Confessions of a Recruiter
The show is hosted by Blake Thompson and Declan Kluver who respectively own Vendito Consulting and Blended Employment. Both have been in Sales & Marketing Recruitment for over 5 years. The podcast is about opening the door to the recruitment world and creating a community of recruiters who can share funny stories, educate and have honest conversations about the industry and their experience. All episodes are powered by xrecruiter.
Confessions of a Recruiter
Dimpy Mehta - Exclusive Talent | Confessions of a Recruiter #112
Dive into the incredible journey of Dimpy, an inspiring immigrant who transitioned from placement coordinator to the founder of Exclusive Talent, a thriving recruitment agency. In this episode, we explore her early life in India, the challenges she faced when moving to Australia, and the ways she navigated the complex recruitment landscape as a newcomer. Her story is not just about finding professional success; it’s a testament to the power of belief, resilience, and self-discovery in the face of adversity.
Dimpy candidly recounts her experiences, from the struggles of adapting to a new culture and language to overcoming feelings of inadequacy. She shares valuable insights into how she built her confidence, transformed her perspective on recruitment, and developed meaningful relationships with clients and candidates alike. Her approach to recruitment is rooted in empathy and understanding, fostering a culture of transparency within her agency.
Looking to the future, Dimpy discusses her aspirations for Exclusive Talent and her mission to create an inclusive environment for all recruiters. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting in the industry, Dimpy’s story serves as a powerful reminder of the potential we all have to succeed, regardless of our backgrounds. Listen in to gain insights, inspiration, and practical advice that can guide you as you navigate your career journey. Don’t forget to reach out to Dimpy or share your own experiences, as we continue to learn from one another in this dynamic field!
· Our Website is: xrecruiter.io
Went to Randstad for about five years, cried almost every day for the first six months, but you persevered. Fast forward to today. You're running your own recruitment agency.
Speaker 2:Finding myself a job here in Australia. It was a massive achievement and since then, I've never looked back. Hey everyone, this is Dimpy, director of Exclusive Talent. I'm with Declan and Blake today. We talked about my journey. We talked about my role with agency and talent acquisition. I filled 99% of my roles. I was managing a portfolio of 10,000. And I would fill about nine jobs a week.
Speaker 1:A week Wow.
Speaker 2:Don't miss this episode.
Speaker 1:All right, welcome back to another episode of Confessions of a Recruiter. We're joined by none other than Dimpy from Exclusive Talent. Thanks for joining us today, Dimpy.
Speaker 2:Thank you guys for having me here.
Speaker 1:Now, dimpy, I want to give everyone some context on who you are and what you've been up to. Now we're going to fill in the blanks a little bit throughout this discussion, but just so everyone knows who you are, I'm going to summarize what I believe to be accurate and then, if I'm wrong here, just let me know. Sure, I think your background is really fascinating. I think you've got an amazing story. So you grew up, born and bred in India.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Grew up in India, hadn't studied up until 23. Did you speak English?
Speaker 2:Yeah. Yeah, okay, but it's slightly different to what we speak here. The slang is different.
Speaker 1:Okay, Studied up until 23. Got into an arranged marriage from your parents. Relocated to Australia with oh, was he already here.
Speaker 2:He was already here.
Speaker 1:He was already here and then relocated to Australia. Got your first job in employment services not quite recruitment, but like coordination it was a placement coordinator role for an aged care nursing company. Awesome. And then went to Randstad. Yes, worked in Randstad. For how long.
Speaker 2:For about five years.
Speaker 1:Five years, cried almost every day for the first six months because you were struggling, overcoming the adversity of one, I think you told me you felt like people treated you as a telemarketer. You sounded like a telemarketer because you had a thick Indian accent and you were still learning English. Yes, but you persevered, you got through it and now fast forward to today, and there's obviously a lot that happened in between. You're running your own recruitment agency. Yes, how exciting is that.
Speaker 2:Super exciting and I'm really proud of the journey that I had since my time. I moved to Australia with no experience Back in India, where I didn't even know what the job feels like right and what nine to five looks like Finding myself a job here in Australia. It was a massive achievement and since then I've never looked back.
Speaker 1:That's so good. So what is exclusive talent? What do you recruit? What industries?
Speaker 2:So I recruit sales and marketing roles mainly, and focusing on executive to senior to mid-senior level roles. We work with all the industries. We have extensively worked with healthcare industry, fmcg, manufacturing, construction. That's where our candidates are from.
Speaker 1:Nice yeah, Do you do PERM TEMP?
Speaker 2:Mainly focusing on PERM. But we do have temp that we place with certain roles, mainly with sales. It's more focused on permanent side where you work on some you know perm roles where they see their journey with that company, not so much temp.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay. What about location? So you're in Greater Western Sydney. Yeah, do you recruit just in Greater Western Sydney?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Do you recruit just in Greater Western Sydney? Is it Australia? Is it just New South Wales? Like, what are the geographies that you're recruiting?
Speaker 2:My experience has always been recruiting Australia-wide, even when I was in talent acquisition to you know when at Randstad, I've always recruited Australia-wide, so my focus here in my business is Australia-wide as well. I've placed candidates where you know it's very remote regional areas Queensland, toowoomba, perth, so everywhere in Australia.
Speaker 1:Awesome, okay, so you're recruiting, and also New Zealand and New Zealand.
Speaker 2:Yes, a recent one. We have made some placements in New. Zealand.
Speaker 1:Really In Auckland? Is that sales in healthcare?
Speaker 2:It was a sales director role.
Speaker 1:Nice. So how did you land in sales and marketing, like recruiting for that? Is that what you're doing at Randstad?
