Joshua Talreja

About Joshua Talreja

How do you scale a company 350% in 8 months while simultaneously cutting cost-per-hire by 32% and boosting diversity from 11% to 43%? It requires treating talent acquisition not as a support function, but as a strategic, data-driven growth engine. With over 18 years of experience, I've built a career on transforming recruiting into a core competitive advantage for some of the world's most innovative companies. AtAirbnb, I was entrusted with a monumental challenge: build their first-ever India Engineering hub from the ground up. In just 7 months, we scaled a world-class team from 0 to 45 engineers, launching with an incredible 80% onboarding ratio and establishing a playbook for future global expansions.In the hyper-growth crypto world atVauld, I led the talent engine that fueled a 350% increase in headcount (40 to 140 employees) in 8 months. By implementing agile methodologies, we optimized efficiency and improved key hiring metrics by 80%, proving that speed and quality can coexist.My time at Google was about driving systemic change. I spearheaded initiatives that dramatically improved engineering diversity from 11% to 43% and developed data-driven strategies that cut time-to-fill by 40%, directly impacting the company's innovation pipelineThese experiences shaped a conviction: the companies that win the next decade won't be the ones with the best products on paper - they'll be the ones that built the talent infrastructure to attract, assess, and retain the best engineers before their competitors even knew those engineers existed. I specialize in Staff+ and engineering leadership hiring across global markets, with deep expertise in building TA functions from zero, designing interview systems that predict performance, and partnering with engineering leaders who demand precision over volume. Currently: Technical Recruiting at Airbnb, focused on Staff+ engineering and product hiring. Also founder of RecruitingSniper, career coaching for Engineering Executives Exploring Director / Senior TA Leadership opportunities globally.Areas of Expertise🔹Talent Strategy & Workforce Planning🔹Hyper-Growth Scaling & Team Leadership🔹Executive Search (C-Suite, VP, Director)🔹Data-Driven Recruiting & Analytics🔹Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Strategy🔹Employer Branding & Candidate Experience🔹Cost-Per-Hire & Time-to-Fill Reduction🔹Technical Recruiting (AI, FinTech, Blockchain, Product)

Experience

1. India Recruiting - Product

   Airbnb

   Oct 2024 — Present · Remote

   Second stint at Airbnb to scale the India engineering function, was brought back specifically for the track record of building the original India team from zero in 2020. Closed 20+ hires to date across Tax, Payments, BizTech, and core product engineering, with 70% at Staff Engineer, Senior Staff, and Engineering Manager level, Airbnb's hardest-to-fill technical roles. Partner directly with Director-level engineering leaders as the hiring stakeholder, operating as a strategic talent advisor across headcount planning, candidate calibration, and offer strategy for senior technical talent. Maintain a sub-60-day average time-to-fill for Staff+ roles, significantly outperforming industry benchmarks for senior engineering hiring in India's competitive talent market.

2. Founder, TA Advisory and Career Coach

   RecruitingSniper

   Jan 2023 — Present · India

   Founder & Principal Talent Advisor Founded an executive search and TA advisory firm serving early-stage and high-growth companies in AI, FinTech, and Blockchain, born from 18+ years of building TA functions at Google, Microsoft, and Airbnb. Architect end-to-end talent acquisition frameworks for clients — from talent strategy and market intelligence through interview design, compensation structuring, and closing strategy. Lead a remote team of 6 Technical Recruiters and 3 Operations professionals, delivering talent solutions for a global client base spanning the US, Europe, Singapore, and India. Built a global community of 10,000+ executives, C-level leaders, Engineering VPs, Product leaders, and Designers — creating a proprietary network that drives both client delivery and market intelligence. Provide executive career coaching and interview preparation, helping hundreds of professionals navigate and land roles at leading tech companies.

3. Career Coach

   topmate.io

   Jan 2023 — Present · Remote

   Provide 1:1 career coaching and interview preparation for technology professionals, with a focus on senior and leadership-level candidates targeting top tech companies. Helped hundreds of professionals refine their positioning, interview skills, and job search strategy to accelerate placements.

4. Recruiting Manager - India, Singapore and Europe

   Vauld

   Oct 2021 — Jan 2023 · Gurugram, Haryana, India

   Spearheaded the entire talent acquisition function for a hyper-growth crypto exchange, building the recruiting infrastructure and team from the ground up to support global expansion. Scaled the company by 350%, growing the cross-functional team from 40 to 140 members in just 8 months to meet aggressive business objectives. Engineered and implemented agile recruiting methodologies that improved key hiring metrics by 80%, drastically increasing operational efficiency. Developed the company's employer brand and recruitment marketing strategy, leveraging innovative sourcing channels to attract top-tier global talent. Achieved a 95% manager satisfaction score in an organization-wide survey by fostering strong stakeholder relationships and building a world-class candidate experience.

