Why I founded talentX

May 25, 2022

My Story ❀️

By Danielle Blizzard

My name is Danielle, you can also call me Dani, and I am the founder of talentX πŸ‘‹πŸ» ❀️


I am a highly experienced people & talent leader and founder with over 12 years of experience building high-performing digital & tech teams for high-growth companies around the world. Over the years, I've worked with hundreds of founders, CEOs, and leaders to create strategic talent & people plans that were purposeful, actionable, and measurable. I have worked with some of the world's most innovative companies from Rain, Just Eat, TikTok, and Careem ,and also had the pleasure of building and leading my own superstar teams. 


Before I tell you more about talentX, I want to take a moment to take you through my career history so that you can understand more about me, what gives me energy, and what has led me to founding talentX.


“To everyone who is pursuing the life of their dreams: keep going. There is no path that comes without some friction. There is nothing you can do that will not challenge you and change you.” Brianna Wiest, The Mountain is You

πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ I'm originally from the UK but moved to Dubai in 2015 and haven't looked back since. πŸ‡¦πŸ‡ͺπŸͺ In the 7 years I've been here, I have not only increased my own skills and knowledge considerably but also built a pretty awesome tribe of digital people. Dubai is a unique city where all talent and industries converge.


🧫 🧬 In the UK, after graduating with a BSc in Medical Microbiology and Immunology (and after completing a 10 week lab dissertation on Candida albicans, also known as thrush, I realised that working in a lab 24/7 was not for me), I landed my first job in recruitment with a scientific recruitment agency. Working with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures was fascinating to me, and I found myself loving the challenge of matching the right candidate with a client. 


In 2012, I was headhunted to join a recruitment firm that focused on placing talent at venture capital-backed/private equity, high-growth companies. It was there that I began my journey into tech recruiting, and also where I noticed a gap in the company and launched their digital recruitment practice. It's a role that gave me an opportunity to start managing people early on in my career, and it taught me a lot about how important it is to create an environment where people can thrive. Although there were quite a few bumps along the way, I loved the challenge, and I soon earned my first award for being a high-performing leader at the company πŸš€


It's been quite a few years since then, but those lessons have stuck with me—and now they're part of my mission as well. Every manager has to start somewhere and I want everyone who works with me to feel supported, empowered, and challenged at all times.


πŸ‡¦πŸ‡ͺπŸͺ I’m an entrepreneur at heart, and I love to be challenged. In 2015, I made the move to the desert and relocated to Dubai. My Dad has lived in the UAE for most of my life (I remember when the Trade Center was the tallest building in Dubai and The Hard Rock Cafe was a huge guitar building in the middle of nowhere—if you know, you know πŸ˜‰), so it always felt like my second home.


I moved here to help set up Digital Gurus MENA (DG) and I ended up leading the operations and management of the team. We were one of the first digital & tech recruitment agencies in the region, and we built up a great reputation for placing digital talent from around the world to companies in the Middle East.


During that time, Careem came knocking and asked for my support to help them scale quickly in the build up to their acquisition by Uber. I consulted for them whilst at DG and created a highly-efficient talent acquisition model that allowed them to hire quality global product talent, at speed. After 6 months, I left them with a TA playbook and I realised that I had really enjoyed my time consulting and 'fixing things'. It gave me energy that I hadn't had in a while and I also saw the impact that I had on Careem's growth ambitions and business objectives. 


But the thing is: I wasn't just helping Careem grow—I was growing too. It gave me a new perspective on what was happening inside this world of startups and venture capital firms that I knew so well, but hadn't necessarily seen from this angle before. I knew I could help a lot more companies overcome their talent challenges.


So in 2019, after 4.5 years with DG, I decided that I wanted to have a bigger impact on helping other startups scale—and I founded leap9 MENA, an end-to-end talent & people advisory. Our mission was to help startups scale quickly by providing them with strategic support and recruitment services to help them attract, retain, and develop talent. 


