Biking, Skills, and The Future of Hiring: My conversation with Skillr’s Talent Acquisition Partner
A few days ago I had a fantastic conversation with Pavan Nagasiddu, one of the first few talent partners to join Skillr’s mission of getting India #BackToWork!
Even though we discussed a range of diverse topics, the discussion with him was effortless, speaking about his passion for biking, how the recruitment industry should to adapt to the pandemic, how his personal skills have guided him in his recruitment, as well as valuable tips for candidates seeking opportunities in a post-COVID world. I’d recommend watching the video directly (you can increase the playback speed!), but our trusty intern Nishka has transcribed this for those of you who prefer otherwise. Enjoy!
Did you know? Our Talent Partner programme launched less than 2 months ago, and already has 50 people on the waiting list!
Pavan, you were one of the first few recruiters we’ve onboarded to the Talent Partner program. Could you tell us a little more about yourself?
I’ve been born and brought up in Mysore, the heritage city of Karnataka. In 2012, I moved to Bangalore which is where my career took off. I have a passion for traveling and photography and I’ve covered a large part of India on my motorcycle. The only place I’m yet to visit is the North East and perhaps, post-COVID, I’ll be able to plan that trip!
On a professional level, since my college days, I had been involved in event management. I was involved with a company back then and even started an NGO with a friend of mine, followed by a UK-based call center after that. It was in 2013 that I started working with HP for 2.5 years. Given that I had pursued business management and always had an interest in the HR industry, I started working as a recruiter at a company’s branch in Bangalore with the support of my mentor and well-wishers. Conversing with people is something I’ve always enjoyed which is why I’ve branched out as a freelancing recruiter in the past few months.
How did you hear about Skillr?
I had been hunting for a job a while back and came across postings from Skillr, which is when I thought I’d give it a try. Working remotely as a talent partner is a new experience for me, but I’m open to trying new things.
What about Skillr motivated you to join, apart from this remote and freelancing experience?
Money was a big motivator for me. I wouldn’t have earned this much if I didn’t venture into freelance recruiting. Apart from that, there’s a certain sense of freedom to work on my own schedule and style. I’m not bound by bosses, deadlines, and unnecessary protocols.
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That’s excellent, I’m glad to hear that. Being able to set one’s own targets is something other Talent Partners appreciate as well.
That’s very true. I didn’t actually know much about Skillr and Leap skills before I took up this position. It was after a few calls with Devika and Ankit that I was able to experience this sort of freedom over my own targets. I felt like I’d landed at a safe place. Being surrounded by such good people and impactful work creates a culture filled with good ethics and I was impressed by that.
How has your onboarding experience been with our team?
It was a really good induction organized by Vineet, his team, and Devika. The explanation of the company’s workings was informative, clear, and helped me in settling down very well. The process is quite efficient and my points of contact are well established. In case I need to seek for help, I can always reach out to Devika, my account manager.
Given the COVID crisis, what are some changes you’ve experienced in your role as a recruiter? Furthermore, what are some changes you’re anticipating after this crisis ends?
Before the crisis started, jobseekers had a variety of opportunities before them in terms of jobs in their selected industries. However, ever since the crisis has started, this has undergone a change and the job market is currently running low on new vacancies. However, I feel like this is an advantage for recruiters because, for every job vacancy put out, there’s a higher number of applications nowadays, and thus higher quality placements.
In terms of future changes, I’ve heard that a lot of companies are permanently implementing the work from home culture. As long as employees have their space to work free from interruption, I believe productivity will remain high.
Speaking of working from home, do you think there are certain different skills that job seekers need to develop now that they are no longer coming to work in an office setting?
Often when people hear the term “work from home”, they are quick to imagine a person sitting on a couch with his laptop. That usually happens once in a while but I think it’s important to have a separate set-up that motivates you to work in a disciplined environment. I believe that working from home for over a month can definitely result in a loss of soft skills like communication, etc which is why it’s good to visit the office once in a while and keep a constant track on developing those skills.
Yes. We agree with that wholeheartedly. We too believe that skills such as discipline and integrity are going to be valued more and more in the coming years at a time when people are not being constantly monitored.
Since the nature of jobs is changing, do you believe that there are skills that jobseekers should improve upon? Skills that would help you place your candidates better?
The major challenge that recruiters face is soft skills with a particular job seeker. As a recruiter, more than the core technologies or the field that the job seeker is interested in, recruiters need to evaluate candidates on the basis of their soft skills. If candidates can improve on their communication, interpersonal, and other soft skills, it’ll be easier for us as recruiters to position them in front of employers.
Building on that, Skillr is a company that promotes skills-based hiring. Apart from communication, do you see any skills becoming more important and mandatory in adapting to future job conditions?
I think one skill would be being open to experiences. When new job seekers enter the industry, they come with pre-determined and unwavering expectations. By setting up these filters in the jobs they are willing to apply to, they are closing off many doors of opportunities. By being open and flexible with what their work will entail, candidates will be able to adapt better to future job conditions.
What I’m essentially taking back is that a willingness to learn and adapt is quite high on the list of skills that are becoming more and more important. People tend to focus on their technical skills and forget that their mindset is a product of their soft skills, not their technical ones. That’s what Skillr is trying to change and Talent Partners are helping us get there.
Any parting thoughts for potential talent partners who might be considering working with Skillr?
I’ve had quite a few Talent Partners working elsewhere asking me how freelancing works and the challenges with this position. I think the main thing I would say is that you need to have patience and the right mindset to co-operate in this environment.
That’s great! Thanks Pavan! We’re glad to have you.
