My journey as a recruiter for the tech market in India

Both the tech and TA industries are evolving so fast that we may wonder if working in those fields actually requires superpowers, right? And what if we told you that Gurdeep, not only works in tech hiring but is also based on the uniquely dynamic market that is India? Wouldn’t you be curious as to what his day-to-day looks like? In this article, we talk about India, tech, and recruitment today and tomorrow. Have a good read! 

Can you tell us about your background? 

It's been almost 7 years since I started my career in recruitment. Originally, I had a background in engineering but there weren’t many opportunities that tempted me at the time, so I accepted a job sourcing and recruiting engineering profiles for a pharmaceutical company. It was supposed to be a temporary thing, but I ended up loving it. After that job, I joined a startup as Recruiting Manager, and everything unfolded from there. When I think about it, I have been an extrovert for as long as I can remember, so human contact is truly where I thrive. Back in my college days, I was the kind of person who really wanted to meet everyone, travel, and meet new people. It’s funny how sometimes life puts you in the right place. It all makes perfect sense when I look back on it now.   

What about your current responsibilities at Criteo? 

It’s been three and a half years since I started at Criteo. Initially, I was appointed as a technical recruiter in charge of hiring the technical roles that would develop our products and technical solutions. Since then, I grew in the role to become involved in 360 degrees hiring at Criteo as well. My journey here has been wonderful so far. The culture and the people especially are amazing here. I don’t see myself switching companies anytime soon. 

Is the workflow different when dealing with clients from India?  

The pace and response rate are different. From my experience, foreign clients have a slower response pace compared to Indian clients who expect a short turnaround time and are quicker to respond. That may be the biggest adjustment at first for someone who isn’t from here. Then, there are some little cultural things like the fact that we’d rather call directly instead of dropping an email for instance. Also, culturally in India, it's normal to sometimes work on weekends, but this trend is changing now, startups are often providing work-life balance. But in terms of hiring, what people here are looking for in a job is the same as people abroad; their personal and professional growth.  

What are local talents looking for today?  

They focus on growth opportunities and assess how a company can help them develop their career and skillset. So, they are particularly attentive to the innovation capabilities of the company, investigating the type of products and services they develop. The second most important thing for them is work-life balance and the company culture. After the pandemic, people have grown more aware, and they value flexible work in respectful environments even more than before. 

Would you say we’ve turned over a new leaf where people no longer live to work but work to live?  

It is always hard to generalize but yes, and even more importantly, many employers now support this mindset as well. It's a two-way street. 

Working as a recruiter in the tech industry, you must have developed your ability to adapt to change, right?  

You’re right! The Indian labor market is uniquely dynamic, and the talent pool is huge just because of the population. You evolve as the market does, and the rise of AI certainly opens new doors. Both the tech and TA fields are evolving really fast, but it’s also what makes it so exciting. 

From a TA perspective, does AI stand for an opportunity? 

It helps you but it doesn't replace you. AI has refined our tools and screening processes. LinkedIn Recruiter is one of the most common tools that we use, and it helps us narrow down our search and target specific talent pools efficiently so it plays an important role backstage, but humans must remain in the forefront. The human touch in recruitment is mandatory to make real connections. AI can’t replace that.  

What makes you feel fulfilled at work? 

When you help a person land their dream job and be successful in it, it’s a wonderful feeling! I love providing guidance and helping people develop their skills to grow and thrive here. Sometimes, I meet people here who tell me “You really made my career”, and it makes me feel so happy and proud. 

What has changed in the way we hire today?  

Companies keep moving away from valuing academic qualifications over skills. They are now turning to skill-based recruitment. 

Is this a good thing?  

I agree with the fact that valuing skills helps you be less biased than when looking at the pedigree only. Still, we need to ensure the person will be a good cultural fit and that’s when the importance of the human touch kicks in. 

What kind of skills are the most targeted by companies in India? 

If we’re talking about tech hiring, strong technical and analytical skills are a must-have. With the rise of AI, data science skills are valued by job hunters. There are so many different tech skills on the market today... That’s where having an engineering background gives me an advantage as I can sieve out and onboard relevant and qualified talent!   

What is the biggest challenge that you face hiring tech talent in India? 

The salary. Established companies usually align their salaries to market standards but here, more and more startups backed by investment funds are flourishing, offering huge compensation packages which makes them very attractive to local top talents.