But nothing's that easy....


Because soon after launching, we hit a global pandemic (COVID-19), and it was not easy 🦠 People stopped buying our services—and worse, paying us for the work we'd already done. This lasted for months, and we had to keep going somehow. It was a tough time. I had to pay my employee out of my own pocket whilst waiting for payments to hit the bank and I also had to stop taking any salary myself during this time.


We survived the pandemic together—as a team—but only just. So when it came to renewing the trade-license, I was in two minds: I LOVED what we were doing but could I really continue to do this on my own? My head was spinning with all these questions and mentally I was at breaking point, it had been a really tough year πŸ’” 🀯


I had a chat with my business mentor, who happened to be the COO (now CEO) of AstroLabs, the leading tech capability building business in MENA and also our co-working space. We had a very frank conversation about where we were at as a business and what my ambitions were. It turned out he was looking for someone just like me! One conversation led to another, which resulted in identifying an opportunity, business plans being done and one final pitch.


And the result? leap9 MENA was acquired by AstroLabs—and AstroLabs Talent was born! Working closely with the rest of the AstroLabs platform, we quickly became the go-to digital and tech recruitment company for startups expanding into the region… and the team grew across the UAE, KSA & Lebanon πŸ‡¦πŸ‡ͺ πŸ‡ΈπŸ‡¦ πŸ‡±πŸ‡§


Over the past few years, I have learned so much, from every challenge that I have faced (and overcome) through to the amazing people that I've had the opportunity to work with. I've grown more than I could ever have imagined, both personally and professionally. I built and led a team of some of the most talented and driven individuals I have ever worked with and it's been a privilege to be a part of their journey and watch them grow 🌱 πŸ’™


Introducing talentX


πŸš€ Here we are in 2022, and 3 years after founding leap9 MENA x AstroLabs Talent, I know what I'm truly passionate about and the impact that I want to have. It's time to do this on my own and it’s time to start building my own legacy. 


talentX is your trusted people and talent advisor for founders, CEOs, and leaders of high-growth tech companies. Our mission is to help you to hire, inspire, and win so that you can achieve your full potential πŸš€πŸ₯‡


The best coach I ever had taught me to always ask one question: "What problem are we trying to solve?"


In an extremely candidate driven market, companies are facing people issues and struggling to attract and retain the best talent. It’s a pain that every company I work with is facing and it’s keeping a LOT of people awake at night 😴


As a founder, leader, and an employee, I have personally felt that pain. 


I’m super passionate about people and company growth, and I want to help companies to create environments where people are inspired and challenged to become the best version of themselves, every single day. And why? Because I care ❀️


talentX is an elite team of consultants and expert advisors who have a deep expertise in scaling people & talent functions in high-growth tech companies.

 

We partner with ambitious founders, CEOs, and leaders to 10x your people & talent functions. Allowing you to Win πŸ₯‡


And when we say "win," we mean it—we want you to be at the top of your game by working with a team that is committed to helping you achieve success. Our team has done it before in startups just like yours; we know what works, what doesn’t, and how to get you there faster than ever before πŸš€

 

We know that everyone’s needs are different - which is why we tailor every solution around your specific goals to help you reach your full potential.

 

We believe that the best way to start is by having an honest conversation about where your company is now; what's not working; what needs improvement; and where we can help. So if you're ready for a dose of honesty, reach out any time!


To all the people and situations that have challenged me over the years and had an impact on my life, both positive and negative. I thank you. You have made me who I am today and for that, I am forever grateful.


“The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it’s not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset. This is the mindset that allows people to thrive during some of the most challenging times in their lives.” Carol Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success


I know there will be challenges along the way but I say bring them on πŸ’ͺ🏼 Because that is growth. (Just not all at once, please πŸ™πŸΌ).


