Biggest learnings from a seasoned Talent Acquisition professional: Don’t hire people you see in the mirror

Pauliina Snellman has seen it all. From startups to global corporations. She has gathered an extensive knowledge of Talent Acquisition in different industries and worked with companies that are in various stages of the company life cycle.

Pauliina originally studied Political Science and worked for a market research company as an Analyst after her graduation. Despite having a successful career she always felt there was something missing. Her job was interesting – she still loves to analyze huge masses of data and discover the most important things – but the work lacked the human component which is at the core of Talent Acquisition.

At that point, she realized that talent acquisition is her thing. “I can say I am working in my dream job, and I’m passionate about helping others to discover their dream job” she says.

Talent Acquisition: a key driver of business success

During her career, Pauliina has seen how important Talent Acquisition is for successful companies – good hires take businesses to the next level.

She has also witnessed how Talent Acquisition has changed over time. Whereas before the work had a strong local emphasis, nowadays companies want to connect with and hire global talent.

The strategic importance of Talent Acquisition has also increased. Attracting and retaining talent and building a strong employer brand is now embedded in the overall company strategy and often part of C-level KPIs.

A word of advice for hiring managers

As finding talent is crucial for companies, Pauliina has one piece of advice to all the hiring managers out there:

“Don’t hire people like you.

It’s a very common mistake, especially in startup companies. It can be fun to hire friends and people you like to hang out with, but the danger is to miss the bigger picture”, she says.

“Hire people who complement your faults and weaknesses.” It is obvious that Pauliina is keen on building winning teams – she is very happy when she sees how team members complement each other.

Balancing professional growth and personal well-being at Finders Seekers: A Talent Advisor’s Perspective

Pauliina has been working as a Senior IT Talent Advisor at Finders Seekers since the autumn of 2022.

“I felt that it was time to focus on sharing and enhancing my skill in the Talent Acquisition area and working at FiSe gives me great opportunities for both things. I also wanted to be part of a community of seasoned talent acquisition professionals. Very often TA people are working alone but at Finders Seekers everyone is excited about talent acquisition and recruitment and it’s easy to share knowledge and learn new things.”

She is also very satisfied with the work-life balance at Finders Seekers. Outside office hours she loves to swim outdoors and the beaches in the capital region provide plenty of opportunities for this. Her favorite places are Mustikkamaa beach and Kuusijärvi winter swimming facilities.

She especially recommends the saunas and other facilities at Kuusijärvi. “Kuusijärvi is a small lake and can get quite busy in the summertime, so it’s so beautiful especially in the winter when it’s quiet.”

She also volunteers at Rekku Rescue, which is an animal rescue association. “When I’m not recruiting new talent for my client I am recruiting new foster homes for cats!” she laughs.

In conclusion, Talent Acquisition plays an increasingly important role in today’s global business landscape, and the advice of seasoned professionals like Pauliina Snellman can be invaluable to hiring managers looking to build winning teams.

As she has learned through her extensive experience, it is essential not to hire people who are too similar to oneself, but rather to seek out individuals who complement one’s faults and weaknesses.

And while pursuing professional growth is important, it is equally essential to maintain a healthy work-life balance and engage in activities that bring personal fulfillment.

So let’s take Pauliina’s advice and build diverse and complementary teams that can drive a business success!

Connect with Pauliina on LinkedIn.