As the tech and startup industry has blossomed in the region, the demand for quality tech talent has grown considerably. This has also led to severe talent rush in the region with the unicorns and global tech giants dominating the technology hiring space.
This has led to a gap in the market for most companies not being able to fill roles and a growing need for foreign talent to fill the roles.
To learn more about the issues and find out what can we done, we spoke to Paul Endacott from GRIT. His tech platform is geared towards bringing together the right tech talent to the right company.
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Paul shares his vision for GRIT and his experience starting this venture. With his almost two decades of experience in executive search and recruitment, he’s aiming to bring that expertise to the tech talent in Singapore and the region.
If you can’t find Paul in office, he’s likely to be relaxing catching up on Netflix or reading in his spare time. Let’s find out what else Paul had to share.
Sell us your company/service in 300 words?
I launched GRIT with the aim to be a firm that truly brings value, that puts talent first and is a true partner to the organisations we work with.
GRIT is a recruitment technology company that is challenging the status quo in the world of traditional recruitment.
GRIT is driven by developing technology and AI solutions that put talent first, giving them access to the best opportunities and clients efficient access to the best digital and technology talent in Asia. A purpose driven organisation we want talent to thrive in the companies they join and to find those careers and challenges that they are searching for and dream of. The reality and frustration is that all too often recruitment can be transactional and talent can often be commoditised. We recognise that changing jobs/careers can be one of the most stressful and the most rewarding events in our lives. We see our role as making that as simple as possible through our proprietary technology coupled with the consultative service you would like and expect when making one of life’s most important decisions.
At GRIT we place service, relationship and partnership at the cornerstones of our solutions and aspire to partner with those organisations that dream of changing the world as it’s only with the right talent that they will fulfil these dreams. GRIT’s objective is to become the platform of choice for digital and technology talent in Asia and for those looking to hire them.
What is stopping you from having the largest company in the world?
The potential opportunities are limitless as it’s all about imagination and execution. The reality is though, at this point, we aren’t focused on being the largest company in the world, but simply focused on bringing significant value to the digital and technology communities we serve. If we succeed at this the growth will come and more importantly we will feel we’ve made a valued contribution to the industry we are passionate about.
It’s also important to remember that largest doesn’t always mean best. Right now our focus and objective is very simple; to develop technology solutions and services that provide greater value to the talent and employer communities that we serve. That doesn’t mean the largest, but it means making GRIT the the best firm within the current landscape and through that success we will advance the industry as we know it,
We have so many ideas around the various ways in which we can support and serve our communities for the better through technology and if we manage to achieve the current objective then we will move onto the next. If we achieve even 50% of the ideas we have, who knows, we may just become the largest company in the world!
If you could change one thing about the tech industry in Southeast Asia, what would it be?
Southeast Asia has a flourishing tech scene, there are more and more success stories and significant potential, however Southeast Asia does suffer from a talent gap that is widening. In order to truly fulfil its potential, the region (and the region’s governments) have to be more open to foreign talent. Not just at the most senior level, but at all levels to ensure that companies can grow and that sufficient talent is in the market to nurture and grow the local talent pools for the long term.
Talent is the fuel that enables a company to be successful, or not. By limiting the talent that companies can hire, you are not only limiting that company’s potential, but also the growth of the other talent which has the opportunity to learn from them. In the long term you may stunt the growth of talent in the country in those areas you were hoping for that to flourish.
Name one person in the region, who is making a difference in technology?
The one obvious person whose contribution to the technology scene in the region is Jack Ma. Depending on the way you look at it, he either broke the mold or created it when it came to entrepreneurs. Not only do I think he’s made a difference in technology through the conglomerate he has built and the number and scale of technologists who have and continue to build their careers and fortunes there, he can also be seen as inspiration when it comes to entrepreneurs. He wasn’t a college school drop out that went onto great success, he was someone who wasn’t successful in his early career and only launched Alibaba in his middle years and then surpassed what anyone thought was possible. Aside from building a flourishing technology empire that has advanced industries within his country and the broader region, he inspired and now continues to inspire so many to follow their own dreams just as he did. It is through stories like Jack’s that helps believe that they can truly make an impact too and maybe, just maybe, they too can achieve the success they dream of.
What would you want people to remember you for, 100 years from now?
I’d like to be remembered as someone who made a lasting impact on the industry they worked in, as someone who advanced that industry for the better and someone that inspired others to fulfil their own dreams and recognise their own potential.
When I reread that, I think what drives me is leaving a legacy. I want to be remembered for leaving an industry far better than I found it and having had a positive impact on the people that worked with me. It sounds quite grandiose saying industry rather than company, but I guess, if I’m honest, that is my dream. I’ve launched GRIT with the purpose of advancing an industry, of using technology to get rid of the inefficiencies and raising the bar when it comes to the service and value talent receive in a consistent and scalable way. These are big problems and big challenges that we are looking to solve, but anything that is worthwhile tends to be.
So, with that said, I’d like to be remembered as someone who changed the industry for the better and positively impacted the people involved and someone who was hard working, tenacious and had the GRIT to make it possible for them and for those that followed.