Varun Hariharan

Talent Acquisition

• Spearheading the recruitment process for multiple GTM and Non Tech functions including sales, marketing, customer success, and engineering(Campus Recruitment)
• Collaborated with hiring managers to determine job requirements and understand departmental needs.
• Monitored and analyzed recruitment metrics to identify trends, making data-driven decisions to improve recruitment strategies.
• Leveraged LinkedIn, Naukri data insights to gauge talent availability for niche skills and developed strong talent pipelines by utilizing various sourcing techniques, including social media, job boards, and networking events.
• Focused on enhancing employer brand through innovative digital and campus recruitment initiatives.
• Drove initiatives to improve diversity to ~40% by proactively sourcing candidates from diverse backgrounds through campaigns like employee Referrals, "Refer-her" programs.
• Reduced time-to-fill for open positions by implementing efficient recruitment strategies from 63 to 45 Days.
• Improved offer acceptance rate to 82% through improved candidate experience navigating through the recruitment lifecycle.
• Managed complex candidate negotiations to ensure offers were competitive and met candidate expectations.

Talent Acquisition Operations:

• Partnered with global recruitment teams to ensure alignment in talent acquisition strategies and fostered collaboration across regions.
• Lead CSAT program for the whole function by defining metrics, reporting data and identify areas of improvement in the overall recruitment process
• Provided regular updates on talent acquisition performance metrics to senior leadership, supporting data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement efforts.
• Designed and led training sessions for hiring managers on interview techniques and bias awareness to improve interview processes.
• Played an active part in sandbox testing for implementing recruitment tools like "Tal-view" and Application Tracking Systems like "Smartrecruiters".

• Led campus recruitment for the Karnataka region, managing all campus hiring activities, including strategic campus outreach and event management.
• Established and nurtured strong relationships with ~40 top B Schools and T Schools/Universities, ensuring a consistent flow of talent through campus recruitment initiatives
• Negotiated contracts with vendors, securing favorable terms while preserving strong partnerships for constant supply of talent off campus.
• Designed and executed hackathons, workshops, and engagement events to attract high-quality candidates while promoting Cognizant’s employer brand
• Oversaw the new employee orientation process, facilitating a seamless onboarding experience for new hires
• Developed marketing campaigns for increased brand exposure and customer engagement.
• Collaborated with external agencies to conduct compliance and statutory audits, ensuring all recruitment processes adhered to legal requirements
• Lead the Gen C Program for Engineering Colleges across regions. Worked closely with the placement officers to monitor progress, share feedback for niche skills like data science and data engineering.

• Managed the investigation and resolution of trade fails in the financial sector, primarily within the customer and investment banking divisions.
• Managed Fixed Income and Foreign Exchange trade fails. Ranging between 15-20 tickets a month
• Conducted in-depth reconciliation of overdrafts and trade discrepancies, ensuring minimal operational disruption
• Played an instrumental role in ensuring the accuracy and timeliness of financial reporting and transactions within the team.