May 1, 2024
Senior Talent Partner Vanita Gera at Guidepoint Software in Conversation with Mahesh M. Thakur
A Conversation between Vanita Gera, Guidewire Software, and Mahesh M. Thakur, Fortune 100
Podcast Episode Overview:
Mahesh M. Thakur, a Top 100 Executive Coach, in conversation with Vanita Gera, Guidewire Software to explore her 12+ years of experience in talent acquisition. Vanita shares her strategies for recruiting high-quality talent, sharing the importance of a tailored sourcing approach and the transformative role of AI in HR. She also discusses the critical metrics for measuring recruitment success and her motivation in the field.
Vanita reflects on her career and growth with the Academy of High Achievers
Vanita highlights the value humans and AI can bring to the talent acquisition and retention process.
Mahesh M Thakur: Vanita, such a pleasure to have you here today.
Vanita Gera: Same here, Mahesh, thanks for having me.
Mahesh M Thakur: Absolutely. Tell us about yourself.
Vanita Gera: Sure. I’m Vanita, and I have over twelve years of experience in talent acquisition. I’ve worked with diverse companies; I was a senior recruiter for a SaaS product company and have a background in recruitment agencies. I’ve covered various roles, from intern to director and VP, helping with sourcing and recruiting. I’ve also worked across different business units, including professional services and product engineering. I’ve been a Bay Area resident for almost a decade and a half.
Mahesh M Thakur: Great. In this era, sourcing continues to be critical for many companies because success depends on talent, and the quality of talent is determined by sourcing. What would be your strategy to recruit high-quality talent today?
Vanita Gera: Having the right sourcing strategy is crucial. It starts with understanding why a position is open—whether it’s a backfill or a new role due to company expansion. Analyzing those needs helps in strategizing effectively. Then, creating a candidate persona is essential. It’s important to find the right platform for sourcing candidates because not every candidate is on LinkedIn. While LinkedIn is a big database, it doesn’t cover all roles. Crafting impactful outreach messages is also key; we want to avoid spamming candidates. Additionally, participating in job fairs—virtual or otherwise—can be beneficial.
Mahesh M Thakur: That’s insightful. How do you see AI transforming the sourcing process?
Vanita Gera: AI has revolutionized sourcing. There are AI tools that help personalize outreach messages based on a candidate’s personality. For example, some Chrome extensions analyze LinkedIn profiles to suggest how to approach a candidate, whether they prefer emojis or are open to discussing salary upfront. AI also automates various HR processes, reducing manual time while maintaining the essential human touch in HR functions.
Mahesh M Thakur: How do you see the overall HR landscape evolving with AI?
Vanita Gera: AI is automating processes across all HR functions, including talent management and employee experience. While it streamlines operations, HR still requires a human touch. AI can help create unbiased job descriptions and ensure diversity in hiring, making the process more equitable.
Mahesh M Thakur: What metrics do you use to measure success in the recruiting process?
Vanita Gera: Key metrics include time to fill roles, recruitment ROI, and acceptance rates of outreach messages. It’s a data-driven approach where we track how many emails are sent and their acceptance rates. Diversity and inclusion metrics are also vital for fostering different mindsets within the company.
Mahesh M Thakur: What personally motivates you?
Vanita Gera: Recruiting isn’t just a job for me; it’s a passion. I love the challenge of finding the right talent and meeting different people daily. It’s fulfilling when someone tells me that my help in finding them a job has positively impacted their life and their family’s life. It’s like being a matchmaker.
Mahesh M Thakur: I can see that passion lighting you up! Tell us about your experience with the Academy of High Achievers.
Vanita Gera: I’ve recently joined the Academy, and I’m really enjoying it. I feel I would have missed out on a lot if I hadn’t joined. As a recruiter, reviewing resumes is routine, but writing my own is challenging. It’s often easier to critique others than to evaluate ourselves. I’m in a transitional phase and looking forward to this journey.
Mahesh M Thakur:I’m excited to see you crush your goals, Vanita!
Vanita Gera:Thank you!
Vanita Gera: Same here, Mahesh, thanks for having me.
Mahesh M Thakur: Absolutely. Tell us about yourself.
Vanita Gera: Sure. I’m Vanita, and I have over twelve years of experience in talent acquisition. I’ve worked with diverse companies; I was a senior recruiter for a SaaS product company and have a background in recruitment agencies. I’ve covered various roles, from intern to director and VP, helping with sourcing and recruiting. I’ve also worked across different business units, including professional services and product engineering. I’ve been a Bay Area resident for almost a decade and a half.
Mahesh M Thakur: Great. In this era, sourcing continues to be critical for many companies because success depends on talent, and the quality of talent is determined by sourcing. What would be your strategy to recruit high-quality talent today?
Vanita Gera: Having the right sourcing strategy is crucial. It starts with understanding why a position is open—whether it’s a backfill or a new role due to company expansion. Analyzing those needs helps in strategizing effectively. Then, creating a candidate persona is essential. It’s important to find the right platform for sourcing candidates because not every candidate is on LinkedIn. While LinkedIn is a big database, it doesn’t cover all roles. Crafting impactful outreach messages is also key; we want to avoid spamming candidates. Additionally, participating in job fairs—virtual or otherwise—can be beneficial.
Mahesh M Thakur: That’s insightful. How do you see AI transforming the sourcing process?
Vanita Gera: AI has revolutionized sourcing. There are AI tools that help personalize outreach messages based on a candidate’s personality. For example, some Chrome extensions analyze LinkedIn profiles to suggest how to approach a candidate, whether they prefer emojis or are open to discussing salary upfront. AI also automates various HR processes, reducing manual time while maintaining the essential human touch in HR functions.
Mahesh M Thakur: How do you see the overall HR landscape evolving with AI?
Vanita Gera: AI is automating processes across all HR functions, including talent management and employee experience. While it streamlines operations, HR still requires a human touch. AI can help create unbiased job descriptions and ensure diversity in hiring, making the process more equitable.
Mahesh M Thakur: What metrics do you use to measure success in the recruiting process?
Vanita Gera: Key metrics include time to fill roles, recruitment ROI, and acceptance rates of outreach messages. It’s a data-driven approach where we track how many emails are sent and their acceptance rates. Diversity and inclusion metrics are also vital for fostering different mindsets within the company.
Mahesh M Thakur: What personally motivates you?
Vanita Gera: Recruiting isn’t just a job for me; it’s a passion. I love the challenge of finding the right talent and meeting different people daily. It’s fulfilling when someone tells me that my help in finding them a job has positively impacted their life and their family’s life. It’s like being a matchmaker.
Mahesh M Thakur: I can see that passion lighting you up! Tell us about your experience with the Academy of High Achievers.
Vanita Gera: I’ve recently joined the Academy, and I’m really enjoying it. I feel I would have missed out on a lot if I hadn’t joined. As a recruiter, reviewing resumes is routine, but writing my own is challenging. It’s often easier to critique others than to evaluate ourselves. I’m in a transitional phase and looking forward to this journey.
Mahesh M Thakur:I’m excited to see you crush your goals, Vanita!
Vanita Gera:Thank you!
