Global talent acquisition has changed dramatically since I first stepped into this field 13 years ago. What began as a role focused on filling positions has evolved into something far more strategic — building pipelines across geographies, influencing business outcomes, and shaping how organisations think about talent altogether.
Today, I lead Talent Acquisition at Dananda Global Talent India, where I manage hiring across India, South Africa, and other African markets. Since joining in January 2025, my focus has been on aligning diverse talent needs with fast-moving business expectations across regions that are culturally and economically very different yet increasingly connected in terms of talent movement.
How Global Talent Acquisition Shaped My Thinking
Looking back at my journey, my time at Accenture between February 2019 and June 2024 was defining. As a Lead in Talent Acquisition, I was exposed to large-scale, complex hiring ecosystems across industries including Financial Services, Technology, Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals, Retail and E-Commerce, Telecommunications, and Logistics. It was a fast-paced environment where expectations were high, timelines were tight, and stakeholder management was as critical as sourcing the right candidate.
What stood out most during that phase was the diversity of roles I worked on, ranging from executive search and niche skill hiring to volume recruitment, graduate hiring, and TES/EOR contract roles. Each required a different mindset. Executive hiring demanded deep stakeholder alignment and market intelligence, while volume hiring required structure, speed, and consistency without compromising on quality.
Working across multiple business functions including Operations, Digital Marketing, Telecom, HRO, Supply Chain, and Procurement gave me a clear understanding of how talent decisions directly impact business performance across different verticals, not just within HR but at a broader organisational level.
Successful global talent acquisition is not just about filling roles. It is about understanding context — why the role exists, what success looks like, and how the right talent can accelerate that outcome.
What I Have Learned
One of the most rewarding aspects of my career has been placing candidates with some of the world’s most respected organisations, including Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Verizon, BMW, AT&T, Sainsbury’s, Novartis, Merck and Co, Sanofi, GSK, and AbbVie. Each engagement came with its own set of expectations, cultural nuances, and hiring complexities, but also reinforced the importance of persistence, relationship-building, and precision in execution.
Over the years, I have been part of large-scale hiring projects, leadership-level placements, and multiple niche assignments that required deep market mapping and targeted sourcing strategies. These experiences have strengthened my belief that effective global talent acquisition depends on understanding context first and process second.
Why Talent Acquisition Is Now Borderless
In many ways, global talent acquisition today is borderless. Talent is no longer confined by geography, and organisations are increasingly looking at cross-border hiring strategies to stay competitive. My experience across India, South Africa, and African markets has reinforced one key learning: while tools, platforms, and processes may evolve, the fundamentals remain unchanged — listening carefully, engaging authentically, and delivering consistently.
As I continue my journey at Dananda Global Talent, I see my role not just as leading recruitment delivery, but as contributing to how organisations think about talent strategy in a globalised world. The goal is no longer just to hire the best, but to build systems that consistently attract, engage, and retain the right talent across borders.
Global talent acquisition is one of the few professions where every hire has a direct human and business impact. Thirteen years in, that is still what keeps it meaningful.
Ashar Khan
Team Lead | Dananda Global Talent – India
india@dananda.net
What has shaped your organisation’s approach to global talent acquisition, and where do cross-border pipelines create the most value for your business?
