- With talent shortages and rising competition, companies must focus on quality, alignment, and candidate experience to attract and retain the right people.
- Slow hiring timelines, weak communication, and over-screening for “perfect” candidates often push strong applicants to accept offers elsewhere.
- Stability, hybrid work, work-life balance, AI-powered recruitment, and speed-to-hire are now key factors influencing candidate decisions across the region.
- Curran Daly & Associates combines market insight, structured processes, and a people-first approach to help employers hire better
With 42% of Southeast Asian employers struggling to attract and retain top talent, recruitment is no longer just about filling open roles as quickly as possible. More organizations are taking a step back and asking a bigger question: Are we hiring the right people for the long run?
In this article, the leadership team at Curran Daly & Associates shares their perspective on what defines good recruitment today, what companies often get wrong in hiring, and how recruitment can be improved for both employers and candidates.
CDA’s Core Approach to Recruitment
According to Geoff Daly, CDA’s Managing Director for Southeast Asia, quality is at the core of everything the team does. Their goal is to deliver an excellent experience for both clients and candidates.
When asked what defines good recruitment practices today, Geoff keeps it simple: “Excellent recruitment practices are as simple as delivering on our promises.” This emphasis on trust and follow-through is what makes CDA a go-to executive search firm in the Philippines.
To attract top talent in today’s competitive market, CDA recommends that companies invest heavily in employee branding and offer benefits that reflect long-term value.
Cess Rañola, the agency’s General Manager of Recruitment, stresses. “In today’s era, candidates are looking at the bigger picture, not just a fancy company name.” After all, today’s talent is drawn to organizations that prioritize purpose, growth opportunities, and a genuine commitment to their people.
Common Hiring Mistakes That May Hold You Back
Even well-intentioned hiring processes can fall short when speed, alignment, and flexibility are overlooked. CDA’s leadership team shares the most common missteps organizations make and what you can do differently.
1. Slow Hiring Timelines in a Competitive Market
Kevin Fitzgerald, the firm’s Executive Search Director, shares, “A lack of speed to hire is a common theme we see on a regular basis. While involving multiple stakeholders is understandable, delays often occur when some of those senior leaders are not fully aligned”.
He notes, “We see numerous situations where a hiring company doesn’t seem to have buy-in from the most senior leaders, which leads to notable periods of time between interviews, and guess what? The candidate moves elsewhere.”
2. Weak Candidate Experience
If there’s one area companies should seriously review and improve, it’s the candidate experience, particularly communication. As Kevin expounds, “Ghosting, as they call it nowadays, is prevalent in both directions, but frankly, from a recruiting standpoint, there is arguably nothing worse.”
The hiring process is often the very first interaction a person has with your organization, and first impressions truly last. With candidates having more options, a slow, unclear, or unresponsive process can quickly damage your employer brand and directly impact your recruitment success.
3. Over-Screening and the Pursuit of the “Perfect” Candidate
From Cess’s perspective, another common mistake of recruiters is eliminating strong candidates too early through rigid resume screening or an unrealistic pursuit of the so-called ‘perfect’ hire.
Unfortunately, no candidate will meet every requirement on paper, and over-indexing on checklists often leads hiring teams to overlook individuals with strong potential. She emphasizes, “ The hiring team must acknowledge this reality and remain flexible throughout the hiring process.”
Recruitment Trends Shaping the Region’s Talent Landscape
The way companies hire is changing quickly. Across the Philippines and around the world, recruiters are navigating new expectations. Geoff and Cess weigh in on the key recruitment trends that will redefine the talent market.
1. Stability and Long-Term Security
According to Kevin, the pandemic highlighted the vulnerability of many businesses. While some multinational companies closed their Philippine operations or drastically reduced their headcount, smaller startups undeniably suffered more.
“I have seen a tendency for job seekers to look for long-term stability in their next employer, and invariably this means looking at well-established businesses,” he concludes.
2. Hybrid Work
Hybrid work remains a competitive advantage for employers. Geoff notes that this setup helps companies manage costs better, reach a wider talent pool, and keep employees engaged by giving them more choice in how they work.
Cess also points out that flexibility should start during the hiring process itself. “Be flexible in a hybrid interview process for a more efficient turnaround,” she shares. Offering a mix of virtual, on-site, or panel interviews makes hiring faster and shows candidates early on that the company values their time.
3. Work-Life Balance
According to the General Manager of Recruitment, “I’ve met a number of candidates who reject offers from the most prestigious companies and jaw-dropping offers to remain with their current organization, as they believe accepting the new role will significantly impact their time with their families.”
This highlights a clear shift in priorities. Many candidates are choosing balance, autonomy, and family time over higher pay or well-known brands. Employers who recognize and support this are far more likely to win and keep top talent.
