The International Recruitment team deals with talent acquisition offered to NGOs, donors, consulting firms, as well as hedge funds, private equities, and more. With two sub-divisions (RightAngle and DevelopmentAid Recruitment Solutions), we focus on delivering the necessary client profile for a specific job, assignment, or project, making use of the recruitment skills of its employees and exclusive resources. Such a powerful combination and a 12-year experience led to over 1700 candidates being favorably placed in various positions.

A Team of Two

Separate but together, these two teams work in the same direction of offering clients exactly what they need and more – the perfect human resource for their project and business operations.

DevelopmentAid Recruitment Solutions (DRS) works with organizations operating in the international development sector. Here our teammates are experienced in project-based candidate sourcing for openings from all around the world, and most of them speak English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. You can find more about DRS on its website page.

In the case of RightAngle candidate searches are conducted for management consultancy firms, hedge funds, private equities, etc. Leaning on the common principles of the International Recruitment department, RightAngle possesses experience in candidate profile identification and subsequent ‘hunt’ for the appropriate profile. Communication with clients and business negotiations are conducted by a Business Development Manager, while the search of the most appropriate profile falls under the responsibility of the Project Assistants and their Project Manager. More information on RightAngle’s operations is accessible through their page.

The Job behind the Name 

Humans really are the most valuable resource, so we’ve decided to address the International Recruitment team about their jobs and their take on being an expert in the field. We’ve asked the team what working in the international recruitment domain is like, and they’ve told us that it’s a job like no other. Firstly, it means hard work, flexibility, and extreme dynamics, coupled with an ever-evolving field. Our colleague Diana told us that “International Recruitment keeps your brain sharp”

Naturally, such an active role is bound to be hectic and demanding, so we’ve asked about the most critical aspects of working in international recruitment. Our senior colleagues from RightAngle, Luminita and Stefania told us that “urgency of requests” and “short deadlines … high expectations” characterize their jobs, so an appropriate mindset and adaptation are necessary.

Following such impressions, an aspect we found interesting are stories about interactions with international clients that stood out in our colleagues’ minds. Tatiana, Senior Recruiter and Bid Coordinator at DRS, remembers working on a project from Papua New Guinea. Upon contacting a suitable candidate, he mispronounced her name as “Titania Boston” and declared himself unfit for the job as he doesn’t enjoy running and jumping in PNG. Nevertheless, Tatiana reminisces on this situation with a smile, and states that candidates are either very funny people or not at all, so we guess that the job lies in deciding the course of communication with each one. Similarly, Luminita remembers a stressful interaction whereby she could not get a hold of her expert:

“I tried WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook and 3 or 4 phone numbers … he finally replied and advised that he was doing some work in the garden”.

Stefania has a story of her own, in which her interaction took an unexpected turn. She contacted an expert for a project in the development sector, but he was already in touch with another company for the same position. She then told us: “I wished him good luck with the application and thanked him for his time … he stopped me with a joyful ‘hold your horses!’ and confirmed that he wants to work with us because we took the time to call him and inquire about his experience”

A memorable interaction for the books! Even though certain situations in international recruitment seem difficult at a particular point in time, all of our colleagues agreed that they become a good memory later.

Rewards and Challenges

You might wonder – what is the purpose of going through these tough moments? What gives the international recruiters the necessary motivation to persevere each day? When we’ve asked them, a unanimous response resonated – when a candidate is successfully passed or a tender/award is won, our colleagues feel that they’ve achieved their goals. Notably, the positive feedback and bonus that they obtain following such an outcome is also a motivating factor, besides the knowledge that their problem-solving skills are on point.

Since we wanted to know the whole story, we’ve inquired about the challenges related to international recruitment. Of course, short deadlines were mentioned again, along with strict or specific requirements and different time zones. Such difficulties make you be on your toes at all times, checking emails and multi-tasking all day. However, such factors were also said to motivate our colleagues, as often their rewards are tied to the outcome. A win-win situation if you ask us!

And speaking of outcomes … We decided to find out about the moment when our colleagues felt that their work has impacted a client. Luminita told us this realization came to her when the CV she and a client both worked on went through and he got the job he desired. For Tatiana, the idea of offering her candidates a position they’ve dreamed about despite their limited experience is the ultimate reward. Interestingly, the candidates’ gratitude leads to strong collaborations: “When working as a team, we won 3 big projects”.

For Stefania, a chance connection on LinkedIn led to a successful hiring and a fulfilled sense of purpose at her work. Before a deadline, she has contacted an appropriate candidate, but he was unavailable at a remote location. She was pressed for time, so Stefania told us that: “I wrote his CV from scratch based on the information from his LinkedIn profile and the details he provided via phone. Ultimately, we have been awarded the project and I remained in touch with the candidate ever since”

An Invitation to Dare!

It is now clear that the International Recruitment department is a lively and dynamic place to work. However, what are the requirements for being successful in this role? Again, we’ve asked our colleagues for their best advice. Senior Recruiter for International Projects at DRS, Aliona tells us that “responsibility, multi-tasking, and teamwork” are some of the prerequisites. In a similar vein, Tatiana believes that “an extremely good sense of humor, outstanding people skills, and the desire to always challenge yourself” are important personal traits for this work. Lastly, Stefania summed up how a candidate for their roles should be: “Be adventurous and curious about this sector and about life in general … have a good work ethic and to be open to fail and learn”

Getting into the International Recruitment domain may seem challenging, but our colleagues assured us that: “It is very rewarding for hardworking people, regardless of their background and experience … you’ll never know until you try”

Indeed, the most important mentioned requirement is your interest, work ethic, and continuous curiosity to learn! Luminita encourages potential candidates to try out this field, saying:

“You never know until you try it by yourself. Be brave and try new, challenging things!”

RightAngle is accepting applications for the ‘Project Assistant’ position and you can apply for it here.