Transforming your firm's social media to become a source of real business wins | Founder of Social-Hire.com, a B2B social selling agency | Social media marketing is like a Rubik's Cube. I'll help your business solve it!
🦄 Whether a company goes on to become a unicorn, whether it thrives and fulfils its potential, is partly determined by whether the right "game changer" hires are made in the business.
Does the business have the right leaders in place to really drive the business forward and make the right strategic calls?
With that in mind, I was delighted to speak with Anu Parthasarathy - whose specialism is making game-changing hires for tech businesses and other high-growth companies.
We discussed:
✔️ The state of the market for senior executive hires today
✔️ What companies can do to help ensure they make game-changing senior hires
✔️ What timescales are realistic for making a senior executive hire
... and, most interestingly, Anu stressed that one of the key success factors for making a hire that goes on to succeed is ensuring the business is ready to welcome that person into the business.
Are the right structures and culture in place to give that hire the best chance of success? If not, consider rectifying those issues before bringing that hire on board.
Hope this proves helpful - and would be interested to know how you're finding the hiring market right now?
Hi everyone and thanks so much for tuning in for today's video interview. I'm Tony Restell from Social Hire and delighted to be joined today by Anu Parthasarathy. Thank you ever so much for joining us. We're going to be talking today about trends in the senior executive hiring market. But anyway, would you like to just start by telling people about yourself and your business, what it is you do? And then we'll dive into today's questions. Thanks Tony for inviting me to this chat and look forward to exchanging some thoughts and ideas with you on what's happening in the search world. So about me, as you said, this is all about executive search. I'm an executive recruiter. I've been doing this whole difficult business of finding the right people for the right roles, critical roles in big corporations, high growth corporations. For a while now, especially in the technology field, my focus has always been in the tech enabled and technology world. And that's pretty much what I do day in and day out. Working with founders, working with investors, working with the CEO, CXO, the board. Trying to figure out what will make the company work better. So you have huge exposure to the market and so I guess the first question I'd like to ask you is you know what are you seeing, how is the market for for senior exec hires today compared with what you've seen over the last couple of years? It's interesting times for sure. On one hand, the US economy is doing extremely well. All the headline now stats are telling you that the economy is. Been doing better than any other time and. Things are going well, inflation under control to an extent. The consumer demand has been good and all nice things. On the other hand, we just came out of COVID and the three-year COVID period was a period of. Significant hiring in almost all corporations, enterprises and that led to a little bit of a indigestion problem for most companies. And third thing that we see is we have had this situation where you know, we talk about it all the time that X laid off like almost 75% of the people Twitter or X as we know of it today. And it's doing, it's survived and it's trying to do better. Then we have had a big change in terms of AI and ChatGPT 3 which has really kind of you know excited people to what the possibilities are going forward in terms of what you can do with less number of people. Like one of the big mantras that has come out is in especially in Silicon Valley is that can you build billion dollar corporation with handful of people. So given all this. I would say the hiring is going in a different direction. It's a time of transition of transformation for most companies and they're looking at how do you exit from the past and go to the future. And that essentially means reorienting the kind of people you want, especially at the leadership levels, the people who are very good in terms of keeping the lights on, scaling, managing large number of people who have been hired and continuing work as usual may not be the right ones for today. Where you're talking about how do I leverage AI, how do I manage it, less number of people, what is it, does it mean to be for my business? In terms of change, so you need more change leadership. So I think yes, hiring is doing well, but it's going in a different direction. That's what I see. Interesting times for sure. Well, and so if you're advising clients at the moment on how to help ensure they succeed in in making those game changing hires at the moment, what what would be some of the advice that you would be giving them of what to focus on? Um, think out-of-the-box. Because what's going to happen in the future is something that. It's definitely not. Status quo Life as usual. So do we have all the answers for what it's going to be? We don't have. What we're doing with these new hires is trying to figure that out. We want to hire people who can figure that out for us and move. Decisively in a certain direction, taking the team together, making sure that they understand what this direction is all about and why, and directing them towards it. Even as we know that we don't have all the answers, so the kind of people who succeed in this kind of situation environment are people who are. Mavericks people who are. To an extent, I would say who have a vision for the future and have the ability to. Push the company and the team and take along in that direction. People who are independent thinkers. What do you mean by independent thinking? It essentially means that they don't, really. Take directions as given to them, but they ask the right questions. They questioned the status quo and are willing to take the risk of putting sticking their neck out and saying maybe we should be doing this and not this and going in that direction. So I would say that. The kind of people you hire in a time of change. Are these kind of leaders who are able to? See what the future holds. Get the team together, inspire them, motivate them and. Excite them to move in that direction even as they feel uncertain and little bit anxious about what the future