Anitha Balachander
Chennai
Summary
Seasoned Talent Acquisition Leader with 14+ years of global experience driving strategic, data led hiring. Expert in building diverse, high-impact teams through innovative recruitment, workforce planning, and scalable hiring solutions aligned with business goals.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Director - Talent Acquisition
WhiteBlue Cloud Services
Chennai
02.2026 - Current
- Led end-to-end recruitment across functions, improving time-to-fill by 15–20% while maintaining high-quality hires within SLA.
- Leveraged AI-driven sourcing and talent mapping to build robust pipelines, enabling faster closures for niche and volume roles.
- Conducted structured screening and assessments, increasing interview-to-offer conversion and quality of hire.
- Partnered with clients on hiring strategy and market insights, enhancing stakeholder satisfaction and hiring efficiency.
- Optimized ATS and recruitment processes, reducing turnaround time by 20–30% and improving tracking accuracy.
- Managed interview services vendor, improving scheduling efficiency and candidate experience while reducing internal bandwidth by ~25%.
Recruitment Consultant
Freelance
02.2024 - 01.2026
- Managed end-to-end recruitment for multiple clients, including sourcing, screening, and coordinating interviews. Partnered with clients to understand hiring needs and deliver quality candidates within defined timelines.
Senior Manager - Talent Acquisition
Chargeback Gurus
Chennai
11.2022 - 01.2024
- Partnered with business leaders to align talent strategy with growth objectives and workforce plans.
- Advised stakeholders on hiring priorities, talent availability, and market insights to support business decisions.
- Designed and implemented key TA frameworks including referrals, internal mobility, SLAs, and process governance.
- Led and coached a recruitment team, driving performance, delivery, and stakeholder engagement.
- Strengthened talent pipelines through strategic partnerships and employer branding initiatives.
- Reduced vendor dependency from 80% to 20%, significantly lowering recruitment costs and improving in-house capability.
- Ensured compliance and best practices across the end-to-end hiring lifecycle.
Senior Manager - Talent Acquisition
AstraZeneca
Chennai
04.2022 - 06.2022
- Led end-to-end recruitment for 2 largest technology business units (IT & IT Infrastructure), consistently meeting time-to-hire and cost-per-hire targets.
- Conducted regular stakeholder reviews, improving hiring visibility and decision-making turnaround.
- Managed and mentored a team of recruiters, driving increase in team productivity and delivery efficiency.
Senior Manager - Talent Acquisition
Williams Lea
Chennai
02.2020 - 10.2020
- Delivered over 95% of recruitment positions within SLA, reducing time-to-hire by 20%.
- Designed and executed scalable talent acquisition strategies for high-volume and niche hiring.
- Partnered with business leaders on workforce planning to support expansion and new unit ramp-ups.
- Drove multi-channel sourcing strategies, achieving 40-50% hires through cost-effective channels.
- Managed and mentored recruiters and vendors, boosting team productivity and hiring efficiency.
- Strengthened governance through structured processes ensuring compliance and visibility for stakeholders.
Manager - Talent Acquisition
Williams Lea Tag India
04.2015 - 03.2017
- Executed end-to-end recruitment process, achieving timely and quality hires across functions.
- Designed scalable talent acquisition strategies aligned with regional business objectives.
- Collaborated with business leaders on workforce planning, sourcing, and employer branding using market insights.
- Developed multi-channel sourcing strategy to establish robust talent pipelines through direct referrals and agencies.
- Mentored recruiters and vendors to enhance delivery performance and team capabilities.
- Ensured compliance with recruitment processes, accurate reporting, and continuous improvement throughout lifecycle.
Assistant Manager - Human Resources
Flextronics Business Services
12.2012 - 10.2014
- Lead end-to-end recruitment for the Global Supply Chain business at Flextronics, managing a team of six to execute strategic hiring initiatives, maintain a talent pipeline, and optimize time-to-hire and cost-per-hire metrics. Partner with stakeholders, mentor recruiters, conduct hiring drives, and provide data-driven insights through periodic recruitment dashboards.
Assistant Manager - Human Resources
Barclays Shared Services
09.2010 - 08.2012
- Manage full-cycle recruitment for Investment Banking and Financial Services, leading a team of two to meet hiring targets, maintain compliance, and build strong talent pipelines. Partner with hiring managers, execute strategic sourcing, oversee offer management, ensure background verification, and provide recruitment status reports to business heads.
Senior Executive - Human Resources
RR Donnelley
01.2006 - 08.2010
- Spearhead full-cycle recruitment for IT, LPO, and Research & Analytics business groups, serving as the SPOC for three divisions and ensuring hiring within defined SLAs. Manage vendor relationships, ensure process adherence, and provide regular MIS and on-demand reports to senior management.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Computer Science
G.S.S. Jain College for Women affiliated to University of Madras
01-2003
Skills
- TA Strategy
- Workforce Planning
- Employer Branding
- Talent Mapping
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
- Full-Cycle Recruiting
- Campus Hiring
- Candidate Experience
- Stakeholder Management
- Client Management
Accomplishments
- Delivered 1,173 hires in 12 months for Global Supply Chain, enabling large-scale ramp-up across Chennai and Pune.
- Executed 45+ walk-in drives nationwide within 10 months, accelerating high-volume hiring.
- Led recruitment for 250 FTE transitions in Investment Banking operations.
- Hired 60+ hires in 1 month for key banking projects, exceeding timelines through proactive sourcing.
- Implemented and integrated ATS with multiple systems, improving recruitment efficiency and workflow visibility.
- Reduced vendor dependency to 20%, driving cost optimization and strengthening internal talent pipelines.
- Recognized with Best Performer Award (3 consecutive quarters) and STAR Performer Award.
Achieved the highest performance rating (2011) and promoted twice within a year for outstanding performance.
Languages
English, Tamil, Telugu
Personal Information
Date of Birth: 10/24/83
Timeline
Senior Director - Talent Acquisition
WhiteBlue Cloud Services
02.2026 - Current
Recruitment Consultant
Freelance
02.2024 - 01.2026
Senior Manager - Talent Acquisition
Chargeback Gurus
11.2022 - 01.2024
Senior Manager - Talent Acquisition
AstraZeneca
04.2022 - 06.2022
Senior Manager - Talent Acquisition
Williams Lea
02.2020 - 10.2020
Manager - Talent Acquisition
Williams Lea Tag India
04.2015 - 03.2017
Assistant Manager - Human Resources
Flextronics Business Services
12.2012 - 10.2014
Assistant Manager - Human Resources
Barclays Shared Services
09.2010 - 08.2012
Senior Executive - Human Resources
RR Donnelley
01.2006 - 08.2010
Bachelor of Science - Computer Science
G.S.S. Jain College for Women affiliated to University of Madras