“Your One Decision Can Change Somone’s Life”: Decrypting Talent Acquisition With HR Shilpa Mathew Paul
“Talent Acquisition is an art!”
We recently connected with Shilpa Mathew Paul, Sr. HR & Operations Manager at 2Hats Logic Solutions Pvt Ltd. Infopark, Kochi. A season HR recruiter and a talent acquisition expert, Shilpa has been working in the field of hiring and most HR positions. She has been an HR Recruiter, IT Technical Recruiter, HR Manager, Senior Manager of HR and Operations, and indeed an inspiration for all.
In an insightful round of talks, we learned that HR Management has always been Shilpa’s sweet spot. During her formative college days, she realized her potential as a gifted professional in HR Management and IT Sector. There was no going back from here. She began her work as a human resources recruiter, honed her skills, and, as she mentions, became “a talent acquisition expert” after a series of successful IT technical recruitments.
Shilpa is an ardent believer in hard work and investing in her job to get optimum results. She passionately discusses the importance of being involved in what you do as the role of a good recruiter transcends beyond the 9 to 5 limit. In her opinion,
“Employers need reliable HR professionals in order to maintain a healthy environment.”
As the entire organization’s HR management falls under this obligation, the job is a 24*7 hustle, she adds.
While discussing her work, she also talked about the fine line between a recruiter and a talent acquisition expert. She finds that the market is quite competitive regarding talent acquisition and retention due to the current environment. Hiring the right talent takes a great deal of effort and healthy practices.
Headsup also learned from her that this knack for finding and hiring talent is an art form and is not achievable by everyone. She mentions how she had to go the extra mile to get referrals and employ several HR modules, and networking techniques to find “the right talent at the right time.”
Despite being an expert, she proudly acknowledges the trials and tribulations of the field. She suggests honing the necessary skills for all HR professionals to reach where she stands right now. She further adds –
“You’ll have to come out of your comfort zone in order to make things happen. You’ll have to learn a wide range of things.”
Shilpa further explains the changing atmosphere of the workspaces in the wake of the pandemic. Post-pandemic workplace demographics have changed drastically. Your employee can be sitting anywhere, and as a recruiter, it gives you a window to work with professionals across the globe. For Shilpa, it also proved to be a great way of “talent sourcing.” She deems this mode of work as the future of workplaces. She used herself as an example of how the work mode made her personal and professional life easy and balanced. As a working professional, her work-from-home tenure has little negative impact. Instead, it has encouraged her to strive for more.
Lastly, we concluded the conversation with an exciting take on recruitment from Shilpa’s end. She discusses the story of a hire where the professional lacked the “so-called industry experience ” but showed natural talent as a self-learner. Shilpa firmly believes in the rule of competency.
This rat race for experience and competitiveness loses in front of a true talent. As a professional, you only need to know your niche and keep a positive attitude towards the process. Shilpa is a living example. Her journey started during her college years. Today, she stands as a beacon of light for numerous young talents like herself. Her spirit for learning something new, exploring unchartered waters, and keeping up with the changing fabric of the workplace makes her excel as an HR professional.