5. Technical Recruiting

   Airbnb

   Apr 2020 — Oct 2021 · Gurgaon, Haryana

   Managed the technical recruiting function and was selected to build Airbnb's first-ever engineering team in India, laying the foundation for a key global capability center. Pioneered the establishment of the India Engineering team, hiring 40+ founding engineers, product managers, and engineering managers within 9 months. Conducted comprehensive market analysis and talent mapping to validate Bangalore as the strategic location for the new engineering hub. Architected the complete recruiting strategy, coordinating with global teams to design assessment protocols and interview processes that aligned with Airbnb's high bar for talent. Led and mentored a high-performing team of 5 technical recruiters, driving an 80% offer-to-onboard ratio.

6. Senior Technical Recruiter

   Google

   May 2018 — Apr 2020 · Gurgaon, India

   Partnered with 5 business lines within the gTech organization to execute data-driven recruiting strategies for complex, business-critical roles. Championed a data-driven diversity and inclusion strategy, dramatically increasing diversity hires from 12% to over 40% across all managed roles. Drove key employer branding initiatives that boosted application rates for gTech roles by 70%. Reduced average time-to-fill by 40% by optimizing the hiring process and strengthening stakeholder partnerships. Maintained a 100% hiring target achievement rate across all quarters by building and nurturing robust talent pipelines.

7. Talent Acquisition Lead

   Microsoft

   May 2015 — Dec 2017 · Gurgaon, India

   Led full-cycle recruiting for complex and emerging technology groups, including Artificial Intelligence & Research, MS Teams, and Azure. Consistently over-delivered on hiring targets, achieving 110%, 170%, and 180% of quarterly goals in highly competitive talent markets. Organized and executed a first-of-its-kind online recruitment event for the India, Middle East, and Africa (IMEA) region. Increased diverse hires by 20% across 3 key business lines by championing inclusive hiring practices. Managed a team of 5-8 Talent Sourcers, optimizing pipeline strategy for both immediate and future hiring needs.

8. Senior Technical Recruiter

   Publicis Sapient

   Jun 2013 — Apr 2015 · Bangalore

   Recruited senior-level technology talent for the Capital Markets, Investment Banking, and Commodities trading sectors. Focused on enhancing candidate experience and leveraging social media for employer branding and talent attraction. Specialized in senior-level hiring, conducting in-depth market research and talent mapping to identify and engage top-tier candidates. Developed and executed recruitment marketing strategies, utilizing social media channels to build a strong employer brand and network with passive talent. Drove initiatives focused on improving the end-to-end candidate and hiring manager experience.

9. Recruiting Specialist

   Microsoft

   Aug 2011 — Jun 2013 · Bengaluru Area, India

   - Operated as a sourcing specialist for Microsoft's Global Delivery team, focused on identifying and engaging passive talent through advanced sourcing techniques and building robust talent pipelines. - Leveraged social media and global recruiting communities to implement best practices and build a network of high-value technical professionals. - Created and maintained detailed resource maps and market intelligence reports to inform recruitment strategy and goal setting. - Managed candidate relationships and internal stakeholder communication to ensure a high offer-to-acceptance ratio.

10. Technical Recruiter

    Tata Elxsi

    Feb 2010 — Aug 2011

    - Managed end-to-end recruitment for the Wireless technology division, hiring for highly specialized roles across India, Europe, and the United States. - Successfully sourced and closed multiple niche positions for onsite client projects in the LTE and WCDMA domains. - Oversaw the entire recruitment lifecycle, from initial requirement gathering and sourcing to offer negotiation and post-offer management. - Developed targeted job postings and outreach campaigns to ensure a consistent pipeline of qualified candidates for specialized roles.

11. Business Development - Account Management - Technical recruitment

    Agency/Search firm/ Recruitment Consultancy

    Feb 2007 — Feb 2010 · Bengaluru Area, India

    Performed a hybrid role managing business development, account management, and a technical recruiting team for leading recruitment consultancies in Bangalore. Led business development efforts, identifying and establishing new client relationships within the Storage, Networking, and Telecom verticals. Managed key client accounts, overseeing the end-to-end recruitment delivery process to meet and exceed hiring targets. Handled a team of 3 technical recruiters, providing mentorship and training on the full recruitment lifecycle to transform them into billable, high-performing consultants.

Education

• Kristu Jayanti College Of Management And Tech

  Bachelor’s Degree · Computer Programming, Specific Applications

  2002 — 2005

Skills

• Staffing Services
• Networking
• Data Analysis
• Boolean Searching
• Talent mapping
• Mock Interviews
• Screening
• Business Development
• Employee Referral Programs
• Leadership
• Talent Assessment
• Interview Preparation
• Industrial Sector
• Social Media
• Corporate Recruiting
• People Management
• Sourcing
• Coaching & Mentoring
• Employee Relations
• Salary Negotiation
• Niche Talent Acquisition
• Internet Recruiting
• IT Recruitment
• Human Resources
• Compensation & Benefits
• Applicant Tracking Systems
• Employer Branding
• Talent Scouting
• Recruiting
• Business Intelligence
• Interviews
• Professional Staffing
• Interviewing
• Technical Recruiting
• Hiring
• Phone Screening
• New Hire Orientation
• Global Recruiting
• Benefits Negotiation
• Temporary Placement