I had the pleasure of interviewing Anit Arora, Talent Acquisition Lead of LiveRamp. Having graduated with a computer science degree, he quickly realized that he would be a terrible programmer đ and switched to tech recruiting right away.
At LiveRamp, which is one of the largest data connectivity companies in the world, he is leading the recruiting function for tech talent.
Thank you so much for joining us!
Anit: I am honored to share thoughts on my experience as a tech recruiter.
What motivated you to choose technical recruiting as your professional career?
Anit: I studied computer science to be a software engineer but early on in my career, I realized that tech recruiting was going to be my passion. I wrote code maybe for six months out of college but switched to recruiting to pursue a career that was more fulfilling as I got to interact with people from diverse backgrounds.
What is it that excites you about tech recruiting?
Anit: Innovation and looking forward to the next big thing in tech, whether itâs AI/ML, Blockchain, or any other way to solve problems. I always get excited whenever a new industry gets disrupted by an application of simple technology. In my current role with LiveRamp, I am excited to work with engineering teams to find talent who want to work on solutions that donât exist in todayâs world.
What has been your biggest challenge in tech recruitment?
Anit: Finding the perfect candidate who doesnât exist đ
As recruiters, we tend to focus on finding the best or the perfect candidate and end up overlooking a lot of high-potential candidates who sometimes donât check all the boxes for the hiring managers. But as a tech recruiter, itâs our job to educate hiring managers that sometimes the not-so-perfect candidate is the best bet since they would be motivated and invested in the product or the company in the long run.
Another challenge that we recruiters are facing right now, with the high demand for tech talent, candidates are juggling multiple offers at a time. This is making it even harder to close a position with just one top candidate. Sometimes we need to have a silver medalist ready in case the top candidate declines the offer.
The third challenge which is common across most companies is assessing candidatesâ technical skills. There are tons of screening tools available in the market, but none is able to give the right answer.
What do you think is the future of tech recruitment, and what state-of-art problems do you think needs to be solved?
Anit: The future of work, especially in the BIG Tech, is going to be remote-focused. Recently we started hearing that companies want their employees back in the office. But I believe those companies would win the talent war, which will offer remote work and flexibility to their employees.
The worldwide pandemic made a lot of us work remote/from our homes, which gave birth to an abundance of tech tools to source, assess, and collaborate with candidates. But no tool has been able to replace the human touch. More advancement in tools and technology will only increase the need for human interaction, whether itâs face-to-face or virtual.
If you had to share âwords of wisdomâ with a tech recruiter whoâs about to start their journey in tech recruitment, what would they be?
Anit: Never take âNoâ by your candidates as a personal failure. They are saying no to the opportunity. You will only get better if you have heard enough NO’s.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
Anit: I am active on LinkedIn ->Â https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitarora/
Thanks for joining us, Anit! Your focus and vision for achieving both professional and personal goals are exemplary. Realizing top talents are the unpolished versions of not-so-perfect candidates is something technical recruiters should focus on.
