In Conversation With
James O’Donnell, Kandidate’s Head of Sales
James O’Donnell (JOD)
For those who don’t know who you are, George – who are you and what do you do?
George Lamburn (GL)
My name is George. I’m the Marketing Manager at Kandidate.
JOD
Marketing manager. Marketing is pretty broad… What does that actually mean?
GL
It’s broad. So, I’m primarily responsible for bringing potential new customers to the business as well as potential new employees. This can range from social media management and social media to advertising and organic channels – to sponsoring different newsletters and advertising channels, to paid customer acquisition also.
JOD
Are there particular types of clients you can target using those channels?
GL
Definitely. Depending on the channel… Different channels are going to have different functionality. If we’re looking at, say, the digital platform – something like LinkedIn, for example – then why not control the specific roles and the people you’re targeting? The demographics, these types of things. Then, if you’re looking at other channels – like social channels – you can get very specific there, regarding interests and that sort of thing. When you’re making media like newsletters, using alternative advertising channels is a way of being very specific. Like, what’s the niche of this newsletter? What’s the readership? How large is the readership? And is that the type of persona we’re looking to target with what we’re doing? There are different levels of targeting that we can have control of, depending on the different channels. Ultimately, it can be quite interesting.
JOD
You also mentioned attracting employees. I’m guessing that’s about employer branding, and telling the Kandidate story? Can you elaborate on that?
GL
Absolutely. So, in terms of candidate attraction, it does come down to employer branding. I think it’s about openly sharing what it’s like to work at Kandidate, as well. To know what we’re like, to provide an inside view into something that someone isn’t yet inside of… So it’s simply about trying to be quite transparent; so that people can get that insight into us. But as well as the branding side of things, it’s the understanding and insight into what it might be like to work with us. There’s also the traveling component. Where are potential candidates coming from? What’s that journey there? There’s a market-based component to the business, even.
JOD
Well, we’re looking after multiple pipelines of candidates – for us, and for the clients as well. And we’re making sure they’re mutually aligned. You’re talking about marketing. And what I’m always thinking about there is…authenticity. There’s so much shiny marketing material out there. And I think then when you actually jump on a Zoom with someone, or a Google Meet, and you actually talk to someone, then there’s a big disparity. What I like is the fact that the work that we do is authentic regardless of the virtual dialogue. I like that we share the reality of working in a remote-first business. That’s why we’re talking now… I mean, how meta is that?
GL
We’re talking about remote first now – and it’s absolutely awesome. I’m very grateful that Kandidate takes that approach. I love it. It’s fantastic.
JOD
So how long have you been at Kandidate for?
GL
I’ve been at Kandidate since January last year: the beginning of 2021. I actually started as a talent partner – I came in to help with marketing, because of my marketing background. However, in December last year, I transitioned into the marketing role – which is going very well so far. Fantastic.
JOD
And what made you join initially? What was the big draw for you?
GL
I knew Alex previously, and I knew of Kandidate. I was very much aware of what Kandidate were doing. I found the space very exciting. I’d always had a deep interest in startups. A deep interest in recruitment. I had a background in recruitment myself: I was a consultant. After the recruitment experience I had, I developed a deep interest in the startup space. I found it very exciting; very disruptive. It seemed like the best of both worlds – you know? I say recruitment business, broadly speaking. In fact, a talent-focused business operating in the startup space. For me, it was just a merging of two different interests. That being said, there are lots of businesses that do operate in that space. Particularly with Kandidate – I think Alex, the founder, is brilliant; he’s really someone that I wanted to work with from beforehand. And yes, the culture is fantastic as well. I knew that from the outside, you know? I knew of Kandidate. I knew some team members, previously; from being in similar work spaces. So when the opportunity presented itself, I jumped at it.
JOD
Fantastic. I think that that intersection of startup and recruitment and hiring – however you might want to describe it – certainly, there are a lot of people in the business who just kind of like that intersection between everything there. What about the remote element? You’ve spoken about that already? Why was that so important for you?
GL
Different people have different things that attract them. For me, freedom has always been an important part of my personality. It’s always fun to think about why that might be but it’s always been a call for me. You know, I’ve always craved freedom. I wanted freedom. And I think that if you’re that way inclined, where you absolutely want freedom in your life – and if you go into a work environment where you don’t have that, then you find there’s a significant mismatch between your personality and the professional environment you find yourself in. And if that continues, it’s going to go one of two ways. Either you’re going to get very unhappy…or you’re going to end up on employment. So, to have freedom in a professional environment, while doing something I also enjoy – it was key for me. I want to travel a lot. I want to see a lot of the world. And the remote-first approach that Kandidate has unambiguously taken enables me to do exactly that. It was and is the key for me.
JOD
What would you say to someone that was thinking about working for Kandidate who had freedom at the top of their list?
GL
I’d simply say: you’re gonna have it. End of story. I mean, we all deliver on what we need to deliver on – but this is a remote-first company. It’s a fact. So, as long as you can operate within a certain time zone, as long as you can get access to internet and a bit of caffeine, to keep you fueled if necessary – then you can roll with us. I’d say I just…jumped in. I mean, if freedom is something that you’re pursuing. And if traveling, seeing the world, is something that entices you, then – yes, certainly that’s something that Kandidate facilitates. We don’t just tolerate remote-first, you know; we promote remote. Quite a big difference there. You could call it a cultural thing; whatever. You see it with our team members throughout Europe, throughout the Americas, Africa… It’s a remote tribe. It’s absolutely fantastic.
JOD
What does the future hold for you and your team, George? What’s coming up over the next six months or so?
GL
The next six months are going to be really exciting. Really scaling up the marketing is something we’re going to be doing. That’s covering all areas. Really scaling up the content component of our business. We’re soon launching Talking Talent, which is an interview series with different talent experts and founders, from really exciting startups to scaleups, and I’m really excited that we’re going to be launching the Kandidate monthly newsletter also. There’s going to be a lot of content coming out. We’re also going to be diversifying our advertising channels. We’re going to be finding new alternative channels so that we can reach new potential businesses and new potential employees – but also really scaling up and optimizing our digital channels as well. And seeing how we can leverage the B to C dominant social platforms as well – and tie that into online. It’s going to be a busy six months.
JOD
Does that mean we’re gonna see you on TikTok? – Thanks so much for your time today.
GL
Thank you very much.