Speaker 2:No. So when I started at Randstad, it was mainly business support roles that I recruited for five years, led a team over there and again it was same business support roles that I mainly specialized in Clients. Pretty much. I was working in all industries, so manufacturing to FMCG, everything that you can think of in that space. But since I worked in talent acquisition role where I mainly helped the sales manager and CEO to recruit for their own teams and we created a team from scratch during COVID times and that was massive. So we recruited from regional sales manager to sales managers and their team BDMs, mlis under them, so pretty much you know crafting the whole structure from scratch. That's where my interest grew in sales and marketing and I've been recruiting sales and marketing for over five years now.
Speaker 1:That's interesting because I have to admit there is a stigma with talent acquisition that don't shoot the messenger but they're failed agency recruiters. That's like a kind of like a general funny throwaway line that agency recruiters say they're in TA because they can hack being agency recruiter. I'll never go back to recruitment.
Speaker 2:I'll never go back to agency right.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So how did you make that transition? So you were in RANS. So just to kind of give some more context here, so you were at RANS for five years. Then you went internal TA for a couple of years and then something inside of you said I want to get back to agency recruitment. But rather than getting back to agency recruitment for someone else, I'm just going to start my own agency. Is that right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I can explain what happened there. So when I started my journey with Randstad, it was quite interesting. I just fell into it. So I was a candidate. So when I was doing my placement coordinator role for this firm and that was my initial couple of years in Australia the company went bust after a couple of years and I had no job pretty much next day and I was like what do I want to do? So I started temping for a recruitment team, talent acquisition team, through Randstad. I was their candidate and I've been doing that role for a few months.
Speaker 2:Then something hit me that I can do more and I've been asking for more work. But they're like oh, you're good, you know, keep doing what you're doing. And I was like no, I need more challenge. So I called the agency up and I said I can do your candidate sourcing. I'm not sure about the consultant role because I might not be good at sales, but I can do your candidate sourcing. Do you have vacancy? And they're like yeah, we are doing group interviews. Just, you know, you can come on this day and let's take it from there. So I'm in a room full of you know, there are 24 people in the room and I was like I said no chance, there are 24 people I'm competing against and I have only a couple of years of experience, which is not even related to what I'm going for.
Speaker 3:So I was like what did they make you do in the group interview?
Speaker 2:Oh everything. So you have to debate, you have to introduce yourself. Then there is a topic that they will give you where you have to present something, then role plays, where they act as a client and you have to, you know, talk as a consultant. So there were a few rounds, right. I went through like seven to eight rounds of interview and the final round was like total. They're like are you sure you want to do this? I was like I've come this far. I didn't even believe I could make it to the seventh round. So yes, and they're like how would you handle like people might give you, you know, say something about you, and the remarks and how would you take it? Because you are an immigrant, you might feel that people might treat you differently. And I was warned from the start and I was like how are you thinking I'm? You know, I've survived past two years, I've been doing great and I can handle that conversation. So I fell into it. I accepted the role.
Speaker 2:So they didn't offer me the candidate manager role. They offered me two roles. They offered me a candidate manager as well as consultant. They're like which one would you like to go for? And I really like the manager for the consultant role. So I chose my manager. I was like you know what, I'll go for the consultant role. And she's like I'll teach you everything. And I was like okay, got it, and I accepted the role. And then in the interview I still remember she asked me do you have license and everything to qualify for this role? And I was like yeah, but at that time I didn't even know how to drive. I had a license.
Speaker 1:Oh, you had a license but you couldn't drive yeah, In India.
Speaker 2:At that time not now, like I think it's very different now, but at that time you can get a license but you don't need to know how to drive. So on my first day with her and we were going to a visit to see a client, she's like, okay, you're driving, and my manager was with me. She's like, okay, you're driving and my manager was with me. She's like you don't know how to drive. Literally, she found out in first few seconds and I was like no. And then she's like you lied because you said you know how to drive and I was like no, you said you have license. I do have a license.
Speaker 1:And she's like, okay, that's so good. That is a perfect example of quality of question, quality of answer.
Speaker 2:I was right, I didn't lie. And then, but at the same time I was practicing Since the day I found out that you know I got this job, I practiced, you know, every night I'll go for. You know I did a crash course and this and that everything to help me to learn how to drive. I was scared. I had few near you know, death experiences while driving because I'm straight into deep end. But it was fun. I figured my way. A few months was hard at Randstad because it was hard to be a consultant doing a sales role where I had no confidence.
Speaker 1:I think that's where I struggled. Talk to us about that trying to get into sales and trying to work out, not only having to learn the industry that you're recruiting in, learn recruitment, learn English and then overcome objections to be able to not come across as, as you put it, sounding like a telemarketer yeah, and then people will just hang up on you and you're like walk us through like the first couple of months getting into recruitment as an immigrant and trying to overcome those obstacles.
Speaker 2:A hundred percent. Look, it was hard, harder than what I, you know, even imagined, because when I got the job I was just overjoyed that I got a full-time, permanent role as a consultant. I didn't think anything through. But I knew at that point what I was getting into. I need to do sales, I need to build relationship, but at that point I didn't know how to. That was the big part. But the only thing I had in mind that I'll figure out how I want to do it, how I will do it and how I will survive. So the minute I said I can drive, I didn't know how to drive. I learned how to drive Right. So same with anything any job that I'll go to in Australia, I have to learn how to do it anyway, because I come with no experience from India.
Speaker 2:So I think it was just the mindset. Few months were tough. I was getting rejection because I was trying to follow people what they were doing. I was trying to follow other consultants how they were doing it. I was reading scripts. Sometimes I would just try to say things the way they were saying it. What?
Speaker 1:do you mean by that?
