I had the pleasure of interviewing Len Syriaque, Senior Global Technical Recruiter for Hopper.com. Len has over 15 years of experience in Talent Acquisition, he has both staffing industry experience and corporate recruiting experience with an expertise in scaling Global Technical talent. Len has led teams for large hiring projects, niche and speciality roles and executive recruitment. Len has credited his success with effectively balancing big picture thinking and strategic planning with hands-on execution.
Thank you so much for joining us!
What motivated you to choose technical recruiting as your professional career?
Len: Technical recruiting is one of those jobs that you don’t seek, it finds you. I started my career journey in financial services. Earlier in my career, I was a stockbroker for a short period of time. I didn’t like the job, so I found an opportunity that would allow me to interact with people and provide a service. I’ve worked on the agency side, consulted on my own, and worked for various organizations. A good recruiter will always find work. Motivation comes from having the opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life. Throughout my career, I have hired hundreds of people and I get satisfaction knowing that I played a part in helping them reach a milestone in their careers.
What is it that excites you about tech recruiting?
Len: I like to solve problems. Technical recruiting is not a rudimentary task. I enjoy working on roles that have a degree of difficulty. I get the most fulfilment out of filling those hard-to-fill requisitions. There is so much to learn in this Industry. I am not formally trained in technology but I can connect with people and that is just as important. I know enough about technology to assess skillset and I also value knowing what motivates the candidate.
What has been your biggest challenge in tech recruitment?
Len: Staying current with technology is always a challenge. I am a member of several online groups which share ideas and explain the latest and greatest tech trends. It’s a great way to ask questions and interact with tech professionals worldwide.
What do you think is the future of tech recruitment and what state-of-art problems do you think needs to be solved?
Len: As the world adopts to crypto technology, I see resumes moving towards NFTs. This is a novel way for candidates to have ownership of their careers. This will also allow for the validation of the candidate’s skillset. I also envision a shift in the current business model of the mammoth job boards, where recruiters will be paying the candidate in order to access their information. There are a few organizations already working on the concept. Stay tuned.
If you had to share, “words of wisdom,” with a tech recruiter who’s about to start their journey in tech recruitment, what would they be?
Len: Work for an organization that aligns with your values. As recruiters, we are responsible for finding talent based on a myriad of competencies; the most important one of all is the “Cultural Add”. If you can’t be yourself at work, it’s not going to work. (Pun intended)
How can our readers follow you on social media?
>> www.linkedin.com/in/leonardsyriaque
Thank you once again, Len for joining us and sharing your valuable insights and expertise. I am pretty sure this interview will inspire and aspire all the budding recruiters.
Interesting points!