Vishal Thakur

Results-driven Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist with 10+ years of full-cycle recruiting expertise across IT and engineering domains. Proven ability to design and execute data-driven sourcing strategies, manage cross-functional stakeholders, and build robust talent pipelines that reduce time-to-fill. Deep expertise in technical hiring (AI/ML, Cloud, DevOps, Full-Stack), diversity recruitment, and ATS/HRIS platforms.

Adept at leveraging LinkedIn Recruiter, Boolean search, and AI-powered tools to engage both active and passive talent in a competitive market.

Sr. Technical Recruiter / Talent Acquisition Specialist - NTT DATA Inc. - Noida, India

(2018-10)

• Own full recruitment lifecycle — intake, multi-channel sourcing, screening, interview coordination, offer negotiation, and onboarding — consistently achieving sub-30-day average time-to-fill.
• Hire across diverse tech stacks: Full-Stack (React, Node, Java, Python), Cloud (AWS/Azure/GCP), DevOps/SRE, Data Engineering, Data Science/ML, Oracle EBS, and DBA roles.
• Partner with Delivery leads and Hiring Managers to align talent strategy with business roadmaps and proactively build pipelines for anticipated headcount.
• Leverage EightFold AI and SAP SuccessFactors to automate candidate matching and maintain data accuracy — reducing manual screening time by ~40%.
• Manage vendor ecosystem via SmartTrack VMS; conduct quarterly business reviews to optimise agency spend and quality of submissions.
• Lead diversity hiring initiatives; achieved 30%+ representation of women candidates in shortlists for tech roles.
• Mentor junior recruiters and maintain a best-practice playbook covering Boolean search, stakeholder engagement, and offer conversion strategies.
• Drive offer-to-joiner conversion through proactive candidate engagement and compensation benchmarking using market data.

Recruitment Specialist - AppTad Inc.

(2018-02 - 2018-09)

IT Staffing & Solutions

• Managed end-to-end recruitment for direct clients and implementation partners across FTE and C2H models.
• Built multi-channel sourcing pipelines (LinkedIn, Monster, cold outreach) to cut average time-to-fill by 25%.
• Assessed candidates for both technical proficiency and cultural fit; prepared candidates with targeted interview coaching.
• Collected and analysed post-hire feedback from hiring managers, informing continuous improvements to the screening process.

Technical Recruiter - N2S (Net2Source Inc.)

(2017-05 - 2018-02)

IT & Engineering Staffing

• Executed full-cycle recruitment across IT, Non-IT, and Engineering (Oil & Gas) verticals.
• Applied competency-based and behavioural interviewing frameworks to evaluate both technical skills and career alignment.
• Maintained comprehensive candidate records in internal ATS; posted and tracked job descriptions across major job boards.
• Supported team onboarding by coaching junior recruiters on sourcing techniques and candidate communication best practices.

Associate Technical Recruiter - TRG (Technology Resource Group Inc.)

(2015-12 - 2017-05)

IT Staffing

• Managed contract and permanent recruitment lifecycle for multiple client accounts across technology verticals.
• Conducted technical pre-screening, coordinated interviews, negotiated offers, and ensured smooth candidate onboarding.
• Built strong client and candidate relationships through proactive communication and deadline-focused delivery.

Bachelor of Information Technology - Information Technology - Kuvempu University

GNIIT Diploma - Software Engineering - NIIT

Higher Secondary (XII) - HPBSE