Speaker 2:It's just, you know some people have different personality and you try to copy them and then it comes across so fake. For me they were. Maybe they were very authentic to what they were doing and saying, but for me I was just putting up a face. I was just being someone that I'm not. So I think that was very hard and I had my own insecurities in that sense that maybe I'm not confident, I don't have that self-esteem. You know that I can do it, so I think I was doubting myself. Every second I'll make a phone call. So that's why I was getting rejected. It's not because of people. Might was people were treating me differently. They still do. But I know now how to handle those conversations. At that point I was not trained enough or not experienced enough to handle those conversations and a lot was going in my mind too, so that was maybe the reflection. Lot was going in my mind too, so that was maybe the reflection.
Speaker 3:What was going through your mind, like what were your thoughts.
Speaker 2:It was just the confidence piece. I think that changes everything for you, because in your mind you constantly think you're different, you sound different, people hate you. Like you know when the minute you pick up the call, you're like he's going to hang up on me.
Speaker 1:He's going to hang up on me.
Speaker 2:He's going to say I don't want you know, and then you're filling out your own fallacy, because you feel like, yeah, yeah, it's just in your brain.
Speaker 1:Okay, so let's say, we've got a recruiter listening right now and they are dimpy six, seven years ago yeah and they're getting into recruitment. They're wanting to get into recruitment and they are resonating with you right now. How do you like? What could you tell them to help them overcome these challenges? You said just before that now you know what to expect, you can overcome it and it's far easier for you. So, like how did you? What do you do? What are you doing to overcome it? Is it a mindset thing?
Speaker 2:I did, mindset was a big part. But recognizing that you are your own enemy, not someone else or not people around you, I think that you need to recognize that Trying to play a victim that oh, people treat me differently, that's why I can't do this job. I think that's not the case. Most of the time it's you thinking you have your own insecurities because it's different. It's a different environment, different experience, different language. Definitely you're going to have that. You know self-doubt, but just how to be focused and be aware of what's going on in your head? And I think secondly was consistency. Every day I gave up at Ramstad, like for the first six months when I passed my probation, I couldn't even believe I passed my probation.
Speaker 3:Did you make any placements in probation?
Speaker 2:I did I did, but very few. But I couldn't meet my KPIs for first six months. But my manager could see how hard I was trying. I was there first one in like I'm closing the office at night at around nine o'clock. So I'm there day and night to make sure that I don't. You know I get this right. But it was hard because I was still trying to figure out how to make a phone call. I still remember I was shaking when I made my first phone call because I, you know, I was like this is not me, I don't know.
Speaker 2:So I think it's just the consistency. I think that played a big role. I did same thing every day but improved on what I did. You know, I want to do differently next day. So consistency was there. Even though I made 10 calls, I get no meetings or nothing I still go in next day and do 10 calls regardless. I was like reject me. Then I was so thick skinned I was like reject me, that's fine, what else could happen? But what I think I found myself during that sort of process is I was trying to copy people, the way they do things, but I was not trying to figure out what would work for me, because I'm different.
Speaker 1:When did you figure that out?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it was a journey. I won't say one day, just, you know, let's do this, but no, I think it was a journey from the day one. I was constantly looking back and seeing what I can do differently, what I can improve on. But meeting with new clients, and just I found out, after meeting with few clients, my product was my candidate and that was always the case. So why am I so insecure about myself? Like, yes, definitely they're working with me, but my products are my candidate. So I started putting my candidate in my you know, front of my conversation and instantly the trust was there from the client side. The confidence was there because I know my product, I know my candidate, I could talk about them all day and with all the details that you need. So that was my strength and I didn't recognize it. I was trying to be hey, how was your day, what's your son doing, what's your daughter doing and what's the footy game was about?
Speaker 2:I'm not that person you know, and I struggled. So after they responded to what I asked, I was like what, what next to ask? I would get so uncomfortable, like so, what do you did on the weekend? And they will come back to me with an answer, and I was like I don't know what else to ask them anymore because I'm not that person.
Speaker 2:So after that I think my conversation went so smooth with all my clients because my topic was my candidate all the time and we naturally grew that relationship, that trust, and that's what I've been doing since then.
Speaker 3:So reverse marketing, getting candidates in front of clients as quick as possible.
Speaker 2:Exactly and knowing you're brave, not afraid to ask questions, I act like I don't know if I can say this word, but like dumb when I'm taking a brief. Because if I'm going with an assumption that I know what exactly you're doing, I don't know what you're doing because I literally I'm going there with an assumption that this is what this manager wants and I'm going to present a candidate that what I think is best and that's not the right way of recruiting. There is a reason why we are called recruiters. We need to break down each and every brief before we even present a candidate. So now I go on a meeting and they're like oh, you've been recruiting, you know, for this, for 10 years now, nine years now. And I was like that's fine. Every company is different, every role is different. Tell me from the scratch, what are they doing in this role? I can't just expect a territory manager is doing exactly the same role. What I placed, you know, just 10 days ago.
Speaker 3:No, what's your briefing process? To walk us through, how simple and dumb you make it for yourself and the client.
Speaker 2:I think it's pretty simple Just having a conversation. In my early days I still remember I used to go with a pen and paper and some questions to ask and just take all the questions that I've asked, all the question. I come back and I still don't know whether I know the brief. Now I was like, no, I'm not going with set of questions that I want to ask, I just go there and have a proper conversation. Because sometimes what I found out is even the clients. They're unsure of what they want. They're unsure than you are. So they are in the process to figure out what sort of person they need or would fit in for their team. What was the other person was doing, how they want to restructure this role. Now I think they're not giving enough thought. So my process is pretty much to book a meeting, not get a brief over the phone. I try to avoid that. 99% of the time I get pushed back and I push back.
