this is like creating campaigns—bringing together messaging, content, and channels. Your specific mix determines the overall consistency and effectiveness of your marketing efforts. 3. Fermentation (Building Brand Awareness + Engagement): In bread-making, yeast farts. In B2B marketing, this step is akin to brand awareness and engagement. As your campaign gains traction, customers become aware and engage with your brand. Warning: this stage smells suspicious in the boardroom! 4. Proofing (Nurturing Leads): After fermentation, bread dough is left to proof, allowing it to rise further. In marketing, this is like lead nurturing. You can’t rush bread breaking or efforts to close the sale. Instead, you let it develop, ensuring that prospects are fully engaged and ready. This stage is critical for converting interested prospects into loyal customers. 5. Baking (Closing the Sale): Finally, the dough goes into the oven and transforms into bread. In marketing, this is the sales process where leads convert into paying customers. The heat (or pressure) applied at this stage needs to be just right—too much, and the bread burns (you lose the sale); too little, and it stays undercooked (the sale doesn’t close). 6. Cooling and Serving (Customer Retention and Advocacy): After the bread is baked, it needs to cool. In marketing, this is where you focus on customer retention and turning satisfied customers into advocates. Ideally, this is when you make your customers hunger for more (renew, upsell, cross-sell) and generate referrals. All analogies are imperfect. But this one is tasty. What’s your favorite marketing analogy?

Candidates no longer chase just the biggest paycheck—they’re looking for a company that values them, supports flexibility, and offers growth without handcuffs (aka noncompetes). CEOs, it's time to rethink your executive search strategy. Because if you’re still hiring the old way, you're about to get left behind. The executive search industry isn’t just evolving—it’s practically sprinting. In an era where the top talent no longer cares about corner offices but instead craves alignment with values, flexibility, and innovation, you’ve got to adjust. Let's break down what’s happening in 2024, and why your next exec hire might not just be about who you want—it's about whether they want you.  1. Culture is King*  Gone are the days when an impressive salary and title were enough to lure in top execs. Today’s C-suite candidates? They’re evaluating you just as much as you’re evaluating them.   Culture fit is now the deciding factor. Executives want more than a paycheck—they want alignment with a company’s values. If you don’t have a workplace where their leadership style thrives, don’t be surprised when they turn you down faster than a 9 AM Zoom.   (Source: Grey Search + Strategy report, 2024) 2. Bye Bye, Noncompete Clauses (And Good Riddance!) Noncompetes? Ancient history.   With the FTC’s recent ban, 30 million employees—yep, you read that right—are suddenly a lot more mobile. Execs no longer have to worry about being trapped in contracts that kill their career progression. If your company was relying on those noncompete clauses to hold onto talent, it’s time to re-strategize. Focus on creating a culture that people want to stay in—because you can’t strong-arm your way into retention anymore.   (Source: FTC, 2024; Grey Search poll, 2024) 3. Hybrid Work? Not a Perk, It’s the Price of Admission  To be honest, no one’s rushing back to the office full-time.   Sure, in-person collaboration can be golden, but execs now expect workplace flexibility like they expect coffee at the meeting. Companies insisting on 100% in-office are seeing a 40% drop in candidates.   You want top-tier talent? You’ll have to sweeten the pot—whether that’s through hybrid schedules, hefty salaries, or perks like pet insurance (seriously).  If you think your exec hire is going to sacrifice flexibility for a pay bump alone, good luck.   (Source: Grey Search + Strategy report, 2024)  The Big Takeaway?   Hiring has changed.   So before you kick off your next executive search, ask yourself:   Is your company ready for 2024’s top talent?   Because they’re not waiting around.  #ExecutiveSearch #Leadership #CultureMatters #HybridWork #TalentStrategy #Noncompete