holds. And sometimes these kind of people, they don't come exactly from the same industry. You know, you have to look around the edges and you have to figure out where they come from because whatever it is, change has been happening all the time in the world. It's just that we see some part of it as you know. Significantly different, but it's been happening around. So how do you find people who have navigated these changes and bring them on board, saying if you've navigated a change earlier, you're a better person to do it now than somebody who's never done it before? It's a really interesting way of thinking about it. And in terms of realistic timescales, you know if you were advising a business right now or making one of these game changer senior level hires, what kind of time scale is needed to go from realization that you need to make that higher to actually having someone on board and is starting in that role? How does that look today and how does that time scale breakdown? I think you know more than the time scale and we all talk about how much time it takes anywhere between three and six months to really get the right kind of person on board and get them to come on board, et cetera, et cetera. Those are standard timelines. But I think the more important thing is how prepared are you to receive this perception and make him or her succeed because the minute you talk of change and transformation and you know. Going in a direction which is more futuristic. You're going to have lot of opposition from the existing. People inside the organization, there's going to be a strong resistance to change and there's going to be all sort of naysayers saying this is not going to succeed and this is going to be a complete flop. And if you don't think of how to handle that before and start preparing in many different directions how to make sure that this person succeeds, you are not you. You've got to set him up for success. That's what I mean. And that's important. So as you go through the hiring process, a big part of it is going to be internally preparing. Whole lot of. People and processes, et cetera, to be more inviting and to be more. Open to that. What's going to happen next once you get the person on board? Really fascinating times to be in that market. Yeah, no point hiring a great person and then tying his or hands down and then you know, you get nothing. And it's really fascinating to hear you talk about more than just the hiring. And now, you know, I think it sets you apart that you have. This deeper understanding of how to to make change happen in a business and how to you know, ensure that person is set up for success. So people watching today if they would like to find out more or or get in touch with you, what would be the best thing for them to do. Uh, contact me on my mail which is ANU at anaparthy.com and. Always happy to talk and share my experiences having been around for 30 plus years. I mean you do have that, you know having seen I would say the.com time, the PC times and all the changes that we saw from each of these technology changes or waves, It's nice to be, you know, I'm excited about what AI can do tomorrow and how we can kind of. I would say capitalize on that. I know it's been a fascinating conversation. Thank you so much for your time and I wish you and everyone else a great rest of the week. Bye for now. Thank you and have a wonderful week ahead.
Transforming your firm's social media to become a source of real business wins | Founder of Social-Hire.com, a B2B social selling agency | Social media marketing is like a Rubik's Cube. I'll help your business solve it!
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my insights with your network Tony Restell. There's a lot to get right if you really want to make the right hire for transformative leadership roles. If anyone would like to talk through potential areas of improvement for their company, feel free to message me here.
The state of the market is a really interesting one. We've heard such different things from recruitment business owners across a wide range of sectors and specialisms. Some are really thriving and seeing a really buoyant market, while others are really struggling. That's probably agencies hiring a rung or two down from the level you typically hire at though Anu Parthasarathy. Thanks for sharing what you've been seeing in the market.
Really interesting thoughts Anu Parthasarathy. It completely makes sense to ensure the right culture and structures are in place before the onboarding process - something I'd imagine isn't always given full consideration or is frequently overlooked.
How is the market for senior executive hires in the US right now?
Plus, what can your company do to improve the chances of making the game-changer hires you would like to make?
Watch below to get the thoughts of Anu Parthasarathy, interviewed here by Tony Restell of Social-Hire.com
Transforming your firm's social media to become a source of real business wins | Founder of Social-Hire.com, a B2B social selling agency | Social media marketing is like a Rubik's Cube. I'll help your business solve it!
🦄 Whether a company goes on to become a unicorn, whether it thrives and fulfils its potential, is partly determined by whether the right "game changer" hires are made in the business.
Does the business have the right leaders in place to really drive the business forward and make the right strategic calls?
With that in mind, I was delighted to speak with Anu Parthasarathy - whose specialism is making game-changing hires for tech businesses and other high-growth companies.
We discussed:
✔️ The state of the market for senior executive hires today
✔️ What companies can do to help ensure they make game-changing senior hires
✔️ What timescales are realistic for making a senior executive hire
... and, most interestingly, Anu stressed that one of the key success factors for making a hire that goes on to succeed is ensuring the business is ready to welcome that person into the business.
Are the right structures and culture in place to give that hire the best chance of success? If not, consider rectifying those issues before bringing that hire on board.
Hope this proves helpful - and would be interested to know how you're finding the hiring market right now?
TA Leaders are burning out at an alarming rate - What if you could do it all without doing it all yourself? 🤔
As the leader of the TA team, you’re responsible for SO MANY things.