Speaker 3:Why is that what's happened for you to value that more, as opposed to just accepting it over the phone and thinking you have a job?
Speaker 2:on. I think it's just the time piece at the moment that everyone thinks it's okay. Briefing is not that important, you know, and even clients have started thinking you're just going to waste my time if I give you my half an hour, you know, and sit down and you're going to waste my time and I push back on that, because over the phone I'm not connecting with that person, I'm just hearing the words. I on that because over the phone I'm not connecting with that person, I'm just hearing the words. I'm not seeing why they are saying it and if I'm sitting down it would be different conversation. If you're doing this over the phone, the podcast that we are doing now right, the reason why we are here is it's different when you're face to face. They open about the challenges. Over the phone they don't. They don't talk about the real whys, why they are recruiting this role, what went wrong with the last person or what was really good about that person.
Speaker 3:They don't want to do it. There's no vulnerability. They've got their guard up too much over the phone and they're distracted.
Speaker 2:They might be in front of the computer responding to someone else while talking to me 100%, I need their full attention.
Speaker 1:That's actually a massive trap for recruiters and is probably why so many recruiters get these half-cocked job-ons recruit it for a couple of weeks, don't place. It is because you made a really valid point. Most of the time the hiring managers don't know what they're looking for either. So if you just call them on the phone, get a brief, take it on face value, start recruiting, try and tick a few experience boxes and send them candidates and then wonder why you're not filling roles as effectively as you should be. It's probably because their expectations through that process has matured and changed around what they're actually looking for. So having that meeting is actually a bit of a secret sauce.
Speaker 2:And having a normal conversation. Rather than just asking very structured question. I just start with why this vacancy is open, and then things just flows, and then ask very open-ended question about what exactly they do, what are their challenges. Rather than assuming what a territory manager does or what a regional sales manager does, I talk about each and every personality that they are working with. So if they have a team of five, what they like, tell me a little bit more about them. You know what sort of management they had before.
Speaker 2:So if I'm recruiting a marketing manager role, I need to understand the team they're working with. So it's very important to understand the culture. It's understand the manager fit. What company requires what manager the hiring manager think he requires or she requires. It's very important to understand and break it down. So when I go to the market and I get feedback from candidates, I know what exactly I'm talking about. Otherwise I'm someone just flicking CVs. I don't flick CVs and all my clients that I work with they know that, even their new clients. I never flick a CV. If I pick up a role and a cold call and they say, yeah, send me a resume if you have any, I never send a resume.
Speaker 3:What do you say back to that?
Speaker 2:I say let's have a meeting. I need to understand the requirement, what this role is about, and then I'm more than happy to discuss that with my candidate. Come back to you because I don't want to flick a CV to you, not match that candidate with the job. I'm assuming at the moment that this candidate would be a good fit, but it's an assumption. I need to sit down with you to be sure that I'm presenting the right candidate and they're like but I don't have a time.
Speaker 2:I was like if you don't have a time, you will be wasting so much time going through unnecessary CV. Do you want to do that? You'd rather spend that half an hour with me, trust me with the process and you'll get the right candidate. And they're like can't we do this on the phone Now? Sometimes you can't. You know there are certain lines where they don't trust you as much because they haven't worked with you and I understand that At that point I can be flexible. But I get a full brief over the phone and next minute I send the first candidate. I was like let's have a meeting Because now they trust me. Now I'll ask more, deeper question about the culture, about this and that, and get better understanding before I present my second CV.
Speaker 1:That's really interesting and it's refreshing to hear that you're constantly trying to focus on the client meeting. Even after you've taken a full phone brief you've sent them a candidate it's probably pretty easy just to start booking in interviews. However, if you're trying to go back to the start of the process and go, okay, let's meet now, it makes it so much more powerful. It sounds like you're working a lot with people that don't know who you are. Is that right? Are you doing a lot of new business?
Speaker 2:Yeah, the reason why? Because when I was at Randstad I mainly recruited business support roles. That's completely different to what I do now. When I was in talent acquisition I never had to do client side right. I never had to do sales or the rejection. It's hard. When I started my own business, hearing noise again it reminded me of my days where people were just hanging up on me. But it's hard. But I think the client that I've built last year it's pretty much from scratch. The desk I built was from scratch.
Speaker 3:It's incredible, yeah, what did you build in your first month of business?
Speaker 2:I built over 450K.
Speaker 3:In your first month.
Speaker 2:No, not the first month, sorry, first year. Yeah, yeah, first month.
Speaker 3:First month, because it was January. Like you, just hit 12 months recently.
Speaker 2:I think I built around 45k. In January on a cold desk In January?
Speaker 3:yeah, your website wasn't even live. You made your own LinkedIn banner and you're like I just need to get recruiting.
Speaker 2:I called Declan. I was like, hey, I just got a few jobs on, can we speed the process up? He's like, yeah, but when do you need to? What do you need from me? I was like give me some access that I can post an ad first and then I need to start headhunting. He's like, okay, and that was my literally my first day of starting my business.
Speaker 1:I think I also remember you calling. I think I remember you calling saying hey, um, do I have terms like oh, yeah, yeah, let's get you some terms like great, I want to send a candidate, I just need some terms. I was like yeah, all right, let's go.
Speaker 2:I had a meeting right the minute I started my business, I think one of my old client. She reached out to I have a relationship with my clients Like some clients seven years old. Yes, I pretty much started my business from scratch, but it's just one or two clients where you know they are with me since my day one. So she reached out to me. She's like I'm glad you are back and I was like okay, and I got briefed on three months.
