Kalibrr Opens 2019 with Kalibrr Communities Event

Southeast Asia’s leading recruitment solutions provider, in cooperation with shared office space provider WeWork, holds gathering centered on how to build talented tech teams

A follow-up to it’s Kalibrr Communities: Hack the Future event held last September, Kalibrr once again brought together professionals, employers, and job-seekers who want to learn more about career development and innovations in the HR and Recruitment scene in the Philippines. The gathering continued the discussions about how to hire talented tech employees, this time specifically on how to assemble and maintain them as a team.

Speakers who shared their experiences and expertise regarding the matter were Coins.ph Co-Founder Chief Executive Officer Ron Hose, and Kalibrr’s own Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder Dexter Ligot-Gordon. As heads of their respective companies, the two shared their insights regarding the challenges they faced,  the lessons they learned at the early stages of their start-ups, and some of the things they continue to do now as they move forward.

Fresh off Coins.ph’s partnering with Go-Jek, the multi-platform unicorn from Indonesia, Ron Hose shares how it wasn’t always smooth sailing at the start for the former, and it took a lot of willingness and sacrifices form his chosen tech-team to build the company up, enough that it gained interest for the latter to buy a majority stake in it.

“It’s a very different dynamic in a small company. When someone is sick, a lot of the operations can go down. So when things are not hard, we encouraged them (employees), to rest, because when it is hard, there may be little chance to do that.”

While fielding questions from the attendees of Hack the Future 2.0, Hose also shared the best business he was given and applied with regard to choosing talent for his tech teams. “Hire slow and fire fast. (In the long run) it’s more productive to take time finding the best fits for your company, instead of quickly adding people who’ll have you repeat the hiring process when they turn out to not be the best fit.”

Dexter Ligot-Gordon, in turn, detailed how while Kalibrr is now among the leaders in job-matching services, the first and only end-to-end recruitment solutions provider in Southeast Asia had to “do recruitment in the field” when it was establishing its own tech teams while at the time still being an obscure brand.

“Be present in the spaces they are in. Competitive program events, internet communities. It can be different for every country, different for every skill, so be up close where they are, especially when they don’t know you yet.”

In addition, Ligot-Gordon addressed how as tech continues to grow at a rapid pace, the opportunities increase at a similar pace. As a result, tech professionals, especially the younger ones, may in turn, be constantly on the move to the next project or opportunity. Ligot-Gordon says instead of resisting the trend, it’s best to understand it to make the most of the talents that come along.

“Loyalty is no longer the objective. Embrace the churn and make the most of the time and the talent you have. Part of any business’ changes is its people. By acknowledging it and building it into the plan, the more you guarantee that your goals are met despite rapid changes.”

Along with taking in the insightful presentations and feedback provided by the speakers, attendees of Kalibrr Communities event also had the opportunity to socialize and network while enjoying the We Work venue and facilities. The New York-based company’s flagship location in the Philippines, it’s BGC office opened this month, with others to come later in the year.

Able to host as many as 800 visitors, WeWork’s two-floor hub located in Uptown Bonifacio Tower Three features amenities such as a communal area, community bars, 24/7 Wi-Fi access, phone booths, and a pantry stocked with coffee, tea, water, and even a beer tap, among others. Those interested in using their facilities or become members can visit their official website.

To learn more about Kalibrr Communities, or to partner with Kalibrr for future events, contact partnerships@kalibrr.com.

Kalibrr is a technology company that aims to transform how candidates find jobs and how companies hire talent. Placing the candidate experience at the center of everything it does, the company continues to attract the best talents from all over, with 1.7 million professionals and counting. Kalibrr ultimately connects these talents to companies in search of their next generation of leaders.

The only end-to-end recruitment solutions provider in Southeast Asia, Kalibrr is headquartered in Makati, Philippines, with offices in San Francisco, California and Jakarta, Indonesia. Established in 2012, it has served over 18,000 clients, and is backed by some of the world’s most powerful start-up incubators and venture capitalists. These include Y Combinator, Omidyar Network, Patamar Capital, Wavemaker Partners, and Kickstart Ventures.

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