Here are just a few examples:
👥 Leading your team
💻 Recruiting for roles
💼 Managing stakeholders
🛠️ Maintaining your tech stack
📋 Building and enforcing processes
🌟 Creating your employer brand
🎓 Training your team and interviewers
📊 Keeping a pulse on performance through data
We’ve spoken with hundreds of Talent Leaders over the years, and they all have one thing in common: they’re struggling to do it all while also having a life outside of work. 🏖️
What if I told you that you could offload half of those responsibilities without adding any headcount?
That’s exactly why Robert and I started our business — to support Recruiting Operations in a fractional capacity.
Most startups don’t need a full-time 40-hour RecOps person, but not having that support is painful. What if you could pay only for what you need and get back time in your day for the things that matter most? 🕒
Now, I know what you’re thinking:
"Right, Brandon, sounds nice but I have no budget." 💸
Good news: it’s budget planning season, and like every business unit, you need to prove your business case.
RecOps is the key to keeping your Talent Acquisition team efficient as you scale. If managing recruiting processes, tools, and data is becoming overwhelming, it’s a clear sign you need RecOps support to grow without burning out.
Ready to reclaim your time and take your TA function to the next level?
👉 DM me to learn how we can support your team in a fractional capacity.
#TalentAcquisition#RecruitingOps#StartupSupport#HRLeadership
Are you a leader who welcomes this?
I remember the days when sending out a "Best Candidates of the Week" email to clients and potential clients worked wonders.
A few years ago, we had a 40-60% hit rate with these emails, booking numerous interviews almost immediately.
However, with the rise of internal recruitment teams, these interactions with hiring managers have become more challenging.
As a leader, do you welcome this approach and are you the decision-maker on recruitment?
We’d love to hear your thoughts and see how we might adapt this strategy to fit your needs.
At Recruit Year, we aim to build long-term relationships and networks within the industry, not just seek immediate business.
Let’s connect and explore potential collaboration opportunities down the line.
Looking forward to your insights!
#recruiting#talent#Leadership#Recruitment#AI#CareerAdvice#global#innovation#management#technology#creativity#futurism#startups
Recruiting Top Talent: The Foundation of Growth
Is Hiring the Right People at the Bottom of Your Priority List?
As business owners, it’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind and push hiring off until you’re absolutely drowning in work. But this reactive approach leads to poor hiring decisions and stifles your growth. Hiring strategically is not something you should delay—it's the foundation for scaling your business efficiently.
Key Points:
• Time & Budget Constraints: Often, hiring is postponed because owners feel they don’t have the budget or time to find the right candidate.
• The Importance of Fit: Rushing the process when you’re desperate leads to bad hires, which can be costly both financially and culturally.
• Build Capacity: The right talent will not only help handle your current workload but also open doors for future growth.
Common Myth:
Myth: "I can just do it all myself for now, and hire later when I have more revenue."
Truth: Trying to do everything yourself often slows growth and leads to burnout. Hiring the right people early on is an investment that enables faster, more sustainable growth.
Action Step:
Start small by identifying the key roles you need in the next 6-12 months and carve out time for interviews. Even just one hour a week dedicated to recruiting can make a huge difference.
📞 Need help planning your hiring strategy? Let’s chat! Book a free discovery call to discuss how you can hire strategically and grow your team: Visit this link to schedule: https://lnkd.in/dN78BvcQ.
#Hiring#BusinessGrowth#Leadership#Entrepreneurship#ScalingUp
Couldn't agree more, Brandon! We've seen firsthand how much pressure TA Leaders face trying to manage everything themselves. That's exactly why we designed our approach to be flexible and results-driven, allowing leaders to scale effectively WITHOUT compromising their personal well-being.
If you're thinking about how to make a strong business case for RecOps this budget season, feel free to reach out — we're happy to help you build one that aligns with your specific needs. 2025 can be the year you achieve more by doing less! 💪
#TalentAcquisition#Recruiting#HRLeadership#PeopleOps#BudgetPlanning
I help TA leaders transform their teams from order takers to talent makers, enabling them to hire the best people faster
TA Leaders are burning out at an alarming rate - What if you could do it all without doing it all yourself? 🤔
As the leader of the TA team, you’re responsible for SO MANY things.
Here are just a few examples:
👥 Leading your team
💻 Recruiting for roles
💼 Managing stakeholders
🛠️ Maintaining your tech stack
📋 Building and enforcing processes
🌟 Creating your employer brand
🎓 Training your team and interviewers
📊 Keeping a pulse on performance through data
We’ve spoken with hundreds of Talent Leaders over the years, and they all have one thing in common: they’re struggling to do it all while also having a life outside of work. 🏖️
What if I told you that you could offload half of those responsibilities without adding any headcount?
That’s exactly why Robert and I started our business — to support Recruiting Operations in a fractional capacity.