3. AI-Powered and Data-Driven Recruitment
Another major trend is the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven tools in recruitment. Geoff explains, “AI will boost efficiency and scalability in hiring, boost candidate experience, and enable more strategic, data-informed decisions.”
However, he cautions that technology should enhance, not replace, the human element. Relationship-building, judgment, and market understanding remain critical to successful recruitment outcomes.
4. Increased Demand Beyond Technology Roles
Cess believes that technology and information technology (IT) will still be the leading industries in recruitment. However, demand is also growing across a wide range of other sectors, including engineering, fast-moving consumer goods, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and finance.
5. Speed-to-Hire as a Strategic Advantage
“Speed-to-hire is a misunderstood friend,” Geoff stresses. This approach doesn’t mean compromising on quality. Instead, it’s about having a streamlined recruitment process that efficiently assesses and engages top talent.
Highly qualified candidates often have multiple offers on the table. Organizations that move quickly while maintaining thorough evaluation processes are better positioned to secure the best talent before competitors snap them up.
What Sets CDA Apart from Other Recruitment Agencies
Managing Director for Southeast Asia, Geoff, claims that CDA stands out in the recruitment landscape for two reasons: a continuous learning environment for its team and a commitment to delivering high-quality talent to its clients.
Here are some recent success stories that demonstrate how the agency consistently matches the right candidates with the right opportunities:
Success Story 1: Placing the Right Talent for a Critical Leadership Role
Around 12 months ago, Kevin helped a US-based client fill a key leadership position outside of the Metro. The client, a private equity-backed company, had very little experience with the Philippines or local talent.
“During the initial calibration, the client asked my advice in terms of the most suitable nationality for their role. I assured them the best person for such a role was also a Filipino”.
A shortlist was presented, including a few foreign nationals, but after the first round of interviews, two Filipina candidates stood out. The client was impressed by their skills and cultural alignment, ultimately selecting one candidate who has thrived in the role.
What made this successful:
- The client’s openness to local market expertise and trust in CDA’s guidance.
- A thorough understanding of the local talent landscape, which has matured significantly over the last five to ten years.
- Access to a high-quality talent pool, with candidates experienced in multinational organizations and ready to lead and develop local teams effectively.
Success Story 2: Placing a Country CFO with a Tech-Savvy Edge
Recently, Cess helped place a Country Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for a Digitech Insurance firm. The client was open to leveraging technology to enhance their recruitment process.
“We utilized one of CDA’s newest recruitment tools, which is a one-way, time-bound challenge-based video interview assessment,” she explains. The General Manager of Recruitment, Cess, worked closely with the hiring team to develop questions that evaluated candidates’ emotional intelligence and leadership styles.
What made this successful:
- The hiring team’s openness to technology and innovative recruitment methods.
- Collaboration in designing assessments that accurately measure the candidates’ potential.
- All participants, including the CFO candidate, were technology-savvy, allowing for a smooth and efficient hiring experience
CDA’s Advice for Employers and Job Seekers
Drawing on their experience working closely with companies and candidates across the region, CDA’s leadership team shares practical advice on how employers can attract the right talent and how job seekers can make smarter career decisions.
For Employers
When struggling to fill key leadership positions, take a step back and review your process. “All too often, a hiring company hands responsibility for a key search to stakeholders not fully engaged, or maybe too busy with other priorities,” Kevin notes.
In some cases, the process itself becomes overly long and involves too many decision-makers. When this happens, focus is lost, and candidates often assume the company isn’t serious about the role and move on.
That’s why the first step in improving your recruitment strategy is alignment. The Executive Search Director emphasizes that leadership roles require attention and urgency, and treating the search as a priority can make all the difference.
For Job Seekers
“With a billion talents currently readily available, it is important to constantly ask the question: What will make you stand out?” Cess emphasizes. Whether it’s a specific skill or the way you solve problems, being clear about your value helps employers quickly understand why you’re worth considering.
Gone are the days when recruiters focused on years of experience or fancy titles; today, it’s all about showing how that experience creates impact for their organization.
Final Thoughts
As CDA’s Managing Director for Southeast Asia, Geoff, puts it, talent competition is fierce. With AI, hybrid work, and speed-to-hire reshaping the job market, top candidates usually have more than one offer to choose from.
Just as importantly, retention begins at recruitment. The hiring experience not only influences whether someone accepts an offer; it also shapes how they feel about the company from day one.
For employers, this is where working with an experienced talent partner becomes a big advantage. Firms like Curran Daly & Associates bring strong market knowledge, a clear search process, and a genuine focus on candidate experience.
For job seekers, partnering with a trusted recruitment firm is about more than just finding open roles. It means getting real market insights, honest feedback, and career guidance that helps you make better decisions—not just for your next job, but for your long-term growth, too.
Ready to take the next step? Contact us today and let’s build your future, together.
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