Guesty is growing fast—and we have even bigger ambitions for the future. To make them happen, we need to recruit hundreds of people each year across a vast array of roles and departments—from Sales and Finance to IT and Software Development.
That’s where our Talent Acquisition team comes in. As Shelley Harris, one of our Talent Acquisition Team Leads, explains, it’s not just about finding the right CV. It’s about bringing the right personalities and attitudes together to keep Guesty—and its employees —at the top of their game and in a healthy and happy working environment.
How did your career in Talent Acquisition begin?
After finishing my Master’s degree in Community Mental Health, I decided I wanted a change in my career. I realized I could use all the skills I’d acquired, from special education and mental health, to help people understand what they wanted to do with their lives and what they were good at. I immediately enjoyed recruitment work—talking to lots of people, conducting interviews, and so on. Then after years of learning and growing at different agencies, I came to Guesty and have loved it ever since.
What’s your typical day as a Talent Acquisition Team Lead?
I turn on my MacBook and start tracking my open positions (roles I need to fill). Each one requires a lot of research and getting to know the candidate—so there are emails, phone calls, and, ultimately, interviews. At the same time, I speak with the hiring managers and conduct HR interviews to make I sure I find the best fit.
How do you like hybrid work?
Because I live in a Kibbutz up in the north near the Golan Heights, I enjoy hybrid working. The days when I have to go to the office in Tel Aviv are very exciting. I wake up extremely early to be in the office by nine—it’s just fun to see everybody, speak to people face to face, and have lots of meetings and interviews with candidates. We also have a big catch-up meeting with all the other recruiters, including our recruiter in the US. It’s a really busy, fun, productive day—then I head all the way back up north.
How do you measure success in your job?
We have set KPIs with different metrics for each position—how long it was open, how quickly we moved a candidate through the process, and so on. But it’s much deeper than metrics. It’s not just about closing each role. It’s about finding the right fit. Because at the end of the day, it’s people. It’s about matching the right candidate to the right team and manager. That’s real success; when everyone’s happy and performing well.
What’s the most important skill in your role?
Recruitment is all about people—understanding them. So I’d say the most important thing is knowing how to communicate and get to know people well. You definitely need to be a people person. It’s a very sociable profession.
What are the most important things to look for in a candidate?
Each candidate obviously has to have the relevant skills or qualifications for their specific role. But equally, I would say the motivation for the job—and working at Guesty—is vital: do they really have that drive? Then, I think it’s about the general DNA—do they have the right attitude to succeed with Guesty, the team, and the manager? You need to take everything into consideration.
How do you sell Guesty to candidates?
I have a basic pitch about how exciting the business is—who we are, the products, our growth, and so on. Then I always like to tell them more from my personal point of view. I think that’s the best way to give people a real sense of the company. So I tell them why I joined Guesty, what I like about it, and how I’ve grown in my career and as a person. This is what people relate to and get excited about.
How long does it usually take to choose the right person for a role?
It really varies—according to the role, the team and the market. Guesty’s a desirable workplace, so it can often just take a month. Or it can take a bit more time depending on how senior or niche the role is.
What’s your favorite part of being a Talent Acquisition Team Lead?
I love seeing the impact of the people I hire—how well they do in the team and the wider company. Every person brings so much individuality, adding something unique to the business and driving change in some way. And you feel like you’re partly responsible for that. It’s a great feeling.
Do you play any role in talent retention at Guesty?
It’s not part of our main role; that’s more up to HR and the managers. But it’s something that we all still play a part in because we like the people—we like to keep in touch with our candidates and make sure they’re happy. I want them to feel that they can speak with me and ask me anything, so if I can help in that way, I definitely will.
Do different departments require different recruitment approaches?
At the end of the day, a lot of things in recruitment are the same for any department —like the process and workflow. But again, it’s the people who are different. For example, what people in marketing do is very different from R&D. So their personalities and team dynamics are different. You need to adjust your approach accordingly.
Similarly, every hiring manager brings something unique to the process, and we need to work with their style and requirements. But I think that’s also part of the fun— switching between departments, teams, candidates, manages—all with very different personalities. It keeps you on your toes, solving lots of puzzles and getting inside people’s minds and personalities. It’s challenging and exciting.
