R&R Talent Advisors

Many European companies consider expanding to the US at some point. That's why this week I'm joined by the amazing Rob Pappas who's shared about entering the US market. Rob's recruited talent for US startups like Instacart as well as European ones like Yousician before co-founding R&R Talent Advisors to help more companies scale. I'm excited to make our discussion live and I hope you'll find as much value from Rob's advice as I did. If you're thinking about expanding to the US market or think you might want to in the future, don't miss this episode! 🎙️ https://lnkd.in/eipg3YWQ

Plenty of dogs in Malaga but only one big dog - Wunderdog! Turns out, there's more to Malaga than just sunshine and sangria (although those are pretty great too)! I finally made it to Wunderdog's Malaga office to reconnect with the coolest gringo ever, Mika Viskari. Me and Mika go way back - 2014 to be exact - when Wunderdog had just been founded and Mika was making his first hires. While I wasn't involved in the hiring, I did share office space with Mika&Wunderdog, so I got to witness the first candidates walk in for interviews and slowly their first employees taking over the office. Fast forward to 2020 and we met again. Wunderdog became one of R&R's first clients. We weren't exactly a household name back then but Mika and Ville Komulainen took a chance on us! Thankfully, it turned out to be a win-win and we spent the next 2.5 years collaborating on recruitment efforts. As novice entrepreneurs, the partnerships provided an ideal foundation for us to build and grow our business on. In retrospect, the partnership was more than just a business collaboration; It was also a testament to their willingness to pay it forward and support early-stage entrepreneurs, just as someone had done for them back in 2014. Wunderdog's journey, from that small shared office space to a thriving company across three locations - Helsinki, Berlin, and Malaga - reminds me of a quote from my all-time favorite game, Uncharted: 'Sic Parvis Magna', which translates to 'Greatness from small beginnings'. Vuff Magnus #wunderdog #wunderdogmalaga #startuplife #partnership #recruitment

Recently, tech layoffs came up in conversation with someone who clearly didn’t understand my profession. 🧐 The person was quick to say, “Layoffs always suck, but I’m glad the main group getting cut is recruitment professionals; those people are completely overpaid.” 💰 It isn’t the first time I’ve heard this sentiment, and it won’t be the last. 😇 While the person was clearly salty A-F, they did indirectly pose an interesting question: How do you quantify the value of a full-time recruiter, especially during an economic downturn? 📊 According to our latest data from CompCollective, we actually saw a significant uptick in compensation for Helsinki-based Senior TA leaders. 🚀 To qualify the above, I do need to note that as part of our data cleaning process, we only keep data points from people who worked the entirety of the taxable year. 🔍 In other words, our data reflects people who did not lose their jobs. The problem the TA market now faces is the influx of professionals who did lose their jobs. With supply up and demand down, TA professionals are taking a massive hit as they re-enter the workforce. As for the “lucky ones” that did keep their jobs, they’ll be “picking up the slack” on depleted recruitment teams and will have a much harder time negotiating raises in the coming months. 🎯 So to answer your question, Mr. Grumpy Pants, recruiters get paid “comfortably” because... 🙃 They’re the first to go every time a finance team miscalculates the impact of a “surefire feature” or a hot startup just misses out on raising a round that the board thought was a “total lock.” 💻 Being a recruiter is being comfortably uncomfortable. 🤷♂️ Calling all recruiters: How can we support one another when the market is at its worst? 🤝 Here are some things R&R is doing: ✅ Compensation bands for Helsinki based recruiters: link: https://lnkd.in/dM7vb3qf ✅ Making introductions to companies for recruiters when we have 1st connections. ✅ Helping recruiters prep for upcoming interviews. ✅ Being a sounding board for recruiters that are having a tough time. What else can we collectively do to get through this? 💡 Let us know! 🙌 #layoffs2024 #jobcuts #collaboration #cooperation #compensationstrategy #recruiters #recruiterslife #recruitersoflinkedin #salaryguide2024 #salarybenchmarking

Greetings from Malaga! And to be more precise greetings from the OXO Game Museum here in old town of Malaga. Can’t say I’ve done many game museums, but this one was just absolutely fantastic (Sorry, Tampere). Perfect mix of retro and modern gaming history and with an entire floor dedicated to all you Final Fantasy fanatics out there. Seeing posters of Roberta Williams, Peter Moulinex, and Ed Logg brought back a flood of nostalgia. These are names I hadn’t thought about in a while, but they instantly transported me back to late-night gaming sessions as a kid, filled with King’s Quest, Syndicate, Populous, and Gauntlet. Sure, nostalgia can make the past appear better than it actually was. Yet, I embrace that feeling and the childhood memories that come with it. One might even say that nostalgia is one of the perks that come with growing older and levelling up. Professionally, I’ve been lucky to have worked with companies at the forefront of next-gen gaming, helping them create games that the new generation of gamers will hopefully nostalgically cherish. Thanks, Rovio Entertainment Corporation, Playtika, Lightheart Entertainment, Epic Games, Metacore, Mainframe Industries, justDice, YAHAHA, Funcom, Unity, Noice !) Technology and time will always march forward, but as I’ve shown gaming isn’t just about fancy effects for me. It’s about that quick escape, that sense of freedom, whether that day I'm embracing the role of a villain, a hero, or a cat.