Speaker 3:That's awesome and, like I think, like this hustle mentality, like traditionally Aussies can be a little bit lazy and don't ever like I don't know how many Australians go to a different country, learn a new language and then try and embed themselves in the culture the way a lot of people come here. Yeah, so like you came from Hedribath, can you give some? No, from Goodrath Goodrath? I get them always mixed up. Goodrath Manisha is from Hedribath, yeah.
Speaker 2:It's mixed up, good job.
Speaker 3:Manisha's from Hedrabath. Yeah, so can you explain that? Is it a state or a province?
Speaker 2:It's a state.
Speaker 3:It's a state and it's a dry state.
Speaker 2:It's a dry state.
Speaker 1:What does that mean? So no alcohol is allowed in the state, really?
Speaker 3:How did you survive?
Speaker 1:there.
Speaker 3:She only found alcohol when she came here, geez, that was, she wasn't even allowed.
Speaker 2:I was drunk without alcohol. I didn't need any alcohol then.
Speaker 1:But I think, yeah, I've come from a dry state. You can't imagine, right? Yeah, I'm thinking dippy, whoa, all the sparkling waters down the mojitos.
Speaker 2:My time at Randstad I think my first job where our CEO was very big on parties, and every Friday we'll go down to the nearest pub and we'll just party and after that that's it.
Speaker 3:That's really interesting. So how many people live in that state?
Speaker 2:Oh, I won't be sure about that, but it's a small state when I come from. It's a small town, so I'm not exposed to a really, or I didn't go to a really big school or a private school or something like that. I come from a very moderate, middle class family. So my schooling and everything was, you know, with that, I think it's different. With that, I think it's different. It's just the way I have grown up and I don't think so.
Speaker 2:Aussies, they don't take chances. I think they do. There's so many people they do. They go to Europe and do different things and I wish I would have done that more when I was in my, you know, my early days in my college, but we were not allowed to. So where I come from, it's very conservative background where girls are not allowed to do this or work after they get married At that time. Things have changed recently, but at that time it was like, okay, if you're, if you get married, you're a housewife. And that was, you know, very clear for me. If I'm going out of the country and that was never a plan that I'll go out of the country, it just happened.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because, as my parents were, you know, were setting me up to see different guys, you know like dates and all that for arranged marriage, right, we do interviews, a lot of interviews, quick interviews, and I met my husband and we literally had the really good connection. It was just a like, just a friendship like, and I told him honestly I was like Look, I don't know how to cook. I'm not your normal, you know, housewife sort of girl. This is not what I want. I've always been so independent. Yes, I come from a very conservative background, but my dad has always put me first and I've made my own decision. So I'm very much, I'm very progressive, like that. So if you can, if your ego can handle that, you know we can talk further.
Speaker 2:I think I scared a few people off by saying that and my husband goes like oh yeah, that's perfect, because definitely if you move to Australia, you need to work, because I can't feed you and I can't only work and feed you and our family. So definitely you have to work. And I was like okay, and I was like I don't know how to cook. He's like that's fine. I was like all right, and that's how that's fine. I was like all right and that's how it started.
Speaker 1:I find it so fascinating the arranged marriage thing like it has to. You really have to be so open-minded and willing to just go with the flow to an extent, obviously. But when you were describing how it worked and you're essentially if I'm wrong here, just let me know you essentially basically had this folder, this lookbook of all these guys' profiles, and you sat down with your dad and you said, oh, he looks cute. Oh, he looks cute, oh, what about this guy? And then it was like, all right, I'll contact their parents and I'll arrange a meeting.
Speaker 3:Who publishes the book, like who creates that and then sends it out.
Speaker 2:It's a full on business there. It's a full on business and I think it is scary when you know it is it is. It was a taboo in India at that time where you'll say I love this person, I want to get married. So I never had that thought that I'll do that. I was always focused on studies, I was a good student and all that, so I never paid attention to like you know, let's date someone and do this and do that. I was always focused. And then when the time came, I was like my dad is like you're 23. You need to get married. And they started showing me all the profiles. It's just hard. When I moved here, I tried to explain to people that it was arranged marriage.
Speaker 1:They're hard. When I moved here I tried to explain people that my marriage, like it, was arranged marriage. They're like honey are you okay?
Speaker 2:yes, and, and you know what? You are a great couple. You've got a beautiful family. Yeah, it was hard, sure, sure, I think first year was hard because you know it was hard to look at some profiles and say he might be okay, but with him it's a funny story. I never said let's go and talk to him. I was talking about another guy on that page and I told my dad I was like no, my dad was showing me actually the other guy and I said look, the other guy looks better than him. And I closed the book and I went away. And then my next minute minute my dad contacted my, my husband, and he's like okay, because I made a real dad, though his dad yeah
Speaker 2:his dad and they started the conversation and that's happened and we had our first meeting. We spoke for, I think, few days and I was the first one. I was like, look, you handled pretty much what I said and you, you know you, uh, it was not shocking to you. Whatever I said, I was very open, honest, upfront. This is who I am, this is what I want for my life. It was very clear, very goal-oriented. So I knew what I wanted to do, but I didn't know how to. So I told him clearly and he said, yeah, you, you, you can do whatever you want. And that was enough for me to say yes to him.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:That freedom.
Speaker 3:Both of you together have done a lot since you've been here.
Speaker 2:I think it's so important, like as a couple, you need to have that freedom, like that support. So if I have to go down, if I have to come to Brisbane tomorrow, my son is taken care of. Like I don't have to worry about my son because he will be with my husband and he don't know how to do it. We both have equal part in our lives.
Speaker 1:When you got into recruitment and you were going through the challenges of overcoming adversity, objection, learning, recruitment, all this kind of thing how did that affect your relationship? Did it affect your relationship?
