Interview with the founder of talaint: Mariyana Boyanova

Mariyana Boyanova is an entrepreneur in the field of human resources and an experienced professional in the recruitment of highly qualified personnel, whose 15-year career has been spent to this day in the search for managerial, expert, and IT staff for local and global companies in various sectors. Having started her career as a trainee in Talent Management at Heineken's headquarters in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and graduated with a Master's degree in Business Studies from the Universiteit van Amsterdam, Mariyana eventually switched to the agency side of recruitment and headhunting. In her role as founder of the recruitment agency talaint by Human Recruiters (www.talaint.com), Mariyana relies on education as one of the three important pillars on which she believes the success of every professional is based and a core value in the company she manages. With a belief in the idea of "lifelong learning", Mariyana is in the process of completing a post-graduate qualification with the prestigious CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, London, UK) in the "Strategic People Management" Level 7 program. Believing in the meaning of quality career counseling from as early an age as possible, it is her personal mission to contribute to a more aware and purpose-driven younger generation and prove the successful synergy between man and technology in the world of HR.

• What are the first signs by which an IT company can recognize that it needs the assistance of an HR agency to effectively manage its recruitment process?

Using a recruitment agency is far from the first thing an IT employer should undertake. It may sound strange coming from an agency recruiter like myself, but in reality, every company, no matter what sector they are in, should rely heavily on internal recommendations. This means that the employer brand does its job and the internal recruitment strategy is successful and well thought out. Of course, there is a "however". When we're talking about companies that are just entering the market and are unfamiliar to potential candidates, an agency can do a good job as an employer brand ambassador - introducing talent and "spreading the word" about the employer in question. Secondly, when we're talking about established companies already having difficulty recruiting, the reasons for this can be myriad and are not always the fault of the employer. For example, when the profile of candidates sought is extremely specific. Then we need to look for an agency with strong competencies in the field and excellent sourcing skills among its consultants. Another reason can be the employer's bad image - in fact, an agency can very easily "wash its hands" when it is unsuccessful in a project, justifying this reason. We as recruiters know very well who has one - for us, it means that usually when we contact candidates from these companies, they are almost always ready to leave. For every train, however, there are passengers. If the recruiter in this case hears the voice of the agency and allows them to facilitate the process, a significant improvement can be felt, for example, in the candidate experience direction. And a third case, of course, if the company simply does not want to invest in hiring in-house recruiters for a variety of reasons - management philosophy or organizational planning. Here, the function is almost completely outsourced to the agency and requires serious trust in its skills and transparent communication between all parties.

• In your opinion, which skills and qualities are most valued by employers today when selecting staff for Management positions?

The job market is moving towards flexibility - in working hours, arrangements, and location. The design of positions is changing and with the advent of AI, this will be the trend in the future. Increasingly we are seeing companies offering paid leave with no limit on days. However, this means one thing - they are also looking for equally flexible people. Leaders who won't be afraid to also be "in the field" and make strategic decisions. Leaders who, even though they're on vacation, will step into the meeting. Leaders who are approachable and communicate skillfully at all levels.

• You lead the talaint team successfully thanks to your proactivity and excellent organization! How do you evaluate the role of good process organization in HR agencies?

We communicate with over 400 candidates per week. And we are 8 people. If it wasn't for our excellent process organisation, the book of complaints would have already been published in several editions. We don't rely on memory and luck. That's why technology exists to organize processes with us. We love the systems at work, but most of all we love our nervous systems - if there's a tool to facilitate our activity, it's welcome.

• What Recruitment tools and platforms does the talaint team recommend to our readers?

An agency without an ATS (application tracking system) is lost. Unless it's a 2-person agency, but even then. This isn't a recommendation, it's a must-have. Anything else that facilitates communication, and aids successful sourcing - like TalentSight, analyzing candidates' personality characteristics is a plus. It's important to note, however, that critical thinking and insight on these tools are a must. At this point, technology trolls certainly help to make data-driven decisions in recruitment, but should not be fully relied upon because they too have drawbacks, even bias. Yes, it can never be completely isolated, as we humans also acquire biases from an early age, but recruiters should strive to escape them. Selection is not a sixth sense or a "vibe" - it should be based on data and thoughtful and objective decisions, supported in every way, including technology.

• What advice would you give to recruiters just starting out in the industry?

I was eating at a popular fast-food restaurant recently and the lady wiping down the tables was making an incredible effort to keep them sparkling clean. Indeed, the place looked too good as far as hygiene was concerned. This woman was trying very hard - I'm even inclined to be misled by the halo effect that she might have done just as well as an administrative assistant or salesperson. No matter what you do, make every effort to do it excellently! Even if it didn't turn out perfectly at the end of the day, you did what you had to do. Integrity and discipline are the things that are key to any beginning, and any successful continuation of that beginning. Even if you have amazing talent, if you don't work to exercise it around the clock, it just sleeps inside you. For me, recruiting is not a starting point in a career in HR, which is unfortunately the opinion of a lot of newbies in the field. If a young person allows themselves to look at the process strategically, understand their clients' needs, understand their business goals, realize their personal importance in their client's success, trust their manager to teach and guide them, accept failures as lessons, and constantly analyze processes and looks for improvements, then I want that person on our team :)