Coffee With Sarah #Teamtala
Over the last year the Tala team has grown in size. We opened our first US office in Dumbo, New York and we moved into Tala Studios in Hackney, London which is our biggest office space yet.
With ambition to grow even more over the next few years we wanted to talk to Sarah, our Talent Acquisition Manager, who will be working exceptionally hard to find amazingly talented and like-minded people to join our team.
Tell us about your role at Tala, what do you do?
I’m the Talent Acquisition Manager which means I have the lucky job of finding and hiring fantastic people who I get to work with on a daily basis. I’m also responsible for the retention of the team so essentially I do my best to make sure everyone is happy. I like to think I’m like that amongst my friendship group too, so it comes quite naturally to me.
How long have you been at Tala and how did you hear about us?
I started at Tala in September last year, but at my previous company where I was working as a Senior Recruitment Consultant, Tala were my client for about a year before that. I even placed my friend Izi here as Studio Manager in January 2018. I remember first coming to meet the founders when Tala HQ was based at Regents Studios and loving their energy and enthusiasm. I walked out of the meeting thinking “I want to work there one day” and here I am!
What did you study at University and how has that helped your career so far?
I studied Property Investment Management at Bristol UWE and started my career doing this. Although I’m not directly using the degree anymore I think it helped me build a lot of business related skills, especially when it comes to negotiation.
You must have facilitated thousands of interviews over the last few years, what are the key features that you look for when interviewing a candidate?
Thousands indeed! I worked it out the other day – it’s around the 2500 mark which is crazy! For me it’s all about the personality and culture fit but at the same time remembering that certain types of roles produce different personalities and being able to appreciate and understand that. I believe that a good interview should feel like a great conversation not an interrogation. I like candidates to feel relaxed as this always brings out their best side.
What do you find challenging about your role?
The most challenging part of my role is recruiting for roles located around the globe and having to find candidates in a market I don’t know. However, it’s really interesting getting to know new cultures and how recruitment works elsewhere and it’s exciting that we are growing so much at Tala that we need people on the ground everywhere!
Do you have any Tala lights in your home? If not, what would you love to have and why?
It’s a bit embarrassing how many I have, I think there is almost something Tala in every room! But I would say my favourite Tala purchase was my Voronoi III and Brass Pendant which I have hanging beautifully in a hallway – friends always comment on it.
Even though we’re in March already, what are you most excited about in 2019?
This year is going to be an amazing one at Tala, I’m currently working on new and exciting roles worldwide and creating innovative retention strategies to roll out soon.
I also have a 2 week trip booked to Antigua in May which I am counting down the days to!
Quick-fire questions:
Favourite activity to do in your spare time or on holiday?
It’s going to have to be skiing – I love an active holiday.
Which country would you love to live in?
I think I’d have to go with the Netherlands – my mum is Dutch and grew up just south of Amsterdam so I’ve always had a connection to it. I love Amsterdam as a city and think it would be an amazing place to live that would suit my ideal lifestyle.
Favourite festival or DJ?
Hmm tricky one as this can change quite a lot for me but something I will never forget was when I saw Midland at Houghton Festival last year!
What season is your favourite?
I would say I’m a sucker for a sunny day – whether it’s freezing cold and bright blue skies or boiling hot, I am happiest with either!
If you’re interested in our career opportunities, take a look at our careers page, or read another #TeamTala interview for more reasons to apply!
Thank you for taking the time to talk to us Sarah, I’ll catch you in the kitchen tomorrow morning – stealing some of your marmite 😉
Written by Issey, Community Manager.
Sarah and the rest of the Tala team, at the Heart of England Forest during our 2018 tree planting day.