Speaker 2:Yeah, Uh, yes and no, so I think at the start. But he, he backed me every time. So I was working 24 seven. In that sense I was the first one to go to the office, close the office at nine o'clock. Even when I felt pregnant after five years at Randstad, I was the last one to close the office because my work ethic never changed. It was the ringmaster in my head. It was like do more, you can do more, you can do this. So I was always working and that was never, in, you know, an objection from his end.
Speaker 2:But every time we have our time where we are going out for dinners and we are doing things for ourself, I switch myself off. But still, on holidays I'm getting calls, I'm working and he's someone he's like, okay, I'll take, he will take a little one to the pool and he will do things. And then it just makes it easy. He still comes home and I have no dinner. I'm sad, I'm stressing about the placement that I've made or I'm going to make and I have no energy and he still doesn't ask me what's for dinner, because he comes home 10 o'clock at night and then I still have. I don't know what we're doing for dinner.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And I never get questioned like why didn't you do it? Because you were home.
Speaker 1:So he backs you, no matter what you're doing.
Speaker 2:That's amazing, I think that's the big part that I get to do. What I do is I don't have to worry about anything else.
Speaker 1:Yeah. And so what about that mentality starting a business? Because it's one thing having a salaried role, you're overcoming adversity. It sounds like it didn't put any strain on your relationship, and it does for many people. If they're not their best self at work and they're stressed out at work, generally they bring it home and it's, you know, a little bit of a chaotic time at home. But then if you amplify that again and go all right, now I'm going to start my own business. I don't have a salary anymore. I haven't been in agency recruitment for a few years. How was that transition from going from a salary, being comfortable earning good money, to then having no salary?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I feel like I've come from a background where I had nothing to lose, right, like when I moved here. I had nothing to lose, I was very free and I did what I wanted to do and I made sure that I do it right. So when I took this chance, I was in a very secured role in a talent acquisition was paid so well that I was so scared to even change my job because they knew my worth, what I was bringing on the table for them in terms of the roles that I was recruiting, the teams that I was building sufficiently, and I did that for three years for them right, and it was a really good role. I was thriving.
Speaker 2:But at some point 2023, I believe December it felt different and I'm always true to myself. So if I stop enjoying something, if I feel something that's not right, I flag it and I'm not in a rude way or to sabotage something, it's just I bring it up and that's in December. I felt, and I was true to myself, that I need to see something different for me now because I have done whatever I could done here. If I stay longer, I'll be just comfortable, nothing else, and I'll still do what I'm doing. I'll be smashing goals, I'll be benefiting the. You know the business I'm working with. But what's in for me? Because the skills that I've acquired? If I look back my last six months, I didn't change what I was doing six months before. So I need to, I need another challenge. So that feeling and I left the job without having a job to go to, which I always say to my candidate don't do that.
Speaker 2:That's not the wise way of leaving a job.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 2:I was the one doing it. The reason why I did it? Because then I know that I'm serious about looking for a next chapter. Otherwise I know that I won't be too serious and I was still going with what I was going for.
Speaker 2:Then December was the time where there were not many jobs in the market. Again, what an ideal time to leave a job during Christmas and there were not many jobs out there. So it gave me enough time to think whether I want to go for next talent acquisition role or whether I want to go for an agency. Because I didn't go to a talent acquisition role thinking that I won't go back to an agency ever, because that was not my thought. I loved my agency role. I loved my talent acquisition role. It's just that I wanted the variety in the roles that I was recruiting for and I wanted the structure to work with and everything else. So that's the reason I went for a talent acquisition role to work with more the stakeholders that's based in that company, to work with head of HR, to work with you know CEO and to work with other heads that were head of commercial that I was working with.
Speaker 3:What did you learn so much from that internal role that many agency recruiters, naturally, would never get to learn or understand about their clients that only because you did that internal talent acquisition role, you gained X knowledge.
Speaker 2:I always treat them as what I would do at an agency. I never thought, oh, I'm just in to fill jobs. You know, again, the briefing was the big part. So in the talent acquisition role I made a structure. It was very they were just using agency before my time. So I went in, I laid the clear you know structure that this was happening. If there is a role hiring manager would go through me.
Speaker 2:I did get pushback from them that they are comfortable with the agency they are working with. So again, the trust part. So what I learned from them was mainly the briefing and understanding your whys. Because I would sit down with the hiring manager and sit down with their team to get the brief and get their whys. And when you hear different things, the way the hiring manager thinks, the way the team thinks, it's completely different and just to understand that and why the other person didn't work out. It could be that reason, identifying why the position was not successful the last time or what happened there, why the person was there for three years. And they have achieved this much outcome where we were expecting, you know, certain outcomes from them All the questions that a hiring manager would never ask themselves.
Speaker 3:Never ask themselves and I still do that as an agency because recruitment is recruitment.
Speaker 2:You know, if you're a recruiter, you always be a recruiter. It doesn't matter where you go if you do an agency or talent acquisition. So that's what I do with my current clients. I don't say, oh, I'm an agency, yes, I am an agency, I'm very proud of that, but I'm your partner. You need to partner with me. You need to tell me exactly what has gone wrong, what we can do better, and I ask for feedback.
Speaker 2:I'm not afraid if my client says, look, you would have called me less. You know you called me every day, or you called me you know this many times. Then I know to set the expectation for the next time, getting that feedback, having that conversation and telling them that you are the partner, not an agency. So I'm not going to send you a CV. You need to sit with them and I'm giving my time, you're giving me your time and we are partnering with this and we're going to find the right candidate for you. I think it's the process, because they are going through a hell of a lot, you know, with their team, with whatever their delivery, they need to do with their certain roles. It's tough and recruitment could fall into their backseat and say I can do that tomorrow.
