Talent Search leverages on AI to galvanise Indonesia's economy

• Only around 7% of the entire local workforce holds a university degree
• Next step of evolution involves integrating artificial intelligence into its system

SEARCHING for the right kind of talent can be like searching for a needle in a haystack. In Indonesia, where the talent pool is in a constant state of flux and competition is steep, the need for intuitive, detail-oriented recruitment service is a must-have.

Talent Search Recruitment connects the archipelago’s top-tier talent with the most competitive and appropriate companies for them in the market.

Talent Search is the creation of 26-year-old Nitesh Chellaram and his mother Rachna Chellaram. The mother-son duo found themselves in a position to fill a gap in Indonesia’s recruitment industry five years ago. With Rachna ’s experience in the space and Nitesh’s eye for business opportunities, Talent Search Recruitment was kickstarted in 2013 in Sunter, North Jakarta.

Beginning as a small team of three, the startup grew and relocated to Thamrin in the heart of downtown Jakarta two years later.

“The shift to Thamrin allowed us to build a great team and make more contacts, which in turn earned us more business,” explains Nitesh.

“Currently, Talent Search Recruitment is made up of 18 full-time employees and few freelancers placed in various cities across the world. We take care of the recruitment processes for a variety of companies in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, India, and even the Caribbean Islands.”

Talent Search’s clientele includes Go-Jek, Asian Paints, Best Western Hotels, OYO Rooms, INDOCRP (Indofood Group), TATA Motors, BookMyShow, Larsen & Toubro, Raymond Group, TVS Motors and Adani Global.

The firm has recorded 400% annual growth since 2017. It has worked with more than 200 companies in just four years.

Talent Search is primarily used by companies seeking candidates to fill mid- to senior-level positions. As a result, this means recruiters comb through more resumés than usual with magnified attention to detail.

Leveraging on AI

Talent Search’s next step of evolution involves integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into its system to increase efficiency and make it easier for recruiters to find candidates according to a company’s specific needs.

The AI will be able to filter candidates according to a recruiter’s criteria by selecting resumés the same way a human would (with intuition and knowledge of what would suit each company and each candidate).

While the AI is still in the development stage, Nitesh is confident that it will enhance the ‘personal touch’ and 360-degree approach that Talent Search offers to its clients.

Talent Search has secured a fresh round of funding from an undisclosed investor to develop this AI feature, which will fuel its mission to become an AI-powered recruitment company.

According to Nitesh, the new AI feature will turn what is otherwise months of scouting and matching into a process that takes only minutes.

“We do our best to meet every candidate, whether it’s in-person or via a video interview, to ensure their qualifications and personalities match the recruiter’s needs before sending their profiles and resumé out to our clients,” says Nitesh.

“Other than recruiting, we also offer free consultation on visa services for foreign employees, office setup, tax consultation, and staff training.”

Talent Search is on a mission to win a specific slice of the global recruitment industry, one which until recently has been monopolized by foreign firms with deep pockets and decades of run time.

“We aim to be the first Indonesian recruitment company that is successful not only in Indonesia but also in neighbouring countries. Simultaneously, we intend to play a major role in developing the Indonesian economy and becoming a leader in the industry so that we can connect local talent to all the growing companies across the archipelago.”

One of the ways Talent Search aims to do this is by expanding the talent pool in general. The firm is currently working on bringing foreign professionals into the country – experts who are able to train local talent and act as on-the-job mentors.

Nitesh hopes that this will address the issue of ‘brain drain’ in Indonesia.

“The issue with the talent pool is that the ones who are well-educated end up going abroad to countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, the US, and the UK. They wind up finding jobs there. Very few of them return to Indonesia. This means local companies have a severely limited talent pool to tap,” says Nitesh.

He adds, “We have an emerging economy full of potential, and yet we are facing a huge crisis in securing the right talent. This is a tough challenge and it’s why businesses come to us for help in securing job candidates. We believe there are some systemic fundamentals that need to improve here to get local students to stay.”

Nitesh’s dream of making Talent Search a staple in the growing backdrop of Indonesia’s budding economy is bolstered by the belief that the talent pool has plenty of potential – it just needs a guiding hand.

He adds, “There are many local talents here but they either don’t know where to apply or they are already working for organisations that don’t match their passion or educational backgrounds. The seed has been planted and it has grown, but it is our job as recruiters and consultants to water them and make sure their branches reach far and wide. I believe Talent Search can play a very important role in the development of Indonesia and its economy as a whole.”