As a recruiter, I always strive to create the best interviewing process I possibly can! Once, I found the ideal fit for a role, but during negotiations, the candidate wanted to revisit compensation. My heart raced as I realized I lacked the data to confidently articulate our offer. 🤑 But that was then, and this is now. 📈 During my onboarding with R&R Talent Advisors, they introduced CompCollective: a lighting quick SaaS compensation platform for the local Finnish market with accurate salary bands for 30+ roles. I transitioned from being a shark in the water on the defensive to a confidante educating candidates on Finnish salary levels and efficiently closing roles.✨ What has your experience been with challenging on-the-fly negotiations? Have you gotten that sinking feeling in your gut during negotiations, knowing the data you have at your fingertips is lacking? Negotiations are hard enough as is, no need to self-sabotage yourself.🙂 Whether you’re a business or a recruiter, let us be your guide ➡ https://lnkd.in/dxSmJ-kP 🚀 #techrecruitment #compensationstrategy #salaryinfinland #techcompetition #salaryguide #salarynegotiation #compcollective #compensationmanagement #compensationtool #negotiationstrategies #finland #techindustry

We started R&R Talent Advisors 4 years back. After the initial COVID slump, we’ve had our hands full in a booming market, full steam ahead, partnering with over 90 companies, helping them grow their teams. It’s been an amazing journey. However, we’re now in unfamiliar waters - the market’s slowed down significantly. But there’s a silver lining - it gives us time to reflect on the memories and partnerships we’ve built. No earth-shattering stories, but I wanted to share one close to my heart. Some clients just click - their values, their people, everything aligns perfectly with how you believe things should be done. Lightheart Entertainment was that match for me, with their incredible team and the unforgettable Kalle Kaivola at the helm. Not here to boast too loudly, just saying that Lightheart stands out from the crowd with how they approach company culture and values from a refreshingly different perspective compared to most companies. Even after our professional collaboration ended, their warmth continued with invites to their company summer parties. I'll never forget the surprise at one such party - a trophy labeled “Best recruiter of the Year.” It was an amusing gesture, considering I was the sole recruiter, but it spoke volumes on the appreciation they showed, making this old “external” recruiter feel like a valued part of their team. For recruiters, closing roles is undoubtedly fulfilling. However, as an old man in the game, I find myself increasingly cherishing the connections we make along the way, especially the few fortunate ones that evolve into friendship. Thanks Kalle&Lightheart for being a friend!

This Women's Day, we wanted to share something a bit different. This year, thanks to some extra data cleaning with CompCollective, we were able to dive deep and analyze the gender pay gap. It was a slog, but totally worth it – the insights we found were really insightful. #WomensDay #GenderPayGap #CompensationAnalysis #CompCollective

Moving to Finland from India and starting a job search in 2019 was exciting, but understanding salaries in a new market felt like a confusing maze. 👜 🌎 Navigating the Finnish job market was challenging enough, but figuring out fair compensation added another layer of complexity. 💰💡 Networking helped, but piecing together information from different sources was like solving a puzzle with missing pieces. That’s why I truly wish I had CompCollective from R&R Talent Advisors back then. 🤝💪 Imagine having access to accurate, transparent salary benchmarks specifically for the Finnish tech scene, tailored for someone coming from India like me. This tool would’ve been a game-changer, giving me the confidence to negotiate and make informed career decisions right from the start. 🌐🔍💶 Fellow internationals starting their Finnish tech journey, spare yourselves the struggle! CompCollective is your guide to landing fair compensation, whether you’re a fresh graduate or aiming for that next promotion. 🚀🌟 Start your informed career adventure in Finland today: https://lnkd.in/dy9s2-a6 #compensation #salarybenchmarking #compcollective #relocation #internationaljobs #internationalmarket #tech #techcommunity #jobmarket #careeradvancement #information #techrecruitment #finland

Deconstructing the EU Pay Directive #Tech #EURegulation #EUpaydirective #paytransparencydirective #genderpaygapdirective #salarytransparency #genderpaygap #compcollective