Speaker 3:And what's your vision for your agency now? Because you've built up a decent property portfolio along your way. Like you came here with literally nothing, didn't have a job, didn't have the first English speaking language, and you've built that up. And then you've also bought multiple properties along the way. Your husband also has his own business as well, like there's a lot going on.
Speaker 2:Yes, a lot going on. We have busy lives, but we love that. I think that's what we created for ourselves and for my business. I didn't know when I was starting this business. I just started with a leap of faith that I'll do it. You know, once a recruiter, always a recruiter. That's what I thought. If I can do it for someone else, I can do it for myself. This year, plans are to grow a team and work within different sector. So that's the plan and I'm closely working on that at the moment.
Speaker 3:It's exciting.
Speaker 2:It's super exciting, scary and exciting at the same time, because when you're trying something new and different, it always scares you Because you manage seven recruiters when you're at Randstad. Yeah, about, yeah, about seven.
Speaker 3:What was that like? Were you having one-on-one catch-ups?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was very interesting because at that time I was a senior consultant, got promoted and then my colleagues were like they had to report to me next day. And it was hard and they're like dude, you moved from India four years ago and now I have to report to you. You know, it was funny. I did get pushbacks from certain consultants because they were billing higher, slightly higher than what I was doing as well. So they're like you know, why am I reporting to you? So I did get pushback over there.
Speaker 2:It was not that easy that I managed a team of seven, but it was very interesting, a really good learning curve. We had regular one-on-one Again, setting expectation, understanding different personalities. Not every people receive the feedback the way other people would receive. Right, everyone is so different. My team was very young so I had to be very sensitive in terms of and that's not my personality, to be sensitive. So I had to train myself to be more empathetic, sensitive to what they feel and how they feel For me. Even something happens to me. I was like I still show up at work, it doesn't matter I'm sick, I'm doing whatever. I show up at work Like I go to hospital and I'm at work, not with a contagious disease, but I'm at work.
Speaker 2:That's what my work ethic. But just understanding everyone operates differently and they have different way why they are here. I was there to prove myself, to build relationship, and they are there. Some people are there to do their nine to five and you know, and they want to spend time with their family after five o'clock. So, understanding what they're in for, what their long-term plan looks like, sketching that out for them and training them from scratch with the meetings and client visits and everything, Because that will give you such good measure.
Speaker 3:Because, like when I got into agency ownership, I'd never even managed anyone before, so like to be able to add and have that experience already. That will put you in great stead.
Speaker 2:But I hated it. Like it was a great experience but I loved them. They were such a good bunch, but it's just. It was exhausting managing your own desk and managing a team of seven and that's your desk too, right? So if someone calls in sick, you're filling their jobs and you're filling your jobs too. So I was working, I was putting extra hours because I'm not someone who would let that job go, and I had to get that done because otherwise I can't sleep at night. So I think it was challenging, but at the same time, I learned so much about myself.
Speaker 1:Do you prefer managing people or do you prefer being a biller?
Speaker 2:I think I prefer being a biller, okay, so after when I went on mat leave, I literally went for five months and then I came back and I was a principal consultant because I can control how much work I'm going to put into it and my commitments to my client, my commitments to my candidates. Is there, like I am? Yeah, it's clear and I can manage it.
Speaker 1:So I think Billa, so what does that mean for exclusive talent then? So, if you could fast forward a couple of years, have you got a vision of what the business is? Could you describe where you are, what you're doing, how many people are around you? Have you got a bit of a vision of exclusive talent?
Speaker 2:That's a good way to manifest, right, that's what I've been doing. I've always manifested what I've been doing and what I've done. Definitely exclusive talent would be on the next level. But I can't clearly picture which. I have not even clearly pictured what I've done last year, right, but I do have an understanding of where I want to take exclusive talent. It might not be as clear as what we all think, that nothing is that clear. If I ask you what happens after four years? What Blake would be doing? Good point, you know.
Speaker 1:I don't know, but yeah.
Speaker 2:I would be definitely doing something more and exciting. Maybe you might be doing podcasts on a bigger platform, right, like it's just, but you need to have a clear vision that you're going upwards from here, not backwards. So, with exclusive talent, we have a great portfolio of clients that we work with. We work with large companies that even big agencies are not working with, and the reason why we are working with because we have the best candidates. We take the time to connect with candidates and the client and we are very transparent, open and honest, and that's what exclusive talent stands for. So when even I'm growing my team, I'm working on people that is more like-minded, where they're open, transparent, not coming in to just get job done, but whatever they're doing, they're doing it with their full attention.
Speaker 1:Would you have a soft spot for you know 2019 Dimpy and hire another immigrant from India who's trying to learn English and wants to get into recruitment for the first time? Would you hire someone like that?
Speaker 2:100%. Why not? I've never, because I just see why you're here. Right, if they have the drive. Yes, if it's just about the drive, I think what my manager saw, you know, when I went for an interview at Randstad, was just the drive. I had nothing else with me. The other people looked better than me, the other people could communicate better than I could and I didn't even know the slangs at that time. I remember I was talking to a client and she goes to me um, no dramas. She said no dramas on the phone. I was devastated whole day. I was so sad because I thought she told me that I'm doing dramas because I didn't even pick up the slang. I couldn't even understand what she was doing drama.
Speaker 3:She's like we don't want any more drama.
Speaker 2:Like you have no idea, like what you know as an immigrant. You go through and if you survive through that you're great. So if someone like that, if they have, you know, a couple of years or one year under the belt, I just want to see what they have done for that one year. Just sat at home and complain that you know the world is not good enough for them, then sorry. But if they have done something for them, they have pushed through. Yes, of course.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that. Okay, cool. So growing the team this year is on the cards.
