The Ventellect podcast

In this episode, we delve into the journey of Adam Bolton, an experienced and innovative talent acquisition pro.

Starting his career in 2005 in the bustling world of agency recruitment, our guest witnessed first-hand the tumultuous ups and downs of the industry, most notably when Lehman Brothers, one of his prime clients, went bankrupt during the 2008 financial crisis.

This adversity, however, became a springboard for innovation. Eventually he ventured out on his own, he became one of the early adopters of the RPO model and recognized the power of community building in niche candidate pools.

This all led him to Currency Cloud, where he built their Talent Acquisition function from scratch. Tune in to learn about the evolution of recruitment, the potential of community-driven approaches, and insights from a true industry trailblazer.

Alex Ganyukov has recruited at companies all over the world specialsiing in Tech and FinTech.

As Tech is becoming more and more international it was really good to hear his thoughts on different Tech Hubs - as well as digging into the Berlin Tech Hub where he heads up TA now at Billie.

He has done a lot, risen the ranks, navigated this years shifting market, and recruited some pretty good Tech Talent.

And he shares all of this in this week's episode.

Adriana in a short space of time has seen and done a lot when it comes to Talent Acquisition.

Having been at the centre of times of hyper scaling, being a lone recruiter and building up her own team.

There is ebbs and flows in recruitment and Adriana has seen them all - especially in the ever evolving FinTech space.

Today we speak with Jeff Kennedy, a Direct of Talent Acquisition, and someone who has worked his way up, and been on both sides of the recruiting fence.

Waht was great about this chat was we talked about the basics of recruitment that never change. In an era where we can get bogged down in all types of topics, initiatives, and Data - sometimes it is easy to forget the basics and fundamentals of recruitment that have stood the test of time.

In today's episode, we have the privilege of speaking with Italo Vietro, the VP of Engineering at Urban Sports Club.

With an extensive career in technology and a passion for fostering a strong engineering culture, Italo has significant insights to share. We discuss his career, the building blocks of an elite engineering culture, and much more.

He has worked at many big Tech companies at the time of immense scaling and hyper growth, so has tonnes of insights to share.

We discuss

• His move from Brazil to Berlin.

We hope you enjoy.

Links mentioned to share in the episode:

Katie started out in recruitment in 2009 in the wake of the financial crisis. Facing a challenging start to her career. But little did she know, that experience would prepare her for the unexpected twists and turns of the tech industry. As the Director of Recruiting at GoFundMe and Classy, Katie has navigated through large-scale layoffs and unexpected surges in applications. Her empathetic approach, adaptability, and resilience have proven invaluable in creating a positive candidate experience.

We talk about the last couple of years and Tech on the west coast and how her and her team have adapted to the shifting landscape we have seen in recent months.

It truly has been a rollercoaster, but Katie shares some great wisdom from mindset to tools she uses to make create a succesful Talent Acquisition function in 2023.

Key Takeaway 1: Katie Schumann is a recruitment pro, honing her skills in the fast-paced world of tech.

Key Takeaway 2: She is great at finding new ways to recruit talent, even when the economy's up and down.

Key Takeaway 3: Katie doesn't just hire, she also implements tools and strategies that gets the most out of the resources.

Key Takeaway 4: She's all about diversity and inclusion in recruitment, making sure everybody's got a fair shot.

Key Takeaway 5: Katie mixes empathy with accountability in her leadership style, showing how important it is to balance the heart and the head in management.

The first returning guest! Matthias Schmeisser came on back in 2021, and it is fair to say A LOT has happened since then.

So, we met in Berlin for Ventellect's first face to face podcast to discuss the last 18 months, the state of tech, the future, and what both internal recruitment teams and external partners should be doing to emerge from this year in the best shape possible.

We cover all things Data, strategy, DEI, Branding, and we also get to know Matthias on a more personal level too!

We love this one and hope you do too.

Links mentioned in the episode:

TalentGroup - Candidate Experience Reports: https://www.thetalentboard.org/benchmark-research/cande-research-reports/

https://www.ventellect.com/

5 key takeaways from this episode.

The significance of DEI: Acknowledge the critical role of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in recruitment strategies. Embrace innovative practices that foster a diverse and inclusive workforce in both North America and Europe.

Revamp Recruitment Tools: Harness innovative tools that help build a strong employer brand. Leverage platforms like Perpetua's Applicant Tracking System (ATS), Lever, and Kart for tech assessments.

Soft Skills and Values-based Hiring: Recognize the importance of soft skills and hiring based on shared values, particularly for tech talent acquisition. This focus can significantly improve the quality of your hires.

Understand Regional Nuances: Gain insights into the differences in tech recruitment practices between North America and Europe, and adjust your strategies accordingly.

Employer Branding: Acknowledge the critical importance of employer branding. This includes not just your company's reputation but also the candidate experience and continuous communication throughout the recruitment process.

Emma Surich is a seasoned Talent Acquisition Leader who has recruited across different tech hubs as we tried to squeeze her decades worth of wisdom into our podcast today.

Enjoy

www.ventellect.com

Shannon has built up the recruiting function at Descriptive a big name in AI right now. A function that at it's heart is diverse and optimized in nature.

With noth much resources and the right mindset you can shape things to give you long running hiring success in the futre.

Diversity and Inclusion: Ensure diversity recruiting is an actionable strategy, not just a slogan. Make small improvements in every recruitment step, such as examining job descriptions for biased language, to cultivate a representative and innovative workforce.

Candidate Management: Handle candidate expectations professionally. Provide valuable feedback even if they aren't chosen, as it can foster positive relationships for potential future opportunities.

Hiring Managers: Train hiring managers to find a balance between task delegation and micromanagement. Recognize the impact of good management on talent acquisition and retention.

Interview Skills: Investing time in interview technique training ensures more engaging and fair assessments of talent. Understand the candidate's perspective, and encourage candid discussions about their areas for growth.

Hiring Process Optimization: Create a streamlined, transparent recruitment process focusing on diversity, inclusion, and clear communication. Consider incremental improvements and continually refine your approach for long-term success.

Shannon's vast experience in tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and Dropbox informs these insights. Now at Descript, she continues to innovate in tech recruiting and improve hiring processes.

www.ventellect.com

Key takeaways:

Unleash the power of data-driven methods to elevate your recruitment results and sustain a dedicated workforce.

Cultivate an unbiased and welcoming interview process to draw in potential team members from diverse backgrounds.

Merge technical acumen with cultural values to ensure the perfect fit for both candidates and organizations.

Confront the existing bias towards women and minority groups in the tech landscape, pushing for increased representation.

Partner with hiring managers to embrace new approaches and realities in recruitment strategies.

Rebecca McPherson, a Senior Recruiter at Runway ML, an innovative generative AI startup. With her solid foundation in mathematics and experience counseling college students, Rebecca has honed her skills in data-driven recruitment. Entering the tech scene in 2019, she quickly made a name for herself as the first recruiter at Runway ML. A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion.