James Mahy

Being great at filling roles won’t get you the Head of TA job. If you’re a TA Lead or Manager aiming up, what matters is proving you can scale recruiters and systems. Marc Baselga recently wrote a great post about the leap from IC to Director interviews in Product. The same is true in Talent Acquisition. Most underestimate how different these interviews are. It’s no longer about how strong you are as a recruiter, it’s about whether you can make other recruiters better, and build a function that scales. Here’s what hiring execs are really testing in Head/Director of TA interviews: 1/ Frameworks, not one-offs Not hero stories, but repeatable systems like scorecards, intake processes, enablement playbooks. 2/ Real complexity Expect questions on headcount planning trade-offs, exec pushback in a hiring freeze, or redesigning a team after hypergrowth. 3/ People leadership depth Who have you promoted? How do you handle underperformance? Can you grow recruiters into business partners? 4/ Cultural leadership The job isn’t “delivering reqs.” It’s shifting TA from service provider to strategic partner with hiring managers and C-levels. 5/ Strategic communication How do you build trust at the top table? What’s your operating rhythm for planning, reporting, and risk management? 6/ Vision + systems thinking Directors don’t just run today’s hiring. They architect tomorrow’s. What’s your vision for TA in 2 years, and what systems will scale it? The shift is this: Director-level interviews aren’t about proving you’re the best recruiter. They’re about proving you can build the best recruiting function.

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287 applicants. 10 days. 1 hire. Two weeks ago, we advertised a Head of Product Marketing role. In came 287 applications for 1 role. ➡️ It’s not just volume that’s overwhelming. ➡️ It’s spotting real, demonstrated skills that matter. Here’s what stood out: Many candidates looked relevant on paper, but the overlap in skills could have made it hard to tell who had actually delivered outcomes. We use Firefish Software for hiring, unsurprisingly. Our AI Skills Agent suggested and surfaced skills beyond the set list to help, things like demonstrated experience in 'Technology Adoption & Innovation' along with the context of where and at which level, that ended up being crucial for the candidate we placed. Without that lens, it would’ve been easy to miss. Running our roadmap, this was a validation moment. Recruiters don’t need another applicant tracker. They need a way to cut through that overwhelming noise, compare skills, and uncover hidden strengths. The market is noisy. Applications are at unmanageable levels. But the right tools don’t just make it manageable - they make sure the best candidates don’t slip through the cracks, or get placed elsewhere whilst you sift through hundreds of keyword stuffed CVs. That's why we're building Firefish Software the way we are.

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💡 Tech Contractors: Want to Prove Your Skills Without Saying a Word? Lately, I’ve noticed a shift. More and more clients aren’t just asking for a CV… they’re asking: 👉 “Do you have a GitHub I can see?” Why? Because in a crowded market, they don’t just want promises they want proof. Here’s what a solid GitHub profile does for you: 🔹 Proof beats promises – Anyone can say they’re good at Python, DevOps, or React. A repo shows it. 🔹 Real-world context – Clients see how you structure projects, write docs, and collaborate things a CV never shows. 🔹 Signal of credibility – Even small, polished side projects say: I’m active, I’m learning, I care about quality. 🔹 Differentiator – When recruiters compare two contractors with the same skills, the one with a clear GitHub presence usually wins. ✅ Tips to make GitHub work for you: ⭐ Pin your best projects at the top. ⭐ Add clear, simple README files. ⭐ Contribute to open source it shows teamwork and initiative. ⭐ Keep activity consistent (even small commits matter). In 2025, GitHub isn’t “extra.” It’s your live portfolio. 👉 Contractors: are clients asking you for your GitHub too?

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💰 Tech Salaries & Freelance Opportunities: Where's the Money? A recent Freelance Informer report highlights huge pay gaps in tech, but here is the real takeaway for freelancers: the most lucrative roles are often project-based and perfect for contract work. 📈 High-value freelance niches include: ⚡Software & Solution Architects - Designing secure, scalable systems for specific projects. ⚡Cybersecurity Specialists - On-demand security expertise for multiple clients. ⚡DevOps Experts - Implementing CI/CD pipelines, cloud migrations, process optimisation. ⚡Programme/Project Managers - Leading transformations and launches. 💡 What this means for candidates: ⚡Specialise & upskill - Leadership + niche technical expertise = premium day rates. ⚡Think portfolio, not just CV - Every project you deliver is proof of value. ⚡Mix long and short gigs - Combine flagship projects with smaller one-offs or passive income streams. In the freelance market, strategic, high-impact roles aren't just well-paid; they are in constant demand. The right skill set today could mean multiple high-paying contracts tomorrow. #Freelance #TechCareers #Contracting #DevOps #SoftwareArchitecture #TechRecruitment

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Unless you're a freelancer or a contractor STOP using this banner, it devalues you and puts you in a negative position when negotiating new employment. BUT MOST OF ALL.....stop doing this as its PASSIVE. Here's what to do instead....... I'll give you some advice from an old recruiter and I'll probably get thrown out of the Recruiters Guild for this.....if you're looking for a job, the quickest route to finding one is this; make a list of 100 people who could potentially be your hiring manager....Not HR, Not TA....Direct Managers only. From that list connect on LinkedIn, send them an email, like, comment and share their content, cold call them in their office and ask them to go for a coffee, with a view to understanding what it will take you to get over the line with that company.....That's it, that's exactly what a recruiter would do for you, so do as the Pros do....by all means stick that banner on but if you want to be passive....but I advise being a bit more proactive....take control of your own search. #OpenToWork #work #jobhunting

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❌ 5 Red Flags a Candidate Might Ditch Your Job Offer Last Minute 🧠 Founders, hiring managers — don’t ignore these signs. Tech moves fast, but top talent moves on even faster. 🚩 1. “Let me just finish one last call with another founder…” Translation: They’re weighing offers. You’re not the only one. 🚩 2. Delays signing. Again. And again. If it takes more than 48 hours, they’re stalling — not thinking. 🚩 3. Silent after the offer drops. Ghosting = doubt. Excited candidates ask questions. Doubting ones disappear. 🚩 4. Starts negotiating after saying yes. Saying “yes” and then coming back for more? That’s not clarity — it’s hedging. 🚩 5. Doesn’t show real curiosity about the team or product. If they’re not vibing with your mission, they’ll bounce the moment a better logo calls. ✅ Pro tip from us at Jaya Talent: Always energy-check your hires. The right candidate doesn’t hesitate. They lean in.

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💥 The hall of shame: interview feedback edition 💥 Let’s be honest — some of the feedback candidates get after interviews can be fairly insulting. It’s vague, lazy, and does nothing to help someone actually improve. Here are 5 of the worst offenders I hear all the time: 1. “It was a really close call.” Translation: We don’t want to tell you why we picked someone else. Zero substance, zero value. 2. “We promoted someone internally.” Fair enough — but why invite external candidates in the first place? 3. “You don’t have the right background.” Strange, considering my CV screamed that from the beginning — and you still dragged me through multiple rounds. 4. “You’re too experienced.” Ah yes, the classic crime of knowing too much. Since when is capability a liability? 5. “Another candidate was a stronger fit.” The most meaningless feedback of them all. It’s a polite way of saying nothing at all. 👉 If businesses actually want candidates to respect them (and maybe even reapply in future), feedback has to be constructive. Otherwise, it’s just hot air and wasted effort on both sides. #job #interview #candidatefeedback #business #recruitment #hiring

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👀 How does my portfolio look?” 👀 It’s the question I get asked more than any other when speaking with Experience Designers. On average, Hiring Managers spend 6–8 seconds on a CV and only 2–3 minutes on a portfolio before deciding whether to go deeper. Your portfolio isn’t just a collection of pretty screens - it’s your story. It’s the first impression that hiring managers, design leads, and recruiters will use to decide whether to meet you. A few tips I always share: ✨ Show your process, not just outcomes – Beautiful UIs are great, but employers want to see how you think. Outline your research, decisions, and iterations. ✨ Keep it simple and navigable – If someone can’t find your best work in the first 60 seconds, you’ve already lost them. ✨ Curate, don’t clutter - 3 to 4 strong case studies that demonstrate depth are more impactful than 10 rushed projects. ✨ Always show your role, process, and outcome - A recruiter or hiring manager has limited time to review your cv and folio. Make it immediately clear what you did, how you did it, and what impact it had. ✨ Tailor it - Highlight projects relevant to the role/industry you’re applying for. Remember: a portfolio isn’t about being perfect, it’s about showing your thinking, craft, and impact. 👉 Designers, what’s one tip you’d share for creating a portfolio that truly stands out? 👉 Hiring managers, what's one thing that makes a portfolio stand out to you? #UX #UI #ProductDesign #ExperienceDesign #Amsterdam #Dubai #FuturesDesign

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