Speaker 2:Yes, 100%.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so you're working from home at the moment.
Speaker 2:Yes, working from home at the moment.
Speaker 1:How do you go with working from home?
Speaker 2:Yes, working from home at the moment. How do you go with working from home? I love that, but for me, work-life flexibility was never a part of what I wanted to do. Right, that was not on my cards, that was never. You know the reason that I started my own business because I wanted to work from home and just manage my day, and I work 24-7.
Speaker 2:So working from home works better for me because the minute I wake up, I have a schedule. Now I hit a gym, I do yoga, I do a little bit of meditation and then I'm straight to work. I'm not spending that one hour commute on a train where I'm losing the time on, you know, facebook or Instagram, and not doing that, I'm listening to podcasts when I'm at the gym. I'm using my time wisely. So even when I'm at home, I'm working. I have a dedicated office space, which I don't leave, you know, until six, and I'm there. I'm meeting my clients, I'm always on the go, I'm always at my client's office catching up for a coffee, doing this and that. So my week is always out and about, but when I'm doing interviews, I'm at home. But I'm fully committed to what I do. I don't even take one split second for myself and just do you know and just enjoy my time at home.
Speaker 3:How is that version of Dimpy different to the internal talent acquisition? Dimpy. 12 months ago.
Speaker 2:I think it's still the same because your work ethics, you can't change it. Even if you ask me, you know the person that I was in my uni, I would say I was the same. I would just do my best, like every time. It just doesn't change because you feel guilty at the end of the day if you don't do it. So even in the talent acquisition role, I filled like 99% of my roles, like just me. I was managing a portfolio of 10,000. So I had a big responsibility in terms of the roles to fill 10,000 employees.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was the portfolio and I would fill about eight to nine jobs a week.
Speaker 1:Wow, a week.
Speaker 2:A week Wow.
Speaker 3:That's crazy. That's a lot of agency fees you've saved.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I was very clear from the start that I'm not going to do admin, because if I'm doing admin, then you're not using me properly. You need to use me properly for the money that I'm getting paid. All right, so get someone to do the admin and someone who's really good at. All right, so get someone to do the admin and someone who is really good at and they can back me and we had, we had someone managing that and I would just do placements. I'm always on the phone, always interviewing, sitting in the interviews. I was always at some point. I was.
Speaker 2:I was getting so busy that I couldn't even sit in interviews with the hiring manager, so it was that busy. So I had no time to like and say, oh, let's pass this on to someone else, because I'm in a talent acquisition role, I'm not on or anything. I get set salary, but it's just my work ethics and my drive to deliver, because even if I can't fill one job, it would sit with me whole week, whole month and it will kill me inside. So I have to.
Speaker 3:Love that.
Speaker 2:It's just me.
Speaker 3:Where do you get that competitive nature from? Is that the? Is it just here? Because, like you may feel, like you have a little chip on your shoulder to prove everyone wrong. Prove yourself wrong.
Speaker 2:Maybe we did Gallup and I did Gallup test because Matt Cosson's like he's like we need to do Gallup for you. We need to see what comes out of that. It comes across. It comes out that I'm not competitive at all, like I was. Like, oh strange, I'm not, but that's true because I don't compete with others. I don't care what other agency is making. I still have friends. They're in agencies and they're my best friends. I don't see them, as you know. Oh, we are competing. You know the same clients Like no, whoever does a better job, build a job, and I'm always. I'm very hard on myself. That's what I would say. I have that ringmaster in my head and I'm trying to control it the minute I sit down. It's just like you can do more. This is what we need to do. Why you have not done this? So I think it's just me and my work ethic. I have to get it done, otherwise it doesn't let me relax. So for my sake, I do it.
Speaker 3:That's awesome. What a story.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so, lastly, if you could go speak to Dimpy, who's just arrived in Australia, that many years ago, what would you say to Dimpy to help her along her journey?
Speaker 2:Interesting question. You got me thinking. I think believe in yourself, which I didn't. I was always courageous and say, yes, I'll do it and I'll figure out my way to do it. So I had that in me that I'll figure it out. But I undermined myself a lot and I didn't believe in myself. I believed in others more than myself. So it's just like, once you believe in yourself, you can do it. I believe when others more than myself. So it's just like, once you believe in yourself, you can do it, I believe.
Speaker 2:When I started my own business we had a conversation, Blake, and again I didn't believe in myself when I was doing it. Even I was not sure whether it's going to work out or not, but the idea was, if I'm going to put the same work that I'm going to put for agency or for a talent acquisition role, I'm not doing anything different. I'm just going to give my 110% regardless. There is very less chance that I'll fail. If I fail, it's okay. I'll be a better person, a better recruiter and I'll figure it out like what's next for me. But it's just that belief.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what a beautiful story, thank you. Thank you, dimpy, for sharing your experience and what you've been up to over the last couple of years. I hope there's going to be a lot of people out there that are listening. That would get a little bit of inspiration from what you've been doing.
Speaker 2:I hope, I hope I can, you know, help someone there with their journey.
Speaker 1:So yeah, how does someone reach out to you if they want to have a chat?
Speaker 2:Feel free to reach out to me. I'm always, you know. You can always reach out to me on an email so dimpy at exclusivetalentcomau, or hit me up on LinkedIn.
Speaker 1:Perfect, thanks, dimpy.
Speaker 2:Amazing. Thank you, guys.
Speaker 1:Thanks, dimpy. Thanks for tuning in to another Confessions of a Recruiter podcast with Blake and Declan. We hope you enjoyed and got a lot of value and insights out of this episode. If you do have any questions or you would like to recommend someone to come on the Confessions podcast, we would love any introductions and remember the rule of the podcast, like share and recommend it to a friend. Till next time.