Most startups don’t need a full-time 40-hour RecOps person, but not having that support is painful. What if you could pay only for what you need and get back time in your day for the things that matter most? 🕒
Now, I know what you’re thinking:
"Right, Brandon, sounds nice but I have no budget." 💸
Good news: it’s budget planning season, and like every business unit, you need to prove your business case.
RecOps is the key to keeping your Talent Acquisition team efficient as you scale. If managing recruiting processes, tools, and data is becoming overwhelming, it’s a clear sign you need RecOps support to grow without burning out.
Ready to reclaim your time and take your TA function to the next level?
👉 DM me to learn how we can support your team in a fractional capacity.
#TalentAcquisition#RecruitingOps#StartupSupport#HRLeadership
The companies that will perform the best this year will be the ones who have strong and consistent hiring plans.
Hiring the right talent is one of the most important factors when scaling a company, so what are these companies doing to ensure they are hiring better than their competitors?
✅ Have a short term and long term goal for growth and lay the groundwork early for future hires.
✅ Have succession plans for if / when key figures in the business leave. The cost of having a high-performing Sales person out of post for 2 - 3 months can be huge to a growing business.
✅ Bring the right people in at the right time and provide adequate time for training and development.
❌ Don't ego hire, just because you have hit target for 3 months doesn't mean you need to make rash decisions when it comes to growing your team.
This is quite common in scale-ups when they are trying to grow the business quickly but end up hiring the wrong talent, leading to a hiring and firing culture.
For CEOs and business leaders, hiring delays aren’t just a bottleneck—they’re a business risk.
A study by a reputed research company reveals that 69% of corporations in the United States struggle to find top talent. One of the contributing factors is a delayed recruitment process.
Consider the story of Sarah, a CEO of a fast-growing tech startup. Each time a key hire was needed, she and her team would meticulously review and re-review candidates, holding out for an elusive ideal. But while they deliberated, competitors moved fast. Candidates lost interest, projects were delayed, and the company found itself falling behind—paying the price for every missed opportunity.
Hiring top talent is one of the smartest investments a company can make.
But when leaders hesitate—delaying feedback, extending interview processes, or waiting for the “perfect” candidate—the costs add up fast.
Acting decisively and prioritizing timely hiring decisions ensures your organization stays ahead, builds stronger teams.
For CEOs and business leaders, don’t let slow decisions cost your company its competitive edge.
A common misstep I've seen and experienced myself goes like this:
1. A company secures a few million in funding.
2. VCs advise tripling the headcount within 12 months to secure the next round of funding. This could mean expanding from 15 to 80 employees.
3. Inexperienced founders, lacking knowledge about recruiting and without any HR infrastructure or recruiters, are at a loss.
4. Despite this, they proceed with the expansion in hopes of securing more funding.
5. The company's headcount grows by 40 or more, hiring anyone interested.
6. Amidst this rapid expansion, there's no time to assess if these new hires are actually beneficial to the company, or more importantly, if they fit the company culture.
7. The concept of a trial period is overlooked.
8. The company ends up filled with individuals who lack the necessary skills or cultural alignment, and it's too late for smooth exits as trial periods have passed.
9. The company is left grappling with these challenges.
This scenario underscores the importance of thoughtful hiring and aligning growth with the company's core values and capabilities. Don't make the same mistake!
My clients are always on the hunt for that elusive unicorn or 'purple squirrel' in their next executive hire.
But is that really the way to go? Clearly, among our clients, the jury is out.
Is it really about finding an executive who is an exact fit for the job right now, or would your organization be better served by recognizing that high performers thrive on learning and growth? If the latter is the case, hire the horse and let them innovate, lean into the organization, and contribute to success in more meaningful and sometimes uncharted ways.
Food for thought: sometimes it's worth taking a chance on an 'imperfect' candidate with ambition and potential. It could be the key to success for both the individual and the company.
#executives#hiringstrategy#strategy#highperformers#diversity#talent
You won’t succeed in life, business or in recruiting high performers without this critical activity. Scientists have labs to explore the possibilities of a break-through solution. It’s no different in talent acquisition. We need to test things out by
👉 Experimentation & Iteration
You need both. Experimenting without a goal in mind is a waste of time. You can’t build on nothing, experimentation provides that something.
The recruiting space is a dynamic environment that requires experimentation and iteration like never before.
Looking for a recruiting partner that can help you do this and help build high performance teams and organizations?
Look no further than Rapido Talent 👊😎
☑️ Follow me for tips on hiring
#experimentation#iteration#talentacquisition#hirethebest
Transforming your firm's social media to become a source of real business wins | Founder of Social-Hire.com, a B2B social selling agency | Social media marketing is like a Rubik's Cube. I'll help your business solve it!
7moP.S. any other business leaders in my network with interesting market insights or ideas to share, I'd welcome a chat to see if you'd make a good guest for one of our next interviews. See: https://social-hire.com/view/schedule-exploratory-call