In an industry often criticized for its inefficiencies and impersonal approach, Aye Kalenok stands out as a visionary determined to redefine the landscape of recruitment through her startup, kala.
With a clear mission to transform recruitment processes into a seamless and people-focused experience, Aye shares insights into her entrepreneurial journey, the challenges she faced, and the innovative strategies she employs at kala.
Founded on the principle that “everyone seems to have a horror story or two about a recruitment process,” kala aims to turn these narratives into tales of opportunity and positive change.
In this exclusive interview, Aye Kalenok delves into the core of kala’s philosophy, its dedication to startups and SMBs, and the transformative impact of fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce.
Also Read: Randy Loveless: A Catalyst in Legal Nurse Consulting
Can you give us a brief background of your journey and the story behind founding kala?
kala was born with a simple but powerful idea of transform recruitment. Everyone seems to have a horror story or two about a recruitment process. The truth is, where there’s a big problem, there’s a huge opportunity to change that. Recruitment itself isn’t rocket science, but it’s like juggling multiple balls with different interests at play.
How do we make everyone happy? How do we ensure a good experience for candidates while maintaining a smooth process, yet adapting to all the changes we will have related to deadlines and priorities? The secret for us is focusing on people, regardless of whether they are candidates, hiring managers, or anyone else.
We work with people, and we never know what will happen. So, offering a transparent experience, being ready to adapt and change, but always striving to do our best—that’s our formula.
How is kala helping startups and SMBs to set up the best team? How does kala approach the process of matching talent with organizations to ensure mutual success and impact?
We specifically work with SMBs and startups because we love the chaos of this kind of organization. We know that sometimes there is a lack of processes, vague ideas, and even people feel like they’re wearing many hats all at once. Even though it’s not perfect, people can see the impact of their work, there is no bureaucracy, and they can witness the company’s growth alongside their personal development. It’s a beautiful process.
Given this kind of environment, we know that hiring the right person for our partners is not just a number. I’ve read that startups are at one person, one client, or one partner to succeed or fail, so the next team member will be key for them.
We love that chaos, but we know that some people feel better when companies are better structured, with clear instructions, and streamlined processes.
Having the perfect match in both ways means understanding what each side expects from the other, and that’s not something we can convey in a job description.
The market has changed, and while it used to be companies choosing their employees, it’s super different now. We need to invest time with both candidates and partners to understand their motivations and expectations so they can choose each other.
We have the philosophy that if you don’t know something, you can learn about it, especially today when almost every topic is just a click away. So, we believe that years of experience can be flexible, perhaps expertise in one tool, but key values and principles are the secret to making a perfect match
As the CEO of kala, what core principles guide your leadership in shaping the agency’s operations and relationships with clients and candidates?
We have transparency and respect as the baseline for interacting with people, whether they are candidates or hiring managers. Everyone acts as a hiring manager or candidate occasionally, so we apply the same principles to everyone.
Adaptability and time optimization are part of our daily routine and something we always have in mind. Why? Because we need to support our partners in that process. Startups are constantly changing and pivoting, while SMBs, even at different rhythms, need to adapt and optimize resources.
Thinking outside the box, we celebrate new ideas because they’re great and because they’re fun. There will always be a different way to do something and achieve better results. Even if we achieve the same results, finding new ways of doing things is a great exercise. Doing the same thing all the time is boring.
Community and collaboration often foster innovation and growth. How does kala cultivate a supportive community among its clients and candidates, facilitating networking and knowledge-sharing opportunities?
Remote work is a community that has grown so fast, and we love the big community that has been built around it. We collaborate by sharing best practices, offering open feedback, and actively listening. Perhaps we contact a candidate who is not open to jobs now but could be in the future, and it’s the same with a company. Building an open and respectful community is key for results as well.
We have filled roles with referrals from candidates who were not interested in the role, for example. We encourage everyone to engage in networking, and even though that sounds great, it’s about being open and creating connections with potential allies. You never know where that person will take you.
Also Read: The Future of Self-Care: Merging Technology with Traditional Wellness Practices
Inclusivity and diversity are essential considerations in today’s workforce. How does kala ensure that its recruitment processes promote inclusivity and provide equal opportunities for all candidates?
At kala, we work specifically on expanding US based teams to LATAM so diversity is at our core.
We firmly believe that diverse teams will have different ideas, leading to more innovative results, and that is something that no company today could overlook. Small differences can make a company attractive to partners and clients, so having diverse perspectives is a game-changer. We apply this principle daily and encourage everyone to open their minds. Many of our partners have their first experience internationalizing their teams, and 100% of them are happy with the results.
Diversity can be many different things, and everyone is right. Having a diverse team brings a range of perspectives and ideas to the table, leading to better products, services, and outcomes
What does the future look like for you both professionally and personally? What are you most excited about?
Excited about what’s next for kala, we’re super new in the industry and can’t wait to see how we will continue growing.
We’re passionate about making our partners team grow but also working on multiple projects involving candidates and companies to create cool, simple but impactful things. For example, we’re tackling the challenge of creating the best recruitment process by interviewing candidates from all over the world and learning from past experiences.
We work with people, and we never know what will happen. Even though unpredictability can be crazy, we love that that we will never be bored