To my support system, thank you for pushing me to be the best version of myself. You know who you are ❀️


If you want to ride this wave with me or want to know more about talentX, then reach out to me directly 🌊 πŸ„‍♀️


Let's do this!!!!


ο»ΏLove

   Danielle x

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The UAE is a vibrant and diverse country, and the workforce is increasingly becoming more sophisticated. As a result, companies must take steps to ensure they are hiring the most qualified professionals in the market, especially when it comes to hiring Emiratis. In this blog post, we'll discuss why Emiratization is important and how talentX can help you find the best Emirati talent for your organisation. What is Emiratization? Emiratization is a government initiative that encourages companies in the UAE to hire local nationals instead of expats. This helps to create opportunities for Emiratis and ensures that their skills are being utilised in the workplace. Ultimately, it has become a key part of any successful business strategy and an important aspect of contributing to the overall development of the UAE economy. How Does talentX Help You Hire Qualified Emiratis? talentX provides employers with access to highly-qualified and junior local professionals who have undergone rigorous screening processes so that they can fill positions at their organisations quickly and effectively. They provide employers with a range of services such as providing detailed candidate profiles, conducting interviews with potential hires, evaluating candidates’ CVs and portfolios, preparing job descriptions for open positions, negotiating salaries and benefits packages, overseeing onboarding processes, and more. Not only do these services save employers time by pre-screening potential hires but they also help ensure that employers are hiring only qualified individuals who meet their specific criteria. By working closely with talentX, employers are able to easily connect with qualified local professionals while also meeting their Emiratization goals. At the same time, job seekers can swiftly find suitable roles within companies based on their skill set or area of expertise thanks to talentX’s comprehensive list of partners located throughout Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Whether you’re an employer or a job seeker looking for work in the UAE, be sure to reach out to talentX today.

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Improve the quality of your hires with these tips

January 18, 2023
Improve the Quality of Your Hires with These Tips For any business, hiring new employees is one of the most important decisions you can make. It’s critical to bring on high-quality hires who will bring their skills and expertise to the team and help your business reach its goals. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to know how to hire the best people, especially in a competitive job market. Here are some tips to help improve the quality of your hires: Start with a Clear Job Description One of the first steps in improving the quality of your hires is making sure that you have an accurate and detailed job description. This should include information about salary, role expectations, company culture, and any other benefits or perks that come along with the position. A clear job description helps ensure that you attract applicants who are interested in the job for more than just the money; it also ensures that you get applicants who are better suited for what you’re looking for. Focus on Soft Skills When evaluating potential candidates for a position, it’s important to focus on both hard skills (such as technical knowledge) and soft skills (such as communication or problem solving). While hard skills may be necessary for certain jobs, soft skills often make all the difference when it comes to whether someone will fit into your team or not. When interviewing candidates, ask questions that allow you to assess their soft skills, such as “How do you handle conflicts?” or “What would your last boss say about your communication style?” Additionally, consider asking them questions related to past experiences so that you can get a better sense of how they might handle similar situations at your company. Give Candidates Tests Another way to gauge a candidate's ability is by giving them tests related to their potential job responsibilities. For example, if you're hiring a web developer, consider giving them an assessment test where they have to solve coding challenges within a specific time limit. Not only does this help assess their technical abilities but it also gives them an opportunity to showcase their problem-solving and analytical thinking skills as well. Additionally, these tests help weed out unqualified candidates early on in the process so that you don't waste time interviewing people who aren't qualified for the role or not interested in doing it properly. Improving the quality of hire doesn't have to be complicated; there are simple steps everyone can take towards achieving this goal and talentX is here to help. Start by creating an accurate job description and focusing on both hard and soft skills during interviews and assessments. Then give potential candidates tests related to their potential job responsibilities so that you can assess their abilities without wasting time interviewing unqualified candidates. By following these tips and working with talentX, businesses can ensure they hire high-quality employees who will contribute meaningfully towards achieving organizational goals!
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