Browse our jobs and apply for your next role.
The right candidate is just a few clicks away.
PageGroup changes lives for people through creating opportunity to reach potential.
If you have any questions, we’re here to help.
It Starts Local is a series of stories that spotlight Thai professionals who have established a strong footprint in their respective industries. These business leaders, who have worked with us for their recruitment needs, speak with us about the business and hiring outlook of the domestic market in Thailand.
In this feature, Pongsakorn Chanchaisrisakul, Head of People & Culture at SkillLane, discusses some effective ways to attract tech talent in a talent-short market, and how to get the most out of a partnership with a recruitment firm.
As the Head of People & Culture for SkillLane, a Bangkok-based online learning platform, Pongsakorn Chanchaisrisakul has had a front-row seat in observing how the recruitment landscape – particularly for tech professionals – has changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With many industries undergoing massive digital transformation over the past two years or so, the demand for tech talent far exceeds supply, and as a tech company, SkillLane – which was launched in 2014 – has not been immune to the challenges of finding quality talent to join its ranks.
Related: How HR needs to evolve to support the future of work
“Talent shortage is real, and many of the larger companies have the financial calibre to outgun us. Candidates have the luxury of choosing who they want to work with, and in most cases, they’d choose to follow the money,” shares Chanchaisrisakul, who made the switch from sales and marketing to human resources in 2014.
Cognisant that it would not be smart nor sustainable to compete for talent based on salary alone, Chanchaisrisakul and his team did a lot of research to delve deeper into candidates’ mindsets when they were on the hunt for new opportunities.
From this, they found that SkillLane is attractive to candidates because it gave them the chance to work alongside other talented individuals that had come from well-known organisations; allowed them to work with products and services that would deliver a positive impact to users; and offered them opportunities to improve their skills and capabilities.
The team then incorporated these findings into SkillLane’s Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and made sure these factors were communicated to potential hires as part of SkillLane’s talent attraction strategy.
Related: Why a good talent attraction plan is the first step to retaining your best staff
Our Talent Trends 2022 The Great X report found that while salary, bonus and rewards remain a top priority when a candidate is deciding where to work, “soft” motivators such as company culture and values, and a greater sense of purpose in their role also ranked highly.
Recognising that purposeful work is increasingly important to candidates, Chanchaisrisakul adds that honesty is important during the interview process. “Let candidates know what is really happening on the ground,” he advises. “There is no point sugar-coating things just to attract them, only for them to tell you ‘this is not what we agreed on’ after they have started with the company. And, if a candidate is not a good fit for the company, be honest with them about that as well.”
There is no point sugar-coating things for candidates just to attract them, only for them to tell you 'this is not what we agreed on' after they have started with the company.
Once a candidate has decided to sign on the dotted line, companies must ensure that they continue to deliver a good experience as part of their talent retention strategy. At SkillLane, this means providing them with the right opportunities, a clear plan for career growth and being transparent about compensation and benefits.
Related: How does Michael Page attract the best talent for your business?
When it comes to working with recruitment firms, Chanchaisrisakul says the relationship has to be a two-way street. “If you want the recruitment firm to perform at its best, you must see them as a partner and do your part as a client to build trust,” he shares.
“In partnering with a recruitment firm, I always start with trusting in the firm’s expertise, asking for their professional opinions and giving them exclusivity for the role I want them to work on. Through this, I trust that the firm will value my actions and provide top-quality service in return.”
If you want the recruitment firm to perform at its best, you must see them as a partner and do your part as a client to build trust.
On working with Michael Page, Chanchaisrisakul has this to say: “We share the same values of being honest to both the business and to the candidates. [Michael Page consultants] are also conversant with the industries they specialise in and know their candidates well. This means they can gain access to and trust from high-quality candidates and are then able to introduce these candidates to SkillLane.”
Trusted by companies across Thailand, work with a recruitment partner that understands your needs as you grow. Get in touch with us, and we can share more about the value Michael Page brings to your organisation.
Read more:Why candidate experience matters and how to do it wellIt Starts Local: Wipaporn Niamla-Ong of Rojukiss InternationalHow employer branding can help your company attract the best talent
Request a callback
IMPORTANT: By submitting your email address and any other personal information to this website, you consent to such information being collected, held, used and disclosed in accordance with our PRIVACY POLICY and our website TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
